b'Life with MSSSiimmpplleeTTeecchhnnoollooggyyttooMMaakkeeLLiiffeeEEaassiieerrCommunication, entertainment, and smart homesat your ngertipsBy Joanne FortunatoTechnology is changing at such a rapid useful, especially if you depend on them forpace that it can be overwhelming and daunting. transportation. There are new and amazingly sophisticated Google calendar is a great choice for anydevices available, but at their core, many of the device. You do need a Google account to useapplications on these devices are still simple it, which is free, but it works with iCloud asto use and can aect your life in a meaningful well.Itispowerfulanduserfriendly.Oneway. The hard part is to wade through all the thing to be aware of: you have to sharehype and harness the power of these gems. information with Google. A simple search forThis article will highlight a few applications and calendar apps in Apple App store or Googleexplain how they can improve your quality Play will yield great results. Spend some timeof life. The applications highlighted are trying a few to nd the one that you like.available for almost any current device atlittle or no cost.CommunicatingMarking time One of the best features that smart devicesThe simplest and most basic application oer is the ability to communicate with friendsto use is the calendar, but it is one of the most and family. If you have family that lives apartoverlooked apps. The calendar that comes from you, traveling to visit them may bepreinstalled on most new devices is adequate dicult. Video chatting on a smart device isat best. For a small fee, generally under $10, easy and free. Many people already takeyou can purchase a calendar loaded with advantage of this feature but it is often hardfeatures that make organizing your life to see a video on a tablet or a phone, andecient and easy.usually only one person can see the device ata time. The two apps most often used areMostcalendarappscomewithacolor FaceTime or Skype. FaceTime only works withcoding feature that is often untapped. This Apple devices, however Skype works acrosssimple feature makes it easy to see what type all platforms. You and whomever you wish toof appointment you have at a glance. It works video chat with do need a Skype account,especially great for doctor/health appointments. which is free. It is also relatively simple toIn some cases, an appointment may be hook up a tablet or a phone to a TV.A smartrecorded in the calendar right from an email TValready hasa capability to sync with aor a medical portal. Most calendars tie in to phone or tablet. For a nonsmart TV, it is notyour contacts so you can enter location and expensive to use a third party device such asphone number right in the calendar. In Apple TV, Roku or Chromecast. All this isaddition, calendars can be shared and synced done wirelessly, so no long, unwieldy cable iswith family or caregivers. This is extremely needed. msfocusmagazine.org 44'