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FOUR SEASONS BREEZE | FEBRUARY 2024 17 By Steve Benoff I've been writing this apps article for the Breeze for over seven years, and I think it's time for a change of format. Not my article, the Breeze itself. I'm not suggesting it be printed in Hebrew, but I do think it should be laid out in reverse page order from what it's been since its inception. What?! You think that's a bad idea? Of course it is. But I use the example to make a point about changing things that work well. I'll get to my prime example in a minute. But first I'll mention Amazon Kindle. One of the great things about the Kindle is how it syncs between the Amazon reader and the Kindle app. It used to be a one-step process on the reader, but Amazon decided to make it a two-stepper. There is no accompanying advantage to this change. I haven't a clue as to why Amazon felt the change was needed. Fortunately, they didn't change the process on the app. It's still just one button press to advance to the furthest page read. The example that stimulated me to write this article is the recent change to the Apple Maps app. I know many of you prefer Google Maps and are blissfully unaware of the changes made by Apple. But I have long preferred Apple Maps. I can't say that any longer. Like Google, if you are following a route to a selected destination, Apple used to show you the distance to that turn as well as the name of the street or highway you will be turning to. Not anymore. In one invisible update over which I had no control, Apple now gives you only the distance to and direction of the next turn. It used to tell you the next move as well, such as whether you'll be turning left or right at the end of an offramp. No more. It used to show a layout of the upcoming turn, such as the right two lanes of a four-lane road. No more. So, I'll have to change to Google Maps because I think it's the safer alternative, and I'll just have to put up with the annoyances that led me to prefer Apple Maps in the first place. But there were a couple of cool things I learned on our visit to relatives in San Jose at Christmas time. My brother and sister-in-law installed a new LG refrigerator in their remodeled kitchen. It's not a surprise that it has an app. In addition to how many times you've opened the door in the last day, it shows the accumulated time the door has been opened. But the feature that most interested me is one called Sabbath. Observant Jews, those who follow the many rules of Orthodox Jewry, are not allowed to turn lights on or off during the sabbath (Friday sundown to Saturday sundown). But they can open doors. So, if you engage Sabbath mode on the LG app during the sabbath, the refrigerator light will not come on when you open the refrigerator door. My guess is since it's connected to the internet, the refrigerator knows the sunrise and sunset times throughout the year. This same couple became grandparents two years ago. I will spare you what child care costs for the son of their daughter, but there's an app for it. Every day she and her husband can look at the app to see photos of the activities for that day as well as a detailed report on those activities. Of course, they can also scroll back to prior days of the school year. If you use an app you'd like to share with others, let me know at steve.benoff@verizon.net. THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT! What I Learned Over Christmas Vacation (not all change is a good thing)

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