How I use my apps

Before apps came in –marketing Before the era of mobile applications, I used to thoroughly enjoy going to the bustling vegetable market in my childhood days. It was a delightful experience to grab a market bag, particularly on holidays, and immerse myself in the vibrant atmosphere. Despite the somewhat grim conditions, with the presence of cows nudging around and the occasional threat of being bitten by stray dogs or gored by bulls, I relished the opportunity to interact with the vendors and engage in spirited haggling. Even though I would occasionally fall victim to their tricks, I would return home feeling content. Afterward, I would dedicate both time and effort to thoroughly cleanse myself and the fresh produce from the market, ensuring everything was ready for storage. This routine always left me with a sense of satisfaction and fulfilment. As Tech stepped in marketing became a breeze Technology became a boon as we grew up and faced time constraints. Going to the market and finding parking became a hassle, wasting valuable time and effort. Then technology intervened. When COVID struck, it was technology and apps that kept us safe. Initially, there was resistance to using these apps, but over time, things became smoother. Friction reduced, from adding items to our cart to making a single click payment. Now, it has become an essential habit. We can order anything, at any time, at a discounted price, all from the comfort of our homes. These orders are delivered seamlessly while we continue with our daily routines. Personally, I appreciate the feature that allows us to track the rider on their way to the delivery point. Grocery advantage The vegetables came fresh, washed, packed– the fish and meat came- fresh, cleaned and hygienically packed- you just had to put it in the refrigerator.If it was not available on Swiggy, we switched to Blinkit, if not Bigbasket,Licious, Fresh We chose only the things we needed– the tendency to heap up your electronic cart with things which were not needed - just reduced unnecessary spending– . It saved time, it saved petrol, it saved parking headache, – and we got things safely delivered at any time of the day- the apps evolved– the delivery time got reduced to minutes from days – it was a win-win situation for all. It has been ages since I have visited a vegetable or fish market– Banking and investing Another thing which these apps made easy– investing– all forms -from gold, stock market, FD , crypto to other forms of alternative investments was available at your fingertips– national to international Going to the bank with a cheque in hand to deposit or transfer money is a passe–although a favourite pastime for retired people to get away from the confines of home as a little breather– meet soulmates and enjoy a cup of coffee. Otherwise with enhanced cybersecurity every transaction leaves an electronic trail– they are safe now . In fact the neo banks even do not exist physically – everything is in the cloud. Reading books and newspapers Although I still like the feel of newspapers – the newspaper apps - have made international papers to national papers reading pleasure– the apps are friendly and a pleasure to use – and the news gets updated throughout the day. Kindle was a boon– you could carry a large number of books anywhere delivered instantly into your library, you could add a bookmark–a dictionary to guide you instantly, and the cost of the books were also at a much reduced price.You could also read at night without disturbing the sleep of your spouse-as no bedside lamp was required- You can now listen to them on your Audible app-as it lulled you to sleep– when you missed listening to a paragraph– you knew it was time to doze away– and dream of the sweet stories of the book you were listening to. Music The apps have revolutionised how you listen to your favourite songs, podcasts, your favourite songs, artists at your fingertips, the whole rigmarole of tapes and CD ,s are out–listen anywhere and anytime, shuffle, build a playlist. Spotify is my favourite– and now they introduced something called smart shuffle– they automatically play your favourite next song Conferences COVID was an eyeopener– you had to have the right app to gain knowledge, from anywhere, anytime– there was no need for a massive spend on physical conferences. It was a win-win situation for all. You need one of the webcast apps and you are ready to go. AI integration This has come as a big boon – if you know how to integrate it with your apps- but the real good ones are beyond a paywall– and now you have to be a master at prompts to get the best out of it.