Skip to main content

Dashboard may help us finally quit wasting our time

For the most part, today was a fairly slow day as far as tech news is concerned; last night was also a pretty uneventful night. Because of this, I found myself continually looking through every tech site I could find for content as well as scanning social media constantly hoping it would spark some motivation. After awhile, it occurred to me that I had done nothing all night except surf what I could; that is when the topic struck me: The Dashboard.

Image result for android p dashboard

If you didn't know about anything to come out of I/O this year, other than what I told you previously, you may not have heard of Dashboard. Included in the upcoming Android P, Dashboard is an app that tracks how long you spend on each app during the day, and more importantly, it allows you to set timers for how long you can spend on the app.

Let's say you get the feeling that you spend too much time on Pinterest during the day. You could check Dashboard, and it will tell you exactly how long you spent on the app. If it is too much, you could set a timer for the amount of time you wish to spend on it. If you reach your allotted time, that is when the real fun starts as the phone will stop you from opening it. Great, right?

As soon as the time limit is reached, the app will shut down, and the icon will turn gray-scale on both the home screen and in the app drawer. And, if you think you can just click the icon and have the option to override the restriction, you might want to think again because tapping the icon will do absolutely nothing. If you really want to timer because you can't last the rest of the day without the app, you will have to go into the dashboard, choose the app, and change the settings for more time.

Now, if you really can't live without the app the rest of the day, you may have a problem, but at least there is a way. However, it is designed to be difficult to override the restriction because you made the choice to set it in the first place. The point of this app, as well as most of Google's announcements is to give you more of your time back. From Google Assistant making calls to Dashboard locking you out of time wasters, Google is basically making the point that our time is better spent elsewhere; these apps want you to put your phone down.

Parents may find these new features essential and beneficial; you can finally have some control in how their kids use their phones and how long they use them for without having to constantly confiscate and monitor the devices themselves. But, more importantly, for most of population including myself, we can finally stop wasting so much time looking at the same things again and again waiting for something to justify wasting time in the first place.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Digital well-being is the trend of the year

Digital well-being is this year's buzzword With the keynote of WWDC officially over, it is safe to say one thing: digital well-being is the trendy topic of the year. I/O last month and WWDC have demonstrated that the key players in mobile devices (seemingly) want you to put your phone down. However, which company has the right idea in how to do it? Both iOS 12 and Android P have showcased coming features to address "digital well-being". For all intents and purposes, these words just mean that Apple and Google "want" you to spend less time on your phone; at least, that is the image they are portraying. Both iOS and Android offer new dashboards Now, how are they both doing it? While they differ in the approach, they have very similar tools. For instance, both operating systems will allow you to set timers on apps so that you can spend as much or as little times in those apps as you choose. If you go over, you get shut out of the app. In additio...
Post a Comment
Read more

In-display sensors or facial scanners: which will take off?

The fingerprint sensor may be moving back to the front...under the screen. Could this be the next big trend in mobile technology (see previous entry about current trend)? Or, will companies move the Apple way and opt for facial recognition for security? With the debut of the iPhone X, Apple shifted away from the fingerprint sensor and debuted FaceID. Utilizing (arguably) some of the most advanced cameras and sensors, the iPhone X negated the need for fingerprint, bio-metric security by using 3D facial recognition to verify identity. In doing so, the home button vanished from the iPhone along with the ability to scan fingerprints. Several months later, at CES, Vivo demoed the first phone using in-display fingerprint scanner technology ; the idea being to remove bezels on the front as well remove the sensor from the back of the body. Prior to CES, many believed that Samsung would be the first to debut the technology, but they were held back by mass-producing and technological restra...
Post a Comment
Read more

Checking in on me?

Admittedly, it has been a slower news day in my tech sphere, and I have not had a ton of time to do more research. But I find myself wondering tonight: how many people check in, and do you think it is a good idea to do so? While I understand privacy concerns, I leave my life mainly open for the public. I tend to share my life with the world through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. At any given time, those in my circle on social media know where I am, what I am doing, and who I am doing it with. Why do I do this  you ask? Is it vanity of making others jealous, or is it simply to let others know? Well, honestly, it is a little both. The most important issue others see with this lifestyle is that I am letting the entire world know where I am. I get the hesitation with checking in on social media. For instance, if someone would wish to harm me for some strange reason, they would know where to find me. Also, if someone would desire to rob me, they would know that I am not home. T...
Post a Comment
Read more