Mobile Diaries

The way our mobile connectivity impacts our lives is apparent in most everything we do today, but what about tomorrow, next year — or even next decade?

T-Mobile Chief Marketing Officer Mike Katz joins Jason and Shawna to talk about how 5G is unleashing the potential of our connected lives in ways we couldn’t have imagined even just a few years ago. We review some of the white-hot wireless advances that have been made since the beginning of the pandemic, and how our 5G future is swiftly coming into focus.

Let’s face it: A vacation isn’t a vacation anymore without a mobile phone. Just ask Jason – who recently dropped his in the pool while traveling abroad. Our smartphones are a lifeline when traveling, and we may not even realize how dependent we’ve become on them. Despite some initial “rebooting” challenges, world travel is once again in full swing – with a lot of pandemic-era digital enhancements. Thankfully, we have a travel guru to help us (quite literally) navigate this new terrain.

On this episode, hosts Jason and Shawna are joined by Mitra Sorrells, editor in chief at travel industry bible PhocusWire, to discuss everything from booking a hotel from the back of a cab, to contactless check-ins at airports and keyless hotel rooms, and more! So hop aboard your floating flamingo and join us at our poolside workstation — on Mobile Diaries.Mobile Diaries is brought to you by T-Mobile Stories.

It’s summertime, and our T-Mobile Stories hosts are quite literally “in the air” working on the go and even squeezing in some vacation time – perfect opportunity to see for themselves how our connected tech has evolved the way we travel since the pandemic.

Find out what happens when Jason and Shawna put their extended absence notifications on, and head Out of Office, mobile devices firmly in hand. Join them for a quick recap of show highlights so far, and find out what’s in store on our next episode – focusing on travel tech trends.

Just a couple short years ago, had someone said they were going “wireless in the wild,” one may have conjured images of a free soloist climbing an intimidating rock wall without so much as a rope, her hands being her only protective equipment. But flash forward a couple years, and more than a few leaps in wireless network availability, and the phrase very literally means that mobile-minded hikers can often just as reliably count on their smartphone as an outback safety essential as they would a trusty pair of boots or a pocket knife.

On this episode of Mobile Diaries, Shawna and Jason are joined by Jay Christianson, a Search and Rescue member for El Paso County in Colorado, to talk about how mobile technology really has helped many connect with nature via the latest connectivity capabilities, even in the remotest of regions. The outdoors safety expert offers tips on how you too — from essential mapping apps to geotagging social media shots — can use your device to heed the call of the wild.

Our joyful protagonist, Siobhan Farr, yearned for an exciting life of travel. But, like so many of us, tied down by the realities of everyday work and life, that desire was mostly teased through an annual scheduled vacation and the occasional business trip. But then a light bulb went off for this intrepid traveller: As someone who worked for a company that was based on a digital platform, she already had everything she needed to work remotely from somewhere other than her living room: a phone, a laptop and 5G network and international data plan to boot. And then off Siobhan went too, leaving everything else behind. As a working woman over 55, Siobhan was determined to show the world that “digital nomading” wasn’t just a young person’s game. 

In this episode, Shawna and Jason observe the growing parade of mobile-minded travel enthusiasts who are embracing today’s work-from-anywhere ethos. Along the way, they reveal how wireless technology is making working from sun-soaked beaches and mountain peaks more attainable than ever for your average nine-to-fiver.Mobile Diaries is brought to you by T-Mobile Stories.

Shawna and Jason take a look at the current ups and downs in the world of mobile dating. When your love life is set against the backdrop of a global pandemic, there’s no doubt that some interesting trends are bound to emerge — such as that of an altogether new persona: “The Hesidator.” Let’s face it, the classic meet-cute at a local flower shop or romantic chance encounter at the top of the Empire State Building may now be a thing of a not that long ago yesteryear.

Prospective matches are now met with a new level of intentionality due to months of being stuck inside, and aided by the various communication tools everyone has right there on their smartphone, from messaging apps to video chats. Thankfully, Kate Maclean from Plenty of Fish is here to share some hot tips to light the fire back into your mobile dating life. Get ready to take notes!

Mobile Diaries is brought to you by T-Mobile Stories.

On our first episode of Mobile Diaries, T-Mobile Stories’ Shawna Ryan and Jason Adams wade into the evolving mental health needs spurred on by the global pandemic. Haesue Jo, clinical support lead with BetterHelp, provides an inside look on how individuals have been coping with the pandemic, the challenges they face and also the pressures telehealth professionals have undergone themselves. But looking into the “new normal” reveals what tools we all can use to live a ‘Mobile Mindful’ life of intention, and how to use our devices to get there.

Mobile Diaries is brought to you by T-Mobile Stories.

DISCLAIMER: This episode features lived experiences of depression. Some moments may trigger personal thoughts and feelings while listening to the subject matter.

Additional Resources: If you or someone you know is in distress, please contact 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to reach a 24-hour crisis center, or you can call 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline.

Join the T-Mobile Stories team, Emmy award-winning broadcast journalist Shawna Ryan and veteran editor and writer Jason Adams, as they delve into the various archetypes, personas, brilliant minds and unique stories that have emerged from the new digitally driven world that has massively accelerated since the start of the pandemic. From the type of connectivity we crave to the wireless technology that allows us to work from just about anywhere, they take a look at what it means to live a life of “mobile mindfulness” and how you can use your device without it using you.