Running in the Background

This is a phrase used by computer geeks. Since I am your curmudgeon go-to guy for things technical, let me explain it in a way that even 80-year old crotchety guys can understand:

Computers can run many programs simultaneously. Smartphones are computers - very smart computers. Take my word for it, they are doing so many things for you all the time, it would explode your brain if you only knew. The simplest evidence they are doing this are the little indicators they use to say "you've got mail" or "time to update this app." Crap like that. Fine. A nice service that very clever software programmers put in your smartphone. 

Then there are other programs that sort of have a mind of their own. Lets say you launch a music app. While enjoying your music on your really, really expensive portable Bose speaker system, a call comes in and you see it is someone you want to chat with. You pick up the call and the music automatically mutes. Stick with me here - your phone muted the music, it didn't stop it. You then get distracted and continue about your day, grocery shopping, getting the car washed and what not. 

It is now evening, and you decide to take the Bose out to enjoy some quiet music in your patio. You plug your clever Bluetooth "dongle" in and it immediately comes to life blasting music - a continuation of the music you had going hours before. If you are anything like me, you immediately pass out. 

Turns out, your faithful smart phone has been blasting that music all along. You had innocently picked up the phone call and hadn't specifically told the phone to stop the music. 

It was running in the background. 

By the way, your phone was also doing good things in the background: "is somebody calling?" "What if he asks me where the nearest Dennys is - keep the GPS going" and stuff. 

Alas, you now have a mere dribble of battery life left. Paul McCartney warbles "Hey Ju..."