Good day to All!
I have had my Motorola Droid for just over 1 month now, and have had several opportunities to download both free and purchased apps from the Android Market. Thought I would post a review of my 5 "must haves" for other people considering the Droid or available apps.
1. Advanced Task Killer Free. This is a free app and is among the top on most Droid users lists. Although the latest software update for the Droid did seem to make a notable difference, this app is a must have because it closes out other apps running in the background, and thus draining your battery. With this app, I can get through even the heaviest useage days with a good battery! I randomly throughout the day open and select "Kill Selected Apps" to maintain battery life.
2. Twidroid Pro. I love Twitter. I post, retweet and in many ways, communicate through Twitter. It's a great source of my increasing knowledge. Twidroid Pro brings a very agreeable and user friendly Twitter client to your Droid. Simple to learn and understand, keeps you 'in the loop' when you are away from your lap/desktop.
3. SportsTap. This app is killer. You can follow all teams or set up your favorites in NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, NCAA, Auto, Soccer, Golf, Tennis and even your local sports! Easy to access individual games being played and fairly fast in keeping updated. Live stats are available as well.
4. Weatherbug. I have both The Weather Channel and Weatherbug, but find that I use Weatherbug more consistently. You can set it to run the temp on the menu bar at the top of the screen; I generally don't run apps that suck on the battery throughout the day (or I run the #1 app listed above to kill them), but Weatherbug is friendly and easy to understand, as well as has quick information available.
5. Dolphin Browser. I didn't mind the browser that comes installed on the phone, but the multi-touch (pinch to zoom, slide out to enlarge) features of Dolphin are really terrific. Makes surfing the web on your Droid even easier.
Next post I will review my top 5 "fun" apps that I enjoy!
Until next time. . .
Friday, December 18, 2009
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Droid tip #3 - avoid a lost battery cover
Good day to All!
I have stumbled upon a few complaints online about people having issues with their Droid battery cover either becoming loose, or even falling off. There are a couple of 'quick fixes' I will offer, including one I discovered online.
The first idea, and probably the most simple, was to take a small piece of paper, such as a sticky note, and fold it in half, then in half again, and place on top of the battery, then replace the battery cover. If that is not enough to make it more difficult to remove, then try folding the piece of paper in half once again.
If you have at least some degree of DIY experience, my next tip involves bending the battery cover prongs, or 'fingers' that insert into your phone ever so slightly. You have to pay attention not to get carried away, as there is not a "lot" of room for error. By bending either 2 or all 4 of the prongs just slightly to the outside, it keeps the battery cover from just falling off.
The last idea is one I discovered online, and also requires at least a minimal amount of DIY experience. Here is the link: http://tiny.cc/CsY3R.
Any of these options will save you the grief of losing a battery cover. I also understand that there may have been a problem during the manufacturing process, and Motorola may replace a lost battery cover door, but I have not confirmed this as of yet.
Until next time. . .
I have stumbled upon a few complaints online about people having issues with their Droid battery cover either becoming loose, or even falling off. There are a couple of 'quick fixes' I will offer, including one I discovered online.
The first idea, and probably the most simple, was to take a small piece of paper, such as a sticky note, and fold it in half, then in half again, and place on top of the battery, then replace the battery cover. If that is not enough to make it more difficult to remove, then try folding the piece of paper in half once again.
If you have at least some degree of DIY experience, my next tip involves bending the battery cover prongs, or 'fingers' that insert into your phone ever so slightly. You have to pay attention not to get carried away, as there is not a "lot" of room for error. By bending either 2 or all 4 of the prongs just slightly to the outside, it keeps the battery cover from just falling off.
The last idea is one I discovered online, and also requires at least a minimal amount of DIY experience. Here is the link: http://tiny.cc/CsY3R.
Any of these options will save you the grief of losing a battery cover. I also understand that there may have been a problem during the manufacturing process, and Motorola may replace a lost battery cover door, but I have not confirmed this as of yet.
Until next time. . .
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Private Life? Or Public?
Good day to all!
Like many, I keep catching tidbits of information regarding Tiger Woods and his self-admitted transgressions. Yet, as I browse through all the day's news headlines on my Twitter and Facebook sources, I find myself constantly wondering if Tiger's life is something I really need to know about.
I like Tiger. He seems like a good, down to earth, fairly common guy. Ok, so he's worth millions of dollars. I guess maybe that's what seperates him from the norm.
He did make some stupid mistakes. Let's face it, sleeping around when you are married is never going to end well. People will see, people will know, and the spouse will eventually find out about it. And your life will go into instant turmoil. Tiger's is no different. In fact, as he is Tiger, many more people would recognize him in public or even semi-private places. He was bound to get caught. It was just a matter of time. If he believed anything other than that, he was simply fooling himself.
I would imagine that in this day and age, most of us know someone that has put themselves through this emotional disaster. It happens, whether I, you or anyone agrees with it or not. We are imperfect human beings. That said, do we really need to know about all the details of Tiger's transgressions? And should he really be held accountable to the media for his error in judgement, and be expected to apologize through the media for the same?
It is probably just another angle of human nature to 'want to know all the juicy details' about other people's mistakes and how they are dealing with them privately. But I would suggest that while Tiger is a celebrity, it is not his celebrity status that arouses people's curiosity. Tiger had a wholesome, clean-cut image, and when we as a society see a celebrity, particularly one with that seemingly high-standing image actually fail, or get tripped up in their life by some stumbling block, well, it creates a media frenzy.
Let's face it. The media is, for the most part, self-serving to a very large degree. They don't really care about Tiger or whether his marriage survives, falls apart, or if he wrecks his car. They care about what sells newspapers, or gets website visitors. So they simply capitalize on people's mistakes such as this, and as the big wheel of media starts to spin, they all compete for the attention. This creates innovative rumors and headlines that in turn arouse people's curiosity, until whether the public really cares or not, they are sucked into the whirlwind of wanting to know the latest and try to keep up with the latest gossip, whether it's even remotely true or not.
What does this serve to do? Does it really satisfy our curiosity? And do we as the public really care if what we read is even the truth? Many gossip magazines found in the supermarket checkout aisles captalize on reader's naiveity and simply "hook" them with headlines. I find that both my daughter's are constantly gazing at these rags as we wait in line to pay for our groceries. And I'm constantly reminding them that Elvis is dead. And "Brangelina" is probably not breaking up because he or her were caught on the beach with someone else. And that aliens have not taken over the Whitehouse (although that might explain a few things. . . ). The point is, these rags wouldn't even be there if people didn't buy them. They create the clever headline, somebody buys the magazine, they get their sale. The magazine company has done their job.
Whether you believe all the "news" inside the rag is really up to you; they really could care less. They are already working on the next issue, and finding clever hooks to get you to buy the new one as well.
If we in the general public continue to serve the media created frenzies by responding to them, as well as spending our hard-earned dollars, or time, on them, they have no reason to quit, or to become more responsible in their approach to real news. And there are many decent news sources that tell the basic story and respect you enough as a reader or viewer to let you make up your own mind.
Sure, I was curious about Tiger when I saw the first headline. But, I suggest you ask yourself: Would YOU want to stand in front of a handful of microphones with several cameras glaring down on you and admit publicly to a poor decision you made, particularly when you are feeling quite crushed emotionally? I suspect you wouldn't like that anymore than I would.
And basically, would you really think that anyone else needed to know? Besides the millions of dollars and high-rolling lifestyle that seperates most of us from Tiger, do we really need to know all the details about his poor decisions? The simple answer is no, we really don't. We are all just satisfying a curiosity this is kept alive by the media constantly 'refreshing' the headlines. His life is his, just as yours and mine belong to us.
Tiger? He'll be ok; people make stupid decisions everyday. I for one believe that whatever happens between Tiger and his wife is personal and should stay between them alone. I don't really need all the juicy details to help me get through the day. In fact, I'm pretty sure his life doesn't really affect mine at all.
Alas, I see another headline I'm trying to ignore. . .
Until next time. . .
Like many, I keep catching tidbits of information regarding Tiger Woods and his self-admitted transgressions. Yet, as I browse through all the day's news headlines on my Twitter and Facebook sources, I find myself constantly wondering if Tiger's life is something I really need to know about.
I like Tiger. He seems like a good, down to earth, fairly common guy. Ok, so he's worth millions of dollars. I guess maybe that's what seperates him from the norm.
He did make some stupid mistakes. Let's face it, sleeping around when you are married is never going to end well. People will see, people will know, and the spouse will eventually find out about it. And your life will go into instant turmoil. Tiger's is no different. In fact, as he is Tiger, many more people would recognize him in public or even semi-private places. He was bound to get caught. It was just a matter of time. If he believed anything other than that, he was simply fooling himself.
I would imagine that in this day and age, most of us know someone that has put themselves through this emotional disaster. It happens, whether I, you or anyone agrees with it or not. We are imperfect human beings. That said, do we really need to know about all the details of Tiger's transgressions? And should he really be held accountable to the media for his error in judgement, and be expected to apologize through the media for the same?
It is probably just another angle of human nature to 'want to know all the juicy details' about other people's mistakes and how they are dealing with them privately. But I would suggest that while Tiger is a celebrity, it is not his celebrity status that arouses people's curiosity. Tiger had a wholesome, clean-cut image, and when we as a society see a celebrity, particularly one with that seemingly high-standing image actually fail, or get tripped up in their life by some stumbling block, well, it creates a media frenzy.
Let's face it. The media is, for the most part, self-serving to a very large degree. They don't really care about Tiger or whether his marriage survives, falls apart, or if he wrecks his car. They care about what sells newspapers, or gets website visitors. So they simply capitalize on people's mistakes such as this, and as the big wheel of media starts to spin, they all compete for the attention. This creates innovative rumors and headlines that in turn arouse people's curiosity, until whether the public really cares or not, they are sucked into the whirlwind of wanting to know the latest and try to keep up with the latest gossip, whether it's even remotely true or not.
What does this serve to do? Does it really satisfy our curiosity? And do we as the public really care if what we read is even the truth? Many gossip magazines found in the supermarket checkout aisles captalize on reader's naiveity and simply "hook" them with headlines. I find that both my daughter's are constantly gazing at these rags as we wait in line to pay for our groceries. And I'm constantly reminding them that Elvis is dead. And "Brangelina" is probably not breaking up because he or her were caught on the beach with someone else. And that aliens have not taken over the Whitehouse (although that might explain a few things. . . ). The point is, these rags wouldn't even be there if people didn't buy them. They create the clever headline, somebody buys the magazine, they get their sale. The magazine company has done their job.
Whether you believe all the "news" inside the rag is really up to you; they really could care less. They are already working on the next issue, and finding clever hooks to get you to buy the new one as well.
If we in the general public continue to serve the media created frenzies by responding to them, as well as spending our hard-earned dollars, or time, on them, they have no reason to quit, or to become more responsible in their approach to real news. And there are many decent news sources that tell the basic story and respect you enough as a reader or viewer to let you make up your own mind.
Sure, I was curious about Tiger when I saw the first headline. But, I suggest you ask yourself: Would YOU want to stand in front of a handful of microphones with several cameras glaring down on you and admit publicly to a poor decision you made, particularly when you are feeling quite crushed emotionally? I suspect you wouldn't like that anymore than I would.
And basically, would you really think that anyone else needed to know? Besides the millions of dollars and high-rolling lifestyle that seperates most of us from Tiger, do we really need to know all the details about his poor decisions? The simple answer is no, we really don't. We are all just satisfying a curiosity this is kept alive by the media constantly 'refreshing' the headlines. His life is his, just as yours and mine belong to us.
Tiger? He'll be ok; people make stupid decisions everyday. I for one believe that whatever happens between Tiger and his wife is personal and should stay between them alone. I don't really need all the juicy details to help me get through the day. In fact, I'm pretty sure his life doesn't really affect mine at all.
Alas, I see another headline I'm trying to ignore. . .
Until next time. . .
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Is legalizing pot the real answer?
Good day to all!
On November 4, voters in the ski town of Breckenridge, CO went to the polls and voted by an overwhelmingly count to legalize marijuana in their community. The local reasoning behind this, as described in the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/04/breckenridge-votes-overwh_n_344815.html) was to make a point to their local police force so they would quit busting small time pot smokers.
But is this really the answer?
I would be curious to know how many of these clever pot smoking voters have families? Children? Jobs?
Skiing is an activity that my wife and kids have always enjoyed as a family. Now that pot will apparently legal in Breckenridge beginning on January 1, 2010, will you now consider taking your family skiing in Breckenridge? I won't. How many other families just crossed Breckenridge off their family winter vacation?
Many of the local residents are all rushing to defend the 3 to 1 landslide vote, saying that they just want users to have an alternative to alcohol, or people should be able to make their own choices. And one of the disturbing comments I read is "That's awesome dude! Now I'm gonna learn how to ski and go to Breckenridge!" Feel that warm fuzzy brewing in your tummy?
To be clear, officials at the Breckenridge Ski area maintain that they will not allow anyone under the influence on their slopes. Law enforcement officials continue to stress that you canNOT operate your vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and nothing has or will change those standards. Kudos to both the ski area as well as the Breckenridge law enforcement officers as well.
My point is this: If you put a sugar cube on the ground next to an ant hill, what happens? Eventually one ant stumbles upon this 'discovery' and shares it with others, who in turn share it with others, until the message has spread colony wide that there is a sweet treat available top-side, and all the ants eventually make their way to the sugar cube, with one singularly determined purpose in mind - to get their piece of the sugar.
Breckenridge has passed a 'local' law, voted on by their approximately 3,300 citizens, FOR their citizens. But the splash is much larger than I believe they have considered. Pot users, perhaps even nationwide, will now consider Breckenridge as a vacation area, and perhaps even move there. Are the locals ok with this? They were very willing to change the complexion of their town in one single pen stroke on their ballot. Their town will either live or die with those consequences. The 'ants' will now be flocking to Breckenridge for their piece of the peace they seemingly so desperately seek.
By legalizing pot, do all the users now maintain their personal responsibility? Or do they begin to abuse their responsibilities over time? And do those abuses add up to more DUI drivers on their local roads and highways? Perhaps one of the local school bus drivers happened to be a "pro" vote? Are you comfortable with putting your school age children on that bus?
Are you comfortable taking your family to Breckenridge, which is a BEAUTIFUL area, for a winter ski trip, or a summer get-a-way vacation, when you get put in a hotel room that was recently vacated by a visitor who came to town to take advantage of the scenario, and lit up in your family's room?
The voters of small town of Breckenridge have failed themselves, all by setting out to prove a point to their local police force. Their actions will no doubt push other groups in other towns to spinoff and push for similar ballot initiatives in their cities. But their actions have also put their town under a heavy microscope. People will be watching, waiting to say "I told you so" or ask "what did you expect?"
I will be watching, and hoping they do not allow their beautiful community to go down the tubes; that their ski area will be able to maintain a professional and safe place to ski; and perhaps more importantly that their local law enforcement will be able to maintain safe and secure town streets and highways.
Ultimately, the voters have put the reputation of their town at stake. Will the pros outweigh the cons? Will the number of pot users coming to town be more than the number of non-users that cancel their trips to Breckenridge, thereby keeping the money flowing within their community, supporting the tax base?
One last important point: I'm not taking aim at medical purpose marijuana use. There are many case studies that back up the use of medical marijuana in many treatments. It is between the doctor and the patient, and I have no desire to step into that relationship.
Until next time. . .
On November 4, voters in the ski town of Breckenridge, CO went to the polls and voted by an overwhelmingly count to legalize marijuana in their community. The local reasoning behind this, as described in the Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/11/04/breckenridge-votes-overwh_n_344815.html) was to make a point to their local police force so they would quit busting small time pot smokers.
But is this really the answer?
I would be curious to know how many of these clever pot smoking voters have families? Children? Jobs?
Skiing is an activity that my wife and kids have always enjoyed as a family. Now that pot will apparently legal in Breckenridge beginning on January 1, 2010, will you now consider taking your family skiing in Breckenridge? I won't. How many other families just crossed Breckenridge off their family winter vacation?
Many of the local residents are all rushing to defend the 3 to 1 landslide vote, saying that they just want users to have an alternative to alcohol, or people should be able to make their own choices. And one of the disturbing comments I read is "That's awesome dude! Now I'm gonna learn how to ski and go to Breckenridge!" Feel that warm fuzzy brewing in your tummy?
To be clear, officials at the Breckenridge Ski area maintain that they will not allow anyone under the influence on their slopes. Law enforcement officials continue to stress that you canNOT operate your vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, and nothing has or will change those standards. Kudos to both the ski area as well as the Breckenridge law enforcement officers as well.
My point is this: If you put a sugar cube on the ground next to an ant hill, what happens? Eventually one ant stumbles upon this 'discovery' and shares it with others, who in turn share it with others, until the message has spread colony wide that there is a sweet treat available top-side, and all the ants eventually make their way to the sugar cube, with one singularly determined purpose in mind - to get their piece of the sugar.
Breckenridge has passed a 'local' law, voted on by their approximately 3,300 citizens, FOR their citizens. But the splash is much larger than I believe they have considered. Pot users, perhaps even nationwide, will now consider Breckenridge as a vacation area, and perhaps even move there. Are the locals ok with this? They were very willing to change the complexion of their town in one single pen stroke on their ballot. Their town will either live or die with those consequences. The 'ants' will now be flocking to Breckenridge for their piece of the peace they seemingly so desperately seek.
By legalizing pot, do all the users now maintain their personal responsibility? Or do they begin to abuse their responsibilities over time? And do those abuses add up to more DUI drivers on their local roads and highways? Perhaps one of the local school bus drivers happened to be a "pro" vote? Are you comfortable with putting your school age children on that bus?
Are you comfortable taking your family to Breckenridge, which is a BEAUTIFUL area, for a winter ski trip, or a summer get-a-way vacation, when you get put in a hotel room that was recently vacated by a visitor who came to town to take advantage of the scenario, and lit up in your family's room?
The voters of small town of Breckenridge have failed themselves, all by setting out to prove a point to their local police force. Their actions will no doubt push other groups in other towns to spinoff and push for similar ballot initiatives in their cities. But their actions have also put their town under a heavy microscope. People will be watching, waiting to say "I told you so" or ask "what did you expect?"
I will be watching, and hoping they do not allow their beautiful community to go down the tubes; that their ski area will be able to maintain a professional and safe place to ski; and perhaps more importantly that their local law enforcement will be able to maintain safe and secure town streets and highways.
Ultimately, the voters have put the reputation of their town at stake. Will the pros outweigh the cons? Will the number of pot users coming to town be more than the number of non-users that cancel their trips to Breckenridge, thereby keeping the money flowing within their community, supporting the tax base?
One last important point: I'm not taking aim at medical purpose marijuana use. There are many case studies that back up the use of medical marijuana in many treatments. It is between the doctor and the patient, and I have no desire to step into that relationship.
Until next time. . .
Friday, November 27, 2009
Does Black Friday Make Your Wallet Blue?
Good day to All!
Here we are! It's here!! Are you ready? More important, are your credit cards ready?
Yep, Black Friday is upon us. The mega-marketing campaign for the marketing holiday of the season has begun. Are you one of the millions that is brain-washed into maxing out your credit cards only to prove that you love your kids, spouse or family?
Sure, there are some super deals available on Black Friday - no doubt! But in the name of personal responsibility, should be all dash out and spend ourselves poor? Why do we do this? Because it's Christmas? Did your parents rush out when you were young, overspend and over-extend on your Christmas gifts? Is Christmas even really Christmas anymore? I suggest that the mega-marketing machine that is American business has changed the entire philosophy of what Christmas Day was originally all about.
The concept of what is now Christmas grew from the Romans, who celebrated Saturnalia, which grew from being celebrated for one day to a week long celebration which ended on December 25. This custom was a time of merry-making, pranks and gift giving, and some available information reads that there was also a day of 'role-reversal' in which the masters and their slaves switched roles. Over time, this custom changed many times and ultimately, fusing with many other customs and traditions, grew into what is now Christmas Day. And in my humble opinion, specifically within the last 20 years, Christmas has been forcefully evolved into a marketer's dream.
I suspect that there wouldn't be but a few people naive enough to not be able to see the snow job of the t.v., internet, and paper (newspaper ads, catalogs and magazines) blitz that we start being inundated with on Thanksgiving Day (and in many ways, a few days before, as Black Friday ads are "leaked" - which is simply another marketing ploy to create a sense of excitement among consumers who suddenly have convinced themselves that they need to get up at 4:00 on Friday morning to go out and save tons of money.)
Now, please understand, I'm not writing this as a modern day Scrooge by any means. I love the feeling of not just finding, but giving that perfect gift to my kids or my wife - seeing their face light up when you get it just right. It's awesome. And yes, as a dad, I admit that I almost always tend to 'overdo' it as well.
My point is that I think we as an American society have almost lost that sense of giving from the heart, and its been forcibly replaced by the marketing frenzy with a sense of quantity over quality. So many of my friends and family go out and buy tons of gifts, and it seems to have quite literally become a contest for some of them to see who can give the most gifts. The thing is, if a person is quite well off, then no big deal; however, some of them are NOT and every year, I hear them complaining about how Christmas put them in debt up to their ears and how they'll have to work all year to make enough room on their credit cards to do it again.
Huh?
Why? Did Christmas itself put them in the red on their credit accounts? Quite simply, no. Not at all. They are responsible for their own finances. Yes, they were 'sucked in' to the marketing frenzy that the mega-marketing machine created, and basically just fell into the large crowd of brainwashed shoppers out 'saving money' by spending even more on Black Friday. I've always looked at 'sales' like this: Are we really saving money if we are spending money on something that we or whoever we are buying it for doesn't need or necessarily want? How is saving $300.00 on a flat screen t.v. that you don't really need a 'good deal' or really saving money? It just isn't. My grandfather used to say "you can't spend yourself rich." He always gave the best gifts when I was a boy. They meant something to me. Sure, some of them were really nice gifts, but you know what? Some of the most meaningful gifts I have received in my lifetime have been some of the most simple things, that I will never forget. They were quality gifts.
Again, that's not to say that there are some really great deals available to us as consumers on Black Friday. It's just my opinion that we as a consumer group should probably try to reign ourselves in and not just follow the massive crowd blindly. We've probably all got home from that mad shopping trip, piled the bags/boxes on the bed and thought "Wow. . . did I really just do that" followed by a sense of "WHY did I just do that?" I believe if we all took a step back from the marketing trap, that we can still find some great deals, yes, even after Black Friday. With an application of common sense, a little patience, and some direction, that or those perfect gift(s) are out there, and the person receiving your gift, no matter how large or how small, will appreciate it far more than you and I will probably ever know.
Until next time. . .
Here we are! It's here!! Are you ready? More important, are your credit cards ready?
Yep, Black Friday is upon us. The mega-marketing campaign for the marketing holiday of the season has begun. Are you one of the millions that is brain-washed into maxing out your credit cards only to prove that you love your kids, spouse or family?
Sure, there are some super deals available on Black Friday - no doubt! But in the name of personal responsibility, should be all dash out and spend ourselves poor? Why do we do this? Because it's Christmas? Did your parents rush out when you were young, overspend and over-extend on your Christmas gifts? Is Christmas even really Christmas anymore? I suggest that the mega-marketing machine that is American business has changed the entire philosophy of what Christmas Day was originally all about.
The concept of what is now Christmas grew from the Romans, who celebrated Saturnalia, which grew from being celebrated for one day to a week long celebration which ended on December 25. This custom was a time of merry-making, pranks and gift giving, and some available information reads that there was also a day of 'role-reversal' in which the masters and their slaves switched roles. Over time, this custom changed many times and ultimately, fusing with many other customs and traditions, grew into what is now Christmas Day. And in my humble opinion, specifically within the last 20 years, Christmas has been forcefully evolved into a marketer's dream.
I suspect that there wouldn't be but a few people naive enough to not be able to see the snow job of the t.v., internet, and paper (newspaper ads, catalogs and magazines) blitz that we start being inundated with on Thanksgiving Day (and in many ways, a few days before, as Black Friday ads are "leaked" - which is simply another marketing ploy to create a sense of excitement among consumers who suddenly have convinced themselves that they need to get up at 4:00 on Friday morning to go out and save tons of money.)
Now, please understand, I'm not writing this as a modern day Scrooge by any means. I love the feeling of not just finding, but giving that perfect gift to my kids or my wife - seeing their face light up when you get it just right. It's awesome. And yes, as a dad, I admit that I almost always tend to 'overdo' it as well.
My point is that I think we as an American society have almost lost that sense of giving from the heart, and its been forcibly replaced by the marketing frenzy with a sense of quantity over quality. So many of my friends and family go out and buy tons of gifts, and it seems to have quite literally become a contest for some of them to see who can give the most gifts. The thing is, if a person is quite well off, then no big deal; however, some of them are NOT and every year, I hear them complaining about how Christmas put them in debt up to their ears and how they'll have to work all year to make enough room on their credit cards to do it again.
Huh?
Why? Did Christmas itself put them in the red on their credit accounts? Quite simply, no. Not at all. They are responsible for their own finances. Yes, they were 'sucked in' to the marketing frenzy that the mega-marketing machine created, and basically just fell into the large crowd of brainwashed shoppers out 'saving money' by spending even more on Black Friday. I've always looked at 'sales' like this: Are we really saving money if we are spending money on something that we or whoever we are buying it for doesn't need or necessarily want? How is saving $300.00 on a flat screen t.v. that you don't really need a 'good deal' or really saving money? It just isn't. My grandfather used to say "you can't spend yourself rich." He always gave the best gifts when I was a boy. They meant something to me. Sure, some of them were really nice gifts, but you know what? Some of the most meaningful gifts I have received in my lifetime have been some of the most simple things, that I will never forget. They were quality gifts.
Again, that's not to say that there are some really great deals available to us as consumers on Black Friday. It's just my opinion that we as a consumer group should probably try to reign ourselves in and not just follow the massive crowd blindly. We've probably all got home from that mad shopping trip, piled the bags/boxes on the bed and thought "Wow. . . did I really just do that" followed by a sense of "WHY did I just do that?" I believe if we all took a step back from the marketing trap, that we can still find some great deals, yes, even after Black Friday. With an application of common sense, a little patience, and some direction, that or those perfect gift(s) are out there, and the person receiving your gift, no matter how large or how small, will appreciate it far more than you and I will probably ever know.
Until next time. . .
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Shopping with your Droid
Good day to All!
Here we are again on the cusp of the mega-marketing machine's biggest holiday season. With the economy affecting people the way it has been, I almost look for people to become a lot more price savvy this year. And I have downloaded and messed around with what seems to be a pretty great tool available for your Droid to help you get more bang for your buck.
I downloaded the app "Barcode Scanner" and have played around with it off and on for a few days. While it does not have or find everything I have scanned with it, I can say that most of the big ticket or more expensive items are found relatively quickly.
The way it works is as soon as you download and open the app, it utilizes the camera function for the scanner capability. The home screen shows what the camera is seeing, and you hold the camera above the UPC code to scan the object. You then click on product search, and it will essentially "google" the UPC code that was scanned, and offer you a list of places that carry this product, and usually the prices they are selling this product at as well.
If you are looking to grab and go (purchase the product and take it home right away) then this really isn't going to help; however, if you are planning on doing some price comparisons, and possibly ordering online, then this tool could potentially save you some green.
Good luck and please feel free to let me know if you have found any cools apps as well that I should be exploring!
Until next time. . .
Here we are again on the cusp of the mega-marketing machine's biggest holiday season. With the economy affecting people the way it has been, I almost look for people to become a lot more price savvy this year. And I have downloaded and messed around with what seems to be a pretty great tool available for your Droid to help you get more bang for your buck.
I downloaded the app "Barcode Scanner" and have played around with it off and on for a few days. While it does not have or find everything I have scanned with it, I can say that most of the big ticket or more expensive items are found relatively quickly.
The way it works is as soon as you download and open the app, it utilizes the camera function for the scanner capability. The home screen shows what the camera is seeing, and you hold the camera above the UPC code to scan the object. You then click on product search, and it will essentially "google" the UPC code that was scanned, and offer you a list of places that carry this product, and usually the prices they are selling this product at as well.
If you are looking to grab and go (purchase the product and take it home right away) then this really isn't going to help; however, if you are planning on doing some price comparisons, and possibly ordering online, then this tool could potentially save you some green.
Good luck and please feel free to let me know if you have found any cools apps as well that I should be exploring!
Until next time. . .
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
A Must have app for your new Droid
Good day to all!
I spend time everyday perusing different blogs looking for complaints, fixes, and great suggestions to improving the function of my new Droid. I also play with my Droid constantly, learning new shortcuts, features and capabilities on a daily basis. I have to say that I have not had any trouble with mine at all. It's been a great addition to my life, helping me stay connected, and I use it to blog, twitter and keep up with my Facebook friends.
The biggest complaint on the blogs that I have consistently seen with the new Droid is the battery life. Comments range from positive - saying they love the battery life, to negative - saying they are very disappointed. Just looking at the comments a bit deeper, my sense is that most of the negative comments are from people who are really using their new Droid, meaning they have downloaded a few to several apps, and are using their Droid 'heavily' - making calls, running apps, utilizing the cool navigation feature, etc., etc.
I have downloaded around 20 apps, some to sample, some to use daily, and some have not "made the cut" and have been deleted, as they were not really useful to me. If you are not downloading and/or utilizing apps on a heavy, or continuous basis, I'm guessing your Droid's battery is performing up to your expectation. If you are downloading and using apps heavily, well, I have an app suggestion that you quite frankly have to download from the app market to make your Droid's battery perform up to your expectations.
I am a person that has no use for an electronic device that I feel like I have to charge every chance I have in order to 'nurse' it through the day. That being said, I have experimented with my Droid a few different ways to essentially test the battery life and see what it can withstand.
I ran it one day with the apps Weatherbug, Twidroid, and SportsTap each running continuously, while also using the phone for messaging, email, and calls. My battery was down to about 40% having run from 7:30 a.m. to around 11:00 a.m. Obviously, that is not something that most Droid users are going to be pleased with. At that rate, I figure by 3 p.m. my Droid would be dead. I recharged the device back to 100%, ran the same apps through the afternoon and had the same results.
I had read several suggestions from different users suffering the same problems with their Droid, and the most common one was to download the app "Advanced Task Killer" from the Android Market. I had done this prior to my battery experiment above, so yesterday morning, I opened the app and proceeded to kill ALL the selected apps that were listed below. Now, by doing so, the temperature will no longer constantly display on the information bar at the top of your display, assuming you have downloaded either the Weatherbug app, or the Weather Channel app. This is not critical to me; you can still open the app on your phone, view the temperature or forecast, then close the app by using the above mentioned Task Killer app in order to conserve every ounce of battery life.
The comparisons between my 2 experiments above are astounding. My Droid battery made it through an entire afternoon showing a full charge; I charge it every night, and once again, so far today, it is still showing a fully charged battery as of noon (running from 7:00 a.m. to noon so far). I am still receiving all emails, making a few calls, checking temperatures a few times, but also, utilizing the Task Killer app to shut down all "unneeded" applications after use.
Once again, I am still experimenting with my Droid, but I truly believe that the app "Advanced Task Killer" is a must have for all Droid users. This will be specifically helpful on travel days or 'on the go' weekend days where you do not always have the option of grabbing a quick charge.
I'll keep you posted.
Until next time . . .
I spend time everyday perusing different blogs looking for complaints, fixes, and great suggestions to improving the function of my new Droid. I also play with my Droid constantly, learning new shortcuts, features and capabilities on a daily basis. I have to say that I have not had any trouble with mine at all. It's been a great addition to my life, helping me stay connected, and I use it to blog, twitter and keep up with my Facebook friends.
The biggest complaint on the blogs that I have consistently seen with the new Droid is the battery life. Comments range from positive - saying they love the battery life, to negative - saying they are very disappointed. Just looking at the comments a bit deeper, my sense is that most of the negative comments are from people who are really using their new Droid, meaning they have downloaded a few to several apps, and are using their Droid 'heavily' - making calls, running apps, utilizing the cool navigation feature, etc., etc.
I have downloaded around 20 apps, some to sample, some to use daily, and some have not "made the cut" and have been deleted, as they were not really useful to me. If you are not downloading and/or utilizing apps on a heavy, or continuous basis, I'm guessing your Droid's battery is performing up to your expectation. If you are downloading and using apps heavily, well, I have an app suggestion that you quite frankly have to download from the app market to make your Droid's battery perform up to your expectations.
I am a person that has no use for an electronic device that I feel like I have to charge every chance I have in order to 'nurse' it through the day. That being said, I have experimented with my Droid a few different ways to essentially test the battery life and see what it can withstand.
I ran it one day with the apps Weatherbug, Twidroid, and SportsTap each running continuously, while also using the phone for messaging, email, and calls. My battery was down to about 40% having run from 7:30 a.m. to around 11:00 a.m. Obviously, that is not something that most Droid users are going to be pleased with. At that rate, I figure by 3 p.m. my Droid would be dead. I recharged the device back to 100%, ran the same apps through the afternoon and had the same results.
I had read several suggestions from different users suffering the same problems with their Droid, and the most common one was to download the app "Advanced Task Killer" from the Android Market. I had done this prior to my battery experiment above, so yesterday morning, I opened the app and proceeded to kill ALL the selected apps that were listed below. Now, by doing so, the temperature will no longer constantly display on the information bar at the top of your display, assuming you have downloaded either the Weatherbug app, or the Weather Channel app. This is not critical to me; you can still open the app on your phone, view the temperature or forecast, then close the app by using the above mentioned Task Killer app in order to conserve every ounce of battery life.
The comparisons between my 2 experiments above are astounding. My Droid battery made it through an entire afternoon showing a full charge; I charge it every night, and once again, so far today, it is still showing a fully charged battery as of noon (running from 7:00 a.m. to noon so far). I am still receiving all emails, making a few calls, checking temperatures a few times, but also, utilizing the Task Killer app to shut down all "unneeded" applications after use.
Once again, I am still experimenting with my Droid, but I truly believe that the app "Advanced Task Killer" is a must have for all Droid users. This will be specifically helpful on travel days or 'on the go' weekend days where you do not always have the option of grabbing a quick charge.
I'll keep you posted.
Until next time . . .
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