I take it everywhere I go.
Though I’m fairly certain this one isn’t bigger on the inside.
I created the skin on SkinIt and found the clear case on Amazon.
Tag Archives: technojoy
Day Five…Just Barely
If we stretch the truth just a tiny bit, I spun for 30 minutes. Maybe closer to 20, but still. I spun yarn. And considering that I just went and bought a new phone tonight? That is something of a miracle in and of itself. But I’ll save that for another blog post. Right now? YARNZ.
Day 5
Flash Free
I did, however, take these pictures with my NEW PHONE!!
OK. I got the HTC Sensation 4G because I ran out of internal memory on my Nexus One and it would quit updating my emails. This is a problem when you use your mobile phone for work. Just saying. So I got a new phone and well, I am in LOVE. And it also has WAY more memory. WIN!!
Kindle Kind of Weekend
I just want to let you know that the Kindle is addictive. Like, read non-stop addictive.
I listen to audio books a lot. Partly because I multitask ALL THE TIME. I love having someone read to me. And I can listen to a book while folding clothes, doing dishes, knitting, spinning, working out, etc. You get the point. But I have always loved books. And reading. And, well, I totally had a blast from my past kind of weekend of snuggling down in bed and reading book after book. Partly because I was having the worst cramps ever and only chocolate and ibuprofen got me through that part and partly because I rediscovered my love of reading books to myself.
I rarely just do one thing at a time any more. But reading? That is something I do not multitask. And because of that, I don’t read as much as I used to. But now that I have a kindle? I see that changing. For the better. Or not. (Depends on who you ask. )
DramaPantsaPalooza
I’m sure most of you are aware of the phenomenon of celebrating a birthday. Some of you may be familiar with the birthday week-long celebration. I have decided that it is now time for the birthday month celebration. Because, well, I can. That’s why. Plus, when you’re born in a month that involves fireworks, you just need to claim it. All. So I started out my birthday month right before the weekend. And renamed July as DramaPantsapalooza. Or Pantsapalooza for short. What says Pantsapalooza better than starting the month off with a long weekend and hanging out at the lake?
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Nothing, really. Except maybe fireworks.
Oh yeah, I did that, too.
After that, the gifts begin to arrive. To start out the month, I bought myself a little something I’ve had my eye on for a long time. A laptop bag. This bag
Pantsapalooza Present Are the Best
Why, yes, that would be a W00t! box on top. But we’ll get to the big box first. It had my bag! See?
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The W00t! box contained the present that B got for me. He’s really lucky that I send him links all the time with stuff I like. Sadly, he only really seems to pay attention when it’s close to my birthday, Christmas or our anniversary. Or when I REALLY REALLY want something. My life, it is so hard.
ANYWAY.
In case y’all hadn’t heard, W00t! was recently acquired by Kindle Amazon and to celebrate, the W00t! of the day was a Kindle. And I might have sent B a text message on the first day of Pantsapalooza that might have said something like “Have you seen today’s woot? WANT!” (For the record, I did not plan that. W00t! apparently knew that it was the first day of Pantsapalooza and surprised me with the deal of the day being the Kindle.)
B, being a wise man, got me one.
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I am completely enamored. Especially the part where it came preloaded with the New Oxford English Dictionary. And that I can listen to my audiobooks on it. And that I can carry a library with me everywhere I go. How cool is that?! Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a few hundred books I’d like to read.
Nexus One, Day 2
I ordered the Nexus One on Thursday around noon and it was engraved and shipped out that day and in Birmingham by Friday. I would have even had it before 7:00 p.m. if Fedex hadn’t screwed stuff up and thought that the address was incorrect. Which it wasn’t. But whatever. I got my phone the next day just like Google promised.
I wanted to spend some time with the Nexus One before I blogged about it so I wouldn’t be all, NEW! PHONE! SO! IN! LOVE! And I also wanted to set it up and put everything I use on it as well as just test it out. So let’s just pretend that this box has never been opened and I have not been playing with my shiny new Nexus One for the last day and having a big ol’ hard on for it.
Even the box is cool! Very streamlined and minimalistic. And contains a super awesome phone inside. See?
The bottom edges of the box are the 4 colors that make up the Nexus X when the phone starts up. Oh! Hello, brand new shiny phone.
Here’s a close up of the back of the phone.
Engraved with Property of Miss Pants (except my real name) because I paid a pretty penny for this and god forbid I should lose it. You better show ID to prove this is your phone if I find you with it. Also, you’ll note at the top that there is a camera lens for the 5MP camera. Next to that camera? LED flash that is ridiculously bright, but takes pretty fine pictures. See?
FX Camera App, Toy Camera Effect
The nice thing about Android and Google phones is that if you have purchased any apps and then switch to a new phone? All your paid apps are immediately available in your downloads on the Market. Pretty awesome, right? No buying an app multiple times. Sure you have to go and find all the free ones, but that’s not always a bad thing because sometimes you find better stuff.
So here it is, all up and running. This is the screen you get when you go from sleep to wake. If you’ve watched any of the videos, then you’ll know that you just swipe the unlock icon to unlock the phone. I like this built in feature because it means less of a chance of unintentionally starting an app or butt dialing someone.
Here’s my home screen. With my G1, I used Open Home, but I am completely enamored right now with the live background of the regular screen as well as the little square down in the bottom center of the screen. See it? You tap that to pull up the app list. Like so.
Sorry about the crappy video. You can only do so much with crappy lighting and a Flip Video. I really wish my Flip had a macro setting.
Anyway, here’s a little comparison for you of the Nexus One next to the G1. I think you can figure out for yourself which is which. Click to embiggen.
So the Nexus One is slightly longer and wider, but about half as thick. And seems about half as light. But it still feels good in my hand. The apps definitely run faster and smoother than they did on my G1. There’s definitely a big difference between 1.6 and 2.1. For the most part, all the apps I used on my G1 work just fine on my Nexus One. I downloaded shapewriter for the keyboard. I really like it even though the normal keyboard is not difficult to use. But shapewriter really satisfies the lazy factor when it comes to typing. Though, a word to the wise, check to see what word it picks or you will send some really weird ass messages.
There is a native sync for MS Exchange e-mail. Calendar, not so much, but I can live with that. And the battery lasts way longer than my G1. However, you definitely want to have a task killer app as a lot of apps seem to really like to run in the background.
Final verdict? The Nexus One was worth every single red cent. I’m really glad I upgraded.
Geek + Flip + Cat = Blog Post
I got myself a little Christmas present from Woot. I got a Flip Ultra and it is so cute! And portable! And video! It works like a charm. Now I can give you better quality videos of my pets! Just what you wanted, right?
To demonstrate the awesomeness that is the Flip, I took a very short video of Chloe so she can get some more face time with the blog. And also so you won’t think we ate her. I mean, times are tough, but we’re not at the “eat the pets” end of the spectrum. We are, however, making sure to keep them well fed. Just in case.
Wii Fit, Day 1
First, let me get this out of the way:
EEEEEE!!!! WII FIT, I LOVE YOU AND WANNA HAVE YOUR BAYBEE!!!!!!!
*Ahem*
This is my personal review of the Wii Fit. No one paid me for this review. (However, I do accept cash. And yarn.) After spending roughly an hour trying out almost all the different aspects of Wii Fit, I am officially an expert. Also, this is really long.
First and foremost, when I pulled it out of the box, it didn?t have that awful plastic smell that usually accompanies most plastic items being pulled out of a box. It?s a minor thing, but I really appreciated it. (I also think that smell is some kind of drug that makes you want to move it move it on the Wii Fit.)
The instructions to sync up the board to the Wii are very straight forward and IKEA-like with the pictures, but also include words in case you can?t decipher the pictures. With one exception (though in Wii Fit?s defense, I didn?t read all the way through the booklet. I stopped reading once I knew how to sync it up.) The button you push to activate the board faces AWAY from the Wii and TV. If you do what I did for the first half hour on the board and have it facing the WRONG WAY, you will look like a drunken monkey who can?t follow directions when attempting, oh, EVERYTHING. This may cause some frustration and possible resurfacing of teenage angst.
Moving on.
When you are doing the initial tests to set up your Wii Fit age, it will tell you that everyone has bad posture due to our current way of life. No matter how good you think your posture is, IT WILL PROVE YOU WRONG. The Wii Fit is apparently also a scale because once you tell it your age and your height; it weighs you and calculates your BMI. And then it will tell you that you are fat. And that?s when you go sit in your car and cry while drinking a bottle of wine.
Once it has determined what your age, height, weight and BMI, it will test your balance and agility and then give you your Wii Fit age. In our house, everyone is about 6 years older in Wii Fit years than reality. Except for me during that first half hour when I HAD THE BOARD SET UP BACKWARDS. During that dark period of my life, I was THIRTEEN YEARS OLDER in Wii Fit years. Once the EIGHT YEAR OLD IN THE HOUSE pointed out that I had the board set up backwards, I redid the test and my Wii Fit age improved significantly.
After that, it will ask you to set a goal. You can choose to gain or lose weight and it will show you how that will affect your BMI. (Side note/rant here: If I get down to the goal weight/BMI that the Wii Fit thinks I am supposed to be, I will make starving Ethiopian children look like Arnold Schwarzenegger and my mom will accuse me of being anorexic. Again.) You can set it up to lose X number of pounds over a specific time frame. While I am not crazy about that part of the Wii Fit experience, I do like the fact that what the game? program? stresses is posture and balance, not weight loss. It will also keep track of what activities you do each day that you use the Wii Fit. That is really nice. You can also input other activities outside of the Wii Fit to incorporate into your log.
After that you choose your trainer and begin exercising. You have the option of a male trainer or a female trainer. I tried everything but the strength training exercises last night. B did the strength training exercises and he was definitely getting a workout. I mean, I was exhausted by the time he was done, they were that effective.
Balance activities:
Once again, I cannot stress strong enough how important it is to have the board FACING THE RIGHT WAY. I am not the best at the soccer head butting game, but I gave it my best shot. I think a lot of it had to do with my form. The geniuses over at Nintendo have designed this game so that if you slack off, you suck. It insures that you get a maximum workout if you want to win the particular game you are playing. I did a lot better on the tight rope walking game since I was more conscious of proper form. I proved once again on the ski slalom that I cannot ski. What I do wonder, though, is that if I become proficient at skiing on the Wii, does that I mean I will be able to ski in real life?
Aerobics:
Until Wii Fit, I was never a fan of step aerobics because when you go to a class, everyone but you seems to know what you?re doing. Well, the Wii Fit makes it possible for you to do step aerobics in the privacy of your own home and only your family members and/or pets will know how uncoordinated (or coordinated) you are. If you struggle with it, it will give you helpful tips. It also stresses improving your rhythm. I was totally digging it. Especially since, the better you get, the more your Wii audience cheers you on. I mean, who doesn?t love an audience who loves you?
My favorite aerobics exercise, however, was the hula hooping. I could do that one for days. And it is quite the workout. Don?t believe me? Try hula hoping for five minutes straight without stopping. Or dropping the hula hoop.
I also did the short run and you basically run in place, but it stay interesting because you have to follow your running guide without passing him/her and therefore you have to pay attention to what you are doing. Also, for the running exercises, you don?t do them on the board. You either hold on tight to the remote or put it in your pocket while you run. How much your remote jiggles determines how fast your Mii runs.
Yoga/Strength Training:
The yoga and strength training exercises are similar in two ways. First, it will go through a demonstration with you on how to properly perform the exercise you are about to do. The second is that it will also show you a yellow circle in which you want to keep your red dot. The red dot is your balance. This is good in that it helps you to focus on maintaining proper form and balance. But! It is A WORKOUT and at first, hard. Not so hard that you don?t want to do it anymore, but hard in that, you are getting your money?s worth. It will work your ass out. And every other muscle in your body. I?m sure this will become easier, the more you do it. Much like anything else.
For every exercise/game you complete, you earn Wii Fit Credits in one minute increments. The more credits you earn, the more games you unlock. What I like the most about the Wii Fit is that it satisfies two things at once.
- You are really and truly getting a workout.
- It is FUN and you still feel like you are playing a video game. It?s like purposefully tricking yourself into working out by playing a really cool game.
I gave it two thumbs up. And also my phone number.
Flickr Video of DOOM
I’m not really sure why the internet seems to have exploded into panic and loathing over the fact that Flickr has added the ability to upload video. To me, it seems like a good idea. I’m fully aware that there are a million other websites that are dedicated specifically to video uploading, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t room for more. I like that if I upload a video into Flickr, I have the option to keep the video private. I haven’t seen that option anywhere else.
No Wonder I'm Tired
Friday night when I got home, my new phone had already arrived!! I have to say, T-Mobile has their shit together. Excellent customer service and fast shipping. They rock my mobile world. Hopefully the skin I made for my phone will be here soon. That would be great. And my phone! It rocks three kinds of sideways. I lurve it. I will show you pictures when?its skin arrives. That way you can see it in all its glory.
Saturday I woke up rather violently at ass crack thirty when my dad called to tell me that it had snowed and we needed to get out in it with the Boy before it all melted. B found it quite hilarious that when my phone rings that early in the morning I will actually levitate out of the bed.
Saturday afternoon involved a pizza party for a certain little boy who is turning 8 this Thursday. He won’t be at home the weekend after his birthday, so?we?had his birthday party this past Saturday.?The first?thing he asked when he knew it had snowed was, “Are the roads safe for driving?” The snow was great and all, but only so long as it didn’t interfere with his party.
A?Boy’s got to have?his priorities, you know.
I’m glad to report that the snow did not interfere with his birthday party and there was pizza making and eating for 8 boys and girls. Oh, and some cake, too. They had a blast.
The party was a huge success. The best part? Um, all of it.
Saturday night we went out to dinner with B’s brother’s family at Shogun (Japanese steakhouse)?and I obsessed about the rubber drunken?chicken pirate and his bottle of rum.
Why was it on that chef’s cart? What was the purpose? He didn’t use it in his cooking “act.” Is it a good luck charm? Why is the chicken a pirate? Where can I get one? On second review of the chicken pirate, that might not be so much a bottle of rum as maybe a spy glass. But whatever. He’s a pirate. You know he’s been drinking.
Sunday there was much cleaning, because, you know, cleanliness is close to godliness. And, well, we’re all a bunch of god-wannabees. And then there was a spin-in over at Jessi’s. (Except, whenever I was talking to B about it, I kept calling it a spin-out.) I didn’t take a single picture (Jessi remembered to take pictures. Go look at hers.)?until I got home.?When I went to get Jezebel out of the car, the lighting was perfect so I took some shots of what I had spun.
Hmmmm… Apparently I am not a?clean god. Ignore the dust on my wheel, please.
The Waiting Game
I am not good at waiting. I suck at surprises, too. At least, when I’m on the receiving end. (Word to the wise, if you want to surprise me, DO NOT MENTION IT AT ALL. Don’t taunt me with hints because I will wear you down. I will drive you absolutely batty until you ruin the surprise. Until then, I will not stop bugging you and you will be miserable until I know everything. EVERYTHING.)
So the next week or so is going to be agony. A.G.O.N.Y. because my new crackberry won’t be here until sometime next week starting Tuesday.
I happen to love my current Blackberry, but it doesn’t always love me. It has a ghost. A poltergeist, really, because it will randomly shut itself off and reboot. Sometimes continuously. The only way to fix it is to take the battery out. Let me tell you how convenient that is. IT IS NOT. That’s how convenient it is.
And here’s the thing, my phone is not just a phone. It’s my brain. I keep all appointments, dinners, doctor’s appointments, birthdays, soccer games, class times,?anniversaries, etc. on that phone. Even B consults my phone to see if we have something going on. I would have a critical meltdown trying to keep track of 3 people?if it weren’t for the calendar function. Not to mention the fact that I also have?instant access to e-mail. I am plugged in to the matrix, basically.
So this poltergeist in my phone? It will be something that plagues me no longer as soon as my new phone gets here. Next week.
sigh
But! At least my new phone is an upgrade. I’m moving from the 8700g to the 8320 (Curve). Yeah, it’s gold. I thought I was selecting the titanium, but apparently I didn’t. That’s ok, because I created a skin for it. Here. My other option was to refuse shipment and reorder the titanium one. Um, yeah. No thanks. I need a poltergeist-free phone ASAP.
Is it Tuesday yet?
