iTunes is an unexplainable phenomenon. It simultaneously sucks and blows, resulting in a void of negative energy that drains the life force from anything that draws near. Not only are the orginization features counter-intuitive, it crashes about 20% of the time when watching video podcasts. I’m sure that it probably has something to do with my laptop, but still…
That’s old news, though. The new news is that I got a new phone this weekend. FYI, I am not a big cellphone fan. Today’s phones try to pack so many features into them that they miss the true nature of the device. I would love to hear from anybody who uses their phone’s camera for anything. The quality is too low to be truly useful and they have yet to implement true video phone capabilities. Browsing the web is rediculous on such tiny screens and slow speeds. Not only that, but you have to pay more just to browse the web in this horrible way. Using it as a media player is also rediculous due to the tiny storage capacities and bad interfaces.
That said, I use my phone for voice conversations…what it’s meant for. I searched high and low for a good phone that just did its job without trying to pose as any other device. I believe I may have found just such a device.
The wife had snagged a blue RAZR at a CompUSA for cheap. They gave her the discounts for the phone and all it required was a 12-month extended contract. I have been in need of a new phone for some time since mine’s joystick control had stopped going up or left. Not only that, it was starting to drop calls and buttons were sticking causing misdials. After she got her phone, CompUSA did another deal on 2 different phones: the Motorola PEBL and the TMobile SDA (HTC Tornado). So, we went to check them out this weekend. I was very underimpressed with the PEBL and its cheap, fragile feel. The SDA, however, was another story.
It’s a candybar-style phone that’s milimeters larger than my T610. It’s got a large, crisp screen, charges via mini-USB plug, and feels very sturdy. The best features, however, are that it runs Windows Mobile Smartphone and has built-in Bluetooth and WiFi. Yes, WiFi (802.11b). That means that it has a decent web browser AND can connect for FREE (at an access point)! Verdict: 9/10.
I docked it one point because it was damn near impossible to sync via Bluetooth and the only way to sync contacts and calendar are through Outlook. I’m still searching for a way to sync using my TBird address book, but I’ll probably have to start using Outlook again. TBird’s RSS feeds, email, and recently-released Lightning calendar plugin would be near perfect if they could sync. Oh well.
Oh, and if you haven’t heard of Orb, check them out (www.orb.com). You install it on your media PC and it allows you to stream your content to any device over the network. I was watching my freakin ReplayTV shows on my WiFi-connected cell phone! Brilliant! Not that I’m actually that mobile, but it’s just cool to have! Next, I want to try to get home automation going (at least for a couple of lights).