One of my favorite stories to come out of the Haitian tragedy is of a man who was trapped in the rubble for 60 hours, severely injured and bleeding, and managed to stay alive with the help of an.. iPhone app?! Yeah. So the guy, Dan Woolley, an aid worker from Colorado, remembered he had downloaded an app called "Pocket First Aid & CPR" from the American Heart Association, and used that information to treat his wounds properly. It's kinda amazing what this guy did, using his shirt to bandage his leg, tying his belt around the wound, firmly pressing a sock to his bleeding head, setting his alarm every 20 min to not fall asleep as a result of experiencing shock. A total validation to Apple's pretty bold statement, "There's an app for that." I imagine we will see this somewhere in their app commercials.
Monday, January 25, 2010
There's an app for that!
Monday, December 7, 2009
I Tech You to School: Google will soon be giving you prostate exams
Ok... well maybe not anytime in the near future but judging by the way they're expanding, it just might happen.
Let me explain. I know I can speak for many people when I say that Google knows more about me than I do. They have every email I've ever sent/recieved in the last 7 years. They know my hobbies by looking at my google reader RSS subscriptions. I've made purchases through Google checkout. I now own a phone that has all my contacts, calendar appointments, and text messages which was made by Google. They have every single Gchat conversation I've had with people. And the thing is, they're only getting bigger! (there's a 'that's what she said' somewhere in there)
For example, they've just introduced a new service called "Favorite Places on Google". This new service is like a Zagat for not only restuarants but any business that has been Googled repeatedly on well... Google (damnit, when did Google become a verb?). These businesses will get a window sticker that states it's a "Favorite Places on Google" letting people know it's a hotspot. Not only that (here's the cool part), you'll be able to scan the barcode of that restaurant with your cell phone to get more info, coupons, and reviews, straight to your handset. Pretty genius if you ask me. It's almost as if real life is becoming more digital. This is just one of the many ways Google is extending their reach... and it's only a matter of time until Google will somehow find a way to give me my annual prostate exam... and the sad part is, I can't wait because you know it'll be free and better than 99% of what's out there already.
Monday, November 9, 2009
I Tech You To School: The Droid
So I woke up on Friday morning at 6:30am to my brother gently whispering in my ear. Why 6:30am and why my brother? Friday was the day that Verizon launched the Motorola Droid and HTC Eris to the masses. More importantly, Friday was the day that Verizon took its first steps into their new relationship with Google in bringing all the latest and greatest "Droid" phones to the public. Yes... all of VZWs android phones will now be called "Droid" as "Droid" is not a phone but instead a chain of Google phones they will be releasing... but I digress.
So I bought the Droid on Friday. My brother bought the HTC Eris on Friday. And its sweet.
Here's the quick and dirty. Both phones (one made by Motorola and the other by HTC) run the new Android OS. Android is an open source operating system, meaning anyone or any company can take it and make it their own. And it shows as my brother's HTC looks nothing like my Motorola. Both are highly polished and work just like you would expect it to.
What makes Android special? Well, for one, think of it like a computer. You have your Start Menu with all your apps but then you also have a desktop that you can customize, and this is how Android works. You have your sliding dock with all your apps but your life will revolve around your three desktops. Shortcuts to contacts, websites, or whatever else you can think of can be placed on this desktop. Additionally, Android revolves around widgets. Widgets are mini programs that sit on your desktop and does everything from stocks to weather, giving you instant info updated to your liking. It's a great little system that really takes some getting used to, but once you set it up, it's great.
Like many of you, my life revolves around Google. My email, calendar, Google Reader etc., so it's really nice that once I entered my gmail info, everything was right there on my phone. Now I know many of you are iPhone fans and if you MUST compare it to the iPhone, I'll admit that I bought the BlackBerry Storm thinking it would quiet all the iPhone snobs out there. It didn't. These new Android phones do.
If you're a die hard iPhone fan, you should stick with the iPhone and you won't lose any sleep over not having a Droid because the iPhone is a great phone. If you've been on Verizon, are addicted to the network, and have been looking for a phone that's comparable, this is it. In most aspects, it matches the iPhone and in some, even excels.
Friday, October 16, 2009
I Tech You To School: Windows 7
Next Thursday, Oct 22nd, will be a big day in the computing world. It's the day Microsoft will get its dignity back after the ridiculiasco (ridiculous fiasco... just run with it) monstrosity that was Vista. Most people wouldn't touch it with a 10 foot pole and have stuck with Windows XP to this day. XP was launched in 2001. We're talking about an 8 year old OS and in technology years, it means XP would've had gone through menopause already and is now wearing Depends adult diapers.
That's all about to change though because from first hand experience, Windows 7 is what Vista should have been. I know many of you will still hold on to XP with a kungfu grip but it's ok... let's let go and move forward. First thing they got right is that Windows 7 is STABLE. It doesn't crash, it doesn't burn, it doesn't give you blue screens of death. That's not to say that programs don't crash, but if they do, Windows 7 neatly closes the delinquent and you are able to move on with your life instead of frantically hitting Ctrl Alt Del. Second is that it just works. No more messing with drivers and hardware that is incompatible and the stupid "Hardware Wizard". New printer? 7 sees your printer, installs what it needs to, and you'll be printing in minutes.
Last is that it's very polished. They named their new user interface "Aero" and the name fits nice because it really is kinda Aero-y. There's a lot of little things they did to make your life easier on a day to day basis. Folders are neat, Desktop is clean and the new Taskbar is actually useful! (I have a certain animosity towards the XP taskbar) You'll see what I mean once you get it. It's a bit pricey but do your homework and you can actually score one for pretty cheap. Oh and don't try to buy 1 disc and share between 12 of your buddies because I'm sure it'll be nothing but a headache in the future. I'll check back in on the 22nd to follow up so til then, have a good weekend.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
I Tech You to School: Microsoft Antivirus Suite
If you didn't know, this should be some exciting news for most of you that use a Windows PC.
Recently, Microsoft announced that it is slowly moving away from expensive paid software to free web based applications (better known as webapps in the geek community).Next year, Microsoft will make available Microsoft Office online for free (much like Google Documents).
Well, yesterday, this became more evident beginning with Microsoft releasing a new Antivirus suite... that's FREE. That's right, free. This is not one of those half put together pieces of crap that usually floats around the internet. It's a full strength suite that covers ALL security areas such as web fraud, spyware protection, malware protection and of course, virus protection. Also, it updates itself automatically so you don't have to ever worry about it being up to date. It works on XP, Vista and Windows 7 machines, and judging by what I've read, is one of the best options out there for computer security. I suggest everyone go and download it.
I guess M$oft is really taking notice of the little fruit that is growing to be a big fruit (and I'm not talking about Grimey) and competition is really making Bill Gates uncomfortable. Long live capitalism...! When there's free stuff involved that is...
Thursday, September 24, 2009
I Tech You To School: Buying a TV
So I get asked this question pretty often... "Dude, can you help me choose a TV?"
And this is what I usually tell them... "Shut yo face before I end your..."
Actually, I don't say that. The first question I usually ask is, "You want LCD or Plasma?"
They usually reply, "Which one's better?" and so here begins my advice.
It depends on what you plan on using it for. The short answer is that if you want a TV with very low maintenance, go with a LCD. If you want the best picture quality and don't mind paying a little attention to upkeeping your TV, go with a Plasma. But, if that was the answer I got, I'd be a little dissatisfied, so I'll give you the long answer, in hopes that you'll be able to make an educated consumer choice.
LCD's are very easy to plug in and watch. LCD's aren't plagued by the many issues that Plasmas have. You don't have to worry about burn in, which happens when you leave something static on your screen for too long (ie. a game scoreboard, the little logo at the bottom of some tv channels). So if you plan on watching nothing but Sportscenter on ESPN, LCD is probably the way to go. Also, you don't have to worry about the glare from a bright room with a LCD, which is something that Plasma owners have to deal with. Additionally, the general rule is that if you're looking for a TV under 42", you want to go with a LCD. There's not too many Plasmas you can purchase that is under that size. For all this low maintenance though, you're gonna lose out on picture quality. With LCD's, colors usually don't "pop" off the screen and with fast movie motions like explosions or car chases, you're gonna get pixelation.
Plasma TVs are everything opposite of LCD's. Yes, you do have to worry about burn in, BUT if you properly break in your TV for about the first 250 hours or so, this becomes a nonexistent issue. Breaking in a TV entails lowering all the brightness and color settings to low and avoiding content that has any type of static images. This means no black bar DVD's, no SportsCenter, no History Channel (damn that big yellow H at the bottom right!), etc.. And I'll tell you this much, those first 250 hours are a pain in the butt. 250 hours are more or less 24 hours of looping a DVD for 11 days straight. (Yea, I did it.)
Also, with plasmas, you have to be conscious of where you're placing the TV. If your TV is facing the opposite of a bright window, forget watching TV in the daytime. The sunlight will be all in your face and it'll just not be very pretty. But once you figure these things out, man oh man, that picture is sweet. Colors are vivid, HD content is super crisp and clear... it's great. Plasmas inch for inch are usually about a 1/4 cheaper than LCD's too.
The brands you want to stick with are as follows:
LCD: LG, Samsung, Vizio, Westinghouse
Plasma: Panasonic, Panasonic, Panasonic... and Pioneer (best in class). If you have that kind of money, in which case... hook a brotha up!
Size wise, I always recommend buy the biggest you can afford. An average TV has a life span of 6-10 years depending on how well you keep it. You have to think of it as an investment. The last thing you want is to move and find that the TV you have is too small for your living room and now you're squinting to watch that tiny 32" screen from 20ft away. The general math though is, for every foot of distance you are sitting from your TV, you want 7" of viewing space. So 5 feet from your tv? You want 36". 8 Feet? 42" 10 feet? 50". You get the idea. Happy TV watching!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Tech Geek 101: Onyx
Today, we have a guest post from our Technology expert friend Andy. He'll be contributing weekly articles on all things tech related, so enjoy!
Ok… so everyone knows that Mac’s are more stable, virus free, and fun to use than a PC (or so says the Apple commercials) and while this is true, it’s still a good idea to do some housekeeping so your shiny new $3000 Facebooking machine runs top notch.
An easy, and more importantly, FREE option is to download a program called Onyx.
This is one of the top downloaded apps that basically does everything to keep the inner cockles of your machine tidy. A host of actions, such as repairing permissions, verifying your disk and clearing caches can be done with a couple button clicks (you can ignore all of what I just said in the last sentence if you really don’t care). Basically, when you run the program, all you have to do is click 'ok,' enter your password, click on the automation tab, make sure everything is checked, and hit 'run.' You’ll probably notice an improvement right away. Give it a go about once a month and you’re set!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
12 Most Annoying Facebook Users
Hi, my name is Jen Shin, and I'm addicted to Facebook. I check it like 6 times a day, I update it quite often, and I like to secretly and not-so-secretly stalk people. However, I keep my little addiction to myself, and I don't think I am any of the following 12 types of annoying Facebookers that CNN has identified. All annoying (hopefully I don't do any of the following), but I think my favorite has to be the Chronic Inviter: "Support my cause. Sign my petition. Play Mafia Wars with me. Which 'Star Trek' character are you? Here are the 'Top 5 cars I have personally owned.' Here are '25 Things About Me.' Here's a drink. What drink are you? We're related! I took the 'What President Are You?' quiz and found out I'm Millard Fillmore! What president are you?" Sound familiar?? Yeah. You know who you are!!!
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Google Flu Trends
Google, the search engine.
Gmail.
Google Maps.
Google Earth.
Google Flu Trends?!?
In a surefire sign that Google is taking over the world, Google.org, the philanthropic arm of the Google empire, launched Google Flu Trends, which is supposed to act as an early warning system of flu outbreaks. Not surprisingly, it turns out that before going to the doctor, most people like to google "flu symptoms" or of the like as ways of self-diagnosis. Multiply that by millions of people, analyze the regions where the searches are coming from, and you get a predicting system that may be able to detect flu outbreaks up to 10 days before the Center for Disease Control may be able to do. The service will analyze the keyword searches as they come in, and create maps and graphs of the country to show where the flu is spreading. Well, that's the ideal theory behind it, anyways.
Um. I don't know what you all think about this idea, but I find it fascinating. Mostly cause I find search engine results fascinating. The editors of Life in Boxes keep tabs on how you find our site, and sometimes, the funniest things lead to our blog (search term: "town bordering Ridgefield, NJ"). To be able to use the data that people are entering to help predict and ultimately curb disease outbreaks? That's pretty cool. Imagine what else we can do with that kind of collective data; I feel like we're only at the beginning of major things. Ok, so I know this just all SCREAMS of violating privacy issues or whatever (idk, do you really care?), but honestly, nothing you do is private anyway. We might as well try to do some good with the technology that allows us to.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
New Gift Cards are Two Gifts in One
As much as you may not want to think about it, Christmas is coming soon. And if you're already dreading the idea of finding "perfect gifts" for people, Best Buy and Target have you covered.
Best Buy has just released a gift card that also doubles as a speaker. The sound quality probably won't be great, but the concept is very cool.
Even better, Target has gift cards that are also mini digital cameras. The gift cards have 1.2 megapixel sensors and enough memory to hold 50 pictures on them. They also come with the necessary wires and 40 free prints from the store.
Both of these gift cards won't cost you any extra cash, though you will have to spring for at least $50 worth of credit to pick one up.
Uhm, I wouldn't be surprised if these sold out relatively quick, so if you want to get this kind-of-thoughtful-kind-of-impersonal gift, you probably should aim for sooner rather than later.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Wet Phone Blues
Last night, as I was ready to go to sleep, I knocked my cell phone and my keys off my bed. My keys made the accustomed muted jingle as they fell to the carpet but it was accompanied by stranger noise this time, a plop. My phone had fallen inside a mug of watered down coke. I took it out and placed it on the floor without giving it much thought. A few minutes later I was disturbed by a humming noise and was appalled to discover that my phone was vibrating and flickering uncontrollably.
If this happens to you, I know what you're thinking, panic. Do that for about 4 seconds then calm yourself down and take the battery out immediately. The steps go a little like this.
1. Get it out of the water as soon as possible. The plastic covers on cell phones are fairly tight, but water can enter the phone in a short period of time, perhaps only 20 seconds or less. So grab your phone quickly! If you can't get to it in time, your best bet is to remove the battery while it is still under water. Water helps dissipate heat from shorts that can damage the phone, so most damage occurs when the inside of the phone is merely wet and there is a power source.
2. Remove the battery. This is one of the most important steps. Don't take time to think about it; electricity and water do not mix. Cutting power to your phone is a crucial first step in saving it. Many circuits inside the phone will survive immersion in water provided they are not attached to a power source when wet.
3. If you have a GSM carrier, remove your SIM card. Some or all of your valuable contacts (along with other data) could be stored on your SIM. To some people this could be more worth saving than the phone itself. SIM cards survive water damage well, but some of the following steps are unnecessary i.e. don't heat it. Just pat it dry and leave it aside until you need to connect your phone to your cellular network. (This step does not apply to CDMA carriers such as Verizon, Alltel, US Cellular, Sprint, etc.)
4. Dry your phone. Obviously you need to remove as much of the water as soon as possible, so you can save it from getting into the phone. Shake it out without dropping it, then use a towel or paper towel to gently remove as much of the remaining water as possible. Dry the excess moisture by hand.
5. Remove any covers and external connectors to open up as many gaps, slots, and crevices in the phone as possible.
6. Use a vacuum if possible. Do not use a hair dryer (even on a "cold" mode) to dry out the phone, as this may force moisture further into the small components, deep inside the phone. If moisture is driven deeper inside, corrosion and oxidation may result when minerals from liquids are deposited on the circuitry. Using a hairdryer might be a temporary fix, but this will eventually cause component failure inside the phone. Instead, remove all residual moisture by drawing it away with a vacuum cleaner held over the affected areas for up to 20 minutes in each accessible area. This is the fastest method and can completely dry out your phone and get it working in thirty minutes. Be careful not to hold the vacuum too close to the phone, as a vacuum can create static electricity, which is even worse.
7. Use a substance with a high affinity for water to help draw out moisture. Leave the phone in a bowl or bag of uncooked rice overnight. The rice would absorb any remaining moisture. If available, it is preferable to use desiccant instead. Desiccant will absorb moisture better than rice. It may be found under a brand name such as "Damp Rid" or "Dry Right".
8. Let the phone sit on absorbent towels, napkin, or other paper. Remember that the goal is to evacuate all the moisture and humidity, not to trap it or add even more. Check the absorbent material every hour for 4 to 6 hours. If moisture is evident, repeat the vacuuming step and desiccant steps.
9. Test your phone. After you have waited a day or so, make sure everything is clean and dry looking and re-attach the battery to the phone and see if it works. If your phone does not work, try plugging it into its charger without the battery, if this works, you need a new battery. If not, try taking your cell phone to an authorized dealer. Sometimes they can fix it. Don't try to hide the fact that it has been wet. There are internal indicators that prove moisture.
Thank you for Wikihow.com for the info. As of this afternoon my phone is back on track. Yay Phone! It will be replaced soon for the Blackberry Storm. Buh Bye Phone.
While watching the election results on Tuesday, a friend of mine refused to watch CNN because he doesn't like their magic screen. Something about it being frivolous.
And then we had our own editor hate on CNN's hologram effects. I, for one, welcome our new-fangled technology overlords.
That's why I'm super excited about Microsoft's SecondLight. This new technology is based on their Surface project where, by throwing a piece of paper on the screen, a completely different image appears. It is damn sexy and worth watching the demo.
I can't wait for election coverage in 2012, where we'll see a map of the US, then the piece of paper will break down who in the state likes ice cream and how it will affect their vote.
Or an image of a person and then the SecondLight screen shows how too much black bile and not enough yellow bile makes them more likely to choose a political candidate. Yes, the four humors as a science will be back in 2012.
I Really Want a Canon 5D Mark II
The newest innovation in professional digital photography is the ability to record video on them.
A lot of people who don't know much about DSLR's might say, "psh, my digital camera has always been able to record video!"
Trust me, it's not the same.
The Canon 5D Mark II, which retails for $2,700 shoots in full HD and allows you to use different lenses to create very impressive videos.
Don't believe me? Watch the proof. The video posted on top was done by a random guy with just basic supplies. This video, Reverie, was done by a professional photographer with a bunch of lenses and top-notch editing. Both look awesome.
Well, now you all know what to get me for Christmas!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Free Wifi @ Starbucks for iPhone / Blackberry Users!
Another good reason for me to switch out of Verizon and join the AT&T bandwagon? Free wifi at Starbucks with an iPhone or Blackberry.
The fine print includes that you need a Blackberry Bold (though Pearl users, and maybe even other phones, will be included in the future) or an iPhone with an unlimited data plan.
Even with those extra details, it still seems like a very good deal since you can find a Starbucks pretty much everywhere, including in most Barnes and Nobles.
So if you're lucky enough to have an iPhone or are planning on getting a Bold, go get yourself some free wifi.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Getting Out of Verizon Wireless Without Paying Early Termination Fees
One of the biggest forms of buyer's remorse is signing with a cell phone contract. If you decide to go for a two-year contract, that means that you're forced to stay with that service through thick and thin, no matter what. The only way to get out of it is to pay them exorbitant Early Termination Fees (ETF).
For this very reason, I used to only sign up for one-year contracts. But with my previous phone, I kept it for two years anyway and thought that, with my new phone, it would be worth saving the $50 and signing for two years. Of course, a little over a year into my contract I want to ditch Verizon Wireless for the greener pastures of.. well anything but Verizon.
So now I'm stuck with three choices. First, I could just pay the ETF and deal with it. Second, I could just stay on Verizon for 10 months (bleh). Or third, I could go through a long, arduous, hassle of getting out of my contract sans ETF.
Ely Rosenstock of Crastinate.com put up a very interesting video on how he got out of his Verizon contract by arguing that government taxes (which shouldn't really be passed down to the consumers anyway) constitute a breach in his contract. He said it took him a few days and multiple calls to finally convince Verizon to drop him, but it's worth the effort if it saves you money.
I'm not sure if I have the resolve to deal with all of this, but if I do try it, I'll let you know how it goes.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Pwntage of the Day
Ensuring Junior Goes For A Mild Ride- New York Times
As if teenagers needed another reason to rebel. Ford has created "MyKey" technology which allows parents to control the driving habits of their children.
"Like V-chips that restrict what children can view on television, MyKey allows
parents to limit teenage drivers to a top speed of 80 miles per hour, cap the
volume on the car stereo, demand seat belt use and encourage other safe-driving
habits."
If I were a teenager, I would make sure never to buy a Ford car when I'm an adult. Wait, no adults are buying Ford cars anyways. I guess invasive technology is not enticing enough to ignore shoddy manufacturing.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Sad News of the Day: RefundPlease.com is Now Useless
A couple of months back, I wrote about how Amazon has this great policy, where if you buy something and the price goes down within a month, Amazon will refund you the difference.
I wrote how Amazon was awesome for doing this and how it helped buyer's remorse, etc., etc.
Unfortunately, Amazon has recently removed the post-order price guarantee. That means no more refunds and that RefundPlease.com is pretty much useless.
Amazon, you have just become a little less cool in my book.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Google Goes Retro
I know that this has already permeated pretty far into the blogosphere, but it's cool enough to get another mention....
As part of it's 10th anniversary, Google put the 2001 version of their site up, content and all. That means you can click here and see what search results would have popped up in 2001.
iPods, Youtube, and MySpace, are all either non-existent or don't relate to what we know of them today. You can even view the old version of the sites to see how ugly web design used to be.
I think the weirdest/creepiest search term is 9/11. The first hit is a review of a Phish concert.
Times certainly have changed in a short 7 years.
Monday, September 22, 2008
[Feature] It's time for a little self-control
Back in June, Steve Jobs made my dream come true by announcing the new iPhone 3G, at a mere $199 per pop. That was like getting an iPod cheap, except it would be a smart, nay genius, phone that would do SO MUCH MORE than just being a plain old iPod. While I had deemed the $500+ price tag for the first iPhone a way unnecessary expense for my modest budget, the announcement of this cheaper-and-better model made my heart flutter with hope. Come July, I would finally be getting one. I had grandiose plans of what I'd do with my phone- Facebook/Urbanspoon/Twitteriffic apps, check. Personalized ringtones ripped from my iTunes collection, check. Unlimited text messaging?? I was so prepared to never talk to anyone other than through text messages again.
Except... It turns out that when you're a current AT&T customer in the middle of a 2-year contract, there are a lot of fine print to sort through in your quest for an iPhone. The kicker for me being that I get to pay $200 extra dollars for the phone of my dreams, which is kind of an ironic and cruel punishment for being a loyal, pre-existing AT&T customer. Thanks, guys, I'm so glad I stuck with you all these years!
I cried about this a little. Well, not literally, but enough to annoy the people in my life with all my 'BUT I WANT AN IPHONE NOW' talk/whine. To prevent myself from giving in and getting one, I brought in the big guns- mainly instituting a slap bet with Julia, in which she was allowed to slap me if I broke down and got one. And for all of you who are rolling your eyes and being like 'it's not that great, there are better things to covet,' stop right there, I've already stopped listening to you.
The thing is, I can totally go get one right now, there's nothing holding me back (except the wrath of Julia's palm on my cheek). But I'm holding out, until at least my birthday in December (best.birthday present to myself.ever), OR if I'm really good, February '09, when I'm eligible for a phone upgrade. It seems so torturous, since I want it so much and can technically afford to go get one. However, here is why I'm holding out: self-restraint. I'm not very good at this. Say I've already had a ginormous breakfast of the Michael Phelps diet proportions. Dangle a biscuit in front of me, and I'm a goner. Say I make a (futile) no-shopping-this-week pact with myself. I'm bored at lunch, so I stop by J.Crew because looking never harmed anyone, and I leave the store with a shopping bag in hand. See where I'm going with this? I tell myself I'm NOT going to do things, and then I weasel my way out of it with irrational rationalizations.
Well not this time! If there's anything my desire for an iPhone taught me, it's that sometimes, my love for materialistic possessions outweigh my power of self-control and will. There was a time period when it seemed like EVERYONE I KNOW (and their moms) were getting an iPhone, and I was dreaming of one constantly. Obsessive? Yeah. Here we are weeks later, and I still REALLY REALLY want one, but I no longer dream about it constantly. You know, just at night when I close my eyes.
So from here on out, I am instituting my version of Lent, called JENt. (I know it's corny, ok??) I am practicing an intense 73ish-or-possibly-more days of self-restraint. The time will be used to think about my upcoming purchase, whether I really want it (the answer is YES), to save up money, give Apple time to come out with a better/cheaper one in time for the holidays, so forth. I think it's good to take a step back from the things you think you want and can't live without, and have a period of reflection, which is basically what real Lent is about. Also, the period of waiting will make the iPhone purchase that much sweeter. Cue heavens-opening-up music.
Now, I'm going to be annoying here and ask you to also think about giving up something with me. It's SO much more fun to have company when doing something, yeah? Also, misery loves company...what? I didn't say that..
But seriously. While I hold off on buying the iPhone until December/later, why don't you try putting a hold on something you're kinda sorta obsessed with, or partake in an act that will shake things up a bit in your life? My friend Ashley planted this seed in my head, and she's offered to give up handbag shopping during that period. If you know us girls at all, that is a big deal. My friend Leslie is giving up bacon. Yes, I don't know if I can go that long without bacon either. Fellow blogger Jorge is giving up eating pizza; it's his favorite food. I was touched by the support! Your period of Jent doesn't have to be quite so long- 73 days is practically the double of 40 days of normal Lent. But I think sometimes we all need to practice a period of self-discipline, which is why I'm advocating this.
It's going to be hard. I gave up coffee this past Lent and it wasn't easy. But I think you'll start to realize that maybe the things you think you absolutely need in your life, aren't so needed. And at the end of it all, you can be proud that you stuck to what you set out to achieve and climbed your Mt. Everest, whatever it may have been. So... Take my challenge. We're all in this together, and I promise it'll be rewarding.
Oh, and in the meantime, if you have an iPhone, try not to flaunt it in front of me TOO much. While I am SO happy! for you, I'd much rather be the one doing the flaunting. Hey, at least I'm being honest.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
I Really Want a Chevy Volt!
Earlier this week, Chevrolet officially unveiled the Volt, and I want one. Bad.
Why, you ask, am I going crazy over an American car? Why does it get my eco- and tech- senses tingling? Oh, let me count the ways:
- It runs on a rechargeable battery that lasts 40 miles.
- After the battery dies out, it uses gas to charge the battery (not actually run the engine).
- You can plug it in any regular electrical outlet to charge the battery.
- While in all-electric mode (the first 40 miles), it'll get the equivalent of 100 miles to the gallon!
- Even during 100-200 mile trips, you'll still get 35-50 miles to gallon.
- On average, it'll cost about two to six cents of electricity per mile.
- It looks pretty good, for a Chevy :x
- The interior looks especially sexy!
