Cell Phone Shopping and the Unavoidable Communication Rants

Well I it is coming up on contract ending time and I am so in the market for a new cell phone.

Currently I am with T-Mobile and I have a motorola V360. It’s a decent phone I went with T-Mobile because they had a cheap data plan for like $7 a month and I have 1000 minutes, 400 text messages, unlimited mobile to mobile for $50 approx. I am not very happy with the GSM world and don’t really have any plans for T-Mobile again.

Jon the Cingular man keeps talking to me about how great Cingular is which from my readings will become AT&T again so we can murder the little orange guy. He doesn’t have any facial expressions but how can a blob be so happy? Plus the fact that unlimited data on the Orange isn’t exactly cheap.

So to my GSM brothers I am sorry but I can’t really go with you guys. So that leaves Sprint/Nextel and Verizon. Well everything I read has been talking about the much rumored iPhone or iMobile or just the Apple Phone. Which does spark my interest because well being a Mac Guy I think it would be awesome to have an iPod enabled phone and sync everything from my Mac to my Phone and have all my e-mail and just be happy in my little sync world.

If it has an awesome web browser that would work with my love of gMail, Bloglines, Stikkit and 30 Boxes which works with iCal that would be great. I am not really a big fan of Google Calendar but I like Stikkit it a bit more then both. But I can use the RSS Feed in Stikkit to export to 30Boxes and my life is great. Let me try and diagram that out.

So basically in that diagram is how I keep organized so I have 3 calendars and I use Stikkit.com to create my ToDo Lists and all my important dates because it is a rather genius idea of smart sticky notes.

E-mail is also a big concern since well I get 20 e-mails to every phone call on a given day. SMS Text Messages I average about 2-5 a day. So unlimited data and a small text messaging plan would work best for me. So as you can probably tell I am in search of a Smart Phone or a PDA Phone or as my uncle says “Those drug dealer phones”

Looking at the option of Sprint I am pretty much limited to the Palm Treo 700wx or the Palm Treo 700p which is basically either Windows Mobile 5.0 or the Palm OS. Everyone tells me that the Palm OS is dying but I kinda enjoy it. But the idea of Skype on my mobile phone and saving minutes and just making phone calls over Skype is an awesome idea.

But according to what I have been reading on the Skype Forums it works on the 700wx but it broadcasts all the calls over the speakerphone. Which is not exactly ideal since speakerphones are rather annoying.

Also ringtones are really annoying they seem to be a novelty that most people enjoy to show them selves off a bit. Like I really care if you have Nelly or 50 cent or whatever popular song is coming across the crowded airwaves of America these days. My favorite cell phone ringtone is Vibrate. It just does it’s thing and life is all gravy. Plus you seem very ninja like that you have sonic ears that you could “hear” your phone go off. But I would say my phone is 75% silent, 25% vibrate.

So any thoughts out there in the smart phone world? The RAZR’s and all that stuff I just can’t get into.

On another tangent you ever call someone and you don’t get the Ring Sound you have heard for years you get someones jukebox playing while they decide to answer your call or not? I have yet to figure out the appeal for that. They charge monthly fee and then they charge you when place a song on that service. The cell phone companies tend to rip you off a bit. Like 10 cents a text message. That seems crazy to me. They are ripping you a new one. It does not cost 10 cents to send a text message as far as data goes.

So lets think this out a text message without anything frilly of pictures is approx 140 bytes or 1120 bits for those that can’t multiply by 8 ;-). Do you really think it costs a cell phone provider 10 cents to deliver your message from point A to B. The most recent data I could find was from 2004 with 500 billion text messages sent resulting in $50 Billion dollars of revenue for the cell phone guys.

The average person in the US sends approx 13 text messages a month. I find myself that is about average during a month. Most of my text messages are to GOOGL to find out a sports score so I have something to chat with Person N wherever we may be. Also nice for finding out movie times on the fly. I would die without Google.

Every e-mail I get goes through google. The @tristanpipo.com domain e-mail is all handled by google with Google Apps for your Domain =) plus my gMail account. I find that young women are the biggest texters.

Wanting to pour their heart out over text. “What do you think of the election this year” ummm yeah T9 word is great and all but don’t want to discuss politics in short bursts. Give me a phone call or lets meet up over coffee. Hey e-mail would work better over text. But I have yet to speak with a young woman that would like to discuss politics. I am a registered libertarian. I have my libertarian card in my wallet. Lets give an example of Person N. She is a former coworker that we used to be close friends and have since parted ways over an issue.

She is engaged or married to what I would call a Loser. A bigger loser then Stalker Dave Grady. He already has a kid from a failed marriage. $20-$40k of debt and has served some time for drugs and cannot hold a job. So she decides to get pregnant from this winner.

She works at a grocery store making slightly over min wage but has full health benefits for $21 a month. Well that was what I paid. Her partner (lack of a better word) doesn’t have a job except on occasion he gets some painting gig. I sent out my text on friday asking if she wanted to go have a beer and celebrate the weekend. To which I get a response.

“I’m pregnant. I can’t. You are the 2nd to know”

Now getting hit with this news I was driving south on I-5 in lovely Seattle traffic. She is just a hair over 21 at the time and I am not really sure how to take this issue.

But this isn’t exactly an issue that I would want to discuss over text message. Or the girls saying “I just want to be friends” over e-mail. That at least warrants a phone call in my book. With my JuJu I as I turn on my cell phone probably going to have just that type of text message. =)

So what do you recommend in the cell phone world? Windows Mobile? Palm? That new Nokia OS? What is your phone? Who is your carrier? What are your thoughts?

P.S. Egg Rolls Plus Sweet and Sour Sauce. Awesome

That is Monday for Ya.

Excitement

You ever get excited when you get some new feature or some little recommendation from someone and you go through the instructions step by step and then test it out and it works. Even though everything should have worked and you followed all the steps and you were careful about everything and the initial trying it out scares the crap out of you and then the panic is gone and everything is just great?

Well I had that feeling this morning when I was testing out the new comment system. The comments are now AJAX enabled. So you can leave your comment and you don’t need to refresh the page it just appears like magic. It’s sleek, It’s sexy, It’s easy, it’s geeky.

Try it out. Commenting is now 100x easier. Happy Friday!

Computer Questions

I seem to get these frequently from a lot of people.

  • How do I move the taskbar?
  • The Network isn’t working properly. How do you fix it?
  • The Link button isn’t working anymore!
  • How do I hookup my DVD Player?
  • Can you design me a website for free?
  • The place where I (work,learn) blocks myspace how can I get around it?
  • How do I lookup someone?
  • I want to spy on my (ex, husband,wife,girlfriend,boyfriend) is there an easy way to do this?

I want to say did you take a few minutes to look at the help file? Perhaps run a google search? Have you read the manual? The answer is always “No, It’s just quicker to ask you”Well I am glad that you find me to be a helpful resource. But I sometimes ponder how does helping you benefit me in any way? Okay I take a few minutes to get you up and running but I ask you for something or to hang out to much of a hassle I see. I have pondered many times. Oh you need me to setup your wireless network. Well how about you show me your breasts and we can call it even. Unless you are willing to pay me the $60hr I normally charge for such work.

“Well I can’t do that. Can you just do it for free”

Oh yes I love taking time away from my day to help you and get nothing in return. I have done my share of free favors for the world and I get a bit fed up at times.

Last night the lovely Sarah sent me an IM on AIM at like 10pm while I was asleep in a bit of a panic because she moved the taskbar. So I shot her an e-mail letting her now how to click and drag and life was good again. Well hopefully I haven’t got the notice back from her at the time of posting.

But I must let the world know. For the geeks in your life we are usually glad to help but give us some time you know. We deal with idiots all day long and before we jump to a conclusion about you test the waters before you just add more crap onto our day. I doubt you want us thinking that you are an idiot.

I do enjoy on occasion http://answers.yahoo.com That site is nice because I can go answer questions on my own time and usually get some appreciation. Yahoo sent me a fleece sweater for being helpful so that was some nice props. It wasn’t a naked lady but it was soft kinda like some naked ladies. But I think I am way off base here.

Cheers! Thursday for all.

P.S. I was trying out the pickup line from the polar bears. Yeah it caused a lot of laughter. But not much came from it.

The List is Live

Well I borrowed this idea from The Colbert Report.

The list is now live with 10 items that are worth a note that they bug the crap out of me. So it is the first list. Expect updates often. You wheeled luggage people lookout. You need to quit slowing down my walking my ability.

Link is on the right.

/the-list/ 

Indiana Does It Again

Well most people know I did some time in Indiana from August 19th 2001 to December 21st 2003 and spending time out there with the bible thumpers and the flat landers raised my despise for the midwest states. I was that liberal Seattle kid who needed to be watched since I didn’t go to church and was always baffled by the morons out there. I used to poke fun at the area when I was there and then everyone in Indiana had to defend it and took personal offense to what I was telling them. If someone wants to poke fun at Seattle I am sure I would laugh right along with you.

But anyways onto the point of this post.

3 Year Old Boy Found on Freeway – Indianapolis Star

A 3 year old boy had somehow wondered onto the freeway last Sunday Morning. Causing some delays in the slow lane and nearly being smashed by a truck. Police found the mother of the child asleep in her bed in the apartment covered with garbage and feces on the walls.

Take a look at this winner.

Nancy Dyer

She moved to Indiana from Florida

Tangent Moment: Now in Indiana every person there seems to get a hard on about going to Florida. They live for going to Florida and spending time down there. If you are not a fan of Florida you are viewed as an outsider and a disturbance. I’ve been to Florida once when I was 13 years old. It was way to hot and humid. It’s very flat with the tallest mountain being man made at Disney World coming in at around 127ft. I don’t understand why anyone would want to go there. But these Indiana people are obsessed with going east and never west.

When the mother was found she said “Oh, he got out again” I guess he was found wandering in a parking lot a few days earlier. Excuse me lady. I wish Darwin would have you both removed so you don’t continue to propagate the human species with your idiocy. You don’t hear your children after you fall asleep you say in the article. Give me a fucking break. I have yet to meet a decent mother who doesn’t hear their kids. My mom would wake up a few seconds after she heard me do anything in the morning.

Doing a quick search on myspace you can find her profile here.

http://www.myspace.com/demarasnest

So Nancy Dyer may I present you with the dumbass award the first one of 2007.

Certified Dumbass
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Happy New Year – 2007 – Prepare for 7!

Well it’s back to work after much rejoicing among the peasants.

My new years was great we went out to the Lake House of Jeff. What did we call it. The Misty Evil Pine Lodge or something like that. I have made the decision to avoid drinking in general. Except on a rare occasion for celebration or at Beer Friday at work. But anyways the New Years Eve Party.

It was a dress up affair so I made a trip to Man Central the Men’s Warehouse to pickup a Black Shirt, Tie and Cufflings. Total cost for that visit was $136.28. But Damn I looked good. Well I did have a black vest on mainly for warmth. But oh well. So at the event we had DJ Ollie, Mason, and Small Time Ballas. There were a few new people that showed up which was great. Since 98% of the time it’s the same people. Most people ask about single women. There are never any single women that hang out in the crowd I do. They are all girlfriends of one of the friends. So just a good deal of friends with no openings if you want to date someone in the crowd.

So everyone came in a nice formal wear. Got to see everyone dressed up in suits and the females were in dresses which was really awesome. Jason decided not to dress up but passed it off as “Not knowing” I told him hours and hours before so we all gave him crap about it. But all that aside we had a keg of a nice Hefeweizen and we had booze around for those that desire that. $5 got you into the show and everyone was willing to pay that. Most of the time people want crap for free. But you know what things cost money and I am glad you could come and enjoy things in the past for free but I think getting someone to do a favor for you is sometimes a good thing.

So on another front had a really great date on Saturday. Been on a few dates recently 2006 saw some interesting women in the dating arena. (I was really pondering listing them off but I couldn’t recall them all so eh) I always enjoy the fact that people from the past read the blog and people from the future will eventually. One interesting event was that my date on Saturday had gotten to know me a bit became an avid blog reader and I would go to tell her a story and I would get “Oh, I read that on your blog” so I was in a bit of a struggle to come up with something new to say. But there is a good deal of content I blog about and some I do not.

Like I don’t think I have ever written about how I almost had to repeat the 8th grade. That was an interesting tale. But anyways Happy New Year.

Podcast Subscribers got an update in their feedreaders.

/podcast/Podcast.xml
http://feeds.feedburner.com/siriusdudepodcast/
But I will be nice and give you the audio after the text. Happy New Year Everyone! Much Love from Me to You.