Apps & Things

Using my HTC Wildfire S Android phone and of course the MikePad. So that means I am using a lot of apps. Here's what I have been doing: Instagram: Don't really get the fuss.Other than FB bought it for a billion dollars. I guess it is a neat way to share pictures and edit quickly. Snapseed: I love this. Another photo app. Easier to edit than Instagram in my opinion. More options. The pic in this post was done with this app. G+: Google Plus app- G+ is really wide open. I love the live Hangouts. Posts to your You Tube account when finished Sun-Times E-Paper app: I like to read the paper in the morning on the train into the office. I had a subscription to the Wall Street Journal paper, but that ran out and to renew @ full price was more than I wanted to spend. I decided to try the Sun-Times E-paper and I love it. It is available 15 mins before I leave and only takes about 5 minutes to download. TuneIn: Great radio app. NOAA, Police Scanner type stuff,college & commercial radio. Skype: Have it on the MikePad. I have had a Skype account for a couple of years, I am not usually on-line with it on my PC, however, I had it online on the MikePad and some woman from a foreign country called me and told me she was looking for "honest, caring, kind man" I told her she got the wrong guy as I am a liar, self-centered misogynistic, mean guy.

Goofy Trend in South Korea

I read about this trend in South Korea to buy popstars lunch. Crazy huh? Instead of buying stuffed animals, candy or hookers, fans are presenting their idols with lunch in elaborate boxes. So if a vendor takes me to lunch is it cuz they care? Hell no, it's cuz they want to relieve me of my firm's money.

Can I see myself buying lunch for my idol (Midol?)Gale Gordon, if he was still with us. Nope. Sofia Vergara? Well, OK now I get it. As long as I am the main course.

Recent books I've read/reading

http://www.amazon.com/Steve-Jobs-Walter-Isaacson/dp/1451648537


Fair and Balanced book about a marketing genius.

Reading Now:

http://www.amazon.com/Plex-Google-Thinks-Works-Shapes/dp/1416596585/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329270844&sr=1-1

Kinda geeky, works for me.

Coming soon, Paula Dene is dangerous!

The MikePad

The firm I work for issued iPads to all employees this month. I've had a few weeks to play with it and I have to say it is a brilliant piece of technology. Note, the person using it is not brilliant but the gadget itself is. It is the 3rd greatest waste of time ever know to Man. The first of course is Facebook, the 2nd is being married to Jennifer Lopez.

I like the always on email, as I walk through the office, I am constantly hearing "the email ping" notification. Some apps I am using:

MS OneNote:I take notes in meetings and then this synch with my Hotmail account. I can also email the notes to myself @work and then print out.

Hotmailbuzzr: Hotmail app

Arrivals: I can see which CTA L train I'm not taking to see a cool show on the North side...

PhotoBooth: Oh gawd, whenever I need to express a psychotic mood, and that is fairly frequent these daze,this picture effect app seems to get the job done nicely.

Things I would like to do with MikePad in the future:

Access our Intranet. I hate hauling my laptop home when I am off to approve orders.

Handwrite notes: I am using an app called My Script Memo with a stylus, but it makes my already bad writing look worse.

Convince Heidi Klum that she needs me. I can be delusional can't I?

Google +

I have been on G+ since September. I have not really done much with it, no time really until I had almost 2 weeks off around the Holidays. Since I joined, there seems to be an signifgant increase in people who have also joined.

Here are things I like:

1) I like the "Hangouts" Videochat with muliple users.
2) Drag/drop pics right into +
3) Cleaner page than Facebook.
4) Circles: Friends, etc. It is easier to control who sees what you post.
5) Newness. In a way, I feel like I'm in on the ground floor.

Things I don't like:

1) Not enough people I really know on G+. Yet..
2) Kinda techie. That I like, but with so many VCRs that had "12:00" flashing for years you wonder if this is too complicated to attract the masses.
3) Lack of Buzz. (Eww, not Google Buzz) but the buzz of the everyday people talking about + and the things they are doing on it, like FB

As I get the hang of +, I'll blog some more about it.

Next up: Video blog

New Year's Revolutions:

1) I resolve not to be flatulent. I mean totally not flatulent.
2) I will stop yelling @ the TV when American Pickers comes on for ripping off old guys
3) I will be proactive. In regards to what, not sure that's for next year.
4) I will stop saying, "Oh, I think I went to high school with that person" when I hear names like Pearle Vision, Morton Grove, Gale Warning (Wasn't she an actress in the '50's?)Chrystal Head Vodka
5) Remind myself that just cuz I like to eat Chinese food doesn't mean I have to like their politics
6) I will stop being dumb with my smart phone and actually learn how to use it.

When A Dumb guy gets a smartphone:

I bought a HTC Wildfire S Android Smart phone last month. I really like it. I had been using Trac Fones since 2007. A promotion @work caused me to send/receive more texts/calls. IT has taken me awhile to get used to the touch screen. I don't know how many times I have called someone by mistake. Putty wacky pictures for some of my contacts have made me laugh so much I have missed answering the call. I have had to learn how to manage the internal space on the phone because it seems if the storage falls below 30MB (out of 150MB) then the phone can't take updates. It is a non contract phone so I pay by credit card. I had thought that it would be automatic, but to my befuddlement I got a text on my date end that said "$VMU$ What the hell does that mean? Basically it was the phone co inviting me to pay another payment. I let it lapse because I assumed (I no, ass of u and me, particularly me) they would take the easy way out and deduct it from my credit card that they have on file.At least they did not try to charge me $2 like Verizon for the privilege of paying my bill.

Some apps I am using:

Google Voice: I love this piece of technology. You can send and receive texts via the web, visual voicemail. It integrates well with my phone.
Facebook: Now I can keep the world informed of my comings and goings and each shallow thought that pops into my head. (I should probably find an app to inform the world about my deep thoughts. When I have one, I'll let you know)
Scanner Radio: Listening to public safety communications from across the world.
TuneIN Radio: Public Safety and AM/FM/Internet Radio from all over the world.
Rail Hopper: Being a commuter in the Chicago Area it is nice to have all Metra schedules @my finger tips.
Memo Pad: A quick way to jot a short reminder.
Calculator: When I need to see how inadequate my tip is.....