Kindle Fire! First Impression

So I just got a Kindle Fire. I have a Motorola Xoom so I didn't need another tablet. I honestly mainly got it because of the Kindle Lending Library. As you know I love reading Kindle books on my phone, and was super excited when Amazon came out with the Lending Library for Prime users (I'm one). I was really disappointed when I found it was just for people with an actual Kindle, not just a reading app. I had been looking at just a cheapo plain Kindle, but when Amazon had a deal last week for a (refurb) Kindle Fire for $139.99, I couldn't resist. For less than one hundred dollars more than a basic Kindle, I could get so much more in a device. The only thing that was swaying me toward a regular Kindle was having one with 3G, but those were still over $100 so I clicked that Add To Cart button and that was it.

The size is nice, I love that it can fit in my purse so I do picture myself taking it everywhere. Although it is a bit heavier than a plain Kindle. The screen is nice, and I love that I can have apps on it and browse the web. I did by a 2nd Kindle Fire for my mom, but I haven't given it to her yet because I can't decide if she'll use it (and I can resell it for more if its unopened - if it comes to that). Also I'm debating about her having a regular Android tablet so it will be more like her phone.

Overall so far the Kindle Fire is great. It is very easy to use and took only a few seconds to set up out of the box. I'll give you an update on it in a couple weeks.

Will Video Chat Be The New Phone Call?

Google+ titled their group video chat a "Hangout" to encourage more casual use of video chats, suggesting it's not just for video conferencing or seeing your Nana in Florida. It hasn't taken off in my social group write like Google hoped. I think I would enjoy video chatting more often with my friends and family who live farther away. Recently I facilitated a Skype conference call. we had one person overseas and it was more favorable (and cheaper) to do an online video call than a traditional landline international call. Over eight hours of
It seems like no one calls each other anymore, it's all texting. I was texting with my one friend a long conversation and to make it quicker I thought I'd just call her. She acted like she couldn't get off the phone fast enough. There is something about hearing a persons voice and seeing their face that enhances communication. I am a very sarcastic person and sarcasm often gets lost or misconstrued, which can be toxic. I think one 15 minute phone conversation is better than two hours worth of texting. I attribute the disintegration of our friendship to our lack of in-person contact. It's not just the contact, but knowing the effort they made to spend time with you.
I wonder if the video chat hangout prevalence will increase or remain the same. I certainly hope for an increase because I believe that visual human interaction is substantially more beneficial than non-visual.
On the other hand, I feel that texting has enabled me to communicate more with people. There are circumstances where I wouldn't necessarily take the time to call someone, but I will send them a quick text. Also I have started using texting a lot more at work. Where I work we aren't always in the office so if I have a quick question I can text a coworker and they can respond as able. I also love being able to instantly send photos via text or email. Recently we had a plumbing question and while my boyfriend was on the phone with his dad I took a picture with my phone and emailed it to him.
The next time you hear "See you later!" It just might be through a computer rather than in person.

Hoping new friends and devices last

It seems like both new friends and new technology have an exiting beginning phase where you are finding out the cool features (he has a car! Or it has Swype!). Also the limitations (he already has other friends Or it doesn't get signal in the basement). The biggest thing is not to do anything detrimental to them. I'm proud of myself for having my phone for so long without a screen protector and haven't scratched it. And I'm proud that so far in this friendship I think I've done good at not being annoying or bothersome or insulting. When I do say or do something stupid or mean, I usually realize it just after the fact and I'm never sure whether to go back to it and make amends. I usually go with just the resolve to do better next time.

I heard an interesting insight into the Apple vs Android debate: "If you want to be happy with your phone tomorrow get an Apple. If you want to be happy in a month get an Android". I think that friendships aren't just Poof there all of a sudden, they need time to evolve and care to customize, like Android. ;-) I know that when making friends it's not an overnight event. Friendship is a slow-cooking (I know can I use any more metaphors!?) process meant to be savored. Maybe these little bumps in the road are part of building a better foundation for a lifelong friendship.

To go off on the friendship tangent more, I recently read the book "MWF Seeking BFF" by Rachel Bertsche. *Spoiler kinda* Rachel concludes that you may not have one single best friend, and that's ok. She ended up with a handful, bouquet if you will, of friends who fit in different places in her life. This conclusion gave me consolation in my lack-luster friendship area, and also resolve to push on working to cultivate current and future relationships.

Just as friendships are not to sit idle, technological devices consistently require tuning and updates. Just don't only call your best friend on the first Tuesday of the month!

What's In A Name

Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch. What a name.
Do guys think about what its like for girls to change their name when they get married? Do they realize the attachment someone can have to a name, and how it feels to both let go of a name, and adjust to a new one? I've had my name for over 23 years now. It just rolls off my tongue. Its on my stationary, my email address, drivers license, and a million other places. Then one day I'm expected to identify myself as another name.
Not taking my husbands name isn't something I believe in, nor is the dreadful hyphen. "Steenman-Vanduilen" anyone? I think not. [made up names]
Before I met my current other-half I worried that I would hate the last name of my future spouse. I don't love my future last name but it isn't dreadful and is easy to spell. That's all I can ask for.

On a tech note, there was some anticipation followed by an expected letdown by the non-release of ICS for my Epic Touch. There is much talk that it is for sure coming soon, but we aren't sure when. Speculation now is mid-April. The waiting continues. . .
I did root my xoom and put ICS on that, but I refuse to mess with my in-use phone. My life depends on this phone so I won't risk having it out of commission for amy amount of time.
:-)

e-Readers

I have always been a big reader. It dropped off a bit during college because I was so busy reading textbooks that I didn't have as much time for pleasure reading. But now my whole life has changed because of ebook reading apps on my phone! Currently I use the Kindle app on my android the most. And I have never paid for a book yet - I get the weekly free ones. I also recently figured out how to borrow the Kindle eBooks through my local library (Score!). Sometimes I get a free one and it is one of 2 or 3 in a series. I will read the first one on my Kindle App and get the other ones from the library like normal.

One of the greatest advantages to having books on my phone is that they are always with me. I do most of my reading when I am at work waiting for a program to install, an update to download, or have some downtime. I love that I can read a little bit when I am waiting in line at the store or in the car (as a passenger).

One new thing i tried this past week was an audio book. The next ebook in a series I am reading (7th Heaven by James Patterson) was not yet available to me from the library but it was available as an eBook. I downloaded the OverDrive Media Console on to my computer (it was a wma not compatible with the android app yet but mp3's are) and listened to the book on there. As I got used to being read to I turned the speed up until I was at 2x which is just about as fast as I can read normally. I did enjoy the audio book and will definitely utilize that for books not available in paper or kindle.

I do also have a Nook account and have yet to add some free books to it before I install it on my phone. Overall I am extremely happy with being able to read so many more books. Being able to "purchase with one-click" is awesome and super easy, and I have saved a lot of money on late fees from the library! :-)

Epic Touch!

I sold my Evo3D and went back to the Optimus for a while. The 3D was cool, but it wasn't really something useful. And we knew another phone would be coming out and decided it would be best to sell the Evo3D while we could still get good money for it. The Optimus I had was TERRIBLE! I had one before and it was ok, but this particular one liked to randomly turn itself off and I wouldn't notice it until I went to use it and found out why I hadn't been receiving any phone calls for the past four hours! Anyway. . . I got a Galaxy Nexus S. It was pretty great, I didn't have any complaints.

I was eligible for an upgrade so I had to pick a phone I was going to have for a long time (I paid cash for the Evo3D). We knew that the iPhone was going to be coming for Sprint so they would not be having another good android one for a while (to get people to get the iPhone). So I got the Samsung Galaxy S2 Epic 4G Touch. *whew. . not sure who thought that was a good idea for a name. Anyway I am loving this phone so far. It is super light and thin, and it is very fast. The reception and wifi work great. The camera takes awesome pictures. If you are considering a phone I would definitely recommend the Epic Touch.

Rooted my Xoom!

Wow you know it's been a while since I last posted when I'm two phones ahead of my last posting. More about my new phone later.

So I want to write in this blog more but I haven't felt like I've had enough content. So now I figure as long as I have at least one techie part in each post that will be enough. I don't feel like I have enough tech-ness to be more of a serious tech blog, and there is enough life stuff that the tech and life parts mesh so much that it should just be one blog. Got it? :-)

So I rooted my Xoom and put a custom rom on it!!! I've never done something like that before. It was pretty straightforward - I followed instructions from a web post a friend sent me. I was super excited to have done it, I was almost really upset when literally the next day I found out that they released the update and I could have just updated it like normal. Oh well I'm glad for the experience of rooting.

One other random thing I am so proud I just have to put out there: I did my taxes! And it's not even February - BooYah! I have to thank TurboTax for being so helpful, it was an easy process and I can't wait to get my tax return.

At my job I have more often been helping people with Skype video calls. I have yet to try Google Hangout and see how it compares. When I do try it I'll let you know.