A folding "phablet"

[VIDEO] Sometimes I wish I could get in on these demos for devices that are soon to be released for sale to the public. I've been watching a few videos about this coming Samsung Galaxy Fold and the form factor of the device looks very cool.

Basically as the name suggests it's essentially a foldable phablet. That is it's a mobile phone while folded however as the situation dictates you open the device and you have yourself a small tablet device. Some of the reviews I've seen on YouTube state often that this is the future form factor.

These days we're already living in the era of the smartphone. I would say I've seen the evolution from PDAs to Blackberries and ultimately to smartphones such as Android devices or iPhones. Fairly recently I've evolved from using a flip phone in the original Motorola Razr to a Blackberry Bold and then finally to an iPhone which is still the phone I use to this day even if it's a phone of different generations.

So this fold intrigues me only to have myself wonder if Apple will come out with a similar device of their own in the future. Knowing the competition of tech companies perhaps Apple already is working on a hybrid iPhone/iPad mini device that folds like a Fold.

However, what I recognize now is that how could they market this phone? Could they market the convenience factor? Instead of taking a tablet on vacation with you or anywhere for that matter could you instead utilize your folded phone for that purpose? Could there be a practical application for anyone in the business world?

Well this remains to be see, however, the Galaxy Fold is said to be pricey at $2,000+. The question is how could they get any consumer to want to consider buying this very premium phone.

Evolution of internet platforms

I've been part of the internet for many years. When I first logged on most of the homes that were online connected through a dial-up connection on a telephone landline. The designs of most websites were pretty basic as opposed to now (to understand what I'm saying look up Greyhound.com and go back as far as you can over at archive.org). What a vastly different place it is today.

You don't really hear about webpages anymore. Basically a website is a collection of webpages though virtually every website has a webpage. Even this blog could be seen as a series of webpages and it gets updated semi-frequently which constantly expands like a book.

I always imagined having a website even though ISP's once commonly offered free webspace to customers it's something that has become obsolete these days. As stated before there are so many free tools these days that allow anyone an online platform. In the late 1990s through early 2000s you had to create that platform. There was no social media, and the service I currently use Blogger didn't exist until at least 1998.

When I first created a website it was through Geocities - which had been owned by Yahoo!. Of course I never realized that if you want people to visit you had to have a draw to it. I bought a photo scanner to post some pics and used the rudimentary photo editing software. I also shared some of my favorite Star Trek pics that I found online at the time. And this was during the time I was at Morehouse College. Of course it wasn't until 2005 that I started blogging which makes updating a website far easier.

And yet the internet evolved some more with Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, or Instagram. Now most people access the internet on their smartphones. I myself now own an iPhone which is a multifaceted tool that allows me to make phone calls, text, email, shoot photos, shoot video, etc. And with an iPhone and these other smartphones you can also update social media, and upload photos & video on the go!

Now it causes me to wonder where I could've taken this internet thing if I had discovered Blogger in the late 90s to early 2000s. The tech available at the time that I just simply had no idea about beyond what I had already learned about back in the day. Though thankfully it doesn't take long to find out about what's available these days online. Not only that there is an app on a mobile device also!

And we've got a new iPhone model...

Apple's newest devices were unveiled today. I'm not as excited about the so-called iWatch as much as the iPhone 6 & 6 Plus. I still own an iPhone 4S which is to be discontinued however a slimmer device with a larger screen interests me.

The idea of a "watchphone" or "smartwatch" is interesting although I've yet to figure out how it works. Thankfully it won't be out soon enough as it's a little expensive. The extra time between now and 2015 makes it convenient for me to save money so that I can purchase such a device.

combadge for sale

The next thing we might need is something resembling a Star Trek combadge. Think about Star Trek communicators they had flips, then wrist communicators, and then eventually combadges. Yo Apple, where are our combadges!?!?!

BTW, even with the "iWatch" I still want to find an old-school Star Trek communicator perform some technical feats and turn it into a speakerphone. That be a cool feat regardless and very cool especially if you don't feel like keeping the phone to your ear. Better yet, cool if you don't want to wear a bluetooth device or headphones.

Regardless as per my usual tradition I want to feel one of these new iPhones before I make a purchase. What that means is that there's no way that I'm waiting in line just to be the first in my town to have the new iPhone. It's never that worth it for a device that seems to have a new edition come out every year or so.

It may take some getting used to a larger phone, however, the fact that it's much thinner than previous models will make this a palatable purchase for me. I give up some thickness, but with a much larger phone lengthwise. It's an interesting tradeoff.

ALSO, the idea of a "phablet" - the 6 plus is a phablet - is not entirely understood by me. It may well work for those who want a much larger screen than the iPhone 6, but if that's what I'm looking for I'll just get an iPad. At that get a wifi iPad and make sure you turn your new iPhone into a personal wifi hotspot!

Gizmodo: My Month With 2004's Most Exciting Phone

Wow! The Motorola Razr from 2004 was the most exciting phone of its time. It certainly was a nicely designed phone and 10 years later it's a flip supplanted by these so-called smartphones. Imagine still using a Razr in 2014 even after using a smartphone especially an iPhone.

And then it hits me, if you use certain services such as AT&T it's difficult to switch to another phone just by placing the SIM card into the other phone. When I upgraded to the BlackBerry early in this decade I learned I couldn't just move the SIM back to my Razr. And the iPhone would make that more difficult.

Still at least this reporter for Gizmodo tried it and well refers to this experience as "razr burn" (via Instapundit). Ya know I could believe it as most flips doesn't have the amenities of a smartphone. While the camera phone was a great idea when it was first manufactured back it became common it wasn't like today's camera phones.

Still now I would like to try for a month with merely a flip phone like I used to. BTW many of the mobile pics taken between 2007 to about 2009 were from my own Motorola Razr.

Wired: Free iPhone 5s deal proves Apple isn't so special

I wonder if this article indicated whether the general excitement over Apple's iPhone is over. Now Radio Shack is offering an iPhone 5s for free with a cell phone contract upgrade. Really? This was supposed to be the "premium" model and now they want to give em away for free.

I'm looking forward to the iPhone 6 it's time for an upgrade for me. I'm not entirely excited about a "phablet" thought. I want a phone I can carry around on my person not some big "jalopy" that won't fit in a pocket!

Via Instapundit with headline "APPLE IPHONES now subject to discounting."

So the Mayor of Chicago was caught using a flip-phone

Mayor Emanuel seen on Chicagoland via DNA Info

This article tickles me, a bit. Mayor Rahm Emanuel of Chicago using a flip-phone. Even though I converted to a smartphone back in 2010 now it's unusual for me to find anyone still using a flip. At the same time flips were cool in their various forms. Indeed I once owned a Motorola Razr which is one of my favorites and the design of that phone was very cool before Apple unveiled their iPhone.

So anyway, it appears people are talking about Emanuel with his flip when he appeared in a CNN documentary Chicagoland. Please forgive me, I never watched the program but hopefully it's available online somewhere since this is where most of my entertainment comes from these days. Anyway here's a bit of this story by Mark Konkol from DNA Info:

Using one can make you the subject of ridicule, as Dallas Cowboys owner, billionaire Jerry Jones, found out last season when he got teased for using a flip phone on ESPN's "C'mon Man" bit.

And for folks not hip to the slang, "burner" typically refers to prepaid disposable cellphones sometimes used by people up to no good.

Last week, Angela Knox took to Twitter to ask the most obvious question, "Why did Rahm have a flip phone in 2013?"

The reporter found his number from a guy who was behind the mayor standing in line at the dry cleaners. As it turns out the guy somehow was able to remember his number and this was before Emanuel's election as Mayor of Chicago. So this intrepid reporter dialed the number:

I did a little reporting — the number was right. So, I dialed, one number at a time — 3 … 1 … 2 …

"Hello," the mayor said, not annoyed at all.

Rahm said there's a perfectly good reason he uses a phone that peaked in popularity during the pre-iPhone era.

"Here's the deal: If I'm talking on the phone and someone's emailing, there's a couple beeps alerting you to an email that you have to see right now, and that gets distracting," he said. "I have to do emails and be on the phone at the same time. I'm finishing an email right now as we're talking."

Still, a flip phone seems a little archaic for a mayor who's made such a big push to court technology startups and bolster Chicago's digital economy.

"I've got another phone, a smartphone. I'm probably the only mayor in the country to have Google's Motorola iPhone," Rahm said.

And then he put any question of whether his flip phone was indeed a "burner" to rest.

"Look, some politicians don't use any electronic communication devices — for other reasons," he said. "For me, it's a matter of efficiency."

Later on the reporter

Later on the reporter attempted to contact his source who provided him the number and found himself instead talking to the mayor again. Then noted that he blamed this mishap on his smartphone which he says is "only as intelligent as the guy using it". LOL!

So now we have watch phones...

[VIDEO] Earlier today on TV I've been seeing the ads for this Samsung Galaxy Gear. Basically this device is bringing to life the idea of a watch that could be used as a communication device. Basically this device used in connection with a Samsung smartphone such as a Galaxy Note or Galaxy S4 is called a "smartwatch".

The ads featured similar devices from Dick Tracy, The Jetsons, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Knight Rider, or even Babylon 5. Let me digress for a moment, the "comlinks" you saw on Babylon 5 aren't true smartwatches. They do rest on your hand perhaps connected in some abstract way to the Earth Alliance uniform the characters wore, but they were still nifty devices certainly no more than the devices seen in the other properties named above.

The Gear reminds me of the sixth generation iPod Nano which could be used as a watch although an iPod is normally used as a device to listen to music or podcasts. I was very disappointed when they discontinued this model as I always thought it was nifty but I couldn't justify paying the price to get one.

Since I'm firmly an Apple customer I hope that they may bring that style of iPod back along with the accompanying wristbands for the same purpose as the Gear. It almost seemed as if they might, but after reading all the rumors about the updated iPhones or iPads it's always possible that in spite of not seeming like they will develop it here it comes. Here's hoping if they do bring that style iPod back that it can be connected to the iPhone and used in a similar way to the devices now to be sold by Samsung.

Should I get another iPhone?

[VIDEO] By the time I had bought my current iPhone it wasn't long until it was time for the iPhone 5. My feelings on that device is that I wish it was designed like the iPhone 4 & 4S and it appears the new iPhone 5S takes its cue from the 5.

For now it appears this is the design I will see for the foreseeable future. I could always wait for the iPhone 6 and hope Apple provides a better design.

On the other hand I'm all about utility as it's as much what the device can do and not all how it looks. Lots of social networking and picture taking in addition to the basic function of making phone calls. While they talk more about the processor hopefully it makes the phone function better. Although it's a great idea to use a fingerprint scanner to ensure security for the device.

Other than that should I keep my current iPhone and wait for the iPhone 6?

Bought another Otter Box case

Yesterday I went to Best Buy to check out Otter Box cases. I already owned a commuter case and I decided I want to buy another one.

If you look at the picture above the case on the right was the one I already had. The plastic somehow got warped even after I rarely used it. Probably stepped on it or maybe I brought it with me and never used it and got warped by all the stuff I carry around with me. Whatever the case may be I decided that it was time for another even if at Best Buy they charge $5 for a case than would be charged at the Otter Box website.

The case on the left was the one purchase. I'm pretty sure it had to have been a return and would be very surprised Otter Box shipped this product to a store. Also it had two screen protectors with it as well although I already have my own screen protector so that's not an issue. In any case when this one caught my eye it was worth buying.

Hopefully the white silicone would rarely be used even though I had two events to attend that very night so white on black would be the case of choice. Otherwise it would be black on black especially since a good black piece of plastic is now in my possession.

You know, with the old black piece of plastic it would be cool to play with. Just to possibly experiment with say painting it in the coloring of my choice and possibly drawing a design onto it. It might just be cool to play with some ideas!

Here comes the iPhone 5

[VIDEO] When I bought the iPhone 4S this spring, my first concern was whether or not I should be concerned about the new iPhone coming out in the near future. Ultimately, I decided that it wasn't necessary to chase the latest thing it was OK if something new came out later this year.

Today the iPhone 5 was unveiled by Apple. It is billed as slimmer, taller, and faster than the 4S. The video above is from AP and the excerpt below is from Reuters:

The phone, which will run on higher speed LTE networks, is made entirely out of glass and aluminum. It will have a larger, 4-inch screen, showing five rows of icons, with a "retina" display.

The iPhone 5 comes with Apple's newest “A6” processor, which executives claimed runs twice as fast as the previous generation. It will have three microphones and a better 8 megapixel camera that can take pictures on higher resolutions.

"It's an absolute jewel. It's the most beautiful product we've ever made," said Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook told the crowd at the Yerba Buena Centre in San Francisco.

Apple has also improved the device's battery life and updated both of its cameras, giving its front camera 720p HD video. The company also announced a smaller dock connector and a new cable charger named Lightning that is 80 percent smaller than its predecessor.

Siri got a makeover as well, and can now tell users the scores of sports games and post status updates to Facebook.Apple will begin taking orders for the iPhone 5 on Friday, costing $199 for the cheapest 16 gigabyte version to $399 at the top end. Shipments begin on Sept. 21, and the smartphone will be sold in 100 countries by the end of the year.

This time around at least, I won't have to stand in line early in the morning trying to get the latest iPhone. That'll only happen in the next couple of years!

I wish I shared this guy's gumption...

[VIDEO] A guy riding a bus in Philadelphia brought a device that jams cell phone signals. Alas it's illegal and he could find himself in jail because as explained in this video these jammers could block emergency calls. Other than that he would be a hero to those who have no sense of how loud they are when on the cell phone. Other than using a jammer, there needs to be some lessons on ettiquette!

RIM Announces New BlackBerries For AT&T, Sprint

I haven't had my BlackBerry for a year and a half and I'm already looking for the next phone. I'm considering either another BlackBerry or an iPhone believe it or not. Now this new BlackBerry, a touchphone model Torch 9850/9860, is coming. Might keep using a BlackBerry phone afterall!

The BlackBerry Torch 9810 looks very similar to the existing AT&T Torch, but has many upgrades under the hood, including the new BlackBerry 7 OS. The Torch 9850/9860 for AT&T, Sprint, and US Cellular, meanwhile, is RIM's latest attempt at a touchscreen-only model after ditching the BlackBerry Storm moniker.

Of the two new devices, the 9850/9860 is fresher and more daring. RIM has tried to do full-touchscreen phones before, in Verizon Wireless's BlackBerry Storm and Storm2. But the original Storm was buggy, and the Storm2 was criticized for having a difficult user interface.

The new touch Torch (say that five times fast) has a 3.7-inch, 800-by-480 touch screen and a 5-megapixel camera on the back with 720p HD video recording. The processor is a 1.2-Ghz, single-core Qualcomm Snapdragon QSD8655, and the phone has 768MB of RAM and 4GB of storage.

The touch Torch has a curved front which RIM calls the "waterfall." The company says it makes the screen appear bigger; it certainly prevents the device from looking boxy.

The big question around the touch Torch is whether the new BlackBerry 7 OS will provide a much better touch experience than consumers found on the Storm. Superficially, BlackBerry 7 looks a lot like BlackBerry 6—similar icons, the same app tray, and the traditional BlackBerry pop-up menus. But RIM has said that it includes many core features, such as hardware graphics acceleration, which will make the experience smoother and simpler.

About when will we see this new phone come out?

AT&T said the 9810 will come out in August and the 9860 will appear sometime before the end of the year. Also this year, AT&T will launch the BlackBerry Bold 9900, with which we had some hands-on time back in May. (See the slideshow below for more details.) That's a sped-up BlackBerry Bold, without a touch screen.

I've had my eye on the Bold 9900, but hey the time will come when I will make up my mind what I want to get as far as a phone goes.

Looking at the BlackBerry Bold 9900

[VIDEO] Already it's time to start thinking new phone. My BlackBerry is a good device, however, there are some limitations. Especially as far as what I currently use it for which is to surf the web and check e-mail. So it's time to find a new device more to my liking.

I've even considerd an *gulp* iPhone. I hear the iPhone is a better device to surf the web, but  I don't want to fall into that iPhone craze. Who knows by the time the next version is available for consumption the iPhone 4 would be a much cheaper option than the "iPhone 5". :P

So this upcoming BlackBerry Bold 9900 has just kept BlackBerry in the game right now. A touch screen and much thinner this phone appeals not only to my own technical aspects but for style. I just as easily like a phone for what I want it for, just as much as how it looks.

The video above takes a look at the 9900 and compares it to a phone similar to mine the Bold 9780. It's a little wider and yet much thinner than the 9780. Hopefully this phone will get a trial in my hands at an AT&T store near me!

Well thankfully that decision won't be made for another year at least. That gives me time to evaluate not only the type of phone that I'd like, but also to determine the right price for the device.

AT&T to buy T-Mobile USA

Is it possible that we may return to the days when AT&T owned all the phone service in the country? No land line or cellular network will be safe. Tribune:

AT&T Inc plans to pay $39 billion for Deutsche Telekom AG's T-Mobile USA to create a new U.S. mobile market leader, but the pricey purchase is likely to attract intense antitrust scrutiny over potentially higher customer bills.

The deal gives AT&T, the No. 2 US mobile service often criticized for its poor network performance, additional capacity to expand and meet ever increasing demands for videos and data from devices such as Apple Inc's iPhone.

For Deutsche Telekom, the deal offloads an asset that was declining in profitability and provides it with funds to pay down debt and buy back shares. The German telecom operator also gets an 8 percent stake in AT&T as part of the deal, becoming its largest shareholder and retaining some exposure to the U.S. market.

The deal leaves smaller rivals like Sprint Nextel scrambling to figure out their next step. Sprint also held talks to merge with T-Mobile, the No. 4 U.S. mobile service.
...
But the world's largest M&A deal so far this year could run into trouble with U.S. antitrust officials who fear that fewer wireless players could drive up prices for consumers. T-Mobile USA now offers some of the lowest wireless services rates.

The deal will add 34 million customers to AT&T's current 96 million, giving it a combined market share of an estimated 43 percent from 32 percent, putting it well ahead of Verizon Wireless' 34.5 percent share.

"It's just nuts," said David Balto, an antitrust attorney and a former policy director at the Federal Trade Commission. "When you look at healthy and unhealthy markets, this is at the top of the list of unhealthy markets."

One analyst pointed out that the two top U.S. operators -- a larger AT&T and Verizon Wireless -- will account for nearly three out of four mobile subscribers after this deal, which could lead to higher bills.
...
AT&T, however, is betting big that the deal will be approved. It has agreed to pay an unusually high breakup fee of $3 billion and to give T-Mobile USA wireless airwaves if regulators reject it.

AT&T said it expected regulators to require it to sell some assets as a condition of approving the deal, which it hopes to complete in 12 months.

AT&T Chief Executive Randall Stephenson told reporters on a conference call on Sunday that AT&T had done its "homework" on the regulatory front and boasted that the deal could generate savings of more than $40 billion.

CTA riders may soon use cell phones to pay for rides

I had to think about that post that was the recipient of my Instalanche back in May. Americans behind the mobile calling curve. Many of the comments basically panned the article and said they would prefer to use a PC to do what they could do on a mobile phone (such as banking for instance). Well I wonder if they're transit riders.

Personally I'm not sure if I want to pay my CTA fare with my cell phone anyway:

CTA riders may soon be able to use their cell phones to pay for their 1.7 million daily rides aboard buses and trains.

Technology is advancing so fast, a so-called “open fare collection system” in the works is likely to include cell phone payment, as well as “smart” credit and debit cards.

Riders would either purchase a new “smart” phone or get a special computer chip installed in their old ones encoded with information about reduced fares.

CTA passengers would then tap their phones on a touch pad, just as they currently do with fare cards.

“You see it throughout Asia. You see it throughout Europe. … They’d be able to put a chip into cell phones and individuals would be able to use their cell phones … as a credit card — not just for the CTA, but for [other] purchases,” said CTA President Richard Rodriguez.
...
What’s in it for the CTA is not only convincing private companies to replace 13-year-old fare collection equipment that needs to be upgraded.

It’s the ability to boost ridership and cut costs by eliminating the need for employees to handle cash, sell tickets and buy and maintain vending machines that sell transit cards.

“It would also reduce our expenses with having to print up all these cards that we do and have our customers go through two or three different steps to obtain this when you already have a credit card [or cell phone] in your pocket,” Rodriguez said.

What’s in it for the banks and credit card companies is the ability to supply the one card that’s most frequently pulled out of consumers’ wallets. The cell phone chip would also link purchases to a credit card.

“We provide 1.7 million rides-per-day. It basically would be giving them access to an entire new clientele [and] future customers,” Rodriguez said.

OK, I think I like the idea of CTA saving money by not having to maintain vending machines or printing fare cards or what not. And the idea of contracting with financial institutions to provide fare paying media seems like a winner too. I know there are those who will bellyache about it anyway though.

I have noticed during the era when you used to get a 1% or 2% bonus when you put $10 or $20 on a fare card that people continued to use cash and pay the exact fare as opposed to just putting away some money for future use. I'm going to bet money that in the long run they may want to keep those vending machines for those holdouts, although surely they will adjust eventually. That or the new riders or the tourists will already be ready to pay their fare by credit or debit when this is finally rolled out!

Got to talk about my new BlackBerry 9700

I finally bit the bullet and bought that BlackBerry I wanted. I bought what I believed the most current phone I could find.

Well obviously there are some limitations to doing some of the things I do on  PC on a mobile phone. Some sights including my Blogger blogs aren't conducive to being accessed on the BlackBerry Bold 9700. Although some plusses is that I saved bookmarks to those sites that I know I would use especially local news sites, social networks, and even transit information.

I can check the radar and current weather conditions on the go. If I have any pictures I want to share on various social networking sites it's with better ease than with my previous phone. Especially if I can access those sites with applications or directly on the mobile versions of such sites.

The camera function I would like to play with a lot more. Even better there is a little card where the photos or video can be stored upon in addition to storing them directly onto the phone. At least that will save me the trouble of deleted images just to have space on the phone. Hopefully with a USB wire I can connect the phone to a computer and upload any pictures off of the phone to be saved elsewhere.

With this phone I got a Bluetooth Headset with it well the AT&T store wanted me to get some accessories with it, but it only increased the amount I was going to pay. If I got these accessories separately it might costs more, but then I didn't really care much about that. Especially if all I really cared about was a decent case to carry my phone in.

Anyway for the first time I decided to utilize the Motorola H270 Bluetooth device (picture at right) that came with my purchase. I don't necessarily like the design but it seems simple enough to use. I connected it to my phone with ease, but using voice recognition is going to take some work. And I got to get used to all the buttons as well.

Also, the voice recognition aspect of this device is going to take some getting used to. Once or twice the phone almost dialed an unintended number when attempting to place a call. I don't know if it has trouble with my own voice or there's just something wrong with that device.

Either way I'm very happy about the purchase. And with that memory card attached to it, I just got to say I may not have to carry a camcorder or a digital camera. It's still possible that a camcorder or camera will be a part of my equipment when I am waking about. ;)

Americans falling behind in world's mobile calling curve?

Since I've been in the market for a new cell phone (especially a Blackberry) this article caught my interest. It was found via Newsalert:

Despite our noisy fascination with iPhones and iPads, it turns out the United States is one of the least advanced places in the world when it comes to the way we use mobile devices. That is the conclusion of a new study by Sybase 365, which provides services for mobile messaging and mobile commerce.

In fact, when it comes to using mobile devices for things like text messaging and instant messaging, the survey indicates we’re getting blown away. Only 31.5 percent of people in the United States use a mobile device for text messaging and sending IMs—while in China 90 percent of people surveyed use mobile devices for those things.
...
Only 12.9 percent of users in the U.S. said they make use of mobile commerce services. In China the figure was almost four times that amount, at 49.2 percent. Across all of Asia, 34 percent of people surveyed said they use mobile devices for banking, versus only 13 percent in the United States. Asian customers are also more likely to make payments with their mobile phones than are Americans.
...
Why are we lagging behind? One reason, simply put, is that here in the United States we’re stuck with a legacy infrastructure, and in the developing world they’re starting from scratch. “They didn’t have the broadband infrastructure that we do, and didn’t have the PCs,” Beard says. Ironically, this has enabled them to roll out new systems that leapfrog over what ours can do.

There’s also the issue of habit. People in the United States have grown accustomed to doing banking online via the personal computer. In the developing world people are less likely to have PCs, so they’ve gone straight to the mobile phone as their platform of choice.

Beard expects the United States will catch up over time, as banks adopt the technology needed to deliver mobile commerce services, and people shift from PCs to mobile devices as their primary computer platform. The survey also indicated high interest in mobile commerce services in the United States.

Well sometimes I'm annoyed with people and their cellphones. People like to argue over their phones. They talk on the phone or they text while driving.

At the same time I think it's neat to check my banking account information over my cell phone.

Also in the market for a new cell phone

Actually I want to buy what we call a smart phone. My eye is on a Blackberry Curve, but earlier this year I visited an AT&T store. See my needs for a smart phone was to be able to surf the internet especially to be able to use Facebook on the go. Indeed it would've came right in handy going back and forth between here and Morehouse for many years.

I learned from an saleswoman that to surf the web on a mobile device it's best to get the iPhone. But I refuse to get one of those mainly because these phones seem to have the ability to get stolen and they're very expensive without a rebate!

The main thing I would like to get a smart phone is the ease of sending text messages. Now I would rarely use that feature anyway but the idea of a QWERTY keypad is very much a nice touch. With my Motorola RAZR phone basically typing a text message will take some serious navigation of the keypad.

In looking for a new smart phone the newest entry has been an Android phone. Through my cell phone provider the only one currently for sale is the Motorola Backflip. Not sure how much different an Android OS is from either the OS on the Blackberry Curve or the iPhone so I may have more questions about that.

For right now my eye is still on that Blackberry! I made a visit to an AT&T store this weekend and learned more about the Blackberry phone that I will have my eye on. I like the Curve model pictured above the best, however, it may not have the fastest speed in order to do some mobile internet surfing. The representatives informed me that it was best to go for the latest models.

And the tracking ball of the older curve has given people some problems thus they have redesigned the trackball. But it's still a nice looking phone either way. So many choices and so many suggestions, but I know what I want right now!

RANDOM THOUGHT: If I bought a mobile phone from Best Buy why would it be cheaper there than it would be if I bought the phone from an AT&T store? I found out that Best Buy doesn't do rebates whatever the listed price for that phone that's what you pay for especially if you purchase with a plan or upgrade. I'm thinking this is cheaper than going to a corporate store.

Motorola Q

I got me a new phone when I was home on spring break. It's a nice phone that allows me to take pictures. Alas it's still the basic phone that has a typical keypad.

By the time I got my new phone I realized I have a new interest, a "smart phone". I would call this a Blackberry type phone although Blackberry is more a brand than a type. These phones are said to have the functionality of computer. They can allow you to make calls, text and instant message, email, and surf the internet. And the nice QWERTY keypad wouldn't hurt either. These are cool features for a blogger like myself.

So if I were to get such a phone today, I would like the get the Motorola Q. The reason why is that I'm a big Motorola fan. Have been since the StarTac phones came out. Also the design of the Q is much in the same vein as the RAZR phone. The design is very sleek and slim.

The only thing I wish it has was a design similar to the Sidekick. It should just be a two-piece phone. Then again one can't get everything they want. I could look at all phones that are on the market now and in the past and find designs that I wish could be on everyphone.