Tech Toy Review

So i was skeptical about the iPhone 3GS, but being the gadget whore that i am, i HAD to have it.

I was really only looking forward to the voice command feature which lets you hold down the home button for 2 seconds (or the button on your headset) and say something like “call jennifer” and your phone will call jennifer. I realize that this is not a feature for everybody, but i really miss it from my windows mobile obsession period.

What i ended up getting is so much more. If anything the speed is worth the price. Opening up a program is much snappier.  One of my biggest gripes with my iPhone 3G was that opening a program can be extremely clunky, especially when you accidentally hit the wrong program to open. With the 3GS that does not seem to be an issue.

I am extremely bummed that there are still no useful push applications out there.  I have written a couple for my own use but those and my developer copy of AIM are the only push programs that i have since there is nothing approved in the appstore yet. I have the feeling that this is the fault of Apple not wanting to “blow up” their servers but i would think that since AIM released a developer copy they would at least offer that one in the appstore for everybody.

Battery life. I am a heavy user getting a lot of push notification, on the phone, on the internet all the time. I drained my battery dry in 36 hours. Actually pretty good since on the 3g i could only get 10 or 12 hours with such use.

All in all I am quite pleased. The voice command works extremely well, be it limited to making outgoing calls and playing music, still very cool for “hands free” driving. And the speed of the machine really makes it worth while. It is definately Tanguy approved.

I drink a lot of coffee….a lot of coffee.

I really dont like drip coffee. I dont like pod espresso (always far too bitter). I rarely like super automatic espresso. I do love french press and drink it every day. I also love my moka pot (stovetop espresso).  And when i’m out and there is a good espresso machine, i do love a good, well pulled cup. I dont like cream nor sugar as I like to taste the nuance of the coffee.

In comes the Aerobie Aeropress. My God does this thing make a great cup of espresso. The process is simple:
1. put filter in aeropress, put on cup, place espresso grounds in

2. pour 175 degree water up to the number

3. stir for 10 seconds

4. press for 20 seconds

thats it!

cleanup is a breeze as all you do is shoot out the puck and wipe down the end.

verdict: Awsome! Don’t drop $1k on a super automatic for your office, just get one of these.

Man, i love my new macbook. The unibody construction is great and it does not look like i will have to duct tape this macbook as i did with my old one.

The trackpad i though would be awkward without a button, but turns out its not at all. It is very comfortable and very convenient to use.

LED backlit screen is so bright and just chalked full of awsomeness. I packed mine with 4 gigs for extra added power up!

I use my iphone headset in it and that is just too awsome.

…I just need to find some good stickers

So I love netflix. And I am late in the xbox game but i bought one just for the netflix streaming that came out a couple days ago and so far i LOVE it.
Yes i’ve noticed a handful of bugs like a temporary dip in bandwith causes your video to rebuffer to look awful and it doesnt go back unless you stop and restart.

The menus took some time to get used to but it is a great way to do a lot of menu items.

Avatars: i really dont like avatars. and this is no exception. all the avatars seem very effeminate.

BUT i love my xbox, i use it for all my dvd watching, the occasional game and now netflix streaming.

Here’s to hoping that from this netflix steps up its game and starts offering more movies and tv shows for streaming.

If you own an apple tv and you have not tried Boxee yet, you must.

Boxee has done a great job of integrating Hulu into the apple tv. Almost makes paying for cable not worth your time.

It has many many other features but i keep coming back to using it to watch Hulu and CBS shows. I probably use that more than i watch movies on it.

The installation process is very simple. Just put a usb drive (of at least 512M) in your computer, run a program. Then you take that drive, plug into the apple tv, unplug your atv and plug it back in, let magic happen and you are done. Detailed instructions can be found on boxee’s site Boxee

These things are awsome. When placed in the ears correctly, the sound is great.

I even use them while riding on my motorcycle (one ear only), which gets very loud, and i can hear my music just fine. Its great.

The mic is really good but super sensitive. It says it drowns out ambiant sound but it really does not, it picks everything up very loud. But it is far better than the provided iphone headset.

They are also very comfortable. Probably the most comfy in-ear headset i’ve ever owned. I leave them in for hours listening to music and it doesnt hurt my ears at all.

All in all, for $99 its a great buy.

Wow. I just read on TUAW this story about a store reporting that apple told them to distroy all their old apple tv displays and stuff by Tuesday.
Now I love my Apple TV, its awsome. I have all of my dvds ripped and on there for me to watch without getting my ass off the couch.
Imagine what Apple could do with this. They could incorporate a blue ray player into it, set it up for netflix streaming, or even as a AT&T Uverse box.
It could be anything, and i can only hope for the best. Via [TUAW]

Oh iPhone how I love thee, let me count the ways

I’ve had my sigg water bottle to. About a year now. I take it with me everywhere. It’s the best water bottle I have ever owned. It holds a liter which doesn’t last me very long (since i guzzle so much water) bit the average shmoe it should last a long time.
Mine is all dented and bruised but i love it. They are made of aluminum and so are very light and they have a lining inside that doesnt break or disolve.


You can grab one at MySigg

The Renetto canopy chair is the best thing I picks up at the LA county fair this year. This chair is my idea of the perfect outdoor chair. It’s large, sturdy, two cup holders, and a magical canopy to shade you from the sun. There are pockets in the underneath of the canopy for your stuff. I got the add on foot rest so I can sleep in it. The whole thing folds up and clips together and has backpack straps for carrying it around. When folded up there are two small pockets for putting stuff in.
The cons are that I wish it was a little bigger and I wish the cup holders were bigger and a tablle would make it heaven.