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Comments
Did MPG improve at all? They got 22mpg with the automatic, 24mpg with the manual, the latter the best among non-hybrid cute utes.
Anyone else's brackets busted yet?
Good thing is everyone's brackets are busted. I'm tied for the lead here at work.
I got the Marquette game right, as well..
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Big East is choking, big time.
Bob
This has huge implications for me, good and bad.
Device selection would improve tremendously, T-Mo's biggest weakness. I could get a BlackBerry Torch or maybe even an iPhone for work. My wife would get 15% employee discount (or whatever AT&T offers us).
But...we use the UMA wi-fi hotspot at home to make free international calls, and that could go away.
Let's see if the FCC lets this deal go through.
I'm curious as to why AT&T is hellbent for LTE. If they don't have it running yet, unlike Verizon, then why don't they just use HSPA+ like T-Mobile is doing? 21mbit today, 84 fairly reachable.. and researchers say >400mbit is possible doing in-place upgrades.
Anyway.
I'm on T-Mobile (with an HTC G2) because of devices and prices. If AT&T raises prices to all of their standard rates, I'm bailing for Verizon at my first opportunity.
For a BlackBerry user like me, selection sucks.
They hyped the update for the Bold 9700, and give us....another Bold. The 9780. Oh, more memory and a higher megapixel camera. Some upgrade, puh-lease.
I won't buy a device with touchscreen only-- gotta have a physical keyboard.
I have an iPhone and have become quite comfortable with the touchscreen only. I guess I don't get the need for a physical keyboard?
I picked up her Bold yesterday to make a phone call and couldn't get it to the main menu. I felt like my Dad when he used to pick up a simple cell phone that was ringing and run to my Mom with it.
*excluding superhuman freaks.
If I could get a torch on VZ I wouldn't ditch my BB. I want an Iphone but I'm going to hang on and see if I can hold off but I may just cave in.
-mike
The only problem with that carrier is that it doesn't work overseas, or so I've been told. Not sure about Canada, Mexico or any other country in the western hemisphere?
Bob
I looked closely at the G1, but a friend got one and was never really happy with it. Is the G2 a lot better?
Funny thing is I busted on the 9780 but we got a spare here at work so I upgraded from my 9700 to that 9780 last night. Not much difference so far, but it's new and my 9700 Bold was starting to feel a bit worn out.
The Bold does have a good keyboard, plus it's small/light. The screen is just tiny, though. 2.5" I think.
To make a phone call just hit the Green button, it goes to your dialer. Red to end the call. No need to fuss with the keyboard at all.
It's funny how you get used to something...
On our iPod Touch, I HATE not having a "back" button. It's ridiculous to me. How can you tell if an App is closed? You keep hitting the Home button, but how do you know it's not still running?
All a matter of what you're used to, but I like the Menu/Back button on the BlackBerry.
On the Touch, I keep looking for the "Done" button, and it's not in a standard location, you have to look for it. Not as user friendly as you might think.
The G2 is far more powerful. The only thing it lacks is a front-facing camera, if you ever intended to use Skype or a similar program for video conferencing. However due to a unique (some would say strange) keyboard hinge and all-aluminum case, the G2 is pretty dang heavy. It's noticeably more weighty than an iPhone, HTC Evo, Droid X, etc. I've never complained about it, but when I try other people's phones I notice their lighter weight immediately.
Re: international phone use
The vast majority of the world outside the US utilizes GSM phones. Verizon and Sprint both sell a few 'quad-band' phones that can work with any GSM or CDMA network. TMo is actually on the spectrum most commonly used in Europe, but AT&T phones work abroad fairly well.
I don't want a bulky phone, so I guess the G2 would not have been for me.
I may get a Torch next month if T-Mo launches it. Now that AT&T shouldn't interfere maybe that'll make it easier?
Question for the Apple guys - can you use FaceTime to call Skype users?
I guess it's what one gets used to. The iPhone gives the the little click click just like a normal keyboard. IIRC, the first touchscreen BB gave a tactile response as well - people hated it.
To make a phone call just hit the Green button, it goes to your dialer. Red to end the call. No need to fuss with the keyboard at all.
From any screen or just the home screen? My wife's BB Bold was in e-mail. It tried clicking the ball, using the Rim logo button, the green button and all it did was go deeper into menus.
What my wife really dislikes is that the phone keys are "buried" on the left of the keyboard. It's not intuitive to her even after 2 years. On my iPhone, I just hit the home button and all my applications and functions are right there. Click phone and I have a keypad just like a normal phone.
On our iPod Touch, I HATE not having a "back" button. It's ridiculous to me. How can you tell if an App is closed? You keep hitting the Home button, but how do you know it's not still running?
Clicking back, back, back is easier than clicking home and closing the ap?? As for multi-taking don't worry about it. There aren't many apps that suspend rather than close - true multi-tasking would kill the battery. When you hit the home button, the ap most likely closes. To see what apps can muti-task hit the home button twice while in any ap and you'll see the apps across the bottom. If you click any of them and they come right back to where you left them, they are capable of multi-tasking.
On the Touch, I keep looking for the "Done" button,
The "done" button??
There are drawbacks to the iPhone. For instance the native calender doesn't allow you to easily share appointments. It want's to sync to a PC based calender and then you can share. But the contact manager let's you send contacts to others via e-mail or sms - why not calender events?? The contact manager in my old Palm had a neat feature that remembered cities, last names, addresses and would auto fill on new contacts. The native iPhone contact manager doesn't do that.
No device is perfect. It one were, the economy would collapse.
Indeed, the BlackBerry Storm. Count me in - I hated it, too. The Storm II as well. Though the Torch has both - touchscreen and keyboard. That's why I want a Torch.
From any screen or just the home screen?
From any screen. She probably had the buttons custom programmed? Mine does that, and when you hang up the call it reverts back to whatever else you were doing.
phone keys are "buried" on the left of the keyboard
True, but every call I make is in my Address Book, or click from any link/text on 7 digits and it will call that number. I can't remember the last time I had to dial. The buttons are small for that, true.
Clicking back, back, back is easier than clicking home and closing the ap?
No, just hit Menu/Close.
So Home does close or suspend the app? I find myself looking for a Back button to go back one step, gotta find the Done button each time (to say you're done choosing options on a screen and go back one level).
I guess it's a matter of getting used to one or the other.
I'm definitely not used to the Touch yet, but for the most part the interface is intuitive. The kids picked right up on it.
I guess I'm used to having a Back button even from a web browser perspective. Call it Undo if you prefer. If I make a wrong click I want an easy way to back out of that choice without having to start over at the Home menu.
I didn't mean to imply the BlackBerry is perfect - far from it:
* screen is tiny at 2.5"
* even the Torch has a smaller screen than iPhone does
* keys are small for folks with fat fingers (original Bold was better)
* not 4G (I think only Android phones are)
* I still find it slow, even on the new Bold 9780
* no front-facing camera
No custom programming - heck she only discovered she has a flash on the camera on Sunday!! She has one ap and I'm the one the loaded it onto her phone.
My boss has a BB and complains that whenever I send him a phone number to call, he can't just click on it because of the format I use (212.555.1212) isn't recognized by his BB. I do have to remember to use - instead of . but all our correspondence uses . so it's a force of habit.
Oh, I'm well aware I can do that.
Good app for a beginner - Google Maps. She can see traffic and it's simple to use.
Later add the Google Mobile app, you can just speak the name of what you want to search for, no typing.
I also have Pandora, Facebook (not that good on BBerry), Google Voice (beta), Shazam (identifies music), etc.
But my iPhone recognizes it as a phone number and will dial it with just a touch.
I just sent my iPhone an IP address and it doesn't show up as a link of any kind. With the iPhone, anything that can cause an action (dial, schedule, et al) comes up in blue.
The only app my wife has is Park Mobile. The MBTA started using it for parking payments at the stations. My wife hated trying to find $4 a day for the honor box and I hated writing a check everyday.
I use dashes in phones numbers so I've never noticed that.
But DC was rated the worst for service.
Regular old handsets had fewer dropped calls, static, etc.
I can translate since it's Portuguese:
"He EFFed himself"
"That's how you destroy a Fiesta"
"Did he make it out?" , reply was "Yes"
Structure actually held together nicely considering...
This time I went with the Amsoil European Synthetic 5w40 w/Amsoil Filter so we'll see how she does with upcoming track season. This year the STi will be doing duty as the Official Pace Car of NASA Northeast. I did her up with front and rear strobes and an Amber light bar on the roof!
-mike
Subaru Guru and Track Instructor
I'm interested to know how the UOA turns out on the turbo. If you're interested, I could send you the UOA reports on my Forester (NA engine), which also uses Amsoil. I did the first two samples on a single oil change - at 7500 and 11930 on the oil.
For now check out the video of the 48hrs on http://driveperformance.subuaru.com
-mike
Subaru Guru and Track Instructor
Next Season on Survivor
Have you heard about the next planned "Survivor" show?
Governor Scott  (Florida), Kathy Black (NYC Schools' Chancellor), Governor Walker (Wis) and Governor Christie (NJ) will be dropped in an elementary school classroom for 1 school year. Each of them will be provided with a copy of his/her school district's curriculum, and a class of 20-25 students.
Each class will have a minimum of five learning-disabled children, three with A.D.H.D., one gifted child, and two who speak limited English. Three students will be labeled with severe behavior problems.
Each of them must complete lesson plans at least 3 days in advance, with annotations for curriculum objectives and modify, organize, or create their materials accordingly. They will be required to teach students, handle misconduct, implement technology, document attendance, write referrals, correct homework, make bulletin boards, compute grades, complete report cards, document benchmarks, communicate with parents, and arrange parent conferences. They must also stand in their doorway between class changes to monitor the hallways.
In addition, they will complete fire drills, tornado drills, and [Code Red] drills for shooting attacks each month.
They must attend workshops, faculty meetings, and attend curriculum development meetings. They must also tutor students who are behind and strive to get their 2 non-English speaking children proficient enough to take the SOLS tests. If they are sick or having a bad day they must not let it show.
Each day they must incorporate reading, writing, math, science, and social studies into the program. They must maintain discipline and provide an educationally stimulating environment to motivate students at all times. If all students do not wish to cooperate, work, or learn, the teacher will be held responsible.
These people will only have access to the public golf course on the weekends, but with their new salary, they will not be able to afford it. There will be no access to vendors who want to take them out to lunch, and lunch will be limited to thirty minutes, which is not counted as part of their work day. They will be permitted to use a student restroom, as long as another survival candidate can supervise their class.
If the copier is operable, they may make copies of necessary materials before, or after, school. However, they cannot surpass their monthly limit of copies. They must also continually advance their education, at their expense, and on their own time.
The winner of this Season of Survivor will be allowed to return to their job.
Pass this to your friends who think teaching is easy, and to the ones that know it is hard.
I find it hard to believe Nokia let the ball drop so hard when it came to smartphones. I am loath to buy an iAnything however, as I have a hard time with a company that rises and falls based on the health of its founder. I suppose one of BBs products would be closest to what I'm used to.
LG something-or-other flip does what i need it to.
That said, I did own one (back when cell phones were just phones) for a year or two back in 1998/99, when they weren't nearly so common outside the business/government community.
I think you would find a bit of a learning curve but pickup most smartphones easily. Android and iOS are similar in usage. I actually wouldn't suggest a Blackberry, but that's me.
I was ready to sign up and be a participant right up until this line. That was the deciding factor in making me not request a leave of absence and join the competition!!
Ever hear of the Discovery Channel reality show "The Colony"? A guy I know at our sister chip plant was the tech guru of that set of survivalist.
Seriously, I spent last Wednesday being a visiting presenter at an elementary school (4th & 5th grade classes) for National Engineers Week. It was a blast, and my little team really connected with the kids. They are so hungry for knowledge. We had our presentation and team building exercises so well prepared, but the number one thing they wanted to talk about was Watson & Jeopardy!
I had worked on several of the chips that went into the POWER 750 box, and sat in the auditorium at Watson Research a few days before filming, so I was able to come up with some quick answers.
Next week I'll be manning a 'Career Day' booth at the middle school.
Like most of us, my biggest problem is time. In addition to the career day, I got a note from the middle school principal that the Technology teacher had asked for me to come up with some more programs on current, hot topics and come back to do a few classes in April. I said yes for next near (build it into the plan), but I not sure we can do it this year on such short notice.
C&D has a whole slew of D.E.D. editorials up on their web site as a tribute.
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/11q1/david_e._davis_jr._a_retrospective
Bob
I was a subscriber to Automobile for several years that DED was contributing and I enjoyed his work.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/obituaries/article575070.ece
At least Jeremy Clarkson and James May are still around to keep me entertained.
Bob
(Relatively) Good news: it takes two parts to fix it and they are $8 and $187.
Bad news: while they were able to reach under the dash and force the vent door one way or the other (and of course I picked having AC rather than heat), repairs will require pulling the whole dashboard and center console. 8 hours of labor.
So in total the estimate ~$930. Ouch! I elected to not repair right now and will do it in early Fall instead.
I also had some regular maintenance done-- new timing belt and all accessory belts, and new water pump. They detailed my car for free and one of the service managers treated me like royalty-- unusual for a Mitsu/Kia dealership-- because he's an enthusiast and they've only serviced a handful of Evos ever.
I guess I'll keep on driving it until the wheels fall of. Then I'll probably fix it and get a different daily driver, and ponder as to whether I will sell it or keep (and modify!) it.
I was in an airport waiting lounge changing planes on a business trip in April 1986 when I spied a car magazine that I'd never seen before, and bought it. First issue of a new mag edited by a guy (DED) who's writing I'd seen prior in C&D. Still have it squirreled away somewhere. Figured some day it might be mildly collectible....
http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/28/bye-dad-david-evan-davis-jr-shuts-his-eyes-on- e-last-time-at/