Favorite Things (of 2011)

I wanted to make top ten lists, but it's too broad and required too much writing, so I am just doing an Oprah and listing my favorite things of the year 2011 in general (which was an awesome year btw).


Movies
Let Me In - I never like remakes, but this one is awesome (the original is a Swedish movie). This is a movie about a young girl vampire trying to make a friend with another young boy. It has a couple of scary moments, but it's so good and original. (BONUS: It's on Netflix Instant if you have that).

Attack the Block - It's awesome, action packed, hilarious, and British. You have never seen anything remotely like it. This is definitely a love it or hate it movie, obviously I am the former on it.

Warrior - This is officially the best movie with the worst trailer ever. Not that the trailer is terrible, but the movie is sooooo much better. I had no desire to watch it, but did it on a bored evening. Yes, it's an MMA movie, but that really isn't the point of the film. It's been called the 'Rocky' for the next generation, but I liked it even more than Rocky. Just watch it. My girlfriend cried multiple times througout the film, but it's the good kind of crying...where you are just so happy about what's happening. The ending....phew, man tears. This is without a doubt my favorite movie of 2011.

Albums
M83 - Hurry Up We're Dreaming
It's so good. This album is lyrical and ambient. It's great to drive to, study to, sleep to, run to, etc. This group has delivered every time. After seeing them on Jimmy Fallon, I now have to see them in concert at some point. (Spotify them)

Cults - Cults
Heard them on Pandora first, loved the song, got the album, and it was even better. They are a British group with a very cool sound...nothing like you hear on the radio. (Spotify them)

Naked & Famous
I probably listened to this album more than any other in the past year. It's like a Passion Pit/MGMT hybrid, but with a female lead. I never get tired of this. Favorites are #2 and #9. (Spotify them)

Honorable Mention: Drive Soundtrack
The movie was good, the soundtrack was fire. If you like 80's and/or electronic music, get this album. Track #1 is the jam.

Hobbies
Motobecane Vent Noir
I've been a mountain biker for a few years, but last year I got my first road bike. I was instantly obsesed. I bike more than I use my car now and it's aided in me losing more than 30lbs. It's really my favorite new thing period. I could talk about how much I love it for hours, but I'm trying to make these brief. But if you do ever want to go on a road ride, invite me. Here is my steed:

Vibram Five-Fingers KSO's
I started running a little over a year ago, I just run short 3 miles distances, nothing drastic. I dreaded it most every night I went, but since buying buying these shoes, I've really enjoyed running a lot more. Yes, most everyone that wears these knows they are ugly, but it really is a fun way to run, and helps you develop a more proper form when wearing them. I ran my first 5K in these in Chattanooga this year, finished 5th place overall, and 1st in my age group! <--I'm pretty proud of that.

CamelBak Podium Bottle

I feel like I spent way too much time researching water bottles when purchasing some this summer, but there are so many options when you go looking. I finally settled on the Camelbak Podium (24oz). I like to be able to carry as much water as possible, so a 24oz bottle was convenient. They also have a great bite valve and no leak water system that is nice when throwing them in a bag or on my bike. There are lots of good brands, but I've been happiest with these so far.

Geekier Stuff:

Favorite Android Apps:
Bacon Reader - Reddit is my favorite site on the internet, and this is the best way to see it on my phone.
Voxer - HeyTell tried to do the walkie talking thing, and it was a good effort, but Voxer does it way better. It looks better, works better, and shares files easily. 
Super Swing Golf - This is one of the greatest touchscreen games ever. Seriously, just try it. It has awesome courses and best of all, it's free on Android.


Favorite iPad Apps:
Reeder - I read a lot of news/blogs on a lot of websites and Google Reader conveniently brings them all to one place for me. This app, Reeder, shows me my Reader articles in an awesome way that makes reading, sharing, and navigating them much more convenient than using it on a laptop/desktop. It's really one of the main reasons I chose an iPad. 
Alien Blue - Reddit is the most amazing waste of time on the internet. There is something for everyone (literally, there are thousands of subreddits). This app is the best way to view Reddit, period. If I ever move to an Android tablet, I really hope this app is available for it. My favorite app ever.
SpringPad - SpringPad is great because it keeps me organized way better than any other system I've used. It has an Android app, iPhone/iPad app, Firefox app, Google Chrome app, and pretty much about any other platform you can think of. It lets you easily make lists, notes, save clips of articles online, bookmark products you need to purchase later, upload pictures to memo's, etc and syncs them all in the cloud. It makes it easy and convenient for me to access the notes and other data no matter what internet enabled device I'm using.

You might want to hold off on getting the Verizon iPhone or Android phone

I was looking at the Verizon 4G roll-out list and I was shocked to see that out of only 49 cities in the country that Verizon is rolling out it's 4G, Cleveland and Chattanooga are on the list! That inspired me to share this info with you all. This post is relevant for both potential iPhone and Android purchases with Verizon.

First, the hopeful Verizon iPhone owners, the question is this:  do you want to get an iPhone that is already more than half-way through it's life cycle and locked into an older 3G network for 2 more years?  I am apprehensive to recommend it (as are many in the industry) because there is a likely chance that in June, there will be a new iPhone which does do 4G network speeds and will have better hardware.You've waited this long, what's a few more months? Patience seems to be rewarding in this instance.
Secondly, Android will be rolling out some 4G phones starting in March. There will likely be dozens to follow in the months afterward. Here's some things you should know before getting your next Verizon phone and why you might want to practice some patience:

• 4G phones will be out for Verizon starting in March with the HTC Thunderbolt.
• 4G is going to be at least 10x's faster than the current 3G...possibly even faster than your home internet.
• 4G will allow you to talk and use data at the same time (cannot do so with 3G phones).
• 4G might come with an extra monthly charge (it did on Sprint up until this week)
• Many dual-core Android 4G phones coming soon, these have 2 processors, similar to your desktops and laptops, should be very fast.

So yea, that's my spill...just wanted to share with those that are trying to decide on getting a new phone yet or not. Shalom.

Here's a very helpful comparison chart showing some the upcoming iPhone and Android phones (click to see it full screen):

My Favorite Movies of 2010

For a different kind of blog post (vs. me telling you what you should/should not do in the tech world), I am going to list my Top 5 movies of the year. I love movies, so I figured why not.

Note: I only used movies from 2010, not my all-time favorite movies...it's doubtful any of these would even be in that list if it existed.

Honorable Mentions that I really liked this year, but didn't make the final 5 cut (click name to see trailer):
Greenberg
Salt
Cyrus
The Crazies
Exit Through the Gift Shop
Easy A
Toy Story 3
Daybreakers
Book of Eli
The Switch

5. The Social Network

I had very low expectations for this movie, but it was really good. If you care anything about or have any interest in Facebook as a company (which most of you reading this will I'm sure), you will enjoy this movie. Although most people know about it by now, I feel like if you tried to describe this movie to someone verbally, it would sound really boring...but somehow it's not...at all. Characters are done really well and Jesse Eisenberg (Adventureland, Zombieland) does his role as Mark Zuckerberg perfect (and looks an awful lot like him).

4. Buried
I questioned adding this one because I doubt I'll ever want to watch this movie again and feel like some friends might be upset with me after watch it, but I've spent more time thinking about it afterwards than any movie I've probably ever watched. Ryan Reynolds does an awesome job-his best acting ever IMO. Yes, they do make the ENTIRE movie in a coffin with no other actors in the film and somehow they manage to pull it off. This movie had me sweating and stressed out the whole time...it was very intense and uncomfortable, but somehow very good at the same time.

3. Let Me In

Although I prefer the Swedish version of the film vs. the American remake (maybe just because it came first?), this movie is sooooo much better than most of the other Vampire-esque movies that are popular right now. I'm a big modern-day vampire movie fan (more like Underworld, Blade, Nightwatch, etc-not Twilight) and this movie is good because it's original & about a child vampire trying to survive in modern day. It is fairly graphic, but for a purpose. You can catch the original on Netflix Instant Watch...I highly suggest you do so.

American trailer:

Original Swedish version:

2. Inception

It's one of those movies that I think most everyone loved and most people have seen more than once. This movie was so good and so well written. Say what you want about the ending, but I actually like it. Leonardo DiCaprio is arguably the best actor of my generation, and this movie is definitely my favorite of his. I don't even need to describe it really because chances are you've already seen it at least once.

1. Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Talking about this movie is one of the main reasons I even made this post (also was inspired by another article). If you were born before 1975 and you care or have cared anything about video games, you will probably like this movie. It's not a video game movie, but it's got a lot of nostalgic video game moments/effects/sounds in it. The movie starts off like a typical Micheal Cera movie (you know, kinda Juno-ish), but takes a very unexpected (at least to the one's who I've watched it with so far) turn, and kinda becomes really awesome. It's funny, original, and really entertaining. Even if you don't care about video games, there is a good chance you might still enjoy the movie because of the great cast and witty jokes (there's even a George Michael vs. Ann Veal battle-if you watched Arrested Development, you will know what I'm talking about here). It's not Inception-deep, or Let Me In-intense, but it's a fun, silly movie to watch--one of those you can repeat easily with friends.

Everytime You Shop at Best Buy, a Kitten Dies

Ok, so that doesn't really happen, but some of you wouldn't come here if I just said "Don't Shop at Best Buy!" But it does make me feel as sad as if a kitten died when I stand in a Best Buy and listen to some of the terrible mis-truths/misconceptions that their employees give to customers. I will make this brief. This is a situation I found that happened to someone today over at Reddit. I've edited the language slightly:

This morning I went to Best Buy to buy some Christmas gifts and witnessed Best Buy at its best, trying to rip off a clueless buyer:

Clueless Buyer trying to pay for a brand new PS3

• Cashier: "Do you want the extended warranty from Best Buy?"
• Clueless Buyer: "Well, I dunno.."
• Cashier: "Let me explain you. The PS3 comes with 8 cells and the Sony warranty only covers two, so if any of the other six malfunction is going to cost you a lot of money to repair your console but with the extended warranty from Best Buy you get full coverage and after a year we will perform a tune up to make your system run like it's new." <- completely false & just dumb
• Clueless Buyer: "Ok"
• Cashier: "Are you going to connect your console to the internet?"
• Clueless Buyer: "Actually I'm buying this as a christmas present so I don't really know."
• Cashier: "That's ok, because if you buy the in-home gaming setup for just $100 (more or less) you can call us any day you want and we will go to your house to set your internet account, update the console, etc..." 

At that point I decided to intervene and asked the clueless buyer for who was the gift and it turn out to be for his fifteen year old son, I told him that probably his son already knew how to do everything Best Buy was trying to scam him into and if not he could give me a call to guide him through it step by step.

I saved the gentleman a couple hundred dollars and then received the silent treatment from the cashier when he was attending me. Shame on you Best Buy.

It's situations like this that happen everyday to naive customers at Best Buy. People get duped into paying for something completely useless. Which brings me to a big point about Best Buy's extended warranties...NEVER BUY THEM! They are overpriced and usually have lots of stipulations, not to mention the BB employees usually mislead you about what the manufacturer themselves cover (as seen above). Using the above scenario...that guy would have paid $60+ for an extended warranty on his PS3, while you can get a better warranty from Square Trade for about 40% less ($39). Square Trade warranties cover much more and last 3 years vs. 1 year. Square Trade will give you a warranty on any type of electronics device. I strongly encourage you to use Square Trade vs. your cell phone company insurance plan on smart phones...much cheaper and usually there's no deductible. Ok, that's my spill on Best Buy's attempts to upsell you a million useless things when checking out. Just keep saying no as you checkout, that's the best option if you must shop there.

You can stop reading now, or if you want, I can tell you a few more reasons why Best Buy is a pretty low on the respectability list when it comes to business practices:

• Geek Squad-I am not saying this just because I compete with them, but these guys are typically considered the joke of the tech world when it comes to computer repairs. These are not some computer genius guys like you want to believe, they are regular John Doe's like you & me that needed a job, filled out an application, and got a hired...your 15 year old nephew can probably do just as good of a job, otherwise take it to a local shop or even a technically inclined friend, anywhere besides Geek Squad (or Staples for that matter, similar scenario). Most of the time, they just wipe your hard drive and reinstall Windows and say it's fixed...usually with disregard to your stuff (music, pictures, documents, etc).  That is not repairing a computer, that is taking the easy way out to get the job done as fast as possible with as little brain usage as possible. And they are super expensive. You pay a lot of money for less than average service. Also, don't even let them 'optimize' your computer if you choose to buy one there-it's expensive and does nothing to make it faster, usually quite the opposite...they just install more software to slow it down significantly.
• Prices-seriously, compare Best Buy with most retailers. Usually they have to have a HUGE sale just to match the everyday prices at Amazon, New Egg, etc. I understand some people are willing to pay more to have it right then and that's your prerogative, but when things like TV's and computers can cost hundreds more, you should really shop around. Also note-Best Buy is worried about all these smartphone users coming into their stores using these price comparison apps (like I mentioned in my previous post), mainly because it lets people see how much Best Buy is price gouging on most of their products (my source if you don't believe me).

Ok, my rants over now. Thanks for listening.

Essential Android Apps

Last week, I finally made the switch from an iPhone to an Android phone, so I thought it would be appropriate to create his post to help many of my friends who have been getting Android phones. This is not a "My Favorite Android Apps" list, but rather a list to help you get the best experience possible with your phone. I know there are a lot of cool apps and games out there, but this is more of a 'basics' list. As you'll see, each app I talk about has a link to where you can see screenshots and reviews of the app itself.

1. Launcher Pro.

LauncherPro for Android on AppBrain

For me, this is THE most essential app for Android. It makes most variants of Android phones navigate/run faster...and it's pretty much the way Google intended for Android to look. This will make your phone feel faster, has better options, better dock, etc. If you install it, you will have to make your app shortcuts again, but it's the last time you'll ever have to do it. Launcher Pro has a backup/restore for icons, so from here on out, it can automatically put them back how you like them if/when you get a new or replacement phone. The dock icons alone make this app worth the price (it's free btw). Try it, if you don't like-uninstall it (but I seriously doubt you'll want to do that).

2. Handcent SMS.

Handcent SMS for Android on AppBrain

This makes texting so much more convenient. You get text message popups on your screen that you can reply to no matter what app you're in-so no more having to close out whatever app you're in to send a quick reply. It also has a bazillion customizable options inside the app. You can change the colors, backgrounds, fonts, etc. Again, another app that if you try, you will never want to go back to the default method of texting.

3. AppBrain.

AppBrain App Market for Android on AppBrain

AppBrain is just awesome. It's the easiest way to find & install new apps using your computer (vs. having to look around on your phone). With AppBrain, you can manage all your apps from the web, see what apps your friends are using, and see what apps are most popular by every category imaginable (date, genre, even age, sex, location, etc.). You can go to the site here and sign-in using your Google Account/Gmail login info. One of the best features is being able to remotely install apps straight from the site. Any app you look at will have an INSTALL button beside it. If you click this button, the app can be sent straight to your phone and installed automatically (it can be removed by the same method). It can also connect to your Facebook, Twitter, and Google accounts to find your friends and see what Android apps they have on their phones (here's my list). This is definitely the easiest way to discover new apps for Android.

4. Barcode Scanner.

Barcode Scanner for Android on AppBrain

Many of you have may already have this app (or one like it). I get so much use from these barcode scanning apps. Ever been in a store and saw an item you really needed/wanted, but weren't sure if that was the best price or not? With this app, all you need to do is scan the item's barcode and it will do a price comparison of online and local retailers around you, then it will show where you can get the best price, along with reviews of the item. Some weeks ago, I was in BestBuy with my girlfriend and she saw a camera carrying bag she really liked. We used the barcode scan app and found out that the exact same bag was $10 cheaper right across the street at another store. $10 saved from a free app!

5. DoubleTwist.

Music for Android on AppBrain

One area where I found the Android lacking, especially coming from the iPhone, was in the music player department. Granted, Apple has had years of making iPods to have a better handle on this kind of thing, but I still wanted a solution for Android. Many of you are probably already using iTunes to manage/listen to your music, but Apple will not allow you to sync your Android phone with iTunes. Sucks if you have all your music and playlists already in iTunes, right? Well, DoubleTwist is your solution. This is an excellent media player for Android phones. The interface is very similar to iTunes, so you should have no issue knowing how to use it if you're used to iTunes already. All you need to do is download DoubleTwist to your computer (Windows, Mac, or Linux) and install the app on your phone. When you start the program on your computer, it will ask you if you want to import your iTunes music/playlists, so you can do that or start from scratch. And like iTunes, it lets you sync your phone, pictures, videos, purchase music, get podcasts, and has internet radio. If you listen to music on your phone (or want to), this is one of the best apps to do so.

Lastly, 2 apps that aren't essential, but I really get a lot of use out of them.

RunKeeper.

RunKeeper Free for Android on AppBrain

If you run, walk, bike, wheelchair, ski, skate, etc., then this is a must-have for you. RunKeeper has a paid and free version, both do the same for the most part, but the paid version has no ads and a few more options for you. I won't lie, this app has motivated me to do more physical activities. It keeps up with everything-your pace, time, calories burned, elevation, and puts it all into an awesome interface that you can check online whenever you want. It also has an awesome Google Maps interface of everywhere you went. To get an idea, check out one of my activities here. It's very nice and polished, and is awesome at keeping up with all your stats.

Relax and Sleep.

Relax and Sleep for Android on AppBrain

This app is random of me to put in, but I've found it's great if you ever have trouble sleeping, or like to have some relaxing sounds to sleep to. There are 30+ different sounds you can turn on. It's nice because it also allows you you to combine any or all of them. You control the volume for each individual sound, so if you want to hear a loud campfire with a quiet chorus of crickets in the background, you can do so. Or perhaps you're a freak and you prefer a chorus of whales with the sound of a beating heart in the background? You can do that, too. It also has a timer to automatically turn the sounds off so you don't have it going all night long. I love this app...have used it every night since I got my phone.

Ok, that's all I got for now, but I'm sure somewhere down the road I'll update with some new apps I like, or maybe a Favorites list.

Stop buying cell phones in-store...unless you hate money.

Heed this advice, it can save you the cost of a few weeks worth of groceries (not to mention the crazy amount of time you have to wait in these stores sometimes). I'm elaborating on an earlier post in a little more detail. I walked into a Verizon store yesterday to play with a new phone I want (good riddance AT&T!). The in-store price of the phone I want: $299! (with a $100 rebate you have to mail off). I went to Amazon to look at the phone, the price there: $0.01! That's a $299.98 upfront savings on cost for the same phone, same service, etc. Now, it's probably about $80.00 for existing Verizon customers, but still a huge price difference. I understand most people don't look elsewhere because they are uninformed they even have the option of doing so. I am trying to inform you, and hope that you pass this on to your friends and family, because pretty much everyone has a cell phone. Be rational about it.

Go to the stores, play with the phone, see if you like it, then go shopping online to get the best price.

Here are a few sources to look for your next cell phone.
Amazon
Dell Mobile
LetsTalk
Wirefly

Even using the cell phone companies website is usually significantly cheaper than buying in-store. So if you're getting a phone, just shop around for about 10 minutes. They're the same phones, same service, same carriers, same warranties, etc, just less cost to you.

EDIT: None of this applies to iPhone's. Apple doesn't discount them at all until a newer model comes out.

Ok, my rant is over now.

Voicemails

The worst is when you miss a call, then get a voicemail notification about 5 minutes later. You know that means you're going to have at least a 2 minute message to listen to, maybe longer. No voicemail should be more than 30-45 seconds, but people love to leave me entire stories on the phone. I know it's a part of my job, but so often I find myself putting off listening to them until they pile up and my inbox is full, forcing me to go through them. I get anxious just thinking about it. But I suppose they are a necessary evil. Unfortunately, my phone screen is not working on the part that I need to touch to access my voicemails, so they are just building and building right now. The worst though-waking up on a Monday morning with 3 new voicemails that you didn't have when you went to bed 5 hours earlier. You know it's going to be an awesome day when it starts like that.

PS: Thank you God that I have a job, make descent money, having a working brain, and am physically about to work. Sorry for being such a complainer.