I want to make a show that is a mix between Good Eats with Alton Brown and Video Professor. The goal of the show is to educate those who are new to technology. The show would be educational and informative as well as quarky.
So the question is: How do I get this started? What are the first steps?
So it’s been 9 months since I joined the smartphone revolution and I have to say, “Mine eyes have seen the glory!” Going from a dumb phone (calls and text only) to a smartphone (apps, email, calls, text, gps, etc.) would be the Plato’s Cave of technology.
Of course I had the option between iPhone and Android. I choose Android because it was not on the AT&T network. I was a loyal (if not foolish) customer of AT&T for several years but felt burned by my last customer service experience. So I moved to Verizon once the Motorola Droid was released. Best decision ever!
I lived in Los Angeles at the time I got the phone and had no issues with any of the 3G or voice networks. I have since moved to Las Vegas and the network is still strong. People who visit and use the iPhone have trouble making calls and getting text messages. To be honest, that totally blows, especially in a 24 hour city where you are bound to get separated from your main group. In the past 9 months, I have also visited Seattle, WA, the coast of Alaska (via cruise ship), and Portland, OR.; in each location there are strong data and voice networks.
The Android OS has had two major updates in the past 9 months. The most recent version being Fro-yo (Android 2.2). Here is where I can start to complain. The Droid is on the Verizon network and monitored by Motorola. So when an Android OS update is released, I have to wait for Motorola and Verizon to modify the OS and make it “Droid Ready”. This usually means the disablement of certain features and OS functions. For example, the current version of the OS allows for wi-fi hotspotting, but the Droid OS does no. This is a carrier issue as the Nexus One (T-Mobile) does offer free wifi hotspotting. Overall, it’s a small concession and something Apple US users also deal with. But I would rather have the Android OS be released by Google and not have to wait for the Moto-Verizon version to be “released”.
The Droid is an amazing phone overall. As I mentioned before, the audio is fantastic. Even when using the built-in speaker, it’s crystal clear. The camera takes amazing pics (especially during the day; at night, not so much). There are a few issues I have with the hardwear. First, there is no line-out option. When I bought my phone, I also purchased the car mount kit. That kit came with a dash mount and power adapter. However, unlike the iPhone or iPod, the USB plug on the Droid does not pass audio. This means that I have to plug an mini-jack audio cable into the headphone jack of my Droid. Then I have to crank up the volume. I would rather have an audio source that is not pre-amplified by the device.
My second complaint is getting music onto the Droid is not a pleasurable experience. This disappointment stems from the 5 years I used iTunes. Although iTunes is a resource hog, it does what it does real well. Getting music onto my iPod was easy. No drag-and-drop needed. Just tell it what to sync and it did it. There are several apps in the market that try to replicate this, but I think they all fall short and that is disappointing.
Currently, I carry my iPod (fully loaded with music, video, and misc. audio books) and my Droid (loaded with the music, podcast, and audio books I am currently listening to) with me on road trips. I no longer carry a point-and-shoot and don’t need a separate GPS device. If you are on the fence about moving to a smartphone, I have to suggest getting an Android based phone on the Verizon network.
The Joker has a Calling Card - So Should You
Back in the day (the 1800′s) gentlemen carried calling cards. It was used to introduce yourself, request a meeting (date), and even express condolences. In today’s modern society, it feels like a calling card would not be necessary, but I argue, that there is no better time to have your own calling card.
You have Facebook, Twitter, email, phones, a blog (maybe), IM, and about 100 other ways for people to contact you. However, after I meet you, I can’t find you or I forget who you are. Imagine you meet someone at a party and you want to get to know them better. You put their name and phone number (more likely their email) in your phone. Weeks later, you’re going through your phone and you find this contact, but you don’t remember why you wanted to to contact them.
Now imagine you are at a party and you meet someone. This time you give them your calling card and you make a note on the back, “Meet at the Yelp museum mixer.” Not only are you the only one handing out calling cards, but you added a note that makes it easy to remember you. Also, can you think of a better way to introduce yourself to a nice lady? Your calling card mixed with a story of how gentlemen would use them to express interest in the fairer sex can only lead to one thing, follow up contact.
Business Cards are for American Psychos
“But Mike, I have business cards. Why should I have a calling card?”
Most people change jobs every four years, most people keep the same email, phone number, IM, etc. forever. Plus, business cards have your company info on it. It tells the recipient nothing about you (plenty about the company you work for). Here’s what you can put on your calling card: Name (First Name, Last Initial is fine), Nickname, Email Address, Facebook URL, Twitter Name, Google URL, Yelp URL (you can get a personal URL from Yelp too), QR Code, xBox Live Gamer Tag, and your Blog URL.
There are a bunch of places you can go to get your own business cards, several are about $30 for a box of 500. Here are a few suggestions:
- Crane & Co. – very nice and pricey
- The Stationery Studio – still nice, cheaper
- Zazzle – They have pre-designed, 4-color cards
- Moo – My personal favorite. They have some killer “ready made” cards
Having your own calling card makes it easier to break the ice in odd situations, makes you stand out (until everyone else is using them), and will increase your contact list.
The Gentleman’s Guide to the Calling Card - Art of Manliness Article
May I Offer You My Calling Card? – Time / CNN Article