Technology

My “New Every Two” promotional discount becomes available tomorrow and I am seriously torn between the Droid X and the Droid 2 for my next smartphone. I currently have a Blackberry Pearl, and I am sure I will never use a Blackberry again after this upgrade.

The Droid X seems to outwit the Droid 2 in most areas of performance, having a better camera, HDMI port, double the installed microSD card, 480p HD video playback and recording, and faster load times on many bench tests conducted in recent days. However, the Droid 2 does have something important that the Droid X does not, a physical keyboard.

I have grown accustomed to the use of a physical keyboard and am not sure how well my large thumbs will handle the virtual keyboard or Swype. That is what has held me back from switching to an all-touchscreen phone in the past.

One factor that may trump them all is that many users have been reporting significant signal strength issues on their new Droid 2.

Right now I am leaning toward the X, and will be stopping by a local Verizon store to compare the two phones first hand.

Technorati Tags: verizon, droid, droid x, droid 2, android, blackberry, blackberry pearl, smartphone, new every two, phone upgrade

I’m getting a little tired of the back and forth jousting and taunts between Verizon Wireless and AT&T over their respective cell phone coverage. For the sake of full-disclosure I am a Verizon customer via the Alltel merger.

The problem I have with these attack ads is not their frequency, it’s the claims and comparisons that are being made and disputed by the companies. AT&T set off a furor and sued Verizon when the first of the 3G coverage ads were launched. The claim was that consumers would interpret AT&T’s lack of 3G coverage as meaning there was no cell coverage in those zones. Unless the consumer is stupid (a likely possibility), then those assertions are ridiculous.

AT&T’s response to this Verizon ad compares the two services and is even more misleading than the original Verizon ads! AT&T claims to have the fastest 3G coverage – ok that’s possible but the coverage is severely limited to major urban areas as accurately conveyed in Verizon’s ad. Another claim is access to over 100,000 apps – yeah that’s great but only if you have the iPhone! The two Samsung models they peddle in the ad can’t run most of those apps! The ad also claims the ability to talk and use apps at the same time, again that is only possible with the iPhone.

The injunction sought by AT&T was denied, so they keep churning out more ads peddling the capabilities and features possible with an iPhone (without specifying that face) and then trying to sell a different type of smart phone in the end. A smart phone that doesn’t have the crippling revenue share agreement that AT&T is locked into with Apple for every iPhone activated.

This is causing me to really hate AT&T for making the assumption that I’m stupid and will buy into their marketing bullshit. While I may have been looking to find a new carrier at the end of my contract term that is approaching, I don’t think AT&T will be one of my choices.

I have an iPod Touch and love the interface, but can’t seem to get used to texting via a touch screen so I use a Blackberry Pearl. I have a love/hate relationship with my Blackberry, but that’s another story. The Droid, by Motorola, is definitely on my radar screen for my next smart phone purchase because of the combination of a touch screen and the world’s slimmest slide out QWERTY keyboard.

You can now follow me on Twitter! I had tried the service a while back and decided I would give it a spin once again.

My Twitter page is still rather bare and I will be updating it more frequently as time goes by with links to interesting stories, subjects and the like.

Technorati Tags: twitter, follow, shaun carter

I am the type of person that doesn’t want to bother with design, simply because I’m no good at it and would rather work on the content or overall project. So, because of this preference I find it useful to seek out professional web design for certain complex projects.

You have most likely heard of Network Solutions, a company that built its presence on the web by selling domain names in the early days. They are now offering professional, custom web design packages that require no skills from you whatsoever, because they do it all.

They have successfully designed over 2,000 websites and are looking for more clients to build a professional  and affordable web presence. Prices start at $499 and up depending on the level of work you want done. I really like some of the premium website design packages they are offering because they include one on one work with a professional designer, phone consultations, search engine friendly design, copywriting and more.

All of the designers that will be working on your project are U.S. based and full-time. So you don’t have to worry about your important project being lost in translation by some outsourcing service. You also will have peace of mind knowing that a customer service professional is available 24/7 to assist you once your site is up and running should you have any issues.

I’ve come across a few interesting websites touting the benefits of adding an HHO generator (water based) to the engine of your car in order to increase fuel economy and considerably decrease your gasoline purchases.

Some of the benefits that can be gained by converting your car to run on water and gasoline include:

• Increased fuel economy of 50-75% or more! This could save you thousands in gasoline!
• Tax deduction of $2,000 – $50,000 for clean burning fuel cars and trucks
• Does not void car warranty – system is easily removed
• Easy Installation
• Reduce Our Dependency on Foreign Oil!
• Reduce Pollution

Drive With Water Fuel – Only $49 gets you all the information and steps you need to make your own water to hydrogen conversion kit for your car. The parts themselves will cost less than $50 from your local hardware and auto parts store. Money back guarantee is standard here and the price is set to go back up soon. Reports show you can save about $2,400 per year by implementing their system on your own vehicles. Not bad for less than $100 for the how-to guide and parts!

Run Your Car With Water – $49.97 guide similar to the others showing you how to take ordinary tap water and use it to power your regular unleaded or diesel car and truck. Regularly priced at $297, but going for under $50 for a limited time, you can make your purchase with all major credit cards and PayPal.

Water 4 Gas – This site offers a $97 two e-book package with detailed instructions on “How to save tons of fuel with your hydrogen-on-demand system” and “Modify your car to save gas using water”. The purchase comes with a 60 day money back guarantee and includes free updates for life.

Technorati Tags: gas, oil, water fuel, water car, shaun carter, run you car with water, water gas, hydrogen, tax deduction, clean, fuel economy