Category: Technology

My path to get an iPhone was rudily interrupted and after a cloud of smoke, I ended up with the HTC Touch Diamond. Here is what happened:

• Telus’ rentention department called me in April. Told them I wasn’t interested and ready to switch to Rogers for the iPhone. They offered me a free smartphone. I politely turned it down.
• Found out about Telus’ EPP voice plan for $17.30. Jumped all over it. Got 200 minutes, evenings starting at 6pm, Telus to Telus, free caller id, free call forwarding.
• Noise of the “iPhone Killa” Samsung Instinct hit the internet. Cool, some competition.
• HTC Touch Diamond will be available in late August to Telus customers. Whoa, what’s this?
• 2nd call from Telus’ rentention centre. Offering a free HTC Touch Diamond on a 3 yr plan.
  Can I keep my EPP Plan? – … Yes.
  Can I switch my Spark 15 for the $15 data plan? – … Yes.

In the end, it was about dollars and sense while comprising a bit on cutting edge technology. Rogers need for $30 data plans, and leveraging customer loyality with Telus all played a part.

After reading an article in Wired Magazine, I quickly realized the battles Rogers is having with Apple are the same ones that AT&T had. Data plans are a cash cow for Rogers and they are having a hard time lowering data plans to accomodate the iPhone community and their data hungry cell phones. For those that have imported their unlocked iPhone from the U.S., how is life with your GSM carrier (Rogers)?

Seems like no one is willing to pay for anti-virus software (including myself) and are looking for alternatives to buying the name brand software like Norton or McAfee. Most of the name brand software comes with huge mail-in rebates that require you to wait 2 months for you to cash in on a deal. I recommend looking for alternative solutions. I’ve personally been using Avast Home Edition for the last 6 months and have little to worry about. Most companies selling anti-virus products are beginning to give away home editions for free.

Here are some recommended programs:
Avast Home Edition
AVG from Grisoft

I get a lot of friends and family asking me what high definition tv they should be getting. LCD or Plasma? 1080p? 42″, 50″ or 70″? Projector or the flatscreen TV you can hang on the wall? Your options are endless.

720p vs. 1080i
Prices are dropping on earlier generations of HDTVs. With 1080p on the market, some of the older models are dropping in price. Although its a good idea to get a 1080p TV, most cable companies are still too far behind to even show HiDef in 720p or 1080i. Unless you own a PS3, you will not benefit from 1080p anytime soon. This article breaks down further information on 720p vs. 1080i.

Cables
This is where most electronic stores can take you to school. Cables are marked up 100%-1000%. If you are spending more than $10 for an HDMI cable, you’ve been had. Say no to cables from these shops and go online to shop for a generic version:
Shop at Monoprice
Reviews on Monoprice
Or you can try Meritline

Accessories, accessories
Finally, you got your shiny new HDTV at home. Did you upgrade your DVD player? You forget to buy the HD Upconvert or HD-DVD player? How about the receiver from your cable provider? Tell me, at the very least, you got the HiDef receiver from your cable company? Suprisingly, this is where a lot of people don’t prepare themselves in terms of budget for a new TV. The HD receiver is critical to getting HiDef running in your home. Budget around $200 for one. I highly recommend getting your hands on the best HD-PVR your cable provider can supply you with (which can cost upwards of $600). Nothing beats playing, pausing, and recording live high definition as you explain your setup to your friends and family. Some people call that “flossing” 🙂

A friend of mine emailed me a clip from Oprah’s show talking about how it would be to work at Google. Life in Mountain View California doesn’t look too bad 🙂 According to Oprah, Google receives 1300 resumes a day. Take a look at the YouTube cause this place speaks for itself.