The history of my cell phones...

Well it's time to actually start writing about some hobbies that I've had over the years! The Christmas Season is over, and the New Year is just around the corner! And what comes with a new year...new phones! And new phones mean new technology!

I've spent some time recently thinking over the evolution of the cell phone and what it means to me! It's been a fun and long ride and I highly enjoy each of the phones I've had. Every cell phone bought creates a special place in my heart, and I have fond memories of each of them. I remember the time (I'm not that old!) when a cell phone was just that...a cell phone! It was a good and simple time when you still called someone that you wanted to talk to because SMS messages weren't all that popular...BBM didn't exist...Apple still hasn't developed the iPhone...and Android was a reference to some type of robot! But those were the good ol days...and today there's no such thing as 'just a cell phone'...it's a powerful, all encompassing piece of technology that aims to make our life as easy as possible...and unfortunately making physical contact with other people unnecessary to stay in touch...

The Sanyo!

My first personally bought cell was from Clearnet...Clearnet!? What's that you ask...well that is the company that was taken over by TELUS in the late 90s or early 00's...the phone was a Sanyo (don't know model number) but it was great! The battery life was phenomenal, it took a beating, and kept on coming back for more! Unfortunately it met a very untimely death when I was out with one of my good buddies and left it in the car overnight! The battery froze and the phone wouldn't hold a charge for more than a few seconds at a time! This is when I realized the importance of recording phone numbers on paper because I wasn't able to keep the phone long enough to actually get any numbers out of it!

How I miss my RAZR...

The lovely Sanyo phone was replaced by the mighty Motorola RAZR...what a phone! It had a colour screen! Whoa!!!! Talk about mind blowing technology! The keyboard was good, albeit took a while to type on, the screen was a multi-colour display which gave horrible pictures/images...but the same can be said of our old consoles (NES anyone!?). The RAZR was a flip phone and was surprisingly robust for the slim design. The hinge always worked, the phone's been dropped but there were no cracks in the glass or any physical damage which would cause it to stop functioning! After a few fond years with the RAZR the screen had decided that it wanted to play and basically was rendered useless when all the pixles went their own separate way! This was a very sad day because I loved that phone as well...I'm still looking for it...but cannot seem to find it.

The 8330...uninspring

Now after the first 2 phones (6 year contracts in total), the real fun begins! My first phone was the RIM Curve 8330! Wow! QWERTY keyboard, a real screen, internet capabilities, BBM(!!!!), and all those wonderful things that came with it...especially work emails from the boss at 3am! (took a full hour to figure out how to stop that thing from ringing when certain mailboxes had new mail!) This phone had it all and I loved it! I kept it for years and really enjoyed it. It was a good size, a good weight, and a very robust phone to boot! It was dropped, water was poured on it, and each time it dried up, and just kept on going! However with more and more powerful apps that were installed the phone began to bog down...and that didn't help things! Being itchy for new tech after 2 years...I made a drastic shift in my phones...

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A very painful, untimely death...

to the Apple side of things! The 3GS bought used from a good friend of mine! This phone was...wow...it had everything I had ever wanted...it was fast, great colours, SKYPE!, music, everything that you could want! Except...the keyboard! Now at this point in time I didn't know what I wanted and I know I wanted a keyboard! I missed that part, and the BBM, so I did complain and complain and complain about that lack of functionality! I also didn't fully understand the phone so the full potential of it was lost on me...and then it died...a painful, graphic, horrible death! But the good thing is that it protected my right cheek from damage in the fall (see attached pic...of the phone not the cheek!)

Still functioning for dad...the 9000!

Once I quickly realized the phone was dead...I called TELUS immediately and went back to my 8330 that very morning...and I hated it...and I cursed TELUS and cursed them some more to give me a discount on the next phone...but they wouldn't budge! I had over a year left on my contract and they could care less about the problems with my phones...so a good friend decided that she wanted the Torch...and bequeathed the 9000 Bold to me...wow...what a keyboard...what internet capabilities...what an annoying scrolling ball! The phone was big, but fit well...the battery life was great, the sound was great, the phone was just a good and solid phone. Yet unfortunately something was still missing in my life...

9700...now in dad's possession

...so then came the 9700! Now this phone I knew was more of an in-between until the next beautiful phone came out...it was a good sturdy phone...didn't complain when abused...survived water damage...survived drops...and just kept on going. The battery life...wow...wow...wow...and the signal was strong no matter where I was! The keyboard was a big smaller than the 9000...but it was worth it! My father is now the proud owner of the 9000 which I had the 9700...surprisingly today I gave him the 9700 as he wanted to try it...

And now we have the creme de la creme of my phone collection...the 4s! Now this is a phone that I very hesitantly purchased with TELUS again (long story)...there was a lot of thought, research, and indecision that went into this decision due to my previous experience with the 3GS...but let me tell you...this is the phone that I could not be happier with! It does everything I want...and it does all of it well! Sure there's no keyboard...but the keyboard can be made to include Polish...which really helps with emailing the home country! With each passing day I learn something new about the phone, and I eagerly anticipate when I can actually fully appreciate the total capability of the 4s...hopefully the 5 isn't coming out too soon as that would suck for the wallet!

The 4S...wonderful

So this has been a very long post, and I'm sure boring at times...but it does chronicle my phone history and I hope to update it in the next lil while with a new, better, and more powerful phone! Or people's tastes will go back to the simple...make a call...and done!

Kettle bells...my hell...and pleasure at the same time...

Well...as many people in the world I have come to the realization that my job, sit sit and more sit, will evantually catch up with me! Being in my early 30s I no longer have the metabolism of my youth and am always looking for new things to keep active, busy, and generally moving in my non-working time! Having bounced around options of swimming (no pools nearby with good hours), skating (weather), biking (weather), and almost all other outdoor activities being weather dependent I looked towards the home gym! Now also with the size of my place (small at best!) an entire gym is out of the question...the price of adjustable dumbbells is in the price territory of a yearly gym membership...a good friend has suggested kettle bells!
Kettle Bells...I may have heard the name here and there, but I've never done any research into these things...well let me tell you...they look like bells...and frankly they come in heavy...and heavier sizes!

16lb up front...30lb in the back...

So my buddy spent a few hours with me getting me into some basic exercises and I can happily say that I'm sticking with this routine!! How long it will last...well I don't know that! But I'm also very pleased with the results, no ripping or bulging muscles but I can definitely feel a difference in my energy level and feel stronger from the exercises provided! I will keep going with these kettle bells to see how I progress (trip to the islands is coming up fast!)
From the clean lift...to the curl...to the dreaded swing...they are fun (very very loose term) and easy to use. You just need some good guidance on form to ensure you don't injure yourself and the space required is no more than a yoga mat laid out on your floor! Which is very handy for the dreaded stretch!

Whatever you choose...do something...anything...to keep active! Life is too short to sit around watching TV all day long...but moving around and lifting weights while watching TV is a much better waste of the precious time we have!!!

The great winter tire debate rages on...

Well here we go for another winter weather rollercoaster! The season has been fascinating so far with weather going up and down on a daily basis, and days like today meeting record temperatures (or close to) each day so far this December! With so little snow coming down in the city, many people are questioning the logic in buying a dedicated set of winter tires for their vehicles...are they really required...are all season tires enough??!!

Preparing to switch the tires with dad

These questions are asked every year and every expert under the sun has an opinion, the Toronto Star for example has a page this week that has stories for pro/con points of view for the tires...which way does one turn!

I'm no expert, and I definitely do not have full knowledge about the chemistry behind the tires that allow them to be better in the snow, but speaking from my own experience (driving since 1996) I can safely say that winter tires are worth the money they cost and then some! I have driven FWD, AWD, RWD throughout my life and each of those vehicles has been driven with and without winter tires...and boy can I tell the difference! You can definitely feel the difference when turning and braking as those are the functions that will keep you out of harm's way more than the ability to accelerate...ahem..AWD...cough...cough...

 Sure the majority of people may feel they don't need them...and of course some have driven since the 50's without them and yet somehow survived!  Tires are the ONLY thing keeping you connected to the road...so it makes sense to put the best on that you can! We all the know the first cars in the ditch and in accidents are the AWD trucks and cars! It's the tires...not the AWD that helps you steer and stop!

I almost like the Winter Rims better!

More questions to ponder...should I get a dedicated set of rims(yes...it's easier/cheaper in the long run)...size up(No!)...size down(Yes!)...what make(I Love my Toyos!)...what to look for(use google...I won't do your work for you!)...and just to throw another curve in there we have ALL WEATHER TIRES! Brand new on the market and claiming they are MUCH MUCH better than all season tires, but still do not come to the performance of dedicated winter tires...they do everything well...but nothing great...let yourself make the decision...

With today's tendency of smaller condos....smaller garages...and smaller houses being built, having a dedicated set of tires really can take up valuable real estate...but no worries...the shop will store them for you for a fee! I'm luck as I keep them at the cottage, on their own rims, and it takes me 20min to switch them on my own! But some of us just aren't that lucky!

In the end...look at your needs, do your research, and look for sales...the season has started...and the prices will start falling soon as stock is still there (unlike last year) and shops will be trying to move their stock before the summer season starts!! (Just bought my new set right before the winter tire switch!)

W