Technology

May 02, 2008

New cameraphone!

We checked the mail on the way to the cell phone store and discovered that Hubby had received an offer from Verizon for a new free LG enV, so that's what I got.  The camera is only 2.0 megapixels (there are no Verizon phones that have both a keyboard and more megapixels than 2.0), but it's good enough for mopicblogging, don't you think?


New cameraphone!, originally uploaded by Jacqueline1776.

 

I need a new phone

My old cell phone is hosed.  It has stopped taking a charge, and after a brief examination the Verizon customer service guy declared it A) hopeless and B) not covered under warranty, since it is missing the back panel and has dog chew marks all over it.  (The dogs gnawed the back off of it a few months ago.)

So I need to get a new phone and I'm going to have to pay full price for it.  :(  I also need a new digital camera (my digital camera has been hosed for a while now).  So I'm thinking I should get a phone/camera combo, if I can find one that has a decent camera (including a flash!).  I'd also like to be able to use it as a mobile blogging device.  And an MP3 player would be icing on the cake.  But I don't want it to be too big.

The salesperson pointed me towards the Samsung Flipshot as having the best camera (3.0 megapixels vs. 2.0 or 1.3 on most other phones) but it doesn't have a keyboard.  I do a lot of texting and would like to write mobile blog posts so a keyboard would be a good thing to have, but I don't know if I can get both a keyboard and a good camera from a Verizon phone.

Hubby and I will also be investigating what the cost would be to cancel our Verizon contract, in case we can get better phones at a lower total cost by switching carriers.

Any suggestions?

April 28, 2008

Time-shifting NPR Morning Edition?

I love Morning Edition but I don't love mornings and thus I haven't been able to listen to it for months.  I would like to download it as a podcast to my iPod, but that option doesn't seem to be offered in iTunes or on their website.  (Or maybe it is and I'm just dumb -- is it?)  There seems to be an option to listen to streaming audio later in the day, but that would require sitting at the computer and I want to listen to it while I walk around and do other things.  (If I wanted to be stuck sitting at the computer to get my news, I would read the newspapers instead.)

Any suggestions?  I haven't renewed my NPR membership yet this pledge drive because I almost never listen anymore (the only show that ever seems to be on when I have the radio on these days is -- barf -- Fresh Air, and I usually change the station because Terry Gross's voice and speaking manner make me want to stab things).