I’ve just this moment made this brand-new WordPress install. The plan is to eventually combine all of my previous blogs here, while immediately keep you up to date on what I’m doing around the web — Hint: click on Lifestream.
In the meantime you’ve bookmarked Open attitude, where I post each and every work day, haven’t you? Just checking…
Happy 2010 to my loyal readers — here’s some news: I’ve gone pro! Please visit Open attitude, my brand-new blog.
Not sure if I’ll be doing any more personal blogging here or if I’ll make another WordPress install over at my home page — I’ll keep you posted…
It’s true! About a week before Christmas the holiday spirit got the better of me and I grabbed not one but two of the handsets featured in this Qik video:
Four things immediately won me over:
If you’re a Fido customer in Canada and have a whack of FidoDollars burning a hole in your pocket like I did, the Sony Ericsson T715 is a fine choice — and folks on the Howard Forums will back me up on this.
I wouldn’t hand over any actual cash to Fido for it, though, and I certainly wouldn’t subject myself to a multi-year contract to snag one on the cheap. Why do that when you can buy it fully unlocked for about the same price as the unsubsidized, locked-to-Fido version?
I first came into direct contact with IntoMobile’s Simon Sage through my daily Qiks on last summer’s N97 24/7 tour, and finally got to meet him when he visited Toronto for a TELUS Mobility press event. Since he was kind enough to get me in, I’m giving him a little blogger love here today…
1. How’d you score this sweet, sweet gig anyway?
Half by chance, half by school. I’ve always been big on writing, and wanted to make a job of it somehow. Journalism seemed like a natural fit, but I went into an English program instead, which made me see a lot of other opportunities other than writing for a newspaper. My first blogging job was picked up completely by being in the right place at the right time: a friend at a party said he knew someone who needed a writer, and as an arts major, you don’t hear that often, so I jumped on it.
2. I see that BlackBerry is your sidearm of choice… How about your carrier and call/data plan?
I’m on Rogers, paying about $100/month for 10 favourites contacts, 6 gigs of data, and a handful of minutes. Honestly, it’s mostly overkill since I’m on a laptop most of the time, but I need to be able to go to town on wireless data for app reviews. TELUS has some new Clear and Simple plans that look very attractive, and I’d be tempted to see what WIND offers eventually, but, y’know, three year contracts.
3. Where’s the most exotic place your work at IntoMobile has taken you?
Barcelona for Mobile World Congress. I had been to southern Spain before, but Barcelona was very different. Other destinations have included Las Vegas, San Francisco, San Diego, Orlando, New York, and Toronto. As glamorous as it sounds, most of the time is spent on the trade show floor.
4. If I were to ask for a post you’ve written at IntoMobile.com that you’re particularly proud of, where would you send me?
Hmmmm. I work really hard on all of the reviews, so if I were applying for a job, I’d send them to you — Storm 9530 is probably the best one. But as for ones I really enjoyed writing and actually show off my style, I’d probably opt for one of the goofier ones. Pearl Flip going through the FCC was favourite along that vein
Podcasting is also a big part of my job, and I’d posit my interview with an MP about wireless as my best yet .
5. What killer feature are you waiting for on *all* mobile devices?
Augmented reality that works. Right now it’s niche and kind of jinky to use, but I think eventually we’ll have Bluetooth enabled shades (think Vuzix or Trispecs) with a magnetometer that overlays all of this cool data on top of our real vision. Looking through the phone’s camera like a periscope is really just a stopgap until the accessory manufacturers step up to the plate. It sounds pretty sci-fi, but I think it’s much closer than people imagine.
Here’s one final souvenir from last month’s trip around the world — three once-in-a-lifetime photo opps as seen through the mighty lens of Nokia’s N86…
Wat Pho, Bangkok.
Taipei 101, Taipei.
Shibuya Crossing, Tokyo.
As you can see via the reflection in the pic directly above, all three photos were captured with an N79 — a fine camera phone in its own right…
Thanks once again to Tom and WOM World for entrusting me with an N86. And to my loyal readers, first-time visitors, even comment spammers, I hope you have a safe and happy holiday close to the people you care about. For yours truly, some exciting things are afoot in 2010… Stay tuned!
