• 10:12 @mattcutts I agree about the Christmas lights - that'd be sweeet! #
• 22:48 Those Blackhawks are just nasty! Two shorties on 1 PP?!!? #fb #
• 00:22 The #Blackhawks put on a clinic tonight! That was fun to watch :) #fb #

• 15:03 @ericshuff That video made my day! Thanks!! #

• 12:08 2010 planning already? Where did November go?!!? On another note, have you check out those #Blackhawks ?? #in #
• 23:48 Finally headed home after a VERY long day at the office. #

• 15:33 What a week! Went to Google for training, getting ready for a new client and a new project. Time to wind down and watch my #Blackhawks ! #in #

• 21:42 Not sure where the fall went this year - I miss it. Or I missed it. Did green leaves fall from the trees? *braces for winter* #
• 22:40 *twitches from #blackhawks withdrawal* Is it Thursday yet?? Hopefully #Toews is able to make his return! #

• 08:57 The clouds this morning are a symphony of color and light #

• 21:29 Just finished my first functional VB macro! Now to watch the Hawks come back. Go #Blackhawks ! #
• 21:46 A heartbreaking loss, but Huet was AMAZING in the third!! #

• 08:10 On the Purple Line heading into work. Excitement overwhelming my synapses. #

• 10:19 Obama personally lobbying with Olympic Committee for Chicago's Olympic bid...that's huge! bit.ly/1QkDfJ #

• 01:45 Much earlier: I'm so tired, I'm going to bed really early. Now: 2am is early, right? #

• 11:36 Finally got the new consulting site going...now time to get back to Tweeting! bit.ly/V7QEB Make sure to check out the blog! #

While I have a few moments of peace, I wanted to write a review for the Samsung Instinct, the newest phone from Sprint (check out their slick page: http://www.samsunginstinct.com).

With the ongoing craze of the iPhone, and my reluctance to move from Sprint, where I've been a customer since college, I was forced to take a close look at the Instinct. In the store (Best Buy), it appeared to have a slick touch interface with no "real" buttons whatsoever (other than a few necessary ones along the edge). At a little over four ounces and less than half an inch thick, it feels smooth and light in the hand.

The most obvious point of discussion is the screen and the touch interface. At the very bottom the screen (actually below the screen) are the only permanent fixtures on the phone. A "Back" button, a "Home" button and a "Phone/Dial" button. When you turn on the Instinct, it will usually default to your Favorites page, where you can keep applications, as well as contacts you text message often for one touch access. When you touch the screen, you get immediate feedback, in the form of a light rumble. Scrolling, as you might expect, is accomplished by pressing a little harder on the screen, and moving your finger to drag the content.

Typing (which has become quite requisite in this day and age) is accomplished via a touch keypad. At first, I was a little concerned I wouldn't be able to press the buttons clearly, I've had little trouble, and usually travel without my stylus. (As a side note, there is no place to store the stylus. Put that on the wish list.) The typing keypad is typically QWERTY in landscape (holding the phone horizontally). You can also switch to an alphabetical keypad with the phone held vertically.

The GPS functionality has been the most utilized resource on my new Instinct. Within 3-4 minutes, I can detect my location, find the nearest movie theater (or any others, sorted by distance) and be on my way there with turn-by-turn directions. I can also search for businesses along my route (and switch the navigation to the new business).

The camera is fantastic, and I'll post some pictures later today taken with it. My old phone supposedly had a decent camera (in terms of megapixels), but the quality was always that of a cell phone. Not in this case! I've even used some of the photos for work-related documents! I've test SprintTV and SprintRadio, and both are nice in terms of quality and speed. There's apparently a Music Store, but I haven't ventured into that realm yet. That's what the 2gb memory card it comes with is for.

Purchasing this phone was the first time I heard about stereo Bluetooth. Being a bit of an audiophile, I was intrigued. A couple days ago, I picked up a pair of Motorola HT820 Bluetooth Stereo Headphones. While I won't go into too much detail, the sound quality is excellent, as well as the stereo separation. Phone and music controls are on the headphones, so once you start your music player, just drop the phone in your bag or pocket.

Now that I've made your mouth water, I'll tell you about a few issues. First and foremost, the USB connectivity is severely lacking, at least on Apple computers. We are able to mount the phone for 5-15 seconds, before it unmounts, claiming we removed a device without unmounting. There's apparently no Mac support for the software/drivers involved. With Apple's share of the consumer market rising at 21% , Samsung/Sprint might want to work on that. For now, I'm transferring data via Bluetooth (at 20k/sec) or using a card reader.

My other comments are much less severe. I'd like some customizability in the interface (at least in color). I would like to put Call XXXX as one of my favorites (texting can be a favorite, but dialing someone cannot). This is where I should be complaining about the battery life, but I really can't. They give you an extra battery to switch out, but I usually only have to use it if I've been using something intensive, such as the navigation.

All in all, I think the Instinct is a great phone. The only real blemish is the inability to transfer data easily, and that only affects 21% of us (can you see me rolling my eyes?).

Rating: 8.5/10

Current Mood: thoughtful

• 10:38 @jera That's so fantastic! I'm going to think of that when I'm on the train next time (never been on the Swift, though) #

This morning, on my bus ride to work, I got to play peek-a-boo with a little Hispanic boy, probably 4 or 5 years old. He was simply one of the cutest kids I've seen in a long time. As we played for about 15 or 20 minutes, I just felt warm inside.

Current Mood: touched

• 08:55 Today I saw an old Japanese man holding his granddaughter in his arms. It made me smile inside and out. #
• 11:14 @jera Yay for feeling sexy! (And reading :) ) #

• 03:10 Tonight I've truly been blessed by the emotional generosity of friends. #

• 10:40 So many people take the beauty of Lake Michigan for granted. How can you not gaze at it every chance you get!? Shame... #
• 20:05 One me my biggest pet peeves: sidewalk hogs. Grr... #

Recent events in my life have verified something I've been telling myself and others for some time. Communication is key. It's really strange how things have turned out. We find ourselves hesitating to ask for what we want for fear of appearing demanding or strange. I've seen quite a few individuals and couples lately that span the entire scale. I want to start this by telling a hypothetical story.

Mary and Dave have been dating for about a year and spend most of their nights together. The relationship is generally good. Dave and Mary do all the normal couple things and seem pretty happy with themselves. However, for the six months they've been really serious and sleeping together nearly every night, Mary's been a bit uncomfortable. You see, Mary likes to have her space on a bed most of the time, while Dave likes to be snuggled close. Because Mary thinks it might put a strain on the relationship, she doesn't bring it up. She thinks it's trivial and she's actually gotten used to it for the most part. It's just those nights where it's humid that it drives her crazy.

Mary should be up front about it with Dave. That way, they can talk about what the ideal situation might be. Without realizing it, Mary's mentality has spread to other aspects of their lives, where she endures his love of greasy food or sloth-like behavior for the sake of maintaining the relationship.

Open communication will not destroy a relationship! People really need to learn the phrases "I want" and "I need". And they need to drop the image and be willing to ask for what they want. Then, the other person/people can decide how to address it. Otherwise, it remains an unspoken issue until it becomes much larger than when it started.

Likewise, when you're in a good situation, you should talk about that too. "I really enjoy it when you/we..." I know it's a difficult concept, but positive reinforcement does work. If people know you enjoy something, they're more likely to exhibit that behavior again. Here's an example for the women (it applies to us guys, too, though). You know that one spot on your neck, either on the back or right at the base near the collarbone (or your earlobes) that drives you crazy when kissed or nibbled? If you say, "It really turns me on when you kiss me right there," you'll have to find a crowbar to pry them loose. I realize most people can clue into this without someone directly telling them, but why even allow the possibility of confusion when you can assure that you'll be pleased.

Communication is key to friendships, relationships, marriages and sex. If you can talk openly (about anything and everything) without fear of judgment or causing a problem, everything else will work out. And if it doesn't, you know you did what you could and it will not be as likely to end in a screaming match. However, if you feel like you can't tell your partner or friend anything freely, the relationship will always have a certain distance.

Current Mood: thoughtful

• 17:42 Is the roof of everyone's mouth ticklish? #

This morning on my bus ride to work, I sipped (ok, gulped) my grape-flavored Amp energy drink. Being a NASCAR fan, I often think about how I'm supporting Dale Jr., my favorite driver, when I make that purchase (Amp sponsors Dale). I realized that I've never thought that with another type of athlete. There might be an, "I wanna be like Mike" mentality when buying the shoes he endorses (am I dating myself?), but I never thought of that as supporting the athlete. His bank account, perhaps.

But NASCAR's advertising, which is admittedly pervasive, makes you feel like you're supporting the race team, because the company is funding the race team to compete. Even if you're not a fan of advertising with such flagrancy, you have to admit that it is pretty brilliant. At least I think it is.

Current Mood: rejuvenated