Big Brother Recycle Bins!

The city of Cleavland is spending $2.5 million on recycle bins with embedded chips which will keep track of how often residents are recycling.

In the event that residents are not putting out their recycle bins frequently, city workers will go though their trash. If they discover that more than 10% of the trash consists of recyclable materials, residents will be fined.

CLICK HERE to see the full story.

Ara's Review of the Blackberry Torch 9800

BlackBerry Torch 9800

I have been reading many reviews and first look articles about the all new and much anticipated Blackberry Torch on the AT&T network. I picked mine up on August 11^th , the day it was released.

Everyone knows I have been a big fan of BlackBerry throughout the years as it has been the only smart phone I have used.  With e-mail constituting a big portion of my daily use, I have always prioritized it as the number one factor when selecting a smart phone.

That being said, throughout the past few years, the Apple iPhone and the new Android phones have taken the market by storm. These devices offer great applications, games, sharp HDTV-like displays and quality cameras.  I see most of these as a distraction from the tools I really need.  While I use the Apple iPad and iPod Touch at home for controlling lighting and all audio video features, I prefer a phone with great contact management, fast e-mail, a proven calendaring application to keep track of my schedule and a powerful web browser to navigate to desired websites on the go, which the BlackBerry lacked until now.

The Torch is a well designed and very sharp looking phone; it is the first BlackBerry to include a touch screen and a full keyboard. It feels great in your hand and pocket and is almost same size as the Bold 9700. The slide keyboard extends below the screen and is very easy to access and type. The keyboard is slightly smaller than the Bold 9700’s and I wonder if I will eventually stop using the keyboard as I become more accustomed the touch screen.

I was happy to discover that they did away with the Storm’s clickable touch screen which did not feel good at all. The new touch screen is clean and simple and with some practice you get used to the typing.

New BlackBerry OS6 Screen

I like some of the refinements in OS-6, the best one being the new Webkit browser BlackBerry finally included it this version. The browser is now comparable to that of other smart phones, giving you full browsing capabilities and the ability to expand and magnify the screen with a multi touch screen.

All BlackBerry shortcuts are still usable in this new version and some are even enhanced by the ability to use the touch screen.

In my opinion, this is the best BlackBerry yet as it combines new touch screen technologies and keeps alive what BlackBerry fans have learned to love.  It is important to remember that the Torch is not an iPhone or an Android phone; they all have their share of problems and benefits.  If you are looking to use your Smartphone as a tool to help you get through your work day in an organized manner, then the Blackberry is still hard to beat. It does not have many applications but it has perfected the important ones you will need for business. Furthermore, the new Torch combines great BlackBerry calendaring, e-mail, and contact management with new tools such as connections to social media sites, a new 5-Megapixl camera that takes quality photos (some examples of pictures I took this past weekend with my new Torch below), and easy to use menus and features.

Yacht called "A" in Malibu CA

Great Picture Quality even at the Ocean

I am interested to see how the new OS6 will perform on my Bold 9700. For many hardcore BlackBerry users, the full keyboard version is still the best BlackBerry and switching to a touch screen will take some getting used to. I know a few instances where users including my brother have upgraded to the new Torch but have returned it and gone back to their BOLD 9700 because the full keyboard offers much faster access to e-mail and other features.  This is defiantly a change of culture for the avid BlackBerry user, but looking ahead to be competitive with other touch screen smart-phones such as the iPhone and the Android, I can't see BlackBerry not forcing itself to start producing touch screen phones only. Just like the death of 6-Speed sports cars, the death of keyboard phones is quickly approaching.

In the coming months BlackBerry is due to release many new models using the new OS-6 operating system and will offer it on some older models that can handle the new OS, such as the BOLD and CURVE.

I am interested in hearing back from you on your comments and impressions of the new BlackBerry or the smart-phone you are using.

Rubik v. God

How many moves does it take to solve a Rubik's cube? 20!

After 30 years, "God's Number," has been confirmed by a team of.

How we spend our time on the internet

A recent study done by Nielsen shows how Americans spend their time online. The most amount of time is spent on social networking sites and blogs, while playing online games came in second and checking e-mails was third.

While time spent on social networks/blogs and playing games has increased since last year, people are spending significantly less time checking e-mail year after year.

This chart will help put things into perspective:



CLICK HERE to read the specifics.

AT&T Accidentally Unveils Newest BlackBerry

At around 8am today, AT&T prematurely posted the Torch, which isn't scheduled for release until August 12th, on their website.

The phone will be priced at $199.99 and has a 3.2 inch touchscreen, 5MP camera, 1GB RAM and 4GB memory.

For more specifications, follow these links:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/202443/BlackBerry_9800_Torch_Makes_Early_Debut.html?tk=rss_news

http://money.cnn.com/2010/08/03/technology/new_blackberry/index.htm?source=cnn_bin&hpt=Sbin