New Toys

I've been playing with my new toy this week...Barnes and Noble's Nook. It's their answer to Amazon's Kindle. So far, I LOVE it.

I will admit that I haven't actually read an entire book on it yet. Or, I haven't at the time I wrote this blog. I have every hope that by the time this posts I will have. But I have been buying and downloading books. I'm sure B&N is very happy with the heat being generated on my credit card. I've uploaded my own pictures to use for backgrounds and screen savers. I've read a few pages of every book that I've purchased and a few they gave me for free.

So far, I love the feel of it in my hand. This is honestly the thing I was worried about most. I enjoy holding a book. Flipping the pages. The crinkle of the paper. Obviously, you don't get that on an ebook reader. However, the flip side is that it's so light and definitely easier to hold up than a hardback book. I don't know about y'all, but after a couple hours those hardbacks can get pretty heavy and hard on the arms.

The screen is very easy on the eyes. And while it isn't back lit - which can be a problem - I bought an attachable reading light which should allow me the chance for some late night indulgence. The bottom screen is a touch screen which I like. I have the ability to view my library by cover and even shop by cover. The downside is that I keep forgetting that the top screen isn't touch and I try to scroll through lists that way before I realize I can't. I'm sure I'll get the hang of it soon though.

There have only been a few books that I was interested in that weren't available in eformat. However, the bright side is that most of the books are less expensive in digital format. (which is good since this thing wasn't exactly cheap...)

About the only problem I've discovered is that I can't take it into the bathtub. I do like to relax with a drink, a book and lots of hot water. Unfortunately, I'm not willing to risk dropping my expensive new toy into that water. I realize in theory this makes no sense since I have no problems taking my alphie in there to write...but I'm not holding alphie over the water and the Nook is too small to read from the side of the tub.

All in all, I'm very pleased. Ask me again in a few weeks and lets see if I'm still using it or if I've reverted to the stone age and good old fashioned paperbacks. I have a feeling that I might end up with a combination of the two.

Instigator

P.S. Problem Child is blogging today at the Pink Heart Society. Stop by and say hi! www.pinkheartsociety.blogspot.com

New Toys

I've been a little distracted this week. Shhhhh, don't tell my editor. :-D Zilla and I both got new toys over the weekend - Blackberry Storms.I had no intention of getting a new phone but...I needed a new battery and car charger for my old cell and it was actually cheaper just to get us both new phones. However, that means that I've spent countless hours this week playing with buttons, learning menus and researching apps. Oh and let's not forget downloading my music, searching for True Blood backgrounds and making new ringtones for all my friends.

What's really been fun in all this is watching Zilla. The first night he was like a kid in a candy store. While I've had a smartphone for a year he hasn't...and had no idea what he was missing. While my phone wasn't working (Verizon did replace it immediately the next day) I received at least five phone calls from him exclaiming over some new trick his phone could do. The funny thing is that since the first night he hasn't played with it at all. While I've downloaded new themes, games, ringtone makers, efficiency software, etc. he hasn't even changed his background.

After spending several hours yesterday I think I've finally pushed all the buttons and figured out what everything does. Which means I can return to my regularly scheduled week. I have a book due in 15 days and I really need to finish it. :-) (Brenda, if you're reading this, I swear I only have about 30 more pages to write. :-)).

Have you gotten a new gadget lately? Do you get sucked into technology? Do you know of any great apps for the Storm?

Instigator

Flashback

So, I've been thirty for a week now. It's going okay. I guess. In more interesting news is my birthday party tomorrow. I went shopping and have lots of super cool 80's things for my party. For decor, I've dug out some of my old toys and hit the store looking for some replacements of the things I've since lost. You'd be amazed at how many items can still be found in your neighborhood Toys R Us. I got some Smurfs, a My Little Pony, some Hot Wheels, Strawberry Shortcake, a Care Bear, a Pound Puppy and a Rubix Cube.

But the absolute best thing I bought is this. --->

I don't know if I've mentioned my Barbie collection before. For the most part, I've tamed it. I haven't bought one in years. I sold most of them except for my absolute favorites. When I went into Toys R Us, there was a huge display for Barbie's 50th Birthday. Apparently to commemmorate, they've reproduced some of their most popular dolls over the years. The one is Barbie and the Rockers from 1986. I had this doll. This exact doll. Everything about her is just the way she was. I had her, Dee Dee, Derek, the stage and the metallic pink Corvette convertible. Oh yes. I LOVED Barbie and the Rockers.

So, of course, when I saw this in the store, I immediately snatched it up. Did any of you guys have one of these? She was Mattel's competition for JEM (she's truly outrageous...truly, truly, truly outrageous). If not, there were several other reproductions that might be more from your era.

How about this one - Superstar Barbie from 1977?

Or maybe good ol Malibu Barbie from 1971?

Maybe the Bubble Cut from 1961, then?

Or the original Debut Barbie from 1959?

I adored Barbie as a little girl. I had the house, the cars, the furniture and a million different outfits. I only parted with my stuff under protest when I was about 14 (I know, so embarassing) and turned to collecting the more expensive boxed dolls instead. Did you have a favorite Barbie? If not, what was your favorite toy as a kid?

SP

PS. HOLY CRAP! Look what I just found! Jude Deveraux has a 2003 Barbie and Ken set reenacting her book The Raider! I never knew that was an option! Hit the NYT! Get your book made into a movie! Get a Barbie set designed after your book!

What a trip.

New Toys (Sort of)

Last week Instigator told us about her new toy. Little did I know I'd be getting a new one too. Well, it's a hand-me-down, but it's new to me. And along with any new toy comes a new way of doing things. So if you get a strange phone call or text message from me in the next week or so, just ignore it and chalk it up to my slightly out of whack learning curve.

The reason I got a new hand-me-down toy is because the DH got a brand new toy. This is the Dare, an iPhone clone. iPhones are only available from a certain wireless provider and since we have to use a different provider so that everyone can hear us now, the iPhone isn't a possibility for him. But the Dare is pretty impressive.

And here's my new-to-me phone -- the Samsung Alias. It has all sorts of features, most of which I'll never use. But I can call someone or take a picture of a friend's book on the shelf at Walmart and then send it to her. And because it has a dual-hinge design so that when opened in landscape mode it displays a QWERTY keyboard, I can text a little faster than with a standard numerical dialing pad. Look out! PM has entered the twenty-first century. Sort of. Right now I'm trying to transfer photos of BabyGrand from a mini SD card to the phone. If you get a picture of her by mistake, just admire how cute she is and then hit the "Delete" key.

I'd ask you what new toys you have, but Instigator already did that last week and it's doubtful any of you stumbled into toyland like I did.

So instead, I'll ask what you're reading now? Do you have a good recommendation for us?

I'm reading NOW YOU DIE by Roxanne St. Claire. If you came to our RWA chapter's luncheon in May, she was the guest speaker. NOW YOU DIE is the third book in a trilogy about three sisters adopted on the black market and one man's search to clear their birth mother of a murder charge.

New Toys

I am woefully behind when it comes to cell phone technology. For the last 2 years I've been using a hand-me-down phone from my dad. This phone had many capabilities including voice dialing which I was too lazy to actually set up. And to SP's eternal dismay I never bothered to change my ring tone let alone customize them for each person.

Now, all that has changed. Meet my new toy. :-)

It holds music, accesses the Internet, syncs my outlook contacts, calendar and tasks, downloads my email, takes pictures and allows me to assign all of these things to the people in my life. I have spent the last two days trying to learn all the features this sucker sports and I'm not sure I ever will. There were several pages in the 160 page manual that I simply skipped over because I had no idea what they were talking about. I figured anything at this point was an improvement over what I had before. Baby steps :-)

I will admit that this entire process has not exactly been a walk in the park. My work computer didn't want to recognize the phone when I connected them. My phone didn't like the firewall on my computer. My server connection at work disappeared after I finally got the network connections worked out. And then I got a virus (I actually think that was coincidence - I ran the virus scan software because of all the connection problems and realized it hadn't been run in a...um...couple weeks).

However, now everything is fixed, communicating nicely with each other and I have filled up half the memory on my phone already with songs from my CDs. The girls listened to my cell phone on the way home last night instead of the radio. Yes, I had all of the CDs piled in the seat beside me but I wanted to listen to them on my phone! :-) I'm sure after a few days this euphoria will fade but for the moment I'm enjoying playing with my new toy. It's like the Christmas I got that leather bomber jacket I'd been DYING for.

Any new toys in your life?

Instigator