Technology Themed Thursday! SMARTPHONES

The HTC Dream AKA T-Mobile G1

The first Android phone to hit the market back in 2008

I now have one.

By today's standards, it is nothing particularly special.

But by my own standards, it is amazing.

I got my first cellphone at age 18. A standard LG model. No texting.

Two years later I got my second phone. Standard LG. Unlimited texting. No data.

A little over a year after that I got my third. A Motorola. Standard. Piece of shit.

I got sick of it fast... so I jumped and bought this used phone.
BECAUSE I COULDN'T STAND BEING BEHIND THE TIMES ANYMORE.

It does enough to keep me happy. I still have no data, but I connect to wifi everywhere.

I have Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and whatever other apps.

I also have Game Boy emulators to play some Pokemon on the go (like REALLY on the go).

It lags... but I also haven't rooted it yet (to unlock and put a different interface on).

I just ordered a new case for it. It will be orange and black soon.

And I have the headphone adapter so I can play music in my car.

I like it.

Since then, the iPhone 4 is coming out, Windows has a phone, the G2 is coming out, Sony leaked a Playstation phone, THE 3DS IS SO CLOSE. It's whatev.

I'm still completely lost and drowned in all of the current technology.
But I hold onto other older technologies.
VHS and cassettes, Zip disk, the Virtual Boy....

Vintage. Retro. Classic. Nostalgia.

I have no way to wrap this post up.
I like my phone.

I can has THREE FAVRIT BLOGS?

Intertube Records

This is my new absolute favourite blog. For those unfamiliar, it is a music themed blog about viral videos which spawned from the original internet meme website: icanhascheezburger. The "Cheezburger Network" has expanded rapidly, with Intertube Records coming onto the scene around August 2010. The site includes creative original pieces from otherwise anonymous YouTube users. Some are 100% original, some are mash ups of popular songs, some are remixes and some are AutoTuned versions of the news. I do not consider any of it popular music (my nemesis) because it isn't backed by money. Pieces that involve popular music are usually satirical or just showcase an individuals skill at making different songs sound good together. My favourite entry from recently is a mash up of Nirvana's Smells Like Teen Spirit and Rick Astley's Never Gonna Give You Up. Gold.

Cracked.com columnists

Everything posted on Cracked.com is pure genius (as well as informative). When the contributors get to write about their own experiences in the same sort of style, it gives the overall piece a feeling of connectedness; like they're actually talking to you. One of my recent favourites is called "The Worst Board Game of All Time" written by Seanbaby. He mock plays a game called "The Dr. Laura Game" and answers questions as the stereotypical conservative ex-radio host. Good stuff. They also occasionally review new technologies coming out. They recently threw together an information page about the still-highly secretive Nintendo 3DS with their input mixed in.

Serebii.net Pokemon fansite

I love the videogame called Pokemon. I've been playing it and the sequels since it debuted in the States back in 1998 or so. This fan site updates everyday with information about current games, upcoming games, television shows, manga and everything else Pokemon related in the world. But that's not what makes this a superb fansite. The site also contains detailed information about leveling up, evolutions, moves, secrets, all they way down to the formulaic math used to figure out stats of each individual Pokemon. It is an extremely useful resource. Pokemon is also an extremely community-based game, giving a highly social experience to an otherwise very private medium. This is achieved through the DS's wifi capabilities. You can basically communicate with anyone else in the world with the games.