Everyone should take note of the fact that each company is desperate for your business and offers 30-day no risk trials (typically with a nominal restocking fee that they inform you of in their pitch) so you can sample from the various carriers and their offerings before settling. Here’s the most straightforward chart o’ pros and cons that resulted in my ultimate decision.

The winner?

AT&T iPhone 4.

The iPhone is far more intuitive, innovative and better executed. I’d really love a led light indicating new messages to eliminate compulsive phone checking. I don’t even miss Flash. From an SEO standpoint, Flash is a foolish choice in site navigation and contents, eliminating a large portion of your audience, including Google search results. Plus, it sounds like HTML5 will have similar, more compatible, capabilities of animation and interaction.

The Droid 2 had its merits. I liked the moon phase widget I could have showing on my home screen, showing a lovely moon in the current phase. I found the physical keyboard to be unnecessary, because it wasn’t as helpful as I’d anticipated. I couldn’t use the physical keyboard by touch without looking because it was too small and the buttons were too close together.

NOTE/DISCLAIMER: This is an October 2010 post I just finished editing today, but still relevant and helpful in smartphone selection.

An article offers tips on nonverbal cues to advance in a business context - some of this is valid, as I’ve played the corporate game - some of it’s just odd.

• Wear pastels to imply trustworthiness.
• Eye contact expectation = 90% in US
• Wear lower heels for equal footing, literally & figuratively

I personally resent the implications of pastels. To me, it says the individual has playful bunny figurines at home. It’s merely a matter of aesthetics, but I suppose the majority rules. “More tea, Polly Prissypants?”

The eye contact level in America is extreme! It used to wig me the fuck out, but then I realized it was all part of a larger game, control, dominance & submission… As the article points out, it’s all very animalistic.

Besides, when most ppl look at you, they’re thinking about themselves anyway, not you. We are an individualistic & self-absorbed society.

The psychology of high heels… that’s a whole other post, but this article would portray it as a signal of weakness, putting oneself off-balance and at a disadvantage. But they look fierce!!! Some could even double as weapons. Not ideal for long hikes, so there is some reality to the overall concept.

( Source | Slideshow )

Wii’s Virtual Console leaves MUCH to be desired. To date, there are only 20 Nintendo titles available, contrary to the vast library of retro Nintendo classics that were to be at our beck and call.

I can’t even imagine how they are determining what to release - it’s certainly not based on the title’s popularity, as they’ve released some mediocre, played-out titles.

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE the innnovation of the system and that it forces the player to be active and work up a sweat - it’s a great system that I definitely recommend. I just don’t understand Nintendo’s strategy, or lack thereof.

Another area they’ve missed the next generation boat lies in what compels people to play. Based on this report, motivators include “sense of independence, achievement and connectedness to others.” Xbox Live excels in this area from their unlockable achievements that add to your gamer points and bragging rights, to the social aspect - notifications when friends come online, voice chat and messaging, collaborative gaming.

In my opinion, the Xbox 360 is the best overall, since quantity and quality of available games are more important than the systems themselves. I will not even consider the PS3 based on its high price - there are no games that can justify that expense for a gaming console. More Wii’s have sold than any other next generation console, if they want to keep up the momentum, Nintendo had better make with the quality games, and lots of ‘em, both in stores and on its Virtual Console.

Just bought my VIP tickets to attend June 22nd - 24th, 2007! I’d been putting it off, but no more!

Plus, if you purchase VIP passes before midnight on Sunday, enter the word HALLOWEEN at checkout to get 15% off!

Bad-ass guests lined up:

• DOUG BRADLEY - PINHEAD FROM HELLRAISER FILMS *swoon*
• KEN FOREE - Dawn of the Dead and THE DEVIL’S REJECTS
• Tom Savini
• Ashley Laurence, Kirsty from Hellraiser
• Angela Bettis - May and The Toolbox Murders
• George Romero
• Too many others to name, click here for more!

See you there!

Guess who the evil empire is taking on with Windows Live Spaces?

Could this come at a better time, with Myspace sucking as badly as it has been lately? >;)

Don’t let’s forget about Yahoo! 360 either.

This is one of the things you can now do on Yahoo. Looks like they are trying to up the ante to compete with MySpace even, with their attempt at Yahoo 360, which won’t let me in.

Also, Microsoft is working on Windows Live Beta, to which you can convert your old Hotmail account for more and better features. Plenty of free beta services for webmasters/business owners too.

Neither of the sites are intuitive to navigate. There’s just too much shit on there in Yahoo’s case and as for MSN, you click on Windows Live Ideas at the bottom right to find out WTF you can do. In their attempt at an over-simplified Google-like design, they’ve lost sight.

So, in summary, they’re striving to improve and offer more and we, the end-users, reap the benefits in free features. :D

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