I had a two year contract with them and my phone really didn’t have a vast amount of excess features that I would never use.  My only issue was in regards to text messaging. None of my friends like to talk on the phone anymore, they prefer to go completely through text messages and when you’re on a prepaid plan it’s kind of hard to keep throwing money onto the phone couple of weeks.  Granted, it takes me about a month to really need to add service in which case it only costs me $20 but when you use the phone strictly for emergencies and you’re left with no minutes at the end of the month it really can be a hassle.

So what do you do? This situation may only work out well for me, not too sure about my readers.  I only ever have the phone on me when I’m driving. There are some people out there who use it as their sole form of communication – something I see no point in considering there’s always a land-line around me (I work from home, remember?) However, being as my friends are text-message fanatics, my minutes are still eaten up.

So my intent is go sign up with Verizon Wireless, getting the $39.99 a month plan that includes unlimited in network calling, as well as nights and weekends (starting at 9:01PM – it’s not 9PM that’s how they screw you).  With that plan, I’ll spend an extra $10 a month and sign up for the unlimited data option which gives me the ability to send as many text messages and photos as I please.  I’m not really someone who goes out of my way to snap pictures and send them to friends, but there are times when you go past something really cool looking that’s worth documenting and you don’t seem to have a camera on you.  Now, my digital is small enough where it can fit in my purse, but what’s the point of carrying it with me when I’m really never going to use it?  It’s always in my purse when I never need it, and never in my purse when I do. My cellphone, however, is always with me.  So I believe this would be the perfect option for me.

So I sat down and did the math.  While Sean really wants to have a cell phone, if I’m the only one who’s leaving the house to go to work then there’s no real point in him having one (at this moment in time).  So I’m going to sign up for the $39.99 a month plan, and purchase the LG Voyager.  It gives me a full keyboard to keep up with text messages, something I really happen to like when you really read into things. It also only costs $100 for those signing up with a 2-year contract. With the addition to the $39.99 package, I’ll be spending $10 a month on 500 sms/picture messages which includes unlimited IN NETWORK messages.  Anyone I’d message is with Verizon so it wouldn’t cost me a dime to talk to them. The $0.99 monthly charge for ring-back tones is appealing, and spending $1.99 on a detailed bill just seems worth it to me so I can keep track of exactly where everything is going.

So my monthly cost (before taxes) would be around $55.  That’s not too bad considering I’m basically paying for unlimited resources (based solely on the fact that all phone calls and texts will be made in-network).  Cool huh?

I’m trying to figure out which cell phone provider to choose from. I’ve narrowed it down to AT&T/Cingular and T-mobile. I’m interested in the lowest family plan available and I know that no matter which one I go through I’m going to be spending about $85 a month. I’m just undecided on which cellphone to actually choose.

I’d love to pick up a Blackberry but I’m also really interested in a 3G iPhone. Either one would give me the ability to stay in touch with friends, family and clients but it would also allow me to check email when I’m on the road and that to me is the big kicker with things. I know Sean would like an iPhone but I think any Smart Phone – at this point in time – would work out well for the both of us.

So my question for you – which route should I take? Should I spend about $80 a month with Cingular and pick up an iPhone or should I spend $90 a month with T-mobile and pick up a couple of Smart Phones for Sean and I?

Any suggestions would be great, even if it’s another service that you’re currently subscribed to. Right now we’re living in Delaware but if things go the way we’re hoping we should be moved up to New York before the end of the year. So if the state based pricing/services make a difference, make sure to suggest those as well.

It’s statistics are fairly easy to sum up:

Features:

• 7 Independent Daily Alarms
• Nap Timer (1-120 minutes)
• Easy-to-use Rotary Set Mechanism
• Customizable Snooze Duration (1-30 minutes)
• Backlit LCD Display
• FM/AM Tuner
• Radio Sleep Timer
• Battery Back Up (2 AAA batteries, not included)
• Dimensions: 5” cube (to top of knob)
• Power Cord Length: approx. 5.5’
• Uses 120V standard US current
• Manufacturer Warranty: 90 days

The only thing that would make it better is if it could house my iPod, but since that seems to have a permanent fixture on my desk these days, I guess I can deal with the standard alarm sound.

I have read (on other sites) that my dream clock is in the works. Not only will it have a 7 day alarm but it will also have an iPod dock and many different alarm sounds to choose from. As long as it’s got a sleek design, I think I’ll be perfectly happy with owning one.

ThinkGeek offers a plethora of different gadgets and gizmos and contrary to popular belief, they aren’t all that expensive either. Take this USB Snowbot for example, it’s a snowman-robot hybrid with scanning LED eye, articulating metal arms and eerie sound effect. Snowbot is the perfect geek holiday decoration – and it’s an exclusive ThinkGeek original design. It’s USB Powered and you can change the LED Eye Colors to either Blue or Red, there’s an on/off switch for Authentic Snowbot Sound, Rotating Arms and it comes with a USB cable that’s 2 1/2 feet long. At $9.99 it’s the perfect little gift for any tech-nerds desk.

And for those stuck in a cubicle year round, they have an LED Jellyfish mood Lamp that houses lifelike jellyfish that swim as bright LEDs change their color and mood. This particular gift is a little pricy at $49.99 but it’s a gift that keeps-on-givin’ year round. And for the ultimate Star Wars fan, you can pick up an official Lightsaber replica for $119.99. Unfortunately the Darth Vader replica is currently out of stock, but you’re still able to pick any other model up – including Yoda’s Lightsaber! Not too bad, eh?

I’m unsure of which one I’m interested in getting though. I do know that I’ve grown an interest in the #include <beer.h> glasses. they hold 12 ounces, which is a standard beer mug. I just know that it’d be cool to have some interesting geek things around the house to confuse some people. Sean and I are the programmers in the house, but his brother is the least computer savvy person in the world, so I’m sure he’ll crack a smile in appreciation but will have no idea why there are any extra characters floating around on the products heh.

How it works is:

You unscrew the light bulb out of one of your house hold lamps.  You then take this gadget and screw it into the light bulb socket.  You then screw your bulb back into this gadget and the gadget will begin to charge the three rechargeable AA batteries.  If your power happens to go out, within three seconds of the AC power switching off the LED lights in this gadget will turn on and you’ll be graced with up to 16 hours of light.  There’s a pull chain on it so that you can turn the light on and off as you please.

It also has a sensor on it, which I thought was pretty cool.  When the sun comes up, the sensor will shut off the power to the gadget to conserve on its internal energy.  Once the sun goes down, if your power is still off, it will click the LED’s back on and you’ll walk into a well-lit household without having to trip over everything when you get home from work.

It costs about $60 from HSN, I’ve been unable to locate it at another store but I’m sure there’s somewhere to get this product for a cheaper price tag.

I figure if you’ve gone out of your way to have a first aid kit and flashlights in the house, having an actual light in the house will make your home that much safer when the power goes out.  No more lighting candles that could potentially start a fire.  This unit doesn’t over heat, even during charging.  Once the batteries are fully charged it will shut off the ‘charging’ option until the unit is actually being used.

Panasonic HDC-SD5; $999; www.panasonic.com

Sony Walkman S600 Series; $120 (2GB), $160 (4GB), $210 (8GB)

Sony Walman A800 Series; $140 (2GB), $180 (4GB), $230 (8GB)

www.sonystyle.com

To use the headset, you’ll have to insert a set of earbuds to attach the pendant to your shirt.  Then you’re limited by a relatively short connection radius of about 20 feet; go further and you’ll get static or a broken connection altogether.  Within these constraints, however, the headset performs well and is a better call solution than the slightly noisy speaker phone function of the primary unit.

For music reproduction, the T515 isn’t a bad unit.  It has a relatively robust dynamic range for such small speakers, and although we heard some distortion at high volumes, the effect was similar to other desktop speakers of similar size.  Frustratingly, the track selection controls on the pendant work only when docked with the main unit, so it can’t operate as a remote.  You can use your phone to remotely select tracks, however.

We do like the option of powering the T515 either with an included AC cord or four AAA batteries. No matter your power source, the headset pendant will automatically recharge when docked – though you can recharge it through your notebook with the included USB cable.

Altech Lansing T515; $149; www.altechlansing.com