Just Saying, "Hello"

I recently acquired a new cell phone from T-Mobile .... Motorola CLIQ .... . The purchase of this phone was brought about by the death of a cute little cell (also from Motorola) I had managed to keep alive for six years (buying it new batteries every two years or so).

Truth is, I liked my old cell better. It's difficult to use everything the CLIQ has to offer without running the battery down way too quickly. When I called T-Mobile for assistance, the suggestion was to use a less than maximum quality setting for photos, to run fewer apps, and to disable the wi-fi.What's the point of having so many features, if I don't use them!?!

And much to my dismay, for some inexplicable reason, the CLIQ turns itself off, without warning, when I am trying to take/save/share a photo or video (and the photo or video vanishes forever). So far, I haven't figured out why. Sometimes it works wonderfully well and other times it does not work at all! One of the principle reasons for buying this phone, was for the camera. I love to send photos off to whoever and wherever as soon as I take the photo. However, I have found that when traveling, the photos do not always go right away (if at all) to where I'd like them to be.

T-Mobile coverage is excellent in big cities but works less well and sometimes not at all in other locales. So not the best service to have when traveling. I find myself pulling out my i-Pod and my MiFi (Verizon provides excellent coverage).

Having said all of the above, I just found a fun feature on my Motorola CLIQ. There is a factory installed app simply labeled, "Voice Search". A simple tap yielded, "Speak Now".

And so I found myself just saying, "Hello".

(My "Hello" produced a page of Google listings for "Hello" beginning with Hello Magazine.)

Update 6/14/2010 - Dropped by Costco today to pick up some HP printer ink. The wireless cell kiosk is located at the end of the aisle. A young salesman asked if I was ready for a new phone. I replied that, unfortunately, I already had a new phone. He asked what I didn't like about it. And I shared my battery woes. He grabbed my cell and added a free app called Advanced Task Killer. Then he turned down the light on my screen and removed most of the apps from my screen. I kept the messages window on top so as not to miss text messages sent directly to my cell. I can check the other functions ---- email, Facebook, etc manually.

He keeps his phone on Battery Saver Mode all the time. However, some of the functions don't function on Battery Saver Mode. I have the phone on Performance Mode when I am trying to take and save pics. There is also a Smart Mode.

He showed me how to use the touch screen to take my apps up and down. Clearly, I need to read the directions or spend more time at Costco.