Droid Does...but Doesn't for Everyone

Warning: I am easily swayed by cool stuff. (That's not the word I wanted to use, but for the kiddies...) Techie stuff, that is. If it's a gadget I think I gotta have it. As my high school classmate/friend Kelly Z. says, it feeds his A.D.D. So I guess I am a little A.D.D. (justa little) I Tweet, Facebook, blog, and am even trying to figure out Google Wave.

Speaking of Google, did you know there is such a thing as Google Goggles? You can take a photo with your phone of, say, the Eiffel Tower. Google it, and guess what? Recognizes the photo and comes up with your search results. It will search such things as landmarks, books, logos, artwork, etc. Pretty soon you can take a picture of a stranger and voila! Hope it doesn't come to that. Freaky weird. But I love it :-)

I digress ... a few weeks ago I was banging my head trying to figure this gadget out. Well I'm about 70% there. Maybe not even that because after I find out how to do something with it, I find out something else that is even cooler! So here are some things that are SUPER COOL.

I have installed an app called Calorie Counter. (Lose It is the iTouch app). Right now I'm only using it to keep a food diary, not necessarily to lose weight. So you add "add breakfast." You can search for the item, find it under quick pick, even has restaurants listed... but the SUPER COOL thing is the "scan barcode." I eat Kelloggs Smart Start for breakfast. You click scan barcode, the Droid goes into camera mode with a little red line across the screen, just like the scanner at the grocery store. You find the bar code on the package and bleep! All information is scanned into the phone. It gives me the calorie count, carbs, fat, even weight watchers points. I know of two people who have lost 15+ pounds using this type of app. SUPER COOL.

Don't run out and buy a GPS for your car! That will all be integrated into your phone...just like it is now on the Droid. Droid is totally integrated with Google anything. Call up the Maps app, it knows your location and gives you voice directions to where you want to go. SUPER COOL. The only thing it needs for me is Snoop Dog voices instead of that monotone computer lady. (Tom-Tom has Snoop voice and others). Ah come on, it's fun. That'll come along before too long.

Oh it has your general stuff: Facebook, Weather Channel, EZ Tip Calculator (since it is a known fact that I can't add), news sites, etc. But back to SUPER COOL. How about the Ringdroid where I can make my own ringtones, or my Green Bay Packers keyboard, an app called Beer Cloud (scan in any beer bar code and it tells you all about the product), Key Ring...those annoying little cards you have to carry around? No more. Scan in the bar code and you have them all on your phone. Sports Tap...gotta have real time scores for every sport I can imagine, lemme see what else do I have on here...Super Yahtzee, Cribbage, Twidroid (Twitter for Droid), oh and the totally SUPER COOL GreenFinder...uses GPS to find out how far you are away from the pin...haven't tested that one out yet but have downloaded all the Lincoln courses into it.

There are so many apps for stuff you would never think of. A flashlight? Really? Uses the screen brightness to help you when you drop your keys. Heck you could grow plants with this thing.

OK so it's SUPER COOL. BUT... here are the drawbacks for the non-A.D.D. world...

First and number one rule: This thing is not a phone. It is a device...and by the way, it makes a phone call and takes a picture. But that is not it's main purpose. You have to be techie clever to figure out you can put shortcuts to all your 'speed dial' buddies on your desktop, otherwise it is an app just like everything else.

Second drawback: As widely stated on Droid forums, the camera flat out sux. I have said that if I'm ever in a hit-and-run where I want to take a quick pic of the fleeing car, forget it. It's not quite an act of congress to take a photo, but once again, that is just another app. It isn't fast enough to access for my A.D.D. when I want to take a picture of Gene Simmons blowing fire at the KISS concert.

Third: It is a brick. This sucker is heavy. You put the heavy-duty case on it, you're logging some serious weight. And it doesn't come with any kind of stylish girly-chick leather carrying pouch. I don't know where to put it! Not attractive in the back pocket, or a smart place to be when you sit down. Thus the heavy-duty case.

Last major issue: I have spent 1/2 my kid's college education money on accessories. Holy rip off, Batman.

Overall: Things that aren't physical you can find an app to solve just about any problem. But physical, you can't change. I would urge anyone who is easily swayed like I am to give this some serious trial period time. It takes quite a bit of geek-ism to get all your stuff set up the way you like it. Kind of like your computer at home, you like it just so, and don't screw up my desktop. The Droid is SUPER COOL but it definitely won't be a fit for just anyone, especially if you just want to make a damned phone call.