The Computer Next Door

Eat, Drink, and Give the Gift of Merry

Don't get me wrong - I love consumer goods as much as the next red-blooded American.  After all, going to the mall (if you can avoid getting gunned down by some nut) helps keep the economy afloat.

But eventually, you can only accumulate so much "stuff," and start to see the wisdom in buying consumables - things to eat, drink, enjoy, and then be done with.  It's the experience, after all.

Here are a few sites I'm shopping at this holiday season that offer edible (or drinkable) gifts for the gourmet or gourmand on your list.

GIFTS OF TEA

Tea is so good for you.  It's good for the soul, good for the mind, and good for the body.

If you want to buy tea as gifts, try some of these sites:

Numi Teas

I really like Numi teas.  They're fragrant, beautiful, and definitely  unusual.  All good attributes for a holiday gift.

I have a little glass Numi teapot of my own (individual size), into which I put a flowering bud and hot water.  The bud blossoms into a wonderful flower that at the same times gives you - guess what, a flower tea.

The Numi website includes groupings of inexpensive teas and herbal "teasans", bamboo-packaged gift selections, loose tea, tea ware, and flowering teas.  Anything would be a treat for a tea lover, but I definitely recommend (unless they already have one) that interesting little glass teapot with which they can see their tea bloom.

For a broader selection of different kinds of teas, try:
Adagio

For the benefits of green tea, try:
Rishi Tea

CHOCOLATE GIFTS

Godiva is the gold standard in chocolate gifts, and they make the online ordering process for gifts quite easy. Every year they come out with something new in the gift area, although their truffles are always an exquisite classic. Be careful at Godiva, though - if you spend enough on gifts, they'll give you a box of the stuff for your own use.

If you want to branch out and try some other brands, you might also try:

Artisan Confection, with Joseph Schmidt, Scharffen Berger, and the organic Dagoba Chocolates

Candinas Chocolatier - Swiss made and preservative free

SPICES AND EVERYTHING NICES

A friend turned me on to Penzey's Spices a couple of years ago, and I've been buying their spices by mail ever since.  They have considerable depth and breadth to their offerings (this is more apparent if you actually order their catalog or go to one of their retail stores) and they have some really interesting spice samplers for anyone you know who loves to cook. Their Website is slightly retro, and takes some thought to find what you're looking for, but the quality of the spices is really worth it.

Oh, and the other great thing about buying things to eat and drink as gifts - you can be pretty sure they won't be returned!  Ho ho ho.

Fun with the iPhone

It’s been over 3 months since I started using my iPhone and I thought it was time to report on it.  For the record, I’ve been using Apple computers for over 20 years and a more loyal supporter you won’t find.  I think when it comes to industrial design the folks in  Cupertino wrote the book.

A FEW "I-GRIPES"

Of course I expected my iPhone to be a good phone, which it has been.  But I think the AT&T service isn’t as good as it was on Verizon. At least it seems to me that I’m seeing “No service” far more frequently than ever before.  On the other hand, I’m using my phone far more often.  When the phone is working I have absolutely no complaints about sound quality, etc..

I do hate the headphones that came with the device.  Then again, I’ve never liked Apple’s earphones.  I’m an  “in-ear ” kind of listener.  Currently I’m using Sony (http://www.sony.com)  earphones with a Monster iCableLink Headphone Adapter for the iPhone (www.monstercable.com)  The iPhone earplug port is recessed and doesn’t accept all headphones.

My earphone set-up isn’t ideal.  The Monster adapter is several inches long.  While it’s flexible, the iCableLink adds length where length isn’t needed.  The Sony headset already comes with an extention cord that I never use. But the iCableLink is definitely a good product.  It lets you use any pair of  standard headphones from full-sized headsets to earbuds.  Most importantly the flexibility of the adapter helps to prevent damage to the minijack audio connection.  Manufacturers such as Belkin (www.belkin.com) also make adapters, albeit more rigid.

What’s most frustrating in this set-up is the lack of integrated microphone, which you get with  Apple’s earphones.  With third party earphones when you’re listening to music and the phone rings, you remove your headphones to speak.  With the Apple provided earphones you just hit the  microphone to cut the music and answer  the telephone.

There are iPhone  earphone/microphone combos on the market.  The AT&T store (http://www.wireless.att..com)  carries a  universal stereo Shure model.  Also there’s a V- Moda  Vibe Duo available on the  Apple website (www.Apple.com)

My adapter was a cost effective addition (only $9.99 plus tax) to the existing headphones I was using with my iPod.  I’m still investigating the best new options, before spending $100 or more an integrated model.  A word of caution.  I almost bought the wrong V-Moda headphones at the Apple store.  Make sure you’re getting the headset with the microphone, if you’re buying it for an iPhone.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE iPHONE

Now, on to what I love about the iPhone.  I don’t think a device has captured my imagination like this in years.  This is no phone, this is a computer.  It’s not a smart phone  it’s a genius!

I’ve had an iPod almost since the beginning.  I own four of them  (the original, the mini,  a Nano and a Video) not including the iPhone.  Two of them I’m using as spare hard drives.  One’s permanently docked to a speaker set-up and the Nano’s what I wear in the gym.

With my iPhone I’m suddenly carrying music with me all over town.  For the simple reason I now always have an iPod with me built into my phone.  Now, I don’t tote tons of songs with me.  I feel no need to have my entire library always at my finger tips.   If you do want everything, maybe you should have the much larger iPod Classic for that purpose.

Some of the unexpected pleasures of the iPhone are as follows:

1. The Stopwatch.  I write TV promos, which have to be accurately timed for the announcer to read.  The iPhone’s stopwatch is better than the sweep second hand on my wristwatch, nor do I have to carry around a dedicated stopwatch.

2. Google Maps.  Wherever I go, I can pinpoint the address down to the block.  Comes in very handy on the street, and on the road.

3. The Alarm.  My husband’s trusty alarm clock isn’t reliable anymore.  Now all he needs is my iPhone by the bedside.

4. Instant information.  I can comparison shop in a store by going to Safari and checking out a shopping bot on the spot.  Movie schedules, trivia questions, dictionary definitions, these are all things I’ve checked on my iPhone instead of my laptop or desktop in the last few months. I may not need to know the weather in Paris every day, but it’s an icebreaker at parties.

The Wi Fi’s been pretty reliable for the most part.  I’ve gotten free wireless access in reataurants, stores, hotels and on the street.

Yes, there may be a faster iPhone in a few months.  And who knows, maybe Apple will have another price cut in the near future.  But to me, the future is now.  The iPhone’s a great device here and now.  If you’re thinking about getting one, I highly recommend it.