This past May I decided to let something special into my life, a motorcycle. I did not realize how big of an impact it was going to have on me until it was too late. I read through the Illinois Motorcycle Handbook and then went to get my M permit, 7 days later I bought my first bike. I was on the fence about buying one as I never saw myself as “biker”. Whenever you hear that someone rides a bike either think of some Jersey Shore looking guy in flip flops and a dago-t on a crotch rocket or some bad-ass looking, tattooed biker on his Harley. I didn’t see where I would fit in.

I bought my 2001 Kawasaki Ninja 500 from a guy on Craigslist for $1400. The bike ran and needed a little work. After a couple hard days of work and help from some of my friends we had her running perfectly. I took a picture of the beautiful machine and posted her on my Facebook. I was immediately bombarded with “Don’t kill yourself”, “You bought a bike?!”, “Why?”, and “I hope your life insurance is paid” (my mother said this) comments on the photo. After all the people had left their thoughts and condolences I decided to call a few friends who I knew rode. They were both average riders and had sportbikes. They showed me the basic operations of the bike and took me out riding occasionally. After a few months it was time to take the MSF course that I had enrolled in at the beginning of the year.

I went through the course learning how to control the bike and how to handle the bike in various situations. The test day rolled around and I passed. I was officially a rider. I took my MSF card over to the DMV and they put a “M” on my license. I felt…free. I drove my car home and took the bike out. I went to the forest preserves and then to the city. I rode for hours and still wasn’t tired of it. I took the bike every chance I could get. I would run into people that I hadn’t seen in a while and they were either really surprised and happy for me or they were extremely “disappointed”. I had one lady that I used to work with ask me if “I valued my life why would I ride one?”. I replied with that’s why I ride one because I value my life and want the most out of it.

Going back to my initial impressions and attitude of a motorcycle. I was always one of those people that said I wouldn’t get one and it was too risky but something changed. From the moment that I shifted the bike from neutral to 1st gear I just knew that it was for me. The only way I can describe how it feels to ride is “alive”. The feel of the wind against your body. The power of the bike beneath you. The sights and smells of the world around you. I have never felt so in tune with the world than when I am on the bike. There is no comparison to flying down the road taking everything in, just you, the bike, and the world. It’s a big change but its for the better.

While the feeling of being on the bike is unsurpassed by anything else there is something else that comes with owning a bike, community. Whether you like it or not when you buy a bike you are automatically enrolled in a “club”. Other bikers will wave or nod at you. Why would they do this do you ask? Because they get it and you do too. Riding isn’t for everyone but for those that do it they get it. Up until I got the bike I wouldn’t be very inclined to talk to random strangers just because they had a Harley jacket on or because they were carrying a helmet. But now I’ve managed to strike up conversations everywhere. I’ve found that most riders are pretty friendly and love talking shop.

I’ve since purchased another bike and I am passing my Ninja onto my father so he can share the experience with me. I hope that other people would approach riding with an open mind and see how amazing it is. Keep the shiny side up and the rubber side down.

All jokes aside this will be something to keep an eye on as this purchase is pretty big. Personally I think Microsoft may be trying to take a shot at Google Talk/Voice marketshare. Only time will tell.

Read more about this @ Wired: http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/05/microsoft-buys-skype-2/

I have been a long time user of Digg and Reddit. I had abandoned Digg when they had changed their story and news algorithms to promote the commercial listings and went to Reddit. The main thing with Reddit is that it really isn’t a news site and feels more like a time waster.

Now it seems that in the past few months Digg has gotten their stuff all straightened out and it is more user driven as it had been in the past. There are still commercial listings (ads) in the news feeds but they are clearly labeled as a sponsored result. I have been switching back to Digg as their news content is typically of higher quality than Reddit.

The problem with Reddit is that it sometimes feels like a 3rd world country in comparison to Digg. While there are some useful things on Reddit most of the rest of the posts are silly images or videos. Where as Digg is actual news that is still user driven. I also enjoy the fact that Digg has a podcast called Diggnation that covers the top stories from each week.

But until Reddit gets its frontpage cleaned up and contains actual news instead of useless internet memes and YouTube videos I will be sticking with Digg. Feel free to comment and give your input. I am interested to hear what other people think regarding this.

Have a look at this infographic from RushRate.com:

I am also open to any tips or advice for someone that is moving out for the first time and I will need someone to show me the ropes for public transportation should I decide to use that instead of driving.

I was not aware that Chicago has a city ordinance that prohibits anything from being on the side-windows. I also found out that they raised the ticket from $25 to $250 when the Illinois house bill passed in 2009. Their revenue went from $736,000 in tint related tickets in 2008 to over $7.3 million in 2009 after they increased the ticket fee ten-fold. I had contacted my lawyer and she advised me that I mail in a copy of the HB 3325 that was passed and a receipt showing that my tint is within the legal limit for where my car is registered. The administrative law judge still found me liable for the ticket.

I started calling around to get a hold of someone at the circuit court and just got the run around. It took me over 2 hours to get through to someone and the gentleman that I spoke to said that he didn’t even agree with the law either. I was going to fight it but after telling my lawyer that they still found me liable she said to just pay it and comply because it would be far more expensive to fight the ticket. I removed my legal tint and paid the ticket. I am out over $400 from this now due to the tint removal, the ticket, and taking time off work.

What I do not understand is how they can get away with this? Basically they make the ticket only somewhat expensive and then jack up all the legal fees so the ticket doesn’t look so bad. I also was of the understanding that “home rule” was for rules such as speed limits and other rules of the road, not equipment. Honestly I really wish there wasn’t so much business and opportunity for IT work in Chicago because I would be giving them the single finger salute as I drive to another state. Once the job market picks up I will be leaving Illinois entirely and I wont miss their BS laws and exorbitant taxes.

Here is the issue. Chicago regulations say that ANY tint film on the side windows is illegal. Illinois state law states that 35% non-reflective tint is permitted as long as all windows are 35% with a 5% variance being observed. My tint is 35%. Chicago is supposedly using “home rule” to make this law. The problem is that my car is NOT registered in Chicago so why do THEIR laws apply to the equipment on my car that is legal where my car is registered? And on top of this the ticket is $250.

Has anyone else gotten this ticket for LEGAL (35% or more) tint? I want to get a (class action?) suit together. I need a good lawyer and some other people to get this ball rolling. I don’t claim to be a legal expert so my terminology may be off.

My goal is to get this amended or removed.

If you have gotten a ticket for LEGAL window tint in Chicago please email me at Timothy.Hoogland(AT)Gmail.com. Please put “CHICAGO TINT” in the subject line so it goes to my email filter properly. Please provide me with your name, phone number, address (city at the least if you are not comfortable giving out your full address, and relevant info from your ticket (date, time, where it occurred). I am getting a list of people that have also been hit with this so that I can assemble a large case against the city.

TL:DR, I have tint that is legal in IL but Chicago says NO tint allowed and ticketed me $250 for it. I need help with this.

I used to run the iPhone (had the 3G, 3GS, and 4) on AT&T but I got tired of poor customer support and dropped calls. With that being said I will cover EVERYTHING that I have experienced with this device. Everything from having to get it replaced 4 times before I got a working one to how amazingly customizable it is. I will cover hardware and software aspects of the phone.

The Good:

The Screen

The EVO has a brilliant 4.3″ LCD screen. Some argue that AMOLED screens are better than traditional LCD but I have a hard time agreeing with that due to the nature of AMOLED screens and displaying text. AMOLED is great

for pictures and movies as the contrast and blacks are better than LCD. The drawback is that text looks odd and jagged on most AMOLED screens. I do more reading and administration tasks on my phone than watching movies or viewing pictures so choosing a device with a traditional LCD screen was a no brainer. Here is a good image for comparison.

3G & 4G Radios

Before Sprint rolled out its 4G (WiMax) network AT&T was the only carrier that supported simultaneous data and voice when in a 3G coverage area. Now if you are in a 4G area (which are growing every day) you can make calls and surf the web simultaneously when you are connected to a 4G network. I am fortunate to live where there is abundant 4G coverage and I use it on a daily basis. Not only is the ability for simultaneous data and voice convenient but the 4G network is about 2-3 times faster than the 3G network. I average between 1-2 mbps download speeds on 3G and anywhere from 4-10 mbps on 4G. Considering this is on a device that fits in my pocket those numbers are pretty impressive

Connectivity

Aside from your standard Bluetooth and WiFi that most modern smartphones offer with the EVO you get a standard MicroUSB port and a MicroHDMI port. The MicroHDMI port allows you to output pictures, video, and streaming media to any HDMI connected TV or Monitor right from your phone. I have used it a few times and the playback was smooth and the sound quality was great. It is definitely a nice feature to have if you want to show people a video on a TV. I also like having a standard MicroUSB port as opposed to the proprietary Apple 30 pin dock connector.

Dual Cameras

On the EVO you will find 2 cameras. One on the rear and one on the front. The rear camera is an 8 megapixel camera (with flash) that also records in 720p video. The pictures and video are great in normal and bright situations but as with most cameras that are on phones the quality can take a pretty good hit when used in low light situations. I am overall happy with the quality of the rear camera as it is just a phone and it is more of a convenience to have. If I want a great picture I will take out my Nikon DSLR. The front camera is a 1.3 megapixel camera that can be used for taking pictures as we as video chatting with people over Qik or Yahoo! Messenger.

Software

As most of you know the EVO runs Google’s Android operating system. When I purchased the phone back in July it came with the 2.1 (Eclair) version of Android. I was happy with 2.1 when it was all that was there but when the 2.2 (Froyo) update rolled out it made a world of difference. The improvements of overall system speed were noticeable and the task management of 2.2 actually worked. Anyone who had a 2.1 or older device has probably used a task killer of some kind. I have not had to use a task killer (and they don’t work in Froyo) in Froyo or felt the need to use one. If you are someone who just picks up a phone and uses it as-is you will be happy with the stock HTC version of the 2.2 Android software.

I used to like the “Sense UI” but I have started using 3rd party “launchers”. A launcher is what you see when you press the home button on your device. On your home screen you can put shortcuts to your favorite apps and mini applications called widgets. A widget typically provides access to data from an app without having to open up the app. A perfect example is a calendar. I have tried out LauncherPro and ADW.Launcher. I am currently using GO Launcher and like it a lot.

Now launchers are pretty easy to install and configure (they are available in the Market). My favorite part about this phone is the software community over at XDA Developers (http://forum.xda-developers.com/forumdisplay.php?f=619). These guys (and girls) are amazing. If your EVO is rooted and software unlocked you can really have some fun. Just like you can install different flavors of operating systems on your desktop computer you can install different operating systems on the EVO. There is everything from very fancy operating systems (commonly called ROM’s) to ones that are minimalistic. I use one called VaelPak that is still based off of HTC’s Sense ROM but it has had the Sense launcher and the Sprint apps stripped out of it. In addition to removing the Sense launcher and the Sprint apps the developer has made low level changes to the ROM to make it run faster and more efficient. I went through many different ones until I found one that I liked. YMMV. There is far more that you can get into and if you are interested please have a look at the link posted above to the XDA forum.

The Bad:

Quality Control Issues

While it seems HTC has fixed issues with the current generation EVO’s I still feel it is necessary to mention the hell that I had to go through because of quality control issues with this phone. I originally bought my EVO new from a Sprint corporate store. I had it for about 2 weeks when a bright spot under the letter ‘b’ on my on screen keyboard developed. I called Sprint and asked them what they could do and at that point in time there was a shortage of the EVOs so I dealt with the minor issue.

I finally went into a Sprint repair center where they mailed me out a new phone to my house. The new one arrived and it was even worse. The unit was obviously refurbished and has a multitude of issues. The replacement unit had about 10 bright red dead pixels, light leakage at the bottom of the screen, and the battery back would NOT stay on. I brought this into the Sprint store and made them give me ANOTHER phone right there. The replacement one seemed fine up until I went to use the HDMI port and it fell INTO the phone. At this point I was pissed and tired of Sprints refurbished phones. I made the store manager give me a NEW one. I have had it for a few months now and have had no issues. It is the newer hardware revision (0003) and seems to be good.

Battery Life

I will be blunt. It. Sucks. No really. It is terrible. I work in an area that gets low signal so naturally the phone has to work harder to get signal this in turn drained the battery REALLY fast. I would start my 8 hour work day and by lunch the battery would be at 40-50% just from idling. I ended up trying an app called JuiceDefender and bought the UltimateJuice addon. This helped a lot as it turns off unnecessary radios and services when the phone is idling. I could make it a whole day with that app. I did end up getting the Seidio 3500mah extended battery and I have to say it is worth EVERY penny. I have zero regrets purchasing it. I also have the case that goes with the battery.

Conclusion:

There are some issues with this phone but they are not deal breakers. I am probably one of the few people that had to have their EVO changed out this many times but it happens. I appreciate Sprint making the effort to help me as a customer. When I had issues with my iPhone 4 Apple and AT&T both told me it would be over a week to get a new one (that is why I switched), with no loaner phone. I like the flexibility that the phone offers as well as the lower monthly bill when compared to AT&T with an iPhone.

I have only dropped 2 calls since July. I was dropping between 5-6 calls a DAY on AT&T with my iPhone 3GS and I couldn’t even use the iPhone 4 as a phone. I highly recommend Sprints service and would honestly recommend the EVO to someone who is looking for a powerhouse in their pocket. There are so many things that this phone can do that I didn’t even touch on in this review. Maybe I will release a follow up covering some applications that I find useful. Thanks for reading!

~Tim Hoogland

~Tim

I got the photography gallery online! If you want to check it out just head over here: http://www.timothyhoogland.com/gallery/

I will be adding more photos as I look through what I have on my drive. There are already 42 photos right now and there will be more to come.

~Tim