Mindless Rant about my Nexus S

Things to Buy for Europe

• Buy a Laptop
• Get my first ever smartphone for Europe  CHEEEECK!
• Get a portable harddrive 1TB?
• Passport/Visa
• Plane Ticket

After many weeks of research, umms and ahhs, boring the pants off friends and family and even my lecturer at Uni - I have settled on my new best friend - The Google Nexus S.

I think I became slightly addicted to trolling the many forums there are about android phones, and I think I watched every single video available about this phone. I've never been a fan of touch phones but I figured now is a good time as any to get started on learning. I will always love pressing actual buttons - but hey - I wanna video chat with you fellows and having a big screen helps!

I won't bore anyone else about the specs about this phone - there are plenty of forums like I said. But how do I find the phone so far after a week? Yeah - I love it! It's my first one so I can't compare it to others but it runs fine, fast and looks good. It is light and I like the rounded edges compared to the Samsung Galaxy range.

Things to note are that Vodafone offers the phone only in Superclear LCD version rather than AMOLED (because they are really rare) which means the phone is actually slightly bigger. This makes it hard to find cases and screen protectors for it because some just don't fit. Everyone made it for the original AMOLED version before they last minute changed it for most countries to Superclear LCD - which I think seems better anyway. The screen is REALLY PRETTY.

I find it a little annoying how the on/lock button is directly opposite to the volume rocker because I usually accidently press the other when I'm using one of them. The new features that came with Gingerbread seem to be well thought out and the aesthetic of the menu screen is definitely swanky! With a sort of curved, conveyor belt effect. I've had minimal lag on the phone so far and Oh! When you lock the phone, or the screen times out - it has a cool effect similar to how a tv turns off.

The battery is been doing my head in a little. I read WAAAAY too much into batteries and how to extend them and about recalibrating batteries and I think I went a bit nuts gungho about it. My friend Helen will be able to vouche for that [what do you mean, you can't come over because your phone is charging????? unplug it and bring it over! ...but but I caaaaan't .... I'm recalibrating the battery!!!!]

Honestly, the first time I used it after the 8 hour charge - it worked amazing. I used it for 3 days before it died. Well just under 3 days. And then the next time I charged it, it only charged to 96%, and now it only charges to 92% - and says it is full. But according to half of the forum - this is supposed to happen and it "protects the battery" or some rubbish... others say the battery is full but the PHONE itself needs to be recalibrated to read that level as 100%..... some say you need to factory reset, some say take out the battery, some say drain it completely and charge 8 hours then bump charge and then bump charge again - and then others say bump charging is bad for your battery... a group even say don't ever let the phone die!!!!! In the end, I was like stuff this. I don't care - I am over it.

I'm following the general consensus of others in forums like me who say lithium batteries don't have memory and are made to be charged and discharged frequently so just charge it whenever you want and as often you want and who cares. It's a battery.

Alright - I think I've ranted long and hard about my new phone. Point is - it's pretty excellent. Later on - I'll give it a try trying to blog or post a picture from my Nexus S and see how it goes! Oooh - I should name my phone!

Sweden Plans Begin! I want to know what Uni I'm going to please!

Hey guys!

My blog is back on in a whole different and more amazing way! It's spanking new and oh so swanky! It's my usual ramble with a focus! It's been chosen after careful consideration of all the other blogging platforms as my vehicle to communicate to you good people about my big trip to Europe! Seriously - what is it with Tumblr and not letting people comment on blogs?

Well anyway, I'm not going until the beginning of next year but there is so much going on with the preparations - that I'd love to get started now. Plus, it'll get me in the habit of consistently blogging again.

So what's the deal? I'm actually going to Sweden on exchange next year to study at Uni! Why Sweden, you say? Well - it's all a little random but for some reason it seems to appeal to me. It could've been because I used to have a pen-pal from there back in the good ol' days who told me I should go and I said I would. It could be because France is just way to touristy (and apparently smells?). It could be because I like snow. It could even be because of Ikea.... I don't know. It appeals to me and words cannot describe how excited I am to be going!

Right now is a pretty nerve-racking time as I am still yet to hear what Uni I will be nominated for. All I want right now is to have my first preference. Apparently, absolutely everyone has applied for it (perhaps a slight exaggeration) so I have been advised that it may not be "guaranteed" and I could get my second, or even - oh please no - my 3rd!

Preference 1: Uppsala University

From what I hear, the city Uppsala is a student town. It is the fun Uni, located pretty close to the capital, Stockholm and it's always fun there because everyone there is a Uni student. Uppsala itself is apparently the oldest Nordic University and talking to people in Europe - seems to be rather popular. It's also ranked rather well, making it to the top 100 best Universities in the world and wow doesn't the great hall look pretty! It's closer to everything and closer to my sister who lives in Amsterdam. Apparently, that pen-pal I mentioned before - is going there too at the same time as me!

Preference 2: Umea University

Location wise: it's a little daunting. It's basically up, up, then up and right a bit. Yeah, there under the Arctic Circle! So it's going to be cold cold cold - a normal day there is -32 degrees! When it snows, it snows. A normal thing to do there is dog-sledding! Far out? And sometimes it is nighttime at 3pm! But I just researched a bit more, and apparently sometimes the sun shines almost 24 hours a day and the northern lights sounds like something I do have to see. It's super far away from the capital - in fact Umea is the biggest city in the North of Sweden. All I know is that if I'm going there, prepare to be very cold.

Preference 3: Karlstad University

Don't know too much about it - It's a bit to the left of Uppsala and seems like a good University too. My first impression of it is a bit more of a country town. I'll definitely be getting an authentic Swedish traditional experience here!

Well - that's all for now. My neck is killing me I've been sitting on the couch using my laptop all morning. I think I should probably get up and do something - It's a super nice day today and I'm being a lazy poo. Thanks for reading!

First blog down - YES!