I wasn’t anticipating on writing this post today (my off day), but I got a tip and Verizon has just released its HTC Droid Incredible 2, with the Casio Commando and the Samsung Charge to follow. I’m way too tired to be doing any in-depth reviews so I’ll leave you all off with lots of photos and a light synopsis on each. I have to admit, the new Incredible 2 has the rugged feel and durability that you’ll find from its predecessor with great features found in the HTC Thunderbolt such as a 1.3 MP front-facing camera, dual LED flash, the 8 MP camera, a 16 GB microSD, and best yet, it’s global ready. It runs on Android 2.2 (Froyo). It has a 4″ touch screen and weighs only 0.17 oz. more than the original HTC Droid Incredible. The phone’s back plate has been smoothed out but you’ll still get that felt-like feel with the now one groove instead of two. The right side of the phone remains virtually buttonless as the volume control still remains on the top left adjacent to your USB connector. The power button has been placed on the top right, a spot that angers me because it feels a bit awkward when you have to press that button, but that’s just something we all live with subconsciously. You have two microphones, one on the top and the other on the bottom panel. The speaker is aligned horizontally next to the flash so you won’t find clarity an issue as did with the Thunderbolt’s speakers being placed behind a kickstand (which Incredible 2 does not have by the way). You now have a few more options when it comes to connecting your phone to your computer. You have the standard charge only, HTC Sync, Disk Drive, and Internet Connection options. Incredible 2 comes with two more options to broaden its capabilities such as media sync and especially Internet pass-through (if you don’t have wi-fi or a data plan, then this comes in handy). Incredible 2 now has the personalization option which is a one-stop option when it comes to changing your wallpaper, choosing another HTC Scene, or easily adding apps to your seven extended homescreens. The battery life is a bit better although it really depends on the owner’s usage. If you want a lightweight phone that stays in your hand rather than slipping around and performs better than its brother did, then go for it. The Incredible 2 comes with so many options and features if you’re looking for a quiet-looking phone that delivers the punches. HTC did a great job cutting down the excess and keeping what works for everyone. And just like the original Incredible, this phone is going to be a hit (until iPhone 5 comes out). *** The Samsung Charge and the Casio Commando are not released yet and it seems like they will be delayed for a tad bit. Samsung’s Droid Charge is going to be Verizon’s third LTE phone. It comes with a 4. 3″ super AMOLED plus display and it more or less remind me of a Blackberry. I have no idea why. Maybe it’s the shape or something. The Charge’s battery life is superb giving you 11 hours of talk time instead of today’s phone standard of 8. Casio made it their intention to come out with a rugged and extremely durable phone. Even its name does the job: Commando. It’s a smartphone that has everything you’d expect from a smartphone: a 5 MP camera, Bluetooth capabilities, LED flash, and a 3.6″ touchscreen. It is not an LTE phone so it won’t be receiving any 4G connection. However, you won’t find a smartphone that is splash proof, dust, shock, and temperature resistant, and complies with military standard 810g. They are rumoring that this phone survives being run over and it’s a pretty great smartphone if it can do that. The phone comes with a locking battery cover, gaskets that cover your ports, and silver screw accents. Personally, it’s not something I would get but I’m pretty sure anyone working in harsh environments would appreciate the reliability and the smart functions of this product.
* All photos are of the HTC Incredible 2.
Playing Chemist Today & the Man Who Thought He Tasted Good
I’m still impatiently waiting the day I get my hair colored and I have to admit, I don’t like waiting for things that I can do myself. Since last night, I’ve snipped a swatch of my hair and have taken the liberty to bleach and color it since I have a whole stash of hair color and lighteners in my bathroom. I like the results considering I started off with black hair (which was coarse and very-resistant) and now it’s a nice snip of light golden blonde with a few strands of bright golden blonde. I used 7th Stage Lightener with 30 volume cream developer as well as the bleach activator (ratio of 2:1:2) and it took about 45 minutes for it to lift from level 1 (black) to level 8 (light blonde). There were a lot of yellow undertones to it, but since I didn’t have any toner on me last night, I decided to lift it with a high lift blonde hair color that used blue and violet tones to counteract the yellow. The hair color has a nice consistency and I haven’t found any breakage or profound damage. I could add some copper brown lowlights and etc and I’m pretty sure I’ll definitely finish it off with toner but can’t do that now. So the swatch isn’t perfected yet. (yeah, I got lazy with lighting today so this photo will have to do.) Almost! Now, the hardest part is just deciding whether I should go ahead and do it myself or wait it out. Sigh … decisions, decisions.
I went and got my make up done this past weekend and so far so good. I swapped out my Laura Mercier Creme Smooth Foundation for the Silk Creme one since the Creme Smooth gave me a bit of an orange, ashy tone which didn’t work out so well since I like everything done to my chest to match. So I’m a Sand Beige in Silk Creme and that stuff really goes a long way because for the past few days, I’ve only had to use pea-sized drops.
I left after my hour and a half make up session and I ended up going back to purchase the Flawless Skin Mega Moisturizer also from LM.
It wasn’t until I got home that I realized that my moisturizer was for normal/combination skin. I honestly hate going back and forth to the same places but the normal/dry skin version was definitely worth it. It has a light peppercorn scent. I don’t know why but no one seems to mind so far. It moisturizes all day and even if I start flaking, the cream does its job by keeping it all together and virtually unnoticeable. The cream has sunscreen infused in it as well as the Silk Cream Foundation so it’s a plus when it comes to protecting yourself from the sun. Yay, great skin until 65! It’s a 1.7 oz. pot of wonders and I’m hoping that I’ll be able to continue saying good things about it a few weeks from now.
I got a gift from the Laura Mercier counter and it was a make up bag full of everything I would’ve wanted from the collection such as tightliner, flawless skin repair serum, loose setting powder and so much more. I’ve been using the repair serum in the morning and evening after I cleanse my face and follow with a nickel-sized amount of the moisturizer. The serum works wonders and I can already see that it brightens the darker patches on my face and it’s only been four days! I’ll be hoping to purchase it soon when I have $95 to spare (yes, it’s great but a bit steep).
Nothing much has been going on except for that guy who went and cut his finger off to cook it with veggies last week. It’s pretty rare to find a cannibal let alone a self-cannibal.
The man from New Zealand reportedly consumed his finger after giving it a good saute with some peas and carrots. The 28-year-old was not under any kind of influences and after visiting the hospital do they diagnose him as moderately depressed. Crazy, huh? I guess we all wonder what we taste like ourselves at some point in our lives. I just hope he’s done after this.
Look out for my upcoming post this Friday on hair stylist etiquette and how to get the most out of your hair salon visit!
Napalm Kitty 