A review of the best iphone Apps- must have 15 Apps

So, I am well into three weeks of having my iphone and I love it! Three weeks and I am still learning something new daily, and more importantly, using my phone a lot! Sometimes you get a phone and are bored with it within a week or so. There is no such thing as boredom when it comes to the iphone. Whether it is a new, exciting App or just learning about what the phone can do that you did not know about, it is just all around fun all the time. I spent an hour today trying to download Apps and I got 16 of them!! I am of course still looking at a list of about 20 that I need to download and/or play with.

In the upcoming trip to D.C., I will have to use the Iphone and get to know it a little better. Travelling gives you the opportunity to do just that- get to know your iphone. I am going to do about three segments on this - a review of the best Iphone Apps and I will start with these 15. I consider these (for now), my top 15 and will write a follow-up when I can muster 10 to 15 more that I can add to the list. I am not going to write about the basic apps (the one that your iphone comes with) and that are standard like calculator, compass, and email because those of course, go without saying, are used a lot.

So, here goes - after three weeks of owning the iphone, here are what I believe are the top 10 apps (from a usage perspective):
1. Facebook- okay, I am addicted so I use this one the most
2. The Weather Channel- enough said
3. Google App for the iphone- you can tap and speak and it searches for you
4. USAA- mobile banking, bill pay and deposits - yes, deposits! How cool is that?
5. Who wants to be a Millionaire- what a fun game!
6. Read It Later- I have used it and love it
7. Expedia - I like its ease of use- I have heard Kayak is good but have not tried it yet.
8. Phone Flicks - neat to use if you have Netflix but misses some functionality of the real thing.
9.IheartRadio- I am torn between this and Pandora but IheartRadio seems easier to use
10. Around me - of course, yelp and urbanspoon compete with this one but I like the ease of use with Around me.
11. Dragon Search- I am actually discovering this and liking it
12. Dictionary.com - nice to look up words on the fly and on the go
13. Wikipedia for Mobile - really useful
14. Starbucks Mobile- I can reload my starbucks card on the go from anywhere
15. Zippo Lighter- just for fun but I love this App and find myself playing with it a lot.

There are many many more but you will have to wait for the next review :-)

Macaroni Grill - Westminster, Colorado

This is a review of the Macaroni Grill in the shops right off of Hwy 36 on Church Ranch Rd. We went there because we have not been to this location ever and thought it would be a decent place to go with the kids on a Friday night. The food is mediocre -- certainly rivals Olive Garden in both price and quality but comes NO WHERE close to the quality and taste of food from Carrabba's which is a fabulous place no matter when or where you go. In any case, the service was so-so and on this evening when it was not that busy yet since it was the "early bird" crowd, encompassing elderly and kiddos, you would think the service would be faster. It was okay.

The food was good - but like I said, my eggplant did not exceed or even meet my expectation - it was chewy and very tough to eat. The Carabba's Eggplant is amazing!!!! The kid's plate was okay but the penne pasta was a little hard for my toddler to chew on. Overall, my impressions on this visit were: FOOD- between 1 to 10, perhaps a 6; SERVICE- same scale, I would rate it a 5; and TIMELINESS- maybe a 4to 5; VALUE- overall of 5. If you can pick better Italian in this area, you should.

The DMV, Colorado-- Golden location

This past week I had to make an unfortunate trip to the DMV to renew my driver's license. Yes, you can do it on-line and I am a tech geek so you ask - why did I have to renew in person? Honestly, I wish I did not have to but for some reason the system would not let me. No, there are no search warrants out for me nor am I in debt to anyone or in arrears. Nope- nothing like that. I just moved three years ago and the DMV for some reason would not let me renew on-line. Lesson learned for all you out there who have one address on your license and live somewhere else- change your address on-line first (it is permissible), and the pay the fee, and then, when it is time to renew, you will not have to undergo the pain, suffering, and lobotomy I had to at the DMV.

I went to the Golden location - maybe going at lunch time was not a good idea but when I got there I was handed number 93 and they were on 71 - GOOD LORD! It took 1 hour to call my number - one, LONG, painful, frigging HOUR! There was a sign that stated that military was honored if you show an ID card and would be expedited - yah my ass- I was not expedited. Felt like I was slowed down in fact. When I got to the counter, it took less than 10 mins to finish.... what a nightmare! So, what happened? Why could I not renew on-line? Damn address change. In any case, maybe the wait is less in the early morning or late in the afternoon - I am not sure, all I know is that I would rather have had an annual exam at my GYN's than have gone through this so next time, I will wisen up. Oh yeah, I have not received the license in the mail yet. Go figure!

Review of Ann Taylor - Colorado Mills

I love, love, love the Ann Taylor Outlet - Factory Store in Colorado Mills. In fact, the buys are amazing and the deals are hard to beat. I got a new suit with all my discounts (because of the Ann Taylor card), and rewards and it was under $100! That is amazing. I ended up getting five tops and a suit for under $160! This is a great place to get suits, career clothes, or even casual wear.

The service and help is always great and friendly, and the selection even in the sale section tends to be good. You have to bring an hour to spend time there especially because things in the sale or clearance section are often hidden but if you know where to go, where to look, and how to quickly sort through your selection in the dressing room, I think you will find an hour is plenty if you run there in your lunch break.

Iphone Update and Itunes Review

So it has been two full weeks with my Baby G3- the Iphone 3GS. I love it so far and find it quite useful. For example, I was in a bind to find out if I could make the BART in San Francisco or whether I'd have to take a cab and boom! I got the times right away and based on where I was at SFO, whether I'd make it or not. In any case, what a useful lil phone. It is a great tool to get directions, get a phone number in a pinch, and takes decent photos and videos too! I have used the Tivo Plus for Desktop and transferred TV shows on it and watched movies. Only complaint: No captions but otherwise, it is cool.

I like the iphone and so far, find some of the apps very useful including banking online but I gotta say I hate the platform that the iphone works on- ITUNES. I have always hated it with the ipod too but now, I find it even more annoying to deal with. It baffles me how Apple can make such great toys - such awesome hardware with such a bad software for itunes to use as a platform for these otherwise neat toys.

In any case, I have come to like the iphone and regardless of how piss poor and user "unfriendly" I find Itunes, I think I will keep it. Let the addiction begin...

WOW! Children's Museum in Lafayette

My kiddo was invited to a birthday party and it was held at the Wow! Children's Museum in Lafayette, Colorado. It was a real jewel of a place where kids can run amok and really enjoy all the exhibits. It seems that local companies sponsor some of the exhibits and there is much learning to do with all the games and fun. There is a pirate's ship as you enter, rooms to draw and sketch in, play with blocks, and party rooms in the back. There is a banking station with real money (okay, pretend money), and a drive thru car with a coin you feed it. There are pulleys and chairs, and lots of fun nooks and crannies to hide and play in. But, keep your eye on your kid, there is a great chance you will lose them.

We were only there for 2 hours but our kiddo did not want to leave and there were many tears to be had. WOW! Museum- all I can say is WOW! That was cool! Now, on the prices, they are not cheap for a family of four or five so if your kiddos are over 15 months, it may be worth getting a family membership but if you do single entry, they do not charge for adults and only kids so that is a plus! Parties do seem expensive there too but it is worth it if you have a group of 20 or more kiddos. All in all, a good time.

Qdoba v. Chipotle - is there a clear winner?

I think it is tough to compare Qdoba and Chipotle but I am going to try. Chipotle I heard a few years back was owned by McDonald's. It revolutionized fast food Mexican but the menu is quite limited. The great positives about Chipotle, they are not cheap with their ingredients and you get guacomole if you want it in your burrito and I love getting SOFT CORN tortillas there- Qdoba does not offer soft corn (which is lower in calories and fat than HARD CORN TORTILLA SHELLS. Chipotle has the burrito, tacos, and bowls. They introduced a pisole soup but that was not as good as the tortilla soup at Qdoba. But like I said, Chipotle will not nickel and dime you (Qdoba is great at that) and the ones near Air Force Bases will give you a free drink if you are in uniform or present your ID Card - they really honor our vets!

Qdoba has an amazing menu and always sends coupons for BOGO - including their new Craft 2 which I think is a total waste of money for the value. Get the regular entree and you can eat for 2 days. The menu selection is way more extensive than Chipotle and you can make the food to order but be careful - Qdoba charges extra for guacamole and just about everything else. Want a tortilla on the side? Get ready to pay sixty cents and if your kid (who is not even three yet) wants a small side of rice and beans even through they are in the same small container, be ready to shell out $1.60! So, like I said, Qdoba will nickel and dime you but they have the better menu. So, if you can use coupons there, that is the way to go but remember, you cannot use your Frequent Buyer's Card if you use anything resembling a coupon so be prepared for that too. Like I said, if you can stand the nickel and diming by this company, then I like the menu better but if you want a quick, cheap meal with all the fixings and sometimes a free drink, head to Chipotle, which by the way, is pronounced CHI-POHT-LAY not anything else folks.

Enjoy!

Two One-Way Flights- Review of the Airlines

Up this time, Southwest Airlines versus United Airlines. Topic: On-time or not? and yes, why do the bags take longer on United when you are paying $25 to transport them.

I travelled two one-ways this time because my office was paying for it and frankly, I hate travelling with the federal government - too many gd rules and regulations for my taste-some of them self-imposed by my office. In any case, the flight out on Southwest Airlines was amazing- on time, and EARLY arrival- that's right, 35 minutes early. No bag fee and I got to eat several snacks and two drinks to include a very nice coffee called LIFT Coffee with flavored cream. Oh, and when I arrived at baggage claim (I was sitting in the 2nd row so I got there pretty quickly), my bag was already there! Top that, United!

Yeah, unfortunately, on my one way return to Denver, it was United that I was on. They could not top that. I was being charged $25 for a bag fee which is ludicrous. I do not know why United screws the military and the Government the way it does considering that is the "contract carrier" for all Government fares and the military too. Frontier lets all military check bags for free and never hassels them for orders. United needs "orders" despite their website policy which never makes mention of "orders". In any case, what a pain! Flying with United is like haggling with that annoying street merchant in Turkey. Just downright annoying! But you fly them because you have no choice really especially when you travel with the Government.

The other problem with United- they are rarely on time or early- in fact, that would be a miracle altogether. The flight got in one hour late and then I had to wait for my bags that I paid for ... it took over 20 mins. The only positives after I flew this horrible flight with United, the shuttle to my parking lot was ready and wating and got me to my car within minutes so I could make the long trek home.

In a review of Airlines, flown in two one-way segments, the winner is clear: SOUTHWEST AIRLINES will always be my choice.

Review of Amber Restaurant- Downtown San Francisco, California

I met my cousins after a long, long time - almost 4.5 years and it was good to catch up but they took me to a place in downtown SF, on Market Street between 3rd and 4th. It was called AMBER. It is a chain apparently in that area and is known for unusual dishes, changing menus, and really good Indian fusion.

It was late so you can imagine how hungry everyone was. In any case, the appetizers were amazing- there was some palak chaat which was really straight forward but tasted fabulous. Fried spinach leaves (using Besan or Gram Flour), sprinkled with Pomegranate seeds and yogurt and chutney- AMAZING. Then, there was the idly chaat which had an Indian/Chinese flavor and was very good too. The dishes for entree were very flavorful and even asking for mild to medium, they were a bit spicy. The paneer dish was good as well and all in all, it was a neat experience. The restaurant is very sheik and retro and is huge- several stories with lighting and ambiance that can make it great for family, friends, and dates.

I was not expecting much more than regular Indian, but it was quite an interesting place and amazing food. My cousin told me they bring in chefs from hotels in India which serve amazing food- ie, the Taj, Oberoi, etc. And their menu always has something interesting and new on it so it is worth going back to see what is new. I wish I were hungrier but I was running on Mountain time!

Review of the Greens Restaurant - San Francisco

I am in San Francisco this week for a conference and as such, you may see my reviews of the hotel and the restaurants that I visit in this town. I went to the Greens with my colleagues last night - it is a vegetarian restaurant at the Old Fort Mason area on the Bay and not only does it provide breathtaking views of the Bay and Golden Gate, it has amazing vegetarian cuisine. I had the Indian curry but the other fare looked quite tasty. Consistent with this area, it was expensive to eat there. A person with drinks can average between $31 and $50 with tax and tip. So, yes, an expensive meal but for San Francisco, this is considered an average meal.

We had drinks, appetizers, and our main meal. Granted, the appetizer I speak of was the spring roll - which for $10.50 is one spring roll and it is not big- it is small. Six of us shared two spring rolls at $10.50 a pop- yikers! Anyway, it was not filling. The main course, however, is filling and was reasonably priced for this area. I enjoyed it because I am vegetarian but some of the men in our group decided to eat IN-N-OUT BURGER today just because they missed meat.

All in all, great ambiance and a wonderful place to eat- I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and of course, the company too.

The Iphone Revolution

I recently got an Iphone, 3G and I think I am in love or rather, addicted.
I absolutely love love this phone - it is all your tech tools in one - or so, it is supposed to be: Cell phone, GPS, phone/video, and Internet. Basically, you took this one thing with you and you are not supposed to need much more but for me, I am just getting used to this "touch" technology and while it is a easy to use, I am usually resistant to change so, I am still playing with it to figure out whether it is something I would want to keep.

In any case, the apps are easy to load, it is quite an easy phone to use and you can multitask with it quite well but not when you are driving since it is touch-technology. All in all, I have to say, it is a genius who devised this and whoever came up with it should be commended. I am still not sure how to create folders on it for my music files and photos - itunes sucks and it is not user friendly in my opinion. When I use itunes, I feel like I want to slit my wrists and I wish I could just transfer things onto it like a hard drive but then again, Apple does not like to make things easy especially if you use a PC. In any case, I like the Iphone so far and I think I will keep it. WARNING THOUGH: It is quite addictive :-)

PROS: Easy to use, lots of options on what to get and expanding technology, good sound quality, and easy to email things/receive items and text.

CONS: Itunes, and whether you can create folders for music and photos, photos are not that good quality esp. at night (inside), and everything including this phone is toooooo frigging expensive.

Indian Grocery Stores- Denver

This is my first blog under the NEW, IMPROVED consumer blog. I am excited about this new trend and as such, here is my first "consumer" related review.

There are tons of Indian stores in Denver- all of them Aurora-centric. This is fine since the Indians all seem to live in that area but alas, this is not true so more Indian stores are cropping up to serve those of us who do not live in the Tech Center and Aurora but then you pay a little more at those stores and selection suffers too.

Anyway, the highlight of this blog is comparisons between Indian grocery stores in Denver. I think wherever you shop, you will get good service and top notch customer support but here are some pros and cons of Indian grocery stores in Denver- the ones I have hit anyway.

India's Harvest--- undermanned, understaffed but nice family-owned indian store. So, this Indian stores is located at Parker and Peoria- right on the corner of I-225 and Parker. The prices are reasonable but expect to wait in long, long lines. There is only the husband and wife running the place and despte being super busy, they never hire help for some reason. There is a cafe (Indian Chaat place) inside but you can never get a "taste" of said chaat because they are so understaffed. So, if you do not mind waiting 2-3 hours, you may get it all- food and groceries. I went there just for a few items and it took me 10 mins to get the items into my cart and 35 mins to check out! So, if there are two of you, split up and save some time. Oh, and watch your kids- the aisles are narrow and often times, a box (just a random box) will be in the aisle and makes traversing difficult. When this store is crowded, it sucks so do not take your kids with you.

Bombay Bazaar- this is the place next to Masala's in a strip mall just past India's Harvest- it is quick to get in and out of here and everything is really organized nice but do not expect service with a smile. Like most Indian stores/restaurants, this guy is not friendly and trying to make small talk may just piss him so, pay your money and get out! But yes, a quicker alternative to the store above.

Star Bazaar- this is the Indian store located next to STAR OF INDIA- same area: Parker Rd, off of I-25 behind Sonoda's Japanese. Anyway, it is owned by Star of India and not crowded. It is a quick place and you can get most everything you need except the forzen selection has not been as intense as the first place.

If you live further North and West, there are two options for you in Broomfield and Lafayette that I have visited:

My India's - conveniently located off of I-36 and Wadsworth, it is really a good place between Westminster and Lafayette and I find their prices tend to rival Krishna's (see below). The guy is nice and friendly and you can rent Bollywood movies too. The selection is lacking but ... the convenience makes up for that.

Krishna's- This place is tucked away behind a bowling alley in Lafayette and the owners and the family are very nice. The store and clean and rivals the Aurora stores in selection but expect to pay a premium and if you get Nicki, she is a tough one. But, all in all, it is a clean and neat store and like I said, you can find just about everything and if you are willing to pay a little more, it is a good store.

Those are about all the stores I can talk about because while I may have incidentally visited a store here and there, these are the ones I can do a review on.
Happy shopping!

Turning the Tide--- NEW & Improved Blog from Clueless

I have decided that I am taking this blog on a new turn - it is a new year and a new decade has begun so, it is time for change. In this vein, I plan on turning my blog into a strictly consumer blog- I will be reviewing everything- restaurants, cafes, stores, and products. The time has come to "specialize" this blog so, this blog will be a review of everything I can come in touch with and either complain and/or rave about.

Stay tuned for some great new postings and enjoy!