The Chronic Consumer

I want to start getting more real productivity out of my iPad instead of just using it as a fancy notebook or web browser. Towards that end, I’ve been buying apps that let me use the device more like I would my desktop computer. My latest purchase was Pages, the iWork version of word processing.

Here’s the description from Apple:

Pages lets you create great-looking letters, reports, flyers, invitations, and more on your iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. And the story gets even better. Now iCloud keeps your documents up to date across all your iOS devices — automatically. So whatever device you’re on, your projects are ready for you to pick up right where you left off. Words have never come so easily.

I don’t need quite that much functionality, since I only have an iPad at the time. In fact, I don’t even know how to access iCloud (is it automatic??) or anything like that. But from the little bit that I’ve used Pages thus far, I have to say that the rest of the info from the description is right on.

Pages comes with a number of pre-loaded templates (formal letter, letter, resume, poster, visual presentation, etc.) so creating those kinds of things is a breeze. You just select a template, and then replace the existing text and/or graphics with whatever you want.

Creating new documents is even easier, and I love how there are quite a bit of options for fonts, sizes, and headings. This makes me feel like I’m using a powerful program, even if I do just select Times New Roman, 12-pt every time.

Another great thing about Pages is the ease with which I can add, edit, and otherwise manipulate photos and other objects in the document. I just grab photos right from my iPad, scale them down, wrap the text, and I’m good to go. This makes creating newsletters and similar photo-heavy documents easy.

And finally, I can open and edit Word documents, and export my own work as Word or PDF files so others can open/read what I’ve done. Oh, and did I mention that all my work is automatically saved as I type? No more worries about losing text if I get interrupted and have to shut down quickly.

All in all, I think Pages was a very smart purchase. It costs $9.99, which is expensive for an app, but I believe the product is worth even more than that. If this cost $19.99, for example, I wouldn’t blink an eye about paying that.

Anyway, if you want some true word processing functionality on your iPad, then you simply must get Pages. I wasn’t all that impressed with Numbers, but Pages is a great app!

I like to jog outside even in winter, so I was looking for a product that could keep me warm without making me too hot. Under Armour, while far more expensive than most other brands, usually does the trick, so I decided to give their Armour Fleece Full-Zip Hoody a try.

This is a loose-fitting product that I use as an outer layer over my SubZero base layer and another long-sleeved shirt (non-UA). The Armour Fleece Hoody has a soft, brushed inside and a smooth, quick-drying outside. The fabric on the inside is designed to retain warmth and wick moisture, while the fabric on the outside dissipates the moisture. It also comes with a 3-panel hood, and 4-way stretch construction for mobility.

I’ve had my hoody for a couple months now, and really love it. I was a bit skeptical at first because the wind usually cuts right through hoodies like they’re nothing, but this UA product really does keep me warm. The sizing is great, as it’s big enough for layering but not overly bulky (which is the problem I have with using regular sweatshirts for jogging).

If there’s one complaint I have about my Armour Fleece Full Zip Hoody (besides the $65 price tag), it’s that the zipper is very hard to operate! Maybe mine got damaged somehow without me realizing it, but I often have to yank and struggle quite a bit to get the thing going. Once the zipper is engaged and starts moving, it’s fine. But engaging it in the first place takes much longer than it should.

Overall, though, this sweatshirt has quickly become my favorite. I’m even thinking about buying another one so I can reserve one for jogging (where it gets sweaty and stinky) and another for lounging around the house on weekends.

I use my iPad for almost everything, including daily to-do lists and memos. Sometimes it’s a pain to have to type everything in on the touchscreen, so I decided to buy a stylus and note taking app. After checking out some recommendations, I decided to go with the Bamboo stylus by Wacom.

The Bamboo stylus has the length and heft of a regular pen, so it feels good in my hand. It also works very well with Penultimate. All of my brushstrokes are recorded and the handwriting rendered looks VERY close to what it does on real paper.

The only thing I have a problem with is that I can’t quite get used to its wide nib. This was my first stylus purchase for a touchscreen device, so I didn’t know that this is how they all are. I can control the line width in Penultimate, but even when I select the finest option, I can’t get used to writing that way. I prefer the thickest line option in Penultimate, in which case the Bamboo stylus works like a champ.

Overall, I think this is a good product. It does what I need it to do, which is general note-taking for daily life. I’m not in school and I’m not an artist, so if that’s what you plan to use your stylus for, you might have different criteria.

At $30 this was the priciest stylus at the store. I chose it anyway because I have used cheap accessories in the past and been burned. I don’t feel I was ripped off on this purchase, though.

I usually don’t complain much in my posts because most of the products I buy turn out to be better than what I expected. But that wasn’t the case with this CampusOne Mizzou t-shirt that I bought a short time ago.

It’s a white t-shirt with black screen-printed lettering edged in gold. The shirt looks absolutely fantastic when it’s brand new because all the colors really pop. But after just a single trip through the dryer, the lettering faded so much that the shirt looked like it had aged a few years! I know the dryer can wreak havoc on screen-printing, so I try not to judge the effects too harshly. But in this case, the wear factor is just way too much.

I wouldn’t recommend buying this one!

Okay, we’ve all been taught that it’s “the thought that counts” when it comes to gift-giving, but that doesn’t stop us from returning unwanted holiday presents for cash, store credit, or other merchandise. Here are the most-returned holiday gifts, as compiled by MarketTools.

1. Clothing, 62 percent
2. Toys and games, 16 percent
3. Electronics, 14 percent
4. Kitchen and bath products, 13 percent
5. Cosmetics and beauty products, 10 percent
6. Jewelry and watches, 10 percent

I guess the moral of the story here is that it’s just better to give cash or gift cards instead and let the recipient choose their own stuff! I don’t know why that sort of gift-giving is frowned upon….

There aren’t many shopping days left this holiday season, so if you haven’t covered everyone on your list yet, you better get a move on. Last minute gifts are always dangerous to your budget because you might feel the pressure to spend more than you’d ordinarily be willing to. That is a mistake that can last well into the new year as you continue trying to pay off credit card bills.

Instead of overextending yourself, why not get something simple like Mrs. Fields cookies? Cookies are always appreciated, easy to order, and most importantly, don’t cost an arm and a leg. I personally love receiving cookies, so if any of my friends or relatives are reading this, feel free to send me as many Mrs. Fields samplers as you want!

My son has been getting into floor hockey and soccer at school, so I decided to buy him this Mylec All-Purpose Steel Goal to use in our basement during the winter and in the driveway during the summer. The goal can be used for hockey, soccer (obviously a LOT smaller than regulation, but better than nothing), lacrosse, handball, field hockey, etc. which is pretty cool.

After reading some product reviews, I decided to go with a steel goal rather than one made of plastic or PVC tubing. Those models, while definitely lighter and cheaper than the steel version, tend to break easily according to other customers. I figured I should just get the best product I could afford rather than getting something that would need to be replaced several times.

The Mylec goal was fairly easy to assemble. It comes with about 10 pieces of numbered steel tubing that snap together and lock into place. The net is quadruple stitched onto canvas sleeves that the tubes then slide into. The quadruple stitching ensures that the net will hold up even against the toughest slapshots — and so far, that has been the case. The goal is 52x43x28, which is actually pretty darn big. But that’s a good thing as long as you have the room for it.

Overall, I have to say that I think this was a great purchase. We’ve had the goal for a month now and my son has spent at least an hour a day taking shots at it in the basement. It has stood up to everything so far (granted, we’re just using a plastic floor hockey puck or plastic street hockey balls) and still looks like new. I have no regrets about spending $50 on this heavy-duty goal. I’m sure it will last for years and years, which is exactly what we want!

I don’t play many video games, but I do love the Mario Kart franchise, so when I heard that Mario Kart 7 was coming out for the 3DS, I not only went out and bought the game, but had to buy the handheld system as well. After a couple weeks of playing it, I’d say both of my purchases were well worth the money!

Mario Kart 7 brings fans the same great racing action that they’ve come to expect from the series, with a few added twists. For example, you can now customize your kart by choosing the frame, tires, and kite from various presets and unlockables. Yes, I said “kite” — there’s also some fun flying action in the game when your kart takes off from a particularly long jump! In addition, you can do tricks over each jump (this was introduced in the Mario Kart Wii version) for an extra little burst of speed upon landing.

The physics of the racing itself has remained pretty much the same, so if you’re a veteran of the Mario Kart series, it shouldn’t take you long to master this game. Also, out of the 32 available tracks, 16 are brand-new and 16 are old favorites from previous incarnations of the game. And some of the tracks are just a long, single-lap race instead of the standard 3-lap race that you might be used to. But those are still fun.

The unlockable characters aren’t all that great. You get the bee from Super Mario Galaxy, the big caterpillar from one of the Mario Kart tracks, the ghost (I don’t know the thing’s name, but it’s not King Boo), and something called Metal Mario that is basically a silver Mario that looks like it’s made of metal (and sounds like it’s talking from under water).

There are also the familiar mini-games/challenges, time attack mode, and balloon battle, as well as online gameplay.

Overall, Mario Kart 7 is a worthy entry into the series, and a fun game that Mario Kart enthusiasts simply must buy. I highly recommend this one!