Today I was driving around town when my tummy decided some frozen custard from Ritter’s would be a good thing. Not knowing where to find the closest store, I whipped out my trusty cell phone and dialed up my new favorite resource: GOOG411. Within seconds I knew exactly which direction to head and shortly thereafter was enjoying a frosty treat.
This free service from the good folks at Google is a voice-activated phone directory available by dialing 1-800-GOOG-411. After dialing the number, the rest of the process is handled by voice prompts, making it ideal for use while driving. The automated system will ask the city, state, business name or category you wish to search. Next you’ll listen to a list of matching results, choose one and have Google dial the number for you.
The service is currently experimental, though I’ve had good results every time I’ve used it. Plus, it sure beats paying the 99 cents my cell provider charges for a call to 411. (Air time applies.) The next time you need an address or phone number, give GOOG411 a try!
I admit it, I’m a gadget geek. The smaller and shinier the better. Apple’s new iPhone definitely falls into that category.
I drove by my local AT&T store yesterday and looked longingly at the other geeks waiting in line for the iPhone to go on sale at 6:00 p.m. I didn’t get in line, though.
Today, I actually went in the store to hold an iPhone and take it for a test drive. It’s much more tempting than I expected. Grrrrrrr! Even though it’s bigger than I would like and requires signing a two year service contract, the clean Apple interface and overall cool factor nearly got the better of me.
But I resisted. Being the resourceful diva that I am, I reminded myself that the $599 price is quite steep and not a good use of my hard earned cash right now. I decided to wait a month and see if I’m still itching to buy this uber-cool device or if it’s just a passing impulse. So, that’s my resourceful tip for today, folks: avoid impulse purchases by giving yourself a time out. If you find that you still want the item after this self-imposed cooling off period, then it’s likely not an impulse buy and worth the financial resources you’ll spend on it.
The iPhone is real hottie, but I’m going to resist buying it for now. (I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…)
