I’m now on my third cell phone. The first one was a Nokia analog phone the size, relatively speaking, of a brick. I moved up to a digital phone with an AudioVox 4500 about three years ago (Catherine’s using it now), and finally moved to my current phone, a Nokia 3285, about a year ago.

I originally got a cell phone to let my clients contact me in an emergency — it replaced the pager I wore on my belt for the same purpose. It was cheaper than a pager, allowed for longer messages, and it worked in the US, which was a step up. I’ve come to use it, more and more, as an extension of my office phone, especially when I’m traveling.

I’d like to get a new phone, mostly because, as I’ve come to rely on my current one more and more, its weaknesses have become more and more glaring. What follows is a list of the qualities of my “ideal phone.” So far I’ve not found a phone/carrier to match all of these items; I welcome comments and suggestions from the readership on options.

• Coverage across Prince Edward Island. Charlottetown is most important, of course, but I’d like to be able to be reached in Summerside, Cavendish and New London too.
• Roaming coverage in Southern Ontario, Boston, and southern New Hampshire. These are the areas I travel to most frequently, and where a phone absolutely must work.
• Small. I’m tired of big cell phones.
• Works with Apple’s iSync to allow me to synchronize my phone book and calendar. It would be nice if the phone had Bluetooth, but I’m willing to sync with a USB cable. I need at least 500 entries in the phone book; I would prefer 1,000.
• Usable as a modem with my Apple iBook. I don’t have a lot of use for this feature, but there are some times when it would be invaluable.
• Available on a month-to-month plan. I don’t want to sign a contract for service.
• Long battery life. Talk time, which I don’t use a lot of, is less important than standby time: I don’t like to have to worry about plugging in my phone at night, every night.

So far, the only phone that appears to qualify is the Motorola v60 from Aliant (warning: crazy website). Telus Mobility appears to offer the same phone. Rogers has weak Island coverage, and questionable coverage in southern New Hampshire. Fido has no coverage on the Island.

Anyone own a v60? I welcome comments from the field.

Christopher Lydon, who is quickly becoming my favourite broadcaster (narrowcaster?) has recorded an interview with Adam Curry [MP3 file]. Lyndon is a good interviewer; Curry is a good interviewee.

The Zap Your PRAM conference is coming up soon — Oct. 24 to 26. The speakers are getting nailed down, the caterers called, the Internet access arranged. Things, in other words, are coming together nicely.

If you’re interested in coming to the conference, please contact us soon; we’re closing registration on Oct. 14 so that we can get numbers for food, lodging, etc. firmed up.

If you’re interested in weblogs, design, technology, radio, film, or the future, you’ll find a niche at the conference: we’ve got a good mix of Islanders and visitors, and if nothing else I can guarantee that you’ll suffer from a weekend of interesting conversation and good food.

Ian, it seems, has had a busy week too. These are the days that make life worth living.

I’ve heard that line a hundred times. I’m on the phone with customer service talking about my computer order, or my phone bill, or my credit card balance. Things are taking a while. “This computer is really slow today…” or “We’re having some network problems today…” or “Things are really slow here…” are the excuses almost universally offered.

I have only to conclude that the technical infrastructure underlying most of society is serious impaired. Do computers simply not work that well, most of the time?

I met another Ed fan last night — I’ll leave her name out of this in case she doesn’t want to be outed — which was nice, because I thought I was the only one.

Last night’s episode was interesting. I won’t say “bold” or “daring” because it was a trick — a faux documentary being shot about the real faux characters — that has been used before, most prominently by M*A*S*H.

That said, it was an interesting way of dealing with the “new car smell is gone” aspect of Carol and Ed’s relationship, especially as doing it otherwise would probably have been either boring or blechy or both. I continue to be intrigued with the “Ed’s best friend” character — he’s probably got the most untapped depth on the show, and some of it came out last night.

I realize that this is getting dangerously close to becoming a soap opera chat blog. Just be glad you caught me 10 years after my addiction to All My Children — back then I would have been waxing on about Adam Chandler and Erica Kane and Jackson Montgomery. You would have hated it.

Oliver and I walked up Prince St. last night to visit Ann and David, and then Gary. Ann and David are on Granville St., Gary is up and over a bit on Walthen Drive. Both of their houses were without power. The weird thing was that you only had to go a block in either direction (or, in Gary’s case, one house up the street) to find the power back on.

As it was after dark when we trekked from Ann and David’s to Gary’s, and the street lights were on (or not on), the experience of entering and exiting this little corridor of darkness was sort of like stepping back into time.

People inside the Loop of Darkness were hunkered down, throwing out food, talking about the hurricane, fraying at their ends. People outside the Loop were going about their normal business: eating, singing, laughing, watching television.

It’s horrible to be without power. Both because of the practical difficulties that result — cold showers, spoiled food — but also because it smashes us straight into an immovable wall over which we have little or no control.

If you are beside a radio (or a streaming audio player) this afternoon from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. Atlantic Time, you can tune in to Maritime Noon for the phone-in; I’ll be playing the role of “computer guy.” Apparently, say the producers, “The Internet is long past the novelty phase.” Hmmm.

Did anyone else notice that, unlike the always helpful and open Angus Orford at Maritime Electric, the spokesperson for Nova Scotia Power dodged all questions about the number of customers without power over there? Every time the CBC, or Steve Murphy on ATV asked her for a number, she launched into another tirade about how people should stay in their houses, couched with “what we really need to concentrate on, rather than the numbers, is…” Make me think that maybe they simply have no idea but don’t want to say so.

I received the following note from my friend and customer Bob Boyle at the Brackley Drive-in:

I thought I would email you and show you what has happened to the screen during to hurricane. All is lost but will return. Insurance will cover a small portion of the cost to rebuild if any. It feels like a death of a friend when I look at the space where it once stood for 44 years bring enjoyment to those who came over the years and myself. A new screen will rebuilt but it won’t be from 1959. We will be taking donations to help rebuild so we can continue the drive-in for many years to come for all of our our drive-in fans. Today is day 1 in the rebirth of the Brackley Drive-in once again.

He sent this photo of the damage: