R.E.M. decided to call it quits today.

“To our Fans and Friends: As R.E.M., and as lifelong friends and co-conspirators, we have decided to call it a day as a band. We walk away with a great sense of gratitude, of finality, and of astonishment at all we have accomplished. To anyone who ever felt touched by our music, our deepest thanks for listening.” R.E.M.

People often ask me what my “All Time Favorite Band Is?” This is not an easy question to answer, but R.E.M. has always been near the top of a very short list.

Thank you Bill, Mike, Peter, and Michael, for making memories that I return to… “Time after time!“

p.s. If you happen to have a free Spotify account, be sure to check out my R.E.M. playlist “Hauntingly Beautiful REM Songs”.

I signed up for Spotify’s “Premium” service at $10 a month. This removes the ads, and allows unlimited music on my phone.

If you have a Spotify account, follow my playlists here:

When I purchased my iPad, I was not a Skype user. I didn’t like being tied to the computer to talk on the phone. Since I installed Skype (for iPhone) on the iPad, I have been amazed at what a great phone this device is.

My work requires that I spend a few hours on the phone once in a while. Most of this time is just listening, with the phone muted. My Android phone has very small buttons that can be difficult to hit when someone asks me a question. This is not a problem on the iPad. The on-screen buttons are huge, and very easy to hit, even at 2am.

Since my work conference call number is toll-free, I can use Skype without paying a dime. Skype plus iPad is my new home phone! Since the iPad 2 has a camera, I can also enable video whenever I’m calling another Skype user.

Bottom line: Drop whatever phone service you have at home, and get Skype. If you also want unlimited long distance to USA and Canada, it cost $30 a year!

Let me start with some back story. I’ve been a Windows user for over 20 years. I’ve never owned any Apple products other than an iPod. By any definition, I’m not an Apple “Fanboy”.

When Marcy’s six year old Compaq notebook started to have problems, I asked her if we could get a tablet for the living room. I was tired of all the cables and clutter on the coffee table. She said “Yes” and 4 weeks later we are the proud parents of a 16GB Black iPad 2.

We are both Android users, and all of my friends were shocked to hear about our trip to the “Apple Dark Side”. I simply wanted the best available tablet for the best price.

There is NO DOUBT in my mind, that I made the right choice. This is the first post, of many, where I will try to communicate the reasons for that statement.

Category: Video Streaming

The following three applications really show off the iPad’s streaming video prowess.

I’ve been a Netflix customer since December 2004. Netflix is probably the absolute best $10 a month you can spend on entertainment. They let you watch on up to 6 devices. (PS3/XBox/Roku/PC/Mac/Ipad) They also treat customers with respect. They allow you to cancel online. Try doing that with DirecTV or any gym membership!! (Pet Peeve Alert)

HBO has finally allowed customers to view ALL HBO content from outside the home. This has been a long time coming, and I must say, they hit a home run with the web & iPad applications.

ABC has a great iPad app. Hulu also has an app, but they charge $8 a month for content you can watch for free on your PC. I’m not ready to spend that money AND watch commercials. Thank you ABC! I only wish the other networks would do the same.