Technically Writer

So, it's been awhile. Lately, I've been wanting to do a little writeup on Public Mobile (PM), a mobile service provider I switched to within the last year. I've had a good chance to try out the service so I feel I've been able to form my impressions about the service. Here goes! A good place to start might be what (PM) is not: * They are not a contract service provider. * They do not subsidize phones (and thus absorb those costs in the plans). * They do not offer appealing plans and rewards to just new customers. * They do not bill you after-the-fact for what you use (data, minutes, etc.) * They do not have call centers for customer support.  * They do not use a network with limited coverage in Canada. They do not use the concept of "zones". Some of the above may not appeal to everyone. In short, PM is not for those who rely on the service provider for when things go wrong or for getting the latest and greatest phones. As a provider, they...

Hi, everyone. I've written in the past about barefoot running in Vibrams . I just came across this blog post  on Beginning Barefoot  and wanted to share. Definitely worth a read, and kudos to Barefoot Dawsy for a well-balanced discussion of a subject that tends to polarizing views. It's also refreshing to read this blog in general, because the subject tends to be seen as a "fad"/craze.  If your running routine is starting to feel stagnant, barefoot running may be worth a try. But try it for the right reasons and know that It's not for everyone (and that's okay). Happy trails!

Greetings again! As you may know, I'm a big fan of Freephoneline (FPL). One of the nice things is the great support provided in the online communities: http://forum.fongo.com/index.php http://forums.redflagdeals.com/freephoneline-ca-free-local-soft-phone-line-lifetime-voip-821229 / Over the years, I've received a lot of great help from members of the community; I've learned a lot about FPL, VoIP in general, ideal network conditions and design to best run this stuff...best of all, how to keep it up and running, and what to do when something goes wrong! In some small way, I've tried to help and hope I have helped other users. For my own setup, I use the Grandstream HT-701 ATA (analog telephone adapter), which last I checked is the adapter that Fongo provides for their monthly phone service. While many FPL users have moved on to Obihai ATAs, there are others who still use different options from Cisco, Linksys, and Grandstream. The last available configuration gui...

Hi all, I just wanted to do a quick follow up on some stuff I wrote about regarding Fongo Mobile . Before I dive in, I want to be clear that I still think it offers a lot of value to people looking to save money. For me, however, it's not a viable replacement to traditional cell service like I thought it was.  I've since switched back to a smartphone lite plan with Koodo for $30/mth + tax. I brought my own phone (my trusty Q10 ). So far, am a happy camper and I feel it's worth the slight increase to have proper calling (nation-wide, at that), texting, and data. Don't get me wrong, I got a lot out of Fongo mobile when I used it, first on my Android phone, then later on my various BB10 devices. I particularly stuck with it while my wife and I were paying down our student debt; it was "good enough" service and the savings were immense. In particular, I found the texting functionality to be very good; that was a paid add-on, but coupled with a cheap $10/tax ...

Last time (August 2016!), I wrote about Vibrams as a way of reevaluating your running and the potential benefits of minimalist running . That was part 1. It's about time I did part 2! This time around, I'll continue the theme of minimalist workouts by taking a look at the Max Capacity training program. Max Capacity is a workout regimen -- 12 weeks in duration with a variety of workouts to help you build up your core strength, flexibility, and agility. To me, this is a no frills program and that's what I like most about it. The workout "reps" are easy to understand with simple graphics and explanations. Each week is a little different; even if you do the same four workouts, week to week something may change slightly. As with most things in life, variety is a good thing. How I Found Max Capacity As I mentioned in my post about transitioning to Vibrams, it was a bumpy road in every sense of the phrase. Changing up routine can expose things that aren...

This time around, I'm going to talk about exercise and alternatives to being a gym rat with all the latest and greatest gear. In a lot of cases, the weigh, resistance, and movement of your own body is all you need. As with my other posts, I'm not trying to recommend against something like, in this case, going to the gym. But it doesn't have to be the only way. And one piece of gear that I continue to love since I tried it out are my trusty Vibrams, which I'll focus on in this post. Warmup Anecdote Let's rewind 15 years or so. In my case, my university added a gym, for which the student body had to pay an additional mandatory fee. As a relatively sedentary person, I was initially outraged. After paying the fee a few times, I decided if I couldn't beat them, I could try to join them. And it was then that I started using the gym. As I got more accustomed to going, I felt the need to always have access to a gym -- otherwise, how would I work out? Surely being s...