Do you believe in God? Do you go to church? Which church do you attend? Are you at all political? Would you consider yourself on the right or left side of the isle? Good. Now that we have those out of the way, I’d like to point out that none of that matters, really. Here’s one, though: are you a good person?

To get rolling, I’d like to explain what inspired me to write this piece. A while back, I liked a facebook page called Atheism & World Peace. Back when I started following the page, it was posting quality posts that were facts inspiring harmony among the world’s populations. I liked that so I liked the page. Recently, however, the page took on a different face and began to post some pretty hateful things about various faiths, particularly towards Christianity. To me, this seemed to be a major divergence from the initial mission and name of the page. I posted a very calm and loving message on the page’s wall explaining my concern and disappointment with this trend and I was met with anger and hate. 

This taught me a very important lesson about people. I learned that no matter what you believe or think, you can still be an asshole. I thought that a page of atheists was a page of open-minded free-thinkers. I know now that this is not the case. There are people everywhere who know what they know, believe what they believe, and will take it personally and get upset if someone admits their approach is different (even when claiming to believe nothing). These people are willing to belittle and berate people without thinking twice about who they are preaching at or about what they are preaching.

This bothered me. I sat on it for a while and finally I came to a conclusion. I have decided that it doesn't matter what you believe. I don’t care and I think that’s the healthiest way to approach others. When you and I are together, it doesn't matter how we got to that place. Were we created from mud, shaped by a divine being, fired in a kiln of love and given earth to roam, or are we the result of miniscule mutations which aided in your ancestors’ survival over millions of years? That doesn’t matter at all.  Are we here now? Yes. Similarly, whether you go meet your ancestors in an intangible paradise or become fertilizer for future life on earth doesn't matter either. What matters is how you are in that moment. What really matters is if you are a good person or not.

Now, before I go on, I understand that there’s a healthy amount of what and who a person is defined by what that person knows, believes, and holds dearly, and that is important, but what matters is how you've let your beliefs affect who you are, not the beliefs. I love a lot of Christian morality, I also love a lot of Buddhist ideas and those have shaped all of my interactions because the ideas have shaped me. Do you care? Unless we’re specifically talking about it, probably not. Do I care what specific beliefs you hold dear? 90% of the time, no.

So let’s take a step back and stop insisting that what we believe is fact, because it doesn’t matter. If you tell an atheist that he or she is going to hell because of a lack of faith, you’re not being productive (chances are, it’s a threat of something they don’t think exists). If you tell a Christian that there’s no proof that God exists and therefore there’s no gods, you’re also not being productive (remember, the absence of proof is not proof of absence). Both of these things are going to likely cause offence and they are completely irrelevant to your conversations. 

Focus instead on how you treat other people. Are you shaming good people for believing there’s an omnipotent being? If so, you’re being an asshole. The same goes for people who are discriminating against people because a book they enjoy says people who are attracted to people with the same genitalia are bad people. The list goes on and it’s best if we don’t dwell on this list.

Instead, we should focus on how we interact with others. Are we engaged with our present moment and company? Are we showing love and understanding? Are we avoiding the arrogant temptations of superiority? I aim to answer, ‘yes, yes, no,’ when I run my personal assessment. I think those three questions and answers are great ways for me to check to make sure I am having a positive impact online.

Being a good person to others is hard to do online. I get that.  We communicate through a machine, be it a cell phone or a computer.  Machines don’t have feelings. You can’t offend your computer. You can crash it, but you can’t damage it emotionally. It’s easy to forget that we are not talking to computers when we are interacting online.   Unless you have established a report, treat others tenderly online. You may be strong, but that doesn't mean everyone can handle what you are okay typing. One thing I heard recently and will encourage is that you don’t forget the human.

I think that one thing we can all agree on is that we're all in this together, and the success of humans depends on how we move as a whole. My dad used to always tell me that I had two options in this life. I could either make the world better or I could make the world worse. He would also say to me, "Matt, If you're not helping, you're hurting." Perhaps we were created, or designed, or evolved and maybe when we die we go to heaven or our energy is absorbed and creates new life on the planet. All of that is out of our control and doesn't matter. What we should instead start focusing on is whether we're respecting each other and making the world a better place to call home. Go out you christians, buddhists, atheists, muslims, hindus, republicans, democrats, independents, or whatever else you consider yourself, love each other, and make the world a better place!

Dear Black Sprint iPhone 5 16GB,

Thank you for the past couple of weeks you and I have been able to spend together.  It's been a time of great growth for the both of us.  I know that you have taught me many things about how a phone should work.  Hopefully I was able to show you new and exciting things as well.  Though I'm afraid our time is drawing to an end, I do say I understand you better, and I have grown to appreciate some misunderstandings I had.

First and foremost, you are a great phone, and I mean that.  I've used a lot of different phones throughout the years, and I must say, you make calls and send text messages better than any phone I have had, and your build quality is exceptional.  It seems silly, but you have given me a confidence in my communication that no other phone has done yet.  I'm not sure how you are able to send messages and make calls so much better than anyone else because it seems so fundamental to the smartphone world, but you nailed it.  Thank you.  

Also, Siri, thank you for the wonderful conversations and all the helpful information.  It is great to have a voice assistant as deeply integrated as you.  As an Android user, I appreciate your sense of humor most, but your entire personality is what really sets you apart from the crowd

Your battery - well, we both know you have incredible stamina, even when we're going at it hard.  Thank you for holding your charge through pictures and data and phone calls and texts day in and day out.  I rarely felt the need to top your charge off, and when I did, I was blown away at how quickly you were back up and raring to go.  It taught me what real endurance is, and I think it may be what I will miss most about you.

But alas, it feels like we are growing in different directions.  You have become very safe - you do what you do, and you do it damn well.  I, on the other hand, like to live on the bleeding edge.  I consume media at what only years ago would have seemed like an alarming rate.  It's difficult keeping up with such a tiny screen, and unless I am instagramming, your pictures seem less than accurate.

I also have a hard time with your keyboard.  For a two thumbed keyboard, yours is excellent, but unfortunately, two thumbed keyboards are going the way of the Zune.  Swype and keyboards like it allow me to do more with less.  It's efficient and I really like it.  I know now that it is a very important thing in my life, and you can't offer it to me.  I'm sorry.

I guess as it stands now, I see you as more of a feature phone.  You make phone calls and send messages like a boss, but I really don't want to do anything else because squinting at your screen is giving me wrinkles and typing on your keyboard takes both hands off the steering wheel (okay kids, that joke wasn't funny - don't text and drive).  I am more mature now in my needs for a smartphone, and you haven't kept up with me.  And really, you are great, this is just a thing I am going through.  Perhaps you'll grow too and we can get back together, but right now, we just weren't meant to be.  I'm going back to my HTC One.

Thank you for everything, and I know you'll make someone on Craigslist a very happy Sprint customer.

Sincerely,

Matt

I just recently purchased a Sprint LG G2 from Craigslist.  I had been using the HTC One, which is a pretty new phone too.  What tempted me?  The specs, the price, Sprint Spark, battery life and the screen size.  I picked this guy up off of craigslist at a price lower than a Nexus or a Moto X, both devices that I really like, but both have features missing that, since my HTC One, I now refuse to live without.

The specs?  This phone is sporting the Snapdragon 800, a quad core chip clocked at 2.3 ghz.  It has 2GB of RAM, 32GB of device storage (no micro SD support), and it's running Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean).  It has a 1080p 5.2" screen, a 13mp shooter out back and a 2.1mp on the front.  The batter in this beast is a whopping 3000mAh pack that is not removable.  The outside is a tough gorilla glass front and a plastic casing.  The most notable feature on the phone is that all the buttons are in a line on the back next to the camera.

I know I may be in the minority still, but look at that screen!  The larger 5.2" screen feels enormous compared to the HTC's 4.7" display.  The trade off in size isn't a whole lot either because of the impossibly thin bezels of the LG G2 and the added area the HTC One uses for its dual speakers.  For me, it's hard to decide which I would prefer more, even after using both for a while.  Both are great and both are worth having a phone this size.  The screen on the LG G2 is very clear too.  At 1080p, you can't even begin to see individual pixels.  The screen is sharp, had a lot of room to work, and with the speedy Snapdragon, it's amazingly responsive.

The other neat thing about this screen is turning it on and off.  LG has included a feature they've called the, 'knock.'  When the screen is off, I don't have to reach around the back to press the power button like I would on almost every other smartphone.  Instead, I 'knock' twice on the screen and it magically wakes up ready for me to unlock and use it, or just to check notifications.  It's incredibly useful, especially with the screen button on the back of the phone.  It avoids the need to flip the phone over if it's resting on the desk - something I appreciate greatly.  I hope this is adopted by the industry.

One thing I can't stand is LG gave this phone a beautiful screen and body but didn't try to match the UI to the elegance of the rest of the phone.  It's a block UI.  Nothing looks natural or refined about it.  The UI doesn't match the Google icons in the slightest (it's picky, I know) so the screen looks cluttered.  LG offers themes to its skin which do help a lot (I am using "Piano Music" at the moment - it's definitely an upgrade) but it still doesn't feel as refined as HTC Sense.

The downside of having the lightweight plastic body is that it's a magnet for scratches and fingerprints.  I am spoiled with the body of the silver HTC One.  I can throw that phone in my pocket with my keys and the keys will be dull before the phone has a scratch on it.  That's not the case with the LG G2.  I didn't have a case for the first day and a half of owning this phone and it took its toll on the glossy plastic case of the phone.  I tried to get a good picture here, but after I buffed out all the fingerprints (get used to them without a case) you can still see a significant amount of scuffing on the bottom of my phone.  The case helps, but I still notice that any little pieces of dust from my pocket that get in between the case and the body do an incredible amount of pretty visible damage to the finish on the back of the phone.  The gorilla glass can take it on the front - no more need for a Zagg screen protector there - just on the plastic bac.

I don't know how this happens, but LG has made a phone that no matter what I run it through, it's alive by the time I get home.  This is just an example of my battery after a whole day off the charger with as much use as I could justify.  Last night I was able to really use the battery from 6:30 to midnight.  It was on wifi and 3G and LTE and still, by the time I plugged it in I had only managed to use 85% of the battery.  I normally take steps to conserve my juice, but with this one, I can't even drain it all if I try.  If you're looking for amazing battery life with Android, think the LG G2.

The most unique physical feature on this phone is the location of the power and volume buttons.  They are placed together on the back right underneath the camera.  At first, this was a tough thing to get used to.  There were a few times I found myself stumbling around the edge of the phone trying to figure out how to turn the screen off.  Once I was used to it, it's the feature on this phone that I appreciate the most.  Now that I am used to it, the placement of the buttons makes sense.  As I hold the LG G2 in my hand (it's pretty comfortable to do) the buttons are right where my index finger naturally rests.  This makes it easy to use the phone with one hand, as I prefer to do (Pro tip: trace keyboards like Swype and SwiftKeys make single handed typing very easy.  I'm using SwiftKeys on the LG because it allows users to snap the keyboard to the lower corner of the screen to avoid over stretching the thumb).  I think this may catch on as a great way to keep the edges of the phone clean while making the buttons more accessible to the user. 


One thing I've noticed about the phone is that the service isn't as great when compared to the HTC One.  Take this however you will since I'm on the Sprint network, but my HTC One had consistently better service than the LG G2 is getting.  If you're on the fringe of service, I might decide to steer you away from this phone because of the small reduction in service.

So there's my review of the LG G2 on Sprint.  There were software things I didn't find myself using at all (ie Slide Aside) and there were things that work just as they should (ie Infrared blaster).  All in all, I really like the LG G2 because of its battery and screen size and I recommend it to most people who want that bigger screened phone.  As for me, I prefer the feel of the HTC with Sense and will likely go back to the smaller screen because of it.  If you're trying to decide, I recommend picking up both of these phones at a store and figuring out which subtletees you like better.

I'm sorry I'm sharing something from Fox, but something really needs to be said about this piece of misguided journalism.  But not what's already being said.  What's being said are things like, "Fox News Thinks Feminists Are a Threat to America’s National Security," and, "According To Fox News, Feminism Is A National Security Problem."  Watch the video and we'll discuss why I think those two headlines don't even begin to get at what is going on here.  The Video:

Did you notice that the two reporters mock men who want to do the dishes in the beginning?  Or that the whole crew ridiculed men who care about their appearance?  Did you catch that he's suggesting the US needs to be more manly in order to lead?  Or even when Nick suggests that you're not a man unless you're winning? 

This is not an issue of feminism; it's an issue of hypermasculinity. If this were a feminist issue, there would be some sort of repression: an inequality.  At no point does anyone suggest that feminism is a national security threat, rather, a small and highly publicized group of feminists are blamed for essentially emasculating men.  I know what you just watched probably feels like an injustice of some sort and the word feminism was brought up, but the people most affected by the injustice in this clip are our boys and young men trying to decipher what it means to be a man and how to grow into the best man they can.  

As Nick Adams points out, it's a hard time to be a man.  This is true, but not for the reasons he identifies.  Instead, being a man today is difficult because of people like Mr. Adams.  There is a clear definition of what being a man is in this segment which is a direct result of Nick's new book.  Men don't do house work.  Men win.  Men protect and are invulnerable.  For anyone at all concerned with the upbringing of the next generation of men, you know that all of those things are absolutely inconsistent with what we are striving to teach young males today.  As someone who has recently grown from a boy to a young man, I think it's important to the future men of the world that they know it's okay to be respectful and diplomatic.  It's okay to be compassionate, to feel emotions, and to cry.  It's okay to lose, but it's also okay to keep playing if you don't want to stop.  It's okay to love and it's okay to have fun.  These qualities are essential to a successful future.

Can we also digress quick into the wussification of men being a national security threat?  I just recently caught up on the seasons of Game of Thrones, and I swear they said almost the exact same thing.  This is the narrow, patriarchal view of how the world works that is dominant in European culture and has been for centuries.  It's encouraging fear in the viewers by suggesting that an inability to be the stereotypical man means that everyone is at risk.  To assert that the only way to secure our nation is through intimidation, physical strength, and bouts of violence is greatly diminishing the potential of humans.  Since we are all rational beings, shouldn't we try diplomacy and do our best to shake hands with everyone rather than sending in the men to hang our dicks out and walk around comparing who is swinging the biggest club?  

I'm not trying to say that men shouldn't want to grow a beard, or go out and chop down a tree, or eat jerky from their deer they got this fall. What I'm trying to say is that men should also be able to work towards keeping their house tidy, keep looking great, and being compassionate, respectful, and honorable members of this planet.  Men should be allowed to be well rounded humans instead of emotionally void love-children of Ron Swanson and Barney Stinson. 

I will also admit that I have not read the book, and I'm guessing most have not since it's only been on shelves for four months.  Though I'm not expecting it to, the book could come to much different conclusions than the video I watched tonight.  I just want to be clear, I'm writing as a direct response to the video, not the book.

I know you're not supposed to write while you are upset, but I feel this topic needs all the attention it can get right now and I don't think this video will ever get less upsetting.  It is people like Nick Anderson who are stunting the progress that could be made toward peace and wholeness in the world.  He is a misguided man with antiquated ideals and he is being perpetuated by fear-mongering groups who are using his words to maintain and increase wealth and power.  The reporters here are puppets of a machine with no brain or heart.  They are mindlessly relaying the words on the teleprompter without question.  The sooner we begin to realize that it is people like the ones in the video I've posted are a bigger threat to national and global security and peace, the sooner we can all start making progress to a better world.  Thank you.

Chances are, if you are reading this blog post, you are aware of what a straight razor shave is.  For men, it is the terror of dragging a single bladed knife (fondly referred to by some as a cut-throat) across the face and neck.  I have been shaving for 11 years and in that time constantly searching for the best shave.  A couple of years back I found this article and it changed my life.  Being a millennial, I assumed the world of shaving was limited to overpriced disposable razors and messy, stinky shaving creams, and noisy electric razors because that's what I saw my dad use and that's what the TV told me worked best.  If you are like I was and have no idea what else there is, make sure you click on that hyperlink.  Since reading that article, I had been using a safety razor and shave soap.  That's a fine way to shave, and if you haven't tried it, it's worth the look.  This winter I finally mustered up the courage to try shaving with a straight razor.

I'm going to admit something to you right off the bat here - I haven't been using my straight razor for two weeks yet, but I already know it's how I intend to shave until they come up with a better option than there is right now (for the record, right now is 1/6/14).  When I shave now, I use a Dovo Shavette (the straight razor equivalent of a disposable), a (admittedly cheap) brush from Amazon, and Taylor of Old Bond Street shave soap.  I used the same soap and brush while using the my safety razor, and I decided not to invest in a cheap fixed blade straight razor or invest around $200 on something I was unsure of.  The Shavette was the perfect way to go for me.  It's cheap, sharp, and I couldn't recommend it more if you are thinking about trying a straight razor out.  

But why should you try shaving with technology that's older than your father?  Glad you asked.

First of all, it's not as dangerous as you'll let your imagination tell you it is.  In my almost two weeks, I have not cut myself once.  That's an amazing feat for me.  I don't know if I have ever gone more than two days without nicking some bump or pressing too hard.  I have no evidence for why this is, though my best guess is that the blade is totally under the shaver's control.  It's not fixed to a handle or a series of other blades.  You can wield it like a foil - agile and accurate, instead of the club that is a modern day Gillette or Schick.

It also (has been claimed by others that it) is the closest shave a man can have.  I'll admit another something to you - I'm not completely practiced yet.  Most of my shaves are pretty good, definitely passable at work, and every once in a while I will get it just right and find that there is merit to the claim that this is the closest shave possible.  I have been able to shave smooth to the point that there is no evidence of a beard to the touch.  That's pretty darn close, especially considering I was in no pain afterwords, not even razor burn.  I'll be sure to update my readers on whether or not I am able to achieve this. 

One of my favorite parts of waking up and shaving with a straight razor is that it makes me feel like James Bond every morning.  Granted, this is a very superficial value to hold, but it has been shown many times that what you think of yourself directly affects your happiness and success.  Waking up and feeling like a world-famous gentleman affects the way I operate throughout the day, and I like it.

Finally, the straight razor shave is the most intimate thing I have ever done for myself, and it's likely to remain that way.  When learning how to shave with a straight razor, I had to learn my face.  That sounds silly, but it actually made me realize that I couldn't pick my own face out of a lineup if I were blind.  I had to learn every curve, every pit and bump.  I had to pay attention to which direction my beard grows in.  I need to know where the skin is soft and malleable and where my face is ridged and unforgiving - where it is tough, and also where it is sensitive.  I had to learn to fear myself, and then I had to learn to use it to keep my face smooth yet safe. 

Ladies, this is something you should learn to do too, not for your own legs and underarms, but if you ever want to win a man over.  I've seen a bunch of lists that are something along the lines of, "Blow Your Man Away with these 10 Sexy Moves."  I promise that if you have seen this list and, "Give him a straight razor shave," was not on there, it was either written by a another woman who sleeps with bros from bars and calls it research, a bro who goes to bars to sleep with chicks, a man-child who can not yet grow a beard, or a hipster.  Regardless of what you have read, giving your man a hot foam, straight razor shave is one of the most arousing acts you can give to a man (assuming you don't slice his face).  Understand and respect the complete trust a man has in another person who offers to shave his face, let alone with a straight razor - don't abuse it.  If you want to learn how to give a shave, here's a pretty decent and short video.

So gentlemen, do yourself a favor and learn how to shave using a straight razor.

I am going to start this post by saying that I have always enjoyed Windows 8.  I had the consumer preview almost as soon as it came out and installed the full version onto my desktop the day it was released.  I think it's a great, lightweight operating system that works well with almost all hardware.  People who complain about Windows 8 are either very advanced users, are people giving an initial, knee-jerk reaction, or have been too lazy to understand that the UI can be, for the most part, completely ignored.

Anyway, I enjoyed Windows 8 so much I thought I would get a Windows 8 RT mobile device.  How much different could it be?  Well, it turns out it's a lot different.  I purchased a Asus VivoTab RT.  I love the Android Transformer line and thought that this machine would be a worthy upgrade.  Unfortunately, the product was not at all what I needed.  Being stuck with laggy internals and a version of Windows which was crippled and pretty useless, I quickly grew tired of the (expensive) machine and got a Chromebook n Craigslist. 

Jump forward with me about 6 months.  Microsoft just announced Windows 8.1 and the new Surface tablets with upgraded internals.  Intel has also introduced the Bay Trail processors - the upgraded Intel Atom line promising incredible battery life, improved performance and at a bargain price.

At this point, two things caught my eye: the first, a contest, and the second, the new line of Dell tablets.  Surface was having a twitter contest to win a new Surface 2, which I entered.  At the end of October, I received a notification that I may be a winner of Surface's Twitter contest.  At about that same time, the Dell Venue Pro 8 went on sale and I purchased one (after selling my Chromebook for no loss!).  At the beginning of November, due to the vague message from Surface, I knew that I was going to have a Dell Venue 8 Pro.

Just last week I got the notification that my Dell was in stock and shipping to me later in the week.  I also was notified that the Surface was actually shipping to me and I ended up getting both on Monday of this week.  After a full day of updates on both, I have started really using these machines.  I have to admit, I really like both devices.

The Surface - I will start with the one that blows me away the least.  I really didn't like Windows RT a year ago.  It was slow and limited.  The Asus had a great keyboard, but that was really the only thing it had going for it.  The new Microsoft Surface 2 changes almost everything I didn't like about the Asus and Windows 8 RT.

First thing I noticed is the speed.  This tablet is night and day when compared to the first gen RT devices.  It's much faster. Websites take much less time to load and I can actually use Word and Excel without exploding with rage over a choppy experience (it was so bad that I had to just assume I was correct and that the tab would catch up eventually).  I also am in love with the inclusion of Outlook.  The old mail app was definitely a mobile-centric mail app.  As something I wanted to use as an email device, I was severely let down.  Now with Outlook, I can compose emails and manage my inbox much better.

I am using the old generation of touch keyboards as my cover.  It's actually not terrible.  I am using it to type this blog post and it's keeping up magnificiently.  It has taken some time to get used to.  The tactile response of just hitting a pad and the layout were really weird and slow at first. I still miss keys more frequently than I would want, but it's much less annoying than typing on the Windows 8 RT, and at the rate I'm improving, I think this will almost completely disappear.

The gripe I have with Windows RT is that every experience that's not Microsoft Office feels crippled.  I understand that Internet Explorer has come leaps and bounds in the last couple of years, but it's still not Google Chrome.  I think the UI and speed of Chrome are far superior to Internet Explorer.  I also can't use Java on the Surface 2, and therefore cannot use it completely for work.  Give me a better internet experience, and I will love this tablet.  I am sometimes limited by the apps available, but that's growing leaps and bounds too. 

Now on to the Dell Venue Pro 8.  Holy cow - let's take a minute to consider this device before I let you know what I think of it.  It's a widescreen 8" tablet that is just under a centimeter thick and weighs in at .87 lb.  It has a quad-core Intel processor with 2GB of RAM and 64GB of hard drive space.  It's running full Windows 8.1 and the battery life is more than 8 hours.  The device retails for $350.  Let that sink in.  To compare, I went to college with a laptop running Windows XP with a single core processor, 100GB of HDD space.  It had 1GB of RAM and the battery lasted less than 2 hours.  This laptop weighed in at 6.2 lbs and the price on that machine was $999... and we're beginning to understand why I'm blown away that this device exists.

The first thing that impressed me about the tablet is that it is running a full, unabridged Windows 8.1 with Microsoft Office Home and Student with the price of $350.  If I wanted to build a machine with those two features, I would have to spend around $200 on just that.  Turning the machine on gave me more surprising results - it's nimble.  The Intel Atom line doesn't hold the device back at all.  The processor has no problem keeping up with the tasks I give it.  Google Chrome runs like a dream, as do my Windows 8 apps and the Office suite.  After running all this for a while, I realized I hadn't charged it.  Here's a feature that's underrated, but to be able to charge my phone and my Windows machine once a day and from the same charger is incredible.  I only take one micro USB cable and wall plug with me and both devices will have battery.  Speaking of battery, you'll be hard pressed to kill this guy in a day of regular use.  It's supremely efficient and it has more than enough juice.

As with every device, there are features I wish it had. I have spent a lot of time considering how I could turn this little guy into a docked desktop.  That's doable, but not necessary, so I'll spare those.  I do, however, wish it included a display out port and perhaps a dedicated USB OTG port as well.  You can plug USB devices into the micro USB port with an adapter, but it would be nice to be able to access that feature while charging.  I also love streaming movies, but not all apps are supported on all devices, so streaming my desktop would allow me to play my movies on a larger screen without messing around with the muddy Miracast standard.

I will note that both have the micro SD card slot to increase storage space if you want.

If you understand the limitations of these two devices and think either meets your needs, I highly recommend both devices.  They are well made machines.  Any reservations about buying a RT or Atom device because of performance issues should be gone.  They are snappy machines that do Windows well.

Bonus: if you are a college student looking for a lightweight and inexpensive laptop, check out the Asus T100. It's using the new Bay Trail Atom processor with the full version of Windows 8.1.  Check it out and see if that device is for you!


Update 1/6/14: I no longer have the Surface tablet.  After getting some time with the Asus T100, it was foolish to keep it around.  I haven't replaced it yet, but I will post an update when I do.

For those who don't know, I love listening to, and making music.  My obsession started with a Sony Walkman tape player and a cassette (what 5-year-old could afford a CD player?!) of Elton John's greatest hits (proudly, my first music purchase).  From then on I was consumed by music.  By the age of 8 I was making mix tapes from the radio to take with me on my Walkman; by 13 got my first Discman and had rigged up a surround sound system for the room I then shared with my little brother (my first purchase in the CD realm was the only relevant Eiffel 65 album).  My first MP3 player came into my life at 15 which opened up endless possibilities along with the internet.  Now we have subscription music, so I can listen to anything at anytime.

The problem I have found is that the more I listened and became involved with music and its creation, the more picky I became with how the music sounds.  My first headphones were cheap because I was making purchases with allowance and money from my birthday and holidays, and also because I didn't know any better.  What's bass, right?  Well, now that I am working and have been exposed to more great and terrible sounding systems, I am beginning to place a higher value on great sound. 

On a trip to LA recently, I was given the opportunity to try out some Panasonic RPHJE120.  A good friend and fellow musician had me try them out.  They were great!  They were lightweight, incredibly comfortable, and they had a pretty full sound for a pair of $7.00 headphones.  By far the best sounding value headphones I had tried.  I was ecstatic, purchased a pair, and then read reviews of just about every other headphone set under $15 dollars.  I purchased quite a few in my excitement.  I ended up with a couple pairs of Sonys, a pair from Skullcandy, a pair of HTC (who then owned a stake in Beats) earbuds, and a pair of Monoprice 9927s.  Monoprice?  That was my reaction too, but they had pretty solid (in fact, sometimes unbelievable) reviews, so I went for it.  What's an extra $10 in the quest for the best headphones to throw in a briefcase?  Turns out, it was the best decision I made.

I have spent enough time with all of these headphones to say that the Monoprice 9927 Enhanced Bass Hi-Fi Noise Isolating Earphones are the best pair of headphones I own compared to how much I paid for them - no doubt.  I liked them so much that I am compelled to do a full review.  Here we go!

Initial Impression and Unboxing

These headphones are cheap, right?  Well, don't expect much from the packaging.  It's a really basic package with the headphones, the plastic form, and the headphones.  That's it.  No instructions, no warranty, no warnings, no stickers, not anything else.  It was a mix of everything I had hoped for from all the other headphones when I opened them.  It made me feel confident that all of my money was spent on the headphones.

Taking the Monoprice headphones out of the box, they made the impression of any other cheap pair of earbuds.  The earbuds are a soft plastic and the cord is covered in woven fabric.  The only thing that was different was the way the cord came out of the earbud.  I opted for the black pair.  They come in a chrome finish, but I try to avoid things I know will collect fingerprints.

Fit and Comfort

The problem with Monoprice not including instructions is that these earphones are the first headphones that I've used that aren't just jammed in your ear or clipped to it some way.  After a minute or two of some creative problem solving, I was able to figure out how these little guys are designed to sit in the ear.  They are designed like in-ear monitors.  You have to rotate the earbuds into your ear, where they nestle snug in your ear cavity.  I was surprised at how well this design works.  I could make all sorts of sudden movements with my head (think System of a Down or Coheed and Cambria) and they refuse to move; they are even resistant to pretty decent tugs if you get stuck on your backpack or jacket.

With all of my Sony over the ear headphones, comfort became a huge issue, with or without my glasses on.  For me, having anything sit on the crotch of my ear begins to hurt after a while.  Fortunately, because the cord is so light, I have yet to notice the cord even wrapping over my ear.  Also, since they don't use pressure against the walls of my ear canal as the way they cling to my head, I have also found them to be more comfortable than the just-jam-it-in earbuds.

One thing I have had to adapt to is the way the cable sits on my ears.  At first I ran the whole thing between my shoulders because I would put the headphones in and then throw the whole cord over my head, putting the split in the back of my body.  This worked, but if I wanted to do anything on my phone while they were plugged in, the headphones would tug.  I solved this by keeping the cord in front, like all other headphones are designed.  Do it that way; there's no reason to fix something that isn't broken.

Sound Quality

This is really where the Monoprice stands out in my book.  The quality of sound that Monoprice has put into these cheap headphones is really amazing.  I do all of my headphone listening through my HTC One and my iPod Nano (the watch edition).  First of all, these are definitely the most clear sounding headphones.  One of my complaints with most cheap headphones I use is that some sounds wash together or get drowned out by other sounds or frequencies.  They are truer to the music than my nicer over the ear headphones, which really surprised me.

One thing I love about these headphones is the quality of the bass tones.  One thing I've noticed about all headphones is that the level of quality seems to be directly proportional to the amount of bass sound the headphones put out; that's the myth that Beats and other headphone manufacturers is exploiting.  The Monoprice earbuds put out enough bass, but what they do very well is define the bass tones.  The kick drum and low notes are very well defined, are perfectly audible, and do not compromise the sound quality of the mids or highs in any way.

It has been a joy to listen to my music through these headphones.  It's like upgrading my headphones to HD.  I get to hear much more.

These Monoprice are loud enough.  Think cheap earbud loudness - it's exactly what you would expect.

Features

Well, this is really the only place I am left wanting more.  It's really just a great sounding, cheap set of headphones.  There's no inline microphone and no volume control.  Just headphones.

Noise isolation is noise isolation.  It's pretty good at isolating the noise.  Again, very comparable to every other set of cheap noise isolating headphones

Other Thoughts

The only other complaint I had was that the fabric cord has to be the most tangle-prone cord I own.  Even the best simple coil would come out of my pocket or backpack a complete mess.  The only way to avoid spending your listening time untangling this cord is to wrap the cord and secure it like I've done in my picture or like it is done in this video.  A little extra time spent making sure it's done right when you put the headphones away, the less time you will spend unknotting your headphones when all you want to do is listen to that glorious music.

Conclusion

It's a pretty easy conclusion for me.  These are the only headphones I own that I would recommend to anyone.  They are cheap and durable enough for a child, but the fidelity is high enough that I would recommend these to audiophiles who are looking for an pair of lighter headphones to which are easier to carry around everywhere.  I haven't tried all budget earbuds, but I have tried a lot of highly recommended headphones, and these are the unequivocal best headphones.

If you want to pick up a pair for yourself (and you do), I purchased them through Amazon.com.  They can also be purchased through Monoprice's own website.  If you have friends, bulk ordering through Monoprice can save you money as well.

If you have any favorite cheap headphones or if you have tried a pair of the Monoprice 9927 (or 8320 for silver), let me know in the comments below!  Thanks for reading.

                It is no secret that I am an avid fan of Mountain Dew.  I started my Dew appreciation in middle school, when I started just about every day off with a Code Red, Livewire, or classic Dew.  That was my routine through 3 years of middle school and 4 of high school.  I also would drink Dew while playing Halo or watching The Matrix with my friends.  At some point in high school, I was introduced to Taco Bell’s own Baja Blast and fell in love all over again.  Baja Blast, for those who are not familiar with it, looks and smells like a fizzy Windex, and it tastes just as good as you would imagine.  I still make special trips to Taco Bell just so I have an excuse to get my hands on this sweet nectar.  Around this same time I found Pitch Black, which finally filled the grape soda hole in my life which Mt. Dew hadn’t found a way to fill.


                Just as I was graduating high school, Mountain Dew released what I maintain was the best dew ever in their DEWmocracy campaign.  All three Dews this year were great.  I had a riot with Revolution, Voltage, and the gem of the bunch, Supernova.  Supernova reminded me why I started drinking Mountain Dew.  As a non-coffee drinker, I had to find another means of consuming caffeine.  Supernova was absolutely perfect at any time of day.  I often drank it right after brushing my teeth in the morning, with my lunch, or if I was staying up late.  It became a staple of my life in 2008.  It was smooth, flavorful, and unique.  It was the Swiss Army Knife of sodas; it fulfilled every requirement I have ever had for a beverage.  It became my drink.  I was ecstatic when it returned for a brief stint after I graduated from college.  It helped the transition into the real world by reminding me that I wasn’t changing into some final human form, but rather just taking on new responsibilities.  It kept me grounded.


                I dabbled around in Gamer Fuel, which I must admit, I love.  I don’t game hardcore, but the flavors are good and it feels like I can count on the flavors at least once a year.  Another round of DEWmocracy Dews came and went and I enjoyed the next three because of they brought a fresh Dew experience to what many would consider a seasoned Dew drinker.  The same went with the Dark Knight Dew edition.  I love new Dews because it is my chance to see how Mountain Dew wants to express its next movement.  When I saw that Mountain Dew was releasing a juice beverage, I couldn’t have been more excited.  Could this be what I have been waiting for?  Might I finally have a new breakfast Dew?  My thoughts raced and they soon became dreams of how my life may change with a breakfast juice/Mountain Dew hybrid to begin each day.  I was hyped and couldn’t wait to try this new Dew experience.


                February 25th of 2013 rolled around and I began my search.  I didn’t go out of my way to find this drink, but I did keep two dollars of cash in my wallet on the off chance that was the only way I would be allowed to pay for it.  For almost two weeks I was on the lookout for the new breed of soda.  Today, March 8, 2013, I was buying popcorn for the machine at work and I found it!  It was sitting in the front of Walgreens, right in the corner on the way to the checkout line.  I had done it – these Dews were mine!    I happily strolled to the counter and paid for the cans of juice/soda.  Courtesy of some screwy rules in the FDA, this is technically a juice product.  That’s a whole other set of writings on how I feel about how Kickstart can be considered a juice product.

              Since they were stored in the corner of the store, the Kickstarts were very warm.  I threw them in the fridge and began to do some work.  It is surprisingly hard to concentrate on spreadsheets when salivating over the Pandora’s Box of Mountain Dew products, but I endured.  I knew the best experience would be had if the Dews were chilled, so I let them sit.  Finally, the afternoon slump came around and I had a great excuse to get up, walk around, and ingest some caffeine.  I headed straight to the refrigerator and grabbed the orange Kickstart.  I love orange juice and orange soda and the color orange, so this was an easy decision.  With a pull of the tab, the seal cracked and I was ready to enter soda nirvana. 


                As the first drops disappeared from my tongue, I was greeted with an unpleasant surprise.  I could tell immediately that this juice was sweetened with an artificial sweetener.  I took a peek at the nutrition facts and ingredients label and there was the proof.  Two different artificial sweeteners as well as some high fructose corn syrup.  I know many people cannot taste the difference in a food-thing which is artificially sweetened, but it turned me off right away.  I then discovered it was a low calorie drink.  What good is the gym membership if I’m drinking low calorie Mountain Dew?  It was a disaster.  I was completely let down.  This over-sweetened juice tasted pretty terrible, but I made myself drink further.  Perhaps I would grow accustomed to the flavors, or maybe my taste buds would get it together and figure out why Mountain Dew decided to release this product.


                Unfortunately, I only made it half way through the orange Kickstart before dumping it down the drain of the semi-public bathroom on our floor.  I was disheartened but I knew I still had one in the fridge.  And this flavor had been likened to Tahitian Treat – one of my all-time favorite sodas from my childhood.  Before I drowned my disappointment with the second Kickstart, I glanced at the label and was again disappointed; it had the same ingredients and calorie count as the first Dew.  This didn't deter my efforts to enjoy the soda.  I cracked the top with the same enthusiasm (granted, with much more desperation) as I greeted the first.  It smelled amazing so I took my first swig.


                It was awful.  I understand why it was likened to Tahitian Treat.  The same basic flavor goal was approached by both beverages, but where Tahitian Treat does sweet, Kickstart did flat.  I took another sip in complete disbelief.  How could Mountain Dew have missed the mark by so much?  Did anyone taste these before they hit the market?  I had so many questions as I walked to the bathroom to quickly dispose of my most recent mistake.  I am not sure if it is grief or the quality of the drink, but the experience has left me queasy.  I always encourage everyone to experience something for themselves before making a decision, but I would like to make it known that I will never buy a Mountain Dew Kickstart again if they keep the same recipe.  It is the opposite of enjoyable to me.


                I am sorry to Mountain Dew for the possibly hard to hear remarks.  Fear not, I am not leaving the Mt. Dew family for good.  You dew too much good for me to turn my back on all of your products for one little mistake (see what I did there?!).  I hope this can be a learning experience for you – a chance to get better.  The idea was great – the execution was not on this one.  Thank you for the effort, but for now, I look forward to trying your next product.