Tesla: Model S

So I had a P100D Model S as an overnight test drive, then rented a 90D for a week while my M5 is in the shop -- my experience was underwhelming with both, the P100D I loved to a degree and did a brief roundup on Instagram shortly after I had returned it, but actually experiencing real life circumstances with the 90D for a week, I was heavily turned off to all electric vehicles for the time being.

I love the cars, let me get that out of the way; it isn't the vehicle I have issues with, it's the technology that powers them. The instant torque is a lot of fun, they are about on par with my M5, well the P100D was, while the 90D was a little slower. The ideal aspect was the lack of shifting and the silence in which you're able to maneuver. 

There was one point where I did an asshole move at a light and a motorcycle PD saw it, followed me, then didn't do anything because he couldn't tell if I was actually speeding or not because what I did was done in silence.

The issue I have mainly is with charging -- it has a way to go, taking 2 hours to charge at a supercharger when it takes me 2 minutes to fill a gas tank is unappealing to me. Sure you can say you can charge it overnight, but my office for example doesn't have a charger at the valet. This means it needs to be plugged in to 3 prong outlet which lead to the car charging 4 miles every hour. Essentially I would've rather not had them plug it in over night because it just pissed me off the next morning when I picked it up.

When battery swapping is a practicality then the vehicle will be far more appealing, but having to go to a Tesla Super Charger location, wait for the cars that are also in line waiting to charge, then charge for an hour go get 200 miles of range from it is a bit obnoxious in my eyes.

The other issue I have is cars like the M5 or E-Class that it's built to compete with blow the interior out of the water. It isn't very comfortable, it very much feels more like the tech project that it is as opposed to the luxury vehicle it's meant to be. They've come a long way, I'll give them that, but I still believe they have a ways to go to really compete with their price point when a P100D is 165k.

In all, the car is a lot of fun -- controlling everything from the massive display is beyond annoying, just give me switches, I don't know why they had to be so extra. On top of that, I just still don't believe it's a $165k car regardless of how coveted owners treat the vehicle.

My Current State of Mobile

I'm always having some form of internal conflict between what device(s) I use on a daily basis, primarily because I'm never actually happy with the options available alongside the conveniences or caveats created by said options. I've currently settled back to using a 256GB iPhone 7 in Jet Black, because there were a few things that I just couldn't tolerate when switching to my Pixel and many compromises I couldn't commit to when using my 7 Plus.

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The Pixel is without a doubt the best phone currently on the market, anyone that questions that can fight me because I refuse to acknowledge their commentary. This isn't up for debate, it's fact. Before I didn't give it enough time when comparing it to the Nexus 6P and now after using it for a week on Google's own Project Fi, I can easily say it's worth the money it costs because it's the first true iPhone competitor in the Android space.

The Pixel is fast, very fast. Everything is fluid and everything just works, which is ironically what the iPhone used to be. Oh how the tables have turned with Android Nougat in terms of usability and cohesiveness. Granted, this is the standpoint of an individual that treats their phone as a work horse -- I don't game, never have; my device is strictly to be used as the communications tool that it was created to be.

With that being said, I am sad to return to my iPhone but it was for reasoning beyond my control -- it's reminiscent of why I was locked into carrying a BlackBerry until they dug their own grave. The convenience of FaceTime/FaceTime Audio and iMessage makes it difficult to convert over to a new platform, but beyond that there is also my media. I have been so committed to the Apple ecosystem that all of my content resides within it.

I'm one of those strange people that actually pays for movies, tv shows, and music; due to that, it's only accessible on my iPhone (movies/tv shows) -- I'm faced with either re-buying everything on my Android account or just pirating it and side loading to my Pixel. Neither of which I really want to do. I'm sure if I were to fully commit it'd be less of a burden, but in it's current state it is a speed bump that I don't feel like trying to angle over.

The majority of those I communicate with have either WhatsApp or Signal, which makes the iMessage and FT/FTA lock-in less of a lock-in, but for those couple people that don't I either have to ask them to install it, which most will typically oblige, or deal with the struggle of SMS which I just won't use. I have one person that I'm willing to SMS because they're so fucking hard headed I can't get them to do anything else, this is what 10 years of friendship causes.

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As for my issues between the 7 and 7 Plus, those are far different. The 7 Plus is just too impractically sized if you aren't using it solely as a multimedia device and the battery life is abysmal at best. My issue with the compromise in size is that the battery is quick to drain and slow to charge, and I personally don't benefit from the second camera or the increased screen real estate unless I'm on a plane and don't want to take out my MacBook Pro.

This is why I think the 7 is befit for my needs in it's current state -- yes, it dies faster than the 7 Plus but I'm able to use a battery case if I'm on the go or it will fully recharge quite rapidly in my car using a 2a+ adapter. Neither of these are the case for the Plus. But the largest upside to it is the one-handed usability, it just isn't possible with the Plus. I usually have a bag or my dog in one hand which means anything large is a burden to maneuver when walking or even when in the car.

I for the most part won't text in drive but for the time I need to type out a response or even initiate a phone call, it's far too annoying to do so with the Plus. 

For these reasons, I've settled on my 7 to be my current daily driver and will continue my love affair with my Pixel on the side. I'd still like to make it my main device but I don't know if it'll currently be feasible unless I still have an iPhone alongside it.

Looking Back: Never Forget Where You Came From

My insomnia has me looking back on what my turning point was, what caused a pivot that shaped the direction that my future took. It's surreal when you're able to pull up Google Maps Street View and it allows you to view past imagery, bringing me back to 2007 which is around the exact time that I was posted up with friends and probably making poor choices as if that's anything new.

There are moments here that I remember vividly and others that I would rather forget, but everything that occurred after I first stepped foot on this block will forever have shaped who I have become today. People question my aggression or the angst I carry under certain conditions and there are reasons for human behavior and this is a portion of mine.

They're events I wouldn't change, dark memories that others would probably prefer to refrain from surfacing. But writing this post from my house in the Hollywood Hills makes me realize that truly anything is possible. It doesn't matter the adversary you face as long as you're willing to overcome it.

Always remember to be humble because you never know what others are experiencing or have experienced to get to where they are today -- the cars, the clothes, the homes, the parties; nothing matters if you aren't grounded while going through it. With everything that I post, I do it to motivate others that have gone through similar situations as hope or motivation that there is something more out there if you try hard enough.

10 years ago I was doing what I needed to, in order to get by, on this block -- 5 years ago, I was locked up in a maximum security remand center (Horizon) in Kingston Jamaica. I've rebuilt from nothing many times over and that lack of fear is what drives success, knowing you can lose it all because it doesn't have meaning means you can obtain that much more. Never be afraid to take risks because those risks lead to a better life and allow you to provide for yourself and those around you.

New business idea? Take action. Stuck in a rut, find a new job, move, do whatever it takes just never give up. Anyone that tells you not to follow your dreams never had the courage to follow their own. We all have our own destiny and we're the only ones that control the outcome of our aspirations.

Focus on where you're going but never forget where you came from.

T-Mobile: DIGITS

I've been toying with DIGITS for about a week now, I'm testing both services — I have the duplicate SIM for my main line and I also have a "virtual" number that I've added to my account. The service is promising and solves a key issue, as long as you're willing to use a Galaxy device.  

I love the Galaxy line, I love that they're scaling down touchwiz and I'm looking forward to the Nougat upgrade in the next month. If this is also you, and you have multiple lines you juggle, this is the solution you've been looking for. In the image above, each icon represents a different phone number being used via SMS; personal, public, and work.

But my main line is still an iPhone and the iPhone doesn't really have the greatest options. The application is alright, until you get to the messaging portion which is horrendous. It's unusable in its current graphical state in my opinion. So while it's great in concept, the end result isn't very appealing. 

Its definitely worth trying either way to see where the future of mobile is headed and how a major problem that google voice attempted to solve, is finally being solved at carrier level.  

Google: Pixel

So I finally gave in and picked up a Pixel, for two reasons -- first to pull off the T-Mobile jig and get a free $325 bill credit, second to see what all the hype was about. Truthfully, I don't know what the ranting and raving was about; after using it, nothing makes sense to me. 

Maybe I have a tiny brain and can't comprehend it, maybe they're trying to see glory where there is none.

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If you don't want to waste your time, go buy a OnePlus 3T and enjoy the same phone for half the price.

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I only spent a day with it, because the Pixel, like the Nexus One, made me want to throw it into a trash can. There's no way Google can claim that this device is worth $800, it's impossible. As I've claimed before -- Apple gets rid of it for two reasons, we are sheep and the second main reason I'm willing to pay that price for my iPhone is because if something breaks, I can walk right into one of many Apple stores in my area and get the device swapped out the same day.

Google doesn't and can't offer this unless they're looking to take on what Microsoft did and create their own stores, which they don't have enough products to substantiate since they aren't a hardware company.

You get a certain level of service with Apple that commands the prices that they charge, with Google you get a special settings pane to reach out to their support staff... Cool.

The camera...

Well...

In the first 6 shots I took, 3 of them had lens flare -- it was at night, but still.

Today I took a couple shots here and there and they were also underwhelming; I was going to post a couple sample photos but I was so unimpressed with the device that I wiped it before remembering to transfer the photos off. So instead, below are two shots that I took that I had uploaded to Twitter.

People have gloated about Google Assistant, who the fuck actually uses that? What is its purpose? I've had Siri for years and it has typically always been disabled. It doesn't do anything more than what other Android smartphones offer and it 100% is not worth $300 uncharge. 

All in all, you get the same software experience on the Nexus 6P as well as the OnePlus 3T, as well as comparable performance, both are $450. There's no way anyone in their right mind can place a buy recommendation on this vice, at almost double the price with no value add proposition to be seen.