Do you have to wear pantyhose in the summer? The pantyhose-at-the-office question comes up so often, but I don’t think we’ve addressed it in a while — and Reader N wonders…

I had a question about wearing pantyhose. I’m about to start my first internship in finance (a mid-sized hedge fund) this summer and I’m really confused as to what to wear. It’ll be in London, so I don’t know if that changes business formal guidelines. Anyway, I’m 20 years old and a southern girl, and I’ve never worn pantyhose in my life. Is it really necessary to wear pantyhose with a skirt suit, even in the middle of July? I’m tempted to just wear a pant suit the first day and see what everyone else is wearing, but then I’ve heard people say that pantsuits aren’t conservative enough and I should wear a skirtsuit the first day just in case.

Obviously, I have no idea what I’m doing. Oh dear.

Congratulations on your summer internship — it sounds excellent. There is a really big range in what’s acceptable at conservative offices, and so — for my $.02 — it’s always best to get started on the right foot, which is to say the safest foot. You don’t want people’s first impression of you to be of your clothes — you want it to be of your work, your accomplishments. So for the first day — probably even the first week — I would suggest wearing:

•  Skirt suits (at least for the first day)
•  Nude-for-you pantyhose (pictured above: Wolford ‘Fatal Lace 15′ Seamless Stockings, available at Nordstrom for $50)
• Closed toe shoes
•  Sleeves, if you’re not wearing a blazer

You may realize pretty quickly that your female bosses all wear skirts without hose, and after that point you have my go ahead to ball up your pantyhose and pack ‘em away until interview season. Similarly, after a few days of observation, you may feel confident in bringing out your peep-toes and your sleeveless dresses. But the point is that you have to know your office.

Now, if you do get stuck in a firm where you have to wear pantyhose all summer… there are a few things you can do to make the summer go more comfortably.

- If there’s a problem with your hose (they fall down, they run, they cling to your skirt), odds are that you just haven’t found a great pair of hose for you yet. Readers have sung the praises of everything from Jockey to Wolford, so you don’t necessarily have to spend a lot of money; you just have to find a great pair that works for you. Personally I’ve always been a fan of control tops (even when I didn’t need the control) because the hose stayed up better, but that’s me — Spanx even has a higher-waisted version to prevent rollover.

- If you constantly feel sweaty while wearing your hose, first switch to all cotton underwear. (A reader asked me once if you needed to wear underwear with hose, and my answer there is yes — I’m not an expert but going commando in hose sounds like a recipe for a yeast infection.) If that still doesn’t work, you may want to look into thigh-high hose — a lot of women prefer those, particularly in the summertime.

- You may want to review my older advice on how to care for your pantyhose (as well as how to put them on).

Readers, which are your favorite pantyhose brands? For those of you who wear it even on the hottest days, what is your advice for Reader N?

What is the best bag to carry if you walk to work? Reader A wonders…

I’ve had a bag dilemma for years and though this venue might provide a solution. I thought perhaps someone out there might have found the holy grail of bags to address the following issues, and I’m sure others are looking for the same. I would certainly love a post on this. I’m a lawyer and I walk almost two miles to work everyday. Here’s what I’m looking for:
- Big enough to carry folders, papers, occasional laptop and occasional change of clothes
-Color-neutral enough to be worn with anything for everyday use
-Professional looking
- Comfortable to carry long distances, such as a cross-body style with comfortable strap. Maybe a backpack style?

Does such a bag exist? I sure hope so.

I’ve always loved walking to work, and I’ve regularly schlepped about that distance. While there are so many benefits to walking to work (fresh air! clear head! some exercise!), I do feel like I’ve done some serious damage to my body from walking so much. For example, whenever I get massages, the masseuse always comments on the huge knot on my right upper back (where I usually carry my bag), and I honestly blame the first few years of walking to work (back in the days when I wore Steve Madden 3″ stacked heels regularly — for the 2 mile commute!) for the feet problems I have now. (I suppose there’s another post idea there, but my secret belief is that feet problems are like dreams: no one else wants to hear about them.) So: I gotta say that Reader A may be asking for too much. A laptop? A change of clothes? This all seems like a lot for a regular commute, and probably the smart advice to her is to find another means of transportation if she has to carry so much. That said, on the rare occasion where I wanted to carry a computer or a change of clothes, I suppose I could have fit a super-lightweight, small laptop (like my netbook) into my bag, and I also could have possibly fit a pair of jeans (for a night out) — but not both, and certainly not with a change of shoes.

For the past few years my bag of choice has been a large hobo. I’ve found that a single strap is a must (it stays on your shoulder better than two straps), and a good bag that has pockets keeps your phone, ID/subway pass, and lipgloss close at hand. My all-time favorite is a Cole Haan hobo (I have 3 or 4 of these — I had to put a moratorium on myself! They’re all similar to the “greige” one pictured (also available in plain black), but I also like my Kooba hobo (similar to this one, pictured, Kooba – Alexander (Berry)), and my Rebecca Minkoff hobo (Rebecca Minkoff – Nikki (Red) (not pictured)). They generally fit all the stuff I keep in my bag, with space for an extra pair of shoes if I need to carry them, or perhaps the laptop/change of clothes that Reader A is dreaming of. Keep in mind, I’m not saying this is the smartest choice — I’m just saying, this is the kind of bag that I found worked best for my commutes.

If we’re talking smart choices, though, you probably do want a crossbody or a backpack, to better distribute the weight; you might also want to look for a lighter fabric bag (such as a nylon) instead of the leathers and canvases that I always prefer. I might point you to a LeSportsac Everyday bag (pictured), which has been my gym bag for years, and is now my favorite diaper bag. I vastly prefer my leather hobos for style, but the Everyday bag can’t be beat for being lightweight and well organized. I might also point you to the Marc Jacob nylon knapsack — it’s pictured at the very top of this post in pink iris, but it’s also available in black. LeSportsac also makes a nylon backpack, as does Tumi. My personal $.02 is that fashionably speaking, the backpack is kind of at the bottom of the pile — but sometimes you have to be kind to your body and prioritize comfort above fashion.

Readers, do you walk to work?  What bags do you carry?  Have you developed any “best practices” for commuting?

Sure, we all know what basics professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.

There are so many fun colors out this season, but sometimes you just want a simple black bag — either so you don’t clash with what you’re wearing, so you tone down what you’re wearing, or just because, well, who doesn’t want a good black bag? These are all in what I’ll call the “mid-expensive” category (in that they’re not light decisions, but you don’t need to skip a rent payment to buy the bag), which is my favorite category to buy from, both for work and otherwise. As always, I’m sure great deals can be had if you stalk an item online, or haunt sales IRL. Readers, what color bag do you think of as your “basic”?  Purchased any great bags lately?

This Kate Spade bag (pictured above as well) is made from soft pebbled cowhide, and looks the perfect size to hold your handbag basics at 13.5″Wx4″Dx11″H. The handle drop is a comfortable 10.5″, and I like the zipper detail on the front flat, as well as the fun striped lining. It was $345, but is now marked to $229.90 at Zappos (also available in pink, orange, and beige). Kate Spade New York – Cobble Hill Penny (Black) – Bags and Luggage

I have the purple version of this bag, and I love it — the leather is soft and durable, and the shape is classic.  I’m surprised Zappos keeps showing it with just the longer strap because I find the shorter strap to be really comfortable. This simple black leather version was $398, but is now on sale for $239.99; Zappos has a number of other colors and textures as well. Cole Haan – Jenna Shoulder Bag (Black Leather) – Bags and Luggage

I’ve never owned one of Marc by Marc Jacobs’ Classic Q bags, although I’ve lusted over them for years — this may be the next purchase I make. Love the pebbled leather from the line, and I particularly like the look of this Ukita handbag, and the size (12″Wx4.5″Dx10.25″H) is perfect for lots of stuff. It says the handle drop is only 5″ but it looks plenty long in the picture. It’s $428 at Zappos (and they have it in leather in white, pink, and brown, and, polka-dot PVC). Marc by Marc Jacobs – Classic Q Lil Ukita (Black) – Bags and Luggage

We’ve talked about the MAB before, and I’ll say it again: I think this bag is a classic. This black quilted version is $525, but Zappos has another 11 colors to choose from. It’s $525 at Zappos. Rebecca Minkoff – Mab Mini (Black 2) – Bags and Luggage

I like Furla bags so much that I’m going to include this bag, even though size-wise it is both shorter and deeper than I normally like (11″Wx6.25″Dx10″H). I do like the mix of “deer grain-embossed calf leather” and regular leather, as well as the unique dome shape. It’s $548 at Zappos.  Furla Handbags – Amalfi Dome Bag – Small (Onyx) – Bags and Luggage (N.B.: This bag isn’t among the sales, but Furla is on Rue La La today, fwiw.)

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How do you start wearing prints? Reader T wonders…

I’m wondering if you can do a post on incorporating prints into one’s wardrobe. I looked at my closet the other day and realized that about 90% of the clothes I wear are solid colors. I seem to always gravitate toward very saturated bold colors, but never to prints. I guess I sometimes feel that wearing prints looks loud” or will make me stand out too much at work. I know how to use prints with accessories (shoes, scarves) but I’d like to specifically see a post on buying clothes with prints.

We’ve talked about how to mix prints, but we haven’t really talked about how to start buying prints.  I think T has a fear that is shared by a lot of women — looking too loud, too out of place.  So here are my suggestions for how to dip your toe into the waters of dressing with prints… (Pictured: Fabric, originally uploaded to Flickr by ChristopherTitzer.)

1) Start with the stuff men wear — small, even, repeating patterns in pastel colors.  Look at a site like Brooks Brothers or Thomas Pink and you’ll see that it is absolutely filled with patterns and prints.  Windowpanes, houndstooth, check, stripes, gingham… men wear those to conservative offices all the time.  So, step one: buy a blouse with an even, repeating pattern on it (probably in a pastel color), and start wearing that with one of your solid suits. As you get more confident and comfortable wearing those small patterns, add color to your outfits.  Start with complimentary colors first — if you’re wearing a light blue checkered blouse, pair it with a dark blue cardigan.

2) Start to have fun with smaller, bolder punches of pattern.  Back to men’s clothes — look at ties and you’ll see things like paisley, polka dots, more stripes, and even small embroidered animals.  Proportionally, the tie is a really small component of the man’s outfit — but remember that it’s up front and center where you can see it, so it certainly isn’t hidden.  For women, I think the corollary is scarves, belts, and even entire blouses layered beneath sweaters or blazers so not a lot is sticking out.  Again I’d start with small patterns, but be bold — look again to prints that men wear, and see what strikes your fancy.  As you start to get more confident wearing these small punches of pattern, pick a color in the pattern to highlight — e.g., the light blue in this paisley would be complimented by a blue cardigan.

3) Move to more feminine prints.  There are some prints that are primarily worn by women such as florals, animal prints, and more.  Even though women’s prints go through more of a trend cycle than the other prints we’ve mentioned above, these are still classic prints, and you shouldn’t be shy about investing in some of the pieces of you like them — a leopard blouse or belt will certainly be worn numerous times over the course of your career.  Depending on your confidence level here, I’d start small — leave the print a small proportion of your outfit, and look for smaller, tighter patterns as opposed to very large patterns.  (For example, your blouse could have 3 flowers on it, or 300.)

4) Get bolder, proportionally, with prints.  If you’ve successfully experimented with all of the above, it’s time to get even bolder still. If you’ve been hiding your patterns beneath blazers or cardigans to keep them proportionally small, go big — wear the blouse on its own.  Then, look for a bigger piece to purchase that will make pattern an even bigger part of your outfit, such as a patterned dress, skirt, or blazer.  If a striped blazer feels too crazy and loud, consider buying a piece where stripes are created by texture (e.g., corduroy) rather than the printed fabric. If a leaf-printed blouse seems too crazy, try wearing a blouse with a burnout pattern so it’s color-on-color.  As your better determine what prints you like, which are flattering on you, and how you like to wear them, branch into larger prints.

You know you’ve graduated when you’re wondering how to mix prints!

Readers, do you tend to stay on the safe side with solids?  Are you comfortable wearing prints to work?

We were traveling this weekend (home to Ohio to see the fam and celebrate Easter), which meant that yet again I got to deal with my horrible carry-on rolling bag. I got it a few years ago during what I thought was an amazing sale at Macy’s– if memory serves I paid less than $100 for what was originally a $430-ish bag. The logo fell off the first time I traveled with it. Since then, all of the zippers have broken at least once (some irreparably), the fabric hasn’t held up well, and it’s generally become a pain to push around. In other words: time for a new bag.

But I’m feeling a bit gunshy from my last travel experience, so I thought I’d ask — readers, what are your favorite rolling bags? My brother has the Victorinox Werks (pictured above, available at Zappos on sale for $239) and while he likes it, I’m still curious about what you ladies have to say.

In “things that work” news, I still love my LeSportsac Large Weekender bags — you can shove them into that useless front pocket on rolling bags when empty, and then use them if you need to carry back a lot of new purchases, gifts, or souvenirs. They’re particularly nice because you can lock the zippered main compartment (so it won’t burst open while the bag is being handled), but keep the key on the zipper so the TSA can hopefully get into it.

Readers, what are your favorite bags for travel? Have any other great travel tips?

Reader A wonders if and when it’s appropriate to have bare legs in the winter…

With the crazy weather in DC and other east coast cities this winter – windy and 35 degrees one day, 65 degrees and sunny another, and raining yet another, how do you suggest approaching the issue of tights or pantyhose? I work in a fairly conservative office, with a dress or skirt and blouse dresscode for women with no casual days and no jeans, ever. In February, is it ok to go to work sans tights or pantyhose if its particularly warm or very muggy? Is there a temperature guideline that you or others follow?

I’m curious to see what others say here. For my $.02: even though I don’t have a problem with bare legs from spring to fall (know your office, though!), something about bare legs in winter — even if it is 60 degrees — bugs me. Are tights or pantyhose really that “heavy” that you can’t wear them with a lighter-weight jacket? The problem with looking “out of season” is that it is a judgment call — as in, if someone thinks your outfit looks weird, they may think your judgment is out of whack, which may affect how you’re perceived at work.  It kind of reminds me of stories I’ve heard about little kids who refuse to dress seasonally, refusing to wear anything but shorts in the wintertime or corduroy pants in the summertime.  (Pictured: Up to my ankles in snow, originally uploaded to Flickr by Lollyman.)

I suppose there are other things that fall into this category, as well. For example, here are other things I would think twice about wearing in the wintertime:

• Short sleeves, unless they’re a) sweater material, or b) worn as a layer under something.
• “summer” fabrics like eyelet cotton, seersucker, cotton pique, and linen (although I have seen linen blended with things like cashmere for sweaters and the like, so I suppose those are
• summer prints like large florals in pinks/greens or “yachting” wear like striped cotton sweaters
• white shoes — winter whites have come so far, but I still think a white shoe in the winter would strike me as odd

Readers, how about you — would you wear bare legs in the winter? What else would you avoid wearing in wintertime? Do you use temperature as your guide, or do you go by the seasons?

Sure, we all know what basics professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.

I feel like a good black tote bag is something every professional woman needs — particularly if you’re gearing up for interviews.  They’re large enough for a folder with your resume, as well as some reading or work (should you find yourself waiting or with some free time), and they’re also great for stashing all of the items you generally carry in your purse.  Readers, have you recently purchased any great black tote bags?  Do you have a classic that you’ve been using for years?

I’m not generally a fan of faux leather, but it’s hard to beat the price for this one (at least as far as online sales go): it was $135, now marked to $70. London Fog is a respected name, and I like that it comes with a clutch. It’s 16.25″ at the widest point, 11.5″ high and 5.75″ deep — plenty of space. It was $135, now marked to $69.99 at SmartBargains.com. London Fog “Miranda” Tote & Clutch Set

$220 seems like a lot for a nylon bag, but I actually prefer nylon for tote bags because I think it wears better and is lighter weight. This is just a basic black bag, but I like the internal pockets (including one for your ipad and cell phone), and there are removable and repositionable interior dividers. I like it in black for work, but there are a number of fun colors marked 30% off which might be better for a general purpose “tote bag.” The black is $220 at Mandarina Duck. Mandarina Duck Unexpected Shopper

Tumi is another brand I know and like, particularly for business bags for men and women. I like the leather and nylon combination of this one, as well as the little details like the feet on the bag and the interior pockets. It’s $345 at Amazon. Tumi Voyageur Derby Business Tote

I’m actually most excited about this bag — it seems like ages since Kate Spade had a good nylon tote out. I like the hardware for a bit of interest, as well as the feet, interior pockets, and fun lining. It’s $395 at Bloomingdale’s. kate spade new york Nylon Maryanne Tote

I like the durability of patent leather for something like a tote bag — it’s easy to clean and can generally take a lot of use. This East/West tote is simple and basic — I like the slim shoulder straps as well as the toggle closure. It’s $475 at Bloomingdale’s. Longchamp Roseau Patent East West Tote

Hello, lovah. This Fendi bag has me drooling — the pebbled leather! the contrast stitching! the three interior compartments! It’s even on sale at Bluefly: was $2250, now marked to $1620 (including an extra 10% off). Lovely. Fendi black ‘Roman’ leather ‘Selleria’ medium tote

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(L-all)

I often talk about belting a cardigan, and this stretch belt on sale at Bloomingdale’s would be just the thing to do it. I like that it’s trimmed in patent leather but is otherwise a stretchy fabric, and I like that it comes in both navy and white. It was $38, now marked to $28.50 at Bloomingdale’s. Lauren By Ralph Lauren Patent Leather Trimmed Stretch Belt

(L-2)

I’ve complained before that I had a dinosaur of a phone — a Treo 755 — due to my loyalty to both Sprint and to my 10+ years of history with a Palm Pilot. I finally bit the bullet and bought a new phone — the Samsung Epic 4G, an Android phone available from Sprint. So far: I really, really, really love it. (Like, really.) The transition from the Palm Pilot to the Android is mostly done, and I have a few favorite Apps to report on.

In other news, I also just purchased an iPad2 from Apple (Apple iPad 2 with Wi-Fi – 32GB – Black) — so now there are even MORE apps for me to learn about. (And yes, I am looking into the viability of a Corporette app — let me know if you guys have any ideas you’d care to share! Just better reading or something more specific? Which other blogs have great apps?)  (Pictured: my new iPad2, my Samsung Epic, and a G2 pen.)

I thought I’d round up some of my favorite apps, and then pose the question to you guys — what are YOUR favorites, either for productivity or play?

(Full disclosure: I’m pretty new to both, as I’ve only had the phone for about six weeks now, and my iPad for about 4 days.) (Oh, and in other terms of disclosure: while I personally paid for all of the products and Apps I’m talking about today, I do own stock in both Google and Apple, for what that’s worth.)

For the Palm to Android transition:
(and I should note that unlike some people who’ve made the transition, my goal was to completely abandon the Palm Pilot)

• Tasks: Remember the Milk (free). I’ve pretty much been using Remember The Milk for tasks for a few years instead of the Palm task list, so this one didn’t need much in the way of transition. While there is a Pro version of RTM (which turns it into an app for your phone), I haven’t found the need for it yet. But keep in mind, my “tasks” are more things like “use X coupon by Y date,” “return clothes from ___ by Y date,” “make sure enough money in checking account to pay mortgage,” and “expect arrival of ___ shipment from X (ordered ___).”
• Memos: B-Folders ($29.95). I had a TON of memos on my Palm Pilot that I needed to transfer over. Some of these are proper memos — lists of ideas (for gifts, for future posts, for future businesses) — some are things to buy (for the grocery store, if I’m in a Sephora, etc) — and random notes that I find helpful to have with me 24-7 (when to call the doctor if you’re pregnant, what the signs of a heart attack are, etc). Some are just random notes that the most convenient place to stick them was my Palm Pilot (for example, I used to save advice articles from legal publications that I thought were helpful into my Palm Pilot; I keep a list of who I’ve sent holiday cards to and from whom I’ve received them, etc.). Some are probably weird uses of memos, such as my Recipes folder — I kept all of my recipes in my “Memo” file, divided by the meal course (main dishes separated from appetizers) as well as a section for untried recipes. I also keep a Poems folder, which I actually have pulled out when I’ve been stuck on the train or waiting at a bar or restaurant for a friend to arrive — a little Prufrock in your day never hurts. ANYWAY: I had a ton of memos, and so far I’ve been loving the program B-Folders as an easy way to get my Palm Memos onto my Android. The sync was very easy, and I love that the memos exist on my desktop, netbook and my phone, but NOT in the cloud. There is a free 30-day trial version of the program.  It’s a slight bummer that I can’t find a way to put the program on my iPad, but it’s not a huge deal at this point.
• Calendar: Pimlical ($24.95). Keep in mind, I have appointments and dates on the calendar dating back to 1999 — and I actually do go back and check on things! When I go to seminars or whatnot, I’ve always taken notes in the appointment’s “Notes” field instead of in a new Memo; similarly whenever I go to the doctor I usually record things (blood pressure, weight, as well as any Qs I have for the doc and her answers) in the calendar. I was uncomfortable putting all of this information in the cloud — plus I wanted to make sure that it was archived somewhere local.  I had always loved the Datebk program on the Palm (amusingly, I really liked that I could put little pictures next to appointments, such as a martini next to “girls night out” dates and the picture of a shopping bag next to sample sales) — and Pimlical is made by the same company. Pimlical was a very easy way to import all of my old Palm data into a new desktop program, and I like that I can sync some things with my Google Calendar, and archive other things just on my desktop.  I’ve only paid for the desktop version, NOT the Android App (which is another $5 I believe) — so far the Google Calendar sync is fine for when I’m out and about and need to check my schedule.
• Contacts:  TBD. I’m still searching for a good contact management program — I have a feeling this is going to be an uphill battle for me. Because my Palm Pilot contacts data was integrated in the Treo’s phone system, all of that data made it over to my phone, and thus far the only way I seem to edit any of it is on the phone itself (and that doesn’t back up anywhere — not my desktop or the cloud).  Google Contacts seems to be what most people use, but I’m not sure I’m comfortable with all of my contacts data being in the cloud.  Both Pimlical and B-Folders have a contacts function, but neither is perfect.  B-Folders was a cinch to upload my Palm data, but it doesn’t integrate with my phone at all — so if, say, I add a new contact for something like a pediatrician I have to add it in two separate places: first to B-Folders and then to my phone.  Pimlical might be promising, but I haven’t found an easy way to do a mass import yet, nor have I found a way to get it synced to my phone or to Google Contacts.  All I want is a program that will let me add a contact in ONE place, sync it in multiple places (such as my desktop, netbook, and phone) and then let me use that same “contact” file to make a call by just clicking a button, not  copying and pasting someone’s number to my phone.  Any suggestions?

Other Apps:

The main one that I love is Read It Later.  You download a program to both your phone and your desktop browser (it’s a plugin for Firefox) and suddenly whenever you see a longish article that you want to read all you have to do is click a button to put the article in your “Read It Later” queue.  Super handy for the subway ride, and I love reading long articles on my iPad.  I also like that it integrates with Gmail, Twitter, etc. so I can send articles on to friends and family. I use the free version on my phone (which limits your download queue to 10 articles; after that you have to have a signal or WiFi to download more), but I did upgrade to the full version on my iPad.  (I should note that I have not tried some of the other readers, such as Instapaper or Flipboard.)

I’ve also downloaded the Kindle app for my iPad, as well as the OverDrive app (which lets you check out ebooks from your library — so far the selections are limited, at least with the NYPL and the BPL,  but the checkout/returns process has been super easy).  (Incidentally, for those of you with a proper Kindle — Corporette is available for subscription on the Kindle!)

Games:

• Ah, Angry Birds — just as addictive as everyone said it was.
• Fashion Story — I’m not proud of it, but over the weekend I was addicted to this game on my iPad.   Hey, I’m building my business skills!
• I also have “Words With Friends” on my phone, but only play it rarely.
• I also have “Jewels” on my phone (I was a longtime fan of the game “Bejeweled” on my Palm Pilot.)  This is an OK replacement for it, but nothing fancy.

Apps I Haven’t Played With Enough:

On my phone, I also have uploaded Google Goggles, Google Sky, Layar, Shopper, Shazam, and Droid Light on my phone, but haven’t used anything too much.

I’ve also added Netflix to my iPad and phone, as well as IMDb; so far they seem fine.  (Am I the only one completely addicted to IMDb when watching movies at home?  I love the trivia.  For example:  did you know that Justine Bateman was considered for the lead for Heathers?  Or (not quite “trivia”, but news to me) that Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs was played by the same actor who played the police captain on Monk, Captain Leland Stottlemeyer?  Clearly, Ted Levine deserves an Oscar… I had no idea.)

Android Apps I’m not Super Impressed With:

• WordPress. I like that I can approve comments on the go (believe me, this is a HUGE improvement over my inability to do it on my old phone) but I wish I could sort by comments that were still in the queue — instead I just see them all in a stream for when they came in, both approved and unapproved.  Sigh.  I’ve also put this one on my iPad and am having some problems, but I think some Googling will help me there.
• Weight Watchers Mobile. I’ve been a longtime fan of WeightWatchers (and a member since 2006?  2005?), and have continued to track my food intake even during my pregnancy (but I haven’t restricted myself at all — when I go over, I go over).  The Mobile app, at least on the Android, is super annoying.  (For the record: pregnant women should not diet, and WW will not even accept you if you tell them you’re pregnant.  I’ve just tracked points so long it felt weird to stop, and my doctor didn’t see a problem with it so long as I wasn’t restricting my intake.)  I think this app was free — I find it cumbersome to look up points, and am annoyed that the program requires WiFi or a signal in order to work (so if I’m underground in the subway I can’t put my points in and then have them all uploaded later on).  I just added it to my iPad, maybe it’ll be better there since I’m likely to have a WiFi signal when I’m using my iPad.
• Yelp. I’m sure this is because I refuse to turn on the GPS function on my phone (yes, I have weird privacy concerns, sue me) but unless I know exactly what I’m looking for I’ve found it hard to narrow the results to a small enough area.  A friend with an iPhone (where you don’t get the option for the app to use GPS or not) swears it’s an amazing app.  Personally, I long for a program similar to Vindigo — it was a Palm Pilot program (which I used with love from 2000-2008 or so, when the company folded) that would let you say “I’m at THIS intersection in Manhattan.  What’s close?” And you could then sort restaurants by cuisine, rating, dollars — they even had some reviews on there (although if memory serves they were newspaper reviews, not Zagat’s or whatnot).  It would give you walking directions AND subway directions, and was generally great.  You could do the same for shops, museums — it would even download the movie schedules and club schedules so you knew which bands were playing, where.  The other cool thing about it was that when you traveled you could download the info for that city — I tried using it a few times on trips abroad (London, Paris, Berlin, Munich) as well as in the States (San Francisco, Miami, Cleveland, Washington, D.C.) and nothing quite worked as well as the NYC version — but it was still an amazing, amazing program.  (R.I.P.)
• Mint. I nearly forgot about this one because I deleted it off my phone so quickly after I installed it.  Love the program, am OK with my info in the cloud, but MAN what a useless App — it seemed like the only thing it would tell me was how much cash I had and how much credit card debt I had — in a huge window that came up on my phone.  Talk about huge  privacy issues (whether it’s my brother or a random guy next to me on the subway) and for less-than-key information than I’d want on the fly.  I was so disappointed with the Android app that I haven’t tried the iPad app yet.
• Tweetdeck/Seismic. I’m still searching for the best Twitter app for my Android phone — it seemed like Tweetdeck ran a lot smoother on the Windows Phone I got to play with earlier this year.

General Notes on the Products:
– Samsung Epic. Like I said, I love my phone. I bought it after also considering an HTC Evo, but I liked that the Samsung Epic had a pull-out keyboard (I’ve found touchscreen keyboards hard to use in the past). (I was also kind of considering a Blackberry Torch, but I have such negative memories from my days of the law firm-issued Blackberry that it’s hard for me to willingly buy one.)  I didn’t realize it when I bought it, but the Samsung also has a cool program called Swype that makes it very easy to type on the touchscreen — six weeks in I’m still getting used to it and teaching it words (why it guesses that I’m saying “dimet” instead of “dinner” every.single.time is beyond me, but go figure), but it’s a much easier than the touchscreens I’ve used before. The guy at the Sprint store counseled us to buy a second battery, and he was right — the battery power on this one stinks (at least compared to my old Treo).  To save battery power I usually keep the WiFi and the 4G networks turned off, but the few times I’ve used the 4G network it was dramatically, dramatically faster than the 3G one.   I haven’t looked into it too much, but I believe the Sprint 4G network can make my phone be a “hotspot” to provide WiFi to other devices, such as, say, my iPad.  (I can’t compare my Android phone to an iPhone because I’ve never had one, but I will say that I have very few problems with Sprint service and have yet to experience a dropped call — part of the reason I’ve been loyal all these years.)
- iPad2 – I’ve only had it for 4 days, but it really seems great. The battery power seems to last a long time (I used it a lot on Friday and Saturday before having to recharge it on Sunday), but the screen does get very smudgy. I definitely need an iPad case for this one before I take this baby out of the house. I can’t compare it to the original iPad (only played with them in passing) or to the whispered-about iPad3. If you may recall, I also considered getting an iPad back when I bought my netbook — definitely, definitely glad I have my netbook as well because while the keyboard on the iPad2 is fine for one-line emails and the like, nothing compares to my netbook for travel.
- Netbook versus iPad versus Android. I always have my phone with me, so if I only need to do basic things — check my email or calendar, or entertain myself for 30-45 minutes, I’ll probably only be bringing my phone. If I need to do heavy duty writing and I’m out and about, I’ll likely bring my netbook — it’s super lightweight and easy to type. My iPad I primarily got for reading, and while it’s nice that my email/calendar is easy to check, it’s not so much easier than my phone that I’d prefer it for that purpose.  If we were going on a beach vacation I’d probably bring all 3; I’m also considering bringing all 3 to the hospital with me when it’s time to deliver — otherwise I’d probably just grab my netbook and phone and go.

OK, readers — favorite apps?  Anyone else care to weigh in on the Android/Apple debate?