Aug 21, 2006 | blog
Very interesting – if this article from Engadget Mobile (link below) is true, then Verizon customers will have no trouble roaming off-continent with this device.
I’ve known they were working on this type of solution for awhile, but frankly, I’m surprised that they have it ready to go in the timeframe mentioned in the article.
Verizon subs waiting for the latest BB goodness, your wait is over!
Link to Verizon releasing 8700 with GSM support? – Engadget Mobile
Aug 14, 2006 | blog
So it looks like TMo is getting the UMA (Universal Mobile Access) thing moving! Good to see, they seem to be the first wireless carrier to move in this direction.
Of course with their T-Mobile HotSpot service, this is a natural fit to leverage the investment in both GSM and WiFi networks. At least the information I was presented with a few months ago alluded to using the phones on the HotSpot network as well as home & unsecured wireless access points.
This is also interesting because of Sprint’s latest announcement that they will be using WiMax as their 4G platform. Its not that WiFi and WiMax are that close in technology, its that true broadband networking solutions are being used for wireless communication services on a large scale.
And it further proves that the ubiquitous Ethernet standard is exactly what the information age needed during the 80s/90s to develop cheap, quality, plentiful networking capabilities.
HooHoo! Go TMo go!
Posted using Windows Live Writer!
Link to T-Mobile Begins UMA Trials (Phone Scoop)
Aug 11, 2006 | blog
Its nice to know that T-Mobile is making huge efforts to win a large portion of the wireless spectrum that they require for 3G services. The company has had the short end of the stick when it comes to wireless spectrum licensing since it started deploying data services.
I’ve been with the T-Mobile as my wireless provider for over 5 years, and have had no issues with call quality, coverage, or customer support. The things I’ve hoped they would improve on, they have; such as handset/device selection, high-speed data services and new features.
So I’m confident that if they are able to win the wireless spectrum they need to roll out 3G services nationwide, they will help lower the cost of high-speed data offered by all the carriers here in the US. Brighthand.com’s Ed Hardy has an article talking about this very topic – good read.
Aug 2, 2006 | blog
Well, talk about pleasent surprises – T-Mobile Sunday released the AKU 2.3 firmware update for their MDA. You can find more information about my MDA here, but if you want to download the new firmware yourself, go here.
The update includes the long-awaited push-mail update and support for Bluetooth stereo audio (A2DP). Watch for more info – I’ll be upgrading tonight!
Via: Mobile Gadget News
Aug 1, 2006 | blog
Antoine Wright over at Brighthand makes a great point on the industry needing to meet needs of the average user by simplifying the smartphone/pda devices. In his article Looking Down the Wrong End of the Barrel: How PDAs Got It All Wrong, he discusses how sophisticated devices such as the Palm and Pocket PC require understanding the feature set, and that means reading the manual.
Many people will agree with me that a smartphone and a data package is a much better way to be connected than a simple “dumb” phone. However, the top selling phone in the U.S. is the Motorola RAZR. Why? It’s sleek, it’s simple, and it does what it does (make calls). For it to do more would make the target audience freak out because they would have to learn something new.
Now the part I take issue with is the “they would have to learn something new” piece. Now I know the average person just wants to use the device for what it was designed for. I also understand that all these fantastic devices available on the market (or on their way to market) really do need to go to Toaster University for a dose of KISS 101.
It just bothers me that people insist on not learning something new. Does this apply to everything in their life? Is it that people just do not want to learn anymore? Are they too busy to pick up some new techniques, tools, tips, or {gasp} ideas? If the drive by media is any indication, it may be too late to worry about.
To keep myself from getting too worked up I’ll take the glass-half-full view and believe that smarter simpler devices will free up a person’s time. That additional free time to be spent with family, friends, or just reading one of those old-fashoned paper books we all used to know so well.
~Later
