Happiness V

Jul 17, 2007 | happiness

Happiness is requiring only a cell phone, laptop, Wi-Fi, and a coffee shop to get the job done.

PC World – Frontline: iPhone Shows Need for New Wireless Network

Jul 3, 2007 | blog

wireless A not-so-interesting complaint relating to the iPhone and AT&T’s EDGE data service.  Yes, EDGE is slow for modern browsing tasks.  AT&T has 3G and HSDPA networks available in many urban areas that Apple could have taken advantage of, relying on EDGE as a good fall-back in most rural areas.  To be honest, most rural areas will actually only have GPRS!

While the analysis of an under-powered wireless infrastructure is true, not just the government is to blame as they try to in this article.  The carriers and device manufacturers should also be taken to task on this.  Too much emphasis is placed on who has the fastest network, and not enough on making that fast network ubiquitous.

The dirty little secret that consumers need to keep in mind is that the U.S. is a huge country and we expect service in nearly all corners of the map.  Take a look at Europe and each country is not much bigger than the state of Wisconsin, or Colorado or California.  If that’s all the real estate that you have to worry about, you can get coverage fairly easy.  We’ve got a lot more country that has a few dozen people per square mile and that is hard for many carriers to justify putting up expensive cell towers.

At any rate, consumers should start getting more vocal about the price and performance of wireless networks.  Popular opinion is the greatest power in the marketplace, regardless of what the carriers, device manufactures, and government regulatory committees believe.

Let ’em all know what you want!

Via: PC World – Frontline: iPhone Shows Need for New Wireless Network

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jkOnTheRun: Has a UMPC influenced your smartphone usage?

Jun 1, 2007 | blog

mobilityKevin C. Tofel has posted a fantastic article over at jkOnTheRun that got me thinking.  The article talks about mobility And how the features of his UMPC have augmented his smartphone.

In answering a reader’s question about what smartphone software he recommends, Kevin talks about how most of the functionality he used on his smartphone simply works better on his UMPC.  I also have noticed a big change in how I use my mobile devices.  Ever since I started using standby and sleep molds, my laptop usage has changed dramatically.

I have found that using standby allows me to get to my desktop faster and with minimal hassle.  Since about February of this year, my laptop has become more useful and I have become more productive.  Unfortunately, this also means that I have been using my smartphone much less than I have in the past.

On my pocket PC I have many software packages installed, but find myself using them less and less often.  For example, I have a blogging client on my pocket PC but rarely use it because it is much harder than using the client on my laptop.  I also have a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse for my device but again find it cumbersome to use.

While I do not have a UMPC device, I have noticed a significant difference in how well use mobile computers.  So how has a UMPC or other mobile computer change the way you use your smartphone? 

 Via: jkOnTheRun – Has a UMPC influenced your smartphone usage?

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T-Mobile Wing – To Upgrade…or not

May 24, 2007 | blog

T-Mobile has finally released an upgrade to their popular MDA called the ‘Wing’.  I’ve been a happy T-Mobile MDA owner for well over a year and am trying to decide whether to upgrade to the Wing or wait for the next version.

The Wing is a nice upgrade, revamped keyboard with larger keys, Bluetooth 2.0, 2 Megapixel camera, and Windows Mobile 6.  What isn’t updated is the RAM/ROM, which really isn’t a problem, and the processor which runs at 200MHz.  The MDA has the same speed processor in it an can at times be really slow.  The other item that many, including myself, are missing is the 3G portion.  Yes, Tmo only has EDGE right now, and will use a different 3G frequency when they do roll UMTS and HSDPA later this year.

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Looking for feedback on The Mobile Lifestyle

Apr 18, 2007 | blog

So I’ve had this blog called The Mobile Lifestyle running for a year, and have really not kept it up to date at all.  I originally wanted this site to become a leading source for information on mobile technology & how it affects us day to day.

Guess what?  It never happened.  It was simply because I never committed the time and energy to developing it in that fashion.  Another fact of life is that there are people who are much more passionate and knowledgeable about such topics than I am.  Don’t get me wrong, I really, really, enjoy using and talking about mobile tech, and recommending solutions to people, but writing about it just didn’t interest me as much as I had thought it would.

So I have this dilemma – I have this site with a fairly good (really good?) domain name that could be made into something.  Do I look to sell it?  Do I hang on and try writing more there as I begin the next phase of my career as an IT consultant?  Do I shut it down and keep the domain name for awhile?

I’m just not sure – I hate to quit it, but am really starting to home in on my true passions, and it isn’t necessarily technology.

What do you think?

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