14 posts tagged “cellphone”
If there was one piece of technology (is technology counted in pieces now?) that I wish would become mainstream, it would be instant messaging. I know - lots of kids already IM - but I wish it would become more prolific in the workplace.
It's a quick and easy way to get or give information and it's non-intrusive. I had to get a hold of my boss who's traveling (as he often does) - but how? He wasn't checking email, even though the meeting site had free wireless internet. I didn't want to call his cell - what if he was in the middle of giving a presentation?
It would have been great if I could send an IM to his two students (who were there with him). Sure, I could email them, but would they have their laptops with them? If they were on IM - I could see based on their status messages. I wasn't about to send an email and sit for the next five hours wondering if they read it or not.
The best I could do was send a text message to one of the students. I did check (with another student) that they have text messaging on their phones because I'm sure they wouldn't have appreciated paying 5 or 10 cents per message! (Which is why the IMing would have been better).
Anyway, they did get my message across to my boss and he [eventually] called me back.
It's not sureproof, though - a couple of hours later, I needed to talk to him again. Alas, the meeting was over, he had walked away and the students didn't know where he was. I tried calling his cell - got vm four times. Eventually I did leave a message (and he called me an hour later) but I know some people (like me) who don't like checking voicemail.
But seriously - get on IM! I command you!
Guess what - I'm getting a new phone!
But you already got a new phone, you say.
And then I say - well, yeah, but I really really hate the LG Neon and am exchanging it tomorrow for a different phone. Seriously, I hate that phone with a passion.
It's difficult when you are used to using (IMHO) a fabulous phone like the Sony Ericsson w810i. I had one complaint about the phone when I first got it 2 years ago and promptly forgot about it because it wasn't that important (you can't turn the phone on when the alarm goes off).
I'm sure someone somewhere likes the LG Neon and that's great. It has some good features but for me, it is just close but no cigar. Qwerty keyboard (but not like iPod touch's), 2.0 MP camera (but not like Sony Ericsson w810i0), stylish white casing (but hideous lime neon green with orange writing). Are my standards just too high? I don't think so. And today's wonderful (not!) discovery - the alarm will not work if the phone is turned off. Is this an LG thing? I can't remember all my past (Nokia, Motorola) phones but I know for sure that the alarms on the Motorola v300 and Sony w810i both work even when the phone is off.
My sister says get an alarm clock.
I did find out that the touch-screen keypad will have the alphabet letters sometimes. I guess just not when you're dialing a number (but it will appear if you are in the middle of a call).
Anyway, I am getting (hopefully) an LG CF360. This is the phone that my sis got. It's a slider phone, but a more traditional non-smartphone. The LG Neon is not a smartphone but it's more of a tweener/teener text-messaging phone. Think T-Mobile sidekick. And though the MP on the camera is lower (1.3MP), the pictures are clearer!
Overall, it just seems like a better phone than the Neon (knock on wood). The additional features of the Neon just don't make up for it's subpar performance in the non-smartphone arena. I mean - 8 ringtones (on the neon) compared to 20 on the CF360. Sure, you can always add your own ringtones, but I like having choices already there. Options to change font color and size. Like the Sony w810i! I'll still have to leave the phone on overnight (I do most of the time anyways) but I think I can deal. This time around :)
I'll be out of town for about 6 days in early May - being so attached to my email, I decided to add the unlimited data plan to my cell phone. I'm bringing my laptop and my iPod Touch, but this would ensure that I get my emails even without wi-fi.
I did the same thing when I went to Pittsburgh two years ago - but with a Motorola v300 on T-Mobile. Now, I have a Sony Ericsson (non-smartphone) on AT&T.
So I added the data plan today, the first day of the billing cycle. The first thing I noticed was that it was slow. I'm used to fast email on the iPod touch. Granted, that is wi-fi, this is not, but going from a wi-fi connection on a 3" screen, compared to the tiny sony screen.
And java - ugh. I don't like using java apps much. The email app on the sony only works with yahoo, hotmail and AIM. I use gmail, so that's not helpful. I did try to access my yahoo mail, but it wouldn't load. Switching to gmail - I installed gmail's mobile app. It worked okay, but when I went back to open the app, it disappeared. I then went back to gmail's website and tried downloading the app when I was informed that it was already installed. Then why can't I find it?!
So the only thing that I could use to check email was gmail's site directly. It was okay, but nothing great.
After some thought (like 10 minutes?), I decided that the slow connection wasn't worth it. I'd rather increase my text messaging plan to unlimited, and use gmail to send copies of my emails to my phone. Sort of like 'push" email, but since it's done through sms, there's no data charge. Of course, there are caveats - mostly the 160-character limit and not being able to send email out (unless I don't mind it being from my phone number@att).
But it would be low maintenance - I don't have to log in to get new messages, I don't have to start java, and I'm pretty sure it takes up less battery. I used to do this when I had t-mobile's unlimited family messaging plan (at just $10 for all the phones on the plan. It's now $20 on T-mobile, which is still cheaper than att's $30).
Anyway, yeah, I called customer care and told them that I wanted to remove the data plan and add the messaging (unlimited) plan. I also asked if my usage today would be pro-rated (so like $15/1 month = 50 cents per day, so just 50 cents) or if somehow I would be charged pay per use for today's usage. I think it's the first method - I tried explaining my question to customer care and I think that's what she answered.
I hope so... we'll see on the next bill...
So I've decided not to get a smartphone... at this time. None of the phones on the market these days have most or all of what I want in a smartphone, so what's the point?
Here's what I was looking for:
1. Wi-fi. I don't want to be forced to pay for a data plan. I have Wi-Fi at work and home. That's good enough.
2. Large screen resolution - the Sony Mylo 2 (not a phone, though) has a 800 x 400 screen. That's crazy amazing. I don't want to have to scroll constantly - especially not sideways.
3. Ability to edit (completely) documents such as Word, Excel and Powerpoint. None of this limited editing stuff (what is Excel without the formulas?).
4. Ability to use LogMeIn or similar remote desktop application (though my work computer only works with LogMeIn, for whatever reason). LogMeIn requires a touch screen device, though.
5. Qwerty keyboard, most preferably a slider (landscape) type keyboard. Just seems like it would be more comfortable to use and also, since the keyboard slides in when not in use - the device wouldn't be too bulky.
Since there doesn't seem to be any devices like that (possibly ever) - I've decided to just go with adding the internet plan onto my cellphone. Not forever, just for the week or so that I would be out of town. Don't know if they have wi-fi where I'm going and I can't be without email access. Can't believe we're heading back into '05/'06 territory where I had to access email on my phone, couldn't connect through free wi-fi. Unbelievable!
There was this lady on the bus this morning, talking on the phone and crying for like 30 minutes. At first, it sounded a bit like she was laughing (gasping for air) but then I heard her say "he overreacted" and "that's not right". And for a lot of the time, she was just crying (well, dry sobbing). Maybe the person on the other end was rambling?
And her phone was low on batteries, so then she asked this guy sitting nearby if she could borrow his phone. She made a couple of phone calls, followed by more dry sobbing and then finally (apparently) left a message saying "I'm on the bus, my phone died so I had to borrow someone's phone, I need to talk to you."
Don't want to be insensitive, but the whole time she was talking on the borrowed phone (which was at least for 5 minutes) - I was thinking *cellphone minutes!* It's not like she was actually talking, just crying.
Just got my first Cingular (AT&T) bill. I have to pay a pro-rated amount for 7/1 to 7/7, and then the full monthly rate for 7/8 to 8/7. Hmmm, does this make sense? Why would I be paying the monthly charge for 7/8 to 8/7, when the month isn't over yet? How do they know what phone calls or messages I'm going to make or send?
I guess they just charge you the monthly rate and then on the following month's - if you make any overage calls or send messages outside a messaging plan - then you pay the difference. Then I found out that this is how most phone services (e.g. landlines) work. You pay for the next month.
Except on T-Mobile. It's been over 2 years since our first T-Mobile bill and I can't remember what the first bill looked like, but judging from the monthly bills... I think T-Mobile does this differently.
For example, the bill received mid-May, due May 27th covers the period from 4/1 to 5/1. The way it should be. (This also allows you to upgrade your monthly plan if you use a lot of minutes, over your allotment, etc).
I'd be interested in finding out how Verizon handles this... kind of annoying for AT&T since I also read that they don't prorate the last bill and then you need to *fight* for that one month advance refund at the end (most people forget)...
AT&T, be forewarned. I will be keeping a *very* close eye on the monthly bills to make sure I don't end up paying for one month more than two years...
Question: How do I check my text/pic msg on my AT&T account?
Short answer: Type *DATA# (*3282#) and push send.
Long answer: You can't.
I don't understand why AT&T is so behind with this. Ideally, the *data# should work, but if you've made any changes to your calling or features plan, you have to wait until the billing cycle is closed before you can get this information. Aside from that - it takes between 2 to 10 days for usage information to appear online.
Now, come on - why would I need to know how many msgs I sent after the month is over? I need this information now - so I can either curb back on msgs or start typing away... before the billing cycle ends.
As far as I can tell, T-Mobile is the best at this - you can check their website for up-to-date usage information (give or take a day, at most) as well as send (free) txt msgs such as #min# and #bal# to get the information via free txt msg on your phone. If I remember correctly, you can also change your features plan mid-month to accommodate your usage. Say you have a 400 msg/month plan for $4.99. You find out that you've sent/received 500 msgs - the 100 msgs over your limit. Those extra msgs are 15 cents a piece, so that would be $15 plus the $4.99. With T-Mobile, there's no worries - you can change your plan to either the 1000 msg/month for $9.99 or the unlimited msgs for just $14.99. Either way, you would pay less than the $4.99 plan + overage. As long as you change the plan before the billing cycle ends (so like the day before would be okay).
And then the next month, you just switch back to your old plan.
From what I've read, AT&T pro-rates their messaging plans - so if you add mid-month, you only pay a fraction of the cost, but you also only get to use a fraction of the messages. What fraction? Well, I'm sure there's some formula but I don't know. That's just too complicated for me.
And as I mentioned earlier, if you make a change to your plan, usage information is not available either online or by phone. Which really stinks.
And it takes *forever* for a picture message to be sent. I thought the AT&T network was supposed to be better than T-Mobile? So far, I've had static-y calls and slow message sending. What's up with that?
I don't know how Verizon handles this. Anyone know?
Yay, the picture messaging (MMS) on my phone works now. See, on the w810i, there's a dedicated button for MediaNet. Well, I'm *never* going to use MediaNet and I don't want my phone to accidentally connect to it (and pay through the nose, since I don't have a MediaNet bundle). Anyway, I looked online and decided to delete the settings for MediaNet and set up a dummy account so if it attempted to connect, it couldn't.
Well, you need to have MediaNet set up in order to use picture messaging. And though I knew that, I thought "eh, I can live without picture messaging." Except that I'm so used to my unlimited messaging from T-Mobile (ah, how I miss thee) that I really wanted it back.
But no matter how much I tried re-entering the settings - manually or sent from the SonyEricsson website, it would not work. I even did a Reset Settings (which resets only the settings, but keeps everything else) to no avail. I did manage to get my sis's phone working, though. Not sure why mine wouldn't work.
So we stopped by the phone store today to get my parents new phones. They ended up getting LGs - works pretty well, camera seems nice, has bluetooth (big plus, like I mentioned before). I don't think you can change the soft keys, but at least one of them is not dedicated to IMing (seriously, what was Samsung thinking?!). The lady only had 1 phone though so she's going to mail us the other one.
Anyway, we passed by an AT&T wireless store so I went in and had them fix my picture messaging problem. The gal (Stacy?) asked my phone number and the name on the account and then type,type,type - turned the phone off and back on and asked me to try. Voila!
The picture above was the first picture message I have sent on the Cingular/AT&T network (I don't know why the multimedia stuff is still on the Cingular network - they need to decide whether to be Cingular or AT&T... I think they should stick with "Cingular" since it's a more widely known name for cellphones, but whatevs). Back to the picture - it's a picture of chinese knot thing in the shape of a pineapple. It was hanging on a plant in my eye doctor's office. The word "pineapple" in Taiwanese (ong lai) sounds similar to "fortune come". So it's supposed to be good luck.
And I returned the Canon Powershot A570 camera to Costco. They asked why we were returning it and I told them that I was thinking of getting a (digital) SLR rather than a point and shoot. Which is the truth.
So my mom's (new) Samsung phone has stopped working. When she told me that the buttons didn't work, I thought she probably pushed a button or something and locked the keypad. (Can you do that on a clamshell phone?).
But no, the keys don't work. Except for the # key. And the 2,4,8,0. Or 9, if it's the first number. It's sort of random. The call and hang up buttons don't work, the c (backspace) button doesn't work. The only reason you can still answer calls is because we set it to answer when the phone is opened and hang up when it's closed.
My mom called the cellphone store and the lady said that the Nokia phone wasn't free, that we'd have to pay. And my mom was like "but you said the Nokia was one of the phones we could get" and the lady said no, she never said that. Which is not true because she did say that.
We're going on Saturday so we'll see what happens.
So I've had my new cellphone (Sony Ericsson w810i) for a couple of days now and I'm still liking/loving it. I'm comparing it to my Motorola v300, to which all phones in the future will be compared to.
PROs
Customizable themes, wallpaper, ringtones
I know - back in the "olden" days, the only themes available were the default ones on the phone. But in this day and age, you can customize most of this and once you've been spoiled with this - you can't go back.
Bluetooth connectivity (big plus!)
To be honest, I didn't really know what Bluetooth was all about. Oh sure, you can connect BT-enabled devices together, but what does that mean? Well, let me tell you - it makes transferring files (wallpaper, photos, ringtones) between cellphone and computer so incredibly easy. On my Moto v300, I had to install Mobile Phone Tools onto the Windows computer, then plug in the usb cable and hope/pray that the computer would recognize the phone. Sometimes it would, sometimes it wouldn't.
With BT - no such problems. I turned the cell's BT on and turned my computer's (Apple Powerbook laptop) BT on. Then I searched for nearby devices, the phone found the Apple, typed in the security code (default is 0000 - per the manual) and voila! The devices were connected and all I had to do was choose "send file" and that was it... on the downside, I don't remember if it's possible to send more than one file at a time, but that's a minor disadvantage. It only took me maybe 30 seconds to figure out how to enable BT and transfer files... certainly a lot faster than plugging in the usb cable (btw, the phone does come with software and usb cable for those of you who don't have BT. My sister used the usb cable and was able to transfer files - no problems in setting it up). It can also connect via infrared, but I've never used IR so I don't know how it works.
Easy to use interface
This is a major factor - if the interface is so difficult that it's a hassle accessing what you need to access, then what's the point? One big part of this is the ability to customize the arrow key shortcuts. I also love that the center button (which is also used for play/pause in music mode) accesses the menu. I don't remember if this is something I had to set up, or if it came this way. That's how I set it up for my v300 so I am very used to this. I dislike phones that don't allow you to change this button (and instead, take you to the WAP browser - Samsung c417, I'm looking at you).
Stylish look (even if orange isn't really my color)
This phone is the perfect size - not too small and not too big, not too thick, not too slim. My phone will be ready for Halloween (black and orange).
Camera quality
Nice quality. Colors turn out well and the photos are automatically saved (on the v300 - you had to manually choose to save the pic - if you didn't, it was lost forever). This kind of threw me a bit at the beginning - how do I save the pic? Then I realized that it already saves!
CONs
Glossy finish = fingerprints
Especially since I don't have a cover for the phone, particularly one that would allow me to still use the phone without taking it out of the cover/bag. I had something like this for my Moto v300 and it was the best because the screen wouldn't get all greasy.
No lens cap/cover on camera
The camera is located in the center of the back side. Unfortunately, when I hold my phone, my index finger usually covers part of the area and the lens already has smudges. Arg. On the Moto v300, the camera is on the top left - which means my fingers usually don't reach that far.
Unable (?) to turn phone on from alarm clock
On the Moto v300, when the phone turns on for the alarm, you can choose to turn on the phone, or turn it off. This was handy for me because I usually turn my phone off at night, and then turn it on in the morning (after the alarm). On the w810i - it asks if you want to snooze or disable(I think) - and if you choose snooze, it'll ring again in 9 minutes. If you choose disable, the phone turns off. I would like to disable the alarm but turn the phone on... I don't think it's possible to do, though.
Inability to change Walkman and Cingular MediaNet keys
The Walkman one is okay. The MediaNet one - not so much. There is no way to disable it on the phone, though I hear you can contact AT&T Customer Service and ask them to block the internet feature. That, however, also disables your ability to send picture messages. *Sigh*. So what I did was change the login request on the MediaNet - at least now, if you push the button (accidentally or on purpose), it will ask you to confirm the login. I also set up a dummy account so that when MediaNet tries to connect, it can't. This problem is livable... especially if you lock the keypad so that you don't accidentally misdial.
Typing
I'm still getting used to typing messages/words on this phone. We all know that to type the letter "a", you push the 1 button once. To type the letter "b", you push it twice. However, on the v300, you could push the 1 button once and then use the right arrow to select the 2nd letter (in this case "b"). On the w810i, though, you can't. If you push the arrow button, it will move the cursor over. Which is not what I want it to do... but it's something that I will just have to remember. Also, I wish there was a "symbols" mode - in addition to the alpha and numeric modes. And I am having difficulty finding some symbols (for some more obscure but still common symbols, you have to access another menu and "add" the symbol - similar to the character map on Windows).
Shutter sound on camera
You can't turn it off. Though this is good to prevent people from taking covert pictures (in a malicious sense), it also prevents or restricts people from taking pictures in settings where you don't want a loud "click!". A lot of the time when I'm taking pictures, I don't really want other people to know - not because I'm doing anything suspicious but because I don't want to draw attention to myself.
NOT SURE
The screen goes black after maybe 20 seconds (unless you push a button). Which means that you can't see the time unless you push a button, thereby lighting up the screen. I guess this isn't such a big problem, but sometimes, especially if the ambient light is bright enough, you just want to look at the time without pushing any buttons. An upside to this is that you can push the up volumen button and the time will appear on the screen (white background, large black numbers). This is good because the time on the actual standard screen is small and hard to read at quick glance.
More to come later, as I'll probably be learning new stuff as I use my phone. The Samsung c417 (which my parents got and I'm trying to get them to return) does not allow for much customization (though the arrow buttons can be changed). Connectivity is a problem - though it does have Bluetooth, it has been disabled (by Cingular or Samsung - not sure which one) so that it can only be used to connect to Bluetooth headsets. Stupid. Samsung does not currently have a data cable for this phone (though Cingular CS apparently thinks it does, based on what I've read on the web) though it might be possible to use a different cable. At any rate, data transfer is a hassle, esp. since my parents don't have the messaging bundle on their lines. Which means we'd either have to pay per message (20 cents?) or switch SIM cards (hassle).
One of the soft keys on the Samsung is dedicated to IM (unchangeable). That's another harebrained move - not everyone uses IM - I certainly don't, even though I used to have unlimited messaging (it took too long typing out conversations). One of my biggest problems with the phone is the interface - it is so clunky that I don't want to learn how to use it. Just need to know how to make calls and receive calls. That's all
