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Nokia Booklet 3G To Cost $299 From Best Buy

// October 13th, 2009 // 7 Comments » // toys

Today at an event in New York, Nokia announced that its Booklet 3G netbook will be an AT&T exclusive, taking advantage of the carrier’s high-speed 3G network. The mini-laptop will be sold exclusively through Best Buy, priced at $299.99 with a 2-year contract from AT&T. The contract requires activation on AT&T’s $60/month Laptop Connect plan, which offers a 5GB monthly limit.

Today, AT&T already offers 3 netbooks, from Acer, Dell, and Lenovo. All of these are priced at $199 with a 2-year contract, which positions the Nokia Booklet 3G at only $100 more. While the Booklet 3G’s suggested retail price of roughly $600+ is absurd for a netbook, this contract pricing is actually really attractive, for the right consumer. Sat beside my Asus 1000HE EeePC, the Nokia Booklet 3G looks awesome, feels awesome, and performs way better. Similarly, when positioned, for an extra $100, next to the other netbooks that AT&T currently offers, the Booklet 3G will, in my opinion, fly off the shelves.

The only sticking point is the $60/month data plan. For advanced users such as myself and most readers of this blog, $60/month for a (nearly) unlimited data plan on a netbook is quite absurd. I pay $20/month for my unlimited (truly unlimited) data plan on my regular AT&T plan, and can easily tether my phone to my 1000HE for 3G access already. However, most consumers have accepted that portable computer data is going to cost them $60/month. It’s the same on all four of the major carriers.

With the pricing and hardware in order, Nokia is in a great position to use software updates to continuously increase the value proposition of the Booklet 3G over the next year or so. The built-in GPS receiver, accelerometer, monster battery life, and integrated 3G antenna all open up the possibility of some cool applications just waiting to be developed.

What do you think? Are you interested in the Booklet 3G, or do you think it’s still priced out of this world? I hope to have a Nokia Booklet 3G for review shortly, and will definitely be doing some hard-core comparisons against my Asus 1000HE EeePC, which I think is currently one of the best netbooks on the market.

Of Course AT&T Doesn’t Want Google Voice

// July 28th, 2009 // 8 Comments » // Mobile, technology

I’ve been a Google Voice user since it was called Grand Central, and use the number as a disposable one – I’ll give it out to anyone. Until recently, that was the only real benefit that I saw – using Google Voice like a filter, to control who has direct access to my ‘real’ mobile number (which I protect carefully). However, a recent post from Andy Abramson shined a light on a much better scenario.

You can now hook up your Google Voice to your Gizmo5 service, using Gizmo5 as the SIP gateway to sending and receiving calls to/from your Google Voice number. After installing Gizmo5 on my Nokia N800 Internet Tablet, I am able to tether the tablet to my phone over 3G, and then use it to directly dial a phone number, and my caller ID comes across as my Google Voice number. Brilliant. I almost have the same setup working on my Nokia E63. On my N79 and 5800 XpressMusic, I can do the same thing using Nimbuzz to handle the SIP features, again, over 3G.

Why is the 3G significant? Because, currently, with AT&T, it would cost me $129/month to get unlimited domestic minutes, unlimited messaging, and unlimited 3G. If I want *just* unlimited 3G, with no minutes, it costs $59/mo – less than half the price. If I could make unlimited domestic calls with Google Voice through Gizmo5 SIP over 3G, I could get the features of the $130 plan, for only $60/month.  I would have replicated the entire cellphone experience with nothing but a data connection.

Of course you can do this without needing Google Voice, but using it brings along the SMS part of the equation, along with more advanced call management options, such as being able to send the call to another phone, etc.

So, what’s the catch? First off, coverage – 3G coverage, while plentiful, is nowhere near the same level as EDGE coverage, and a voice call over EDGE is spotty, at best. The other catch is battery life – maintaining a constantly active data connection on today’s cell phones isn’t likely to last you through lunch, much less an entire workday.

The point is, it’s doable, and with today’s technology, not something that’s coming down the pipeline. Given that AT&T’s 3G network is already stretched to the max, it wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest if AT&T was the one who prompted Apple to remove the Google Voice applications from the App Store recently. What do you think? Are you a bit more interested in Google Voice, now?

This also leads me to ask a familiar question – if/when AT&T (or the other carriers) finally realize that they are nothing but a dumb pipe, how will they compete? Will we have all-out price wars, or will we finally see the mobile carriers competing in the areas of customer service, extra features, etc?

Boingo Knows Good PR

// May 25th, 2009 // No Comments » // cool, marketing

A few weeks ago, the Sling Player for iPhone was released through the App Store, though unfortunately users quickly discovered that it was barred from using the 3G cellular connection – only WiFi. Obvious iPhone-bashing opportunity aside (I used Sling on my unbranded phones over 3G with zero issues), that just plain sucks for iPhone users. So what does Boingo have to do with it?

Their PR folks took a bad situation and turned it into an awesome PR opportunity by offering iPhone owners one free month of their unlimited smartphone WiFi plan – a $7.95 value. Yes, I’m aware that Boingo already offered a free month, but they went to the effort to publicise this for iPhone/Slingbox owners.

AT&T already offers iPhone owners free WiFi on their WiFi Hotspot network, but Boingo adds a whole slough of connection options. I’ve used Boingo several times when traveling, and would highly recommend it if you’re a frequent traveler, specifically through airports. It’s a great feeling to be able to turn your laptop on and see that friendly ‘A Boingo Network is Available’ box pop up and know you’re connected.

If you’re an iPhone/Slingbox owner, you can get the hookup here . If you’re not, but are interested in checking out Boingo, you can of course use the same link. Props to Boingo for making themselves relevant as problem solvers for an otherwise unrelated problem.