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Verizon Wireless Offering $10 ‘Social’ Plan Is Scary

// November 21st, 2011 // 1 Comment » // Mobile

Recently, Verizon Wireless announced a new data plan for its BlackBerry Curve 3G smartphone – dubbed the ‘Social Messaging Data Package.’ This plan is only $10/month, which is about 1/3rd the price of a normal data plan, but it severely limits the user. You get 75MB of data (PLEASE stop offering consumers bucket data plans – they’re impossible for consumers to understand), as well as full access to Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter. You also get full access to BlackBerry Messenger, AOL Instant Messenger, Google Talk, Yahoo Messenger, and Windows Live Messenger. It sounds like a great deal, especially if you’ve got a teenager who pretty much only needs that level of access, but it’s the first step towards a very frightening mobile future.

Here’s the problem: Essentially, Verizon has said, ‘If you only pay us $10, we only give you access to these sites that we’ve chosen. If you want access to more sites, you need to pay us more.’ With the major carriers in the U.S. gradually moving away from unlimited data plans, this further restriction is very worrisome. It’s a clear backwards move for the industry, and not something we as consumers should take lightly. I’ve always been a huge proponent of unlocked phones that are free from the restrictions placed on them by the carriers and this is a great reason why.

What do you think? Are you concerned about the level of control that the major carriers are starting to exert over our devices and how we use them?

Seesmic For Android Adds Multiple Account Support

// February 5th, 2010 // No Comments » // android

Not but a few minutes after I posted my thoughts on TweetCaster for Android, Loic LeMur, who I had the pleasure of meeting last year at SXSW, announced an updated version of Seesmic for Android, complete with multiple account support!

Of course I downloaded the update as soon as I could, to check out the new features. Adding multiple accounts is really easy, simply press the menu button and then click on ‘Accounts’. There will be a green dot on your default account – this is the one automatically chosen when you compose a new tweet. You can, as shown in the video below, also easily cross-post, if you manage multiple accounts, so you can publish the same update to several accounts. However, I personally don’t really use this feature much on mobile – on my desktop, I only do to update my Facebook and personal Twitter account.

One thing that’s rather frustrating, though, is that like TweetCaster, this account selection screen doesn’t offer any information as to which account has new tweets or mentions. Also, the only way to get to it is to manually press menu, then choose ‘Accounts’. I would like it better if pressing the back button from my timeline would dump me out onto this screen, so I could easily switch between accounts with fewer clicks. Perhaps a future update will enable that.

Compared with TweetCaster, Seesmic seems to do a much better job of managing the limited screen real estate, showing more tweets on each screen. Also, Seesmic seems to perform better when I have all my accounts setup, whereas TweetCaster does tend to slow down just a bit.

I’ll keep both installed for the time being, but at this point, I think Seesmic wins on my Android phone. What app are you using to do Twitter on your Android-powered device?

Here’s a bonus video of Loic LeMur gushing over the new release:

First Impressions Of The HTC Eris And Android

// January 7th, 2010 // 2 Comments » // toys

Yesterday I received my personal HTC Eris from Verizon, which is powered by Android v1.5 currently (a v2.x upgrade is supposedly coming soon). This is my first Android-powered smartphone, and honestly, I’m kind of excited about checking things out on a personal phone. I’ve been solid Symbian since the Nokia 6620, with a few forays into WinMo, so this is my first real exploration outside the Symbian world.

Of course, I used the original iPhone, but even now, the lack of ability to multitask and the carrier lockdown are complete dealbreakers for me on that phone. I’ve also spent some time with the Palm Pre, though not my own personal device, and while that seems like a great smartphone OS for smartphone noobs, it’s certainly not powerful enough for me.

I use pretty much every single Google service anyways, so Android is a very obvious choice for me, though I’m already finding things that I miss about Symbian. I’ll have more thoughts on the two later. I likely won’t be doing a full-on review of the Eris, since it’s been around for a while. If you’re interested, you can read MobileBurn’s full HTC Eris review here.

I’ve spent half a day with the HTC Eris now, setting it up and customizing it and whatnot, and here’s the things I’ve noticed thus far:

1. The onscreen keyboard’s autocorrect is phenomenal. I normally don’t care for onscreen keyboards, as I find them difficult to use, but I was pleased to discover that no matter how much I butchered a word, the Eris’ autocorrect system was almost always able to figure out what I was trying to type. Excellent.

2. Setup was a breeze. I seriously just logged in with my Google account once and BOOM!, contacts, calendar, email, etc was all sync’d up. Freakin brilliant. I have this thing ready to roll and have yet to connect it to my computer (I likely won’t ever). Also, when I visit Google sites, I’m automatically logged in. Totally seamless, as it should be. Really pleasant.

3. Multitasking is a bit confusing. There doesn’t seem to be a surefire way to view the currently running applications, or to minimize an app and then recall it, really. Perhaps I’m missing something, but if I’m chatting with someone in Gtalk and I press home or back, I have to navigate back to the Gtalk app (or wait for them to send me another IM) to get it back. Makes me miss Handy Taskman quite a bit.

4. The HTC Sense UI isn’t all that great. It has some cool features, but it’s also quite cluttered, in my opinion, and duplicates a few Android features, like the email and such.I know how to disable the Sense UI now, but am trying to force myself to use it a bit longer before writing it off entirely.

That’s really about it for now – I’m still exploring this, so if you have any tips/tricks/suggested apps, please do leave them in the comments. I’ve also ordered a skin from SkinIt (camo, of course) and will review that with photos when it arrives.

The Truth Behind The Nokia Booklet 3G Pricing

// October 14th, 2009 // 11 Comments » // stupid, toys

I’ll admit, it’s tough to understand the concept of a netbook, for some. I mean, it’s *almost* the regular cost of a low-end notebook, but it’s smaller, and tends to be less capable in terms of processing power and that sort of thing. However, there’s tons of inaccuracies floating around out there, specifically in regards to the pricing setup for Nokia’s Booklet 3G, which was detailed yesterday. Tony Bradley, on Yahoo! Tech News, spews forth some complete nonsense in his diatribe about why the Nokia Booklet 3G has ‘hidden costs’. Let’s break his article (which you can read in full here) down a bit:

That subsidized price comes with some strings that affect the total cost of ownership though. The $299 price tag is based on a 2-year wireless service commitment with a mandatory data plan requirement. So, $299 isn’t just $299. It is $299 plus $60 a month for two years which brings the total cost up to over $1700.

But wait, there’s more! The data plan you get for $60 a month has a limit of 5Gb of bandwidth per month. Even moderate netbook users could easily surpass the bandwidth cap and end up hit with steep overage charges that add even more hidden costs and increase the total cost of ownership for the Booklet 3G.

Ok, so, he’s got the pricing right – $299 with a 2-year contract on AT&T at their $60/mo Laptop Connect package, which has a 5GB monthly limit. For starters, something that Tony *doesn’t* point out is that currently, across all four of the major carriers (Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, and Sprint), if you want a monthly data package to get your laptop (netbook or not) online, it’s going to cost you $60/mo and has a 5GB monthly limit (update: T-Mobile’s is only $50, but still has the 5GB limit). Tony makes it seem as though the Booklet’s monthly plan is device-specific – it’s not. It’s the industry standard for connecting anything that’s not a phone or PDA to the internet via 3G. It’s the same plan you would get with a USB dongle, the MiFi, or any of the other embedded-3G netbooks that the various carriers offer.

Let’s continue, because Mr. Bradley has some other information quite incorrect, as well.

To be fair, all netbooks are little more than glorified calculators without some sort of wireless network service. But, just keeping things within AT&T, I could buy an un-subsidized Acer Aspire One netbook and get DSL service from AT&T for $19.95 a month without the bandwidth limit. Granted, I would have to spring for the $40 to add a wireless router to my network, but the total cost for the netbook and Internet access over the same two years is about half the cost of the Booklet 3G contract (not including charges for going over the data limit).

You can forego the AT&T subsidy and purchase the Nokia Booklet 3G outright for $599 without the contract. That brings the total cost over two years down significantly, but the device is still almost double the cost of comparable devices.

This part actually has two main points, so I’ll take them on separately:

The Acer Aspire One netbook that Mr. Bradley mentions is *not* comparable to the Nokia Booklet 3G. For starters, there are several different models of that netbook, each with varying display sizes (8.9″-11.6″) and storage capacities. We’ll use the 10.1″ model, since size-wise, that’s the closest to the Booklet 3G.

The Acer is powered by the Intel N270 Atom processor at 1.6GHz, while the Nokia is powered by the newer Intel Z530 Atom processor, also at 1.6GHz. Both computers have 1GB of RAM. That is roughly where the similarities stop. The Acer, admittedly, has a 160GB hard drive, while the Nokia only has a 120GB, so there’s one for the Acer.

However, the Nokia quickly overtakes the Acer in nearly every other category. The Nokia has WiFi b/g/n, whereas the Acer only has b/g, and the Nokia comes with Bluetooth built-in and a GPS receiver integrated into the machine. The Nokia’s display, while still 10.1″, has a resolution of 1280×720, while the Acer maxes out at 1024×600. The Nokia Booklet 3G has an HDMI-out port, while the Acer only has a VGA output.

Case in point – the Nokia Booklet 3G has quite a few features that the current crop of netbooks don’t have. You can’t compare the Booklet 3G to an Acer Aspire One (or an EeePC, for that matter), as that’s similar to comparing the Nokia 5530 XpressMusic to the Nokia N97 – sure they’re both touchscreen smartphones, but with a number of important differences.

Second, and worse yet, Tony says he could buy the Acer and get the $20 AT&T home DSL plan and get a similar experience to the Booklet 3G with AT&T’s data plan. Part of the draw of netbooks is that their size and weight and battery life make them *much* better for portable computing – NOT having to be within range of an outlet to get work done. Buying a netbook and using it with a home DSL line completely defeats the entire purpose.

My favorite part of Tony’s…..article……is the next to last paragraph:

The Nokia Booklet 3G faces an identity crisis. It has the price tag of a high-end netbook– eclipsing the price of much more powerful notebook computers– with the features of a middle-of-the-road netbook device. The subsidized cost may lure in some users who want the prestige or are willing to pay twice as much over time in order to spend less today, but compared with other netbook and notebook alternatives the Booklet 3G is just not a good value.

So, given the direct comparison of the Booklet 3G’s features – newer, faster, more energy-efficient processor, higher resolution display, bigger battery, more features (WiFi n, Bluetooth, GPS, etc), and sleeker design against the Acer Aspire One that he mentions, Tony somehow sees it as a ‘middle of the road’ netbook. I’d be interested to have an example of a ‘high-end’ netbook – which Tony says is how the Nokia Booklet 3G is priced as.

Basically, no matter what netbook you purchase today, if you want 3G access for it, you’re going to be paying *someone* an additional $60/mo, and you’re going to have a 5GB monthly limit, regardless of which carrier or netbook or notebook it’s on. Given that, the $299 pricetag of the Booklet 3G doesn’t seem so bad.

Of course, you could still tether your phone to any netbook (Booklet 3G included) for cheaper (though not exactly within the Terms and Conditions of your cellular service), but assuming you use the correct plan (which the majority of consumers will do), you’re still going to be facing a similar monthly bill. Saying the Booklet 3G costs $1700+ while other netbooks are similar and *much* cheaper is simply not factual – not for the same experience.

**To be clear, I’m in no way saying that I think $60/mo for 5GB of 3G access is a fair price, nor a good deal. I’m only stating the facts based on pricing and plans currently available from the major carriers. My overall point is that saying the Booklet 3G is overpriced because it comes with a $60/mo limited 2-year contract is absurd – you’ll pay the same monthly price for 3G on a computer (netbook or notebook) whether you get the Booklet 3G subsidized or not.

Disclaimer: I own an Asus 1000HE EeePC and tether it to my cell phone when necessary. I paid $425 for it.

Boingo Makes Bank From Verizon

// July 30th, 2009 // No Comments » // Mobile, technology

I’ve praised Boingo here before – they’re simply awesome, specifically if you travel and need to stay connected. Recently, Boingo signed a 4-year extension with Verizon to offer free WiFi to Verizon’s FiOS and High Speed Internet customers. This is a big deal, and here’s why:

For starters, this would be an even bigger deal if the deal included access for Verizon’s wireless customers. Unfortunately, it doesn’t, and the deal apparently only includes Boingo’s Windows client – no dice for smartphone users or Mac users (though that could change, obviously). Unfortunately, it’s not, but it’s still cool anyways.

Verizon’s wireline services is competing with the likes of Clearwire, who is pushing into more and more markets every day. I used Clearwire in college, after dumping Cox Communications for our high speed internet, and could hardly tell a difference. The benefit of Clearwire – and one that Cox couldn’t match – was that the modem only needed power. I could plug it into any outlet in our apartment and have high speed internet – no need to be locked down to the coax connections already there. Take this one step further, and I could have taken that modem anywhere in Abilene, TX, and had the same connection speed – the library, the coffee shop, heck, I could plug it into my truck’s cigarette lighter port and power it from there, to get mobile high speed data, theoretically.

Verizon knows that it can’t do that with FiOS or its High Speed Internet package, so it’s partnering with Boingo to entice the growing number of laptop users who may not really use their home internet as much as they used to.

So, why doesn’t Verizon just offer these users a discounted EV-DO dongle, to make use of its extensive mobile network? Because Verizon, smartly, is cautious of falling into the same trap that AT&T has. AT&T’s 3G network, burdened by a nation of iPhone users, is stretched so thin that I have to switch my phones to EDGE-only in order to hold a phone call in my office.

By leveraging an expansive WiFi network like Boingo’s, Verizon can keep those customers without putting extra strain on its EV-DO network. AT&T is doing similar, both with its hardline customers using Uverse, and with its iPhone users, offering them free access to a nationwide WiFi network.

The king of this, however, is T-Mobile. Rather than spending quickly to build out an expensive 3G network, the company invested in UMA technology, which allows cell phones to seamlessly transfer calls from a 3G connection to WiFi. This not only allows them to offer extended services to their customers, it also serves to help plug up low-coverage areas, as affected customers can simply use a local WiFi hotspot instead. Brilliant.

With Femtocells coming from Sprint already and AT&T soon, it will definitely be interesting to see how the various ISPs – mobile and hardline – will handle the increasing traffic load. Either way, it seems like Boingo is well-positioned to make bank from the opportunities.