RickyCadden.com

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?

Powermat Isn’t Satisfied With Cellphones

// February 21st, 2011 // 3 Comments » // cool, Mobile

Powermat is an awesome example of a tech company embracing my belief that technology should enrich and enable your real life. If you don’t know, Powermat produces wireless charging solutions for cellphones (currently). They use magnetic induction to charge your devices without having to plug them in. Currently, you need to have a Powermat-enabled device, either through a device-specific case or a universal adapter, and the Powermat charging pad. Once you’re all setup, you simply place your device on the mat and boom, instant wireless electricity. It’s really quite cool, and affordable, as well.

The company isn’t satisfied with cellphones, though, as Boy Genius Report discovered at the 2011 Mobile World Congress this month. Powermat is already working with auto manufacturers such as General Motors, to implement Powermat charging pads in the consoles of their vehicles. They’re also working with a company called Arconas that manufactures the seats you sit on while waiting for your flight at the airport, to include a charging mat in those, as well.

The really interesting part, though, is that Powermat is also eyeing your kitchen. Yes, you read that correctly. The company envisions all of the counter space in your kitchen being a monstrous Powermat charging pad, and small electric appliances such as your blender, coffee maker, or food processor. Rather than seeking an outlet and having cords and cables to all your little appliances littering the counter, you’ll simply place your toaster on the counter and Powermat will do the rest. The technology can apparently be incorporated to the underside of your countertop, and works through all materials, even granite.

It’s quite impressive, and really gets my brain going about all the other uses we could see for this. Powermat is definitely going to be an interesting company to watch in the next few years. They’re obviously looking at ways to use their technology to enrich and enable our real lives, and that’s awesome.

HTPC Project Completed

// December 18th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // toys

After posting a few days ago about how to put together the perfect HTPC, I did some more investigating and chatted with a few of you to come up with the perfect solution, for the time being. First, I needed to get a new video card for my eMachines tower that’s currently storing all my movies and media. To do this, I looked up the system online and chatted with eMachines help to discover that I had 2 free PCI slots and 1 free PCI-Express slots. Then, I headed up to Best Buy to find the best card.

After the Geek Squad dude that greeted me pretty much didn’t know a thing, I talked to a helpful regular employee who pointed me in the direction of the GeForce 210 video card, which works perfectly. It took almost no time at all to install, and makes video smooth as butter.

I also went ahead and purchased 2 remote controls for my new HTPC, a regular hand-held remote and a wireless keyboard.

The Microsoft Windows Media Center remote is great when I’m in the Windows Media Center app, for navigation and quick access to the necessary functions. It’s backlit and looks almost identical to the remote control that came with my AT&T Uverse box, so my wife has no trouble using it. The remote also came with the IrDA receiver that I needed.

The Microsoft Windows Media Center wireless keyboard was only $30, a far cry from the $130 that it launched at. This keyboard has an integrated nub to function as a mouse and left/right buttons, so I can use it to get around the normal Windows interface when necessary. It’s taken a while to get used to, but it’s much more convenient than using LogMeIn on my other computer to access my MediaCenter.

I was also recently introduced to browser by a friend, and this application is simply brilliant. Browser searches the tmdb.org database to get metadata for your movies and tv shows, making it *much* more convenient to browse through them on the Windows Media Center interface.

With this setup, I’m really enjoying my HTPC. Total out of pocket costs thus far, not including the eMachines tower that I already had, has been $185. Not too shabby.

ZeeMote Uses Twitter For Customer Satisfaction

// June 13th, 2009 // No Comments » // marketing

I’m an admittedly huge fan of ZeeMote. They make the JS1, which is a Bluetooth gaming remote for cell phones. It’s an absolutely brilliant idea, and well-implemented, too. There’s a ZeeKey application for Symbian-powered smartphones like my Nokia N79, and I recently discovered a ZeeKey application for the Nokia N800, which I need to try out soon. In any case, I recently broke the battery cover on my ZeeMote JS1, and tweeted about it.

My immediate thoughts were that I would need to simply work up a tape solution to keep the battery cover on the joystick, for continued enjoyment. The tweet was just to voice my frustration. 2 days later, I received an @reply from jeikka, who apparently works for ZeeMote, asking me to email their support folks, which I did.

After a few emails with their support  team, I’ve just received a replacement door cover for my ZeeMote JS1, even though breaking the battery door was clearly my own fault. Politely included in the package is a print-out showing how to properly install and remove the battery door cover – another nice gesture, and I’m happily gaming with my ZeeMote JS1 again.

Note that they were not overly helpful, which is fine. They didn’t ship me a whole new kit, which would have been wasteful, but took my situation, replaced exactly the parts that I needed, and provided me with information to help get longer use out of the replacement. Total cost to ZeeMote was likely $3: $1.39 in postage, and another $1.61 for the battery door, packaging, and print-out.

I noticed that there is not currently an official ZeeMote account, nor was Jeikka’s profile filled out completely – no custom background showing off his Zeemote position, nor an avatar revealing his ties with the company. I also noticed that there is no official Zeemote YouTube channel, despite there being several videos showing off the controller (one by yours truly).

If anyone at Zeemote is reading this, I’d really like to help you guys make a splash in the mobile gaming market. There are a number of social media tools that you can use and properly align with your current marketing efforts to really get things rolling. You can email me at Ricky(at)RickyCadden(dot)com.