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Original material is licensed under a Creative Commons License permitting non-commercial sharing with attribution.
11/16/09
11/15/09
People really should leverage the family plans as much as possible. I lucked out awhile back and pay $10 for 2 more phones on my account. It's worked out well.
11/15/09
11/15/09
In the rest of the world, wireless numbers are allocated into their own special area code, usually 080 or some variation thereof. So the telco can say "all calls to 080 get charged more than calls to other area codes." And the caller winds up paying for wireless calls.
In America, they can't do that. So instead of charging the caller, they charge the receiver. #wireless
11/15/09
For examples...
315-854-XXXX is Verizon Wireless. 315-528-XXXX is AT&T. And so on.
So, why don't we just charge the caller? :P #wireless
11/15/09
11/15/09
11/16/09
With large minute bucket plans, larger and larger pools of non-charged minute (in-network, mobile-to-mobile), and niche carriers offering all-you-can-eat voice, it isn't going to be too long before voice isn't really a per minute service anyway. #wireless
11/16/09
11/16/09
11/16/09
11/16/09
11/16/09
11/14/09
11/14/09
Slightly off-topic, but Sprint is now offering $150 upgrade discount annually, instead of biennially as they used to do. Or maybe they're only doing it for customers that have been around for awhile, but either way I appreciate the change. Even if I do have to commit to another two-year contract every time I upgrade. #wireless
11/14/09
11/14/09
11/14/09
I had plans with Cingular/AT&T for years. Nothing fancy, but it cost me about $60 per month after taxes. I never used my minutes or text messages. All I got out of it was a crappy dumb phone for $30.
Now, I'm in Asia. I bought my Nokia E71 for $350. I pay for my minutes and texts as I use them. I don't use data plans since I have Wi-Fi at work and most places I travel. On average, I spend less than $10 per month for everything I use.
Now if you take the total cost of the phone and monthly fees, I will have spent $590 on my phone and connection here in Asia over the course of 2 years. In the States, I spent $1510 over the course of 2 years.
I actually cringe when I think that when I move back to the U.S., I will be forced back into monthly plans. I really just want to be able to buy my phone independent of the plan if I could get the option of a discounted montly rate. Yet, that option really doesn't exist since pay-as-you-go users are punished with inflated per minute costs. #wireless
11/14/09
1200 minutes, 1200 text messages, $29/mo. Sounds reasonable. But they only give you all of 50 megabytes of data. OR pay $39/mo for unlimited voice/text... and 20 MB. WTF, prepaid companies?
I'd die for just straight-up prepaid data - be able to plunk down, say, $25/mo for unlimited data barring voice. I can sure as hell do it on a 2-year with AT&T via a Premier discount ($26/mo before taxes), but I'm locked in with the rest of my family for an out-of-date smartphone I got in June. That is... until June of 2011. (Thanks for coming out with the TP2, AT&T, right after I bought my FUZE!) #wireless
11/15/09
11/15/09
11/14/09
11/14/09
11/15/09
10/28/09
Wait, did we really? #msndirect
10/28/09
2012: A Roland Emmerich Film. In Theaters November 13, 2009. #msndirect
10/28/09
Dude, your post was such a blatant ad. It's disgusting.
Brought to you by Carl's Jr.
[www.imdb.com]
(just kiding, I love you) #msndirect
10/28/09
Thanks for the heads up Giz. I'll let my brother know to cancel his 'scription. #msndirect
10/28/09
10/28/09
10/28/09
MSN Direct is an FM radio-based digital service which allows 'SPOT' portable devices to receive information from MSN services. Devices that support MSN Direct include wristwatches, atomic desktop clocks, in-car GPS satellite navigation units, and even small appliances such as coffee makers. Information available through paid "channels" includes weather, horoscopes, stocks, news, sports results and calendar notifications. The service also allows users to receive notifications of new messages on Windows Live Messenger. #msndirect
10/28/09
10/28/09
10/28/09
10/28/09
10/08/09
Recently, I had some problems with my almost 3 year old laptop(end of life as far as I'm concerned, just over a month left on warranty.) Dell tried several times to repair my laptop. In each instance, a part was overnighted and a tech sent out the next day, save for the instance that I requested the part sent to me so I could fix the problem to my satisfaction.(if I can't fix it, there's really a problem) Dell basically bent over backwards trying to correct the problem.
After unsuccessfully repairing the problem, despite having replaced virtually the entire machine, Dell decided to do a laptop exchange. The rep informed me that it would be a newer model. Despite the fact that any newer model would likely be an upgrade, especially with regard to the basic specs, I politely voiced my concerns about the resolution of the screen and a couple of my other requirements(bluetooth, I HATE dongles). I was assured that I would be satisfied with the replacement. Less than a week later, I had a new computer.
What did Dell send me?
A completely loaded Studio 15. And, when I say completely loaded, I mean completely loaded... as in EVERY single upgrade. $1900+
I believe that's called "hitting one out of the park."
10/08/09
10/08/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
10/09/09
10/08/09