My Digital Life

AT&T decides to follow T-Mobile's innovation in providing better in home signal with different technology

Since switching to AT&T for my iPhone 3G, one the few technologically advanced features T-Mobile USA has these days that I miss is their HotSpot@Home feature. This feature allows you to make unlimited calls (for a monthly $10 fee) with a T-Mobile router and/or a HotSpot@Spot enabled cell phone using a broadband Internet connection. The technology is based on UMA which I wrote about back in 2007. The specialized cell phones incorporate WIFI with special programming which wraps a cell call into Internet compatible data packets. The downside of the technology is that it requires a special cell phone and there are very few models. T-Mobile has not even enabled the G1 with this technology, something I don't understand.

Now a new technology called Femtocells is being deployed by Sprint and is in testing with AT&T. The principle is basically the same as UMA (use the Internet to transmit cell phone calls), but it differs in one big respect, you can use an unmodified cell phone. This means I could use it with my iPhone 3G. This would be great and very exciting on two fronts. First I do get a fair amount of failed calls in my house when 3G tries to switch back to 2G and second with unlimited calling in my house I could reduce my monthly minutes. I am quite excited about using this technology and plan to call AT&T to see if I can get in on the testing (I know, good luck in making that happen), but probably worth a shot. Femtocell deployment is more problematic than UMA since the devices use the same frequencies as cell towers and the carriers need to ensure that there is no interference, however it looks like the technology is ready for prime time. Hopefully AT&T will move quickly...

T-Mobile G1 has no data roaming on/off switch

According to a post on Gizmodo, a G1 user traveling to the UK incured over $100 worth of data roaming charges while never using the device to access data. Apparently the G1 sends some type of heartbeat every 3 - 5 minutes regardless of your location. Could this be push email or just some OS feature that requires the G1 to call home. It is unbelievable that someone would design such a feature without an on/off switch. The on/off feature has been there since day one in Windows Mobile devices. In version 1 of the iPhone firmware there was some confusion about how to turn off data roaming but at least the feature was there, for the G1 the T-Mobile CSR response was to leave the device at home.

I have been a T-Mobile fan from the Voicestream days but over the 18 months their lack of any decent devices has left me less than enthusiastic, even if their pricing model is generally cheaper. I don't think the G1 is very innovative compared to the iPhone, the HotSpot@Home feature which I think is a key differentiator and a big cost saving was left out of new phones like the G1. I am sure the data roaming issue will fixed in a future update but somebody really missed the boat on this one.

On the cost front AT&T has data roaming plans which you can purchase on a month to month basis (T-Mobile does not). This helps to lessen your cost while traveling internationally if you need to use data. I wrote about my experience with the iPhone in this post.

T-Mobile G1 with Google finally officially announced

T-Mobile has finally provided details on the G1, they have published a pretty good web site which contains links to most first hand account of the device. It is being called a real competitor to the iPhone but from the press conference T-Mobile is only targeting consumers with this device. The consumer is T-Mobile's USA bread and butter. Over the years they have done an excellent job at providing great value with MyFaves and HotSpot@Home (BTW I did not see either of these features on the G1), their top selling smartphones have been the SideKick and the Blackberry curve. In contrast to T-Mobile in Europe, the USA subsidiary has not provided any advanced Windows Mobile device and unfortunately in its current form the G1 does not currently offer very much for the business user. The Android OS does provide the means for software development and distribution which could fill the gaps making the G1 a business device. However, it seems that T-Mobile and Google are waiting for third parties to fill this gap. In response to the lack of Exchange ActiveSync at the press conference the answer was that this would be a good application for third parties to implement, but will developer's flock to Android the way they did to the iPhone. From my unscientific research it does not look like it, the marketplace is still too iffy at this point. Compared to the millions of iPhones being sold, the analysts have estimated G1 sales to only be in the hundreds of thousands.

The "open" mantra being touted by Google could be a free for all and could lead to very different user experiences by device and by carrier thus diluting the Android brand name. Developers are also concerned that each carrier could have its own app store which could be a real headache when dealing with applications suited for the international marketplace. Even though there are still issues to be ironed out with the Apple app store, the advantage of having a single marketplace for users and developers is a major plus.

There seems to have a ground swell of protests against the 1GB cap (the AT&T cap is 5GB) then reducing throughput language in the contract which T-Mobile has relented on yesterday. I find this topic quite interesting since most of my data usage comes from WIFI and currently my iPhone 3G usage is about 100MB per billing cycle. I agree with the protests,  however on the other side of the coin I don't want individuals hogging bandwidth to my detrement. Tethering will also not be allowed, it is clear that the voice market is saturated and the carriers look at data for revenue growth. They want you to pay extra for tethering because data usage on a PC is far greater, but at an average of $60 per month, I find this to be somewhat predatory.

T-Mobile appears to be willing to SIM unlock the devices after 90 days for account in good standing. AT&T should take a lesson, although they have no incentive to so...

At this point, given the very small T-Mobile 3G foot print (I don't even see Washington, DC in the current list) this phone is no threat to Apple, but from an overall marketplace I see the G1 as good competition which will hopefully help keep Apple on its toes and may force some loosening by the control freaks in Cupertino. Yes, I do believe that control gives Apple an edge in providing a uniform user experience, the issue is how much control.

In the end the G1 looks like a pretty good consumer device with excellent technology compared to a Sidekick or Blackberry and even the iPhone. We will have to see how the marketplace reacts since technology alone won't guaranty that it is a hit. As I mentioned before it is about the eco system and on that front, even if they are far from perfect, Apple wins.

Windows Mobile group steps up marketing

With a slew of new devices coming the Windows Mobile group is stepping up its marketing campaign in the main stream media. Here is a video interview with Scott Rockfeld, the Windows Mobile Product Manager and the Wall Street Journal.  He does leave out what I think are two key new devices, the Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 and the HTC Touch HD.

The field is also becoming crowded, today T-Mobile officially announces the HTC manufactured Google Android based G1. From the rumored specifications it does not look too exciting but I think competition is good. I can't believe it will not support T-Mobile HotSpot@Home service which I think is a killer differentiator. We will have to wait until 10:30AM EDT (live press conference) to see the exact details.

T-Mobile to roll out @Home service nationwide July 2nd

T-Mobile will roll out its land line replacement @Home program nationwide July 2nd. This option will only be available to current T-Mobile customers with current plans of $40 per month or more. The service will cost $10 per month. A $99 customized Linksys router which bridges the Internet and your home phone wiring will be required.

This is an easy way for T-Mobile to generate more revenue without having to heavily invest in infrastructure. I would be willing to try it out if I knew that the occasional call drops I have with the WIFI HotSpot@Home service would go away...

Back from my 2 week hiatus

 I thought I would blog during my vacation but I never found the time or inclination to write...It did give me a chance to ponder what my upcoming blog posts should be about. Here are some of those thoughts:

The big announcement while I was away was the release date and specification of Apple's 3G phone. I still have not watched Steve Jobs keynote, but from all the blog posts, I have perused, it looks like it was mostly about the price and 3G performance. On the price side, I found the new agreement with AT&T to subsidize the 3G iPhone very interesting. Finally someone at AT&T has realized that they were not going to stop the hackers, you have to change the economics to make it less appealing to SIM unlock the iPhone. In the end, Apple does not care, they get their money one way or another. It also looks like AT&T made sure that the T-Mobile USA 1700 3G network band was not included. Even if I forgo the economics of signing a contract with AT&T and terminating it, the fact that I can't use the iPhone on the T-Mobile 3G network is a real negative. In the end I will have to wait for July 11th to see all the fine print before making any decision. All that said, at $199, this device is going to fly off the shelves. It was to bad that there was no announcement or inkling of any MID type computer.

I used my Tilt with the HTC Windows Mobile 6.1 ROM update extensively (I found it very stable) during my vacation and found it to be very stable. I had my iPhone with me but never really used it. I was in France for 10 days, purchased an SFR (Vodafone) pay as you go SIM card. Windows Mobile 6.1 detected the 3G network instantly, although the APN was wrong. It was configured as SFRWEB when it should have been SFRWAP. With the SFR pay as you go plan, you only have access to a subset of the Internet, however I was able to synchronize with Exchange via ActiveSync. I ended up not using data very much because of the cost. All in all it was convenient having a local number but with the Dollar's exchange rate it is more of a luxury than a necessity.

Every hotel we stayed at had free WIFI. This made accessing the web to synchronize my email and watch some US news (via SlingPlayer) from the Tilt a breeze. Another valuable benefit was using HotSpot@Home with my wife's T409. We were able to call back to the US for free. We were able to do this at 2 of the three hotels. I kept getting a connection failed at the one hotel. In the two hotels we were able to use HotSpot@Home, the connection at one was much better but at both hotels the service was usable. I can't emphasize how great a feature this is even if it is not 100% stable.

My other pet project while on vacation was to use my new Fujitsu U810 MID Tablet PC. I mentioned earlier that I ended up not using the iPhone I brought with me. I think the biggest reason was having full browsing access on the U810. With the current iPhone's ROM version, what makes it appealing to use is that it is fun and that Safari works very well. If you take that away, other than having iTunes, I had no real need for the device. Obviously the 2.0 ROM and all of the potential applications will be a game changer. The other piece of my project was the ability to easily transfer pictures from my camera which I will blog about later.

My review of the Cellpoint Flamingo Music earphones was published on pocketnow.com while I was away.

 

T-Mobile plans to unveil 10 HotSpot@Home (UMA) handsets this autumn

An article on cnnmoney.com (link) summarizes an interview with David Beigie, vice president of marketing at T-Mobile. The two key points he made were:

• 50% of the HotSpot@Home subscribers are new to T-Mobile which helped them boast one of the fastest subscriber growth rate along with AT&T last quarter.
• 10 new UMA HotSpot@Home handsets will be available in the fall. Hopefully that will include 3G Windows Mobile devices...

The week of March 10th in My Digital Life

We only have 3 months to wait until Exchange ActiveSync is available on iPhone. There are a few lucky Apple partners that are apparently using it now in beta form. But what's 3 months, I have been waiting for T-Mobile's 3G network for over a year now...All that said I am still happy with my unlocked AT&T Tilt running on T-Mobile. Today I will be loading SPB Mobile Shell 2.0 (pocketnow review) on the Tilt.

It looks like T-Mobile has made some additional upgrade to the HotSpot@Home service. The call drops seem to have dissapeared, although I have noticed some conversation pause, but the call does not disconnect. Although still annoying I would rather have a pause in the conversation, then a dropped call.

All of my Verizon SMT5800 video reviews segments have now been posted on pocketnow.com, this week I will post the summary review. If you are looking for a Verizon Windows Mobile Standard device, I would take a hard look at this one, it is a solid performer.

My review of Altec Lansing's SoundBlade Bluetooth speaker should get posted this week on pocketnow.com. This is a good sounding Bluetooth speaker that doubles a full featured speakerphone.

I still need to update my iPhone to 1.1.4, hopefully I will have time this week. The problem with firmware updates is not the time it takes to perform the upgrade but the time you have to schedule in to deal with issues...

This week:

• Work on trapster.com article.

Wall Street Journal reviews T-Mobile's Talk Forever

Walt Mossberg reviews T-Mobile' Talk Forever land line replacement plan. The title of his review is "T-Mobile Service Ties Cellphones to Home, With Some Sacrifices", (link to free article) if it is not an Apple product he will find something wrong to say about it. I agree no product is perfect, not even Apple products, but to put forward such a title for a review gives the audience a less than good taste before they even start reading the article.

As I read the article the only thing he could find wrong with the service was the fact that it does not work with devices that use analog modems like alarm systems and Fax machines. His other comment was about 911, he states: "Also, unlike landline phones, it doesn't automatically transmit your home address to 911 emergency centers. You have to manually supply that address to T-Mobile during signup, and the company then sends it to your local emergency center." . These two sentences make no sense. What is the difference between "automatically transmit" and "send". In both cases the address of record is transmitted to the 911 center. The only differences is that the land line phone systems have a direct connection to 911 centers, while VOIP and cell phone services use E911 which uses an intermediary system to transmit the address. I would not call these sacrifices, rather quirks with the service that you need to consider before shutting off you land line. These are the same trade offs you have to make if you want to switch to VOIP, although services like Vonage provide some level  of fax and alarm system compatibility.  I still have a land line because I want a reliable fax line and I have an alarm system, although I am always researching alternatives.

The bottom line; he loved the service. He states: "For my tests, I used a cordless phone supplied by T-Mobile, which included a base station and one extension handset. I was able to make and receive calls all over my home in exactly the same manner, and with exactly the same quality, as I do with my normal cordless landline service.". This sounds like an endorsement to me. To date I can't say that about my HotSpot@Home service, but I have not tried T-Mobile new router and setup.

 

The week of October 15th in My Digital Life

As of yesterday Directv has launched over 70 of the 100 HD channels promised by year's end. They have started an all out media campaign to enroll HD subscribers by touting their lead over the cable companies. This is a good, given that it will take some time for the cable companies to react. The cable companies are stuck in the mire of having to transmit older analog signals which eats up a major portion of their bandwidth. They have to start managing bandwidth in the same way Directv has done from day 1. It will be interesting to see how many cable subscribers Directv is able to capture.

Last week the iPhone dev team finally broke through Apple's new encryption mechanism in the iPhone's latest firmware. Currently there seems to be only one solution to unlock the GSM phone; iPhoneSimFree (IPSF) is a paying service ($59.99) which seems to truly unlock the phone vs patching the baseband radio firmware. I plan on trying this method this week, however I have to first restore my baseband radio firmware in order to use IPSF. The process is the same as when I used patched the baseband in the first place, I just have to use Apple's original baseband firmware.

I have been working on a Windows Mobile Google Maps vs Windows Live Search comparison, just to learn today that there is a new version which includes voice recognition. This is a pretty big leap frog over what Google offers. I will have to see how well it works. My client update feature did not light up, so I downloaded it using Pocket IE at http://wls.live.com. The version is 2.5.2840.19676. The new version includes gas prices, pretty cool.

This week:

• Rework my comparison of Windows Live Search 2.5 and Google Maps for Windows Mobile.
• Update my iPhone to 1.1.1 and use iPhoneSimFree to unlock the phone.