My Digital Life

My International Roaming Experience – Today’s Cruise Ship = Connected for a Price

I have taken 2 cruises in the last 3 years, one to Alaska and this recent one in the Mediterranean. The cruise in Alaska was on Holland America, a cruise line owned by Carnival Corp. and this recent cruise was on Regent Seven Seas owned by the Apollo Group. Both cruise ships had internet and cell phone service. Both services are offered via a satellite link provided by SeaMobile, although the cellular service (Cellular@Sea) is managed by a subsidiary called Wireless Maritime Services which is joint venture with AT&T Mobility.

The cellular functionality on Regent's Seven Seas Navigator provided GSM/GPRS and CDMA/1XRTT voice/data services. As I remember it the Holland America ship only had GSM service, but by now it probably has been upgraded to handle CDMA traffic as well. The ship's cell site only operates when the ship is out of range of local cellular service. It is a roaming service where your cellular carrier bills you for all voice and data. The costs seem to be fixed across all US carriers at $2.49 per minute for voice calls, $.50 to send an SMS, $1.30 to send an MMS, and $.0195 per KB for data. The fact that all carriers are charging the same seems like price collusion but who am I to say. The Bottom line it is expensive, but much cheaper than using the wired phone in the cabin at $6.95 per minute. Also carriers offer data plans which can be very beneficial for heavy email users, Verizon offers a global unlimited email plan for $69.99 per month and includes cruise ships. AT&T International Data plans do not include cruise ships which is a real shame. I talked to both AT&T and Verizon customer service before I left. They gave me detailed information, provided me with alternatives and more than once warned me about the costs. Given the articles that have surfaced about surprise bills (especially with the iPhone); it is clear that carriers are going out of their way to educate consumers. The catch you have to call them. Even if you think you understand it all, I strongly urge everyone to call their carriers before leaving on trip abroad. AT&T emailed me an FAQ about the iPhone, and Verizon emailed a detailed rate chart with the list of countries I planned to visit.

On the internet front, both cruise ships I have been on had Internet cafes with workstations, the Regent Seven Seas Navigator even had WIFI throughout the ship. The service is run by another arm of SeaMobile called MTN Satellite Services. They charge by the minute and the cruise line can offer several different plans to its guests. On the Seven Seas Navigator I had the option of 250 and 500 minutes. As part of Regent's loyalty program, after you cruise 21 nights you get free internet which is a very nice benefit. The 250 minute plan was $87.99 with a first time registration of $3.50. The 500 minute plan was about double. Additional minutes on the 250 minutes plan were $.35 and $.25 on the 500 minute plan. I find it interesting that they charge by the minute rather than the Kilobyte, but given all the activity I saw in the Internet Café I can understand why; minutes should get people off of the workstations faster but I was amazed how many people seemed oblivious and where typing email tomes in web based editors. I was told by the Internet Café manager that the average speed is about 65Kbps per user. Unfortunately I neglected to run a speed test, but from an end user perspective it was not broadband but response times where decent. If you want to see the world and have some IT skill they are looking for people, here is the job description.

I ended up purchasing the 250 minute plan which over 11 days gave us about 22 minutes a day. Since I had problems with my Sony VAIO P's wireless drivers, my wife and I ended up using our iPhones. We would connect to download email, disconnect, respond off line, then connect again to send. One of my major pet peeves with the iPhone's email application (ActiveSync/Hosted Exchange) is its inability to deal with deletions offline (you get an error message). I would love to know how Apple thought that was a good idea…Anyway, the plan worked out well and I even had some minutes left over to go to the Internet Café to check in with United Airlines online and print our boarding passes. I also tried Skype on the iPhone using the $2.95 per month unlimited subscription plan to call phones in the US and Canada. It worked well, the person on the other end heard a little breakup (I would expect that with constrained satellite uplink speeds), but we heard them very clearly. This made calling much cheaper ($.35 per minute on our plan) than using the in cabin wired phone or on board cell system, but still more expensive than the calling card (although you need a dry land wired phone!). During the entire 12 day trip we only had a couple hours one evening where we could not get connected. The default web page told us that interference was blocking the satellite signal.

I think bringing your own computing device makes a lot sense so you can perform tasks off line to save your minutes, and then connect for data transmission. I saw a couple of Dell Mini notebooks, and a Mac book. On the mobile device front, the BlackBerry was king (looked like mostly corporate types), although iPhones were around. I did see one bulky satellite phone (it reminded me of early cell phones), why someone would think you need one on today's cruise ship intrigued me, maybe they owned it or their company wanted them to have failsafe communication. The gentleman had to stand outside on the pool deck to make a call. I also thought that newer satellite phones could switch between cell and satellite.

The bottom line is that staying connected on a cruise today is possible and easy. You just have to do a little research on plan options with your cell phone carrier or purchasing an on board internet plan (I suggest bringing your WIFI enabled smartphone or netbook) make to cost manageable if you need to stay connected without needing to be online 24/7…

Review: The Verizon Hub

The tag line for the Verizon Wireless Hub is "Welcome to the Home Phone Reinvented." This struck as funny coming from a wireless carrier and, at the same time, quite an interesting statement coming from one of the largest landline carriers in the country. Yes, Verizon Wireless is a separate company partially owned by Vodafone, but Verizon Communication is the majority owner. What is the Verizon Hub? Read my review on pocketnow.com.

 

PROS

• An innovative home phone system
• Seven inch touch screen
• VZ Navigator integration
• Visual Voicemail

 

CONS

• Can only message to Verizon Wireless customers
• No browser
• Limited number of applications

 

Value
Ease of Use
Features
Overall

 

Apple/Verizon rumor mill; will the Hub be replaced by the Apple media pad?

On the heels of USA Today's updated article about Apple's discussions with Verizon; Business Week reported yesterday that Apple is considering an iPhone Lite and some type of media pad targeted for Verizon. The iPhone Lite, a smaller and thinner iPhone has been reported before and there has been rampant speculation about a netbook type device, although it is clear that Apple wants to create a new category of product. The media pad would let users listen to music, view photos, and watch high-definition videos, a well as make calls via WiFi.

The media pad with calling over WiFi feature (VOIP) is the most interesting part of the story. Currently Verizon Wireless sells the Hub, a desktop WIFI enabled VOIP smartphone tagged as "the Home Phone Reinvented". The Hub is manufactured by OPENPEAK and based on Linux. The Hub allows you to listen to streaming music, view photos, and watch V Cast videos. It also comes with a basic set of applications like Calendar, Contacts and text/multimedia messaging. Although the call quality and design of the Hub are excellent, it lacks a catalog of applications. A device from Apple which would support the iTunes and the App Store could be a real game changer. The big question; is Verizon brave enough to loosen its control over its network? Possibly, after seeing AT&T success…

I have been reviewing the Hub and will be publishing my results later this week on pocketnow.com.

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.

 

HotSpot@Home - Linksys WRT54G-TMO as a bridge

My home wireless network configuration has two Linksys WRT54G-TMO routers (one upstairs and one downstairs) wired into a D-Link DFL-210 router connected to Verizon's FIOS network. I set them up to operate as Access Points using the bridge option, turning off the firewall and DHCP options. I use the same SSID on both routers for seamless roaming all over the house.

Under the Basic Setup screen/Internet Setup you need to switch to Static IP and enter a dummy IP address. Under Network Setup you need to enter a Static IP address on your network and disable DHCP Server (this static ip address will become the router's IP address). You then need to plug the cable from your wired router into one of the LAN ports. In this configuration you do not use the WAN port.

Under the Advanced Settings you need to set the Operating Mode to Bridge and the Dynamic Routing to LAN & Wireless.

Under the Security tab you need to disable the Firewall Protection. The Firewall won't work since there you are not using the WAN port.

This configuration works very well for me and our Samsung T409 phones roam seamlessly across the house and onto our back patio even though we a 4 bar cell signal in the backyard. I just can't say enough good things about the HotSpot@Home service, all we need is a wired phone adapter to use the phones around the house and it would be close to perfect...

The end of Sunrocket

Yesterday afternoon, I received this notice from Sunrocket. By coincidence my number transfer to T-Mobile (with Hotspot@Home) was completed yesterday. In the end it is too bad because the service was very good at an excellent price point.

"CRITICAL LETTER TO SUNROCKET CUSTOMERS

- SERVICE TO BE DISCONTINUED WITHIN 10 DAYS -

Dear Customers,

As previously reported, SunRocket is in the process of closing its operations and therefore will no longer be able to provide you with the phone service.  However, this email provides you with an opportunity to sign up with select service providers who we believe will offer outstanding replacement service.

While services to customers may be discontinued at anytime, all services will be discontinued no later than August 5, 2007.

However, there are two preferred service providers we are recommending, which are:  8x8, Inc., provider of the Packet8 service, and Unified Communications Corp., provider of Teleblend services will be offering you the best options and we are proud to recommend the following alternatives to you.

We urge each and every customer that has not signed up with a new service provider to immediately do so now.  Do not delay as services are being discontinued and will be permanently shut down no later than August 5, 2007."...

 

Callwave voice mail adds speech to text

Back in March I started using Callwave's free voice mail service. At first I was a little dubious about its value, however I have to say that it has been very useful. I now have only one voice mail box for my Sunrocket VOIP and T-Mobile cellphone numbers. I use the Sunrocket Find Me forwarding to my cell phone, then on no answer or reject, it forwards to the Callwave mailbox (It does use my T-Mobile forwarding 1000 minute pool).

When I miss a call, I receive an email with the caller id name (if available) and number information in the subject line. I receive an email whether the caller leaves a message or not. If the the caller leaves a message, I have chosen to have the associated .wav file attached.

Last week Callwave announced a new feature which translates the voice mail message to text. The email now contains the translated text and it works pretty well. I use 4smartphone's Exchange ActiveSync on my T-Mobile Wing. I set the Windows Mobile inbox options to not automatically download attachments. I no longer have to download the .wav attachment to hear the voice mail message, I can read it...and up to now I can make sense of the text without listening to the voice mail. This is pretty cool and it is free.

Callwave also has two Vista gadgets, one which displays missed calls and allows you to playback messages, and one which allows you to send SMS text messages (free to the sender, the receiver still has to pay or have a text message plan).

This makes the iPhone Visual voice mail a little behind the times...Hopefully it will stay free.

The week of July 9th in My Digital Life

This was a big week end for corporate unveilings. Friday Directv, ILS and Boeing had a successful launch of the Directv 10 satellite broadcast live on the web and Directv. According DBSTalk it looks like the 100 additional HD channels will be available by September 15th. Last night Boeing rolled out the 787 Dreamliner to a Worldwide audience. The event could be viewed on the web and in the US; on Directv and Dish Network. Is this a trend for corporations to broadcast their own unveilings? This is clearly a way for companies to get their message directly to customers and consumers bypassing the media...Apple did this to some extent for the iPhone on their web site, but they also manipulated the traditional media to help create the buzz. I think in the future we will see more of this type of direct to customer/consumer message presentation using a combination of the web and TV broadcasts.

The review of the excellent BlueAnt Supertooth Light Bluetooth hands free speakerphone should be published on pocketnow.com.

Hotspot@home is still working well, however the Samsung T-409 will not pair with the Dock-N-Talk. It looks like I need to get a firmware upgrade for the Dock-N-Talk. Using the Dock-N-Talk will allow us to use any phone in the house.

This week:

• Post a summary of my Wing tweaks
• Work on iTunes content syncing via Windows Media Player to the Wing

T-Mobile - HotSpot@Home - Day 3

Last Thursday T-Mobile USA quietly (tough not to be quiet with all the iPhone buzz) announced the national roll out of their UMA based HotSpot@Home service. Unfortunately they are not currently providing a radio stack for Windows Mobile devices, even though Microsoft and BT announced the availability of a Windows Mobile UMA compatible device in early 2007. All T-Mobile Windows Mobile users, please call customer support (611) to request the feature. Maybe this will prod T-Mobile...

I looks the company behind the UMA software used by T-Mobile and BT is called Kineto. Wireless. Here is a diagram (courtesy of Kineto Wireless) depicting how UMA works.

The Kineto Wireless UMA diagram (link to larger diagram).

Last week I received a promotional email from T-Mobile which is currently offering the service for $9.99 a month or $19.99 for a family plan. This is a great deal. I have always viewed this technology as the holy grail of telephony convergence; one phone, one number and cheap VOIP calls. I had to try it.

Currently, T-Mobile has two UMA compatible phones. the Nokia 6086 and Samsung t409. Both range from $49.99 to $179.99 based on contract terms. Although you can use your own home router, T-Mobile provides two routers (D-Link and Linksys) with enhanced UMA functionality. They are currently free with a $50 mail in rebate. I opted for the Samsung t409 which is tri band vs the Nokia quad band, but I have heard that the Samsung pulls in a stronger signals. I also chose the Linksys WRT54G-TM router even though I already own Linksys Access Points (for free you can't pass it up).

For novice users the setup is actually very simple. A wizard on your PC will setup the router and a wizard on the phone will setup the WIFI link to the router. Once the WIFI link is setup it works magically. I made a call in my family room using WIFI, walked out to the back of my yard, the call was handed off to the cell network seamlessly. The technology is amazing and it works. Everybody is buzzing about the innovation of the iPhone, but I think this technology has the opportunity to revolutionize the way we use cell phones. Today, only a fragment of the population use cell phones as their primary phone. UMA can change that, this is the true beginning of the death of the Plain Old Telephone System (POTS or land line). I think this is a great play for T-Mobile. As a $9.99 add on it allows them to compete head on with the Triple play bundling ($33 x 3 phone, cable, internet) from the cable and phone companies.

On the router front, I tried both my Linksys Access Point and the Linksys/T-Mobile Router. The sound quality on the Linksys/T-Mobile Router is noticeably better, so I replaced one of my Access Point for the router.

In the upper left hand corner of the display, a blue dot with red signal strength bars along with the SSID name of the WIFI network are displayed to let you know that you are connected via HotSpot@Home. The default WIFI SSID network name is @HomeXXXX, XXXX are the four last hexadecimal numbers in the router's MAC address. I changed it to match the SSID I use with my other Access Points (AP) around the house. The phone does not seem to want to roam from router to AP, so I may have to purchase another Linksys/T-Mobile router to ensure I have adequate coverage throughout the entire house. I also turned off the firewall and DHCP on the router, since my D-Link DFL-210 performs those functions.

The cellular signal strength along with the carrier is displayed when you are connected to the cellular network.

The family has now used the phone for 2 and 1/2 days and 81 minutes. Everyone is impressed with the sound quality. My wife is even thinking of dumping her Razor for the flexibility of using one phone. She currently uses our Sunrocket VOIP line to make outgoing calls from home to save our minutes.

The only thing that is missing is a VOIP adapter that would allow us to use the telephone sets around the house...With Bluetooth we could use our Phone Labs Dock-N-Talk, however it is an early version and the sound quality is just ok. Phonelabs has upgraded their firmware, I will check to see if I can get an upgrade.

Next up testing at Starbucks with T-Mobile HotSpot...

T-Mobile lauches UMA HotSpot@Home service.

T-Mobile launches HotSpot@Home UMA service nationwide I discussed here. It looks like a great deal for $9.99, that is cheaper than I what I pay for Sunrocket ($199 for 15 months) and I would only have to deal with one number. The website does not seem to be ready for the launch, there is no way to order the UMA compatible Nokia or Samsung phone and associated router.

Now where is the Windows Mobile UMA upgrade for the Wing? We know it is possible since HP and BT (link) in the UK are launching the iPaq 514 this summer, a WM 6 device with UMA.