My Digital Life

How to block SMS Spam

If you are experiencing a high volume of SMS Spam messages on your phone, here is an excellent source of information from David Pogue's New York Times article "How to block Cellphone Spam".

I feel lucky, up to now I have had very few Spam SMS', but then again I give out my cell phone number as little as possible. For us T-Mobile customers the options are in the Communication Tools section of my.t-mobile.com. Here is the T-Mobile excerpt:

"T-Mobile: T-Mobile doesn't yet offer a "block text messages from the Internet" option. You can block all messages sent by e-mail, though, or permit only messages sent to your phone's e-mail address or alias, or create filters that block text messages containing certain phrases. It's all waiting when you log into www.t-mobile.com and click Communication Tools."

I am not sure you need an option to block text messages from the Internet, but it would not hurt to have it...

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.

 

My Windows Mobile application list as of May 28th

Yesterday, I reported that I made the move on my AT&T Tilt to the official release of Windows Mobile 6.1 by HTC Europe for the TyTn II.  I initially tried  Dutty's 6.1 test ROM from xda-developers which had many issues, today I noticed he had appended his post title with "[AMBANDONNED DUE TO BUGS]".  The HTC ROM I downloaded from via this post on MoDaCo, seems to be running very well. It does not have the bells and whistle that Dutty's ROM had but I was able to make the tweaks I needed with Kaisertweak. I also ran the Tilt Keyboard fix to make the Tilt's keyboard work correctly.

I also updated quite a few applications.

My one disappointment so far was the fact my backup with Sunnysoft's Backup Manager did not restore correctly and I had install all my applications manually, but it does give me a clean environment. 

Update 5/30/2008: On 5/29/2008 I had problems accessing the Internet with PIE,  rebuilt my Tilt and removed the United Airline PocketFly application for fear of incompatibility with Pocket Internet Explorer in 6.1. I will have to test further.

Device Information:

• PPC Model: Kaiser (AT&T Tilt version)
• Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
• OS ROM version: CE OS 5.2.19212 (Build 19212.1.0.3) (downloaded from MoDaCo post)
• Radio ROM version: 1.65.16.25 (included in ROM download)
• Carrier: T-Mobile USA

Additions:

• My Faves  from xda-developers no version info
• Kaisertweak version .41
• Microsoft Voice Command version 1.60.4622.0
• SBSH Pocket Weather version 2.0.7 (great integration with Pocket Breeze) (review)

Upgrades:

• Spb Mobile Shell version 2.1
• PhatWare Calligrapher version 8.6
• WebIS Pocket Informant 8 version 8.02
• SBSH.net PocketBreeze version 5.4.1
• Windows Live Search version 3.0.3047.24749
• SlingPlayer Mobile version 1.6
• Omega One 1-Calc version 3.2.3
• Ilium Software Newsbreak version 2.1

Replacements/Removal:

• AdvancedConfig version 1.1 replaced by Kaisertweak

Is not stable with Windows Mobile 6:

Need to Try/Test:

• United Airlines Pocketfly timetable
• Sunnysoft's Backup Manager 4002 (review here) (restore did not work from WM6.0 to WM6.1)
• Gougelet PE XnView Pocket version 1.35 (I am not sure I need this anymore)
• Stowaway Keyboard and Mouse drivers version 4.51
• Fizz Software Ltd Fizz Weather version 2.4

In Storage Memory:

• Spb Mobile Shell version 2.1
• PhatWare Calligrapher version 8.6
• JetWare Bluetooth HFP Extensions version 1.31
• WebIS Pocket Informant 8 version 8.02
• SBSH.net PocketBreeze version 5.4.1
• Windows Live Search version 3.0.3047.24749
• WebIS VoiceMinder version 1.6
• Omega One 1-Calc version 3.2.3
• PhatWare Phatpad version 4.4
• Ilium Software eWallet version 6
• Ilium Software Newsbreak version 2.1
• Zagat To Go Version 6
• Developer One ScreenSnap version 6.1
• SlingPlayer Mobile version 1.6
• Tilt Keyboard fix
• Developer One ScreenSnap version 6.1
• T-Mobile HotSpot login utility version 2.0
• Six Apart Typepad application version 1.01
• GeeksToolbox.com SiriusWM5 (free)
• C. Ghisler & Co. Total Commander version 2.0
• BatteryStatus version 1.04.203 Beta4 Build 0253 (no overclocking with the Kaiser)
• T-Mobile My Faves from xda-developers no version info
• Kaisertweak version .41
• Microsoft Voice Command version 1.60.4622.0
• SBSH Pocket Weather version 2.0.7 (great integration with Pocket Breeze) (review)

In ROM Memory

The good thing about the HTC ROM is that it is not bloated. The only two extra applications I have noticed other than the standard HTC applications are:

• Adobe Reader LE 2.0
• World Card Mobile (a business card scanner, I need to try it out)

On 8GB Mini SD card:

Only data, for the moment I have no need to install application on the SD card...

Ramblings for the week of May 26th in My Digital Life

Last week I signed up for the T-Mobile Family 4-Pack promotion and so far I think it will work out very nicely. Here is a summary of my observations:

• The selected 5 My Faves numbers are tied to the phone and not the account. The bottom line is that you can't share My Faves number across your Family plan (too bad).
• Once the My Faves numbers have been validated by the phone's My Faves application, you can swap your SIM card into a phone which does not have the My Faves application (like the iPhone). Your calls  to your My Faves numbers still count in you My Faves unlimited bucket.
• You can only modify My Faves numbers once a month. The message I received was that I could change them on June 1.

All in all this looks to be an excellent promotion...

With the official release of Windows Mobile 6.1 from HTC Europe for the TyTn II, I decided to take the plunge and upgrade my AT&T Tilt this last weekend. After backing up my unit with Sunnysoft's Backup Manager, I decided to try Dutty's 6.1 test ROM from xda-developers. I was unable to restore my backup and the ROM had several issues, the most troublesome was that I could not get the GPS to work. I decided to try the official release of the HTC ROM, I had to download it via MoDaCo, since HTC won't allow the download to a non HTC branded device. At this point I decided not bother restoring and I installed all my applications from scratch. I will have to update my Windows Mobile application list with my current configuration. All seems to be working well, GPS included...

I received my Fujitsu U810 and so far I am very impressed with its build quality. It is not the fastest machine (it gets a 2.1 Vista processor score), but I think it works quite well for web, email and text processing. The tablet functionality works very well (this one area where Vista shines). The size and weight  are just about perfect for my shoulder bag. I will be traveling soon and will report back on how useful this little machine will be.

This week:

• Working on a review of CellPoint's Flamingo Music earphones.
• Update my Windows Mobile application list

T-Mobile My Faves and the iPhone

Yesterday, I discussed my theory of operation for My Faves and the excellent Family 4-Pack promotion.  I believe the My Faves numbers are categorized as free calls by the T-Mobile billing system, not the phone. The reason you need a phone with the My Faves application, is that when you add or modify a My Faves number, it has to be activated by the application. The My Faves applications does this with no charge SMS messages.  If you use the web site to manage your My Faves numbers and you don't have an active phone with the My Faves application, the phone number stays in a pending state. Once the application on the phone validates the number, it becomes an active My Faves number and you can switch phones.

I tried this last night. I updated and activated a phone number with the My Faves application on my AT&T Tilt. I then switched my SIM card over to my iPhone and placed a called. This morning I checked my account and the call shows up a My Faves call (V).

Now my only question is whether the My Faves numbers need to refreshed periodically. I will have to test over my next billing cycle.  And obviously at this point I can't manage My Faves numbers using the iPhone.

Disclaimer: Since I have no internal understanding of how My Faves work and this is just a theory, if you choose to try this you need to validate that it works by monitoring your account on the T-Mobile web site. I am not responsible for any charges on your T-Mobile account.

Ramblings for the week of May 19th in My Digital Life

Back in February I ranted about T-Mobile's lack of news and direction (link), however as comments pointed out they are tough to beat from a value perspective. This month they have again upped the ante on value with a special promotion through June 24 called the Family 4-Pack (link from tmonews.com). The Family 4-Pack adds:

• Unlimited HotSpot@Home
• Unlimited calling to each family members 5 favorite poeple
• Unlimited T-Mobile to T-Mobile
• Unlimited Nights and Weekend

All of this for $9.99 per month in addition to your base Family plan charge and since it is an option, it has no contractual commitment. I was paying $19.99 for the HotSpot@Home option, replacing it with the Family 4-Pack saves me $10 per month. Since I have 5 phones on our Family plan we can call up to 25 My Faves numbers for free (5 per phone which can be shared). In order to get this promotion T-Mobile checks to make sure that all of your phones are compatible with My Faves, they do not care so much if they are HotSpot@Home compatible. It was interesting to find out that they knew I had connected with my iPhone, Wing, and currently HTC Kaiser (aka AT&T Tilt). They were concerned that the HTC Kaiser did not have the My Faves application. I tried to explain that I could install the My Faves application on the Kaiser but they did not think it would work so I told them I would use the Wing. I downloaded the My Faves application from xda-developers (link), installed it and it works just fine. I have been wondering how My Faves works, at first I thought the software on the phone added a code to the number called, but I am thinking that it is the billing system that handles the matching of numbers so you do not get charged. The only function the software on the phone seems to do is activate the number in your account profile by sending SMS messages. Without the software on the phone the number does not get validated and it is not active as a My Faves number. I am assuming it only does this once when you initially enter or modify the number. I will have to test my theory with my iPhone. If I make a call to one of the activated My Faves number on the iPhone, it should show up as a V call (My Faves) in my account on the T-Mobile web site. Obviously I can't add or modify My Faves numbers with the iPhone since it has no application to validate the number. Maybe someone will write one...Bottom line, I think this is a great promotion and it will keep me as a T-Mobile customer. I am now just waiting for 3G. Also it seems you can only modify a My Faves number once a month which makes sense, since if you could change the numbers at will, the plan could be viewed as totally unlimited...

I have decided to try a UMPC this month, the Fujitsu U810 to see how it might fit in with my travel gadgets. It is a Tablet PC with Vista that has a 5.6" screen and weighs 1.56lbs. This would definitely solve my photo sharing dilemma since I could easily transfer files from my camera and upload them to the Kodak Gallery for sharing. Costco is currently selling the 40GB model with Vista Home for $849 and adds 1 year to the base 1 year warranty for free. It will be interesting to see how useful this UMPC is.

This week:

• My review of SBSH Mobile Software Facade application for pocketnow.com. should be published this week. This is a smartphone (Windows Mobile Standard) today screen replacement.
• Finishing on a review of SBSH Mobile Software Pocket Weather.
• Working on a review of CellPoint's Flamingo Music earphones.
• Update my Windows Mobile application list

T-Mobile news abounds with 3G, new plans, and Sprint buyout rumors

After years of delay, T-Mobile has finally started rolling out 3G. New York city is up as of May 1st, with all major metropolitan areas slated to be up and running by the end of the year (list of cities from TmoNews). I can't wait for Washington, DC to be turned on, the only problem is that they have not announced any Windows Mobile devices which use the 1700/2100MHZ band. I wonder what kind of roaming arrangement they have struck with AT&T and whether my Tilt will work. Lots of questions yet to be answered...

TmoNews also reported that a new plan promotion between May 14 and 31 allows everyone in a MyFaves Family plan to share MyFaves entries. This gives each member of a 5 phone Family plan access to 25 MyFaves. The promotion also includes HotSpot@Home, unlimited T-Mobile to T-Mobile, and unlimited nights and weekend (plan description). If the pricing is what TmoNews says it is, this would provide my family with MyFaves and HotSpot@Home for the same monthly fee I pay now just for HotSpot@Home. Now all I need to decide is whether I want to stay with T-Mobile for another 2 years...

The third piece of news; the rumor that T-Mobile might be interested in buying Sprint. Although this would catapult them to the lead position in the USA, I think the Nextel Sprint network integration/migration disaster should be enough to dissuade any sane manager. Even if Sprint spins off the Nextel component, migrating from CDMA to GSM is not going to be an easy task, T-Mobile would be running two networks for many years to come.

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...

My Windows Mobile application list as of March 12th

Since my last update I decided to use the GeeksToolbox.com SiriusWM5  application to listen to the Sirius (see my post). I also upgraded Spb Mobile Shell to version 2.0 (see my post).

I have not yet made the move to WM 6.1 although Dutty has a ROM on xda-developers, but it is on my to do list. Still love the Kaiser (AT&T Tilt), although I am using the Verizon SMT5800 with Windows Mobile standard as a secondary device. I will probably come up with a list of software I use on that phone...

duttythroy has a great library of application cabs here.

Device Information:

• PPC Model: Kaiser (AT&T Tilt version)
• OS ROM version: CE OS 5.2.1933 (Build 18533.dutty's) V3 Dutty's DualTouch ROM
• Radio ROM version: 1.27.15.32 download discussion thread
• Carrier: T-Mobile USA

Additions:

• GeeksToolbox.com SiriusWM5 (free)

Upgrades:

• Spb Mobile Shell version 2.0

Replacements/Removal:

• Back Country Navigator  version 2.3.3 (I don't use it enough)
• Holux's GPS Viewer 1.5 (similar although less powerful application GPS Test 1.04 built in to ROM)

Is not stable with Windows Mobile 6:

• SWC Ltd - MultiIE version v4.0-d72

Need to Try:

• Stowaway Keyboard and Mouse drivers version 4.51
• Fizz Software Ltd Fizz Weather version 2.4

In Storage Memory:

• Spb Mobile Shell version 2.0
• PhatWare Calligrapher version 8.5
• JetWare Bluetooth HFP Extensions version 1.31
• WebIS Pocket Informant 2007 revision 4
• SBSH.net PocketBreeze version 5.3
• Windows Live Search version 2.5.2908.31943 (I love the speak feature)
• WebIS VoiceMinder version 1.6
• Omega One 1-Calc version 2.3.1
• PhatWare Phatpad version 4.4
• Ilium Software eWallet version 6
• Ilium Software Newsbreak version 2.0
• Zagat To Go Version 6
• Developer One ScreenSnap version 6.1
• Gougelet PE XnView Pocket version 1.35
• Sunnysoft's Backup Manager 4002 (review here)
• SlingPlayer Mobile version 1.5.098
• Tilt Keyboard fix
• Developer One ScreenSnap version 6.1
• T-Mobile HotSpot login utility version 2.0
• United Airlines Pocketfly timetable
• Six Apart Typepad application version 1.01
• GeeksToolbox.com SiriusWM5 (free)

In ROM Memory (Dutty's ROM):

• C. Ghisler & Co. Total Commander version 2.5 Beta 3
• BatteryStatus version 1.04.203 Beta4 Build 0253 (no overclocking with the Kaiser)
• AdvancedConfig version 1.1

On 2GB Mini SD card:

For the moment I have no need to install application on the SD card...