AI, Mobile, and Eveything Around the Cloud

This post from Electonista says it all. Starting in May, ATT will start capping DSL use at 150 GB. A $10 fee will be assess for an additional 50 GB. Does this affect you and how you use the Internet? Let me do some simple math on this. This comes to 4.93 GB a day. Frankly, I think this is so bogus. We are increasingly relying on our Internet services for streaming media and to get pertinent information. Heck, I don't even own a TV. This just isn't right. Unfortunately, I think ATT will get away with this given the political atmosphere in Washington and the GOP not want the FCC to do anything at all. Make no mistake about this. This is about GREED. And this can potentially destroy the Internet and innovation. If there was ever a time for anyone in Washington to show some backbone, coming out against this would be an easy win. More here .

CNet is wonder just how things are going to be like for international mobile warriors looking to hook themselves up (or sell them on eBay) with the new iPad 2. Well, I think they should not have to worry about that. Apple isn't likely to jerk us around like that. However, I would start lining up. You guys, the lucky few who are slated for the next round of launch like Britain and Japan, will get the new iPads just like Steve jobs said but supplies will be limited. No. Let me back that up. Supplies will be severely limited. What prompt this is the fact that online orders from Apple is now a 3-4 weeks wait. Just a recap for those who just want the high lights of the iPad 2 launch so far: the iPad 2 went on sale last Friday, March 11th - online at 1AM PST (4AM EST) while in-stores sales at Apple Store, Walmart, Target, and Best Buy started at 5PM local time. The local stores, including Apple stores, quickly drew lines and were sold out quickly. I can attest to that. I was able to pl...

We have the unlimited data plan with ATT when we bought the original 3G iPad. And there was quite a bit of rumors flying around about just what will happen when you lose your iPad, change hardware, or something else. Well, ATT has done the right thing and said that people can grandfather in their $30 unlimited data plan. And the thing is it is one of the good things about carriers, this grandfathering concept. Though this makes sense because iPhone users were allowed to keep their unlimited data plan when they upgrade their iPhones. As a matter of fact, some iPhone users are even offered unlimited data plans if they remain with ATT instead of defecting to Verizon. So, which of the two data plans are better? Those from the incumbent, ATT, or the upstart, Verizon Wireless? Macworld did a nice job of comparison for us. Not only that, they did point out very important differences that give each carrier advantages as well as disadvantages. For instance, while the iPhone on Veri...

I had a full weekend.  Dinners, coffees, trips to visit friends.  And it was my iPod touch with my Clear iSpot versus everyone else who had regular cell phones, Android device or two, and a bunch of iPhones.  How did that go? Before I get into that, I want to say that I am very tempted to pull the trigger on the Verizon iPhone in the coming week.  I have said that my wireless combo of iPod touch and iSpot was how I want to go from now on.  And while it works very well for me, it isn't working too well for some friends and families. I had an okay day on Saturday when I met up with friends for lunch.  It was like the old days.  We set up a place and time a day before.  And we met on Saturday as it was supposed to be.  And it worked out.  There was no opportunities for anyone else to try to call just before we were supposed to meet up and change the venue or the meeting time.  Personally, I found that to be annoying. And since no one c...

This new Verizon commercial for the iPhone kinda says it all. Seriously though, I don't think Apple has never allowed AT&T to use the iPhone in any commercial at all. If true, this is Apple's payback to AT&T for maintaining such a crappy network all these year. - Posted using BlogPress from my iPod touch

I inherited Mom's 3G iPad last week as she waits for iPad 2 with the better resolution and frontal camera so that she can conduct video chats for work and with friends. I have been using a Wi-Fi only version and more recently, bought an. iSpot for use with it to get the wireless Internet access. And while ATT prides itself on having the fastest 3G network in the United States, I cannot be sure if that means much. And here is why. In one day's use and based on past experiences with ATT in the past and with T-Mobile's own network and now Clearwire's WiMax service, I am in a good position to pass a long a few conclusions. Today, WiMax is excellent if you can get it. It is wicked fast. I consistently get about 4.5 Mbps. When T-Mobile turned on their HPSA+ network last year, I went from about 1MBps on the Android G1 to about 3 Mbps. And my understanding is that things have vastly improved by quite a bit. We could be looking at speeds up to 20 Mbps by the end of 2011. T...

You want proof that 2011 is going to be very very important for mobile?  What? CES wasn't enough? CES in the first week of January did not end quietly as Apple and Verizon lit things up with the CDMA iPhone last week. This week, we had a bunch of earnings, trashing talking during earnings calls, and, oh, Steve Jobs taking his 3rd medical leave of absence. We might have a quiet week next but Sony may be brewing a PSP2 meal for us.  I'm hoping to see a PSP phone as well.   Just about the only week we might have a bit of time to catch our breath is the first week of Feb.  Then mobile activities will spike from there.  Check this out: Feb 7th: Sprint is hold a mobile event.  Calling it a mobile first. Feb 8th: Dell will likely show off their smartphones and new laptops Feb 9th: HP jumps back into the mobile war with Web OS 2 and new hardware.  Maybe a couple of slates.  Probably some smartphones too.   That's the second week.  We've yet to h...

T-Mobile is my network of choice. CDMA doesn't work for me and until Verizon has build out a sufficient LTE network, VW doesn't work for me. And forget ATT. So I don't mind the series of commercials that dissed ATT's poor wireless coverage (perceived or not, I don't like ATT). And now, T-Mobile has released a new commercial that dissed both of the US networks that carry the iPhone. And it's a great one. Having said that, Seattle Times is reportedly got a T-Mobile representative on record saying We would be interested in offering the iPhone, but ultimately it is Apple's decision". So would commercials like this put any chance of the iPhone on T-Mobile in jeopardy? No. T-Mobile disses the carriers but not iPhone. Just like a year or so ago, it was Verizon that dissed ATT in a near identical good-natured manner. And here we are a year later, a CDMA iPhone. Will it take another year before T-Mobile or, for that matter, Sprint get the...

ATT has made truckloads of money off iPhone users, loyal Apple fans, who love the products that Apple makes but we've suffered greatly at the hands of an inept wireless providers. Heck, even Steve Jobs has thought more than once to ditch the exclusivity deal with Ma Bell. And this should be the last draw: iPad users in the US pay more for data than most other users in the world. How much more?

I don't do rumors on this site but I do need to address one particular rumor that was the rage for a full 36 hours or so before it died down. First, I love rumors but OnApple, I don't like spreading them. Here, I'm going to get into this a bit because I don't want people to get their hopes up. Well, there is hope and I'll explain in a bit. First, Cult of Mac reported that a highly placed source within T-Mobile has informed them that the iPhone has an 80% chance of being available for sale in the 3rd quarter, July through the end of September, of a traditional financial calendar. That means sales in the next 70 or so days. Does that make sense? Okay, CofM also said that a deal isn't finalized but close to being signed. Still, if it's that close, only a mere 80% chance of the iPhone coming to T-Mobile USA? Fine, it might be 75% or 90%. It's subjective. However, from my understanding, wireless providers who signed agreements with Apple all di...

Those of us who are fortunately enough to have relatively unlimited wireless Internet, and I say relative because our definition of unlimited is not the same as those of wireless providers, we need to remember these days when we tell our grandchildren about them. Because like ATT, Verizon Wireless (VW) is looking to rid themselves of us freeloaders and institute a similar pricing and limitation on data like Ma Bell. How will this play out? More at Onxo .

I'm on the camp that T-Mobile is likely to get the iPhone next before Verizon. Two reasons why. T-Mobile uses GSM like ATT and that really says it all. Plus, T-Mobile is the smallest of the major national networks in the US and they're usually pretty open to "experimentation" if you will. And another point. T-Mobile's HSPA+ network is live now for 80 million users and will expand to 180 by the end of 2010. Going this route is easier than the CDMA route. The other reason is that Steve Jobs probably doesn't like the way VW spurn Apple in the past and the Droid campaign last year didn't help much. Having said that, Apple will have VW iPhones because as much as Apple like to hold grudges, it knows it is in a major mobile with multiple competitors with one or two with as much innovative energy as it does. Still, moving T-Mobile ahead of VW for a quarter of two just to sting Verizon a bit is fine by me. So, I'm still betting on T-Mobile because of ...

I don't want to get ahead of myself here but there is something I want to share with you. Tmo-News got a hold of what looks like a comparison chart between three of T-Mobile's top existing mobile devices and the iPhone 4 (except in the picture, it is that of the 3GS). Now, that could be just what is it: a comparison chart. Or is it? It doesn't seem to be making any disparaging remarks about the iPhone. Rather, it seems to be playing up both the strengths of iPhone 4 and iOS4. The three devices also in the chart are myTouch Slide (lame because it's using two-year old tech), HTC HD2 (lame because it's using last decade's OS), and Garminfone (no comment because I honestly know nothing about it but welcome it to the market because more competition, the better). As with other comparisons released by, say, Verizon, Verizon make sure not to make the iPhone sound good at all (like what "Droid does"). Not one single good thing about the iPhone at al...

Is it possible for the iPhone 4 to get 3G speed on T-Mobile's network? We'll need someone with technical or expert engineering skillz on this one. Towards the end of the WWDC 2010 keynote today, I kept hoping Steve Jobs would tell us about this "one more thing" in stored for us. That one more thing being that the iPhone 4 is coming to all the other networks in the US. At the very least, given that T-Mobile uses GSM as does ATT and my current network, I had hope that to be the case. No go. The disappointment was not as acute as the Lakers loss last night but it weighed in me a bit into the afternoon. So this is what I tweeted: iPhone: no iPhone for T-Mobile...sniff, sniff, sniff...AT&T, guess I'm gonna have to be your bitch... T-Mobile tweeted me back about myTouch Slide. Right. iPhone 4 or myTouch. I am not that stupid. So I trolled the Internet for more details and I came across an interesting comment about the iPhone 4 and T-Mobile's ...

This is today’s blog-tweets on the iPhone. It’s incredible how stories on Apple suddenly have a life of its own. But that’s because Apple is a beloved company that came out with product after product that changes the computing and mobile experiences. Most of us, mobile warriors, like it. Of course, there are those out there will unwilling or unable to accept it. If even you aren’t fine with how Apple does its business (which is to make money), you have to at least appreciate what they’ve done to shake things up. The latest story is Apple’s contract with AT&T and that has provided the Internet a lot of posts, clicks, and ads. Fine with me. Now the tweets: iPhone: lots of reports on Apple_AT&T contract. Engadget found court documents declaring the contract was for 5-years, through 2012. (part 1) iPhone: USA Today previously reported contract ended in 2009 but AT&T negotiated extension. No one will know for sure. . (part 2) iPhone: 5-year old contract ...

You want an iPad but you can't get it? What do you do? Oh, I'm talking to the wireless carriers out there. Not us regular mobile warriors. But if you're T-Mobile and you want your users to have the iPad but Apple isn't looking to make a deal with you, what do you do? You can go with an Android option. I'm sure HTC or Motorola will be happy to hook you up. But it's not the iPad after all. No app store or anything like that. Well, I've got a couple of options for you. Neither is as perfect as having AT&T provide the 3G with Apple's blessing. But it'll work. Option One . Stick with EDGE. Just like what I've got going on with T-Mobile, I continually switch between my G1 and my iPhone. I get 3G speed with the G1 and I often use it to provide wireless connection to my iPhone or Macbook through tethering, thereby, turning my G1 into a Wi-Fi access point. But when I switch out my SIM card over to the iPhone, I'm instantly down...

I think we ought to have a moratorium on any and all rumors (speculations are okay) 24 hours before any major Apple event. Nah, I couldn't stand the silence. But there is one rumor that I would like to move into the speculation category just so that I can talk about it here. As you know, Apple will be holding a special media event on the Wednesday morning, January 27th, at 10am PST to introduce their "latest creation" (I wonder what might be). But many folks believe there will be other announcements as well. According to one analyst, the Wall Street kind (hissss), from Oppenheimer, Apple will be making the iPhone available to the four major wirless providers in the United States, plus one that I previously didn't consider if not only because it just doesn't seem plausible. This particular Wall Street "analyst" believes that the following networks will be seeing the iPhone running on their networks in 2010: ATT - we already know them well.  App...

Just how much will the Apple iTablet cost?  Alright, here's is what we think we know.  And then we'll get into some more speculations.  Remember, these are speculations based on what I've seen about Apple's moves and tactics from the past. It should be available in the first quarter of 2010.   It should have very good battery life (or else, what's the point?) It should do everything.  "Everything" being relative.   It should have a 10"-ish screen.   It should be touch only.  A recent patent uncovered pen input and Apple does own a whole host of input patents with pens from the Newton days. It should spark a whole new segment of mobile computing. It should require a data plan thought not necessarily the case.But there will likely be an unlocked standalone version as well. It should serve as a companion to the Macbook people already have.  It will not replace the low-end Macbook. It should have a serious focus on education.  I kn...

There's are just too much heat on Apple, ATT, and it's money making scheme, the iPhone. I think when Apple launched its iTunes app store a year ago, it didn't expect this level of success. The growth has been phenomenal. But given the growth trajectory, there is bound to be a lot of growing pains. Hence, all those complaints from developers whose apps sat in approval purgatory or simply cast out of the bounds of the app store for one reason or another. The latest uproar from bloggers and media (including an ongoing FCC inquiry) is the rejection of the Google Voice app. That has turned on a lot of heat on Apple. I'll leave the story out in this post but the bottom line is that all the attention on Apple is making it difficult for them to reject any apps that the bloggers will perceive as anti-competitive behaviors by Apple or ATT or Apple's approval process gone awry again. But at the end of it all, I am not sure this has impacted the iPhone's popularity wit...

GPush is an incredible app.  No, I've not yet had a chance to use it yet and I don't know if I want to just yet.  It's probably because it isn't more than a notification app for Gmail. I want more.  Early, I had wondered whether push notification can be enabled somehow through Safari.  Well, that's a question for iPhone 4.0 or later.  The reason I asked about that is because Google is working on getting Google Voice to work through Safari after ATT, maybe Apple, rejected it and pulled out 3rd party apps that supported Google Voice. Google Voice alerts you via Gmail when you get a voice mail.  However, it doesn't do that for SMS yet.  I'm guess it's at the request of wireless providers looking to protect their lucrative stream of revenue. Now, maybe there is a workaround.  GPush is a good example and I'm hoping other means may be possible in the future (Growler, please do something).  According to the GPush developer, it provides notific...