GAIT mobile phones
 

Is anyone using Cingular's GAIT service on the East Coast? I am curious to hear how much GSM v. TDMA coverage there is. Also, which handset did you choose: Nokia 6340 v. SE T62u, and why?

Thanks,
AdL

suggestions for new cell
 

does anyone have any suggestions on a new cell phone with att?

i am currently using a v60, which i find drops calls with a stunning frequency. i also had to have the antenna replaced once.

so, who has the new toy and what do you think of it?

thanks

tmp

it's not your phone; it's your service

at&t absolutely sucks. i get dropped calls all the time and their coverage area stinks. they're almost as bad as sprint. i would go with verizon.

It really depends on your market. ATT is the best coverage in many markets, especially in the midwest and out West, yet it is pretty shitty in the Northeast corridor.

The V60 is a good phone, and Motorola is known for having some of the best RF handling handsets in the industry. If you waht advice on phones, check out Howard Chui's website and the Howard Forums .

Cellphones
 

They all suck because consumers buy on the basis of minutes provided for the plan. How can one assess coverage until it's too late? Then you're stuck for a year, at least, because of contract, and you want to keep your number.

What2do?
 

Given that the phones and service all suck, but given that we all want a cool phone -- what is the final pick of folks. Who has the best service/coverage? What are the best phones?

I currently have ATT, which seems fine, but they are pushing me to move to the GSM network. I am concerned about coverage. Since my plan has expired, I could go anywhere, so I am open to any suggestions.

Re: What2do?
 

What's with AT&T and pushing GSM? The network's not as built out, but they charge the same rates. Plus, you can't roam with the GSM phones onto an analog network. The phones are cooler, however. You might see if they'll let you "try" the new network with a new phone for a couple of weeks, and see for yourself.

That said, Sprint has some pretty cool phones too. I really didn't have problems with reception/dropped calls when I used them (I have AT&T now). I did have issues with two things: 1) calls were mysteriously converted to "roaming" on the bill, even though I was in a digital coverage area. It was as if they programmed their phones to prefer to roam, so I had to turn off that feature. 2) Their customer service was incredibly unfriendly, if not rude, and did not honor their representations. That alone made me switch.

Re: What2do?
 

I don't even know if AT&T will sell you a non-GSM plan these days. Anyone out there on the AT&T GSM network and have an feedback as to coverage, quality, etc?

The real benefit to staying with AT&T is keeping my phone number -- I would switch, though, if convinced. All the services seem to price out pretty comparably, so it comes down to coverage, quality and reliability (not exactly the hallmarks of the cellular industry). Hmm, what is a consumer to do?

You can soon switch carriers without changing your number
 

Starting in November, U.S. regulators will enforce a rule that requires wireless operators to offer "number portability," the ability to switch carriers without making consumers give up their telephone number. :therock:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...pluggedin_dc_1

You can soon switch carriers without changing your number
 

Of course, that regulation was supposed to go into effect a couple of years ago, and then was postponed until last november. The cell companies, natch, are scared shitless that people will switch constantly, while at the same time arguing that the lack of portability is not really a barrier to switching anyway, since 35% of people switch each year.

I would put the odds at only about 50% that the regulation actually takes effect this year.

Re: What2do?
 

The other "good" thing about Sprint is that they'll give away the store to keep you as a subscriber. I was on contract and was thinking of getting a new phone/carrier. I read on a different forum (anandtech hot deals forum) that if you call Sprint and say you want to cancel your service, you get transferred to their retention department. I did that, and wound up with a credit of $150, more anytime minutes than I can use, web access, etc. etc. at $29.99 a month. I then went to the Sprint store and got a $299 phone on sale for $50 (Sanyo 4900). I haven't paid a phone bill in 4 months now and I still have credit left. Also, you can call their automated customer support and ask for credit for dropped calls, and they credit your bill the value of a minute's call at the highest rate. I do that once a month while driving home and it takes another $6 off my monthly bill.

Man, I'm a cheap bastard.

Flinty

Blackberries
 

Article from law.com about Dewey Ballantine & Blackberries:

BlackBerrys Bear Fruit for Dewey Ballantine

Eva Steiner
Law Technology News
04-03-2003

Dewey Ballantine's 600-plus lawyers represent clients throughout the world, so our attorneys are often on the road. With e-mail playing an ever-greater role in client-attorney communications, a few years ago we began researching ways to improve our lawyers' remote access to e-mail.

Dewey Ballantine is a general practice firm, with offices in New York; Washington, D.C.; Los Angeles; Palo Alto, Calif.; Houston; Austin, Texas; London; Budapest; Prague; Frankfurt; Warsaw and Hong Kong.

Historically, our lawyers relied on laptop PCs and dial-up modems to retrieve e-mail messages and attachments. But mobile access via laptop was complicated because it involved many components: hardware, software, modem, telephone line, etc. Because the laptop connection wasn't wireless, it required a telephone connection, which could be problematic.

We first tried a two-way paging device, but the staff disliked the device because the screen and the keyboard were too small. We knew some firms were using Research in Motion's BlackBerry, but at the time, it worked only with Microsoft Corp.'s Exchange and we are a Lotus Notes shop. The BlackBerry for Notes device did become available through Motient as an e-link, but we eliminated that option because we were concerned that our messages would not be secure if they were residing on someone else's server.

THE BLACKBERRY PILOT PROGRAM

When RIM first began to offer its BlackBerry Enterprise Server software with Notes support we launched a pilot program with 10 lawyers. In April 2001, we purchased the BES software and 20 devices from Motient. We installed the BES software on a Compaq Proliant DL380G2 with 1 GB of RAM and opened the SMTP gateway port to ensure access to the firewall.

At the start, we had minor problems because the BES software was new and had some bugs. However, problems were quickly resolved with new service packs, and once installed, our environment became stable.

The response from the lawyers in the pilot program was positive, so in May 2001, we began to roll out the device to more users. Almost immediately, the lawyers began to request the ability to read and print e-mail attachments; something that the BlackBerry alone cannot do. We asked Motient and RIM to recommend e-mail attachment programs, and they referred us to Itrezzo, Astata Corp. and Onset Technology.

It turned out that Astata was going out of business, a fact that underscored the importance of working with a major company that was going to be around, financially stable and had a proven track record. Although we heard positive feedback about Itrezzo's product, we had questions about the company's financial health, and looked for a company that we were confident would develop and grow with us.

Overall, Onset Technology's METAmessage stood out. METAmessage for Wireless software helps users access and manage firm information. By expanding the capabilities of handheld devices, it decreases reliance on laptops and dial-up connections. Users can re-send attachments and other documents, as well as print them to any network printer or to a fax machine.

We checked out the product with some large New York firms who were using it and received feedback from users via LawNet listservs. The reports were strong.

INSTALLING AND INTEGRATING

But before we committed to a user pilot program for METAmessage, we tested it in our IT department and followed that test by establishing a few user accounts through Onset's ASP service. We liked the results so we decided to do a test pilot by putting METAmessage on a separate server and giving it to a few partners.

The lawyers were enthusiastic and reported that the software helped them read and print e-mail attachments in much the same way as they would from their desktops.

Dennis D'Alessandro, the firm's executive director, was an early adopter. "The ability to send an attachment to a fax machine and get a hard copy is invaluable when access to a PC or printer is not available," he observed.

We then purchased the METAmessage software, and Onset helped us install and integrate it into our network in just half a day. We installed the software on a Compaq DL380G2 with NT Version 4. The server has two 1.4GHz Pentium III processors and 1GB of RAM as well as three 36GB hard drives using RAID 5.

After Onset left, we began to integrate a fax line into the server, which caused a small roadblock because we weren't aware that the driver was not part of our Brooktrout fax card. It took us a few days of working intermittently to discover that we needed a specific driver from Onset. That resolved the issue immediately.

The next step was to add our users one by one. That required us to update each user's software (an upgrade done with a Picturetaker package and a customized .ini file for METAmessage) and put the METAmessage icon on the BlackBerry. Once that was accomplished, we visited each user for a few minutes to explain how to use the BlackBerry with METAmessage.

INTERNATIONAL SERVERS

The BlackBerry/METAmessage combination poses a logistical challenge when lawyers travel internationally. Because it resides on a single network, each user can only have one BlackBerry device active at any given time. Devices used in Europe, however, require a different configuration to accommodate the 3G wireless protocol.

We found that the easiest way to surmount this problem was to temporarily disable the BlackBerry device the lawyer uses in the United States and configure a separate BlackBerry for use in Europe.

This process also requires us to set up the user's profile on both the server that we run in the United States and the server in Europe (but they cannot be active simultaneously).

Just before the attorney arrives in Europe, we disable his or her local account in the United States and enable the one on the server in Europe, to insure proper receipt and delivery of messages. When the lawyer returns to the United States, we reverse the process. This is time-consuming because it is so individualized, but it's so important to our users that we invest the resources.

By the end of 2002, we had purchased about 300 BlackBerries and started using the system in our Hong Kong office. METAmessage has proven to be a quick-to-implement technology that works well with our existing messaging infrastructure across the globe.

We consider the project a success because the technology has facilitated better decision-making, improved communications, and helped with client relations.

THE FUTURE

Looking ahead this year, we're investigating the latest software offerings from Onset, especially the GetFile and GetData modules. GetFile helps users access case files and client data on our network. GetData helps users interact with document management systems by entering a query on their BlackBerry.

Eva Steiner is director of information technology for Dewey Ballantine and is based in New York.

I use t-mobile (f/k/a voicestream) and its pretty good, very few dropped calls. I am very pleased with it

A note, whatever plan you choose, if you travel by car you may want to check their coverage maps to make sure that have coverage between the cities you are driving to.

-dd

Number Portability
 

No surpises here: Cell phone cos. insist that competition is robust, so there's no need for number portability (i.e., taking your cell phone number with you when you change to another carrier).

Washington Post article

Murdoch buys DirecTV
 

Article

Hmmm . . . sure hope they don't get into spats about content.

Murdoch buys DirecTV
 

I am actually going to hold off on switching from cable for a little while because of that (among other reasons). If Direct TV becomes too Foxified, no way I'm getting it.



edit: spelling

Murdoch buys DirecTV
 

Not me, I'm diving right in....it's less than digital cable in my area, and just as comprehensive....as long it has ESPN, Discovery, Food Network, Comedy Central, E! and Cartoon Network, I'm set. :)

More on Number Portability
 

A case challenging cell-number portability was argued yesterday in the DC Circuit. Commentators appeared to favor the cell cos.

Nokia 6590i
 

I just picked up a Nokia 6590i . It is unbelievably small: it makes my old 8260 look like a brick. Here's a pic:

http://www.nokiausa.com/images/phn/1..._6590i_phd.jpg

I have not yet set up GPRS, as I have a GAIT account and use CSD on a Nokia 6340i when traveling to places w/o GSM coverage (can't have GPRS and CSD active on the same account at the same time).

So far, I love it, and Cingular's GSM coverage in the greater Philadelphia area has been pretty solid.

AdL

The Matrix
 

Anyone for a Matrix cell phone?

http://a.r.tv.com/cnet.1d/i/uff/2097...erview_300.gif

Playboy on Cellphones
 

Reuters (via CNN) is reporting that Playboy will offer downloads to cell phones of its magazine images.

Lamentably, there's no excuse handy: "for those subscribers who only read Playboy for the articles, there will be no access to written content."

More on Number Portability
 

In good news for those who want to change from their sucky cell phone carrier to another sucky cell phone carrier, the D.C. Circuit upheld the FCC rules requiring number portability.

Yahoo! Article

More on Number Portability
 

Woo hoo! Goodbye Sprint, hello Verizon.

handspring
 

has announced its next generation treo 600:

http://www.handspring.com/treo600/in...1CFFOAVAATKIV0

http://www.handspring.com/treo600/images/treo_image.jpg

Looks cool, but is it too little, too late?

aV

Push to Talk/Nextel
 

I keep reading about this feature, but since I don't have Nextel, I have no idea what the advantage is. If I have a cell phone and want to call someone else's cell phone, I dial their number or use a preset dial number. If I had push to talk, what less would I do that makes this feature attractive/valuable?

Best gadget & software combination
 

I wanted to start this thread to poll everyone on what they think is the best gadget & software combination for lawyers. I just want to get good ideas to make our practice easier not solicit any flames regarding hardware or software selection.

For my part I suggest:

HARDWARE
Treo 270 on T-mobile network (GSM allows use of cell phone all over US and when traveling to Europe or Asia.
GPRS allows text messaging & always on email service)
Speakerphone allows limited handsfree conferences)

SOFTWARE:
Timereporter-allows time entered while away from the office to be uploaded to Timeslips.

Untested program or Palm Os Webbrowser that will allows access to Lexis.

Best gadget & software combination
 

Anyone having experience of the Kyocera 7135 care to comment on it? It's always looked more attractive to me than the Treo --- though I admit the GSM/European interoperability is a plus for the Treo.

Some industry watchers are saying Kyocera might come up with a CDMA/GSM dual chip to permit the 7135 to be sold in Europe. If so, it would be a giant killer. OTOH, Kyocera's CDMA-only phone was vaporware entirely too long to begin with.

they already are. my bill has a line for that already.

My question: if it costs, why not charge people to bring their number over--say $25 or whatever. Charge the people who use the service.

Probably so. And they can call it a "tax" rather than a user fee. I'm up to like 20% "taxes" on phone services -- local, long distance, cell. But my "price" is still the same.

Push to Talk/Nextel
 

It's about speed. Instead of waiting for the phone to connect to the lines, the phone to ring, the person to answer, you press the button (two if you are changing people) and suddenly the other person gets a short tone and your happy voice comes out the other end.

Like in the commercial, when what's-his-name calls his agent. What they don't show is what his agent is doing -- negotiating the renewal of Will & Grace, getting it on with his mistress or just taking a bathroom break. There has to be some reason he didn't answer his phone.

Personally, I think this is annoying at best and dangerous at worst, but my cousin who owns a plumbing company swears by them. Each of his employees has one, and it keeps them in better touch with headquarters for scheduling.

I've got to think though that an off-color joke blurting out from your cell phone is much less of a problem when your head is stuck under someone's sink than when you are trying to negotiate the fine points of a financing deal, so YMMV.

Push to Talk/Nextel
 

Thanks. I agree it's not advantageous for my needs. I'm much happier being able to choose whether to take a call. But I can certainly understand the advantage it offers someone who might be hanging off of scaffolding or under a sink, or even driving a truck or bike, or whatever not to have to reach for a phone to take a call. And a company owner probably likes it even more, because it's particularly intrusive.

Cordless phone for home
 

The piece of shit Siemens cordless phone system I have at home is getting intolerable. I like having two or more cordless units to a single base unit, but there's an infernal clicking dropout that I think might be interference on its 2.4Ghz frequency arising from somebody's 802.11 wireless LAN in the neighborhood.

Would anyone care to recommend a good, top of the line cordless set? Please tell whether you've got a wireless LAN and, if so, any interference. Or can you recommend a website comparing the relative merits of cordless phones? Consumer Reports is kinda thin on the cool-gadget standpoint.

Cordless phone for home
 

I've been very happy with a couple of uniden 900mhz (spread spectrum) phones I bought, but those are older models no longer available. My uncle seems to be happy with the panasonic multi-handset units. I think those are available 900mhz too.

More on Number Portability
 

And, speaking of Verizon, they are setting up call centers to help people change to Verizon while keeping their old numbers:

Click

Cordless phone for home
 

Just about any 2.4 Ghz phone will get interference from 802.11 wireless LAN. I haven't heard of one that does not interfere: until I do, it's a 900 Mhz phone for me, which is fine. I hardly ever use a landline, anyway.

AdL

Cordless phone for home
 

The Panasonic multisets are 2.4 and don't interfere with my wireless LAN at home. These are the ones where you can have up to 7 additional handsets. But you will have to buy separately the NiMH batteries from batteries.com because the NiCad ones that come with the phones are just horrid.

These phones are great because all you need is a power outlet to set up a spare handset; no additional phone jacks arenecessary besides the one going to the central base.

I think that perhaps these kinds of multi handset phones use some other technology that doesn't interfere with wireless, maybe spread spectrum. Because other panasonic 2.4 phones do interfere.

new toy
 

I just picked up a Siemens S56 the other day. I use Cingular's GSM network, which uses both 800 mHz and 1900 mHz bands used for GSM in the US, and allows roaming onto T-mobile and/or ATTWS GSM (both 1900 mHz) when there's no Cingular signal. Here's a list of features:

-High resolution, color graphical display
-Polyphonic sound
-Camera accessory with integrated flash
-Bluetooth Headset Push to Talk (PTT) accessory
-Handsfree speakerphone
-Voice Memo
-Internet access and browsing
-Extended personal information manager (organize calendar, address book, appointments, task list, and notes; synchs with MS Outlook and Lotus Notes)
-Wireless syncronization and communication (Bluetooth technology and IrDA)
Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) (color picture messaging and animation)
-Fast data transmission with GPRS
-Built-in data and fax modem
-Wireless Java Technology: download cool games and applications with GPRS
-Flexible memory managemen: store your favorite ring tones, games, logos, etc.
-E-mail client
-Intelligent typing (Tegic T9)


So far, I love it. It's as small as my Nokia 6590i but with many more features, notably the color screen, polyphonic ringtones and bluetooth. I'll post a better review after I have used it for a bit.

new toy
 

Coverage is actually pretty good. In my area (Philadelphia) the GSM overlay (over the old TDMA network) is pretty thorough. I have traveled by car south into Virginia and north into NY state, and there are only a couple of spots w/o a GSM signal (I have a nationwide plan, so I can roam onto TMobile and/or ATTWS when there's no Cingular signal). Also, I think that Cingular, having a ton of 800 mHz A&B-side licenses, will eventually have the best GSM network in the US, bar none (800 mHz penetrates buildings better than 1900 mHz).

When I travel to non GSM areas, I pop my SIM in my 6340i, which gives me GSM 800/1900, TDMA 800/1900, and AMPS 800. That phone will work anywhere, though it's huge and nowhere near as cool as the S56.

The S56 is by far the best phone I've ever used though, having used Nokias for a while, the UI took a bit of getting used to (it's still far better than Mot). Batter life has been a bit worse than my Nokia 6590i, though I haven't gone through the full "priming" charging cycles yet. RF reception is better than my 6590i, which was the best GSM phone I had used, so it's pretty terrific. All in all, I am very happy.

My only dislikes:
-screen could use higher resolution (jpeg's and bmp's are a bit grainy)
-ringer selection could be better (no "normal" fingers, only some strange polyphonic songs that are not very loud; easily remedied with a couple of downloads, however)
-It could be even thinner, though I'm really nit-picking on this one.

As for syncing with iSync, I haven't tried it yet, as I don't have bluetooth on my Mac. My next accessory will be BT-related however: the Parrot ck3000 bluetooth handsfree kit. Here is a great install. Expansys.us has it for ~$150 . It apparently works exactly as advertised. If you drive a BMW, Circle BMW sells a kit that integrates Bluetooth directly into your factory system. No more stupid wires hanging around in the cabin...

EDIT: Cingular has posted an updated GSM map . Looking at this map, if coverage is what you want in a GSM carrier, Cingular is the best way to go (their GPRS data costs leave a bit to be desired).

Bluetooth headsets
 

Now that I have been playing with my S56 for a little while (see post above) I have decided to pick up a bluetooth headset. Does anyone have/use one? Any preferences?

thanks,
AdL

I have been getting hard reading all the promos on the new Treo 600 (an all purpose, all in one, communicator) which has a September release date.
Supposedly, although packed with more features, it will be slimmer than the current Treo 300, which Mossberg in the Wall St. Journal rates the best "all in one."
The Treo 600 will have a built in camera and also be able to accept Java, which is important to me since I have AOL E-mail.

MY QUESTION: Does anyone have a Treo 300? If so, are you happy with it? I assume things will pretty much be the same and I would appreciate hearing about your experiences before I shell out for the upgrade model. Incidently, when the 300s initially came out....they went for $500. Now available for $100.....and current owners will get an option to upgrade to the 600 which I assume will cost around $600 to start.