Tag: att (Page 6 of 9)

      Nokia Booklet official for AT&T

      October 13, 2009 /

      Nokia Booklet.I think I’m starting to understand AT&T’s strategy for the next few years. As complaints continue to pile up, the company will just add more and more bandwidth-hungry devices until it inevitably crushes the network, at which point customers will be so fed up they will pay for anything, including tiered data plans. That’s a long introductory sentence for a netbook, I know. Now, the netbook.

      Nokia confirmed its 3G capable netbook, the Booklet, to be released on subsidy with AT&T. The little lappy will run $299 with a two-year contract at data rates of $60/month. You will also be able to get the computer for $599 unsubsidized. The system runs Windows 7, which supposedly seamlessly handles 3G to wi-fi crossover, has a 120GB hard drive, and sports an A-GPS card for location services. Nokia has also crammed a 16-cell battery into the thin frame for an estimated 12-hour battery life. I’ll believe that when I see it, but for now it’s nearly double most other netbooks.

      Through the holidays you’ll only be able to buy the Booklet at Best Buy stores. Execs from Best Buy, Microsoft, and Nokia were all in Manhattan for the announcement today and seemed optimistic about sales potential. If you’re looking for an ultra mobile device and don’t already have a laptop, will you really want one of these on a service contract? How bout when it’s sitting next to a 32GB iPhone?

      Computers, Mobile

      FCC looking at Google Voice

      October 11, 2009 /

      Google Voice logo.The FCC is going to be taking a closer look at the Google Voice service to determine whether it should be governed by the same rules as other phone service operators. AT&T has been particularly whiney about the service and the lack of regulation.

      The biggest problem AT&T sees is that Google is allowed to block calls that may be too expensive for users, something regular providers aren’t allowed to do. I’m not sure why AT&T has such a problem. It blocks calls all the time. You know, you get halfway into a call and AT&T decides it should be blocked. And you should not be compensated for any lost time. It also blocks your ability to have a truly unlimited data plan and blocks your phone from having basic services despite years of availability on other devices. Really, AT&T is blocking anything it wants, so why not spread the love?

      I do find it funny that it took a high-profile app rejection to bring all of this to light. The results of the investigation will likely be applied to other VoIP services like Skype and Vonage, both of which have been around a whole lot longer than Google Voice. The unfortunate thing is that big wireless could gouge features out of customer-focused service because it fears competition.

      Mobile

      AT&T ready to allow VoIP calls on 3G

      October 7, 2009 /

      Skype on the iPhone.It seems Apple has one less straw man to throw at investigators over the Google Voice rejection. AT&T has decided, at long last, to allow VoIP calling over 3G connections. VoIP over 3G has been the reason behind a whole slew of app rejections for the iPhone. The change probably comes as a result of the net neutrality discussion, but even so, it’s something I expected AT&T to fight aggressively, not acquiesce to.

      The policy change means you can now do some pretty cool stuff, like use Skype anywhere, or the new Vonage app that heralded the VoIP announcement. It also puts a lot of pressure on Apple to push the Google Voice app through. We all know the “duplicating iPhone features,” defense is a load of crap, and this leaves Apple with very little reason for the rejection.

      Of course, the policy change also means a lot more data traffic on AT&T’s overtasked network. It’ll be interesting to see how well that holds up.

      Apple, Apps, iPhone, Mobile

      AT&T Has Refurbed iPhone 3G for $50

      September 25, 2009 /

      AT&T iPhone.If you’ve been thinking about making the switch to a smartphone or considering an iPhone, now’s about as good a time as any. AT&T enabled MMS on the iPhone today, which brings it up to speed with candybar phones of nearly a decade ago. The wireless provider also just found some old iPhone 3G models lying around that it will sell for a paltry $50.

      Now, if I were you, I would splurge for the 3GS. It’s faster, has a better camera, and records video, which makes it much more than a cell phone. If you don’t want to drop $199 on a phone right now, though, the $50 3G will do just fine. It’s not that much slower, and you could probably live without the extra camera features.

      There’s still one big reason to stay away: AT&T. Their service sucks and 3G coverage away from major cities is spotty at best. Also, you might be able to get Apple’s baby on a different network before your contract is up.

      The good news is you’ll be just fine in either case. If you buy, you’re getting a great phone fairly cheap. If you don’t, you’re avoiding all the headaches that come with being tethered to AT&T. That is all.

      Apple, iPhone, Mobile

      iPhone MMS Is Live

      September 25, 2009 /

      iphone carrier updateIf you haven’t done so already, you should get out the iPhone cable and update your carrier settings. The long awaited MMS is finally here, delayed for what seemed an eternity by the ever-failing AT&T.

      For the update to take effect you’ll need to reboot your phone. From there, though, you’ll have a nifty little picture icon next to the message line of every text. The service allows you to send pictures and video at no extra charge, assuming you’ve already got some sort of bundled plan.

      Apple, Apps, iPhone, Mobile, News

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