And Then There Were Three

One of the four major cell phone providers in the US has just been bought out by another. T-Mobile was bought by AT&T for a whopping 39 billion dollars. This will make AT&T the biggest cell phone provider in the US. If this mergers passes the FCC, it will give AT&T all of T-mobile's towers, expanding the ranger of their signal in very remote areas. It will also bring with it T-Mobile's 34 million customers. Add that to AT&T 80 million customers to a customer basis of 104 million. That trumps Verizon 94 million customer basis.
When I first heard about this, I didn't think it was actually going to happen. However, AT&T has a little loop whole they found which will allow them to proceed with the purchase.

Picture from Engadget

As you can see, by going through with this purchase AT&T is achieving the goal which Obama set during his State of the Union Adress. The goal is to bring internet and cell phones to 98% of Americans in the next five years. This merger would help accomplish that.
To me, I almost see this as Microsoft is absorbing a company. I get the feeling that, just like Microsoft, AT&T will absorb the company and not know how to handle the customer basis. They will do what they please without any regrets what so ever. T-Mobile has had great customer service, and some phenomenal plans for usage since they were a smaller company. AT&T will probably not follow through with some of these ethics. From what I have read, AT&T has terrible customer service, while T-Mobile's was much better.
I guess it remains to be seen the effects of this merger. This leaves Sprint as the only under dog now. It kind of gives Spring the "OK" to do what they please because they can now charge less then both Verizon and AT&T and still be justified. They would be justified because T-Mobile, their only competition, no longer exist. This also leaves AT&T and Verizon left to duke it out.

~Dave

iOS 4.3 is Out Leaving Verizon iPhone Behind

Yesterday iOS 4.3 was released from Apple ahead of schedule. The firmware update for the portable devices was suppose to come out March 11th. It includes the fixes for AirPlay and also the faster load times for Safari. This is all fine and dandy, except for the fact that the Verizon iPhone was left out. There is no statement from Apple regarding why this happened, but it would seem that it has. The Verizon iPhone has firmware 4.2.6 loaded on it, which came with the Personal Mobile Hotspot. This, in itself, is interesting because the Personal Mobile Hotspot was the big update which was included in iOS 4.3.

Since the Verizon iPhone started off with a slight head start, it may lead it to the phone running a different firmware. In other words, there might be two sets of firmware made. One would be made for the GSM iPhone and the other for the CDMA iPhone. Although this is annoying, it would make some sense. The phones are different because of their carriers, and the Verizon one was running a modified version of 4.2 when it was released. How long the Verizon iPhone customers will have to wait for the firmware update is unknown. In fact, there has not been any word of whether they will receive the update or not. I am guessing we will have to wait until June to find out unless Apple states otherwise. June, for those of you who don't know, is usually when the iPhone refresh happens.

~Dave

Carrier Update

Note: This is not the actual image of my iPhone,
this is just a picture with a copy of the message I receive  

It isn't often that I don't know what my iPhone is doing. I am usually pretty good about knowing what is coming out. Recently I got a message like the on in the image. Although I wasn't sure what it was, I said update anyway. Just remember, don't ever update unless you know what you are suppose to get. Anyway so I looked into this a little. It turns out that in addition to your iPhone's firmware, there is also firmware from your carrier. This message pops up to let you know that you can update your carriers firmware. It would be nice if it told me exactly what the update contained. I only said yes because it was carrier related. If it were related to the actual device, like device firmware, I would have waited until I got home so I could find out more about the firmware. It is too bad Verizon doesn't post any where, at least that I know of, for their customers to read what comes with the update.

Maybe, in the future, I can find out what this means before I update. With the hopes of a better iOS notification system in the future, it may be easier to find out more about the update before updating.

~Dave

iPad 2 Announced

Yesterday Apple came out and pushed the industry forward once again. Although not all the enhancements in the iPad 2 are new to the industry, the way they are utilized is. Let's get the specs on this new product. We start of with a dual core A5 processor, the next generation CPU that apple has produced. It is two times faster then the A4. In addition, they have added a front and back facing camera. This allows for facetime between devices as well as with iPhones. In addition to these examples, there are a slew of small, but big, improvements.
Overall the iPad 2 keeps the same 10 hour battery life, which is quite amazing when you think about it. Plus, the device is 33% thinner and 15% lighter then the last iPad, making it even more impressive that it can go 10 hours.

Image taken from Engadget.com

In the above picture you can see the iPad 2 compared to an iPhone 4, that is how thin it is. It is crazy to think about.
Another addition to the iPad 2, and one of may favorites, is the "Smart Cover" technology. This technology is quite amazing. Apple has invented a cover which attaches to the iPad magnetically. The cover not only covers the screen, but also has a micro fiber cloth on the inside to keep dust off the screen. In addition, when you remove the cover, the iPad 2 will detect that you are removing the cover and turn the screen on. This saves you time, not that you need that, to get to your work quicker.

Flip up the screen to turn the screen on.

The screen also acts as a stand for when typing and for when you are watching movies. You just roll it up into a triangle and you are ready to go.
The iPad now incorporates face time into the mix of features. It can now make video calls to other iPads, and iPhones. Keep in mind that face time only works if you have a wifi connection.
Finally, the iPad 2 has the ability to connect to a TV screen using an HDMI cable. Not only that, but you can do it in full 1080P and the TV will mimic the rotation of your iPad. Although this might set you back a couple more dollars, it is worth it if you are a teacher or a businessman who gives presentations.
Well, that about raps it up. The iPad 2 comes in 16,32, or 64 GB versions. Each can be put on either the AT&T network or Verizon. There is also a wifi version. The pricing remains the same as the last iPad.

~Dave

The Search Yielded Nothing

After searching through every electronics store, my friend and I could not find him a good case. Radioshack, Apple, even Verizon didn't have an inexpensive case for his price range. This is just plain stupid in my opinion. If someone shells out $200 for a phone, the company should at least provide them with cases for any price range. My friend decided, after all this searching, that he will just go with the Ballistics case he wanted originally. The only issue is he may have to wait a few weeks for that to release. Plus, he doesn't want to carry his phone with him now because he has no case. I can't let him not use his phone for weeks on end. As I type this, I am currently looking for a DIY solution (do it yourself). Maybe, if we can make a simple case that will protect his phone temporarily, then he can use it.

Well, no matter what we find, we are sure to have something to use. Worst comes to worst we will actually have to wait the two weeks for the Ballistics case. Still, makes me angry beyond belief there is no cheap solution. Once again, if you know of a cheap case we can pick up in stores, please post a comment about it!

~Dave

A Friend Needs a Case

  At the moment I am stumped. I know someone who also just received the Verizon iPhone, but he needs a case. He insist he won't use the phone until he gets one out of fear of dropping the phone. I don't blame him, I probably would do the same. However, here is the issue. The cost of just a cheap plastic case is $30, and he refuses to pay that much for plastic. He has been eyeing the cases made by Ballistic, but they are not yet for sale. So now he has now run into an issue. What is a cheap case he can pick up in stores which will protect his phone until Ballistics starts to ship? The important thing is that it encompasses the entire phone. His price point, if he were to get a case at the moment, is $10. He doesn't want to spend a lot because what ever case he picks up will be a temporary one. So I ask you, my readers, if you can suggest any good, durable, and cheap, cases. If you have a suggestion, please leave a comment below.

~Dave

My iPhone Has Arrived

 After almost a week long wait, my iPhone has finally come. There was so much that went into getting this phone, is hard to explain the exuberance I felt when it finally arrived. Out of the box, the phone was very simple to setup. All I was required to do was plug it into iTunes. The phone then activated and connected to the network. My only gripe with that was my family had ordered two phones, and neither of them were labeled. I ended up activating the other phone by accident instead of activating my own. After your phone connects to the network, you fill out a registration form, accept the terms and condition, and then proceed syncing your device. Syncing my device took quite a while because of the amount of apps I had. After the first sync I went through and organized my Apps into folders. This first organization was preliminary, as I plan on going through again and make the categories even more specific. This will help me in the long run when it comes to finding games.
This phone is one that is easy to use, but hard to master. One of my favorite discoveries while going through the settings was the "Simple Passcode" option. I guess my old iPod Touch did not support this option.

Above: The option "Simple Passcode" has been turned off.

  Most people don't know this option exist. I brought this up because many people keep the simple passcode on, and this makes it easier for people to guess your lock code. If you keep it off, you can make a nice long password. 

  Another thing I did while I was setting up my phone is I connected to the wireless I have at my house. This allows me to use my faster internet, instead of using Verizon's 3G service. This helps save you bandwidth on your phone plan. There have been incident with other users, in which they went over 2 GB of downloads and Verizon cut their bandwidth. Essentially, to keep the network fast, Verizon will slow you down the next month if you go over 2 GB in one month. It is smart, but still annoying for the end user.

  One of the interesting things about iOS which I noticed is every application you open automatically goes into multitasking. Although many would say this is a good thing, I would disagree. The multitasking kills battery life if you have too many applications open. There are people out there who tend to not track their multitasking, and have their batteries get drained fairly fast. Because of this I am constantly closing applications which are multitasking. It is not a huge deal, but it is just an extra step that must be taken to ensure maximum usage comes from this phone. 

iOS Multitasking

  There are so many things left for me to explore on, and with, this phone. I have been behind the curve with the iOS system every since they dropped support for the 1st generation iPod Touch. Now I have the most recent system, and I am slightly overwhelmed. Things like Game Center are a big addition, it is like Xbox Live for iPhone, only you don't have to pay for playing online. There are also many newer games which I can now play because they are supported by this device. All of this is very exciting and I plan on playing around with it a lot in the years to come.

~Dave

Amazing First Impression

Above: Universal Top from Mophie

  My on going battle with my Mophie case has come to an end. After purchasing it a week ago, the issue of the case not fitting my new iPhone has been resolved. You may be wondering, how did I resolve this problem? Did I put a blow torch to the case and melt the plastic into place? Did I take a drill and shave away the plastic for extra space? Well, luckily I did none of the things listed, which is good because I have no idea how to do either of those things. Plus, I don't own a blow torch. Anyway, after I wrote the article "I Should Have Seen This Coming", a comment was posted on the article a day later. The comment, as you can see, was from a technical support agent at Mophie. As you can see from the comment, he sent me an email. I promptly checked my email to see what he had said. When I read the email, I was surprised beyond belief at what it said. The email stated that if I filled out a product support form on Mophies website, they could send me a replacement top to the case so it would fit with my new iPhone. It turns out, as I had guessed, Mophie is making a universal top for the case. This top will be compatible with both the iPhone on Verizon, and the one on AT&T. Well! I could not wait for this opportunity to pass! I did exactly what the email stated. I filled out the form, described my problem, and politely asked if they would be willing to ship me a new top. As of yesterday morning, I have received an email stating that I am now on the mailing list for a new top!
This just goes to show that Mophie has amazing product support. They went out of their way to assist me with the problem I was having. This has made an amazing first impression on me. There is no doubt in my mind that I will be recommending this case to everyone I know. In addition, I will tell them about the amazing product support that was given to me when I had my issue. Thank Mohpie!

~Dave

Ordering a Verizon iPhone

Nice order page Verizon.

  Last night was one heck of a night. As some of you may have heard by now, wait let me rephrase that. As EVERYONE knows by now, Verizon has been given the iPhone 4. Last night, at 3 AM, they went on sale online. Both Apple and Verizon were selling them through their website. However, I ordered through Verizon's website because they are the carrier. In addition, I was due for an upgrade. Apple, however, offered the ability to order online and then pick up in stores from their reserve quantity. That in itself is funny because Verizon and Apple both stated "There will be a limited quantity when the iPhone first launches". Anyway, I got up six hours ago to purchase my new phone. I was up a little before three, and to my surprise the phone was already on sale.
  Now, I was excited for the fact that Verizon was offering a week long deal for free overnight shipping. I even wrote down the code in hopes of being able to use it. Well, it seem neither Apple, nor Verizon, like the iPhone shipped overnight. There was no option given to me when the order was being placed. Not only that, but the discount which the account had was not allowed to be applied. I blame Apple for that. The best part? The ETA on shipping. Nine days from today the phone is going to ship. It won't BE HERE in nine days, it will SHIP in nine days. I guess that is the only down side to ordering online. Well, at least I got the phone. In other news about the phone, my super amazing case that doesn't fit is coming today.

I Should Have Seen This Coming

The top one is the Verizon iPhone

 

   Well, it is my unlucky day! I called... well actually I "live chatted" with tech support over at Mophie.com, and I bet you can guess what happen. It turns out that me, the guy who tends to research every single thing he buys, missed the smallest thing when purchasing my new iPhone case. The Verizon iPhone 4 has the volume and vibrate buttons moved down ever so slightly because of a new notch made in the antenna.  That small move apparently messes the fitting up for my new cases. Can you guess what that means? Well for those of you who can... you can stop reading now.

  If you can't let me explain. I was told by the customer service rep that their current cases to not fit with the Verizon iPhone, and that new models of the case would be coming out in the coming weeks. This leaves me only one choice: return the case and get a refund. I should have seen this coming when I went on the site to purchase my case. How? Well the site was having a weekend sale of their iPhone 4 cases. They say it is for Valentines day, in my opinion, though, it was for emptying out their supply of cases. New cases, which are to be release, will restock the old ones. Since the old ones won't be flying off the shelves, they had to get a way to get rid of them. In the end, I have a feeling I will see if it fits. Most likely it won't, but who knows.... maybe it will. Sending it back may just end up costing me more because I will most likely have to pay shipping. Who knows, depending on the return policy of Mophie, I may have some time to send it back. I payed for it, and if the charger itself works, then it may just be worth it do a little case modding to have it fit.

~Dave

Help! I Require Assistance!

A couple days ago I mentioned that I would be buying the Mophie Juic Pack Air. When buying it, I didn't think everything through. To me, the most important part of the case was how much battery life it would provide for my phone. However, the more I thought about the case, the more I came to small realization. The volume buttons on the side of the phone are different on the Verizon version of the phone. They are moved down slightly because of a notch made in the antenna. As far as I currently know, my package has not shipped, so I can still contact customer support about the issue. I plan on calling later today in hopes that they will do one of two things. First, I hope they tell me that the case will fit the phone, and that I have nothing to worry about. Or, second, they tell me the case won't be fitting the phone , in which case I would ask that they cancel my order. In addition to canceling the order, I would follow up asking if they would be making a case which would fit the Verizon iPhone. If they say yes, then I may return to them later on and purchase one. As of now though I can only hope that it will fit


~Dave

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Verizon iPhone Pre-Orders

Today the Verizon iPhone goes on sale for pre-order. This, however, is only for existing Verizon customers. If you are new to the Verizon Network, you will have to wait until February 9th. Many sites released reviews last night for the phone, saying it was a great improvement over AT&T when it came to dropped calls. Many said the issues were few and far apart. However, Verizon does have a slower network then AT&T, but that is not a big problem if you have been with the Verizon network for a while. If you are an existing customer, it won't bother you. Overall many said it would be worth buying, I am still trying to figure out pricing. I plan on getting one if the pricing works out. Speaking of pricing the phone will start with a $40 plan for voice, 450 minutes that is. With text that is an extra $20. If you want unlimited voice, you will have to shell out $70. Then there is unlimited data, which will cost $30. Finally, there is the mobile hotspot which will set you back another $20. Each of these prices are a per monthly cost. This means you can expect to pay around $100 a month. My issue is finding out whether I will be charged extra as my phone is an added line. You can pre-order your iPhone now on Verizon's website. Well, I am off to the Verizon store to try and figure out my pricing issue. If all goes well I may have an iPhone by next week!

~Dave

The Real Deal

With the Verizon press release yesterday, it is not official that the iPhone will be coming to Verizon. So what are the small changes/differences between that iPhone and the one on AT&T? Well, they are minor, but they have quite an impact when in use.

• CDMA Version: It is on the CDMA network, not GSM. The main difference between the two is that CDMA does not allow data transfer (i.e surfing the web) while you are on a phone call. This limits the amount of tasks you can do while on the phone. This is different from GSM which allows data when on a call. However, the reason CDMA does what it does is because it prevents call drops. 

• Antenna Re-Cut: The antenna to the new phone has been cut differently. This may be to fix the "Antennagate" issue. However, Apple stated that it was "not the phones fault, but the networks fault'. I find something contradicting between that statement and the new phone. HHMMMMM. 

•  Mobile Hotspot: As of right now, the Verizon iPhone has the ability to become a mobile wifi hotspot, which can connect up to 5 computers. The hotspot, however, disables the rest of the phone when activated.

These differences are what separate the two phones. Out of these three, I really don't like the fact that CDMA does not do data while on the call. But, with all the perks the phone has, I would be fine with that issue. The starting price for the phone is $199.99 with a two year contract. It will go on sale on February 10th, but existing Verizon customers can reserve theirs online come February 3rd. I am still debating whether or not to upgrade because it is possible that there will be an iPhone refresh in June.

~Dave

iPhone Verizon

Today is the big day. Verizon is calling a conference at 11 EST to make an announcement. Many are speculating that this announcement will be regarding the iPhone switching, or being extended, to the Verizon Carrier. WSJ (The Wall Street Journal) has had multiple articles recently stating the iPhone would come to Verizon, and that Verizon would be making the announcement. They have been given the right, supposedly, to make the announcement because it is not a new phone. The phone is just changing carriers. The new CDMA version of the iPhone is speculated to go on sale around February 2nd-3rd because Verizon has blocked off all vacation days at that time. That is also around the time that Apple makes their press releases at WWDC. Some may tell you to wait for the iPhone because it is nothing new. In addition, they may also tell you that the iPhone will be re-invented in June. Well both of these things are most likely true. This is where you will have to make your decision: Get it now, or wait. Personally, I am not quite sure. I would really like it now, but I would hate to not get something new that is very useful. Anyway, it is also rumored that the antena issue may be fixed with the phones carrier switch, which would make many happy. It is also been said that Verizon will offer unlimited data plans to start, but later on they will switched to tiered data plans. Other rumors include the possibility of Steve Jobs showing up at the Verizon announcement today, and that Verizon may be given exclusive access to the White iPhone. That would give them an edge over AT&T, who does not have the white one. Color doesn't matter to me, but to some it does. remember, these are all rumors, although the WSJ has "confirmed" it will happen. Nothing is for sure until the announcement. If this announcement does happen, today will be an amazing day.

~Dave