Indoor Coverage

Short code text message’s are text messages that you may be receiving because you somehow subscribed to a text messaging service that will send you a message once a day or once a week or whenever there is some sort of significant event that is part of the service you subscribed to. They show up on your iPhone 4 or whatever cellular phone you may be using.  It could be football scores, a particular stock you are following or news about the celebrities. The bottom line here is that some of them will charge as much as $2 per text message and this charge will show up on your next phone bill. That is what happened to me and I did not even realize it.

Unknown to me I apparently subscribed to one of these and was receiving one message per day and was being charged $2 for each message. What a surprise when I got my bill and saw that there was a $16 charge for these messages for eight messages that had been sent to me. When I started getting them, I was not sure of what they were or why I was getting them on my iPhone. I called my mobile phone company right away and what a surprise!

What Should you do if you receive short code text messages? On your iPhone 4 or any other phone?

The first thing is to deal with it right away. Don’t ignore it and hope it will go away or they will just stop coming. If you do delay, it is going to cost you money and potentially lots of money. Take action right away and do one or both, preferably both of the following steps to avoid a costly mobile phone bill.

Send a Stop Message - quickly send a text message in reply to the message you received with the single word “Stop”, in the message. This should stop all short code messages from being sent to you in the future. Unfortunately you still have those messages that you received and unless you call your provider, your bill is gong to include a charge for them the next time it arrives.

Call your provider – Although you sent a stop message to the address of the short text message code, you should still call your provider. There will be messages that you will be billed for and if you really did not ask them to be sent to you, most mobile carriers will reverse the charges for you. Don’t wait until the bill arrives, call immediately

Check your bills – always check your bill every month. If there is any change from what you expect, check the details to make sure there are no unnecessary charges. And also check to make sure that you were credited with the reverse charges if they apply.  Call your mobile provider if there are any discrepancies and ask for them to be explained and / or corrected.

If you have had this type of problem occur, please leave a comment and let our readers know what you did to resolve the issue, what caused the issue and any other information you can share with us.

This post is about iPhone Security, not the type of security were someone hacks into your iPhone and takes over your phone, although I guess that can happen. Instead this post is about the type of iPhone Security when someone steals your iPhone!

A good friend of mine was walking down the street the other day reading her email or sending a text message. She was walking along, not really paying attention to what she was doing and suddenly a guy walked up beside her and grabbed the iPhone out of her hands. Easy to do since she was holding it loosely while pressing the screen as she was preparing to send a message. Lot’s of people do this. You see them every day walking down the sidewalk, through the mall, or even walking into traffic without paying attention to were they are going.

It happened in seconds and the guy started to run off to be joined by a number of friends. Now we discussed ways to limit the amount of financial damage losing your iPhone can do in the previous post, “Smart Phone Security”. Check that post out if you need more information about protecting yourself.

What She Did Next

This was not the smartest thing to do, but she yelled at the guy, chased him down and demanded her iPhone back. She used a lot of expletives and called him every name in the book. Next thing she knows she is surrounded by his buddies all taunting her as well as him. This situation could have gotten really bad, had she not thought quickly.

She yelled a lot of expletives which we mentioned, saw that that was not working and was surrounded by his friends with people walking by on a crowded sidewalk not paying attention.

She changed her tack and started yelling at the top of her lungs for help, that someone had stolen her iPhone and she was being surrounded.  This began to attract the attention of passers by and also the gang realized that they were  dealing with a smart chick who was not intimidated by them. Of course anyone who steals like that is a bum and a coward, so as soon as you face them up in this manner they back off.

They handed her iPhone back and took off just as a few men were coming to her rescue. She was very fortunate and lucky. If she had not been on a crowded street she would not have had a chance. It might have turned out much worse if she was surrounded on a quiet residential street!
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I recently starting considering whether I would upgrade my iPod to the latest version and it got me to wondering what are the issues associated with an upgrade and also what about upgrading my cell phone at the same time.

This Is What I Currently Have

First let me tell you what I have at the moment. I have an older Samsung flip phone which works well although the battery only lasts about three days before needing a charge. Other than that it works very well. I also have an iPod touch which is a year old, so it does not have the built in cameras. I purchased it with 32 G’s of memory and even with loads of pictures and music on it I am not even close to using all of the memory.

Now you may wonder why I just don’t upgrade to an iPhone. Well we live in Canada and the rates for cell service plus data service is ridiculous. That’s why with the iPod, I just use WiFi and the data does not cost me anything. Sure I have to find a WiFi site, however I have discovered that there are so many around that I always have access when I need it.

I am currently paying about $85 a month for 500 minutes of local and long distance service shared between two phones to Bell Mobility. I know this is high by USA levels, but that is what we are stuck with in Canada. This includes voice mail and text messaging. It does not include any data at all.

The best part is that I am coming to the end of my contract and I can now negotiate with Bell, my current provider and with Rogers who are the main competitors.

What Should I Upgrade to?

What I would like is a new iPhone 4 as an upgrade with data and voice at a much better price that what I am currently paying. I am used to the iPod and really like all of the current apps that I have. I would like the current configuration that I have on my iPod plus voice.

I have to wait another month for my contract to end and then we will see what kind of a deal Bell and Rogers will offer to me. Bell to keep me and Rogers to transfer me and pick me up as a new customer.

If I can get a new iPhone 4, then I will sell my iPod. I have seen them going for roughly $140 to $170 on Ebay and considering I have had it for one year and I paid $300 for it, this is not a bad deal.

Can Anyone Suggest a Better Approach?

If anyone has a better suggestion about how to get a better deal or what I should expect for a proposed offer for service, I would really like to hear your comments now. The end of May is my drop dead date for making a decision on a new phone of some kind. If they will not give me a good deal, then I might just keep what I have?

Actually it is cancel the news paper, cancel subscriptions to magazines and even cancel paper based books in favor of the iPad, the iPhone, the iPod and other smart phones and tablet computers. More and more people are purchasing smart devices which they have with them at all times and they subscribe to RSS feeds to get their news for the day. Some people will even browse web sites from news organizations to keep abreast of what is happening in the world.

Survey Results

A new survey which focused on the iPad is included in this post that supports this view:

Here’s what a team at the Missouri School of Journalism learned in a survey of 1,609 Apple (AAPL) iPad owners conducted over the past three months:

• Using the iPad to follow breaking news reports and current events is the most popular use for the device, with 84.4% of respondents saying this is one of their main uses.
• More than three quarters (78.6%) of the users spent at least 30 minutes during a typical day consuming news on their iPad.
• Nearly half (48.9%) of the respondents said they spent an hour or more during a typical day consuming news on their iPad.
• Among the 931 respondents who indicated that they currently subscribe to print newspapers, there is a statistically significant, moderately strong, positive correlation between iPad news consumption and the likelihood of canceling their print subscriptions. (emphasis ours)
• For example, more than half (58.1%) of the respondents who subscribe to printed newspapers and use their iPad at least an hour a day for news said they are very likely to cancel their print subscriptions within the next six months.
• More than three out of 10 (30.6%) respondents indicated that they do not subscribe to printed newspapers, with another one out of 10 (10.7%) saying that they had already canceled their subscriptions to printed newspapers and switched to reading digital newspapers on their iPad.

The typical iPad owner who responded to the survey was a 48-year-old man with a B.A. earning more than $100,000 a year who bought his iPad within two months of its release.

Other Smart Phones & Tablet Computers

Although the survey was focused on the iPad and probably funded by Apple (we do not know that), these results can most likely be extrapolated to other smart phone users and smart device users. If this is correct, then more and more people are forsaking the printed word and moving to the electronic word for all of their information needs.

A simple observation of people riding the bus to and from work shows that over half of the people on the bus that I ride are busy using their smart phones, a few are using iPads to keep up with their emails as well as browse various information sources. This is the beginning of a general trend that is catching on in the markets.

Newspapers and magazines need to and many have been re-inventing themselves. They are creating apps for these smart devices that make it easier to get their message out to their readers and most important display advertising as well which earns them funds to support their business.

Lets continue to watch this new emerging segment of the electronic industry as well as the old standard to see were they both end up! Comments on the survey as well as our opinion are welcome.

This weeks Cell Phone Review is the ” Apple iPhone 4″ offered by AT&T, Bell, Rogers and other wireless carriers through out the United States and Canada.

With the iPhone 4, Apple again shows that it is a powerful player in the smartphone wars. It won’t be for everyone, the call quality and reception vary if you don’t use a case, and AT&T’s network remains a sticking point for US users, but the handset’s striking design, loaded feature set, and generally agreeable performance make it the best iPhone yet and a leader in the smart phone wars.

Price Range: is listed as $299.99, however if you sign a contract, you can get it for a lower price, so negotiate. If you want to buy it outright, it is probably going to cost you in the neighborhood of $700.00

Features:

• Candy bar design with internal antenna
• Polyphonic ringer,
• Voice dialing,
• Call timer
• Conference calling
• Voice recorder
• Caller ID
• Speakerphone
• Video editor, multitasking, integrated digital compass
• 32 G of memory
• SMS, Skype, email, POP2 , IMAP4, GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA
• Internet browser
• App store, Itunes, video calling
• Supports MS Excell, Word and PDF
• Download iBooks, Audio files, Video files, Games, iTunes music
• 5 megapixel camera, auto focus, Video recorder and GEO Tagging
• GPS maps and compass
• Alarm clock, calendar, reminder, calculator
• LCD display, 900*640 pixels, scratch resistant glass with retina display
• Digital player – Apple Lossless, WAV, MP3, AIFF , AAC
• 1 x Headset jack – Mini-phone 3.5 mm, 1 x Dock connector – 30 pin dock connector, USB cable
• Lithium Ion battery
• Talk time – Up to 840 min (2G), Up to 420 min (3G)

The Good: The iPhone 4 offers enhanced performance, a lovely new display, and an improved design. It also adds a ton of sorely needed features, both by itself and through the iOS 4 update.

The Bad: Multitasking entails some trade-offs, and home screen folders are limited to 12 apps. AT&T reception continues to be spotty, and you’ll need a case for the best calling reception. Also, we’d prefer a 64GB model.

From Reviews:

Display: LCD display, 900*640 pixels, scratch resistant glass with retina display

Keyboard: Built in Qwerty keyboard on screen

Audio Playback: Digital player – Apple Lossless, WAV, MP3, AIFF , AAC

Video Playback: Digital player – Apple Lossless, WAV, MP3, AIFF , AAC

Capacity: 32 G memory

Connectors: 1 x Headset jack – Mini-phone 3.5 mm, 1 x Dock connector – 30 pin dock connector, USB cable

Accessories: 1 x Headset jack – Mini-phone 3.5 mm, 1 x Dock connector – 30 pin dock connector, USB cable and many 3rd party accessories

Sensors: GPS & Maps

Headphones: 1 x Headset jack – Mini-phone 3.5 mm,

Size & Weight: 2.31 inches wide, .37 inches thick and 4.5 inches high weighing in at 4.8 oz’s

Colors: Black

External Buttons & Controls: Most are on screen, however there are volume, power buttons on the sides

Cellular & Wireless: WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM in the following bands WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM 850/900/1800/1900

Power & Battery: Lithium Ion battery, Talk time – Up to 840 min (2G), Up to 420 min (3G)

Languages: Multi language support

The Apple iPad 2 is rumored to be released in the 1st quarter of 2011 and the ideas and feature rumors are rampant. We have searched a number of sites to compile a list of new features that Apple may be adding to the new iPad.

Here is the rumored list:

• a 7-inch display.
• a mini or micro USB port.
• the 9.7-inch model will actually stick around.
• a new, smaller model would be “in addition” to the larger, original-sized iPad.
• the device will feature Apple’s Retina Display.
• include 128GB of memory.
• will feature a camera.
• will feature a camera in the front as well as in the back.
• be lighter to hold in the hand.

Non of these features have been confirmed yet and Apple may even be letting them continue to keep the competition guessing. And it seems to be working since all of the competitors are aiming to introduce new tablets by the summer of 2011. Apple would appear to have the advantage since it’s product has been out there for longer and has had a chance to stabilize.

Even so, the developers for Android are  working hard to catch up and surpass the Apple juggernaut. Android may have the lead by the summer time in terms of other competitors, but it is any ones guess at this time how quickly they will catch up to the new iPad!

However, while everyone can assume that Apple will put a camera on the new iPad, nothing has been confirmed. And if earlier reports are true, and Apple is indeed creating several different physical models of the new iPad, to throw off any “leaks,” then it may be awhile before we start seeing a clear picture as to what Apple has up their sleeve for their new tablet device.

Rest assured, Apple will aim to be head and shoulders above the competition when they introduce their new iPad. In addition their other products will also not be far behind with feature additions as well. This was demonstrated by the releases of the iPhone 4 and the new iPod Touch in 2010.

More to come as we enter 2011 and Apple gets closer to the eventual release. Comments and rumors welcome!

Can you believe it there are actually some people who hate their iPad! Perhaps they had unrealistic expectations with all of the hype that there has been out there in the news and the web regarding the new iPad. We will take a look at the pluses and minuses of the iPad and let you decide if it is the right device for you.

On the plus side it does have the following features which many people love:

• Shiny, sleek and cool — the latest must-have accessory
• Thousands of Apps developed for the iPhone and iPod Touch are showing up on the iPad
• You can also purchase a keypad for the iPad
• Brand new form factor that can easily be carried anywhere
• Surfing the web, sending short emails, paying bills
• the (.com) button is really handy
• Uses WiFi connections to connect to the net
• Fantastic device if you are a consumer of information
• User satisfaction according to Apple is better than 95%
• Best feature is that it is “always on”

There are some things that the iPad just will not replace:

• Use an iPad as a replacement for my laptop if you only browse the net
• Sending long emails is more difficult
• Easy to make typo’s (that is why many people sign their messages with – Sent from my iPad)
• Slower typing for people who are fast at typing on regular keyboards
• Lack of a tactile sense when you touch the keys
• Some people do not like the finger prints that show up on the screen
• Some people find it heavy to carry ( much lighter than a laptop)
• Not the most efficient if you generate information

Like many new devices there is an adaptation period that everyone must go through when learning to use the device. The iPad is no different and if you have used a PC all of your career, then the adaptation will be larger and well worth the effort.

Also I have found that the use of the iPad really depends on what I need to do. After a few months, I found that there are some activities I would rather use the iPad for and never touch my PC. At the same time if I am generating content or making modifications to my web sites, it is just easier to use my PC with larger screens, the mouse and the keyboard.

The message I would like to leave for most people that are considering purchasing an iPad is that it really depends on what you plan to use it for. If you just need a device to read email, browse the net, watch movies etc, then you will likely be very satisfied with with the iPad. On the other hand if you need to do more with your device, generate content, work on spreadsheets or presentations, you may not want to use the iPad for this type of work.

I really like using my iPad at the coffee shop to read emails or catchup on the news. It is so much easier to carry it with me rather than a bulky lap top.

If you have your own experiences with an iPad, please leave comments to help our readers. We accept all comments that are constructive and helpful for our readers, Spam comments will be deleted. If you want to link to this page, create a pingback and we will do the same.

I bought my first iPod in March 2010. Ok, I know I am a little late getting on the bandwagon, however I really have been a PC type for all of my computer lifetime.  I bought it for $300 in the spring of 2010, and have really fell for this little piece of technology, and I haven’t bought a CD since as well.

This Generation iPod cost $300 and was the size of a half a deck deck of cards or perhaps even thinner. I purchased the 32 G model and have a huge amount of space for a lot of apps as well as pictures and music. It also apparently has a faster processor than some of the older models.

My version of this device also runs IOS 4.1 and has all of the same features as the iPhone except for the camera and of course the phone.  Apple has sold more than 260 million iPods, and its latest iterations look less like a deck of cards and more like a hand of poker.

I really like this little machine. I read most of my email at coffee shops that offer free WiFi, read the news, check on the weather, listen to my favorite radio station, check my Facebook status, even keep up on my banking. This is a really great little device and as long as there is WiFi around, I can connect and be live on the internet. I can even make phone calls over Skype! When I call other people on computers including smart phones running Skype it is a free call. No data plan and no minutes! Utterly fantastic.

Now the company’s newest generation of music players is set to be released into the wild, and I cannot wait to get my hands on the new model.

If you own the last version of the iPod touch, the design of the latest version shouldn’t come as a major surprise. Instead of aping the iPhone’s new glass-sandwich looks, the new touch hews close to its roots with a super thin profile made up of one part glass screen and one part all-metal back. The device still bears the smudge inviting chrome rear panel, and continues the trend of shrinking the thickness as far down as possible. We thought the iPhone 4 was crazy thin, but the new touch looks like a toothpick by comparison.

We especially like the latest iPods, specifically enjoying the front-facing camera of the iPod Touch, but was “less enthusiastic about Ping, Apple’s first attempt at social networking, because it didn’t do well enough with the socializing aspect. With the camera front and back, we can take pictures, take videos and hold video conference calls with our family all from the iPod Touch!

Ping’s other socially awkward characteristics include its inability to notify you when other people comment on or like something you’ve posted or commented on. Apple says these will appear in the Recent Activity page within a week — but not as easy-to-see notifications at the top of the page.

Some changes to the iPod in the past, which is updated each year, have seemed forced, but that this year’s updates are welcome. There are thousands of app’s available that cover just about any situation you can think of. More are being added everyday and the older ones are being updated to utilize 4G speeds. This is trully a great winner for Apple.

There are no design missteps this year, though, at least none as egregious. The 2010 iPod crop takes some design risks and, in some cases, subtracts some longstanding features. But in general, the trade offs are worth it. I cannot wait to get my hands on the new iPod model and put it through its paces.

If you have one, feel free to add your comments here so other readers can find out more about Apple’s latest creation. Please note that spam comments will be deleted.

The latest iPod touch is almost here with the announcement from Apple that they are updating the popular iPod touch. I have been using one for the past 6 months and I must say it is the best investment I have made in terms of tools and gadgets. The 4th generation of the iPod touch promises to be even better!

We will list the features that Apple has added in just a moment, however we want to emphasize something first. For those of you who want everything that the iPhone has to offer the iPod touch may be the answer with out the proverbial contract that is tied to all iPhone systems. As long as you have a WiFi connection you can do pretty much everything the iPhone can do without the data charges on an expensive contract.

Using an application such as Skype, you can make and receive phone calls on your iPod, and there are multiple applications that also allow you to send and receive sms messages as well. The only drawback is that you do need a WiFi connection. In my personal experience, I have found so many places to connect that I would never even consider moving to a data contract of some sort with the major carriers.

However I am digressing. Here is a summary list of the major feature improvements of the new iPod touch as release from Apple, which is scheduled to ship in Sept 2010.

• Same stainless steel back, with about 15 % shaved off the thickness of the device
• Same rounded corners, lighter than the original and certainly from the iPhone
• Improved screen with more vibrant colors and crystal clear display
• Addition of two cameras, front and back
• HD video recording capability
• Video calling with Apples Face time video calling app
• No Contract
• 3.5 inch, 960 by 640 pixel resolution retina display

Now you can take pictures and videos and send them to your contacts via email, conduct video chats with family and friends and stay in touch with all of your contacts. As long as you do not need to have emergency phone service you can use your iPod touch for much of your communication with everyone.

Note that we think it does not replace a traditional cell phone, which many of us need to stay in touch, conduct work activities and in general stay in touch with the world by voice. However you can purchase an inexpensive voice plan for your cell phone and use the iPod touch for all of your data needs, surfing, downloading videos and music and much much more.

Apple has done it again! This could be another one of those game changers that shakes the industry and continues to put pressure on the telephone and wireless carriers. They still get to carry the traffic, since they feed the WiFi connections, they just do not get to charge the high rates for a data connection. There may be a revenue impact as more and more companies offer data service through Wifi service. Just visit almost any coffee shop and you can get free service!

First of all in the interests of full disclosure I am a PC user and have been since he first DOS machines came out on the market place. I have gone through all of the upgrades and platform changes and born all of the releases and issues that we all know and love with Microsoft.

Having said that I have recently purchased an iPod Touch mainly for the flexibility it gave me when I am traveling and need to get on the net to check my email, Facebook accounts etc.  There seems to be sufficient WI-FI sites available that I can reasonably find a location were I can get access to the net. It even has helped with my wife’s shopping were I tag along waiting for her to select something and try it on. I can amuse myself with browsing the net, or play games if I cannot get access were we are. However I digress from the main topic of looking at the iPad and what is wrong with it.

What Am I looking for in a Computer?

This is probably my first mistake, since the iPad , although it is a computer is not a computer in the truest sense. Instead it is really a device that is aimed at a particular market segment with a particular set of tasks in mind. As far as I can tell it is really aimed at people who want an easy to use device to browse the internet, view pictures, view web sites and read books. There are thousands of apps that will be ready for the iPad in the next few months as well.

Let’s face it, if this is your need and your criteria , there is really nothing wrong with the iPad!

What you cannot do with the iPad is connect an external screen to it, you cannot connect an external keyboard and you cannot print from it. Fans will argue that you do not need to do this and there is an on screen keyboard for those that need to send emails and text messages.

Power PC Users

This title implies someone who sits at their computer for hours and hours working on developing apps, developing and writing documentation, spreadsheets and presentations. While other technical experts will use their computers to interface with and debug programs and hardware that is being tested and developed.  These applications are really far from the planned or intended use of the iPad.

These users need external keyboards that are ergonomically designed with multi screens, printers, fax machines and various test gear that the need to attached to their computers. Since they spend so much time in front of their screens, they also need to be able to sit at desks and used keyboards that are ergonomic to protect their posture and their wrists from things like carpel tunnel syndrome.

So if you fit into this category and this is all you do with a computer, then the iPad is probably not for you. The iPad does not even have a USB port.

Do you Need Both Devices

There is an argument for owing both the computer of some sort as well as an iPad. If I had not purchased an iPod Touch, I probably would not have written this comment. The Ipad is basically a larger iPod Touch with many of all the same functions and format on a larger screen.

I have used a PC computer for many years to do most of the things I mentioned above. I use a laptop for its convienence, I can take it anywhere, use it whenever I need it as long as I can get connected to the internet and I can work off line as well on large documents, presentations and spreadsheets that I routinely work on.

Lately though i have found that the iPod Touch is being used more and more. The iPad fits into the same category. I have read and responded to my email around the pool, the restaurant while waiting in line, called via Skype to friends and family and lounged in front of the TV with the family watching a program while scanning the news. I just cannot easily do all of this on my PC in those locations.

So for me there is definitely a use for the iPad in addition to the regular PC.  However personally  I like the iPod Touch for ease of carrying it and its overall size and use.

Love to hear your comments as well.