At&ts 3G network does not have as much cover ground as some may have thought. Verizon is Americas largest phone carrier and there are many reasons for dead zones, said by the New York Times. Some are there are dead zones because urban areas are packed with tall buildings, and these tall buildings give off bad wireless signals. Sky scrapers are another factor because they can block radio waves or bounce them around which can create multipath interference.
The iphones worst enemy is the iphone itself. Because so many people have the iphone, they are all competing with one another for the same network. There is no single solution to improve the service but there are a few tricks. Some of these tricks are instead of holding the phone against your cheek, hold it up vertically. Another is use wi-fi hotspots to make calls. Now with skype people can make calls with the app running and signed in. Because there is no substitue hardware that increases range, At&t has begun offering home 3G base stations that look like wi-fi routers. They can send and receive 3G radio signals instead, this will cover up to 40 feet in any direction and works with any 3G At&t phone. Here it will cost the customer extra for the modem on top of payments.
When i moved here from Hawaii, I had an At&t iphone but because Valley City is one of those dead zones, I had to cancel my service. Usually when canceling service, it costs hundreds of dollars but because the At&t service customer service knew i did not have service in this town, they canceled the service for free. Phone companies will try many things to make their customers pay for every little thing and with At&t not having service in many areas of the world, I do not think it is fair that their customers have to pay extra money just so they can get service such as having to buy extra things to make their phones work.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Twitter buys text messaging company
I am sure you have all heard of the website called twitter. Just this past week, they bought a text messaging company called cloudhopper. Twitter first started out as a text messaging service, the reason the tweets are only 140 characters long is the length of a text message. Cloudhopper will help twitter connect directly to mobile carrier networks around the world. The new york times says that twitter now processes more than one billion tweets a month.
Cloudhopper has already been working with twitter to connect its service directly with mobile characters around the world, this is so the users do not have to pay extra to send or receive message tweets. Now using twitter with text messaging is useful in developing countries because people there do not always have web-enabled phones, and the majority of twitter users are outside of the united states. One example said by the new york times was one way developing countries use twitter is for farmers in rural India so they are able to tweet that a fresh crop is for sale.
Many people think about twitter as a web-tool and use it on their phones or online. Evan Williams a co-founder of twitter says that there is "untapped potential" with twitter text message usage and that mobile is where most of the usage will happen. To this day, I do not really know what the point of twitter is. From watching tv I see that many celebrities have twitter and I do not really find a huge purpose for it. From what I know, It seems like people will tweet every few hours to say what they are doing, who they're with, and what new thing they have. Personally I do not find this interesting, therefore I do not have a twitter. Maybe there is more to it, but like I said I don't really know much about it. I find it interesting that twitter is in developing countries and people use it to sell there goods. This is a good way to advertise but not tell the world about everything you are doing, etc.
Cloudhopper has already been working with twitter to connect its service directly with mobile characters around the world, this is so the users do not have to pay extra to send or receive message tweets. Now using twitter with text messaging is useful in developing countries because people there do not always have web-enabled phones, and the majority of twitter users are outside of the united states. One example said by the new york times was one way developing countries use twitter is for farmers in rural India so they are able to tweet that a fresh crop is for sale.
Many people think about twitter as a web-tool and use it on their phones or online. Evan Williams a co-founder of twitter says that there is "untapped potential" with twitter text message usage and that mobile is where most of the usage will happen. To this day, I do not really know what the point of twitter is. From watching tv I see that many celebrities have twitter and I do not really find a huge purpose for it. From what I know, It seems like people will tweet every few hours to say what they are doing, who they're with, and what new thing they have. Personally I do not find this interesting, therefore I do not have a twitter. Maybe there is more to it, but like I said I don't really know much about it. I find it interesting that twitter is in developing countries and people use it to sell there goods. This is a good way to advertise but not tell the world about everything you are doing, etc.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Verizon iphone
Im sure many of you have heard rumors of the iphone coming to verizon. I have read so many different theories of what will be happening with the phone. They say its coming out on a certain date, but they say that it is just a "rumor" that verizon will carry the iphone. This frustrates me because before I came to Valley City, I had an iphone with At&t but had to cancel my plan because it didn't work here. I really enjoyed having that phone because it was easy for me to check email, call, text, etc. It really is a "smart" phone. On this website it says that Verizon's CEO Ivan Seidenberg says that the company has told apple they want to carry the iphone. The CEO cited in a recent Wall Street Journal report that apple was working on a version of the iphone which will be compatible with Verizon's network.
As of right now, At&t has the rights to the iPhone in the United States, they have not said anything on the speculation of the new iPhone model. Verizon wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the U.S and has been aggressive in marketing phones based on googles android operating system. Apple made the iPhone to be compatable with the GSM networks while other phone carriers such as Verizon, Sprint, and Nextel are all on CDMA networks.
The wait for the iPhone may be a long wait according to CNN due to the production of the iPhone compatibility with CDMA networks and the exclusive contract At&t has with the apple company. One other setback to the iPhone in the Verizon network is you will not be able to use your headset or have your phone on speaker and surf the web. This is one thing that I loved when using my phone because whenever I would talk to someone, I could go on the internet to say for instance, check what time a movie was, or look for places to eat. We have all seen the commercials with Luke Wilson showing himself talking on the phone and going on the web at the same time, this is very good use of the phone, i believe.
Personally, I feel that if the iPhone were to come to Verizon, I would purchase it because that is how much I really liked that phone when I had it. One setback to the iPhone is having to pay the monthly talk and text bill plus the use of internet which for me was $100 added a month.
As of right now, At&t has the rights to the iPhone in the United States, they have not said anything on the speculation of the new iPhone model. Verizon wireless is the largest wireless carrier in the U.S and has been aggressive in marketing phones based on googles android operating system. Apple made the iPhone to be compatable with the GSM networks while other phone carriers such as Verizon, Sprint, and Nextel are all on CDMA networks.
The wait for the iPhone may be a long wait according to CNN due to the production of the iPhone compatibility with CDMA networks and the exclusive contract At&t has with the apple company. One other setback to the iPhone in the Verizon network is you will not be able to use your headset or have your phone on speaker and surf the web. This is one thing that I loved when using my phone because whenever I would talk to someone, I could go on the internet to say for instance, check what time a movie was, or look for places to eat. We have all seen the commercials with Luke Wilson showing himself talking on the phone and going on the web at the same time, this is very good use of the phone, i believe.
Personally, I feel that if the iPhone were to come to Verizon, I would purchase it because that is how much I really liked that phone when I had it. One setback to the iPhone is having to pay the monthly talk and text bill plus the use of internet which for me was $100 added a month.
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Watching TV in 3-D
Sony and Panasonic say they will release 3-D television home systems in 2010. For Sony, they will start selling their televisions in june. Sony is known for its playstation 3 and bravia flatscreen tvs. Said by Hosaka, "the 40 and 46 inch tv will be going on the market on June 10th in Japan, and the 52 and 60 inch tvs will be available on July 16th." There is no set release date in the United State but the senior vice president of Sony say it should release in the united states around the same time as Japan.
The prices for these tv's are pretty outrageous if you ask me! But some people may really want 3-D television and can afford the huge price tag. For the 40 inch tv in 3-D it will cost around $3,200 and the biggest 60 inch tv in 3-D will cost around $6,400. What will be included in this package is two pairs of the 3-D glasses, a camera sensor that will adjust the sound and picture quality based on the viewers position, and a remote control button which will enable the switch from a regular 2-D to 3-D.
Some people from CNN say that they will not be watching CNN in 3-D. The next generation televisions would be able to play shows in 2-D and 3-D picture. They will also be able to show video games in 3-D which sony demonstrated. Personally, for the prices of these televisions, I would probably go to a best buy and just try out the tv. I would never spend thousands of dollars just to watch tv, especially with 3-D glasses. I do not really see how someone can feel comforaltable wearing the glasses trying to watch the news. At the rate with all the new technology coming out now a days, I feel like there will just be something else coming out next year that will be bigger and better then the 3-D television.
The prices for these tv's are pretty outrageous if you ask me! But some people may really want 3-D television and can afford the huge price tag. For the 40 inch tv in 3-D it will cost around $3,200 and the biggest 60 inch tv in 3-D will cost around $6,400. What will be included in this package is two pairs of the 3-D glasses, a camera sensor that will adjust the sound and picture quality based on the viewers position, and a remote control button which will enable the switch from a regular 2-D to 3-D.
Some people from CNN say that they will not be watching CNN in 3-D. The next generation televisions would be able to play shows in 2-D and 3-D picture. They will also be able to show video games in 3-D which sony demonstrated. Personally, for the prices of these televisions, I would probably go to a best buy and just try out the tv. I would never spend thousands of dollars just to watch tv, especially with 3-D glasses. I do not really see how someone can feel comforaltable wearing the glasses trying to watch the news. At the rate with all the new technology coming out now a days, I feel like there will just be something else coming out next year that will be bigger and better then the 3-D television.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Alice in Wonderland 3-D
We have all heard of the movie Alice in Wonderland right? Tim Burton and Johnny Depp are the centers of the movie and they have collaborated with one another to make this movie magical for its viewers. Recently, the 3-D picture sets a record opening weekend at $116.3 million dollars, beating that of the controversial movie "Avatar". There was an estimated amount that was said for the opening weekend which was $65-$75 million but the film surely went over that. Said by MSNBC, "Disney and 20th Century Fox competed over the available 3-D ready screens; screens outfitted for 3-D are rapidly rising, but still amount to fewer than 4,000 in the United States and Canada." Before "Alice in Wonderland" came out, the 3-D screens were still hooked on the movie "Avatar" which still at its 12th week of release earned $7.7 million over this past weekend, bringing its total up to $720.2 million dollars.
There were mixed reviews about this movie, there was 53% who would recommend the movie while the other 47% would not. Also said by MSNBC, that because the movie was in 3-D it caught more viewers attention to watch the classic Lewis Carroll movie. For the movies "Avatar" and "Cloudy with a chance of meatballs", 3-D helped their movies to sky rocket and make a bigger gross average and show in the box office.
Having "Alice" playing across on 188 IMAX screens in North America, the movie brought in $11.9 million domestically while the previous record was $9.5 by "Avatar". An IMAX chairman said "The momentum of 3-D is so massive right now, and that they were ready for a new movie." I beleive that once a movie gets turned into 3-D it will show in the box office because it seems more out of this world and cool to watch. Viewers will be more excited to watch the movies that they either once watched while they were younger or a brand new movie that they have never seen.
There were mixed reviews about this movie, there was 53% who would recommend the movie while the other 47% would not. Also said by MSNBC, that because the movie was in 3-D it caught more viewers attention to watch the classic Lewis Carroll movie. For the movies "Avatar" and "Cloudy with a chance of meatballs", 3-D helped their movies to sky rocket and make a bigger gross average and show in the box office.
Having "Alice" playing across on 188 IMAX screens in North America, the movie brought in $11.9 million domestically while the previous record was $9.5 by "Avatar". An IMAX chairman said "The momentum of 3-D is so massive right now, and that they were ready for a new movie." I beleive that once a movie gets turned into 3-D it will show in the box office because it seems more out of this world and cool to watch. Viewers will be more excited to watch the movies that they either once watched while they were younger or a brand new movie that they have never seen.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Tiger Woods Public Apology
The media has made it clear that Tiger Woods is a cheater. He made a public apology on February 19, 2010 for his "irresponsible and selfish" behavior. The apology was almost fourteen minutes and it was his first public appearance since his crash on Thanksgiving day outside of his home in Orlando, Florida. Throughout the video, he said how he and Elin are trying to get through his behavior and how he had let down so many people, including his family, his wife, friends, his staff, parents, and children who looked up to him. Parents would look up to Tiger as a role model for their children and he feels that he owes them a special apology and wanted to tell them that he was truely sorry. He asks people "to find room in their hearts to one day believe in him again and he owes it to his family to become a better person." While I read the news, it says that he blames money and fame which made it easier for him to cheat.
Some members of the media were invited to listen to his public apology but they were not able to ask any questions. People felt "what was the reason of attending the public apology if they were not able to ask any questions." Pat O' Brien said that Tiger should have done his public apology on youtube or something. While he started talking a little about his family, he raised his voice and instructed the media to leave his family alone. Woods said that it is not easy to admit he needs help but he is getting therapy to help him with his "issues". Everything that is happening within his marriage and with his family will stay private and he has no intentions of anybody else finding out his personal matter. As for the rumors of his wife hitting him, he had made it clear that she did not hit him that night, and that they have never had a domestic dispute. Woods agent says that the issues that the golfer is dealing with is private but he feels that his fans deserve to hear an explanation. The day for Tiger to return to golf has not been set yet for 2010 but for now, he will not be playing anytime soon.
I feel that while all the media has payed way to much attention to Tiger Woods and how he has cheated. If he was not the one of the top payed athletes, I feel that there would not have been so much media attention on him. Because he is Tiger Woods, there will be many more articles and talk about him and his life that he is now trying to "fix".
Some members of the media were invited to listen to his public apology but they were not able to ask any questions. People felt "what was the reason of attending the public apology if they were not able to ask any questions." Pat O' Brien said that Tiger should have done his public apology on youtube or something. While he started talking a little about his family, he raised his voice and instructed the media to leave his family alone. Woods said that it is not easy to admit he needs help but he is getting therapy to help him with his "issues". Everything that is happening within his marriage and with his family will stay private and he has no intentions of anybody else finding out his personal matter. As for the rumors of his wife hitting him, he had made it clear that she did not hit him that night, and that they have never had a domestic dispute. Woods agent says that the issues that the golfer is dealing with is private but he feels that his fans deserve to hear an explanation. The day for Tiger to return to golf has not been set yet for 2010 but for now, he will not be playing anytime soon.
I feel that while all the media has payed way to much attention to Tiger Woods and how he has cheated. If he was not the one of the top payed athletes, I feel that there would not have been so much media attention on him. Because he is Tiger Woods, there will be many more articles and talk about him and his life that he is now trying to "fix".
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Haiti villigers willingly give up their children
After reading an article on msnbc I was amazed at what I read. After the devestation Haiti was hit with, parents are struggling to feed their children and give them any kind of shelter. Msnbc stated that parents in Callebas, Haiti were willingly handing over 2o children to American missionaries. What the missionaries promised the villagers was that their children will be given a better life. Within this article, it said that there were ten baptists who were arrested last week because they tried to take 33 haitian children without the required documents.
An orphanage worker named Issac Adrien said he told the villagers that their children will get educated so that they may return to take care of their families. So because of this, on January 28th, parents surrendered their children making this decision after Adrien had talked to them. I feel that when you are put in the situation like the haitian parents and someone who could potentially be trustworthy, it would not be an easy process to let your child go but if you have nothing to provide, sometimes it is best to do so.
What the missionaries did was illegal because they did not have the required government documents while trying to bring the 33 children over the dominican republic border. MSNBC also stated that the missionaries lawyer said "they willingly accepted kids they knew were not orphans because the parents said they would starve otherwise." While reading throughout this article, it really hit me when a haitian father said that he does not know what he would do if his children were sent back because he is living in a tent with his friend.
Legal experts say that taking children across the border without documents or government permission can be considered child trafficking. Hillary Clinton said that this could have been done legally, A hatian born pastor says that an orphan is someone without a mother and father. The reason why haitian parents place their children in orphanages is because they cannot care for their children because they are "homeless and hopeless".
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35221007/ns/world_news-haiti_earthquake//
I feel that parents in Haiti had good intentions in their minds but because these missionaries did not have the proper documents, it was not a good choice to let them take their children. They do not know what potentially could have happened to their children if they were not stopped while trying to cross the border.
An orphanage worker named Issac Adrien said he told the villagers that their children will get educated so that they may return to take care of their families. So because of this, on January 28th, parents surrendered their children making this decision after Adrien had talked to them. I feel that when you are put in the situation like the haitian parents and someone who could potentially be trustworthy, it would not be an easy process to let your child go but if you have nothing to provide, sometimes it is best to do so.
What the missionaries did was illegal because they did not have the required government documents while trying to bring the 33 children over the dominican republic border. MSNBC also stated that the missionaries lawyer said "they willingly accepted kids they knew were not orphans because the parents said they would starve otherwise." While reading throughout this article, it really hit me when a haitian father said that he does not know what he would do if his children were sent back because he is living in a tent with his friend.
Legal experts say that taking children across the border without documents or government permission can be considered child trafficking. Hillary Clinton said that this could have been done legally, A hatian born pastor says that an orphan is someone without a mother and father. The reason why haitian parents place their children in orphanages is because they cannot care for their children because they are "homeless and hopeless".
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35221007/ns/world_news-haiti_earthquake//
I feel that parents in Haiti had good intentions in their minds but because these missionaries did not have the proper documents, it was not a good choice to let them take their children. They do not know what potentially could have happened to their children if they were not stopped while trying to cross the border.
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