AT&T, T-Mobile USA and Sprint respond to Verizon’s Unlimited Cell Phone Plans
- AT&T is offering unlimited voice for $99 and unlimited connectivity and messaging for $35. One year contract is required for new subscribers and data plans are unchanged, though.
- Analysts are expecting Sprint to, “offer flat-rate calling plans at up to 40 percent discount to it’s rivals” — bringing unlimited wireless minutes into the $60 range for sprint customers.
- $99 buys you unlimited voice and text (including text, picture and IM) at T-Mobile. Previously, the Deutsche Telekom owned mobile operator has been selling unlimited text messaging for $14.99 and 5,000 minutes of calls for $129.99.
Sources: IntoMobile, Reuters
Google May Build Huge Wireless Network Using Floating Balloons
According to the Wall Street Journal, Google is considering either a partnership or a full-on buyout of Space Data Corp—a company that provides balloon-based wireless networks. If you think that seems a little strange, consider this: the balloons can help bring wireless service to individuals in rural areas and they can be launched on the cheap—about $50 to launch the balloon, $1500 for the receiver, and a $100 finder’s fee for recovery after the balloon returns to earth.
Additionally, a BusinessWeek article from last month revealed that Space Data believes it can cover the whole country with a WiMax broadband network with just 370 balloons. Compare that with the 22,000 or so towers that would be necessary using traditional methods.
Sources: Gizmodo and WSJ and BusinessWeek via TechCrunch and Broadband Reports
Random Links for February 18, 2008
20+ Tools For Working With Colors
Sometimes all you need to get inspired to build a site is picking a color scheme, or even if you get stuck later in development you need some color help. Mashable.com has gathered 20+ tools for helping the “color challanged” designers.
Source: Mashable
The Analog Cellphone Timeline
Source: Gizmodo
Hide an Image in HTML — Reveal it by Highlighting Text with your Mouse
Source: BoingBoing
p.s. This is really cool.
14 Hidden Hotel Fees to Avoid
Source: Fodors
Hottest Google Search Terms for February 18:
1. patricide
2. ziggs
3. dancing with the stars
4. alex cambert
5. dan cortese
6. kit carson
7. my dad is better than your dad
8. ziggs.com
9. marlee matlin
10. juicy campus
List of Mobile Phone to PC Projector Options
I often hear people asking about ways to project the screen of a mobile phone to a PC during presentations, so I decided to compile a short list of mobile phone to PC projector options. If you have any experience with mobile to PC projectors, please post a short comment.
The four discussed here are:
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| Mobilola | Remote S60 | Screenshot | Project-a-Phone |
I personally use Mobilola Remote Control by Warelex ($35 USD). It’s a C++ app that works with Symbian S60v2 and S60v3 phones. I have been using it through an emulated WinXP (via Parallels on my Mac laptop) and it’s still really snappy. It also was extremely easy to set up. A few of the Mobilola Remote Control features are:
- Shows your phone screen on your PC
- Option to fully control your phone via PC
- Zoom in/out
- Full screen presentation option
- Snapshot
- Video recording
- Works over Bluetooth or USB
- Demo your phone through Skype Video and record YouTube video presentations directly to YouTube with webcam driver functionality
Remote S60 Professional ($30 USD) by MobileWays is a similar tool. I have not personally used this tool, but I hear that it works very well.
If all you need is a single frame capture solution, then you should give Screenshot a try (if the link fails, then refresh your browser—I have noticed a problem with their servers). Screenshot for Symbian OS is a FREE program to take screenshot on your Symbian OS mobile phones (UIQ or S60). You can capture screenshot and save it to a file in JPEG, PNG, BMP or MBM format. The screenshot can be sent directly to a PC via Bluetooth or infrared and another mobile phone. It also supports continuous mode that allows you to capture screenshot every a few seconds.
If your looking for a hardware option, I have heard great things about Project-a-Phone ($295 USD).
Open Mouth, Insert Foot
Every once in a while—perhaps as often as the solar equinox or emergence of the breeding cicadas—I open my mouth and say something I later regret. And when I do so, I feel it is my duty to own up to my mistake. So, with my sneaker on my plate, I apologize to all of you about my July 5th rant, Why a True Apple Fan Would Never Buy an iPhone.
Why, you ask? Allow me to explain.
I decided that I needed a smart phone with true email capabilities about two months ago. Looking around at the options out there, I wasn’t particularly blown away by any of the smart phones I played around with at the Verizon store. On second look, the iPhone started to seem like a phone I could (*ahem) learn to live with.
Fast forward two months.
My iPhone and I are best friends, and in some countries, possibly married. I absolutely cannot live without it. The email software is incredible and syncs perfectly with my .Mac account and IMAP business account. The camera is beautiful and I find myself constantly taking pictures with my phone—something I’ve never done in the 11+ years I’ve been a cell phone user. I use the iPhone religiously for iPod purposes, and my video podcasts have never looked better. And the Safari browser has proven to be a mid-argument-dispute-resolution miracle on more than one occasion.
Sure, the iPhone has some problems. Edge isn’t too quick, and 8 gigs just isn’t enough memory. But the goods FAR outweigh the bad. Software updates have even fixed a number of the issues I once complained about. Reading through my previous post, I’ve had to ask myself: Am I so jaded that a technical marvel like the iPhone can elicit a complaint from me?
Mr. Jobs, if you’re reading this, please accept my apology. Please continue to deliver me gadgets like the iPhone. And please forgive us tech-geeks when we are overly critical. We don’t mean it.
*Sometimes.
Learn more about Punchkick Interactive’s iPhone software development capabilities.
Teen who hacked iPhone trades gadget for new car
Via the Associated Press:
AP—— The teenage hacker who found a way to unlock the iPhone so that the device would not be restricted to use solely on AT&T Inc.’s cellular networks will be trading his reworked gadget for a new car.
George Hotz, of Glen Rock, N.J., said he had reached the deal with CertiCell, a Louisville, Ky.-based mobile phone repair company.
Hotz posted on his blog that he traded his modified iPhone for a “sweet Nissan 350Z and (three) iPhones.”
Full story
George Hotz
CertiCell
Learn more about Punchkick Interactive’s iPhone software development capabilities.
Are cell phone projectors on the Way?
Via Gizmodo
South Korea’s Iljin Display has been crowing about its coin-sized laser projector module for more than a year with no haps, but now the company says it’s inked a deal with South Korea Telecom (SK Telecom) to mass-produce the projector for use inside cellphones. Is Iljin’s so-called Nano Projector finally for real? [more]
AmberWatch Mobile GPS tracking service announced
The AmberWatch Foundation used QUALCOMM’s recent BREW 2007 conference to take the wraps off its latest initiative, AmberWatch Mobile GPS tracking service. Among other things, the new service will allow individuals to send alerts to family and friends when they’re in need of assistance (which will include their GPS location), allow chosen friends or family members to check on an individual’s location from their PC or cellphone, and give parents the ability to set up scheduled checkups with their kids.
[Read more at engadget]
Learn more about Punchkick Interactive’s mobile marketing capabilities.
Who Watches Mobile Video?
A recent article by Katie on NewTeeVee pointed out that according to data from Nielsen, middle-aged men with high incomes are the main demographic of Americans watching video on their cell phones. On the surface it may seem that this proves that the price point is still too high (which it is), but my theory is that the type of video programming also plays a part.
Nielsen is launching a mobile stat service called Nielsen Wireless, and has compiled some preliminary data. In the first quarter of 2007:
- Eight million persons 12 and older viewed video on their mobile phone (this excludes videos created with a phone’s camcorder function)
- The mobile video audience skewed somewhat older and male: 46 percent of the mobile video audience is 35 years or older and 54 percent of the audience is male.
- At least 7 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds viewed mobile video programming in the first quarter of 2007, while at least 25 percent used their mobile phone to connect to the Internet
- A total of 33 million people in the US used the mobile Web.
- As of May 31, more than half, 55 percent, of primary users of video-enabled mobile phones lived in households with total incomes of $75,000 or above
Learn more about Punchkick Interactive’s mobile video production capabilities.
Cleveland, OH June 1, 2007 – The Web Marketing Association is pleased to announce that Punchkick Interactive co-founder Ryan Unger has been selected as a judge of the 11th annual international WebAward competition for Web site development.
The WebAwards is the standards-defining internet awards competition that sets industry benchmarks based on the seven criteria of a successful Web site. It recognizes the individual and team achievements of Web professionals who create and maintain outstanding Web sites.
“Unlike other awards, the WebAwards is not a beauty pageant where only the design and name recognition is important,” said William Rice, president of the Web Marketing Association. “For the past decade, the WebAwards has used a quantitative judging formula based on seven criteria to evaluate, benchmark and set industry standards for Web site development. Unger will play a critical role in setting the standard for Internet excellence by applying his expertise to each site he adjudicates.”
“I am privileged to have been selected as a respected member of the WebAwards panel of judges,” said Punchkick Interactive’s Unger. “It is an honor to judge domestic and international sites that meet the Web Marketing Association’s standards of high quality and excellence.”
Ryan Unger is the co-founder and creative director for Punchkick Interactive. He has over five years of experience with Flash software and is an Adobe Certified Flash Lite 1.1 developer, Adobe Certified Flash 8 designer, and Qualcomm BREW authorized developer. Ryan has authored articles on Adobe.com and has received a number of design and marketing awards from organizations including the American Advertising Federation, the Public Relations Society of America, the Web Marketing Association, and the West Virginia Flash Animation Festival. Additionally, he will serve as a judge for the 2007 Web Marketing Association’s WebAward competition. Ryan is heavily involved in the Flash Lite community, both in Flash Lite-focused Web forums and his company’s mobile marketing blog (http://www.punchkickinteractive.com/blog/).
The 2007 WebAward judges consist of a select group of Internet professionals who have direct experience designing and managing Web sites – including members of the media, interactive creative directors, corporate marketing managers, site designers, content providers and webmasters – with an in-depth understanding of the current state-of-the-art in Web site development and technology. Judging for this year’s website awards will take place in July and August, with winners announced in September.
About Punchkick Interactive
Punchkick Interactive ™ is a full service mobile marketing firm that develops Flash Lite enabled games and screensavers, custom mobile applications, text-message campaigns, mobile media distribution systems, branded mobile software and mobile Web sites. For more information visit http://www.punchkickinteractive.com or call (800) 549-4104.
About the WebAwards
The 11th annual international WebAwards competition sets the standard of excellence in 96 industry categories by evaluating Web sites and defining benchmarks based on the seven essential criteria of successful Web site development. The goal of the Web Marketing Association, sponsor of the WebAwards, is to provide a forum to recognize the people and organizations responsible for developing some of the most effective Web sites on the Internet today. Entrants benefit from a Web site assessment by a professional judging panel and the marketing opportunities presented to an award-winning Web site. For more information or to enter, visit www.07webaward.org.
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