Dead Zones

How To Control Alt Delete Mac iPad & PC

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Fri, 25 May 2012 08:34:37 PDT

Troubleshooting your iPad, PC and Mac with these steps

The commonly used computational devices are the PC, iPad and the Mac. As with all modern gadgets, there can be problems overtime. Here are some tips and tricks to solve the most common problems associated with these devices.

1. The iPad

The iPad is a hand-held, touch sensitive device to meet your everyday computational and recreational needs. With the advent of the iPad, a new industry relating to designing applications for this device has flourished and the Apple app store is filled with thousands of applications to choose from. This also leads to numerous conflicts; with the turn-around time in application development being small, testing of apps is not always adequate and this often causes problems.

iPad being unresponsive?

The most common reason for iPad becoming unresponsive is due to runaway’s application.

(1) To solve you hold the sleep/wake button until the slider appears then instead on swiping the slider, press the home button this should resolve problem.

(2) If step 1 does not work the device should be switched on and off, this is done by holding the sleep/wake button and swiping the red slider to switch off the device and then put it on.

(3) If the both steps 1 and 2 fail, then pressing the sleep/wake button along with the home for ten seconds.

(4) If all else fails, the system can be restored using iTunes. Plug in the USB cord to the computer with iTunes installed, then hold on to the home button while connecting it to the USB to the iPad, allow the iPad to charge for 10 min and then continue to hold the home button. This will pop up an icon saying "connect to iTunes", now fire up iTunes and the "recovery mode" alert should pop up.

Apps causing the system to freeze

This is also a common problem with the iPad, and some applications may act adversely with your system. You could try reinstalling the app and see if this solves the problem, some apps get corrupted and they, at times need to be reinstalled. Do remember that once an app is downloaded from the app store you can reinstall it any number of times and on multiple systems.

iPad running very slow

The iPad enables multi-tasking by default and many apps try to take advantage of this feature. Many apps, even after closing remain active. Closing these apps that are not in active use can often hasten up the system.

(1) Press the home button twice in quick succession, a task list window opens up and shows the list of running applications. Select the application that needs to be shut and hold it down until is starts wiggling and a tiny red minus sign in the middle appears, tap on this minus sign to completely close the app. By closing apps you should be able to speed up the iPad.

2. The Mac

The Macintosh systems introduced by Apple computer Inc. is a user-friendly and reliable computing device available in the market. The mac system is a carefully crafted with the uber-reliable operating system (Mac OSX).

Is the system slow or crashing?

The mac systems do not automatically reboot themselves but can get slow at times. If you have recently installed or un-installed a software in your mac then you have a prospective culprit for causing system slowdown.

(1) The first test is to reboot the system to see if it improves the speed, if not you will have to boot the computer with extensions turned off.

(2) Turning with extensions off can be done by holding the "shift" key down till the machine completely boots up. If this resolves your problem then you have an extension conflict or items causing problems during start-up. You can then take a closer look at the start-up items and remove the intrusive ones.

Are you getting weird disk related errors?

(1) The other common problem could be with the corruption of the directory structure. You can solve this by popping in the install CD, and repair with the disk-utility manager available.

If the CD is not available, hold down the "Command-S" keys during start-up this should take you to the single-user mode and will open up the "text-prompt" window. When the prompt appears type "fsck -fy" and this will automatically repair all disk conflicts and then type "reboot" to restart the system.

(3) The other common error is the disk permission error, this also indicates that there were some problems related with the hard disk and the data was locked down to prevent damage. This can later be unlocked by running the disk-repair utility. This can be brought up by typing "Disk Utility" in spotlight.

(4) If you are using Mac OSX leopard and above, try using the time-machine. All you need is a spare external hard-drive, the hard drive needs to be plugged in and time machine makes a copy of your system into the disk. This can be used to restore the system at a later point.

3. The Personal Computer

This is the most ubiquitous computing systems and these have their fair share of problems.

The Computer does not start up

The most common of them all, is that the computer does not boot (start up). The most common cause is software or hardware-software conflict. Software incompatibility can lead to slow booting or the system may not boot at all. There steps you can take to solve this problem are:

(1) Start the computer using the "safe mode", this can be done by starting the computer and holding the "F8" button on the keyboard.

(2) Go to the control panel use "Add and remove Programs" and click on the recently installed software and uninstall it.

The hardware-software issue is generally related to driver incompatibility and corrupted drivers.

(1) Again get in through the safe mode and locate the "my computer" and right click on the icon followed by "manage" and "event viewer". There are three tabs look at all three tabs, those checked in yellow are bad but red is worse. Just beneath, there should be a "click for more details", this will take you to the Microsoft site and this should give you an answer.

Computer rebooting automatically

The PC may, at times automatically reboot itself. There are several reasons why this could happen.

(1) CPU heating is the primary cause: A CPU could overheat due to several reasons, a program heavy on graphics could trigger this, in which case, the CPU takes all the processing pressure and over-clocks and results in a reboot. This happens when there is no dedicated graphics card installed in the system. This can be checked by clicking the "Control Panel" followed by "System and Security" and then "System". Click on the "Advanced System Settings", this should pop-up a window called "System Properties", click on the "Hardware" tab followed by "Device Manager" and look for "Display adapters". As in the image shown if there are no dedicated graphics cards installed, this could be the problem.

(2) Another reason could be that the fan inside the computer is either malfunctioning or clogged up with dust. A simple cleaning should do the trick in this case.

(3) A badly aligned heat-sink or to do with the melting of the thermal-paste could also be a cause of constant rebooting, in which case it is best you take professional help.

(4) A problem with RAM could also be the issue, the RAM can at times go badly and this can result either in a system slowdown, a blue screen or sometimes a reboot (when computing is shifted to a segment in the RAM that is corrupted). You could use the Windows memory diagnostics to test for RAM related issue. This can be solved by replacing the RAM, and there is no loss of data or any other concerns.

The Windows Memory Diagnostics can be activated by typing "mem" at the start-up and following the instructions given on the screen from there-on.

(5) Rebooting could also be due to the hard-disk, this is one of the more common problems. The hard disk is a component in the computer that stores data, both the user's as well as the system's data. Overtime, the hard disk can develop bad-sectors, the information stored in these sectors are lost. If this data happens to be a vital system related data, then the system can crash leading to a reboot, or a screen freeze. If a hard-disk is failing it can sometimes give out small clicking sounds (do not confuse this with the spinning sound), and this indicates that the hard-disk needs changing. Windows 7 also gives an alert when the HDD status is critical.

The hard disk error can also be checked by right-clicking on the HDD and selecting the 'tools' tab followed by 'check now'. This will automatically check for disk errors.

PC, Mac and iPad are three popular devices, commonly used by people. The most common problems associated with the PC, are software related and at times due to software-hardware conflicts. In the Mac systems, the problems are start-up related or disk related, while in the case of iPad the problems are associated with unresponsive touch screen and the iPad running slow.

About the author: Kelly is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on technology and luxury. Beside this she is fond of technology. Recently an article on cellphone beat attracted her attention. These days she is busy in writing an article on style guru.

T-Mobile LTE 4G in 2013?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Thu, 24 May 2012 13:36:53 PDT

With AT&T’s failed attempt to acquire T-Mobile USA for $39 billion still fresh on everyone’s minds, Deutsche Telekom CEO Rene Obermann told investors in a prepared statement that the future of its U.S.-based operations will likely not include a sale. There have already been a number of rumors circulating about a potential partnership with rivals, including MetroPCS and Sprint Nextel.

Spectrum T-Mobile received from AT&T as part of that merger collapse has put its U.S. operations in a stronger position to move forward with LTE network plans. T-Mobile's LTE rollout is expected to cost the carrier around $4 billion. There has been no word from the carrier on where it might get the additional funds, nor if those funds would come from parent company Deutsche Telekom, which pocketed $3 billion in break-up fees from AT&T.

T-Mobile announced a similar network upgrade plan last year just prior to AT&T’s acquisition bid. T-Mobile plans to install new equipment at 37,000 cell sites and re-farm spectrum in the 1.9 GHz band currently used for its GSM-based services to launch HSPA+ services, which would then allow for the re-farming of its 1.7/2.1 GHz spectrum currently used for HSPA+ services to bolster the spectrum gleaned from the merger break up to launch LTE in the 1.7/2.1 GHz band. T-Mobile LTE spectrum still needs to move through regulatory approval but should allow the carrier to be a better match for offering Apple’s iPhone device, which in its current form taps the 1.9 GHz band for HSPA access.

However, T-Mobile USA currently has about 7,000 towers, which would put it at about No. 5 in domestic tower ownership. The carrier owns strategic assets in California and the Northeast corridor, two regions of the country where it is often difficult to build towers. T-Mobile USA counts nearly 700 towers in the San Francisco Bay area, close to 2,000 in Southern California and close to 700 in the Northeast region of the country. Reports of T-Mobile USA’s interest in selling its tower assets have been circling the mobile industry for years, though the carrier’s recent announcement that it would be spending $4 billion upgrading its network to LTE seems to have placed further emphasis on that sale.

Facebook Promises Big Investment in Mobile

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:57:21 PDT

Facebook Mobile Sponsored Ad

Facebook now boasts more than 901 million users worldwide which is up 33% from 680 million a year ago. 50% of users (488 million) now access Facebook via mobile device each month but Facebook doesn't seem to be monetizing this traffic yet. The Facebook iPad application still needs a bit of work in my opinion as many view photos and status updates on applications like Flipboard. Facebook's user interface is complicated for many users and simplification will be key for mobile engagement.

Facebook will likely look to mobile advertising as a major future source of revenue source. It has promised significant investments in its mobile platform during its IPO road show. “Mobile is a key area of growth for Facebook,” said COO Sheryl Sandberg. Sandberg cited examples including Sponsored Stories posts from friends or Facebook Pages that a business, organization or individual has paid to highlight which are now directly inserted into users' mobile News Feeds.

Sponsored Stories enable advertisers to get distribution of stories directly into user content. Only a small fraction of Facebook's impressions are Sponsored Stories, which gives mobile a lot of room to grow. Facebook plans to invest heavily in mobile, even if its moves have a negative impact on the company's operating margins.

Last month, Facebook purchased photo-sharing application Instagram for $1 billion, its largest acquisition to date. Days later, Facebook snapped up Tagtile, which supplies mobile loyalty and customer management solutions targeting the local business segment.

Facebook sold 421.2 million shares in an IPO at $38 each to raise $16 billion, valuing the social network at $104.2 billion. The stock traded down 10% to $33 the week following. Will Facebook need to acquire other mobile companies in order to gain share in mobile? Will these ads be based on location? Will they pay off for advertisers?

Which Cable Companies Share WiFi Hotspots?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:14:24 PDT

Cable Free WiFi Hotspot Consortium

A group of major U.S. cable companies have joined forces to offer a new Wi-Fi network that will allow each other's high-speed Internet customers to use their Wi-Fi networks across the country. A group of 5 cable providers announced plans to partner on the deployment of 50,000 “metro Wi-Fi” hot spots under the “CableWiFi” brand. The service will allow customers of Bright House Networks, Cablevision, Comcast, Cox Communications and Time Warner Cable to access the Wi-Fi networks when roaming outside of their home cable provider’s footprint.

The cable providers' partnership is similar to how cell phone carriers allow their customers to roam on other networks when traveling. That's intentional: The cable companies say they are looking to compete with mobile carriers' new 4G networks that make broadband-like speeds available everywhere.

"We believe that Wi-Fi is a superior approach to mobile data, and that cable providers are best positioned to build the highest-capacity national network offering customers fast and reliable Internet connections when away from their home or business broadband service," said Kristin Dolan, Cablevision's executive vice president of product management and marketing

For years a number of cities throughout the U.S. have floated the idea of vast Wi-Fi zones offering free Internet access, but the results have been spotty at best, often hindered by complicated business issues and even political considerations. The roaming partnership comes as the cable industry is seeking to differentiate its offerings from rival phone and satellite companies—and when the entire pay-TV industry is trying to keep up with consumers watching greater amounts of video on mobile devices.

A similar roaming agreement was announced in 2010 by Comcast, Cablevision and Time Warner Cable but it has had limited impact. The hot spots appeared on customer's devices under the separate brands of Cablevision's Optimum, Time Warner Cable's Road Runner and Comcast's Xfinity. The service wasn't fully built out in some of the denser areas—like Manhattan—and some customers reported difficulty signing on and getting decent Internet speeds. Cablevision's hot spots have been around since 2008, but only 30% of its broadband customers have used it. Cablevision said that about 250,000 of customers use its Wi-Fi every day.

The bulk of the hotspots are currently located in New York City and the surrounding tri-state area. A handful of other markets, including Los Angeles, Orlando, Philadelphia, and Tampa are also included from the onset. The cable companies expect to add more coverage and availability over time. Cable operators say they will continue to increase the number of available hotspots, particularly in high-traffic locations such as parks, beaches, shopping areas, malls, cafes, restaurants, and sporting and concert arenas.

Wireless carriers are increasingly relying on Wi-Fi technology to help offload traffic from their oversubscribed networks, particularly in crowded areas. But new "femtocell" technology may give carriers an edge on their rivals. Though many carriers are aggressively deploying Wi-Fi hotspots on their own, cable companies would like a piece of the action.

AT&T and Verizon Wireless already offer something similar. AT&T has for years given its smartphone customers free access to AT&T-run Wi-Fi hotspots. AT&T owns more than 20,000 of them in the United States, many of which are located in Starbucks coffee shops and the like. AT&T also has a huge number of hotspots operating in the Times Square and theater district of Manhattan. It put this Wi-Fi network up years ago in part to help reduce the capacity crunch on its cellular network in that area. AT&T has made it seamless for smartphone subscribers to connect to Wi-Fi. As long as they are using an AT&T device, it automatically authenticates with the available AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot.

A new standard called "Passpoint" coming this summer from the Wi-Fi Alliance governing body will allow carriers to automatically switch customers to their Wi-Fi hotspots in crowded areas, without requiring any authentication from the user. That kind of seamless transition will make Wi-Fi a much more appealing option than it is currently for cellular customers.

How will it work? Subscribers will use their log-in credentials for their service provider through a new website called "CableWiFi.com." The credentials will allow them to gain access to the Wi-Fi hotspots run by their own provider, as well as those operated by the other four providers.

iPhone Cases & Effects on Cellular Reception

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Fri, 18 May 2012 16:24:21 PDT

During the development phase of a new iPhone by Apple, a large amount of time is spent on the device's inherent signal strength, the calibration of its signal output and its compatibility with wireless networks. As such, if we assume that every iPhone's signal strength is optimized and that occasional spotty service can be ignored, there is still another unexpected cause for bad cell reception: the phone’s protective case.

For most consumers, the effect of their iPhone 4S case on their reception is still widely unknown. Usually, the purchase of such a case is motivated by the additional protection or personalization it offers. The realization of the case’s negative effects on reception only dawn on users after they experience an increase in dropped calls or an unusually slow connection. Nonetheless, not all cases are created equal and it comes down to choosing the right one.

The iPhone 4S' cellular dual antennas are located on the bottom side of the device. Long term iPhone users may thus have noticed that cupping a hand around the bottom of the phone during calls can cause signal loss and developed their own version of the humorously called "iPhone Death Grip." The iPhone 4 & 4S are especially sensitive to contact around the metal band encircling the phone and the seam on the lower left side of the band as they serve the purpose of covering a series of otherwise exposed antennas.

A drop in signal quality can thus also be caused by a cell phone case that wasn't properly designed to ensure the iPhone's best signal. Indeed, the manufacturers' efforts to create a device with great signal strength sometimes get completely annihilated by a case or cover with lower standards. Generally, it is advised to be careful with accessory manufacturers that are not endorsed by the manufacturer—Apple, in this case.

Among the most common materials used for the different cases —rubber or silicone, aluminum, and carbon fiber— some are often incriminated in the loss of cellular signal and the cause for Radio Frequency Interference (RFI). Carbon fiber cases show average levels of signal inhibition ranging from 40 percent to 60 percent of the original signal strength. Aluminum and other metallic cases obtained similarly high results, making both materials some of the most common reasons for blocked radio frequencies and lower cell signal reception. Ironically, aluminum and carbon fiber cases are on the most-wanted list of materials for iPhone cases because of their trendy and sleek design. Too often, this proves to be the wrong decision when it comes to signal reception.

On the other hand, rubber and other plastic derivatives are a safer solution for cell phone cases. The conductivity of any rubber is usually minimal and thus won't affect the cell phone's signal reception. In most cases, it can even have a positive impact by preventing your skin (more conductible than plastic) to get in contact with the metal rim of the iPhone 4. The most high-quality iPhone 4S rubber cases even use high-end material for a softer touch, a more fashionable look and a virtually undetectable effect on cellular reception. 

If you are extremely concerned about your cellular reception, you might also want to look at the thickness of the rubber or even the color of the item. Carbon and titanium dioxide are common colorants for respectively black and white cases and might thus affect your reception as well.

On a final note, the general recommendation is that you should only buy carbon fiber or metallic cases if you can afford to consistently lose 1-2 bars of signal. Otherwise, a rubber case might be the safer solution.

10 Ways to Improve WiFi Reception

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Thu, 17 May 2012 07:52:14 PDT

Many times it happens that you place a wireless network in your home, but unable to make maximum out of it. People may face slow network connection or intermittent connectivity issues. It may be possible that your router, your network topology or your computer is responsible for this inconvenience. Here, I am going to elaborate top 10 essential aspects that people should keep in mind while setting up their personal wireless network.

1. Router's positioning

Router should be placed in the center space of your home or office. If not, then few computers will unable to connect Internet via wireless router, and result in poor or no signals. For instance, if you place wireless router in the corner of your kitchen and your computer is at the second floor in the complete opposite direction of the router, then you may suffer from weak signal strength.

2. Wireless card

Wireless card installation in the PC is one of the main components responsible for the superior performance of wireless network. A high speed wireless router is useless if the wireless card is unable to cope with it. It is highly recommended that people should install recently updated wireless card that can work at the same speed with wireless router.

3. Wireless channel

Usually, wireless router transmits their signal on radio frequency of 2.4 GHz. some other household objects such as cordless phones, radios, etc. also operate around the same frequency. Therefore, it may lead the channel to bog down with excess traffic, which will affect the speed of wireless connection. In the United States, wireless router has predefined set of 11 channels. Most of them have channel 6 as default. So, changing the channel can reduce interference to some extent.

4. Buy equipments from same vendor

It is a little bit tough that you should buy all network equipments from the same vendor because you don't go for shopping at the same time for all network devices. For instance, DLink card can definite work with NetGear, but DLink-Dlink, or NetGear-NetGear setup can work always better.

5. Driver or Firmware update

Companies keep on updating their drivers or firmware for improving their network devices. So, you should regularly update wireless card's driver and router's firmware. It will enhance the performance and reliability of your wireless network connection. It will also add some latest features to your wireless router.

6. Replace antenna

Most routers are equipped with omnidirectional antenna. This antenna broadcasts the network signal equally within the described area. Therefore, it will be complete waste if you place wireless router in a corner because lots of transmitted signal will go outside your home or office area. A high gain antenna is available in the market these days. It focuses in one direction generally. It is quite simple. You just need to check that your wi-fi router has a removable antenna or external antenna jack.

7. Use 802.11g

The most commonly used network is 802.11b that is widely used by wireless cards. Now, the new standard is out which is 802.11g. This network is five times faster than the previous b standard. If your wireless card supports 802.11g network, then go for latest g standard network for your wireless router.

8. Replace wireless adapter

It may be possible that the slow Internet connection is caused by the wireless adapter equipped in the PC. It comes in the USB form that is inserted into the computer. If your computer is unable to send signals back to wireless router, then also the same issue takes place. It is because the wireless Internet is a two way transmission. You can switch to an external antenna that can improve signal strength. Usually, it is applicable to personal computers. Laptops come with in-built adapter. Most probably they are of high quality installations.

9. Wireless Interference

Generally, wireless routers work on 2.4 GHz frequency. Other household electronics such as microwave ovens or cordless phones can interfere in your wireless network as they also work on the same frequency. To solve this issue, you should use cordless phones and electronic gadgets that operate on 900 MHz or 5.8 GHz frequency.

10. Wireless repeater

If you have a large office or home area where wireless router is unable to send signal to all computer, then you can use wireless repeater to enhance the signal strength. This wireless repeater will receive network signals from main wireless router and will amplify it to resend them. The resulted signals are able to spread in larger area that increases the range of wireless network connection. It will remove the need to install additional wiring.

About the author: Kelly is a blogger by profession. She loves writing on technology and luxury. Beside this she is fond of technology. Recently an article on johnny walker blue label attracted her attention. These days she is busy in writing an article on honda jazz review.

Sprint Femtocell Growth Up 240% in One Year

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:55:51 PDT

Sprint (NYSE:S) now counts 600,000 femtocells on its network in 2012 according to this Fierce Wireless article. This is a big jump from the 250,000 femtocells Sprint said it had deployed as of March of 2011. Sprint also it plans to update its Airave femtocell product to support CDMA services over its 800 MHz network and to enable the products to better work together to coordinate coverage. The updates would be available sometime in 2012.

What is a Sprint femtocell and how much does it cost? Femtocells are essentially mini cellular base stations that users can install in their house or workplace for voice and data coverage, and can route the resulting cellular traffic through a standard wireline Internet connection. The device made by Samsung costs around $99.99 and carriers a $5 monthly fee.

What does the growth of femtocell usage say about carrier macro networks and WiFi alternatives? It says that carrier macro networks are still very congested and that most people are still using their cell phone and smart phones to access data at home and in the office. Will consumers finally learn to use WiFi whenever possible? T-Mobile allows customers to make WiFi phone calls and it works great.

Related Articles:
Sprint Home Cell Tower or Femtocell

T-Mobile + MetroPCS Is Good For Consumers

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Wed, 09 May 2012 11:33:45 PDT

A MetroPCS (NYSE: PCS) and T-Mobile USA owned by Deutsche Telekom (NYSE: DTEGY) merger makes a lot of sense for the following reasons. Here are 10 reasons this would be good for consumers.

Keep the integrity of a discount carrier intact.
MetroPCS has LTE spectrum that T-Mobile USA could use.
More purchasing scale 43M customers (MetroPCS 9M + T-Mobile 34M)
T-Mobile & MetroPCS have dead zone coverage gaps both can fill.
Consumer friendly unlimited data plans would likely continue at both companies.
Fewer competing customers on a network = less data congestion.
Consumers might have the option of using a GSM or CDMA 3G phones.
T-Mobile HSPA+ 4G is very fast and the network is not congested.
MetroPCS 4G LTE is very fast and the network is not congested.
MetroPCS has been very aggressive using femtocell and DAS to improve coverage.

Deutsche Telekom is considering a stock swap transaction. However, I would support raising more capital in a T-Mobile USA IPO after the acquisition. MetroPCS shares jumped almost 30% instantly on the deal and currently has a market capitalization of around $3 billion. MetroPCS seems to have plenty of cash in the bank of $2B and has annual revenue of approximately $5B. So the combination would appear to be a strategy combining entities to have more scale for handset purchasing and spectrum allocation. Considering the closest competitor is AT&T and Verizon who each have 90 to 100M+ subscribers.

MetroPCS has began deploying their LTE network before Verizon. MetroPCS is currently built around a CDMA 3G voice network and would be incompatible with T-Mobile’s GSM/HSPA network. However, in the future T-Mobile could use MetroPCS's LTE channels. Reuters reported in an article "MetroPCS and T-Mobile are not a good technological or customer fit, one analyst said". MetroPCS is a CDMA carrier in 3G and T-Mobile is a GSM carrier. However, LTE is LTE and new handsets should be cross carrier compatible if the industry does the consumers right.

A combination of Leap Wireless 7M subscribers also makes sense in the future but right now LTE spectrum is more important to T-Mobile I would bet.

Related Articles:
Where is MetroPCS Expanding Coverage?

What is Phone Bill Cramming?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Tue, 08 May 2012 09:14:41 PDT

Phone Bill "Cramming" is the placement of unauthorized or misleading charges on phone bills. Ever wonder what those strange charges are on your home phone or cell phone bill? Crammers use confusing telephone bills in an attempt to trick consumers into paying for services they did not authorize or receive, or that cost more than the consumer was led to believe. One company Billing Services Group makes a living by scamming customers like you and me. They charge you for "enhanced services," which may include the following: collect calls, voicemail services, streaming video service, identity theft protection services, directory assistance and one job skills training services.

Billing Services Group (Ticker: BILL) placed charges on nearly 1.2 million telephone lines on behalf of a serial phone crammer. The charges were supposedly for "enhanced services," such as voicemail and streaming video, that consumers never authorized or even knew about. The Federal Trade Commission is seeking a civil contempt ruling against the nation's largest third-party billing company, alleging that Billing Services Group (BSG) placed more than $70 million in bogus "cramming" charges on consumers' phone bills.

What should you do? Review your telephone bill every month with fine tooth comb. Treat your telephone service like any other major consumer purchase or service. Ask yourself the following questions as you review your telephone bill:

Do I recognize all the charges listed on my bill?
What services did the charges provide?
Does my phone bill include charges for calls I did not place or services I did not authorize?
Are the rates and line items consistent my quoted price?

Please comment below if you have any other evidence of carriers colluding and experience about getting refunds.

A Decade Behind Africa in Mobile Payments?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Tue, 08 May 2012 08:29:36 PDT

$96 billion credit card company Visa (NYSE: V) should be embarrassed that it is finally giving U.S. consumers a method for making mobile payments. You have to ask why is a third World continent of Africa 5 to 10 years ahead of the United States which is the technology leader of the World? Is this about monopolies Visa, Master Card (NYSE: MA) and American Express (NYSE: AXP) colluding to protection their turf? Is this about carriers colluding with credit card companies to prevent competition?

These massive companies undoubtedly fear competition stealing their market share and would rather keep the business environment exactly the same in order to protect their merchant relationships. A company like PayPal owned by (Nasdaq: EBAY) could soon become a formidable competitor to Visa, Master Card and American express. Another company Square is also a disruptive player who could disrupt the competition. However, wireless carriers, banks and the Government need to get out of the way and pave the way for smartphone users to make transactions on their phones. In fact, there should be thousands of mobile payment infrastructure companies including companies like Google, Apple & Microsoft.

NFC (Near Field Communication) is a secure mobile standard that carriers have finally agreed upon and allows a secure payment to flow from a phone to a credit card payment terminal. This payment is secure in and encrypted. Its not just about displacing payments from a plastic card to a phone. NFC makes it easier to review credit card account information in real time. It allows you to understand your balance and credit available. Every transaction will be encrypted with a password so if someone steals your phone they will need to know your password in order to perform a transaction.

For Example: M-PESA developed by Vodafone 10 years ago launched commercially 5 years ago by the company’s Kenyan affiliate Safaricom. M-PESA mobile payments (transactions capped at $500) electronic payment and store of value system accessible from ordinary mobile phones. Once customers have an M-PESA account, they can use their phones to transfer funds to both M-PESA users and non-users, pay bills, and purchase mobile airtime credit for a small, flat, per-transaction fee. The affordability of the service has been key in opening the door to formal financial services for Kenya’s poor.

Related stories:
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Sprint Needs a Google Android Paypal Mobile Payment Platform
10 Things A Facebook Phone Could Improve

Verizon 4G LTE Wireless Signal Booster

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Mon, 07 May 2012 16:01:21 PDT

Verizon & AT&T 4G LTE Signal Booster

Now there’s a mobile signal booster for those using Verizon Wireless LTE devices. The Sleek 4G-V from Wilson Electronics was announced this week. You can boost AT&T's 700 MHz LTE (bands 12 & 17) signal as well as all carriers 3G & 2G cellular signals on 800 MHz & 1900 MHz. The boost provides more than 20 times the power of your cell phone alone. This booster will help you stay connected by providing a strong reliable signal in weak-signal areas indoors and outdoors in a car (1 or 2 bars), reducing lost dropped calls and speeding data rates. Its designed for the car but will work anywhere.

The Sleek 4G-V works with all devices on all conventional 2G and 3G networks, except Nextel. FCC type accepted. Below is a diagram on how to setup the antenna for a typical car.

Verizon 4G LTE Signal Booster

Which Cell Phone Signal Booster is Best for Verizon Home?

iPhone Inventories Are Rising

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:10:47 PDT

The iPhone may soon become a lost leader as inventories continue to rise at Apple, AT&T and Verizon. On the earnings conference call today, Apple management stated the iPhone sales are expected to decline in the next quarter. Is this because consumers are waiting for iPhone 5 LTE or for different reasons outlined below.

iPad sales are obviously making up the bulk of Apple's revenue going forward and will become the future of the company. Carriers are becoming less important to Apple as most consumers are buying WiFi only iPads. Are iPhone's priced correctly or are the data plans too expensive? To me their pricing doesn't make sense to pay $600 for an iPhone and $399 to $499 for an iPad. Most smart people realize the carrier subsidy is kind of a bogus pricing scam.

The market for connected devices is changing from smaller 4 inch screens to 10 inch screens on the iPad. 90% of Fortune 500 companies and 70% of Fortune 1000 companies are testing the iPad so this may be the only opportunity for carriers going forward. Carriers need to enable their enterprises to sell iPad 3 LTE data plans.

Apple Has Sold 67 Million iPads

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:43:45 PDT

iPad is the fastest selling product from Apple all time!
35.1 million iPads sold during 1st quarter - March 2011
15.43 million iPads sold during 4th quarter - December 2011

11.12 million iPads during the 3rd quarter – September 2011
9.25 million iPads sold during the 2nd quarter 2011 – June 2011
4.69 million iPads during the 1st quarter 2011 – March 2011

iPad 2 is just now launching in China this quarter.

Apple Selling Lots iPads to Schools

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:23:04 PDT

Schools Using iPad as Teaching Tool

Apple is selling lots of iPads to school systems around the U.S. School systems including San Diego and Redondo Beach have funding initiatives for this effort. The iPad is a fabulous tool for teachers to use as a curriculum tool for their students.

WiFi only iPad 2's are only $399 while the iPad 3 is priced at $499. "The iPad price cut unlocked some education demand for customers who had a bit more price sensitivity," said Tim Cook on the earning conference call today. At this price iPads could last for a long time in schools if properly cared for. It makes sense for school systems to purchase these devices for all students in the classroom.

Verizon & AT&T Waiting For iPhone 5 LTE?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:24:08 PDT

Are Verizon & AT&T Consumers Waiting for iPhone 5 LTE?

Verizon & AT&T scared Apple investors over the few days reporting poor iPhone sales on their earnings calls. At the same time Apple sold 35 million iPhones in the quarter largely supported by Japand and Asia. It has been rumored that the iPhone 5 will be debuted around October of 2013 just in time for Holiday sales. However, is the iPhone 5 LTE really that revolutionary? Yes, speeds are faster but the content experience is still the same and the iPad experience is better.

I tend to think that the iPhone will become a lost leader and the iPad will take its place. Why? Content is consumed much easier on a larger screen. 4 inches on the iPhone vs 10 inches on the iPad is just a better experience. If you are away from WiFi just tether your iPhone to your iPad and you don't need a separate iPad data plan.

Apple Sold 12 Million iPad 3's in Just 2 Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 14:50:15 PDT

In the latest earnings release (Nasdaq: AAPL) sold 12 million iPad 3's in just two weeks in the first quarter. Apple has sold 67M iPads overall since it launched and sold 30M iPads in the first quarter. Apple is just now launching the iPad 2 in China and this is a huge opportunity.

Meanwhile, AT&T and Verizon both struggled to meet their iPhone sales targets in the quarter. Apple is selling iPads just as fast as they can make them. The can't seem to manufacture enough to meet the demand. iPad sales estimates for the year are currently around 27 million and this number is undoubtedly too conservative. I can see AT&T selling more than 50 million iPads this year. Why, because 90% of the iPads being sold are WiFi only and it does not require an expensive carrier data plan.

Are consumers looking at the iPad screen of 10 inches vs 4 inches on iPhone as the new form factor for viewing content? What does this say about the importance of carriers selling and subsidizing phones?

AT&T Reduces Dropped Call Rate in San Diego by 25%

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 14:46:41 PDT

AT&T’S FOCUSED NETWORK INVESTMENT IN THE SAN DIEGO AREA PAYS OFF IN IMPROVED VOICE AND DATA PERFORMANCE

AT&T Reduces Dropped Call Rate in San Diego by 25% and Launches Microsite to Show San Diego’s Local Network Upgrades

san diego, calif., April XX, 2012 — AT&T* continues to drive investment and innovation to improve voice and data performance on its network. From 2009 through 2011, AT&T invested nearly $700 million in its wireless and wireline networks in the Greater San Diego area. Those investments are paying off in strong service performance, including a reduction in the dropped call rate in the San Diego area by 25 percent, keeping more wireless calls connected.

As part of the drive to deliver the nation’s best mobile internet experience, AT&T has made more than 1,075 wireless network upgrades in the San Diego area since the beginning of 2011. Enhancements through April 10, 2012 include:

· Activating approximately 20 new cell sites or towers to help improve network coverage.

· Enhancing nearly 20 cell sites to provide faster mobile Internet speeds.

· Deploying faster fiber-optic connections to nearly 475 cell sites. Combined with HSPA+ technology, these deployments enable 4G speeds.**

· Adding capacity or an extra layer of frequency to cell sites – like adding lanes to a highway – with the addition of nearly 575 of these layers, or “carriers.”

In addition, AT&T officially launched 4G LTE service in the San Diego area on January 8, 2012.***

And, AT&T has now launched the new “focus: San Diego” microsite, which is dedicated to providing San Diegans a birds eye view of these network enhancements. Updated weekly, the microsite provides an unparalleled view, unlike any other in the industry, of what AT&T is doing to enhance the customer experience.

CNN Money recently recognized AT&T for enhancing its wireless network, which is the nation’s largest 4G network and now covers nearly 250 million people. Last year, AT&T completed 150,000 network

400 Billion Skype Calls Per Year

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 16:04:52 PDT

Skype users made over 100 billion calls in the quarter according to Microsoft's earnings conference call. Is it fair to say they will make over 400 billion calls per year. How does this change International calling rates now that it makes 25% of all international calls (see chart below)? Should your talk time rate plans be getting cheaper or will carriers continue to bundle talk time with data plans? Carriers have seen their talk time minutes growth shrinking and this is likely due to alternatives like Skype (see chart below). The billion dollar question is: What is Microsoft's average revenue per call for Skype users? Assuming advertising is the method of payment.

Skype will undoubtedly play a large role in the growth of Microsoft's mobile. cloud and gaming businesses. Lets hope the keep the service free and continue to improve their monetization of the service through advertising.

From Skype Journal

Throttling vs Network Optimization of Traffic

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 14:41:46 PDT

Data Throttling vs Network Optimization of Traffic

The widespread use of smartphones, tablets and other sophisticated mobile devices – coupled with accelerating consumption of rich multimedia applications such as streaming video, live TV, social media, and instant video chat – is driving operators' evolution to LTE and other 4G network architectures for delivering mobile data services. Bytemobile's latest Mobile Analytics Report indicates that a tablet already generates three times the data volume generated by a comparable smartphone. With next-generation technology, including faster networks and larger devices supporting higher-resolution videos, the data generated from a single YouTube clip could increase by five times. Managing network capacity has become not only the single most important business challenge for operators and many are using different techniques.

Throttling mobile data is a method by reducing the speed of packets delivered to the user on the network. Throttling is typically done when a user has exceeded the amount of data in a plan or is congesting the network by downloading too much video or content in an area.

Network optimization is a different technique used by the carriers. It involves caching and compression to reduce the strain on the network. The goal is to not reduced the user experience while preserving bandwidth on the network.

Bytemobile® Smart Capacity™ platforms enable mobile operators to deliver the best possible experience to their subscribers under all network conditions and to differentiate their services based on subscriber usage. The company's solutions have been deployed in the mobile networks of more than 130 operators worldwide to manage escalating demand for capacity due to video and other rich multimedia content and applications. With Smart Capacity, mobile operators can improve utilization of existing capacity and control operating expenses, while increasing revenue growth and profitability. Bytemobile is the industry leader in video optimization with 50 operators under contract.

Byte Mobile's US customers include: AT&T laptop division, Metro PCS, Alltel, Cricket and Sprint. Verizon & T-Mobile are not currently customers and may be using a different method of detecting high data volume users and throttling them instead. MetroPCS is the most widely deployed customer in the US to date.

ByteMobile competitors in include Flash Networks, Open Wave, Cisco, Ericsson, Allot, Sandvine.

To learn more, visit Bytemobile.com.

Which Carrier Has The Fastest 3G & 4G Network?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 10:09:55 PDT

T-Mobile USA HSPA+ and the AT&T LTE networks are the nation's fastest "3G" and "4G" networks, respectively, among Tier 1 U.S. carriers, according to a new study from PCWorld. AT&T, T-Mobile top network speed tests.

PC World conducted tests on the networks of the four Tier 1 carriers in 13 cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle and Washington, D.C. The tests were conducted by Novarum, a strategic wireless consulting firm, and used smartphones suggested by the carriers.

Among "3G" networks, T-Mobile's HSPA+ network performed the best, with average downlink speeds of 3.84 Mbps. AT&T's HSPA+21 network came in second, with average downlink speeds of 2.62 Mbps. Verizon came in third with average speeds of 1.05 Mbps and Sprint came in fourth, with average speeds of 0.59 Mbps.

AT&T's LTE network provided the best downlink speeds among 4G networks, topping out at an average of 9.56 Mbps. That bested Verizon Wireless' (NYSE:VZ) LTE network, which had average downlink speeds of 7.35 Mbps. However, Verizon's LTE network beat AT&T's in uplink speeds, with an average uplink speed of 5.85 Mbps compared with AT&T's 5.15 Mbps.

90% of iPads Sold Are WiFi Only

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:54:26 PDT

90% of tablets sold are WiFi Only

Are these articles why Apple's stock is starting to lose momentum? Fear of Apple cannibalizing their high margin cozy carrier relationship business by selling WiFi only iPads? Read these articles published by DeadZones.com predicting this in 2011 . . .

Wi-Fi Only Tablets Selling More Than 3G

AT&T & Verizon Shoot Themselves in the Foot

WiFi Only iPads Cannibalizing Apple Margins

iPad 3G vs Wifi Cost Comparison

What is Cell Phone Data Throttling?

Why 4G Data May Download Slow

Does Verizon Have Any 4G LTE Customers?

Why DataCaps Are Killing iPhone App Market

AT&T Spent $775M on Upgrades in Washington, DC Area in Last 2 Years

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 09:01:19 PDT

WASHINGTON, April 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- To improve customers' experience, including meeting surging demand for mobile Internet, AT&T* invested nearly $775 million in its Washington, DC area wireless and wireline networks from 2009 through 2011, resulting in significant improvements to the speed and reliability of its service in the nation's capital.

To further improve the customer experience, the company also announced that it is reallocating spectrum from the older, voice-centric 2G network to help add capacity to 3G mobile Internet cell sites. As part of that plan, AT&T is contacting select customers in the DC metro area who use 2G devices to provide them with more details, including options for upgrading their 2G handsets at no cost or low cost while keeping their mobile numbers.

This reallocation of spectrum is one way AT&T is helping address the looming spectrum crunch, an issue facing the entire wireless industry. AT&T's mobile Internet traffic doubled nationally from 2010 to 2011, and has increased 20,000 percent over the past five years.

During 2011, AT&T made nearly 1,400 wireless network upgrades in three key categories in the Washington, DC metro area. These enhancements include:

Deploying faster and more reliable fiber-optic connections to more than 725 cell sites.
Adding capacity – like adding lanes to a highway – with the addition of an extra layer of spectrum, or "carriers" to more than 625 cell sites.
Activating nearly 25 new cell sites or towers to improve network coverage.

"Investments in mobile Internet infrastructure will help drive economic growth and stimulate jobs," said J. Michael Schweder, president, AT&T Mid Atlantic. "Our ongoing investments in Washington, DC will give business, residents and visitors to the District and the region access to a more advanced mobile Internet experience."

In late 2011, AT&T also turned on 4G LTE in the greater Washington, DC area, which is capable of delivering mobile Internet speeds up to 10 times faster than 3G**. Even as 4G LTE expands, AT&T customers are able to enjoy widespread, ultra-fast and consistent 4G speeds on their compatible device as they move in and out of LTE areas. AT&T has two 4G networks that work together for customers, LTE and HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul. With other carriers, when you travel outside of their LTE coverage area, you're on a much slower 3G network.

"We've made these investments because we're committed to improving service in the DC metro area," said Rob Forsyth, vice president and general manager for AT&T in greater Washington/Baltimore. "Today, AT&T customers in Washington, DC have access to the latest technology in our blazing-fast 4G LTE service. Our network allows customers to multi-task by simultaneously using voice and data, a huge advantage in a city where everyone is always on the go, doing several things at once." In the coming year, AT&T plans to continue to expand and improve their wireless network throughout the Washington metro area.

How Much is Verizon's Upgrade Fee?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 17:18:44 PDT

Used Car Salesman at Verizon Wireless Stores

A $30 upgrade fee is ridiculous and out of principle you should leave the arrogant carrier. A "used car salesman like experience" is what you will likely expect going into a Verizon Wireless store today. Verizon is now charging existing customers a new $30 upgrade fee to any existing customers purchasing new mobile equipment at the discounted price with a two-year contract. Verizon is letting some lucky customers trade in their phones to reduce the fee a bit, but how that helps will depend very heavily on what kind of user you are. All negotiable.

Negotiation and hassle is basically what Verizon would like their customers to deal with. Nothing is straightforward and it sounds like everything is negotiable. Atleast that is why my wife said on her last trip to a Verizon Wireless store and that what it sounds like with the new $30 upgrade fee that is negotiable. Verizon bogus statement says:

"This fee will help us continue to provide customers with the level of service and support they have come to expect which includes Wireless Workshops, online educational tools, and consultations with experts who provide advice and guidance on devices that are more sophisticated than ever.While the upgrade fee is not unique to Verizon Wireless, most devices can be traded in with our green friendly trade-in program at verizonwireless.com/tradein as a way to save money or potentially offset the fee completely."

Why Is T-Mobile Charging $15 Per Month for Tethering?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:00:17 PDT

Question: I am a T-Mobile customer with a Blackberry 9700 . I have used my phone as a modem for my laptop without charge since I bought my phone two years ago. This is, in fact, one of the main reasons I chose that phone. Recently, T-Mobile has prevented me from using my phone as a tether, and now is charging $15/mo to do so. I feel that this is a violation of my contact. (The best analogy I can think of is if they started charging a $1 per picture you took with your phone.) In looking around the web to see if others have complained about this, I came across your website. I am wondering whether you know of anyone who has complained about this change and what, if anything, they were were able to do.

Answer: If you were grandfathered into the plan an old T-Mobile Blackberry plan paying $30 per month than you should be able to keep tethering for free. However, all new Blackberry customers now must pay $30 per month plus the additional charge of $15 per month for tethering.

AT&T Shows Network Upgrades in New York

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:55:20 PDT

AT&T LAUNCHES INDUSTRY-FIRST MICROSITE FOR GREATER NEW YORK REGION TO SHOW UP-TO-DATE NETWORK UPGRADES

NEW YORK, MArch 30, 2012 — In response to customer feedback, AT&T* is offering greater New York region wireless users a birds eye view of AT&T’s wireless network enhancements.

Beginning today, New Yorkers can see up-to-date network enhancements in the greater New York region by simply visiting the new “focus: New York” microsite. An industry first, the microsite provides an unparalleled view of what AT&T is doing to enhance the customer experience.

Visitors to the microsite will see a map of the greater New York region, and are prompted to select the city or borough they’re most interested in exploring.

The hyper-local map displays specific network enhancements that AT&T has made in the area since the beginning of 2011, and is updated weekly. Enhancements include new cell sites, broadband speed upgrades, capacity upgrades and network connection upgrades. The focus: New York microsite interactive map is also optimized for most mobile devices.

In the greater New York region**, from the beginning of 2011 through March 26, 2012, AT&T has:

- Built more than 40 new cell sites, providing more bars in the area.

- Upgraded more than 45 cell sites, providing faster mobile Internet speeds.

- Added more than 3,000 carriers to increase spectrum on area cell sites, providing extra capacity to reduce dropped calls and improve service quality at busy times.

- Expanded nearly 2,900 network connections with fiber lines at area cell sites, helping reduce dropped calls and enable 4G data speeds for compatible devices.

AT&T has also created a dedicated Twitter handle, @ATTNYC, that New Yorkers can follow for up-to-date information on what is going on in New York.

In addition to the greater New York region, AT&T has created microsites for: Atlanta, Dallas-Fort Worth, Detroit, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Phoenix, South Florida, St. Louis and Tampa-St. Petersburg. More sites are planned and will be accessible at the “focus: AT&T” landing page.