Dead Zones

Pandora vs Sirius XM: Which is Best?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:32:46 PST

I recently had an epiphany on two recent two hour road trips that made me start to rethink my assumption that Satellite radio is more reliable than 3G / 4G radio. I drove from Los Angeles to Santa Barbara on the 101 Freeway along the coast that notoriously has poor cell reception. I also drove from Los Angeles to Palm Springs during rush hour and a heavy usage period.

I tested both Pandora streaming on my HSPA+ G2 Android phone and Sirius Satellite radio that comes with a factory installed radio inside my Volvo XC90. Which did you think dropped fewer signals and had the best streaming audio experience? Your intuition would make you think the Satellite performed better but you would be wrong. T-Mobile's 3G HSPA+ network worked excellent the entire way along the coast and on the 10 Freeway without stuttering a song once.

So, why is Sirius XM starting to lose signal in areas that you would least expect. Sirius also loses a signal in an area you would expect under bridges and in areas blocked by buildings or a parking structure. Its can be annoying at times when listening to Howard Stern who has funny punch line every few minutes. Is it their terrestrial repeater network that is being congested? Do their satellites need an upgrade or is it interference?

My speculation is that Pandora does a better job of downloading more content and caching songs ahead of time. Pandora caches songs so when you enter areas of poor cellular strength you have radio content to stream. Sirius on the other hand only caches a few seconds of the song or show and therefor if you lose signal you are likely going to lose some of the content.

I also tried something new using my cars new Bluetooth streaming feature that sends audio from my phone into my car stereo speakers. I used the Pandora app on my G2 T-Mobile phone and it work great. Keep in mind I have an unlimited data plan with T-Mobile so I am not worried about going over my data plan. Pandora streaming doesn't use as much data as you'd think so it begs the question, how much data does Pandora use on cell phone?

In conclusion, I think that 3G / 4G / LTE streaming in the car radio has a lot of promise in the future as more consumers realize its pretty easy to do. However, carriers are going to have to be more lenient and transparent about data caps and usage for customer in order to not scare people off. Fore those who have unlimited data plans enjoy your Sirius or Spotify mobile apps as much as you want. The experience is going to have to be cheap for the masses to use it. Therefore, other services will have to be embedded into the car radio like Direct TV, Navigation or OnStar emergency services in order for consumers to pay a premium.

Sirius XM Losing Signal?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 14:47:12 PST

We have been noticing a lot more Sirius XM radio signal drops in the last few months. I was hoping to get a clear technical explanation of why this might be happening from someone knowledgeable at the company. However, my attempts at reaching the appropriate person at the company have been unsuccessful. So I thought I would make a blog post about the topic and hope that someone will find us to explain.

The radio signal seems to drop in areas with a clear view of the sky and where you would least expect it. The signal usually only drops for a few seconds but then it catches up. I live in Los Angeles and apparently thousands of other people around the US are experiencing similar problems. I wonder if its a factor of living on the coast of the US? Do people living in the center of the US have better reception? I would be curious if any truck drivers can tell us what they experience driving across the Country.

We have two Sirius receivers and one is installed as an aftermarket on the dash. The other Sirius receiver is factory installed in Volvo XC90. However, the older aftermarket receiver seems to work the best and the newer more expensive factory receivers seem to drop signal more. We have conclusive evidence of this since we have leased two Volvo XC90's in the last 6 years.

It would NOT surprise me if Sirius XM management is being cheap with their satellite signal upgrades or terrestrial repeaters on the ground. It appears Mel Karmazin is trying to screw Howard Stern out of promised money in his contract and now Howard is sewing him. Sirius is no doubt a penny pinching company it wouldn't surprise me to see a class action law suit if the signal problem gets worse for consumers. One satellite radio company in the market doesn't bode well for competition and the company's stock price (Nasdaq: SIRI) is not performing well and has a ton of debt.

Related Stories:
Sirius & XM Satellite Radio Coverage Map?

Cell Phone Reception for Indy Super Bowl

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:45:26 PST

Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis

AT&T, Verizon and Sprint are getting ready for the huge influx of Patriots and Giants fans for Super Bowl weekend in Indianapolis. The whole area will experience and huge increase in extra cell phone traffic. Lucas Oil Stadium holds 63,000 people and it is highly likely there could be 25,000+ iPhones simultaneously trying to share pictures all at once. The big question is can the carriers 3G and 4G LTE networks handle the capacity? We will be at the Super Bowl in person to find out and share with you our experiences.

Last years Super Bowl in Dallas it was reported that numerous fans complained about the cell coverage inside Cowboy Stadium for the Super Bowl. Most networks just don't have the capacity to handle the traffic all at once. It still surprises me that stadiums have not installed their own Free WiFi networks inside the stadium for fans. Carriers often partner with the stadium to install WiFi / DAS networks in venues like this in order to enhance wireless connectivity. We would love to see more PR on this issue from all the sports leagues including the NFL, NBA, NHL and MLB.

AT&T has made concerted efforts to enhance the network in Indianapolis. Not only are they upgrading the network but they are actually showing customers on a pretty map they call AT&T MicroSites.

One of the other things Patriots and Giants fans will see are these "cells on wheels," which are also called COWS. They are trucks with portable cell towers on top of them. You'll may also see devices hidden in parking garages and other places that will also boost cell power.

Months of planning have gone into the upgrades. "Over the last year, we've made more than 500 improvements in our wireless network alone here in the Indianapolis-metropolitan area," said George Fleetwood.

AT&T isn't the only wireless provider upgrading its network ahead of the big game. Verizon has spent $159 million on upgrades in 30 locations around Indy. Sprint has also beefed up its coverage with several cells on wheels along with major added capacity inside Lucas Oil Stadium.

Google+ Mobile App Drains Phone Battery

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 08:30:45 PST

I have talked with several people who have recently been experiencing iPhone and Android smartphone issues with the recent Google+ mobile app. After installing the Google+ app their phone battery life mysteriously drains very quickly.

Google+ has a lot of potential and I like the application a lot on my computers but the phone still needs some work. The instant photo upload feature is awesome on the phone over WiFi but the application drained the battery too much to keep it on my G2 phone.

Everyone I talked with removed all of the notification and instant upload settings on the phone but this did not solve the problem. Therefore, there must be something more running underneath the application that users cannot control from the application settings. I have also read several blog posts including this one that Google+ contributes to 37% of the phone battery drain. Most applications on the phone take up around 10% of the battery drain so this is abnormally high.

If anyone has any further comments on the Google+ iPhone or Android battery issues please comment under our Google+ phone battery discussion or under the comments below. We would like to be confident this issue is resolved before re-installing the app back on the phone.

Follow Us on Google+

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 14:53:54 PST

Deadcellzones.com has just started using Google+ in an attempt to engage further with readers and red light camera database contributors. Please feel free to post links and articles that might be helpful to our database or for changing laws. You can find Deadcellzones.com Google+ here and don't forget to add us to your circles. I also encourage you to follow Jeff Cohn Google+ as well. DeadZones.com Twitter and Deadcellzones.com Facebook should also be followed if you use them for actively as well.

We are impressed with what Google has launched so far. Its faster and less cluttered than Facebook but hope they encourage people to shorten posts like Twitter does with 140 characters. One of the key points for me though is that it is very intuitive and more flexible for filtering views. I think Google+ will eventually become the platform for business networking and Facebook will become the standard for friends and family networking.

Our audience tends to be a bit more techie so the Google+ platform might be a nice home for our contributors. Google+ is not a Facebook killer but simply a supplement. If you are a heavy Google users for search, email and advertising like we are then enjoy it for the future.

Does Verizon Have Any 4G LTE Customers?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:18:29 PST

What struck struck me today listening to Verizon's (NYSE: VZ) earnings conference call was that Verizon may have overbuilt LTE in expectation that users would just come. Verizon now has over 200 "POPS" or markets that have LTE but it isn't clear how many users are actually buying new LTE phones and using the higher speed service. Verizon's management failed to answer the question on the call of how many users were new to Verizon and how many were using LTE. It begs the following questions:

1) Do LTE phone batteries last long enough? I have heard from several customers that 4G LTE battery life is very poor. 2 hours is just not enough and battery efficiency must improve in order for LTE to take off.

2) Are LTE data plans too expensive? Data caps and prices that start at $30, $50 and $80 per month for data that is not unlimited. 4GB, 10GP and 20GP seems like a consumer trap to me. Without more transparency of data usage this will never work.

3) Verizon sold 15M Android phones in Q4 and 10M iPhones but its not clear how many are new customers. Verizon's iPhone 4S is not LTE and most consumers might not be aware of this. Many of these Android phones are likely 4G LTE but management did not make it clear how many.

4) Was LTE aggressively rolled out in order to try and steal customers from other carriers like AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile? I am not sure this is really happening and think AT&T might feel ok about its more conservative approach to rolling out LTE. Verizon's stock price dropped after earnings and this could be the result of poor shareholder guidance going forward.

5) Verizon says they have a lot LTE new products coming out around Healthcare and in Automobile but this sounds a bit too early in the consumer adoption cycle. These products will undoubtedly be wildly overpriced and not for the masses.

6) Did Verizon overlook that most consumers simply want to use their smartphones and iPad tablets on WiFi and don't need 4G LTE? 3G HSPA+ data services might be plenty of speed for the 90% of the wireless market.

In summary, I will not be bullish on 4G LTE services from any carrier until phone batteries will last up to 8 hours, data plans are unlimited, a cross-platform killer app like Apple Facetime exists, data networks are not constantly congested when you need it most and location based advertising starts subsidizing expensive phones and data plans.

Related Stories:
Are LTE Phone Batteries Ready for Primetime?
Verizon's 4G LTE Dirty Little Secret
Verizon & AT&T Compatible iPhone 5 LTE

4 Must-Have Phone Games

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:25:52 PST

Cell phone games have exploded over the past couple years thanks to the rise of the smartphone. These days phone games aren't just Tetris and Pong, but more like an arcade in your pocket with sophisticated titles. With so many to choose from, it's sometimes hard to sift through the deluge and find that diamond in the rough. A prepaid cell phone doesn't have to be left out of the gaming fun, either. There are plenty of great free cell phone games out there, which are ideal when you're on a prepaid or limited data plan. Whether you're on a budget or just like a good deal, here are 4 great free games available to get your T-mobile phone gaming today.

1. Words with Friends (Zynga) - The latest sensation from Zynga (the studio which brought you Farmville), this game can be played with Facebook friends, a random online opponent, or between you and another friend live. It's essentially Scrabble with a few tweaks, but as a free game it can't be beat for linguaphiles everywhere.

2. Zynga Poker (Zynga) - Zynga Poker is the largest free-to-play online poker game in the world. Players can choose from casual Hold ‘Em tables, tournament play or VIP tables. According to AppData, it is the fourth most popular game on Facebook, four years after its launch. Also available on Google Android and Apple iOS, Zynga Poker has been a top 10 grossing game in the Apple App Store.

3. Madden NFL 10 (EA Mobile) - The classic football sim comes to your phone with this game free for T-Mobile Android phone users. This includes all 32 NFL teams and 300 plays to choose from, it's a full gaming experience. The latest edition, Madden NFL 12, can be had for only $6.99.

4. Angry Birds (Rovio Mobile Ltd.) - Free for most Android phones and iPhones, no list would be complete without this titan of the mobile gaming industry. It's popular for good reason, too. Tight physics puzzle game-play is paired up with a whimsical design and simple controls to make this an addictive game perfect for he mobile platform. Its a perfect game for the youngest of kids to learn the basics of using an iPad or touch tablet computer.

Verizon & AT&T Compatible iPhone 5 LTE

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:44:46 PST

Verizon & AT&T Compatible iPhone 5 LTE

Apple now how the power to do what is right for consumers. Its about time that consumers have the ability to switch to any LTE carrier without having to buy a new phone. The United States desperately needs a way for consumers to choose a carrier not by quality of service in their region and easily switch if that service changes. Most mobile phone consumers around the World have the luxury of picking their smartphone first and their carrier second. The United States is a bit backwards and the carriers control and subsidize the handset costs in order to lock customers in.

However, this could all change if Apple launches the iPhone 5 that is carrier agnostic. LTE is designed around the World to be cross carrier compatible. However, the US carriers seem like they are structuring the technology of phones to once again be incompatible. The Government and FCC must regulate to make sure that LTE is compatible across carriers because consumers want to pick the best service in their area. Increased competition is what LTE needs in order for consumers to get a fair shake.

I also really hate the way carriers are currently positioning the draconian "data caps" and screwing consumers. This really ticks me off and is not a good sign that mobile consumers are going to have many choices in the future. The FCC needs to get involved in this process and make sure LTE phone compatibility is achieved. Sprint and T-Mobile better hold off and stick to their unlimited data plans because I will never sign up for a data plan or contract that has data caps. I am not convinced that LTE is that much better than HSPA+ and will have to wait and see if tablets are the reason to upgrade from 3G to 4G.

What Android Version Do I Have?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 16:05:43 PST

How do you determine which Android operating system you have on your smartphone or tablet? It is pretty easy to do, by simply clicking on Settings / About Phone. Scroll down and look for "Android version" and there will be 3 numbers. For example, my G2 T-Mobile smartphone has "Android 2.3.4", which would be Android Gingerbread. The Android version code names are in alphabetical order with the most recent release being Ice Cream Sandwhich 10.3 v4.0.3 as of CES 2012. (See versions below)

Android Ice Cream Sandwich

10.1 v4.0.1

10.2 v4.0.2

10.3 v4.0.3

Android Honeycomb

9.1 v3.0

9.2 v3.1

9.3 v3.2

9.4 v3.2.1

9.5 v3.2.2

Android Gingerbread

8.1 v2.3

8.2 v2.3.3

8.3 v2.3.4

8.4 v2.3.5

8.5 v2.3.6

8.6 v2.3.7

Android Froyo

7.1 v2.2

7.2 v2.2.1

7.3 v2.2.2

7.4 v2.2.3

Android Eclair

6.1 v2.0

6.2 v2.0.1

6.3 v2.1

Android Donut

5 v1.6

Android Cupcake

4 1.5

Android Astro

3 v1.1

Android Bender

2 v1.0

Android Alpha

Android is a mobile operating system developed by Google used for developers of smartphones, tablets and netbooks. Every carrier today including AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile use some derivative of the operating system on their Android phones. Unfortunately, the complexity of Android versions on the market has made marketing the phones confusing to many consumers. Unlike Apple which has a closed development platform, Google has an open development platform that allows bleeding edge developers and manufacturers to stretch the limits of the software.

Carriers are typically several versions behind rolling out the new features of the system. If you are wondering what new features have been added in the new Android version see this link of Android version features. It can often take up to a year or more of testing before the new versions are automatically downloaded and upgraded into phones. You can also check under System Updates under settings to see if you have any updates available.

Are LTE Phone Batteries Ready for Primetime?

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 15:13:18 PST

Is 2 hours of battery life compelling enough make you want to go out an purchase a new LTE phone? LTE stands for Long Term Evolution and is a new standard beyond 3G which makes the download speed twice as fast as your 3G HSPA+ phone. LTE is an alternative to WiFi for downloading content when you are out of the home or office. We all know how WiFi drains your battery and it appears the LTE is going to drain the battery even faster. Smartphone batteries need to last at minimum 6-8 hours without a charge and 3G HSPA+ phones can barely do that today.

LTE phones were a big theme a CES 2012 but I am a bit skeptical about the consumer adoption forecasts. As a consumer I think I would buy an LTE tablet before that of a smartphone. I just don't find it compelling enough to consume content on the smartphone. Speed is not the most important part of a phone user experience. Battery talk time is most important, followed by data connectivity reliability and then finally content download time. 3G HSPA+ works pretty well if you are not in congested area and think the speed and price point are currently enough. When I want to consume content I am typically within the range of WiFi and this will work fine. Most tablets have larger embedded batteries and thus enable consumers to use LTE for longer periods.

Don't be surprise to see Apple roll out a new iPad and iPhone that is LTE compatible on either carrier. Today, LTE phones are not compatible across carriers but I think Apple will be the first manufacturer to make one.

Verizon Droid 2 Upgrade Problems

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 21:17:18 PST

The Verizon Droid 2 phone users are apparently having a lot of upgrade problems. Phones are freezing while typing text messages and Verizon is aware of the issue. Is this a Motorola, Android problem or a Verizon manufactured problem in order to get users to upgrade their phones and plans. Verizon does not offer much help to even long time customers for a new phone or an upgrade. Here is some discussion about the Droid 2 tech problems and bugs at Droid 2 discussion forum. However, these discussion don't solve the problem for customers who just want their phone to work and are not tech savvy.

As usual going into a Verizon store is horrible great experience as their arrogance handicaps their ability to solve problems for customers. Instead they would rather trick their customers into upgrading their phones when they don't want to. The specific phones having problems are the Droid MOTA956 model.

If you bark loud enough you will probably get a new phone sent to you.

Releasing Cell Phone Numbers

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:30:03 PST

False email email messages are going around again warning that a directory of cell phone numbers is about to be published and urges cell phone users to dial 888-382-1222 to list mobile numbers with the Federal Do Not Call Registry to prevent telemarketing calls. This is false and do not fall for the trick. There is not deadline and the rumor is false.

REMEMBER: Cell Phone Numbers Go Public this month.

REMINDER..... all cell phone numbers are being released to telemarketing companies and you will start to receive sales calls.

.... YOU WILL BE CHARGED FOR THESE CALLS

To prevent this, call the following number from your cell phone: 888-382-1222. It is the National DO NOT CALL list It will only take a minute of your time.. It blocks your number for five (5) years. You must call from the cell phone number you want to have blocked. You cannot call from a different phone number.

HELP OTHERS BY PASSING THIS ON .. It takes about 20 seconds

What should you do? You can do nothing or add your cell phone number to the National Do Not Call Registry.

It's true that a few years ago, several of the wireless carriers providers established a universal cell phone directory, but the plan did not publish everyone's cell phone numbers for the public to see. They were also not "released to telemarketers" as stated above. The directory was to be made available only via telephone, only to those who dialed directory assistance and paid a fee, and only with individual wireless customers' consent.

How To Find The Best Smartphone

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 16:11:12 PST

FindTheBest is an advanced consumer-friendly site offering feedback from primary data sources such as manufacturer websites, expert reviews, and public databases into an easy-to-use format to simplify the decision-making process. In any instance, you want to know exactly what to expect when purchasing smartphones, tablets, digital cameras, iPhone, headphones and laptops; some customers go out of their way to hand-pick the best piano-keyboard, too.

Unlike other tech gadget sites, FindTheBest makes the buying process easy by comparing the latest smartphones reviews with its Smart Ratings given a normalized score based on favorable, mixed and unfavorable reviews. Each rating has a designated color to help in managing your research - green is for favorable reviews, yellow for mixed reviews and red for unfavorable reviews.

Check out this slide-show of some of the top smartphones…

Compare All Smartphones

Another well-suited tool offered by FindTheBest is its data-driven content platform (DDCP) that helps blend content from all of its resources to format information in an easy comparison for buyers. Anyone interested in finding reviews online can search the company's website, but it is important to identify your needs first.

FindTheBest outlines phone specs and then allows you to compare prices of multiple wireless service carriers to help you buy the smartphone. Take your time in purchasing a great phone because the longevity and constant upgrades may incur more costs from your carrier.

If you want the truth behind finding the best smartphone, consider visiting FindTheBest for all of your electronic reviews, star ratings and suggestions from everyday consumers like you. FindTheBest is a useful resource for everything from the best ski resorts to the latest laptops with 4GB RAM.

Zynga Owns the Mobile App Gaming Market

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 17:04:37 PST

Zynga Mobile & Facebook Apps

Zynga (Nasdaq: ZNGA) went public last week raising $1 billion dollars in its IPO at $10 per share. The company is making money a lot of money through its digital goods sales and clearly has the number one position in the mobile app gaming space. Zynga has a market cap of $6.5B and will do almost $1 billion dollars in revenue this year while growing like a weed with over 100% growth. There isn't much that can stop this company from growing except may Facebook and I think it has the potential to be the next huge IPO winner like Google back in 2000 when it went public at $100 per share. Companies like Microsoft XBox, Play Station and Electronic Arts should be very nervous about their business models which will certainly be challenged in the future by Zynga.

The growth opportunity for Zynga is enormous and their games are incredibly engaging. For older folks Words with Friends and Poker are most compelling and have a lot of user upside growth remaining. The iPad and Kindle tablet revolution is making the experience incredible on 7 to 10 inch tablet screens while lying on the coach or in bed. Most people play the games for free and a small portion of users purchase in game upgrades. I wouldn't be surprised to see advertising on the game platforms in the coming quarters to boost up per user revenue.

One concern I do have is the enormous pressure to keep users simultaneously connected while playing multi-player games. I have noticed several times with play Zynga Poker that users drop off due to temporary network data congestion or suddenly entering a cell phone dead zone. Thankfully its not real money when playing Zynga Poker so if you get disconnected by your cell phone network or Wi-Fi, you probably won't lose sleep over it. I think Zynga will have to do a better job of notifying gamers about the quality of their connection on the Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G or LTE network. Today, users have tolerance for drop outs but this may get old if it does not improve in the future.

The following data below shows a ranking of apps and highlights which apps are owned by Zynga. 8 of the top 40 apps, not just games are owned by Zynga. Thank you to App Data for providing this information.

	Name	Active Users
1.	Static HTML: iframe tabs	59,800,000
2.	CityVille (Zynga)	48,800,000
3.	MyCalendar - Birthdays	41,400,000
4.	CastleVille (Zynga)	37,700,000
5.	FarmVille (Zynga)	32,100,000
6.	Texas HoldEm Poker(Zynga)	28,800,000
7.	The Sims Social	27,900,000
8.	Bing	26,400,000
9.	BandPage by RootMusic	25,800,000
10.	Static Iframe Tab	21,800,000
11.	Microsoft Live	21,700,000
12.	Yahoo!	20,000,000
13.	MiCalendario - Cumpleaños	16,800,000
14.	Empires & Allies (Zynga)	16,200,000
15.	Samsung Mobile	14,500,000
16.	Welcome tab app for Pages	13,700,000
17.	Words With Friends (Zynga)	13,500,000
18.	Scribd	13,300,000
19.	TripAdvisor™	12,400,000
20.	Band Profile: Profile Pages for Musicians	12,300,000
21.	Diamond Dash	11,800,000
22.	21 questions	10,900,000
23.	Spotify	10,800,000
24.	Yelp	10,800,000
25.	Iwipa Website: HTML + iframe + FBML	10,600,000
26.	Pagemodo Custom Welcome Tab	10,500,000
27.	Wildfire's iFrames for Pages	10,400,000
28.	HTC Sense	10,100,000
29.	Skype	10,100,000
30.	Bubble Witch Saga	9,900,000
31.	Daily Horoscope	9,900,000
32.	Bubble Island	9,700,000
33.	Pandora	9,600,000
34.	Adventure World Indiana Jones Game (Zynga)	9,500,000
35.	Badoo	9,390,890
36.	eBuddy	9,200,000
37.	Tetris Battle	8,900,000
38.	Bejeweled Blitz	8,800,000
39.	Gardens of Time	8,600,000
40.	Yahoo!	8,500,000

Dish Network + T-Mobile + Light Squared

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:55:08 PST

I really like the idea of mega merger / distribution deal between Dish Network + T-Mobile + Light Square's GPS spectrum could be a great deal for investors as well as consumers. A combination merger / distribution deal would finally be an company that might have the ability to compete with Verizon & AT&T which have a combined 180+ million customers. T-Mobile still has 30 million happy wireless customers in the US which makes it the 4th largest carrier but has a owner Deutsche Telecom who wants to sell and needs spectrum to compete in the future. T-Mobile customers are price sensitive and typically save hundreds of dollars per year on comparable wireless coverage. However, most industry analysts "poo poo" T-Mobile and think the company is dead without new spectrum becoming available or without being purchased another viable entity because of its need for wireless spectrum to compete. This

What companies are capable of doing this? Google, Apple, Dish Network, DirectTV or Comcast who have complimentary interests in the TV business. Dish Network recently purchase Sling Box which is a phenomenal product for viewing your home live TV from on your phone. I use Sling Box with Verizon FiOS on my T-Mobile 4G phone currently and love it. Watching and controlling your TV from your phone is a great experience even from the moving car. Especially, when you are grandfathered into an unlimited data plan.

Is the AT&T + T-Mobile merger about scarcity of spectrum or do they really want T-Mobile price sensitive customers who will likely leave? The spectrum allocation scarcity issue has been wildly mismanaged and created by the FCC. In other countries around the world spectrum is shared and works much better. However, spectrum hoarding has become a business to fend off competition and keep prices artificially high. Thus the reason why the U.S. needs 4 large carriers to keep the industry competitive and price sensitive. Having two CDMA (Verizon & Sprint) and two GSM carriers (AT&T & T-Mobile) is the key to making competition thrive and without this consumers will lose.

If you are a customer on T-Mobile using their HSPA+ network the experience is quite good if you live in an area that has coverage. The fewer people around you competing for coverage at the tower means the better bandwidth and coverage you have on your phone. As a T-Mobile customer you are competing against 30M people vs AT&T or Verizon who have 90M people. More people = more spectrum required to make all of your data hungry users happy.

Enter Light Squared into the carrier equation in the last few years which is trying to build out a satellite network that would provide 4G LTE coverage. Light Squared is a dramatically new way of thinking for a telecom industry which seem incessant on resisting change and protecting their turf. The turf they are protection are the billions invested into tradition cell phone tower networks. Light Squared is disrupting the traditional cellular network by deploying 4G LTE coverage via satellite networks. In theory, this means better coverage in remote areas that traditionally not reached by cell phone towers.

Related Story:
The Coalition To Save GPS Smells Bad

The Coalition To Save GPS Smells Bad

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 16:47:09 PST

1) There are too many old school organization members that are trying to protect turf.
2) The lobbying groups behind the organization have conflicts of interest?
3) Light Squared paid for spectrum and now they are being prevented to use it?
4) It seems like the sole purpose of the organization is to destroy a company Light Squared that is doing something very disruptive in the communications space.
5) Light Squared has no customers yet and has not been tested in the real world.
6) Please share other reasons this organization might be a fraud below.

Here is how the organization describes itself and you can read more at Saveourgps.org.

Representatives of a wide variety of industries and companies have joined a "Coalition to Save Our GPS" to resolve a serious threat to the reliability and viability of the Global Positioning System (GPS). A national utility upon which millions of Americans rely every day.

To safeguard GPS, the Coalition seeks a number of remedies from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), which recently granted a waiver to a company called LightSquared that allows them to repurpose the satellite spectrum immediately neighboring that of the GPS.

LightSquared plans to transmit ground-based radio signals that would be one billion or more times more powerful as received on earth than GPS's low-powered satellite-based signals, potentially causing severe interference impacting millions of GPS receivers - including those used by the federal agencies, state and local governments, first responders, airlines, mariners, civil engineering, construction and surveying, agriculture, and everyday consumers in their cars and on handheld devices.

Here are some of the member organization trying to block the use of spectrum for to improve cellular coverage in remote areas that don't have cell towers.

Aeronautical Repair Station Association (ARSA) Ag Leader Technology AGCO Agricultural Retailers Association (ARA) Air Transport Association (ATA) Aircraft Electronics Association (AEA) Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA) American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) American Petroleum Institute (API) American Car Rental Association (ACRA) American Congress on Surveying and Mapping (ACSM) American Council of Engineering Companies/Council of Professional Surveyors (ACEC/COPS) American Rental Association (ARA) American Sailing Association (ASA) Associated Society of Agronomy (ASA) Associated Equipment Distributors (AED) Associated General Contractors of America (AGC) Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Association of American Geographers (AAG) Association of American Railroads (AAR) Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) Avidyne Corporation BoatU.S. - The Boat Owners Association of The United States California Land Surveyors Association California Space Authority (CSA) Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) Case New Holland Caterpillar Deere & Company Delta Air Lines Edison Electric Institute (EEI) Equipped to Survive Foundation, Inc. (ETSFI) Esri Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) Farm Equipment Manufacturers Association (FEMA) FedEx Fire Department of New York (FDNY) Garmin General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) GROWMARK, Inc. Hemisphere GPS Inside GNSS International Air Transport Association (IATA) Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) Leica Geosystems MACHINE CONTROL Online Magellan GPS Maricopa County Department of Transportation (MCDOT) Mid-Atlantic Aviation Coalition-New Jersey (MAAC-NJ) National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA) National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) National Cotton Council of America (NCCA) National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) National Utility Contractors Association (NUCA) Networkfleet New World Systems North American Equipment Dealers Association (NAEDA) North Dakota Implement Dealers Association (NDIDA) OmniSTAR Orienteering USA OXBO International Corporation Payment Assurance Technology Association (PATA) PeopleNet PocketGPSWorld.com Ltd Regional Airline Association (RAA) Reinke Mfg. Co. Inc. Southwest Airlines SurveyorConnect The Manitowoc Company, Inc. TomTom Topcon Positioning Systems Trimble UPS USA Rice Federation VERIPOS

Related Stories:
Dish Network + T-Mobile + Light Squared

Carrier IQ Sued in Delaware Federal Court

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 10:06:57 PST

Apple, HTC, Samsung, Motorola, AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Carrier IQ Sued in Delaware Federal Court in Cell Phone Tracking Software Scandal. See Press Release here.

WILMINGTON, Del., Dec. 2, 2011- The law firms of Sianni & Straite LLP of Wilmington, DE, Eichen Crutchlow Zaslow & McElroy LLP of Edison, NJ, and Keefe Bartels L.L.C. of Red Bank, NJ, have today filed a class action complaint in Federal Court in Wilmington, Delaware related to the unprecedented breach of the digital privacy rights of 150 million cell phone users. The complaint asserts that three cell phone providers (T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T) and four manufacturers of cell phones (HTC, Motorola, Apple and Samsung) violated the Federal Wiretap Act, the Stored Electronic Communications Act, and the Federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act.

The carriers and manufacturers were caught last month willfully violating customers' privacy rights in direct violation of federal law. A technology blogger in Connecticut discovered that software designed and sold by California-based Carrier IQ, Inc. was secretly tracking personal and sensitive information of the cell phone users without the consent or knowledge of the users. On Nov. 30, 2011, the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary said in a letter to Carrier IQ that "these actions may violate federal privacy laws." It added, "this is potentially a very serious matter."

David Straite, one of the attorneys leading the action, noted "this latest revelation of corporate America's brazen disregard for the digital privacy rights of its customers is yet another example of the escalating erosion of liberty in this country. We are hopeful that the courts will allow ordinary customers the opportunity to remedy this outrageous breach." Steve Grygiel, co-counsel for the proposed class, agreed: "anyone who cares at all about their personal privacy, or the broader constitutional right to privacy, ought to care and care a great deal about this case." Barry Eichen added, "today's comment from Larry Lenhart, CEO of Carrier IQ, that his software is somehow good for consumers starkly demonstrates what is at stake."

A copy of the Class Action Complaint in Pacilli v. Carrier IQ, Inc. can be viewed on the Firms' websites at www.siannistraite.com, www.keefebartels.com, and www.njadvocates.com.

Plaintiffs are represented by Sianni & Straite LLP, a Delaware-based litigation firm with a branch office in New York, Keefe Bartels LLC, a New Jersey-based plaintiffs' rights trial law firm, and Eichen Crutchlow Zaslow & McElroy LLP, a leading plaintiffs firm with three offices in New Jersey.

Consumer Reports Cell Service Ratings by City

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 10:05:08 PST

Does this Consumer Reports survey of 66,000 people have any credibility for a cell phone service shopper? This survey represents a narrow demographic of respondents. Even Consumer Reports states their “Findings might not reflect the general U.S. population.” Also, it is indeed a survey and does not contain any empirical testing of the type that has made Consumer Reports the respected entity it is today.

But the main reason these results are not meaningful, or fair for that matter, is the lack of information regarding smartphone users vs. old school phone users, broken down by the wireless provider being rated. Why is this important? Smartphones demand a much higher quality of service and bandwidth to operate. Even Consumer Reports implies that users who use their wireless devices primarily for talking and texting (non smartphone customers) are easier to please than those who have smartphones, who require more demanding tasks such as web surfing and watching videos.

Consumer Reports does not provide any data as to which providers in the survey were rated by smartphone subscribers vs. non smartphone subscribers. Thus, their results are comparing apples-to-oranges. For example, is it meaningful or fair to compare Provider A who, for example, was rated by customers who primarily use smartphones vs. Provider B, who was rated by customers who primarily use non smartphones? I think not.

Based on my years of running this web site, I can conclude that some wireless providers have a larger percentage of smartphone subscribers than others. These smartphone subscribers are, by nature, sophisticated, demanding and particular. Other providers have a larger percentage of non smartphone subscribers who are typically lower paying, less sophisticated customers who are happy with status quo and using older phones. These customers, of course, would be happier with their service.

My take? Consumer Reports should divulge the percentage of smartphone and non smartphones subs rating each wireless provider. This key information would allow readers to make fair and meaningful comparisons.

Deadcellzones.com surveys an audience of similar size of 60,000 but does so on a monthly basis. Thus we survey an audience that is 10 times larger than consumer reports. DCZ also provide searchable maps with very specific geographic information about coverage problems. Ask yourself which is more useful as a consumer shopping for service in your area?

Carrier IQ Claims to Ignore Personal Info

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 10:42:25 PST

Connecticut-based systems administrator Carrier IQ has found itself in hot water of late. Gizmodo recently broke the story that revealed how the company tracked information on most Smartphones without users’ knowledge or ability to opt out. This revelation came to light via the YouTube video posted by Android developer Trevor Eckhart which demonstrated that Carrier IQ circumvents web encryption to pick up on passwords, Google queries, and other web activities.

Predictably, wireless customers have been outraged, and carriers themselves have sought to distance themselves from the company. Furthermore, Senator Al Franken sent Carrier IQ CEO Larry Lenhart a stern letter warning of possible legal action and demanding explanation by December 14.

CIQ has recently come to its own defense, however. They are insisting that their intentions are altruistic rather than malevolent. The company released a statement assuring the wireless community that they do not store SMS messages, e-mail, photos, audio, or video recordings. "We measure and summarize performance of the device to assist Operators in delivering better service," they explained. Additionally, CIQ has claimed that the monitoring operations they undertake are totally on the behest of the carriers.

Andrew Coward, CIQ’s VP of Marketing told The Wall Street Journal’s All Things D that, while the software listens for specific, keystrokes to send diagnostic information to the carriers, they are not privy to the actual message. They claim to ignore your personal information but still have access to it.

“If there’s a dropped call, the carriers want to know about it,” Coward clarified. “So we record where you were when the call dropped, and the location of the tower being used. … Similarly, if you send an SMS to me and it doesn’t go through, the carriers want to know that, too. And they want to know why — if it’s a problem with your handset or the network.”

Coward also maintained that CIQ does not share the data with any 3rd party operators, and thus consumers have nothing to fear.

Senate Investigation of Carrier IQ Spyware

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:29:55 PST

U.S. Senator Al Franken just sent Carrier IQ a nasty letter. Today Franken fired off a letter to Carrier IQ CEO Larry Lenhart raising questions about the company's practices and demanding answers by December 14. Earlier this week a story was launched by Gizmodo that Carrier IQ is Secretly Recording your Mobile Phone Actions.

It appears the Carrier IQ software captures a broad swath of extremely sensitive information from users that would appear to have nothing to do with diagnostics—including who they are calling, the contents of the texts they are receiving, the contents of their searches and the websites they visit. These actions may violate federal privacy laws, including the Electronic Communications Privacy Act and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. This is potentially a very serious matter. Read the letter below. Click to enlarge.

Carrier IQ is Secretly Recording Your Phone

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 15:35:49 PST

If you have a newer Android phone, everything you do is being recorded by hidden software lurking inside. It even circumvents web encryption and grabs everything—including your passwords and Google queries. Worse: it's the handset manufacturers and the carriers who—in the name of "making your user experience better"—install this software without any way for you to opt-out. This YouTube video, recorded by 25-year-old Android developer Trevor Eckhart, shows how it works. This is bad. Really bad. See details of this article first posted by Gizmodo.

The spying software is developed by a company called Carrier IQ. In their site, the company says they are "the only embedded analytics company to support millions of devices simultaneously, we give Wireless Carriers and Handset Manufacturers unprecedented insight into their customers' mobile experience."

Is this the best way to track user experience, dropped calls and coverage problems? I think there is a better way and Deadcellzones.com has demonstrated that consumers are capable of reporting problems directly to a web site if given the resources to do it. Carrier IQ is a well funded VC backed company that tracks billions of anonymously reported coverage problems and dropped calls by passing along this data directly to the carrier. The receive millions of dollars per year from carriers to track this. However, does the carrier even do anything with the data despite the reported issues? Is this the classic "deer in headlights" problems with billions of reception problems reported. Isn't there a better way to prioritize the problems people are experiencing? How about try crowdsourcing coverage problems from actual customers. Deadcellzones.com is certainly a model to start thinking about.

Related Stories:
U.S. Senate Investigation of Carrier IQ
Carrier IQ: Mobile Service Intelligence ?'s

Apple iOS 5.0.1 Brings Life Back to 4S Battery

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 08:20:30 PST

For anyone who rushed out and purchased a brand new iPhone 4S, they were greeted with several new and innovative features. The new iCloud provides all Apple users a chance to access the company's infrastructure as a service options from any device they own. Siri became the talk of the town when its artificial intelligence capabilities were announced. The camera on the 4S model even got a major upgrade to a professional model.

The one thing that has stifled most anyone from actually using any of these new and exciting services was the major battery life that the new device consumed. When Apple released their latest operating system through iTunes, owners of the new device reported that they were not getting much use out of the device because of the short life span. As reported by Mashable, the bugs and battery life did not only affect the new iPhone 4S, but older devices like the iPad and iPhone 4.

According to the official report from apple as seen on MSNBC's Technolog, the new iOS 5.0.1 upgrade fixes bugs in battery life, allows first generation iPad users to multitask, fixes bugs with documents in the iCloud, and even improves voice recognition on Siri for people with Australian accents.

According to a report on CNN, one of the major reasons for the battery drain on the iOS 5 was the prominence of location based apps and GPS trackers. When users simply turned the options off they experienced better battery life, but didn't receive the full experience of the new operating system and the new iPhone 4S. In order to combat negative publicity, the company decided to offer free cases while it worked on the problem.

As with the launch of any new device, there are always problems associated with the first versions. If still in beta, the iOS 5 bugs would not have been detected by the relatively small testing base. Now with most of the bugs kinked out, normal users can go about using the new managed server hosting, camera, and voice recognition services without fearing they will miss an important call because of a dead battery.

Verizon Phones Suddenly Not Working

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:26:30 PST

My wife's Droid phone keyboard suddenly stopped working and I am beginning to think there are other people who are having the same problem. Typing on the keyboard is impossible and it stops after a few letters. The arrow key does not work to go back as well. She ran into a few friends also on Verizon and the store and it appears that they are having the same issue. However, this time it was on a Blackberry phone.

Is Verizon making changes in their customers settings remotely without telling customers? Is this a big conspiracy to get Verizon customer to upgrade their phone during the Holiday shopping period? I am beginning to wonder if Verizon is tampering with their customers phones in order to make them go into a store and upgrade. Please share your experiences below if your phone settings are suddenly getting changed and causing technical issues.

After doing some research on Twitter it appears other customers are having similar issues. See this Twitter search for "Verizon Phone Not Working".

Black Friday Smartphone Deals

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 13:59:26 PST

Black Friday is nigh, and the web is crawling with fantastic deals on cell phones and related technology products. Cell phone manufacturers and distributors alike know how competitive the draw for customers is, and they’ve consequently made a great showing this year.

For example, Amazon Wireless is offering a selection of Android phones for Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint for just one cent. Admittedly it comes with a contract (that costs more than a cent), but that price is still a steal for models like the HTC Droid Incredible, the Motorola Droid X, and the Samsung Captivate. The T-Mobile MyTouch 3G slide is also available for a penny at Costco.

T-Mobile has announced a buy-one-get-one-free promotion on featured smartphones for customers signing up for a two year family plan, and Verizon is giving away their $100 jawbone Icon Bluetooth headset to buyers of select smartphones.

Retailers have hopped on the Black Friday bandwagon as well. Best Buy is selling the RIM Blackberry Style for $69.99 ($30 off) and you could get the HTC Evo 4G and Samsung Epic 4G online from Radio Shack for $149.99 and $199.99, respectively. The Samsung Continuum is available at Target at the $120 discount of $79.99, and Quantum Wireless’ Black Friday sales include the YX545 cell signal booster from Wi-Ex zBoost.

If you’ve been itching for a new smartphone or other gadget of the sort, now is the time to make good on it. Deals this good only come about once a year, so get on them while they still last.

Cool New Features of the iPhone 4s

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Cohn) — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 17:12:09 PDT

Cool New Features of the iPhone 4s

While the press conference for the release of the latest incarnation of the iPhone was less than enthralling, there were some important product features and services which got serious upgrades. The social media site Mashable reported that the device will retail for the normal amount, $199 for 16gb, and will now be available on three different carriers. Here are some more specs about the new device:

More Power

As expected, the new iPhone 4s will be much more powerful than its predecessors. It will have a dual core processor and dual core graphics which will make gaming an even more exciting experience. It will come equipped with the new A5 chip and have a gig of RAM. Vice President of Apple Phil Schiller said that the new iPhone will be up to seven times faster than the current incarnation of the device.

A Better Camera

There will be even more reason for aspiring photographers to purchase the new iPhone 4s. It is reported to have an 8-megapixel camera that will take shots up to 60 percent larger than before. There will also be a face detector which will allow for better focused pictures. All of the apps with unique photo filters, borders, and effects will become much more relevant.

Siri

Remember when Blackberry and other PDA systems were the most innovative ways to organize your information? The times have drastically changed and you no longer have to keep your information stored in those clunky mobile devices. With the use of voice recognition technology, Apple will introduce Siri along with the new iPhone 4s. By speaking into the device you can send personalized text messages, perform phone number lookup, remind yourself of errands, and pay bills. Siri essentially lets you perform actions on your phone without even touching it.

Sprint

With the addition of Sprint as a carrier of the iPhone 4s, all major carriers are now involved in Apple's smartphone strategy. Users of Sprint carriers should be a little weary because the company has had to invest so much money into the purchase of the product. Sprint gives another option for consumers, but with Verizon and AT&T having so much market share, will people be willing to shift service plans? Some of these new features seem like things that only techies will be interested in. If you absolutely need to get your hands on the latest Apple product, it will be on pre-order on October 7th. If you are looking to save money or don't have an upgrade option coming up soon, you should stick with your current model.