Dial 0 For Opinion: Apple making inevitable move
Added on 2008-04-25 11:07:00
by Alfredo Padilla
 When Apple first launched the iPhone (review) the biggest news, aside from the device itself, was the peculiar agreement they had with AT&T, the exlusive carrier. The agreement shared subscriber revenues from AT&T to Apple and did not include a discounted price for the iPhone even though customers had to sign up for at two-year contract agreement. At the time we criticized this deal for several reasons. From the consumer perspective you no longer received any benefit for signing your life away to a wireless carrier for two-years. Traditionally consumers would get a discount of anywhere from $50 to a couple of hundred dollars for signing such an agreement. Locking the iPhone to AT&T also reduced consumer choice in terms of carriers. We also though the deal was bad for Apple, however, because tying yourself to a single carrier meant that you limited the possible universe of buyers. Many consumers are either stuck in a contract with their carrier or like their carriers prices or service and wouldn't consider moving to AT&T. We also predicted that if Apple attempted to strike such deals with overseas carriers they would run into problems.
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Dial 0 for Opinion: 3G Sucks
Added on 2008-03-26 09:17:00
by Alfredo Padilla
Tech geeks, like us, always fawn over the newer and, ostensibly, better technologies that rapidly inundate us. The truth of the matter is, however, that newer doesn't necessarily mean better, and nothing is a better indication of this truism than 3G (third generation) cell phone technologies. Geeks love 3G technology because if there's anything that gets a geek's heart pounding it's the idea of fast data connections. 3G technologies on cell phones allow users to connect to the internet on their device at broadband speeds, and some newer implementations like AT&T's HSDPA network, offer speeds up to 3.6 Mbps, faster than most DSL connections. You can see the scorn piled on devices that lack this newer and "better" technology by looking at the heap of criticism the iPhone received for not supporting 3G. Well I've got something to say to all my fellow geeks that unabashedly worship at the alter of the new: 3G sucks.
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Dial 0 for Opinion: What's the fallout of the 700Mhz auction?
Added on 2008-03-21 11:55:00
by Alfredo Padilla
 The FCC this week announced the winners of the 700Mhz auction, giving top prizes for the much sought after C block of the spectrum to Verizon Wireless and AT&T. The two carriers used a strategy of bidding for and winning regional and local licenses instead of bidding on the block as a whole. The question now is, what will the result mean for consumers and the wireless industry?
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Dial 0 for Opinion: What the iPhone SDK is missing
Added on 2008-03-11 12:19:00
by Alfredo Padilla
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Now that we've had a few days to digest the information coming out from Apple about the iPhone (read review) SDK and application environment we have to admit that we're pretty impressed. Apple seems to have avoided many of the pitfalls that people were concerned about, including allowing free applications, opening the SDK to anyone who wants to develop and making publication and availability of applications accessible. That's not to say that there are no drawbacks, however, and some important things still need to be worked out. Read on for our top items of concern.
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New Version Of iPhone Unlocker Released
Added on 2007-09-26 13:36:00
by Richard Baguley
 We'd probably recommend that you wait until after Apple issues their forthcoming iPhone update, but if you're in a hurry to get your iPhone unlocked, there is a new version of the AnySIM unlocking app now available. The programmers claim that version 1.02 (direct link to the zip file) fixes some bugs and speeds up the unlocking process. It should also be available though the installer.app system soon, which will make it even easier. So, if you have installler.app onto your iPhone, you should be able to unlock with just a few touches. Or at least you will until Apple busts the whole thing with a new firmware update.
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Dial 0 For Opinion: Apple's Third Party App Policy Is A Mistake
Added on 2007-09-24 20:05:00
by Richard Baguley
Apple's recent press release warning users that unlocking their iPhone may void the warranty has me worried. Not for my warranty, but for Apple. I think they may have lost the plot, and they are going to pay the price in the long run.
Read more
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Dial 0 for Opinion: Internet explorer mobile left behind
Added on 2007-08-16 15:25:00
by Alfredo Padilla
Microsoft is getting its butt kicked when it comes to browsing the Web on cell phones. There's no denying it; the company that dominates desktop browsing with Internet Explorer is falling behind Apple, Nokia and Opera in the mobile web browser space.
Read more after the jump
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Dial 0 for Opinion: the BlackBerry Curve wants you to be late
Added on 2007-08-09 14:15:00
by Mark Brezinski
The Curve represents BlackBerry's first foray into the market of "phones that are totally indifferent toward their users and users' schedules." As BlackBerry's pitch for the bargain bin smart phone market, the Curve is marketed toward business users who need robust e-mail and organization software. Ironically, the hectic lives the Curve was made for are the very ones it will fail the most, because the alert function doesn't alert you very well. Our full review of the Curve is coming shortly, but there was one thing that disappointed me; the alert functionality. It wasn't the bevy of customizable options that was disappointing; it was the Curve's inability to literally get the user's attention.
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Dial 0 for opinion: Google's 700MHz FCC bid is good for all
Added on 2007-08-02 16:40:00
by Alfredo Padilla
One topic that's been much talked about lately is Google's attempt to open up the 700 Mhz spectrum set to be auctioned off next year. The propaganda from those who are both for and against this idea has been coming hot and heavy, but what would really happen if this much-desired chunk of spectrum ends up being truly open for devices and services? Well, for one, Sony Ericsson and Nokia may stop hating the U.S.
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