April 30th, 2009

Amazon changes Kindle personal documents fee structure

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 6:57 am

Categories: Wireless carriers, ebooks, mobile services

Tags: Amazon.com Inc., Amazon Kindle, E-books, Wi-Fi, Wireless And Mobility, Personal Technology, Matthew Miller

I just read on Gear Diary that Amazon is changing the fee structure for sending personal documents to your Kindle device. As clearly stated on the Amazon Kindle blog the old fee of 10 cents per document is now changed to 15 cents per megabyte. This actually may result in lower fees if you have been sending smaller sized documents to your Kindle. I primarily use my Kindle for reading ebooks and rarely have a need to convert documents using their wireless fee system.

You can still download personal documents for free by sending attachments to name@free.kindle.com and then transferring them to your Kindle via the USB cable.

Does this positively or negatively impact the way you send personal documents to your Kindle?

April 29th, 2009

Review: T-Mobile Cameo connected digital photo frame

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 12:11 pm

Categories: Gadgets, On the road, Wireless carriers

Tags:

My wife bought me a digital photo frame for Christmas, but wasn’t sure if it was high enough resolution or if it would work well as an accessory for my office. It turns out the resolution was too low so we returned it. I told her about the T-Mobile Cameo that was announced in November 2008. I just recently was able to get an eval unit from T-Mobile and after trying it for just a day I ran out to my local Seattle T-Mobile store and purchased one for myself. Check out my image gallery of the product and my thoughts below to see why I found it so compelling.

	Image Gallery:Check out product photos of the T-Mobile Cameo in action.

In the box: The retail box comes with the T-Mobile Cameo and black leather photo frame, USB cable, user manual, and A/C adapter. There is a stout removable round bar that screws into the back of the frame to prop it up in portrait or landscape modes. The frame is actually removable and from what I understand you can purchase new frame covers for the device. There is a T-Mobile SIM embedded in the back of the frame that is not removable. The A/C adapter is quite large with a white cable that is comes out of the back of the frame. I think a black cable would be a bit less obvious though.

Features: The T-Mobile Cameo has a 7-inch, 720×480 pixel resolution display. With the black leather frame cover the front measures 8-3/8″ x 6-1/2″. There is an on/off button on the cable leading to the A/C adapter so you can turn the frame off. In addition to the round bar used to prop up the frame you can remove it and hang the frame in landscape mode with the back hook.

There is a Secure Digital (SD) card slot and miniUSB port on the left upper side of the frame so you can get photos onto the frame using either of these methods, in addition to the wireless capability.

On the back you will find a Read the rest of this entry »

March 24th, 2009

T-Mobile announces 3G USB stick with usage meter and notification system

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 11:57 pm

Categories: On the road, Wireless carriers

Tags: T-Mobile, USB Laptop Stick, webConnect USB Laptop Stick, Connection Manager, 3G, Cellular Phones, Wireless And Mobility, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Matthew Miller

I have the T-Mobile G1 here in the Puget Sound area, but only get 3G coverage in King County. Now that T-Mobile has a 3G network in place, even though it is still quite limited, they announced the T-Mobile webConnect USB Laptop Stick. The USB Laptop Stick is priced at $49.99 with a 2-year contract, $99.99 with a 1-year contract, and $249.99 with no contract. Like the other wireless carriers you can consume up to 5GB of data per month for $59.99. T-Mobile also includes their WiFi HotSpot access with your data plan. If you are in an area without 3G, the Laptop Stick works over EDGE.

The webConnect USB Laptop Stick has a microSD card slot that supports up to 8GB cards. The photos show it has a rotating end so it can easily be adjusted to fit in your laptop. The Connection Manager is integrated into the USB Stick and T-Mobile seems to be listening to customers since the software includes a usage meter and a notification system that can be setup to send you a message when you reach 80 percent of your 5GB limit. Now this is customer service and a very welcome feature of this new card. There is no mention of Mac support yet for the card so you may need a Windows PC to use the USB Laptop Stick.

T-Mobile also stated that their 3G network is now available in more than 120 US cities with plans to double the coverage in 2009 and reach more than 200 million people.

T-Mobile USA continues to aggressively expand its 3G wireless broadband services, and the company’s 3G high-speed data network is available in more than 130 U.S. cities as of the end of 2008. In 2009, the company plans to double the population currently covered by its high-speed network to reach more than 200 million people in the U.S., which includes expansion to an additional 100 cities by the end of the year.

February 9th, 2009

Existing Kindle owners to the front of the line please

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 9:09 am

Categories: Gadgets, On the road, Wireless carriers, ebooks

Tags: Feature, Sony Reader, Kindle 1.0, E-books, Keyboards, Personal Technology, Hardware, Peripherals, Matthew Miller

Larry was at the Kindle 2.0 launch and did a great job liveblogging the event. I already own a Sony Reader 505 and Kindle 1.0, but went ahead and pre-ordered the new Kindle that should arrive just after I get back from my family vacation. I love to read books and while there are not a ton of new features in the new Kindle, the form factor seems quite slick and desirable. The new Kindle is priced the same as the existing Kindle at US$359 with a 24 February availability.

I also like this statement on the Amazon page:

Special Opportunity for Kindle 1 Owners: Even though we’ve increased our manufacturing capacity, we want to be sure our original Kindle owners are first in line to receive Kindle 2. Place your Kindle 2 order by midnight PST on February 10th and you will receive first priority.

The new features of the new Kindle over the existing Kindle include the following:

• Weight reduced from 10.3  to 10 ounces
• Thickness reduced from 0.7 (thickest area) to 0.36 inches
• Display improved with 16 shades of gray compared to 4 shades in Kindle 1.0
• Integrated available 1.4 GB of memory to store 1,500 ebooks (Kindle 1.0 had 180MB and SD card)
• 25% longer battery life
• 5-way controller compared to previous scroll wheel
• Pages turn 20% faster
• New text-to-speech feature (great for visually impaired readers)
• Rear mounted stereo speakers (Kindle 1.0 had a single speaker)
• Whispersync feature (see below for what this is)

These things remain the same:

• Whispernet wireless service, provided by Sprint
• QWERTY keyboard (though it is redesigned in Kindle 2.0)
• 6 inch 600×800 pixels display
• USB 2.0 port
• 3.5mm headset jack

One new feature with this Kindle is Whispersync that lets you switch between different Kindle devices and keep your reading location synchronized. I don’t really know why you need two Kindle devices, but if you are an avid reader who has more than one and never wants to run out of battery then maybe you will need this feature. In the slides shown at the launch event, it did state you could use this to sync up the Kindle 1.0, Kindle 2.0 and other mobile devices so maybe we will see Kindle support on the iPhone or other mobile operating system.

I’m not sure if the new Kindle comes with a case in the package of if you will have to buy one from a 3rd party. As I said, I did order one today, but am still not sure it is worth this price when I have a very capable Kindle 1.0 already. Are you ordering a new Kindle? What do you find compelling about it?

A couple things I personally wanted to see in this new Kindle were:

• Larger display (do we need such a large area around the current 6 inch display?)
• Integrated backlight (this may affect the quality though since I don’t find the new Sony Reader backlit display to be quite as crisp as the one without a backlight or touchscreen)

I don’t think a touchscreen or color display is needed for an ebook reader and the new thickness of the device and design seems much more attractive than Kindle 1.0.

December 22nd, 2008

MobileTechRoundup show #158, Wrapping up 2008 and predictions for 2009

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 7:17 pm

Categories: Gadgets, HTC, MP3 players, MoTR podcast, Netbook, Nokia, On the road, Ultra portable PC, Windows Mobile, Wireless carriers, iPhone

Tags: MobileTechRoundup, Podcasts, Internet, Matthew Miller

Listen here (MP3, 47.7 MB, 41:30 minutes)

Subscribe to the show with this link (RSS)

Kevin, James, and I decided to make MobileTechRoundup show #158 a bit longer since it will be our last one of 2008. You can listen to our thoughts on what we thought was the best of 2008 in the mobile space. We also offered up some predictions for 2009. Look for shorter, more focused podcasts in 2009 too since we realize that people’s time is precious and 30 to 40 minutes per show may be too much for casual listening. Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Please let me know if you have anything you would like us to cover and discuss on the show and I’ll try to work it into a future podcast.

November 19th, 2008

T-Mobile announces the cameo wireless photo frame to display camera phone images

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 3:30 am

Categories: Gadgets, On the road, Wireless carriers, mobile services

Tags: Phone, Camera Phone, T-Mobile, Photograph, Image, Camera, Wireless, Camera Phones, Cellular Phones, Consumer Electronics

Do you have a camera-enabled phone, but don’t know what to do with all of those captured images? Would you like to share those images with family and friends? Well, T-Mobile and Parrot have come together to launch the T-Mobile cameo, a MMS photo frame, that allows anyone to send photos from their cellphone to the picture frame. The T-Mobile cameo is available starting today for US$99.99 with a US$9.99 monthly recurring charge for unlimited messaging.

The T-Mobile cameo is a leather covered, 7-inch frame that can be used horizontally or vertically. It has a 720×480 pixels resolution with 64MB internal memory and a microSD memory card slot. Images can be received via MMS or email from any camera-enabled phone on any wireless carrier. You can also load up photos on the microSD card or connect it via USB. There is an interface on the cameo that lets you setup slideshows and accept photos from senders. The cameo automatically rotates and resizes photos. You will need a T-Mobile account with a qualifying voice plan to purchase a cameo device.

This is an interesting use of technology and I like that there is finally a simply way to actually use those photos taken with a camera phone. However, I am not sure people will be willing to add another subscription service to their account.

T-Mobile also is kicking off their free companion ticket offer where new customers and existing customers who sign up for another two-year agreement will get a free companion ticket for each line of service (up to 5 per account). With this companion ticket someone can join you when you purchase a regular-priced ticket for flights in the U.S.

November 17th, 2008

Boingo to provide WiFi service on Washington State ferries

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 5:52 am

Categories: On the road, Wireless carriers, mobile services

Tags: Ferry, Boingo Networks, Wireless LANs, Wi-Fi, Wireless, Matthew Miller, Advertising & Promotion, Marketing

Boingo Wireless provides WiFi services all over the world and I have used them on the past in Spain and London. They have been busy adding more wireless networks and today announced that they will be providing the services for the Washington State ferry system. About 1/4 of the employees in my office ride a ferry to work in Seattle, it is the largest ferry fleet in the U.S., and so I am sure they will be happy to hear they can now standardize on Boingo and get access on the ferry and when traveling out of the State. There are 22 ferries and 11 terminals that Boingo will be working on when you travel on the waters of Puget Sound.

A day pass is US$7.95, but the much better daily commuter value is the US$21.95 per month fee. Ferry riders currently pay US$29.95 per month so this new Boingo service will save them money and allow them to use any Boingo hotspot all over the U.S. If you have a compatible mobile device you can also subscribe to the Boingo Mobile service for just US$7.95 per month that is available worldwide. I used this Boingo Mobile service with a Nokia N810 to make Skype calls in Barcelona earlier this year.

If you look at their other press releases you will see that Boingo has been expanding their already very large network.

October 15th, 2008

Full review of the T-Mobile G1 consumed most of my week

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 10:01 pm

Categories: HTC, Open Handset Alliance, Review, Wireless carriers

Tags: T-Mobile G1, Blog, T-Mobile, Blogging, Microsoft Windows CE, Handhelds, Internet, Operating Systems, Microsoft Windows, Software

I have to say sorry to any readers who have been wanting to see more posts here on my blog, but my last week has been consumed by the T-Mobile G1 as you can see in my review with over 260 images and 5 videos posted over on my Smartphones & Cell Phones blog. I wanted to mention it here since my other blog is still quite new and many readers here may not have yet subscribed to my other blog. I also wanted to mention it here because I think the Google Android OS will go further than just the mobile phone with talk that it could challenge the embedded Windows CE OS seen in enterprise and other devices.

The T-Mobile G1 is not perfect, but it is one dang good first generation device and I am impressed that HTC was able to work with T-Mobile and the US regulatory agencies to get a device to market first just like they promised us last year. I love many more things than I don’t like on the G1 and cannot wait to get my own black one I preordered back on launch day. If you are into mobile devices like me then I recommend you check one out soon.

October 12th, 2008

MobileTechRoundup show #150, More netbook talk

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 11:58 pm

Categories: Gadgets, Netbook, On the road, Ultra portable PC, Wireless carriers

Tags: MobileTechRoundup, Dual-core, Lenovo Group Ltd., Kevin, WiMAX, Podcasts, Wi-Fi, Wireless, Internet, Matthew Miller

Listen here (MP3, 33.3 MB, 36:15 minutes)

Subscribe to the show with this link (RSS)

James, Kevin, and I were quite happy to record MobileTechRoundup show #150 and celebrate 3 years of podcasting about mobile tech. Kevin continues to tease me with the MSI Wind and now I am even closer to switching from my Fujitsu U810 to the Wind thanks to Dynamism who sent me one to check out for myself. James offered some more thoughts on the Lenovo S10 netbook and we chatted about dual core usage in netbooks. We speculated a bit about what Apple may announce on Tuesday, but we’ll just have to wait and see what happens. Kevin attended the WiMAX event in Baltimore and has a Lenovo X301 with WiMAX integration to test out for a bit. James and I have the Nokia N96 in hand and talked a bit about our thoughts.

Please let me know if you have anything you would like us to cover and discuss on the show and I’ll try to work it into a future podcast.

October 7th, 2008

First impressions of the Dash Express connected GPS device

Posted by Matthew Miller @ 10:58 am

Categories: Gadgets, On the road, Review, Wireless carriers

Tags: Device, MyDash, Display, Traffic Data, Maps, GPS, Handhelds, Wi-Fi, Wireless, Consumer Electronics

I checked out a Garmin StreetPilot c580 last summer and thought it was a pretty compelling dedicated GPS system since it had MSN Direct integration to provide some wireless functionality. While it was useful for some things, the MSN Direct service is not designed for real-time wireless data and coverage is limited. I have heard quite a bit about the Dash Express internet connected GPS system and have now spent just over a week with one myself and posted several product photos and screenshots in my image gallery. I also offer several first impressions about the device and its functionality below. I plan to use it for a few upcoming out-of-town trips in the next month and will write up those thoughts before I send back the evaluation unit.

	Image Gallery:The Dash Express is a very powerful GPS navigation device.

There are a few features of the Dash Express that make it unique in the growing GPS navigation market, including the Dash Driver Network, internet connectivity, and multitude of options found in MyDash.

In the box: The Dash Express retail box contains everything you need to start navigating your way to your destinations and there is nothing else needed to get connected and stay charged. The retail box contents include:

• Dash Express
• Mounting arm and cradle
• Mounting arm extension and wrench
• Dashboard mounting disk
• Car (12v) power adapter
• Wall (AC) charger
• USB interface cable
• Installation Guide
• Getting Started Guide
• Alcohol wipe

Specifications: The Dash Express is a bit large compared to some of the slimmer Garmin devices I have seen recently and you definitely won’t be carrying it around in your coat pocket. However, it is designed for in car navigation and the size is perfect for that. The display measures 4.3 inches diagonally and has a resolution of 480×272 pixels. It weighs 13.3 ounces and measures 4.8×4.1×2.8 inches in size. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery is reported to last 2 hours with the screen lit, GPS, WiFi, and the GPRS cellular radio turned on, but when it is in the car you will normally have the auto charger plugged in most of the time anyways. The device uses a SIRFstarIII GPS receiver and I found it to obtain the signal within seconds every time I turned it on.

What you won’t find on the Dash: I briefly tested out the HP iPAQ 310 Travel Companion, but it had several additional functions (such as games and a MP3 player) that Read the rest of this entry »