Project-Wireless.com Blog

Search Engine Rap Battles

2008-09-22T07:43:00.000-07:00

I can't believe this even exists! A battle between search engines.

You might have to be a SEO nerd like me to appreciate this.

MSN vs. Google

Google vs. Yahoo

Text Message From Your Computer

2008-09-14T16:03:00.000-07:00

Verizon Wireless please steal this idea.

This is the second in a series of articles where I tell Verizon Wireless new ideas that should exist. See also: Voicemail Away Messages 9/10/2008

Yes, there are lots of sites that let you send free text messages to cell phones from the computer.

Yes, you can e-mail someone a text message on Verizon Wireless by sending it to (10-digit-#)@vtext.com. Just be sure to keep it less than 160 characters and don't use colors or graphics.

In reverse, you can text message an e-mail address as well. I do that often to send myself reminders so I see them in my Inbox when I get home.

No, this idea I'm about to share with you does not exist yet, but it needs to.

A "Text Message Buddy List" on your Computer that uses your mobile number as your screenname.

The idea is simple.. a buddy list of all the contacts in your phone (similar to any other instant messaging program out there) that lets you send and receive text messages from your computer when you are logged in.

The person on the other end is either receiving the text message on their phone or computer as well. The beauty is that it doesn't matter!

Since Verizon is linked with BackUp Assistant where I keep my contacts, it shouldn't be hard to incorporate that into a "Buddy List" of your contacts using mobile numbers as "screennames."

Yesterday I was working on my computer (what's new, right?) and my phone blew up with text messages. I had to stop every couple minutes from typing on my keyboard to using my thumbs on my BlackBerry. It occured to me "I wish I could reply to these messages through an instant messaging program."

It would also be great if there was a Facebook application that allowed you to do the same thing.

I encourage your feedback with this idea. Please leave a comment or e-mail pauldrecksler@gmail.com

Count your daily calories... not your minutes

2008-09-11T12:46:00.000-07:00

Customer: "I want your cheapest plan and your cheapest phone. Don't try and sell me anything fancy, I'm barely going to use it."

The same customer came back the next month with a $400 phone bill because he went over his 450 monthly minutes. He also complained that the battery on his Samsung SCH-u340 does not last a full day.

I entitled this article "Count your daily calories.. not your minutes" because I want to stress something:

You ARE going to use your cell phone A LOT! Purchase a quality phone that will make you happy for the duration of your contract, and pay for the services, features, and accessories that you need to make your life easier.

Make sure your calling plan is high enough to cover your normal usage. If you need to receive e-mails on the go, pay for Internet on your cell phone or BlackBerry. Your cell phone is your most important form of communication because it can do it all: calls, voicemails, text messages, e-mails, Facebook, etc. etc. etc.

If you talk more than an hour a day on your phone, don't buy the cheapest phone available because they come with short-life batteries. Compare the Talk Time and Standby Time on phones before you shop. (Compare Talk Time on Cell Phones by visiting: www.project-wireless.com/phones)

Buy a car charger or an extra wall charger to keep at work if you are a big cell phone user. The capabilities of cell phones are growing every day: pictures, videos, music, GPS. Batteries are having a hard time keeping up. I can only play a few songs on my BlackBerry Pearl before having to charge the battery.

In the era of "unlimited unlimited unlimited".. no-one wants to hear you complain about $0.15 when you receive a text message. And certainly you have a lot of important calls to make other than on nights and weekends.

I currently use the BlackBerry Pearl. I have a 900 minute Select Plan with unlimited texting for $79/month, E-mail and Web $30/month, VZ Navigator (GPS) for $10/month, and Asurion Insurance for $4.99/month.

I pay for the features I use while keeping a large enough minute package and unlimited texting so that I never have to check throughout the month. I expect the same bill every month because my service plan fits my usage, not the other way around.

Times are tough and it's necessary to save money every chance you can. Often times with cell phones, however, going too cheap can cost you severely in the long run.

I started Project-Wireless.com because I wanted my customers to SAVE MONEY and get the BEST DEALS.. and often times those deals are only available on the web. Do your research, make EDUCATED purchases, and get the most out of your cell phone.

Before signing up for service or upgrading your phone, read my informational guides by visiting http://www.project-wireless.com

Voicemail Away Messages

2008-09-10T09:49:00.000-07:00

One day I am going to invent a cell phone and LG will manufacture it. It'll be called the LG Perfect and it will be, perfect. Because for years I've wondered "Why isn't there a cell phone that does it all?" This article is the beginning of a series of ideas that I hope exist in the near future.

Today's idea "The Away Message Voicemail." --I think you should be able to change your outgoing voice mail message with 1-button. That way you can use it like an Away Message.

For example, right before I walk into Batman The Dark Knight for the third time I could push one button and say "You've reached Paul. I'm watching Batman again but leave a message and I'll call you back after 11pm"

If Facebook and MySpace have status updates, why is Verizon's voice mail so archaic? We should be able to change our "voice mail status" instantly from our cell phones.

There could be the option for a normal short message followed by the status update:

Normal Short Message: "You've reached voicemail for Paul Drecksler"
Status Update Message: "I'm at the gym. Leave a message and I'll get back to you in an hour."

But the only way this could work is if it was a 1-button process.. like hold the 2 key down or something.

The process could work by having a program on the telephone that records voice memos and uploads the sound file to your voicemail "status update" account instantly. Since the voice files are stored on the phone, I could save and name messages I wanted to reuse.

Verizon Wireless, you can patent this process and call it "IN-Updates."

I invented Voicemail Status Updates because it is a necessary thing to have in our fast paced world. Would you use this idea if it existed?

Leave a comment below and tell me if you would use your voicemail as a status update if you could.

Why I Hate Touch Screens and the LG Dare

2008-08-21T08:04:00.000-07:00

Touch screen cell phones are in... the stylus is out. This is a convenient change that saves me money. I cannot tell you how many times I lost the stylus from my Palm Treo, but I can tell you that I've never lost my thumb.

It seems like every new phone is turning touch-screen.

So.. why do I hate touch screens?

I hadn't used the LG Dare yet.

I think that touch-screen phones are like girlfriends.. you have to be sensitive and patient with them to get the most out of them. The more time I spent with the LG Dare the more I became familiar with the finger movements used to navigate. Other than reviewing the phones, I had not spent enough time using touch screen phones to in the past to enjoy them. Just like my BlackBerry and most consumer electronics.. if you know how to use it you'll probably like it better. I think that's why my mom still hates the VCR.

Check out the LG Dare: http://project-wireless.com/phones/28

Learn touch-screen now in preparation for The Google Android and have a nice day.

Read Your Voicemails - Visual Voicemail, Speech-to-Text, Voicemail Options

2008-08-18T11:34:00.001-07:00

Did you know that you can read your Voice mail messages instead of listen to them? I hate listening to voicemails because most of the time they are "Hey Paul, It's _____. Give me a shout. Thanks, bye." The process of retreiving and deleting voicemails with Verizon is lengthy and inconvenient and I would usually let them pile up.

I now subscribe to PhoneTag, a company that transcribes my voice mails to e-mails. Basically, it converts the sounds of people talking to text. The e-mails get delivered to my Black Berry with a .wav sound attachment. That way I have the option of listening to the actual message if the e-mail doesn't make sense. PhoneTag accurately transcribes about 95% of my messages.

The service costs $9.99 a month which includes 40 messages. Additional messages are $0.25 each.

There is also the unlimited voicemail plan for $29.99 a month.

Use the link below to receive 1 month free service with PhoneTag and give it a try.

PhoneTag-Voicemail to E-mail or Text Message - One Free Month

PhoneTag, originally called SimulScribe, uses advanced technology to convert voice to text and is a pioneer in the industry.

I have used PhoneTag services for almost a year and I strongly endorse the company and their services.

What should I do with my old phone?

2008-08-04T14:29:00.001-07:00

There are four things you can do with your old cell phones:

1. Keep them as backups incase your new phone breaks. Store the old phone, chargers, and accessories in the same bag as a favor to future You. Only save one generation of back-up phones. Get rid of the really old ones that you know you'll never use.

"But I have Insurance on my new phone." Even if you have Insurance, a back-up phone can provide a weekend of relief while waiting for the replacement phone to be shipped. You can reactivate your old cell phone temporarily via customer service or through My Account.

2. Donate your old cell phones to charity. What do these charities do with the phones? Depends on the charity, but mostly they provide phones for emergencies. You can dial 911 from any cell phone whether active or not.

Here are some good ones:

http://www.shelteralliance.net/

http://www.gooddeedfoundation.com/recycle

http://www.charitablerecycling.com/CR/home.asp

http://www.donateaphone.com/CallToProtect/index.cfm

Most the major carriers like Verizon and AT&T have boxes set up at the main stores to donate phones. Also the police or sherriff's department usually have a donation box.

Be sure the phone goes into a box and not a salesman's bag for resale. If anyone is going to make a dollar off your phone, it should be you. Which brings me to #3.

3. Sell your old phone. eBay will find you the most buyers... but at a competitive price. Do a search on eBay to see what other people are selling the same model phone for.

http://www.gazelle.com/ is another option to get cash for your phone via the web.

4. Recycle your old phones. Every charity I listed above in #2 will recycle your phone and battery if they are too old to re-use.

Ready more info about recycling at: http://www.recyclemycellphone.org/recycle.cfm

***Never throw old phones in the trash or you'll destroy our landfillls and kill the planet. Can you live with that? I can't! So recyle your old phones instead. ***

Important information about donating your old phone:

Clear the phonebook and restore the phone to default settings.

Erase all pictures and remove memory cards if applicable.

Donate your phone, not your personal information. Find out how to erase the info from your phone by finding your phone here.

Also read:

Upgrade or replace your cell phone

Verizon Wireless Commercial - The Network in a Park

2008-07-20T21:42:00.000-07:00

In this video a guy makes a phone call in a park and gets an unexpected surprise when the Verizon Wireless network and the "can you hear me now" guy show up behind him and follow him around.

Verizon Wireless Surprises Customer - Watch more free videos

Thanks to Don White at Cellular Sales for forwarding me this video.

Google What-droid?

2008-06-23T08:04:00.000-07:00

Open source cell phone software. The Google Android. Yahoo GO. Linux LiMo.

My web programmer asked my opinion about Google Android, and his questions inspired this post. I asked some friends in the wireless industry what they thought about Android and the role it will play in the future of our industry, but they hadn't even heard of it!

The cellphone is a mini-computer that runs on software called an operating system (like Windows Vista is to the PC). With the exceptions of Windows Mobile, Palm, or BlackBerry devices, phones run on operating systems designed by the carrier. The positive is that the software is secure. When was the last time you heard about someone's non-PDA cell phone getting hacked? The negative is that any programs that work on your phone have to be designed specifically for that phone's operating system. How many designers are going to spend time writing useful programs that have a shelf-life as short as your cell phone?

The solution, and the going trend of the Internet, is open-source.

"Open source is a development method for software that harnesses the power of distributed peer review and transparency of process. The promise of open source is better quality, higher reliability, more flexibility, lower cost, and an end to predatory vendor lock-in." -from http://www.opensource.org/

In other words, open source allows a programmer to write one program that works on lots of phones, both current and future models. (Some programs are dependant on optional hardware like a camera or memory card slot). The benefit to customers is that they are able to transfer their favorite applications, pictures and media from their old phone to a new phone, including their operating system. Imagine being able to change the look of your phone's menu as easily as you customize your MySpace profile.

In theory, a universal platform for programmers to design with is a great concept. But what happens when three companies compete for that spot as the universal platform?

According to Yahoo, their Yahoo GO is not in competition with Google Android or Linux LiMo.
David Ko, managing director and VP of Yahoo! Connected Life, told CyberMedia News: "We are not creating just another operating system but something on top of it all. If Android is successful, we would use that too. The idea is to be agnostic to any constraint, be it OS, device or operator." -from "Yahoo not Incubating Android's Counterpart" by Patrima Harigunani

So look at Android and LiMo as the "big picture" and Yahoo Go as the "bigger big picture"?

Open source has it's obvious benefits, but technology made it very far without it. Bill Gates kept a tight hold on the code that made his company billions.

The idea of my cell phone running 10 different programs from 10 different programmers makes me wonder who the heck I call for support when something goes wrong? Remember the early days of calling your PC warranty line and having the technician say "It's not the hardware, it's a software issue. I can't help you with that, call your software support." Here we go again.

If Android is such a big deal, how come you haven't heard of it? It will be a few years before the Android, LiMo, or Go find themselves on your phone. Lots of questions remain to be answered like "Will these open source phones be able to work between carriers?" and "What is the security risks?" "How much will these phones cost?"

It is too early in the development of these open-source platforms and decisions are still being made. In general, new technology is expensive because it isn't mass produced yet so don't expect to find an early Android phone cheap.

Open source will play a major role in the wireless industry, and in the years to come we will see how.

For right now, the Google Android should have no influence on your choice of phone or carrier. Your phone will be a dinosaur by the time Android finds its way to the masses.

Use the following resources to learn more:

http://code.google.com/android/

http://mobile.yahoo.com/go

http://www.limofoundation.org/

Watch this video demo of the Google Android in action:

Verizon to merge with Alltel

2008-06-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

Verizon Wireless (owned by UK's- Vodaphone and Verizon Communications) announced its plans to merge with rival CDMA wireless company Alltel (owned by TPG Capital and GS Capital Partners) in a deal worth $28.1 billion ($5.9 billion cash and $22.2 billion Alltel's estimated debt).

Together, Verizon Wireless-Alltel will have 80.2 million subscribers, surpassing AT&T's 71.4 million. Verizon plans to open it's unlimited IN-calling to the entire network.

On Thursday, June 12, 2008--Stocks opened higher after the merger-talk. Dow Jones + 28.74 . NASDAQ + 4.89 points. S&P500 + 4.13 points.

In the past 23 years, the FCC has allowed telecommunications giant AT&T to become more powerful than they were before the 1984 split. Comparing AT&T Pre-1984 and AT&T Now is like looking at Lou Ferrigno and the CGI Edward Norton version of The Incredible Hulk.

It makes sense that Alltel and Verizon Wireless merge in order to compete with this giant. They both already use the same network technology (CDMA) and offer basically the same phones with different model numbers. The combined towers will create the largest network of nationwide coverage in America.

For customers, it means better coverage and more people we can talk to for free (over 80 million).

Is this a bad merger? No, and everyone saw it coming. The bad mergers happened years ago and this is the inevitable result.

More Info:
http://www.forbes.com/special_contributors/2008/06/05/verizon-alltel-acquisition-tech-cx_pco_0605paidcontent.html
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Market_News/US_stocks_open_higher/articleshow/3103496.cms
http://www.baltimoresun.com/business/bal-bz.hancock13jun13,0,392096.column
http://news.cnet.com/8301-10784_3-9960664-7.html