Maximum PC cell phones RSS Feed

Breaking: T-Mobile Network Down Nationwide

Ryan Whitwam — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:51:49 -0600

This certainly isn’t the kind of publicity the fourth place cell carrier in the US wants. As of now, the entire nationwide T-Mobile network is down. Complaints began flooding twitter and forums this afternoon from all over the country. Users are reporting that their phones show the expected signal, but no calls or data are available. Curiously, calls routed through Google Voice are working as expected.

When the complaints reached a fever pitch shortly ago, T-Mobile released a statement. “T-Mobile customers may be experiencing service disruptions impacting voice and data. Our rapid response teams have been mobilized to restore service as quickly as possible. We will provide updates as more information is available,” said a T-Mobile representative.

We at MaximumPC have confirmed for ourselves by ringing a few associates on T-Mobile. Sure enough, the angelic voices of our friends and neighbors were replaced by a busy signal every time. This matches reports from elsewhere. Hopefully details will emerge later on the exact cause. If you’re a T-Mobile user, can you confirm you have no service?

Want Droid for your Job? It'll cost you an Extra $15 Per Month

Ryan Whitwam — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:18:30 -0600

We all rubbed our eyes in disbelief when Verizon announced they would be releasing a fully open handset, the Motorola Droid. Not only did it have WiFi, it had free GPS! This was not the Verizon we all knew. Some of the more pessimistic among us were waiting for the other shoe to drop, and now it has. A Verizon rep has confirmed that using the integrated Microsoft Exchange support in the Droid will mean an extra $15 fee each month.

This boosts the monthly cost of data to $45 instead of the standard $30. Verizon also plans to offer a $50 per month data-only plan for the Droid. Verizon indicated this fee just brings the cost in line with smartphone plans for corporate email seen on Blackberrys. "The Droid is primarily a consumer phone," said Verizon spokesperson Brenda Raney.

All things considered, it may be a fairly minor point. Nevertheless, it seems like a very Verizon thing to do. If you were planning on getting the Droid, does this give you second thoughts? How many of you use Exchange accounts daily?

More Details Emerge on "xpPhone"

Ryan Whitwam — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 20:15:42 -0500

The upcoming xpPhone from ITG is, as the name suggests, running the Windows XP operating system. You may be thinking, “Why would anyone want a phone based on Windows XP?” Well, it’s probably going to be fast thanks to some sort of “AMD Super Mobile CPU”, and it has a massive 4.8-inch touchscreen. Most people probably don’t want to carry a phone that weighs almost a pound no matter how fast it is, but some will.

The xpPhone promises netbook-like specs including the aforementioned AMD CPU, 512 MB RAM, a USB port, full QWERTY keyboard, and up to 120 GB of hard drive storage. The phone will be available with GSM frequencies for three carriers: AT&T, Vodaphone, and Orange. A custom unified phone interface will be built into the device that allows the user to make calls and access applications.

No one has actually used the unit, so it is possible that the phone isn’t all that fast by computer standards. Would anything that makes a computer easy to use even transfer to this form factor? MIDs worked out so well, right? We’ll have to wait and see. No pricing or availability has been announced.

Micro-USB on the Way to Becoming Cell Phone Charging Standard

Ryan Whitwam — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:53:38 -0500

You may not have to suffer through proprietary charging connectors on cell phones much longer. We’ve been hearing rumblings for a few months now that the industry may settle on the humble micro-USB as a standard for charging. A UN body, The International Telecommunications Union (ITU), has now approved the proposal.

One of the main reasons for making this move is the fact that 51,000 tons of unnecessary chargers are produced each year. If there was a single standard, consumers could take a charger with them from phone to phone. No word yet on how Apple would deal with this. Their proprietary dock connector has a rich ecosystem of accessories that would be hard to leave behind. Bundling an adapter maybe?

Malcolm Johnson, director of ITU Standards Bureau, said in a statement, “This is a significant step in reducing the environmental impact of mobile charging.” It will not be required for phone makers to adopt the new standard, but some have already signed on.

Acer Hopes to Ship Half a Million Handsets in 2009

Ryan Whitwam — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 20:30:53 -0500

Acer isn’t content with just being the number two PC maker in the world. Taiwan-based Acer has not been known as a major manufacturer of phones, but maybe they’re seeing which way the wind is blowing. The manufacturer is claiming that they plan to ship 400,000-500,000 Acer-branded handsets in 2009. In 2010, they expect that number to be 1.5-2 million units.

Acer has already been working with Far EasTone Telecommunications in Taiwan. Agreements have also been reached with Bouygues of France, Wind of Italy, and CSL of Hong Kong. Acer expects to begin working with North American telecoms in 2010. Could this mean that the Acer A1, with its Snapdragon CPU, will grace American shores in 2010? By then, it might be just another Android phone.

ARM Announces Strategic Partnership with GlobalFoundries for 28nm Processor

Ryan Whitwam — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 20:42:29 -0500

A newly announced partnership between ARM and GlobalFoundries could mean the next generation of mobile devices will be faster than anyone expected. The project will focus on the ARM Cortex-A9 chip. The current Cortex-A8 powers the iPhone 3GS and the Palm Pre. The new chip will be based on a 28nm process.

According to GlobalFoundries, the 28nm parts will take advantage of the manufacturer’s High-K Metal Gate semiconductor. The HKMG technology is known as “Gate First”, meaning that it should allow high performance with minimal leakage.

ARM CEO, Warren East, said of the collaboration, “This announcement reflects our business value and strategy of providing best in class processor implementation by marrying our own processor and physical IP with world class manufacturing semiconductor technology.” So get ready, the next round of ARM chips could blow your socks off.

FCC Chief Outlines New Net Neutrality Rules

Ryan Whitwam — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:42:17 -0500

It was no surprise today when Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski gave a speech on Network Neutrality. In the speech, at the Brookings Institute, Genachowski suggested formalizing the FCC’s “principals” of neutral networks, making them official policy. The FCC Chair proposed two specific rules. The first would prevent ISPs from slowing any specific type of Internet traffic. This would, however, still allow for reasonable network management practices. The second rule would require ISPs to be completely transparent about what sort of network management practices they were using.

Network Neutrality has been of more mainstream interest since congressional hearings on the subject began a few years ago. Amidst all the talk of “a series of tubes’, very little got done. Now Genachowski is making his case in no uncertain terms. “I am convinced that there are few goals more essential in the communications landscape than preserving and maintaining an open and robust Internet,” said the FCC Chair. He went on to clarify that the proposed changes would also apply to wireless providers.

For their part, ISPs are almost universally against the changes. They claim that Net Neutrality requirements would prevent them from managing their networks. Genachowski attempted to assuage their fears, explaining that violations of the proposed rules would be handled individually. The FCC will begin seeking public input and feedback at its meeting in October. So, do you feel we need regulation to ensure a neutral Internet?

Pseudo-Scientific Real World Testing: Is It Safer to Drive Drunk or On the Phone?

Christopher Null — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 18:20:12 -0500

With the recent hullaballoo over the dangers of talking on the the phone while driving, we couldn't help but be reminded of a real-world experiment our sister publication Mobile ran way back in February 2005 about the very same issue. Using noted drinker Roger Hibbert as a guinea pig, they headed for the hallowed grounds of our local Malibu Grand Prix, carrying a phone, a stopwatch, a Breathalyzer, and bottle of 100-proof Absolut. Our goal: To find out if our subject could stay on the road while besotted or blathering. Our results will shock you to your very soul. Naturally, the tests are completely un-scientific, but it's a funny read, and the results are sobering (a-ha!) so we thought we'd repost it here for your consideration. Enjoy!

Is the cell phone really worse than the bottle? We drink and drive so that you don’t have to!

Fancy-pants scientists may say that cell phones may be worse than a nip of hooch when it comes to driving, so we did a quasiscientific and questionably legal experiment of our own to see just how seriously these twin menaces — cell phones and vodka — can affect driving ability.

Using noted drinker Roger Hibbert as a guinea pig, we headed for the hallowed grounds of our local Malibu Grand Prix, carrying a phone, a stopwatch, a Breathalyzer, and bottle of 100-proof Absolut. Our goal: To find out if our subject could stay on the road while besotted or blathering. Our results will shock you to your very soul.

TRIAL 1

Net alcohol consumption: Nil
Other encumbrances: Nil
BAC*: 0.00 percent
Average lap time: 1:05
General observations: Subject is having a good time, really enjoys competing with self and other Mobile PC staff members to improve time. Subject indeed experiencing “great family fun” as promised by Malibu Grand Prix (MGP) signage.

TRIAL 2

Net alcohol consumption: Nil
Other encumbrances: cell phone
BAC: 0.00 percent
Average lap time: 1:14
General observations: Due to strict helmet regulations at MGP, subject is forced to use speakerphone, which he holds in one hand. Driving is erratic, a little jerky due to one-handed driving, and very, very slow. Subject reports the phone is “very distracting” as he obliviously plows through the grass on the course.

TRIAL 3

Net alcohol consumption: 2 ounces
Other encumbrances: Nil
BAC: 0.01 percent
Average lap time: 1:04
General observations: Subject is driving well
but skidding frequently as he seeks to improve his time; he’s driving faster than during predrinking trials. Otherwise, quality of laps is similar to fully sober quality.

TRIAL 4

Net alcohol consumption: 4 ounces
Other encumbrances: Nil
BAC: 0.05 percent
Average lap time: 1:05
General observations: Mobile PC photographer Samantha Berg notes that she would have passed out after four shots, but subject is going strong. “I’m feeling it a bit,” reports subject, as he spills some on himself. Car is fishtailing and nearly stalls once, but speed is still consistent. Driving quality is clearly on the downswing.

Want to know what happens when you drive a go kart after taking 12 shots? Read on!

TRIAL 5

Net alcohol consumption: 6 ounces
Other encumbrances: Nil
BAC: 0.10 percent
Average lap time: 1:06
General observations: Subject is now legally drunk in California and is slowing slightly. Seems unsure on straightaways and hits his first cone. Car is fishtailing wildly. Subject’s time is beaten by the girl who follows him. This generates severe anger in the subject, which is manifest by an argument with a snack machine.

TRIAL 6

Net alcohol consumption: 8 ounces
Other encumbrances: Nil
BAC: 0.12 percent
Average lap time: 0:59
General observations: In an effort to best the times of the girl (see trial 5), subject has thrown caution to the wind. Subject is now running over cones — before he even leaves the pit area. Car jerks wildly over the course, but subject is achieving record times.

TRIAL 7

Net alcohol consumption: 10 ounces
Other encumbrances: Nil
BAC: above 0.12 percent
Average lap time: 1:05
General observations: Subject has drunk enough vodka to kill Rasputin. Subject has now left the car and is chatting with the girl from trial 5 about our secret experiment that he’s not supposed to be talking about. Girl’s boyfriend appears unamused. Very surly subject is finally wrestled back into a car, but sits at the starting gate for nearly five seconds after green light is given. Still makes good time, considering reactions are now pathetically slow. Vaguely drooling, subject now appears to be running down cones on purpose and with a perverse glee.

TRIAL 8

Net alcohol consumption: 12 ounces
Other encumbrances: Cell phone headset
BAC: above 0.12 percent
Average lap time: 1:05
General observations: Out of curiosity, severely drunken subject is outfitted with a hands-free headset. Subject continues to skid and hit cones, but not as many as in previous trials. Subject reports that talking on phone helps him concentrate, considering the severity of his condition. After final lap, subject verbally threatens team after vodka runs out and demands to be “taken immediately to an IHOP,” ending the experiment.

LESSONS LEARNED

While we analyze the data thoroughly, some lessons and observations are obviously clear:
•   Talking on a cell phone doesn’t just make you a bad driver, it makes you slow, too. If you just shut up and drive, you’ll have more time to call when you get to the office.
•    Your $20 all-you-can-race fee includes unlimited bumper boats.
•    Driving go-carts uses muscles you didn’t know you had.
•    Cheap two-stroke fuel will mask the smell of alcohol completely.
•    A 6-foot-4 editor in chief is simply not built for these stupid little cars.
•    Final words from the subject: “Talking on the phone sucks. Driving drunk on a closed course is totally fun!”