Roland Tanglao's Weblog

Spoke about the phones pictured below:

Wanted to speak about these phones:

Here are my notes :

- smartphone = a phone that can do more than just phone
    - usually email, also PDA functions (appointments) and some have
      camera, video, etc.
    - do you really need always on email with a full keyboard and the
      bulk? no! unless you are in real time business like stocks IMHO
      Otherwise, SMS good enough for emergency alerts.
- what to buy
    - I. mainstream - blackberry p: original is still best for email
      lovers c: not hip, not funky, no camera, no apps $ telus 99-549
      device $22.50-$155/month for voice and email  rogers 249-549 for
      device voice and email $45-90/month
        - 2nd choice treo 650 p:lots of apps c: not hip, not funky,
          clunky, no camera $ telus 99-499 for device $22.50-$155/month
          for voice and email rogers 349-699 for device $45-100/mont
          for voice and email
        - 3rd choice: motorola q p:cool style, size  c: windows mobile,
          new $ telus 249-599 device $22.50-$155/month for voice and
          email
    - II. instant messaging addicts - hiptop p: cheap! awesome keyboard
      gives best IM and email experience, ghetto chic c: no apps,
      ghetto chic $ fido 200-550 unlimited (!) data (email, im, web)
      $20/month voice: $20-100/month
    - III. wannabe europeans/asians/geeks: nokia e61 p:lots of cool
      apps c: only for geeks and power users who don't mind getting it
      in asia or europe or gray market
    - IV mobile music mavens: n91 p: my phone, 4GB hard drive wifi,
      engineered in Burnaby c: doesn't work with itunes, same as e61
    - V mobile photographers,  bloggers and videobloggers: n90 (and n93
      Q3 2006) p:fantastic photos and video c: same as e61, size
        - second choice: sony k750i, k800i etc p: great camera c: no
          apps, same as e61
- technology
    - GSM="VHS", CDMA="Betamax" You can use a new GSM device from any
      manufacturer by moving SIM chip. Can't do that with CDMA = major
      disadvantage
    - whole world except canada, usa, korea, japan use GSM
    - GSM in Canada = Rogers and Fido (not so great coverage outside
      cities), Bell and Telus = CDMA
    - GSM becoming more popular in US, nonexistent in 1998 now almost
      everywhere thanks to T Mobile and Cingular
    - If you buy from Bell and Telus you are locked into their limited
      CDMA devices
    - Recommendation: go with Fido or Rogers and don't get a contract
      if you can afford not to! unless you need the great rural
      coverage of Bell and Telus so you can buy cool devices from grey
      market/asia/europe if/when you need them. Bell, Telus, Fido and
      Rogers don't offer any really cool mobile devices.
- future (2010 and beyond)
    - flat rate pricing, current pricing is byzantine 
    - all devices work anywhere in the world, no need to worry about
      CDMA, GSM and other crazy tech terms
    - create and share anything (phone calls, video calls, audio, text,
      videos, photos)  anytime with anybody from your mobile device for
      $50-$100/month, no Canadian affordable unlimited general purpose
      plans to do this today and the networks are too slow
- Mobile Power user or geek
    - Come to BarCamp Vancouver August 25th and participate or lead   
      a session, it's free (suggested 20$ donation)
    - barcamp.org/BarCampVancouver

[Cross posted from Corante Podcast Blog]

This morning at 7:50a.m. Pacific, I was on CityTV Vancouver'Breakfast Television for about 5 minutes. I spoke with Simi Sara, the host, on how easy it is to podcast and I demoed Odeo (which works through a web browser like Internet Explorer; here's the 7 second podcast Simi and I recorded on the Breakfast Television). All you need is a computer with a microphone, an internet connection and Odeo (free, unlimited 3 minute podcasts!), a story, something to say or a cool sound. What I didn't get a chance to say was: play around with Odeo and then when you get serious, move up to a non free commercial provider like Audioblog (my friend Eric Rice's podcasting and videoblogging service) or libsyn (just to name two).

Check out my other podcasts at Dogma Radio.