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pyroscott

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Posts posted by pyroscott

    4G just false advertising...for now

    in Network, Network Vision/LTE Deployment

    Posted

    Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 10 January 2012

     

    Apparently, all these new wireless data networks that carriers are advertising as "4G" are really still only meeting the 3G standard. 4G is technically 100Mbps mobile access and 1Gbps stationary access max speeds, which LTE, WiMAX and HSPA+ can't produce in their current state. The speeds that these network technologies provide are way better than what we have come to accept as 3G, but not up to the standards set by the IMT.

     

    Once LTE advanced and WiMAX 2 are rolled out, they will be true 4G networks and blow the doors off LTE, WiMAX and HSPA+. Until then I will roll my eyes when these technologies are continually billed as 4G. P.S. I don't know if we will even see WiMAX 2 in the states as everyone is flocking to the LTE train (which is a GSM technology).

    Want LTE-Advanced? Not so fast...

    in Network, Network Vision/LTE Deployment

    Posted

    Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 22 January 2012

     

    LTE-Advanced will revolutionize the way we connect to the internet, but it will be quite a while until we see it on our handsets. LTE-Advanced will allow carriers to piece together all the different pieces of bandwidth into one big chunk, but handsets will need multiple LTE Radios and BIG batteries. as detailed in this article, we will need some much higher capacity batteries in our phones before we start thinking about LTE-Advanced, unless we want a couple hours of battery life...

    Verizon spends $69 million on Indy network upgrades. To avoid LTE crash at Superbowl?

    in Network, Network Vision/LTE Deployment

    Posted

    Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 23 January 2012

     

     

    With the LTE outages Verizon has experienced the past year, it makes you wonder how the 85,000 people attending the Superbowl in Indy will impact their LTE network. Verizon may have had that in mind when they decided to spend $69 million upgrading their LTE network in Indianapolis. According to the article

    "How Verizon Prepares for the First 4G LTE Super Bowl in Indianapolis" Verizon claims that attendees of the Superbowl will be able to watch the game on their mobile devices. That is an aggressive promise, but how many people will actually watch it on their phone? To assist with the added network load, they have deployed the following:

    • 9 Antennas that are part of a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) outside the stadium to handle increased downtown traffic.
    • 400 Antenna Internal DAS to handle 3G and 4G LTE voice and data inside the stadium.
    • 600 Antenna WiFi system capable of handling 28,000 simultaneous connected users. Free for Super Bowl 46.
    • 3 Cell on Wheels (COWs). Stand alone generator powered cell towers to handle the extremely high demand areas.

    The atricle finishes by saying the only equipment that they will not be leaving in place is the 3 cell on wheels that will be on hand. The Verizon customers in the city of Indianapolis will certainly be benefiting from the Superbowl.

    AT&T circling DISH

    in Network, Network Vision/LTE Deployment

    Posted

    Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 30 January 2012

     

    Looks like posturing by ATT. They are trying to make Dish want to sell them the spectrum.

     

    "We suspect that [AT&T's] interest in seeing the FCC impose LightSquared-like buildout requirements on Dish has little to do with the public interest, and much more to do with [AT&T's] interest increasing its negotiating leverage, when it comes to a potential transaction negotiation with Dish," Credit Suisse analyst Jonathan Chaplin wrote in a research note. "Why? Because onerous buildout requirements could increase Dish's interest in selling/dealing its spectrum."

     

    Looks like ATT are trying to get the FCC to put requirements on building out the network at a minimum pace, which would give Dish additional incentive to sell the spectrum to ATT. I hope Dish tells ATT to pound sand for trying to push them into a sale.

    Would Sprint ever offer direct connect as an app?

    in Misc.

    Posted

    Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 30 January 2012

     

    I tried the loudtalks walkie talkie from the market. It is a bit slow, and it seems like if you leave the program running in the background, it uses battery and slows the system. If they could tweak it some so it can "sleep" when not in use, and allow for faster transfer when you are on 4G or WiFi, it could be useful. It even lets you map a PTT button, I used the volume down button. Overall, it is pretty decent, but doesn't give the same performance that a dedicated PTT gives.

    Would Sprint ever offer direct connect as an app?

    in Misc.

    Posted

    Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 29 January 2012

     

    Currently the phone offered with Sprint direct connect have the capabilities baked right into the chip. This allows better performance and reliability I'm sure. There are several walkie talkie apps in the market that offer cross platform and cross carrier connectivity but they can't offer the response of the SDC phones. It would certainly make SDC more popular and help it catch on if you could add it to any Android or iPhone, but would it degrade the quality and drive people away from SDC altogether? I would like the feature, but I can't see myself buying anything like the current SDC phones sprint offers.

    Russian blogger claims to possess Samsung Galaxy SIII, hints April Release.

    in Samsung

    Posted

    Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 24 January 2012

     

    Eldar Murtazin, the Russian tech blogger claims that the Samsung Galaxy SIII will be announced at the MWC in Barcelona in February and hit shelves by April. I'm sure this is the European release and the US will see the device at a later date, but this is some of the more credible rumors that have come out about the device. According to phonearena.com article

    "Samsung Galaxy S III rumored to go on sale in April: HD screen, quad-core processor, 12-megapixel camera, running ICS" Murtazin tweeted “HD resolution, 12 mpx camera, sw tweaks, android 4 - i like my new phone. Eager to see official announcement in Barcelona.”

     

    He didn't come out and say anything specific about the processor, but hinted at a quad core in the 1.5-1.6 GHz range. Let's hope Samsung pairs this performance with a RAZR MAXX sized battery.

    Galaxy Nexus Plus

    in Samsung

    Posted

    Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 30 January 2012

     

    That would be sweet. I know I was a bit surprised that the google nexus had a 5 MP camera. When I was buying my E4GT, I asked the sales associate at Best Buy if he knew why the GN had a 5 MP camera and he argued with me that it had to be higher. When I pointed it out on the shelf, he went online to verify that Best Buy's own tag was correct. I thought it was pretty funny, but the stats were definitely underwhelming for a $300 flagship device, even if it is a Nexus

    Exclusive: First images of the Sprint Samsung Galaxy Journal.

    in Samsung

    Posted

    Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 23 January 2012

     

    S4GRU readers are the first to feast their eyes on the new Samsung Galaxy Journal to be released to Sprint customers later this year. I'm sure many of you are anxiously awaiting this device and its sweet looks. it makes me wonder why they changed the design so drastically from the AT&T version and how exactly one would put a case on it.

     

    I apologize for my poor photo editing skills.

    samsung-galaxy-journal.jpg

    Workers threaten to go on strike by committing suicide at Apple factory in China.

    in Apple/iPhone/iOS

    Posted

    Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 28 January 2012

     

    Well the ironic thing is that itunes was developed and marketed as the best way for artists to offer their music and actually get paid. My cousin is in Quietdrive and said that they make a lot more from itunes sales of songs than they do from the CD sales. So Apple has in essence, improved things drastically for artists to get paid for their work, but they certainly haven't improved anything for the workers making the components of their hardware. They keep demanding faster, cheaper, more advanced components, indirectly forcing their suppliers to cut costs wherever available which apparently is employee safety and care. Then they finish their recipe by jacking up the price, sticking it to the wireless carriers and the people that buy their products. Then they laugh all the way to their offshore account with their billions of dollars. People need to wake up.

     

    It's almost like when I started noticing how beautiful and expensive the national bank I used to bank with had their offices. I thought, "where does this money come from?" I promptly moved my banking needs to a credit union with nice offices but no marble floors, teak desks and toilet paper made of money.

    Workers threaten to go on strike by committing suicide at Apple factory in China.

    in Apple/iPhone/iOS

    Posted

    Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 28 January 2012

    Apple is really starting to take a beating publicly regarding the conditions to which the workers at apple manufacturing plants are subjected. I received an e-mail this morning from change.org which has started a petition to tell Apple to improve the conditions of the workers. I'm not sure I completely buy into all the claims that this e-mail makes, but if it is true, this is appalling and something definitely needs to be done to improve these conditions. Nobody deserves to be permanently maimed for corporate greed and the claim that some people are committing suicide in response to the conditions, if true, is incredible. Let's hope these claims are not true, and true or not, I hope Apple makes huge efforts to improve the conditions for the workers.

    Complete e-mail text follows:

    According to the New York Times, workers at a factory in Shenzhen, China, owned by Foxconn (a company that manufactures iPhones, iPads and other devices for Apple) regularly work sixteen-hour, seven-day work weeks.

    hey stand until their legs swell and they can’t walk, and they perform repetitive motions on the production line for so long that some permanently lose the use of their hands. To cut costs, managers make workers use cheap chemicals that cause neurological damage. There has been a rash of suicides at the Foxconn plant, and 300 workers recently threatened to jump off the roof over a safety and pay dispute.

    In short, as one former Apple executive told the New York Times, "Most people would be really disturbed if they saw where their iPhone comes from."

    Mark Shields, a self-described member of the "cult of Mac," started a petition on Change.org demanding Apple exert its influence on its suppliers to improve working conditions for the factory workers that make iPhones, iPads and other Apple products. Click here to sign Mark’s petition right now.

    Apple knows it can play an important role in ensuring safe and fair working conditions for the workers at its suppliers, like Foxconn. In 2005, the company released a supplier code of conduct, and it performs hundreds of audits each year in China and around the world to confirm its suppliers are meeting the code’s expectations.

    But that’s where Apple’s commitment falters: the number of supplier violations has held steady year to year and Apple hasn’t consistently publicly stated which suppliers have problems or dropped offending suppliers.

    The bottom line, Apple executives admit, is that they’re not being forced to change.

     

    One current executive told the New York Times that there’s a trade-off: "You can either manufacture in comfortable, worker-friendly factories," he said, or you can "make it better and faster and cheaper, which requires factories that seem harsh by American standards. And right now, customers care more about a new iPhone than working conditions in China."

     

    That means public pressure is the only thing that can force Apple to ensure its suppliers treat workers humanely. If enough people sign Mark’s petition -- and tell Apple they care more about human beings than they do about how fast the company can produce the next generation iPhone -- the company could be convinced to make real change for the workers at Foxconn and other factories.

     

     

    Blackberry London

    in BlackBerry/RIM

    Posted

    Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 1 February 2012

     

    I like the design and specs they have listed, but I may like them a lot less when the next round of Android/Apple/Windows phones are released and lap RIM. The disign on this bad boy might just get them added to the Apple design copyright suit...LOL

    When will Galaxy Nexus and LG Viper be released?

    in Misc.

    Posted

    Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 16 January 2012

     

    Previously I had heard that GN and LG Viper would be released in the April timeframe, but sleetherz.com released an

    article with this quote "The company only suggest that both Samsung Galaxy Nexus and LG Viper should be available for purchase within weeks."

     

    Due to the poor grammar used in the article, I don't know how trustworthy this information is, and technically April is only 11 weeks away. It is exciting to know that these handsets are close to being released.

    Sprint Pushing Google Wallet and NFC Payments

    in Misc.

    Posted

    Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 12 January 2012

     

    We may not see a LTE phone on Sprint for a while that doesn't include a NFC chip. The article NFC to Come Standard in Sprint LTE Phones states that only the low end phones that will be free or very cheap for new customers/upgrades will not have the NFC chip because of the extra cost of the chip. There have already been 2 LTE phones announced and they both have the chips. Sprint must be betting that NFC transactions take off and they can make some good kickbacks from a partnership with Google Wallet.

     

    Although I suppose nobody will take it seriously until Apple includes it on the iPhone (rolls eyes).

    Would you expect there to be some minor bugs when buying a Google Nexus phone?

    in Samsung

    Posted

    Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 16 January 2012

     

    Some owners of the Galaxy Nexus phones are reporting that they have experienced random reboots as covered by phonearena.com here Owners report that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is plagued by random reboots Personally, I would almost assume that there would be a thing or two that pop up early in the life of the device. It is the first to run on that version of Android, and although there is an beta test, consumers are always pressuring to get the device in their hands sooner. Google has been quick to fix the problems in the past, but it can still be annoying to consumers to experience these bugs. Would you prefer to be on the cutting edge and have the possibility of some annoying bugs, or wait for a more refined software either by buying the Nexus a few months after release or buying a different phone with the most current software?

    Will smartphone sales start lagging?

    in Misc.

    Posted

    Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 26 January 2012

     

    It seems like everyone has a smartphone these days, which has fueled monster sales numbers for Apple, Samsung, HTC, Motorola etc. But will these sales numbers start to trail off now that most people who want/understand how to use a smartphone have one. The power users will continue to upgrade their phones, but what about all of those who only use a few of the features on their smartphone? Will they adopt a "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" attitude? Or will 4G LTE and new features push them to use their upgrade? Most people have little understanding of what LTE is and how it is different than Wimax.

     

    There are also those who regret their upgrade and will downgrade to a dumbphone and cheaper monthly bill when they are once again eligible for carrier subsidies on a new phone.

     

    A lot of people are not going to want to pay $200-300 to upgrade when they already have an EVO or Epic, and especially if they currently have a EVO 3D, Photon or Epic Touch.

    Need an upgrade to get a LTE phone? Sprint's changes of their discount policy may be the ticket.

    in General Topics

    Posted

    Migrated from Original Forum. Originally Posted 25 January 2012

     

    Every time there is a material change to the terms and conditions of your contract with Sprint, customers have the ability to request to cancel without an early termination fee. Some people have been reporting that when they call Sprint about the changes to the discount policy (Sprint took 19.99 from the discount eligible main plan and moved it to the second line which cannot be discounted costing customers around $5 per month) they have had their term committment wiped out instead of cancelling. If someone had no term committment, they could cancel that line and add another line qualifying for the new line discount when LTE phones are released without having to have an upgrade credit available.

     

    I called to try to wipe the term commitment off of my plan and the operator I talked to said that I could cancel without a ETF, but they couldn't wipe off my term commitment. Other message boards have had people as recently as 24 January saying that some CSRs will, so I guess it may depend on who you talk to. I will be trying again.

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