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Archive for the 'cell phone service' Tag

iPhone service outage? There’s an app for that

December 8th, 2009, 8:37 am by

AT&T Mark the Spot app to report reception issues.Noted: AT&T has been criticized heavily for poor reception among iPhone 3G wireless users. Now, the company wants iPhone users to help them detect weaknesses. With an app.

The free AT&T Mark the Spot app allows customers to notify the company when they’re in a bum area. The customer just presses a button to indicate the nature of the issue, adds notes and sends it to AT&T. You can download the app from iTunes HERE.

While AT&T is on track to invest $17 billion to $18 billion in its wireless network, the company said that using crowd sourcing to determine network weaknesses will speed up improvements.

Of course by offering such an app, AT&T is getting reamed by some users:

“You have no service from AT&T and you’re supposed to notify AT&T of no service on AT&T with an app that needs AT&T service to let them know there’s no service on AT&T? What’s wrong with this picture?” was one of many similar user comments.

Still, at least AT&T is putting itself out there. And one independent testing firm says that AT&T’s reputation for an inferior network is just perception. Perhaps AT&T should add a feature to the app to that informs users when the location is fixed or upgraded?

At the moment, the service is only for iPhone customers but AT&T said versions for other smartphones are expected in coming months.

Earlier stories on cell phone services:

Posted in: Apple mania • iPhone • Video & TV • • • • • • • | Comments Off

Consumer Reports: Best cell phone service?

December 3rd, 2008, 9:19 am by

Verizon is the best cell phone company out there, with T-Mobile a close second. Who says so? The majority of 51,700 readers surveyed in September by Consumer Reports, one of the most consistently consumer-centric organizations in the nation.

In a new report, available in the January 2009 issue, cell phone companies are no longer considered unreliable as 60 percent of readers said they were “completely satisfied” or “very satisfied” with their cellular service — a category that had previously been among the worst rated by consumers. About 42 percent said they had no major complaints with their cell-phone company, which is up from 29 percent in CR’s previous survey.

However, in Orange County (Los Angeles area), the ratings for all the companies aren’t that great overall:


Locally, Verizon still ranks at the top among readers and connectivity. And while T-Mobile is the worst for connectivity, readers ranked it the second highest. In reader ratings, all scored above 60, which CR defines as “fairly well satisfied.”

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Overall, the industry scored such high praise thanks to some big changes, such as improving call quality and having less onerous contract terms. Pretty much all offer pro-rated contracts now.

But still, the big complaint was cost. Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • • • • | 9 Comments »

BillShrink quickly shows how to save on cell bill

July 25th, 2008, 2:38 pm by

BillShrink.comIf you’re in need of a new cell phone but have been overwhelmed by the number of companies and plans out there, check out BillShrink.com.

The Menlo Park company has taken all that tedious information — contract details, various fees for minutes and text messages, local signal strength, data plans, family plans, etc. — and created an easy-to-use site that not only looks nice but spits out the best plan for your needs.

BillShrink.com compares cellular plansWhat I really liked about the site is that it gives me a recommendation. And I only need to spend two minutes on the site to figure it out. After plugging in how many minutes I use per month and a few other details (you can also upload your phone bill), the results don’t simply say, “Here are the plans,” but they show you how much you would save or need to spend for the various plans and carriers.

The company just upgraded its site to include a bunch of stuff that would make your eyes glaze over, but they did it in a way that looks nice and is immediately understood. For example, plan details include several ratings bars (example pictured below) to show how it compares with the competition. Hovering over the image with your mouse gives you even more useful information.

BillShrink.com compares cellular plans

There are also coverage maps that show dead spots and flaky signals. Enter your location to git your own signal strength. And it offers details on all the available phones. More features, such as user reviews and third-party rankings, will be added in the future, according to the company.

Since I am in the market and eyeing the new iPhone, I started poking around to see how much it would cost me. BillShrink has a special iPhone page. Upgrading is going to cost me a lot.

The theory behind the site, of course, is to shrink your phone bill. Unfortunately, that may be difficult to do based on rising prices and new technology that costs more. Still, BillShrink could offer more insight into what you use — or don’t use — and what features are out there that are important, such as signal strength at home and work.

Similar companies:

  • PhoneScoop.com doesn’t rate the plans but has a lot of users posting about phones and carriers in its forum.
  • MyRatePlan.com lists and compares plans. Can choose by plan or phone. No recommendations, just offers options based on your criteria.
  • LetsTalk.com lets you pick phone and minute plans then pulls up results. Lots of details, but not too helpful when trying to sort through the overwhelming amount of information.

Related:

Posted in: Cell phones • iPhone • • • • • • • • • | 3 Comments »

Money-saving gas tips from around the Web

May 16th, 2008, 2:01 am by

Ugh… $4 for a gallon of gas. It’s definitely time to make use of technology to save money. Here’s my roundup:

Popular Mechanics tested out several gadgets claiming to help save gas — including ‘Miracle Magnets,’ vortex generators, vapor injectors, water injection and an engine ionizer. The conclusion: Nope, there’s nothing magic in gas gadgets. Read the article HERE.GetMobio’s Cheap Gas tool for cell phones

Use your cell phone. Let me start with the free service: GetMobio offers “Cheap Gas,” one of a few handy mobile tools. Data charges from your phone service company may apply. GasPriceWatch.com provides the data (see below for more details). Also, here is GoMobio’s support page for Cheap Gas.

Not free but available to anyone is MapQuest Navigator 5.0. Just download the software to certain phones. Free for the first 7 days with prices afterwards starting at $4.17 per month.

Then there’s Verizon Wireless, which offers “Gas Finder” in to the navigation service (which was developed by Irvine’s Networks in Motion). The service not only tells the user where gas stations are in nearby proximity but also provides gas prices.

Sprint users can find the cheapest gas in the vicinity through Sprint’s navigation service, which costs $2.99 a day or $20 a month.

AT&T offers “Gas by Price” through the AT&T Navigator, but it’s only available on certain phones. The company offers a free 30-day trial and charges $9.99 per month or $2.99 a day.

Check prices online. Web sites specializing in finding cheap gas have been around for a while, but

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Uncategorized • • • • • • • • • | 3 Comments »

Stump the Gadgetress: Options for cell phones without service

July 30th, 2007, 1:58 am by

Stump the GadgetressQ:Can I purchase a cell phone over the internet and go to any cell phone company for service with out having to pay for a 1 or 2 year contract, say month by month? If so, what would be a good phone? — Don Schulz

Gadgetress: Contracts are a drag and if you want cell phone service, a long-term commitment is hard to avoid. But not impossible.

I spoke to the major cellular carriers and here are their options:

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Cell phones • • • • • • • • • • • • • • | 6 Comments »

Review: T-Mobile’s HotSpot @Home

July 3rd, 2007, 5:50 am by

Last week, I wrote about T-Mobile launching a new service so customers can use Wi-Fi to get better cell phone coverage at home — and pay a bit less on phone calls made using this wireless technology. (And read to the end to learn about how to win this service free for a year.)

Then I tried it out.

One word: Stunning!

But you probably want more than one word. A full review can be found HERE. But a few things to mention that are best said online (as opposed to print)….

For those catching up, T-Mobile’s new HotSpot @Home service turns a house into a Wi-Fi hotspot for your cell phone. But don’t think of this as Vonage or Skype or other Voice over Internet Protocol service for cell phones. Somehow, T-Mobile allows calls to automatically switch from cellular technology to Wi-Fi technology mid call. And I didn’t even notice the switch.

tmobilehotspotcell.jpg

Chatting on the phone and walking into a Starbucks I had never visited before, the little icon on the phone went from cell logo (above) to the Wi-Fi logo (below). Of course, the image below is taken from my home network, which I call Oklahoma for no reason whatsoever.

tmobilehotspotwifi.jpg

Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: Cell phones • Gadgetress reviews • Wi-Fi & networking • • • • • • • • | Comments Off

Stump the Gadgetress

March 1st, 2006, 10:30 am by

tamara.3.gifActually, it’s not too difficult to stump me. But as long as I have Internet access and a phone to call people who do know the answers, I’m pretty good with tracking down the solution. People email me random technology questions on a weekly basis and I try to respond as best I can. But really, I’m here to help you help yourself. So since I’m helping one person out, maybe someone else can benefit from my reporting and show you where I look. I’m launching a new blog category today as a way to respond to reader questions AND inspire other readers to comment if they have a better answer.

First up, Steve from Orange:
razr.jpg
Q: I was wondering if you knew anything about motorollas razor phone making radios and tvs buzz every five to fifteen minutes. if my phone is within 5 to 10 feet of said appliance it will do it. what gives?

My answer: I’ve noticed that my cell phone seems to periodically check for cellular service and when it does, I hear a faint doot-to-doot sound over my computer’s speaker or if I’m on a landline. But that’s the extent of interference I seem to get with my cell phone.

Another possibility is the phone’s Bluetooth connection…
Read the rest of this entry »

Posted in: news • • • • • | 2 Comments »

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