Donate Money By Cell Phone to Japan Quake Victims

Written by Summer on March 15th, 2011

Donate for Japan!

Thank you to Elizabeth Woyke for her article on Forbes Blog listing numbers for donating to various organizations in Japan. We are re-posting the info for our readers!

“Much like earlier campaigns that benefited Haiti and other areas hit by serious natural disasters, donations for the Japanese earthquake victims can be sent via cellphone text messages. Each pledge is for $10 and will be routed to nonprofits providing disaster relief. The charge will appear on the giver’s cellphone bill.

Many of the campaigns listed below have been organized by the mGive Foundation, a Denver-based charity that manages mobile donation programs. MGive says it vets and certifies the organizations it works with. Some campaigns are being managed by the the Mobile Giving Foundation, another nonprofit that helps other nonprofits raise funds through mobile technology.

* To donate to ADRA Relief, the humanitarian organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, text SUPPORT to 85944
* To donate to American Red Cross Relief, text REDCROSS to 90999
* To donate to Convoy of Hope, a faith-based organization that does community outreach and disaster response, text TSUNAMI to 50555
* To donate to GlobalGiving, which focuses on “grassroots projects in the developing world,” text JAPAN to 50555
* To donate to International Medical Corps, a nonprofit focused on health care training, relief and development programs, text MED to 80888
* To donate to Mercy Corps, a global aid agency that works on disaster response, sustainable economic development and health services, text MERCY to 25383
* To donate to Save the Children, an independent organization dedicated to helping children in need, text JAPAN to 20222
* To donate to The Salvation Army, text JAPAN or QUAKE to 80888
* To donate to World Relief Corp., the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals, text WAVE to 50555
* To donate to World Vision, a Christian relief, development and advocacy organization, text 4JAPAN or 4TSUNAMI to 20222

In Canada:

* To donate to The Canadian Red Cross Society, text ASIA or ASIE to 30333 [FYI: this results in a $5, not $10 donation.]
* To donate to The Salvation Army in Canada, text QUAKE to 45678

Text-based donations raised tens of millions of dollars for Haiti in 2010.

Donations may incur text-messaging fees or other data charges, depending on carrier. Sprint Nextel is waiving text-messaging fees for customers who send donations to the Red Cross, Convoy of Hope, the Salvation Army and World Relief.

Verizon Wireless is waiving fees for donations to 10 organizations (ADRA Relief, American Red Cross Relief, Convoy of Hope, GlobalGiving, International Medical Corps, Mercy Corps, Salvation Army, Save the Children, World Relief Corp. and World Vision). It is also letting its (postpaid) U.S. subscribers make calls and send text messages to Japan for free until April 10.

AT&T is waiving fees for text message donations to the Red Cross and letting wireless (postpaid) subscribers who live in the U.S. and Puerto Rico make calls and send text messages to Japan for free through March 31.”

Regardless of your location, Fix it Fast Cellular provides the fastest cell phone repair available. If you’re in the Dallas/Fort Worth area you can visit us in Fort Worth or Arlington! We also offer nationwide mail-in repairs for cell phone repair.

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AT&T iPhone beats Verizon in nationwide 3G speed tests

Written by Summer on February 21st, 2011

Now that we have iPhones on AT&T and Verizon networks, there will be more in need of iPhone repairs! I’m glad someone took the time to compare iPhone performance on the available networks. Results below:

“The Verizon iPhone and AT&T iPhone have gone head-to-head in thousands of broadband tests, and the numbers tell the story you’d expect: AT&T’s network is much faster.

Ookla, creators of the Speedtest.net broadband test, compiled data from tests run by iPhone customers using the Speedtest.net app on both AT&T and Verizon.

On average, the reported AT&T iPhone transfer rates were roughly two times faster than the Verizon iPhone’s.

The AT&T iPhone’s average download speed was 1,769 Kbps, and the average upload speed was 730 Kbps. By way of comparison, the Verizon iPhone’s average download speed was 848 Kbps, and the average upload speed was 506 Kbps.

The results come from 43,000 AT&T iPhones and 14,000 Verizon iPhones all over the United States. Most Speedtest.net app users ran the tests multiple times, totaling 106,000 results from AT&T iPhone users and 49,000 results from Verizon iPhone users.

The Speedtest.net results did not provide data on coverage reliability or dropped connections.

From my benchmarking of the Verizon iPhone versus the AT&T iPhone, I also found that the AT&T iPhone’s 3G transfer rates were much faster than Verizon’s.

However, the AT&T iPhone sometimes could not complete tests because it did not have a connection, whereas the Verizon iPhone successfully completed every test. In short, I found the Verizon iPhone to be slower with network transfers but more reliable with coverage. Reviewers at other publications had the same results.

“I think that’s the story I expected to see,” said Doug Suttles, co-founder of Ookla. “Verizon has never talked up their speed, but they always talk up coverage and reliability…. I think the story is quality versus throughput: What are you after?”

Speedtest.net’s nationwide results back my verdict: You should get a Verizon iPhone if you really care about voice quality and calls, but the AT&T iPhone is better as a media-consumption device (Netflix movies, photo downloads and uploads, etc.) because of its faster speeds.”

Source: Brian X. Chen, WIRED.com via CNN http://www.cnn.com/2011/TECH/mobile/02/18/att.verizon.3g.speed.wired/index.html

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Nokia Delays E7 Launch Til Next Year

Written by Summer on December 14th, 2010

Nokia E7 Smartphone

Nokia has delayed the launch of its full keyboard based smartphone, the E7 until early next year, missing the key end-of-year selling season when it was expected to have been available. The E7 was announced in September – along with two other handsets – and was slated to start shipping before the end of the year.

Nokia spokesman, Doug Dawson said: “To ensure the best possible user experience on the E7 we have decided to begin shipping it in early 2011.” He didn’t elaborate on what the problem was that had caused the delay.

Nokia’s E7 smartphone comes with a four-inch touch screen and a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, will sell at an estimated retail price of around EUR 495, excluding taxes and subsidies.

Nokia also had slight delays when it launched its flagship N8 handset.

Article and Picture Source: http://www.cellular-news.com/story/46971.php

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iPad 2, Verizon iPhone contend for Apple’s worst kept 2011 secret

Written by Summer on December 1st, 2010

Verizon iPhone: coming soon. iPad 2: coming maybe even sooner. The trouble with keeping a secret is that eventually you have to risk telling it to someone you don’t trust, in the name of moving forward. That’s been Apple’s quandary throughout 2010 with the forthcoming Verizon iPhone, which is so real that observers can almost taste it, despite the fact that all along it’s had an early 2011 launch date plastered to it. And now that Apple is inevitably getting ready to rev the iPad into the iPad 2, which we’ve known all along would be an early 2011 product Apple nearly always revs its iProducts on a twelve month cycle, details are squirting out about it as well. Sketchy details, vague notions, questionable unnamed sources, and the inability to distinguish as to whether any given “report” is based on hard evidence, presumptive common sense, or flat-out wishful thinking. It’s why even as the AT&T iPhone and the current iPad 1 are the focus of buyers right now, the focus of those who focus on the tech industry is instead on the Verizon iPhone and and the iPad 2, even though neither officially exists and we know little about either beyond the fact that they’re coming soon.

Exact time frame? Forget it. Specs? Nah. Details? Make up your own, they’ll be as close as anything claimed to be true. Will the second generation iPad be called “iPad 2? or simply be called “iPad” again? Ask someone else. But by virtue of the fact that Apple has gotten far enough along in the manufacturing, assembling, testing, and planning process that the Verizon iPhone and iPad 2 have begun to fall into hands that Apple rightly doesn’t trust, details have begun to trickle out – meaning that here we are trying to figure out just what it is that’s coming next, even though we haven’t yet even entered the calendar year in which Apple’s next big products will show themselves.

Source: Beatweek Magazine http://www.beatweek.com/news/7685-ipad-2-verizon-iphone-contend-for-apples-worst-kept-2011-secret/

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Verizon iPad Coming October 28th!

Written by Summer on October 15th, 2010

Apple and Verizon Wireless announced this morning a partnership that would bring the iPad to Verizon Wireless Stores across the U.S. on October 28. While the collaboration won’t see Verizon compatible technology embedded in the iPad, it will bundle the iPad Wi-Fi with a Verizon MiFi 2200 Mobile Hotspot.

Verizon Wireless will offer three iPad Wi-Fi + MiFi bundles: the iPad Wi-Fi 16GB for $630, the iPad Wi-Fi 32GB for $730 and the iPad Wi-Fi 64GB for $830. Verizon will also introduce a special monthly access plan for iPad customers of up to 1GB of data for $20 a month. In contrast, AT&T offers up to 2GB of data for just $25 per month. Verizon iPad users will, however, have the option of purchasing the standard 5GB data plan for $60 per month.

The announcement comes as speculation behind a Verizon iPhone have reached unprecedented levels. Just days ago, “a person who is in direct contact with apple,” leaked information that a CDMA iPhone was in development and would hit shelves early next year. The rumors gained further credibility as it was picked up by both The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.

On Monday, Microsoft held an event in conjunction with AT&T to launch Windows Phone 7 (Windows Phone 7), a collaboration that could be indicative of the end of AT&T’s iPhone exclusivity. Nevertheless, AT&T also today announced that it too would begin carrying the Apple iPad in its stores on October 28. But it should be noted that even Wal-mart will soon be selling iPads, so perhaps this is all just Apple making a retail land grab before the holidays.

Source: Mashable.com By Blake Robinson

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The New Samsung Galaxy Tab-Better than iPad??

Written by Summer on September 21st, 2010

When Samsung debuted its Galaxy Tab on Thursday, it made a bold claim: the device is at least as good as today’s dominant tablet, Apple’s iPad.

“Honestly, I don’t see anything [about the Galaxy Tab] that is weaker than the iPad,” W.P. Wong, head of Samsung Mobile’s product planning team, said at a press conference here at the IFA electronics show.

And in several ways, he said, the Galaxy Tab is stronger. It permits both picture-taking and video chat with front- and back-mounted cameras. Its weight of 380 grams (0.8 pounds) is considerably less than the iPad, which weighs 680 grams (1.5 pounds) without 3G and 730g (1.6 pounds) with it.

“In terms of the weight, you may not think it’s a significant factor. But we think, through consumer research, that weight is very critical to enjoy the user experience,” Hong said.

The product itself will begin shipping in late September or early October in Europe and by year’s end in the U.S.

Samsung is already working to raise expectations about as high as they’ll go.

“The Galaxy Tab will change our lives,” Samsung Mobile President J.K. Shin said. “It is a true paradigm-shifter.”

Samsung certainly has abundant experience with consumer electronics, including the fact that it makes the memory, display, and processor used in the Galaxy Tab. But it’ll be tough taking on the iPad.

“Apple’s iPad is unlikely to face a viable competitor until 2011, allowing the company to maintain a dominant share in the tablet market at least through 2012,” research firm iSuppli said in August.
Samsung Galaxy Tab (photos)

But Android’s success on smartphones that compete with the iPhone has revealed that it’s possible to at least compete effectively against Apple, if not hurt the company, in its iOS device domain.

Android, though it lags iOS-based devices in gaming titles, does have a wide range of applications. Samsung pointed out that the Galaxy Tab will run Adobe Systems’ Flash Player 10.1, which opens the doors to more games available over the Web.

But Apple has often won out against rivals with a stronger list of individual features. It’s not clear yet whether the Galaxy Tab–or a host of other tablets based on Android, WebOS, or Windows 7–will be able to match the iPad’s overall user experience.

“Apple’s complete integration of hardware, software, operating system, and applications is a major piece of what makes the device a standout,” said iSuppli analyst Rhoda Alexander.

Regarding battery life, the Galaxy Tab looks at least competitive, though Samsung didn’t call it out specifically as an advantage. The device will be able to play high-definition video for at least 7 hours on a single charge and perform less strenuous tasks for much more than 10 hours, said Thomas Richter, head of Samsung’s product portfolio for the European telecommunications division. Apple says the iPad can last 10 hours running a combination of video, Web surfing, and book reading; reviewers have been generally impressed by its longevity.

The Galaxy Tab will include Android 2.2, called Froyo, and will be upgradable to Android 3.0, called Gingerbread, Hong said.

The following build of the Android operating system, Honeycomb, won’t be available for the first Galaxy Tab models, though, Hong said.

“Since we emphasized portability and mobility, our determination was to apply smartphone platform instead of tablet platform,” Hong said. “Honeycomb will be implemented in our next-generation tablet, not this device, because that [Honeycomb] is specifically optimized for a different type of tablet. This emphasizes mobility.”

The Galaxy Tab can indeed be thought off more as an extra-large smartphone. It will be sold through carriers–large ones in the United States, Europe, Asia, and China, Samsung said, hinting that Verizon is a likely option. Indeed, unlike the iPad, there’s no version that doesn’t have 3G wireless networking and a carrier plan, though Samsung said such a move was possible with future models.

The Galaxy Tab is the first of a series of products that will span a range of prices, Hong said. “Next year, you might be able to see a variety of different tablets coming from our company,” Hong said.

Samsung wouldn’t reveal prices, leaving that up to telecommunications companies that would bring the Galaxy Tab to market, but it will be competitive, said DJ Lee, senior vice president in charge of Samsung Mobile global sales and marketing.

“Our business model is to go through global telephone operators,” Lee said. “The final price setting, including the rate plan, will be finalized by the rate plan operators. We cannot give an exact number. We are working to keep a very attractive and competitive price to offer the end user.”

The tablet’s 7-inch, 1024×600-pixel LCD display is significantly larger than that used in smartphones where Android prevails today, and Samsung has worked with Google to ensure makers of the 200 most popular apps will be compatible with the device, Hong said. Overall, though, “85 to 90 percent of the content in the Android Marketplace is compatible with the screen,” Hong said.

The device will come with a variety of Samsung-supplied applications, too, including those for playing music and video in a variety of formats, video chatting, e-mail, and reading books and magazines.

For those carriers with e-reader partnerships, Samsung will be able to install other software as well. However, Lee was eager to point out that the Galaxy Tab’s reader application provides access to 2,500 magazines, 1,600 newspapers, and 2 million books.

When it comes to applications, Samsung has some divided loyalties. Along with the Galaxy Tab and the Android-powered Galaxy S smartphones, Samsung has its own Bada operating system to cultivate for smartphones. And the Samsung Apps effort for what Samsung calls smart TVs is another effort at building a strong developer ecosystem: Samsung announced Thursday it will pay 500,000 euros ($641,000) to developers in Europe in a follow-up to contests it has run in Asia and the United States.

After years developing hardware expertise, it’s clear Samsung has software religion now. Boo-Keun Yoon, president of Samsung Electronics’ visual display business, called it the “connective tissue” of its devices.

“Samsung became the world’s largest electronics company because of our strong hardware design and the connectivity of devices,” Yoon said. “Over the past [few] years, that strength has extended to the software and applications that bring these to life.”

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-30685_3-20015400-264.html?tag=mncol;mlt_related#ixzz10CT6rVWg
Author Stephen Shankland

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AT&T Launches Satellite Phone

Written by Summer on September 21st, 2010


AT&T has unveiled a new satellite phone that can provide phone reception in areas where there are no cell towers.

Available today, the TerreStar Genus is a dual-mode smartphone that uses AT&T’s cellular service by default but kicks in with satellite reception as a backup in remote areas. The satellite service offers the standard mobile phone trio of voice, data, and messaging, so it can function as an overall smartphone.

Though the hybrid phone might be intriguing to AT&T subscribers unhappy with their cell service, the company is gearing this model more toward enterprise, government, and small business customers. Specifically, AT&T sees the TerreStar Genus as an option for people who work in government departments, utilities, and transportation companies, as well as members of public safety agencies and disaster recovery groups.

However, a story from PhoneScoop last year said that AT&T is working on a consumer version. And TerreStar’s Web site does include a signup form if you want to be notified when a consumer version is available. An AT&T spokesperson told CNET that there are no details on a possible consumer version yet. But the company does believe the satellite service would be ideal for recreational boaters, outdoor enthusiasts, and rural users who want broader mobile communications coverage when it’s made available to consumers in the future.

As a smartphone, the TerreStar Genus runs under Windows Mobile 6.5 and offers a touchscreen, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 2.0 megapixel camera, MicroSD card slot, and a full QWERTY keyboard.

There are a few issues, however, worth noting. Coverage is available only in the U.S., Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and territorial waters. The phone requires a clear line of sight to the satellite in the southern skies, so you can’t be surrounded by trees or other tall obstructions.

The price tag? Customers will pay $799 upfront for the phone itself. An AT&T cellular voice and data plan are required as is a monthly satellite subscription, which costs $25. But calls, data, and messages through the satellite service are charged individually, with subscribers paying 65 cents per minute for voice, 40 cents per message, and $5 per megabyte of data.

First announced almost a year ago, the TerreStar Genus was due to launch in the first quarter of the year but was delayed until now.

Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-20017106-94.html#ixzz10CPrh61a
Author: Lance Whitney

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Extremely Satisfied Customer

Written by Summer on August 26th, 2010

Just an FYI for those of you living in the Ft Worth area – if you drop your cell phone and it doesn’t work, or work properly, I can recommend a repair shop. My iPhone was dropped about 2 days before we left for North Carolina recently. The new phones were on sale, but I couldn’t find a store in Abilene or Ft Worth that had any on hand. At the AT&T cell store just south of Hulen Mall, the manager recommended a repair shop just south on Hulen Street. The store is called “Fix it FAST“, and it’s located at 5412 South Hulen Street, in a shopping strip on the west side of the street.

I showed them what it was not doing, they checked it and said it would have to have new parts, and that they could order the parts. I suggested I would be happy if they had used parts, and they went back into the shop to check. About five minutes later, they came out with my phone working properly. The charge was under $50, and I was thrilled with that.

They work on all brands of phones, and are competent and friendly. I hope this note comes in handy for you.

Roy Broussard
Carbon, TX

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Results: Free Cases to Solve iPhone 4G Problems

Written by Summer on July 22nd, 2010

Apple will give iPhone 4 owners a free case to address problems some users have reported with the new phone’s antenna—an issue that affects the entire cellular phone industry, CEO Steve Jobs contends. Apple announced its free case offer at a press conference at its Cupertino headquarters on Friday July 16, 2010.

The iPhone 4 debuted on June 24 and has proven to be a big hit for Apple—on Friday, Jobs said the company had sold 3 million phones since last month’s launch. But nearly immediately after the phone’s launch some users reported problems with antenna interference. The most common complaint involves the reception bars disappearing from the iPhone’s status bar when users hold the device a certain way, with their fingers covering the phone’s antennas.

Apple also plans to appease iPhone 4 owners with reception problems by offering them a free case for their smartphone. Tests by multiple sources have indicated that wrapping the phone in a protective case like Apple’s $29 iPhone Bumper can prevent the signal attenuation some iPhone 4 owners have reported.

The free case offer is available to anyone who buys an iPhone through September 30 as well as to existing iPhone 4 owners. Users who’ve already bought a bumper will be given a refund, Apple says. Users who bought third-party cases aren’t eligible for the refund.

Asked why Apple had settled on September 30 as the cutoff date, Jobs indicated the company could extend the free case offer beyond that. “We’ll re-evaluate it in September,” he said.”

Because Apple’s hasn’t made enough of its bumpers to meet demand yet, Jobs said the company will offer a choice of cases to customers. Starting next week, iPhone 4 owners will be able to go to Apple’s Website, and apply for a case.

If customers aren’t happy with the iPhone 4—“before or after you get a free case,” Jobs added—they can bring back the undamaged phone within 30 days for a full refund. Jobs said Apple won’t charge a restocking fee and that users would be able to get out of their contracts with AT&T.

“We want to make all of our customers happy,” Jobs said. “And if you don’t know that about Apple, you don’t know Apple.”

Apple also addressed problems with the iPhone 4’s proximity sensor on Friday. Some users have said that the sensor—which detects when you’re holding the phone up to your face and disables the screen during calls so you don’t inadvertently press buttons—either doesn’t turn off the display or doesn’t reactive the screen after the call is complete. Jobs says Apple is working on a fix that will be available in the next software update.

Apple has posted a video of its press conference on its Website. Watch it here: http://events.apple.com.edgesuite.net/100716iab73asc/event/index.html

Source: Philip Michaels, Macworld.com

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IPhone Recall Would Cost Billions!

Written by Summer on July 15th, 2010

With Apple’s iPhone 4 antenna problem getting so much attention, especially after Consumer Reports said it would not be recommending the device, experts warn it could cost Apple billions of dollars. If Apple were to bow to pressure and issue a recall for the iPhone 4, the move would cost the company an estimated $1.5 billion, according to a senior analyst.

Apple has been heavily criticized for signal problems on its latest iPhone. Users have reported dropped calls and weakened reception when their hand covers the lower left-hand corner of the device.

Apple has acknowledged that holding the phone in that way can cause signal issues, but said this was common with many handsets. A forthcoming software update will fix problems with the phone displaying an incorrect number of signal ‘bars’ but it will not resolve this issue.

Paddy Power PLC, Ireland’s biggest bookmaker, said the chances that Apple will ultimately recall the phone have increased following what it described a “betting frenzy” after the Consumer Reports review. The consumer organization said on July 12 it wouldn’t recommend the phone because of its tendency to lose signal strength when held in a certain way.

“If the current betting trends are to be believed, it now seems certain that a recall is in the cards,” Paddy Power said in a press release. Natalie Kerris, an Apple spokeswoman, didn’t immediately return messages left outside of business hours.

Paddy Power first offered odds of 2-to-1 against a recall, meaning a bet on a recall would pay $2 plus the initial $1 if such an event occurred. Now those odds are 4-to-6, meaning a winning bet of $1 would pay $1.66 if a recall were to occur.

Consumer Reports said it wouldn’t recommend the latest iPhone until the signal problem is fixed, though the device otherwise received high ratings. The test results showed that when a user covers the phone’s lower-left side, where two parts of the antenna meet, the loss of signal strength may lead to dropped calls in areas where AT&T Inc.’s coverage is weak, Consumer Reports said.

Toni Sacconaghi, an analyst at Sanford Bernstein & Co. in New York, said that although a full product recall was “highly unlikely”, such a move would cost Apple $1.5 billion. The more likely option would be for Apple to issue every iPhone 4 owner with a rubber “bumper.”

The “bumper” will fit over the stainless steel antenna band that runs around the device, and will help to reduce these signal problems. The bumpers, which come in a variety of colours, cost £25, but Bernstein estimates that giving them away to customers would cost Apple $1 per unit.

“It could be done immediately, would directly address the Consumer Report’s concern, and would be financially immaterial,” he said. “While it would force Apple to ‘acknowledge’ a design issue with the iPhone, we believe that consumers are increasingly aware of the antenna issue, and remedying it rather than dismissing or ignoring it appears most appropriate.”

Sacconaghi said this latest episode showed Apple was engaging in a worrying pattern of “hubris” and had, on occasion, seemingly purposely mislead customers and investors.

“Perhaps the bigger, longer-term concern for Apple investors is the emerging pattern of hubris that the company has displayed, which has increasingly pitted competitors (and regulators) against the company, and risks alienating customers over time.

“Examples of its behavior have included its limited disclosure practices, its attack on Adobe’s Flash, its investigation into its lost iPhone prototype (which culminated in a reporter’s home being searched while he was away and computers being removed), its restrictions on app development, and its ostensibly dismissive characterizations of the iPhone’s antenna issues (i.e., phone needs to be held a different way; a software issue that affects the number of bars displayed).

“The worry is that collectively, these issues may, over time, begin to impact consumers’ perceptions of Apple, undermining its enormous prevailing commercial success.”

Apple saw more than £6.5 billion wiped off its value yesterday, following the publication of the Consumer Reports review. The company’s share price fell by 4.2 per cent at one stage, although it rallied later in the day and recovered slightly at the US stock markets headed higher.

Source: Siarhei Karotki
via http://links.assetize.com/links/2da6da

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