Wireless Device: Phone Research and Shopping

While conducting some research on the latest wireless phones, I came across a web site that you might find quite useful: www.infosyncworld.com. 

This web site has reviews for many wireless / cell phones, laptops, and digital cameras.  The site has product reviews, comparison charts, and gives you the ability to compare phones side by side in terms of their features and ratings.  For example, you can compare the Apple iPhone against a Blackberry Curve 8330 in terms of their sizes and reviewers ratings.

Besides doing your own comparisons, I recommend reading web reviews for checkpoints that may or may not be of concern to you.  You don't necessarily have to agree to the ratings or the positive / negative comments provided by the reviewers - they can serve as a starting point for things you might want to consider or be on the look out for.

If you "power users" are researching for your next wireless phone, I recommend the following methods of researching for your next wireless device:

• Utilize reviews and comparison charts at www.infosyncworld.com and www.cnet.com
• Download and review owners manuals for each device - usually found either at the wireless carrier's and/or manufacturers web site.
• Consider visiting stores that have live working examples of the phones to get a feel of the devices in your hands.
• Talk to friends and co-workers who may have the wireless device you are interested in.

For some, researching wireless phones in depth may seem an overkill.  But remember, once you purchase a device, sign up for services, and go beyond the 30 day "trial period", you are usually bound to a 2 year contract which can be equally expensive to break if you terminate it within two years.

Some say its usually good practice to upgrade or replace wireless devices after a minimum of two years to stay on top of technological advances and software upgrades.  In other cases, if your device is more than two years old and it still meets your needs - then keep using it until it gets to the point its no longer reliable or supported by your carrier.  There may be a dozen of other reasons why you may/may not want to change devices or carriers, but that's  often left up to the owners.

Lastly, when new devices first come out on the market, they usually have a few "bugs" and kinks to work out.  If there is a newer device or model you are interested in, if possible, wait a couple of months to let the "early adopters" identify and work out early issues.

Tips for Managing Your Email Accounts

Today, many people have more than one email addresses.  Especially those within the deaf / hard of hearing population segment tend to have multiple email accounts in order to accommodate the use of wireless email devices. Drawing on my personal experiences, follow these tips for managing your wireless and wired email accounts.

- To reduce the number of wireless email messages you get, only give out its email address to a select few people.  Such as family, important friends, co-workers and significant others. So that your wireless device isn't buzzing all day long.

- Use a Internet service provider email account for your everyday non-time sensitive / everyday emails.  If you do not have Internet services at home,  try Gmail (Google), Yahoo, and Hotmail, which are free email providers.

- Utilize RSS feeds and news readers to help cut down on e-mailbox clutter from subscriptions.  In fact, this blog is available via a Rss reader such as Google Reader.  Review your email subscriptions and see if you can subscribe to RSS feeds instead of their email services.

- If possible, utilize email rules on your computer (I.e. Ms Outlook) or with your email provider.  By using rules you can automatically sort incoming emails to designated folders.

For example, I sign up for Chicago Tribune email alerts to stay on top of important breaking news which I can access wirelessly.  The next time when I use my computer to check / respond to my regular my emails, a rule will automatically dump Chicago Tribune emails into a specific folder. There I can either re-read, save certain messages, or delete them all at once instead of having to peck and hunt to emails received from with in Inbox.  This is especially the case when I travel and emails easily pile up.  By using various email rules, I can clean out my mailbox faster and spend less time managing my box.

For email subscriptions, I sign up for RSS feeds whenever possible.  It helps to keep the number of emails down even more.

Lastly, be careful who you provide your email addresses to.  If its someone you don't know, its likely to be a spammer (junk emailer).  They can get you on all kinds of email lists, and you can end up getting a lot of junk email. Which requires time to clean out or set up email rejection rules.  In worst case scenarios, if spam email seriously becomes a problem, you can create new email account(s) and start over.  Which of course take time and requires you to notify your contacts so they can update their electronic address books.

By keeping these email rules in mind, you can get a better handle on your e-mail boxes and be more productive.

In Brief: What Technologies Are Being Used By Commuters on Trains

Wondering what technology devices that commuters use on trains and subways in cities such as NYC, DC, Chicago, Dallas, Boston, and SF?

Other than cell phones, many commuters in large cities, such as those here in Chicago use the following electronic devices while commuting.

Here is a list of what's I've seen on Chicago's Metra trains:

- Wireless handhelds (Blackberrys, Apple iPhones, Palm Treos, other PDAs and Danger Sidekicks).
- Portable dvd players
- Gaming systems (PSP, GBA, DS)
- Laptops with wireless cards/tethered wireless devices
- iPods, Microsoft Zune, and MP3 music players
- Electronic book readers (Kindle / Sony)
- Digital cameras

Of course, there are still plenty of low tech solutions found on board:
- Newspapers, books, and magazines.

The only major gripe is that power outlets are usually not available on board, and you should recharge your device as much as possible before leaving the office for the day.

Sometimes wireless connections are disrupted when going thru several communities, under buildings or being underground - the outages are usually temporary.

Lastly - don't forget to take your devices with you when you get off at your stop.

Now isn't commuting a little more productive and fun?

Purpose of this Technology Blog

Instead of having a blog about myself, I'm going to utilize this space to to blog, discuss, and share about everyday technologies that we consumers use. The primary focus of this blog will be for deaf and hearing-impaired consumers because we have different needs and uses for technologies than the general population.

I'm hoping that with this blog, we can help others by sharing our findings and experiences to help this population segment fully utilize technology for everyday needs. Overtime, I will include articles and links to some white papers and publications I have written or will soon to write.

You can also subscribe to this blog using your favorite Blog or RSS reader such as Google reader and Bloglines. Check out the "Subscribe to Blog" box in the upper right hand corner.

There are approximately 20 million deaf and hard of hearing consumers within the U.S., and 100 million world wide.

If there is a topic or technology item you'd like to for me to cover, feel free to contact me.

Regards