Test drive wireless phones before buying

As many of you know, the market for wireless devices and phones has become saturated (there are many models and options now available), it has become increasingly important to be able to test and get a real feel of the phones you are interested in before purchasing. The large number of devices and services available can be overwhelming at times.  Thus its important to take your time and research before selecting a device.

While a device may look great online, it may not be as appealing when you set your own eyes and hands on it in person.
The opposite can be said - some devices are not so well displayed online but are actually great in person.

I recently went to Best Buy to run a small shopping errand, and out of curiosity, I checked on the latest models of wireless phones – Wow! there is a large number of devices available compared to 5 years ago! I took a good 15 minutes to take a look at some of the latest models.

Findings
While I won't name any specific models - some of my findings were:

- Some of the new phones look like they were designed for tweens and teenagers - not worthy of consideration for working adults. They should list the recommended ages on each device.

- Secondly I was surprised how bad some of the physical keyboards were. People still need to type messages and emails.
Note to manufacturers: don't make the keyboards any smaller. A combination of keyboard and touch screen is probably what most consumers want.

- Thirdly, you need to consider the operating system of each phone, and need to determine what kind of system you prefer and want (see below).

- Lastly, make it worthwhile to find store(s) in  your area that have the actual devices on display that you can examine before buying online.

Popular Phone Operating Systems
Some of the popular operating systems are (in no particular order)

- iPhone (Apple)
- Rim / Blackberry
- Windows Mobile (Microsoft)
- Nokia
- Android
- Other: Carrier specific

Recommendations
I suggest reading two previous previous blog postings highlighting some recommendations on how to select your next wireless phone / device.

1. “Wireless Devices: Phone Research and Shopping”

2. “A Quick and Dirty Guide to Selecting Your Next Smart Phone / Wireless Device”

Discuss
As a reader, share with others what have you done or considered when making a decision in selecting a replacement or new wireless device?

Contact Numbers and Email Addresses to the 4th Power

In these days, it seems many of us are getting multiple assigned device numbers and email addresses - how can one possibly memorize them all?

Yet this all seems ironic given that many deaf and hard of hearing consumers may not utilize voice services, and actually end up having more phone numbers than hearing consumers.  This article will illustrate some examples of what has become common and tips on how to manage to share your contact information with others.

While the various relay services, communication devices, and various touch points (VP, VRS, email and wireless devices), are a blessing in disguise, we seem to have more numbers and email addresses for each person than ever before.

For arguments sake – below is an illustration of an example of what a family of four usually has to keep track of:

Work
- Local 10 digit number
- VP Device number(s)
- Toll free number
- Blackberry SMS number
- Fax (While its not relay related, its another number to track)
* Multiply the count of numbers by two if you have a working spouse

Home
- Landline or Other VOIP (broadband phone service) number
- VP assigned number some may have more than one VP device (I.e. VP-200, Z-340, PC based, etc).
- My own toll free number
- Spouses toll free number
- My wireless device SMS number
- Spouses device SMS number
- Teens wireless device SMS number(s) 
* Multiply by the number of wireless phones in the household

As the above illustrates, for work and in a family of four, there are about 12 different numbers to use and to keep track of.
Why I say "about" - because new technologies are forthcoming and changing all the time -thus new numbers will come and go.

Multiple Email Addresses
Now about multiple email addresses - no doubt many of us have more than one email address as well. We have them for various reasons – such as for work, home and wireless devices.

Examples
- Work email
- Home primary email
- Push email provider (for wireless device) (I.e. MobileMe, Mail2web, Fusemail, Gmail, Hotmail, etc).
- Spouses primary email
- Spouses push email provider (for wireless device)
- Kids primary email addresses
- Kids wireless phone email addresses

Add them up, that's a minimum of 7 email accounts for a family of four. Image the same with your friends – dealing with multiple email addresses and numbers.

Solution
What to do?
Only give out contact numbers and email addresses on an as need to know basis. There is no need to share all numbers and email addresses with everyone, you should selectively give your email/number to your contacts to prevent confusion.

For example, for your immediate family, share the primary contact points with them. 
For your friends and distant others, you may have a different set of preferences and ways for them to contact you.

Tips

• Create Different Versions of Personal Contact Cards
  Use FedexKinkos and Vistaprint.com, they can print up hundreds of cards in a flash for a low cost.
  If you need a few just cards print them yourselves.  Microsoft Word and Publisher offer document templates that allow you to create and print your own contact cards.  You can buy business card paper in most office supply stores (Avery paper).
• Document Email Addresses and Numbers into a MS-Word, MS-Excel or other readable format
  This will provide you a way to keep track of your numbers and email accounts.
• Utilize Address Books on Your Computer (i.e. Ms-Outlook, email/ISP provider) and Your Wireless Handheld
  By doing this, it will help you better manage your contact information, and reduce the need to memorize so many numbers and email addresses.

Lastly, make an effort to memorize at least some you important numbers and email addresses for emergencies or when you computer and/or handheld wireless device is not available.

Communication Technologies: Past, Present and Future

If you are reading this article on-line, you win a "point" for being up to date in using some of the latest technologies.

This article focuses on past, present and future accessibility and technologies that have greatly benefited the deaf / hard of hearing community over the past 30 years or so.  The list is not all inclusive, but contains a list of topics (technologies) that continue to be mainstream today. 

 

• For the younger crowd, this chart can help provide an insight to the limited technologies and services of the past. 
• For those of you who are younger than baby boomers a.k.a. Generation X, Y, Millennials and Z (I.e. 1964+ or younger), many of you can relate to the topics discussed. 
• For seniors, the chart can provide you with an update on what technologies are available for your use, and give you a chance to learn something new.

The linked chart was developed from comments from others, my own experiences and perspectives.  The chart contents may be updated overtime as I receive comments and continue to expand on it.   You do not necessarily have to agree to what is listed.

Since the chart is too wide and long for display on this blog, it has been converted into an Acrobat PDF file and posted on Comcast - click on the link below.

[Click to see: Chart of Communication Technologies: Past, Present and Future]

This blog is open to receiving feedback and discussions based on this topic.

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.

Web and Wireless Device Security

Today the web, laptop/desktop PCs, and wireless devices are often fused with our everyday lives: They often containing personal calendars, emails, contact info, and personal info, which has becoming increasingly important to take security precautions for handling your personal information.

Some security tips to consider:

• Do not use the same password for multiple web accounts.
• Do not use personal info (such as names, date of birth, or commonly used / dictionary words for passwords.  Set up complex passwords that you can remember.  For example: wilex9z$
• Utilize password managers to help keep track of passwords.  SplashID from Splashdata.com is one product I recommend.  The application works well on PCs, many wireless and handheld devices.  You should password protect this application as well - to protect all of your passwords!
• For those with a few passwords and don't need SplashID, utilize a password protected MS-Word or Excel document.
• When using public or work computers, to log into web accounts, DO NOT allow the browser to memorize your profile or password.
• When you think a password has been compromised, change it immediately.
• Consider changing passwords every 30 days for highly sensitive accounts such as those for banking and financial sites.
• Do not share, write down, or give out your passwords to anyone.
• Set your devices to auto lock after a period of inactivity to prevent snooping from by-passers.
• Implement password security on all computing devices such as PCs, laptops, handheld and wireless devices. 
• Yes, even use passwords on your wireless handheld devices.  If not sure on how to set up one, consult with your device owners manual - which can often be found on the web.

By utilizing passwords, you can protect your confidential and sensitive information in the event something is misplaced, lost, or stolen.  Identity theft is a major problem, and by utilizing passwords, you can reduce the chance of being an identity theft victim.

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.

The Missing Link: Data Sharing Among Wireless Devices

This blog entry has nothing to do with accessibility but rather data sharing between devices.

I'm constantly finding that many wireless devices do a poor job sharing bits of data in other ways than using Bluetooth or doing infrared beaming.

Sharing data is a topic that's rarely documented or discussed, and is often left up to consumers to spend some time experimenting on how to share data and information.

What's The missing link?
Being able to send items such as memos items, contact cards, files, and calendar events to other consumers who are not in the same room.

In a sense, yet, only a few devices such as the Treo Palms can do this now.  Items can also be sent by sending items from ones laptop.  However, in today's world, many of us don't want to use / carry our personal laptops everywhere we go.  Our wireless handhelds are supposed to be an extension of our laptops.

Currently it appears that Windows Mobile devices can't share info without subscribing to a complex Exchange service or shared Internet calendar.  For many consumers, including my spouse, these exchange services are usually expensive, complex, and a overkill of what is needed for occasional use.

Wouldn't it be great if Blackberrys,  Windows Mobile, Palm, SideKick, iPhone, and the Google Android devices could share information seamlessly without needing to be in the same room?

Let me point out a couple of typical scenarios:

Scenario #1
- I plan meet with a friend later in the day, and would like to give him my updated contact info without having to resort to my PC or having him to re-enter my details.  Solution: I email him my contact card from my handheld device.

- Scenario #2:
I have a new upcoming business trip planned, and need to inform my spouse to jot it down in her calendar.  Solution: Email my calendar event.

We should be able to do both of the above scenarios without having to resort to our desk/laptops, or Bluetooth / infrared beaming or the re-entering of information.

There are many other possibilities of what could be sent / shared between devices. 

Hope the wireless industry is listening for this need to share data easily.  If we can send emails, documents and photos, we should be able to send memo, calendar and contact items.

To help others be able to send items between lap/desktops and wireless devices now, a few tips are listed below

- Palm Treos can send contacts and calendar items to other Palm Treos directly.  By selecting the item: select menu, send item by email.  The receiving Palm Treo can just open the email and click on the attachments.

- Memos can be sent by opening to specific memo, select menu and select 'Send Memo'.

- Palm Treos can't send to Windows Mobile devices directly. 

However, there are a couple of work arounds.

1) Send to the recipients email box and have them open the attachment with MS Outlook on their computer and synch with their device. 

2) Alternative, is to use their Windows Mobile Treo to open the emailed attachment in their main email box.  Note that it seems this can't be done thru MS Hotmail, but will work for other providers such as Comcast email.  You will have to experiment by trial and error to see what does/does not work.

- Oddly enough, Windows Mobile 6.1 doesn't seem to be able support the ability to send calendar, memo or contact items. You can send items from desk/laptops to other desk/laptops and Windows mobile devices by selecting the record and send to the recipient email/device.  Again, trial and error is needed. Again, the whole point of this article is to encourage wireless providers and makers to offer easy ways of data exchange between devices for consumers.

Weak Points of the Apple iPhone

Over the past few weeks I have been seriously considered getting an iPhone to replace my existing Palm Treo. As it turns out, I found a few weaknesses with the iPhone. For some, these concerns may not be an issue. However, I believe over time, Apple and 3rd party developers may improve on these concerns.

The following weaknesses were identified by playing with the device in Apple stores and by research on the web.

The 4 areas that the iPhone needs improvements are:
- (1) No cut and paste capability between applications or emails
- (2) No two-way synch of Memo Notes or To-Do lists with Microsoft Office
- (3) No slot for external memory cards for increased or portable storage
- (4) Lastly, while the touch screen keyboard is intuitive, I found it somewhat difficult to use. It would be helpful if the keys on the screen were larger, offered in landscape mode, or have an optional slide out keyboard. If you plan to email, write, or text a lot with the device - then I highly recommend trying the touch screen keyboard in a store or on a friends / co-workers iPhone to see if it suits your typing styles.

While the iPhones applications are eye appealing, colorful and fun to play with, the short comings identified above may be some of the deciding points for me not to pick the device for my Treo replacement. For some, the iPhone may be perfect, while for others, it may lack the needed advanced features for "power users".

Travel Tip: Wireless Travel Alerts

Do you often travel by air and carry a personal wireless device such as a cell phone, blackberry, iPhone, Motorola Q, Palm Treo, Sidekick, and other? If so, consider signing up for wireless travel alerts offered by most major airlines: such as with American, Delta, NW, Southwest and United. Travel websites such as Expedia.com, Orbitz.com and Travelocity.com also offer some email and wireless alert features.

Wireless alerts are useful to help keep you informed of any flight delays or deviations from your booked flight(s) so you can respond accordingly. Depending on the provider, some can also send you reminders for other travel related issues such as severe weather alerts, and details for upcoming travel for hotel and rental car arrangements.

From personal experience, wireless alerts work well. On two recent occasions I was alerted in advance of a major impact on my travel plans. Because of the advance travel notifications, I was able to respond and change my plans accordingly.

The only draw back to signing up for wireless alerts is that when your flight details change, most alerts do not automatically carry over to your re-booked / re-scheduled flights. This has to be done manually by logging into your account on-line to set up new alerts.

While wireless/email alerts are useful, it is always a good idea to verify the information by speaking with your travel agent, airline representative and significant others.

The next time you make travel arrangements on-line, sign up for email / wireless notifications.

Note: You usually have to complete the reservation(s) before you can set up any alerts.

A Quick and Dirty Guide to Selecting Your Next Smart Phone / Wireless Device

Confused by the number of wireless devices available for your use? You're not alone.

Despite the number of devices and the ever increasing confusion over devices, they all offer a big improvement over the numbers only pagers and the limited no-email devices several years ago. Remember the Motorola T-900, the TimePort or early Rim devices? If not familiar with them - then consider yourself lucky. Wireless handheld technology has come a long way since then.

This guide does not compare each device into depth. You can use this as a "Quick and dirty guide" to help you get started in selecting your next device.

The key is to determine what kind of user you are:

• Just want push email and texting (sms) with some minimal personal information management? Select a Blackberry.
• If you like to add / tool around with a number of third party applications, have above average technology and computer skills. Along with desire the to have to equivalent of a mobile Swiss army knife. Go with a Palm Treo or Windows Mobile device. Check out details for Windows Mobile devices at Microsoft's web site here.
• If you want a cool device with colorful apps with a full touch screen, go with an iPhone or similar products like the Dare, Instinct, or the Voyager.
• If you want the cool teen-factor, get a Danger Sidekick (only available from T-Mobile).
• If you don't email or text much - get a "not so smart" cell phone.
  

Simple enough?

Be sure you do your homework and research online to learn about the plans, device features, costs, and coverage choices. Also go to stores to get a real feel of each product you are interested in. Another useful way of researching the features of products is to download and review the product manuals.

Every device and plan has their strengths and weaknesses. Choose what's best for your needs.

A side note: From what I have read is that some devices such as the iPhone does not have cut-n-paste ability. If this is a feature you need - be sure to check for it on the devices you are interested in.

The Blackberry, Treos, and iPhone do sync with MS-Office. So if its something you need - be sure to check the compatibility requirements.

Lastly, be sure to check on special "data only rates" for Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile if you rarely make voice calls.

Final word: Phone manufacturers have started to release new pda and phone models for the 2009 year. Such as the Blackberry Bold, Blackberry Flip, and HTC Touch Diamond and Pro. So if you are not in the need of an immediate new phone or a replacement - keep your eyes open for new devices coming onto the market.