Because less then 2% of the AT&T users doesn't know what WiFi is, (or because AT&T doesn't know what UPGRADE YOUR DAMN SYSTEMS mean) AT&T has decided to remove the unlimited data plan from there arse...er arsenal rather.
This first started when I got two unexpected txt messages from AT&T. The first one sent around 8:35am read:
"AT&T: Free Msg: Did you know a data plan is required for your Smartphone? Call 611 or visit att.com/smartphoneplans for details."
Wait. I thought I had a smartphone plan. In fact, I know I do! Another message just a peculiar was sent at the same time (8:35am)
"AT&T: Free Msg: Your Smartphone requires a data plan. We have added the approprite plan for your smartphone. Call 611 or go to att.com/smartphoneplans for info.
So you mean to tell me that even though I already had a smartphone plan, AT&T was nice enough to give me another one?!
But then I saw an article in several online papers saying that AT&T is getting rid of there unlimited data plan. They also said that Current contracts would still be honored. (I would hope so. Can you say Breach of Contract?) The new plans would set a 200MB cap for $15, and for $25 for a 2GB cap. If you need more, it would be $10 for each extra GB.
At first I was outraged. But then I had to ask myself...Just how much 3G bandwidth do I use? I looked on my Android to find that the OS did not keep track of that info. (out of all the things my Nexus One does do, Data Tracking is not one of them =/)
But I did find a few Apps that looked like it would do just that. Here is a preliminary of those apps.
3G Watchdog: Monitors your bandwidth and compares it to you data cap that you can set. It seems pretty agile and runs in the background. You can set your limit as
Bytes, Kilobytes, Megabytes and Gigabyte per a number of Days, Weeks or Months. It will issue you a warning if you are over a percentage of your quota, and cab be disabled if you max your quota. The widget can refresh between every 30 seconds, to every hour. The more frequency, the more battery it eats. It will also put a notice on your bar to let you know where u stand. It also tell you your usage in a chart format.
3G Data Use Beta: As the name implies this is beta so changes are imminent. It will give you data usage for the day and the month and will also present it in a graph. Setup is a bit strange when it asks you for the protocol, (eth0?) It also has the plans preset so if your fone co. doesn't offer data in that range, then too bad.
NetCounter: This a simple counter that reports your usage. It doesn't take into account datacaps. It does however monitor your WiFi usage too.
Those are really the only ones I have found that seemed recommended. If you have one to try let me know. For now, I will monitor my data usage with these apps to see just what I use.
Thursday, June 3
Tuesday, April 6
iPad? Sorry, but I'm not sold.
I know that there is a plethora of Apple-zombies out there who would completely disagree with me when I say this, but I do not see the appeal in the new iPad. Sure its new, and from Apple, but why does that convince me to buy this thing?
Now this iPad is being pitched as a Tablet. But this tablet looks more like an oversize iPod Touch then it does a tablet PC. Everything you install on this device must come from the Apple App Store. The App Store has such a tyrannical procedure for approving apps, and even then there is no guarantee that the apps you purchase are worth it.
The other thing that disturbs me is the fact that this is considered to be a Tablet. A normal Tablet would be able to load programs in Flash, Java, etc. It normally has the ability to install programs that I have purchased previously. The iPad does not give your those options.
Now, perhaps if Apple were to market this as a glorified e-reader, going up against Kindle, I might be more willing to bite. But even then, I can do the same stuff on an iPhone or iPod Touch and still be able to use it for other purposes. Otherwise, I have my Nexus One phone, my PC and my Laptop. That really all I will be needing.
Now this iPad is being pitched as a Tablet. But this tablet looks more like an oversize iPod Touch then it does a tablet PC. Everything you install on this device must come from the Apple App Store. The App Store has such a tyrannical procedure for approving apps, and even then there is no guarantee that the apps you purchase are worth it.
The other thing that disturbs me is the fact that this is considered to be a Tablet. A normal Tablet would be able to load programs in Flash, Java, etc. It normally has the ability to install programs that I have purchased previously. The iPad does not give your those options.
Now, perhaps if Apple were to market this as a glorified e-reader, going up against Kindle, I might be more willing to bite. But even then, I can do the same stuff on an iPhone or iPod Touch and still be able to use it for other purposes. Otherwise, I have my Nexus One phone, my PC and my Laptop. That really all I will be needing.
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