Decided to map every major place I've ever been this evening. Time to fill in those missing continents - I'm genuinely embarrassed I've never been outside of Europe and North America.
Decided to map every major place I've ever been this evening. Time to fill in those missing continents - I'm genuinely embarrassed I've never been outside of Europe and North America.
I've had a Samsung Galaxy S2 for two years, and I'm trying to decide which device to move to next.
When I moved to California a few years ago, I decided to go with T-Mobile, which has proven to be an excellent decision. Between dropping phone contacts and removing international data roaming fees, I've been very happy with their evolution, and (despite some poor coverage in various parts of the US) their service. In particular, I don't really grok why anyone would use AT&T.
But now, I find myself wondering if I need a personal phone at all. 99% of my phone use is over the Internet; I heavily use Google Hangouts, my voicemail and text messages are through Google Voice, and I've got credit on my Skype account. Particularly considering the data roaming changes, I think I could probably get away without the phone component of my device at all. After all, a telephone is a legacy device for voice communications over proprietary networks - something that is much more easily and flexibly done over the Internet. In many ways, an Internet phone number is better: it's not tethered to a single device, so I can call from whatever I have to hand, and change providers, even across countries, whenever I want to.
A MiFi, in other words, would be a smarter buy.
T-Mobile seems to be aware of this, because the only viable mobile broadband plan runs at $70 a month - which, coincidentally, is exactly what I pay for phone service with unlimited data. There's no financial incentive for me to change. And this carries on across the board: Verizon's is also $70, while AT&T is actually ten dollars cheaper for 10GB. Sprint is $80 for 12GB.
So despite not needing a phone plan, I'm forced into a position where I might as well get phone service. Because the data that comes with my $70 plan is unlimited, it's actually a better deal. That's disappointing: I was hoping to save some money by cutting out services that I don't need. But it also suggests that there's room for a data-only provider to cut through the incumbent networks and provide a service for data-only customers.
Android devices work well as mobile wifi hotspots, and T-Mobile doesn't charge extra for this these days, so it's not like I'm losing anything by buying another phone instead of a MiFi: I can still connect my iPads, laptops and other devices to my 4G service when I need to. Nonetheless, it feels odd to be be forced to buy into an old-fashioned way of doing things. I await the first consumer-oriented data-only cellphone networks eagerly.
·
Posts
·
Share this post
Saw the only tattoo I'd ever consider getting for myself this week: a delta. The only constant is change.
@hjarche Marc Canter has done some great work on this. Local governments have a huge part to play, but are often unwilling. Agree it's important.
"Atlas shrugged and recited a tedious, rote monologue on the bullshit philosophies of Ayn Rand."
T-Mobile is eliminating international roaming fees for data & texts. Genuinely don't understand why people use AT&T. http://news.cnet.com/8301-1035_3-57606784-94/t-mobile-to-offer-free-unlimited-international-data-tex...
When legacy institutions think buying tech is the same as adapting their models for the Internet age. http://techcrunch.com/2013/10/07/fox-news-and-its-big-ass-touchscreens/
Seeing more and more out there about the dangers of hosting in the US. http://blog.fastmail.fm/2013/10/07/fastmails-servers-are-in-the-us-what-this-means-for-you/
Deciding whether to get a ticket for street sweeping day or use airport parking this week. The ticket is cheaper. Moral conundrum.
If the Republicans want budget cuts, may I suggest the military? Insane spending over there.
Slow morning. Time to get up and head hospital-wards, but I could use another couple of hours in bed. Zzz.
If y'all wanted to cross your fingers about some kidney numbers for me, I'd really appreciate it.
Gen-SA: the generation born during the era of ubiquitous surveillance, who have known nothing else.
My self image was terrible around the time this was taken. Now want to go back and give myself a slap. (Photo courtesy of Asan Tu.)
Web services, please stop badgering me to sign up for two-factor auth with my phone. I travel sometimes & don't like roaming.
Woke up to find the IRC channel I spent my teens on is alive and well and living on Facebook. Amazing to see so many old friends in one place. (Now to try and nudge them off Facebook.)
So while they're gone, should we all get together and create our own nationwide socialized healthcare program to spite them all?
Outrage grows over new Second Life terms. Elsewhere, outrage grows that people are still using Second Life. http://www.hypergridbusiness.com/2013/09/outrage-grows-over-new-second-life-terms/
Using an open source desktop OS in the French Gendarmerie lowered total cost of ownership by 40%: https://joinup.ec.europa.eu/community/osor/news/french-gendarmerie-open-source-desktop-lowers-tco-40
@anildash ... But your post makes a lot of sense. Particularly the money & context thing, which did go largely unacknowledged.
@sarahdessen It's "hand, foot and mouth disease". Without "hand" it's something farm animals get. Nothing to be worried about!
@sheepzdave They've actually got a sound strategy going on for this one. They'll vote the Obamacare stuff back in before it gets passed into law.
Werd I/O © Ben Werdmuller. The text (without images) of this site is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0.
