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GeekNights 070827 - Fantasy Cell Phone

RymRym
edited August 2007 in Everything Else
Tonight on GeekNights, we consider what would make a cell phone worth being excited about.
Scott's News - Windows Genuine Something

Rym's News - Can't Stop the Signal (of porn)
Scott's Thing - Zombo.com

Rym's Thing - World's Largest Anechoic Chamber
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Comments

  • raquorraquor
    edited August 2007
    Haven't listened yet but I poked at the Windows Genuine link...I love how the comments always on articles like that always point at Linux as the solution. The real solution is less which OS you are using than having educated users, which is just a pipe dream.

    WOW...again..having not listened to episode yet...you guys JUST found Zombo com?
    Post edited by raquor on
  • thaneofcawdorthaneofcawdor
    All I can say about the Australian government is that they talk a big game when it comes to censorship, but in actuality, they have been quite reluctant to enforce censorship measures. It's mostly an attempt to appease stupid parents and religious groups. And with an election coming up this year, it has suddenly become a priority issue. So, unless they are willing to establish The Great Australian Rabbit-Proof Firewall (OF DEATH!!!), I'm not really concerned by all this talk of censorship.
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    I think you forgot one thing on the perfect phone: User Replaceable Battery. That is the one huge failing of the iPhone.

    I still think that when you go to get a cell phone you should instead be getting a SIM card. Program the SIM card to work with the carrier of your choice and then bring your own phone. I find it ridiculous that you can still buy a phone that does not use SIM cards just as I find it ridiculous that some phones are locked to certain carriers (unless it is a genuine network compatibility issue).
  • KilarneyKilarney
    I'd tell you what I did at zombo.com, but I'm somewhat embarrassed. You really can do anything at zombo.com!
  • cosmicenemacosmicenema
    WOW...again..having not listened to episode yet...you guys JUST found Zombo com?
    They're talking about how it came back.
  • AprecheApreche
    WOW...again..having not listened to episode yet...you guys JUST found Zombo com?
    They're talking about how it came back.
    It didn't come back. We're bringing it back.
  • clayclay
    Yes! Thank you. I've been ranting about this very subject for a while now.

    Although it doesn't completely fit the bill (and is still in development), have you heard of the OpenMoko project/Neo1973?
  • clxclx
    edited August 2007
    I have seen some things about that Linux/open-based phone. It is a nice idea.  However, I personally don't like some things about it. The shape, for one: It looks ugly.  The memory card is under the battery... meaning you have to remove the battery in order to remove the memory card?  How inconvenient.
    Anyway, decent Podcast.  And Scott?  That comment regarding the dildo?  Freudian slip?
    Post edited by Rym on
  • RochelleRochelle
    I can't agree with you more on this episode. I am pretty much at a SOL situation with my cell phone. I rarely use it now since I moved in with my boyfriend. My only reason for having it is to have someway for others to contact me or for me to contact others. I've been looking at my usage over the past few months, and I'm honestly contemplating on getting a prepaid phone.

    Earlier this year, I finally upgraded my phone with Verizon and got a LG VX 8600. It's a decent phone, however a few things I found out that this phone didn't have vs my older phone: It doesn't have speakerphone, and I can't store notes for my contacts. I found this very annoying and found out too late before I was able to trade the phone in. What I did like about Verizon is that the customer service rep can transfer all my contacts from my old phone to my new phone. I know most other providers use SIM cards, however I really don't care for them because the information doesn't transfer as it once was on your old phone to the new phone. Also I believe Verizon offers to upload all the contact information on your phone to their website, so in case you ever lose your phone, you won't lose your contact info. Pretty smart move on their part, imo.

    Another feature I find crucial into having a phone: personal ringtones and text tones. On my older phones I was able to upload personal mp3 and other various audio files as ringtones and text tones for free using various websites. Now most of those sites are no longer active or the sound quality isn't that great. I am not pretty much forced to getting ringtones via whatever Verizon has to offer. I wish this was different. Either I don't know of any site that offers this, but even though you can virtually get any popular song as your ringtone, I can't find or get any anime songs as my ringtones uploaded in my phone. I also don't foresee Verizon getting any anime songs on their library, but for now I'll just have to make do.

    Only thing that I was able to get onto my new phone that I couldn't do without: the Azumanga Daioh Eye catcher mp3 as my received Txt Message tone. ^_^
  • cosmicenemacosmicenema
    lso I believe Verizon offers to upload all the contact information on your phone to their website, so in case you ever lose your phone, you won't lose your contact info.
    They charge you $1.99/month for the privilege.
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    Sprint keeps calling and offering me a "free" new cell phone (with a new contract) but why should I change? My phone works and I know where all the buttons and menus are.

    As for the "all phone UIs suck", the problem there is that when one company gets a god UI they patent it so that others can not use it. Then the next company tries to make something similar but has to change it because of the patent, and so on.
  • AprecheApreche
    I also have the LG VX8600.

    First of all, it very much does have a speakerphone. You push the circle button that is next to the camera button on the side of the phone to activate it.

    Also, I have custom mp3 ringtones for this phone. By putting mp3s on the microSD card and using bitpim to modify files in the phone's file system, I can put whatever mp3s I want on this phone.

    The VX8600 is the least locked phone Verizon offers. It still sucks ass, though.
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    My wife made the mistake of buying ringtones through AT&T. Good luck moving those to her new Sprint phone...
  • RochelleRochelle
    I also have the LG VX8600.

    First of all, it very much does have a speakerphone. You push the circle button that is next to the camera button on the side of the phone to activate it.

    Also, I have custom mp3 ringtones for this phone. By putting mp3s on the microSD card and using bitpim to modify files in the phone's file system, I can put whatever mp3s I want on this phone.

    The VX8600 is the least locked phone Verizon offers. It still sucks ass, though.
    Ahh. Yeah, I should probably play with my phone more, but then again, I rarely use it now, so it's a moot point. Thanks for the info though. ^^;; Also in regards to adding more mp3 ringtones, it requires me to buy a microSD card. I'm pretty cheap right now, and my priorities for my monies are going towards other things, but possibly down the road I'll look into getting one.
    charge you $1.99/month for the privilege.
    Ahh, that I didn't know. Regardless, that isn't so bad, imo. I haven't lost my phone yet, and hopefully I won't anytime soon.
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    lso I believe Verizon offers to upload all the contact information on your phone to their website, so in case you ever lose your phone, you won't lose your contact info.
    They charge you $1.99/month for the privilege.
    Do you have to use their site? It can't be more than a few Kbytes of data.
  • cosmicenemacosmicenema
    lso I believe Verizon offers to upload all the contact information on your phone to their website, so in case you ever lose your phone, you won't lose your contact info.
    They charge you $1.99/month for the privilege.
    Do you have to use their site? It can't be more than a few Kbytes of data.
    There are other methods but that's how much they charge you to use the 'feature'. The thing that kills me is it's a monthly charge!

    I have a Verizon phone and right when I got it I was so frustrated with it I got really into hacking around the locked down features. They do things like force you to use their software to upload Mp3s and whatnot. Needless to say I have circumvented their costly locks with glorious free software or tutorials from the internet. I backup everything using a USB cord now.
  • RochelleRochelle

    Do you have to use their site? It can't be more than a few Kbytes of data.
    I believe so. *goes to check*

    Back Up Assistant
  • AprecheApreche
    You can get ringtones onto the vx8600 without a micro SD card, but you will be limited by the phone's internal memory.
  • HungryJoeHungryJoe
    edited August 2007
    When I was in college, I dated this girl who worked for CellularOne. It was '86, and she was the only person in Lexington, KY who had a cell phone. It was the size of a WW II field telephone.

    She broke up with me about a week before our Physics 416 (Electromagnetic Fields and Waves) midterm. I had one of my friends call her in the middle of the hour in which we were taking the midterm. Before the call came through, you could have heard a pin drop in the room because people were taking the test pretty seriously. When the call came through, the ring tone was explosive. She picked up her phone amid laughter and quizzical looks and ran outside, her embarrasment at least doubled because no one had ever had that happen to them before and, on top of that, she was the only girl in the class.

    She was very, very cross with me when she came back; but it was worth it. I was very pleased with myself.
    Post edited by HungryJoe on
  • HMTKSteveHMTKSteve
    I used to have one of those "bag" phones in the early 90's. It was also through Cellular One.
  • WallyBmanWallyBman
    edited August 2007
    I, personally, love my Sprint PPC-6700. And my data is handled by EVDO (when available), and the bandwidth limits are virtually unlimited, seeing as most of my posting to these forums is done via this phone, and I use it all the time as a wireless modem for my old laptop, and Sprint has yet to say anything or charge me any extra fees. I believe i pay a total of $30 a month for my data and (unlimited)sms plan.

    As for any worries about military computers and the dealings of Microsoft? No. Not a concern for me. Why, you might ask? I deal with a good number of different military computers each night, and none of them are actually online. Now, there are military pc's that are connected to the interwebs, but they sit behind huge military Unix boxes, and NEVER touch Microsoft support. Hell, back in the mid-ninties, my father was issued a computer for his office, and as long as he kept its Windows cd around to use for fresh installs, he was clear to run Linux on the thing.
    Post edited by WallyBman on
  • snookernetsnookernet
    Why doesn't Nintendo just make a cell phone already?
  • WallyBmanWallyBman
    Actually, with the interface for settings, media, and networking, a touch screen PSP would be a better phone platform than the DS. I mean, once you pull the umd drive out, you have room for a 30 gig microdrive. Plus, as much as they have scaled down the size of the internals for the new version, they could easily fit a grms or cdma radio in the thing. Also, don't forget that you can swap in a 2800 mAh battery in the original version with no extrnal bulging or special covers. Slap a hard mounted flip open cover to protect the screen, and I'm sold.
  • CramitCramit
    Funny that you'd mention that.
  • cosmicenemacosmicenema
    Actually, with the interface for settings, media, and networking, a touch screen PSP would be a better phone platform than the DS.
    Did you just say the PSP has a touch screen? This is news to me! I'm more out of the loop than I thought. Is this on the new version?

    It's my understanding that you can VoIP using the DS if you're willing to buy a cartridge that will allow you to install a Linux build specific to the DS on it. The DS is equally as hackable as the PSP with a modicum of effort.
  • snookernetsnookernet
    Funny that you'd mention that.
    Holy crap, that's ginormous.
  • WallyBmanWallyBman
    edited August 2007
    Um, no, I didn't say that the PSP has a touch screen, I said "a touch screen PSP" referring to a theoretical device. In my experience, a larger, PSP-sized screen would be much preferable to a Single DS sized screen on a smartphone. When I replaced my PPC-6600 after the screen shattered, I went to a PPC-6700, the the drop in screen size is very disappointing. I mean, you can argue until you are blue in the face that the combined screen size of the DS is greater than the PSP, but they are separated, and it would suck ass to watch video across two separated screens.
    Post edited by WallyBman on
  • snookernetsnookernet
    I don't think that makes for a fair argument to compare features that the PSP doesn't have against a DS with less features than it would normally have (see: touch screen PSP v. single DS screen).
  • raquorraquor
    edited August 2007
    Having finally listened to the episode I have to agree that pretty much all the cells available are crap. However some are still better than others, it just depends on what you are looking for. I'm with Scott, the fewer gadgets I need to carry around with me the better.
    My Fantasy Cell phone:
    - High Quality Cell Phone...this is not always a forgone conclusion...
    - Decent quality camera, doesn't have to be perfect but I rarely take pictures so a non blurry, easy to use camera phone would be great.
    - Intuitive interface or perhaps even customizable...just so long as it's not the goofy red verizon crapola interface.
    - Ability to install various usability applications (or better yet the phone comes with them), things like reading documents, calendar entries, etc...
    - Uses a flash card to store contact data for easy backup and transferal

    I don't need or want a cell phone that plays MP3's, I have an iPod for that and I don't need to be draining my cell phone battery to listen to music. I drain it enough just using it. Cell phone batteries should also last about a week on standby including making 3-4 10-20 minute calls during that week. Many cell phones already do last for about a week so I'm not terribly concerned about listing that...although I suppose it's not a forgone conclusion either.

    If it plays games...great...but they don't have to be super awesome or anything. Just a few small simple games for time wasting in short waiting scenarios. For instance my current cell phone has Doom RPG on it, which is a great way to waste 5-10+ minutes while waiting for a movie to start if you got to the theater too early, among other scenarios.

    Most of my requirements appear to be met by the Motorola Q which I can get for a fairly reasonable price thanks to Verizon's New Every Two deal.
    Post edited by raquor on
  • WallyBmanWallyBman
    Ok, you people are REALLY missing the point here. A cell radio and touchscreen equipped PSP would be FAR superior to a cell radio equipped DS. Between processing power, removeable storage, ease of access to the system settings, how universal interoperable the system settings are with the software, and uninterrupted viewing area, the PSP would be the clear winner as a cellphone. Now, give the DS an SD card slot, and a decent menu for control over the system, other than the startup menu, and make it a larger single screen, and a DS-based smartphone would be on an even footing with a PSP-based smartphone. However, it would be much easier for Sony to add a touchscreen than it would be for Nintendo to add a memory card slot, a single large screen, and an actual os underneath the games.
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