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AT&T’s new mobile rules are BS

update – AT&T Caved!

I’m just catching the news on AT&T’s new TOS which seriously limits the potential for bringing your own mobile capabilities.

I think we all get that carriers don’t want to be just a dumb pipe, but let’s be honest the more advanced the mobile device, the less likely you are to be using the carrier offered services – music, navigation etc.  In today’s smartphone market, we are seeing all kinds of manufacturer and 3rd party offered applications and services and the user is really in control of what they do and more importantly, how they do it.

Instead of trying to force us to use devices or specific services (which usually only work on a limited set of devices), I would much rather just pay for my usage – exactly the same way I buy access from my home broadband provider.  Provide a reliable consumer service at a realistic price and everyone wins.  Consider this – the new TOS from AT&T means that applications like Qik, Sling or Hava, and Joikuspot are all violations of your basic unlimited plan since unlimited means exactly the opposite – plenty of limits.

Should be interesting to see who gets caught doing anything that’s no longer allowed.  I wonder what the real penalty is actually and if we’ll even receive a formal notice on the change as a precursor to some formal action against the consumer.

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Currently Providing Wifi on Metro North

02/04/2009 someone's ipod connecting on my joikuspot

Tonight for the first time ever I noticed someone else (an ipod!) using my joikuspot and in light of my recent post on the lack of wifi on Metro North, I’ve decided to leave the AP open.  Service fluctuates between 3.5G and EDGE, but it’s functional for RSS, email and blogging.  No idea what this guy is doing tonight, but enjoy your free access buddy!

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Finnish operator DNA lets you use your phone as you wish

DNA & JoikuSpot

Acknowledging what customers want and then proving the right bundle is key as a service provider and mobile operator DNA in Finland seems to be doing just that. Seeing Joikuspot partered with a carrier is awesome! Of course they recommend a flat rate for data service and offer a nice 2mbps connection to go with it. This is the way it should be done!

I keep looking at a mobile data package to add onto my AT&T plan, but I am having an issue rationalizing the price (in these times) which would be $60/mo for 5GB. I could definitely make use of it … that’s hardly the issue. There are obvious benefits to a dedicated device – battery drain being the main one. But when you can easily connect your phone over bluetooth or wifi using Joikuspot it’s hard to see paying such a high premium.

via IntoMobile

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Ovi Suite – Syncing Smoothly in Windows 7

One issue I’ve had running Windows 7 was Nokia’s PC Suite refuses to install due to some privilege issues.  I’ve tried a few tricks and it seems it’s just going to fail.  The good news is that Ovi Suite installs just fine (except for Nokia Music  which I will have to try separately in compatibility mode) and brings a sleek UI and connections to the Ovi.com portal.  I was pleasantly surprised to see that my E71 was also able to connect even though it is not listed as a supported device.  The E71 will actually only sync PIM data for the moment though … no media sync through Ovi Suite until it’s eventually supported (right Nokia??).

The real benefit though is that I now have a simple way to connect to my phone for a data connection which is something I do daily during my commute.  I know there are other options but prefer DUN over Joikuspot or Walking Hotspot for a 2 device connection as the connection seems to just work better.

As you can see in the image above, my N79 is syncing while I’m typing this.  I’ll give the rest of the suite a whirl over the next few days, but having this working is a big bonus running Windows 7!