A miscellany of know-it-all-isms by Geoff Sowrey

Posts tagged mobile

Alberta communications companies suck

Nov05
2009 Written by Geoff

It’s about as official as it gets, now. We leave Costa Rica on 8 December. Which means that on the morning of 9 December, we’re going to be needing a few things. We’re trying to establish as much of that as we can remotely, so that it’s “in place” when we arrive. It just makes things easier, right?

Well, it would make things easier if we could actually set things up properly. Therein lies the problem — it’s not that easy to do! Especially when it comes to the Holy Trinity of communications services: phone, internet, and TV.

The term “rocket science” comes to mind…

READ MORE »

Posted in Rants, Technology - Tagged , ,

Steve Jobs blows it. Again.

Sep10
2008 Written by Geoff

Sigh. There’s nothing more frustrating than watching Apple come so close to finally tying the knot, only to leave threads dangling. 

I speak, of course, of yesterday’s Let’s Rock event where the apparently-not-dead (but much gaunter-looking) Steve Jobs talked at length about iTunes and iPods. And they played Jack Johnson, who is somehow the most popular male performer on iTunes to this point in history. (Yeah, I don’t get that either. Don’t get me wrong, Jack, you’re a great performer — just didn’t see that coming.) 

But why — oh why! — does Apple have to continually deny us a complete entertainment experience? 

READ MORE »

Posted in Pop Culture, Technology - Tagged , , , ,

The phones I ordered finally showed up

Aug08
2008 Written by Geoff

Augh.

I called it yesterday, when I got my new cell phone. A month ago, we ordered phones over the internet. They were shipped US Postal Service. They entered Costa Rica on 8 July. And then sat in customs. When I got my Nokia, I said (knowing this was truth) that our eBay-ordered phones would show up today.

I hate it when I’m right.

Posted in Costa Rica - Tagged

My new 1998-era Nokia TDMA cell phone

Aug08
2008 Written by Geoff

Note today’s date: 8 August 2008. That’s (almost) two months since we first came to Costa Rica. Two months ago, we tried to start getting things like cars, bank accounts, work visas (a fairly significant need), and cell phones, as these were the things we felt were necessary to be able to do our jobs effectively.

To date, we’ve all managed to get bank accounts. Only Mark has successfully bought a car (Jason and Jen are still looking, and we’re still waiting for our money to arrive from Canada), and the work visas are in the application process (read: not completed).

Yesterday, despite phones ordered via eBay still being stuck in Costa Rica customs, we finally got cell phones.

READ MORE »

Posted in Costa Rica, Technology - Tagged ,

It’s Mañana Time!

Jun19
2008 Written by Geoff

We’re slowly getting ourselves up-to-speed down here. But the reality is that things are not happening at anywhere near the speed we’re used to. This was something we were warned about — you need to relax and allow things to take their time. Things do not happen quickly here, and getting all bent out of shape only makes things go more slowly. (And no, totally slacking off doesn’t cause the reverse.)

For us up-tight North Americans, this is the single hardest thing to contend with. Uncertainty is the name of our game, so unknown things aren’t a problem. It’s the ability to do simple little things.

Like call each other. Hard to do when you have no phone.

READ MORE »

Posted in Costa Rica - Tagged , , , ,

Web 2.0 Expo: Adding “Where” to Mobile and Web Applications

Apr24
2008 Written by Geoff

Last session before lunch. Freaking hungry (no boiled eggs at breakie this morning). Might take off a bit early to get a jump on lunch and battery charging.

READ MORE »

Posted in Careers, Technology, Travel - Tagged , , ,

How to get good portability

Jan16
2008 Written by Geoff

Yesterday, I drooled over the MacBook Air. At least until I found out that it has an integrated battery. Then I sulked in a corner.

I still have the fundamental problem: How do I get good portability? The answer still seems to be eluding me. Understand — this is more a question than anything else.

READ MORE »

Posted in Photography, Technology - Tagged ,

Hello, unlimited wireless data in Canada!

Jan03
2008 Written by Geoff

Until today — 12:42 MT, to be exact — I had a particularly negative view of the Canadian mobile market. Generally, I expected the Big 3 telcos to basically keep screwing over us little folk, and continue to treat Canada as a lovely little cash cow where there’s no competition.

Anyone who’s on Telus, pay attention! The game has changed.

READ MORE »

Posted in Technology - Tagged ,

Apple doesn’t hate Canada … Rogers, Bell, and Telus do

Sep20
2007 Written by Geoff

Those of us who’ve paid not only close attention to the rollout of the much-anticipated Apple iPhone but also to the Canadian mobile market don’t find this surprising. But we’re in the minority. A significantly larger portion of the Canadian iPhone-hungry masses are incensed by Apple’s announcement of the iPhone’s release in the UK.

Why do you hate us Apple? Why do you not let us poor Canucks use your wonderful product?

Guess what, my fellow Hosers, it ain’t Apple. You want the culprit? Look at your cell phone for a hint.

READ MORE »

Posted in Technology - Tagged , ,

The iPhone is obsolete

Sep18
2007 Written by Geoff

Unless you”ve been living in the middle of Mongolia for the last six months, you know that Apple”s iPhone is one of the hottest products of 2007. It”s heralding a new breed of mobile devices. It”s forcing dramatic changes in the wireless landscape. It”s expensive, but to almost everyone who uses one, it”s worth the cost. It”s generated at least one phone copy cat (and even a router).

It”s all that and a bag of chips.

Only one problem: it”s already obsolete. Gathering dust. Old news. How did it become passé so quickly? Because Steve Jobs said so.

Read more about the iPhone on Experience Matters…

Posted in Careers, Technology - Tagged , , ,
« Older Entries

Feeds

Categories