Wi-Fi Is The Future Of Any Wireless Plan; So Meet "Wireless Broadband Alliance"

If you're new to wireless news, know that there are thousands of new wireless Internet subscribers joining the growing ranks of the mobile warriors, users who increasing use their mobile devices to conduct their businesses or personal lives. And at today's rate of mobile adoption and way of doing things, we're going to get a heck of a lot of congestions in the not too distance future.

Hence, ATT and Verizon Wireless have joined the Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), an organization working to make sure various carrier Wi-Fi networks can work with one another. And this move means 160 million users with tens of thousands of hotspots join a larger global Wi-Fi network.

This all sounds great but I'm guess it won't be so easy. Nevertheless, it's a great first move by these two operators who guard their fiefdoms jealously. But with ATT having issues with their 3G network, it has also been trying to offload a lot of traffic to its 20,000 hotspots.

And if you haven't been hiding in a cave or under a rock in the last decade or so, you know that Wi-Fi has true changed how people use their laptops. No longer were we tethered to an ethernet cable. We can move about. From one office to another. To the patio, dining room, or anywhere within the range of the access point.

And with the latest Wi-Fi protocol, 802.11n, the theoretical range is 100 meters. Heck, I'll settle for even half of that any day. But the point is the newer protocol affords wireless providers to blanket larger area with Wi-Fi Internet access.

And let not forget that White Spaces is still be worked on. What WBA is doing is providing members with the ability to allow its users to move from one network to another with ease. And whether it's Wi-Fi or eventually White Spaces or something else with even greater speed and range, we mobile warriors should all benefit from this.

So, with ATT and VW a part of this network, we mobile users, whether its laptops, iPhones, Android devices, or anything with Wi-Fi capability, we can potentially gain access to faster Internet than what EDGE or 3G can provide.

Travel.  If you travel, I envision this should benefit you greatly.  This is a global alliance which means moving from one network to another region, continent, or country should help mitigate the problem of looking for Internet access and less the cost.

According to WBA's website, it has a network of 90,000 hotspots from Europe to the Middle East to the Americas.  A cursory check shows only T-Mobile USA from the US that has joined WBA.  ATT and Verizon Wireless at not yet listed.  There is no news of Sprint being a member or plans to join it.

This is the first time I've heard about the WBA.  When I've got more information, I'll post it.  And yes, this is very exciting news.

Lots more information at WBA, CNet News, White Spaces.

Slingplayer on EDGE (T-Mobile's T-Zone)

Over at On Apple, we discussed our efforts to get iPhone's Slingerplayer working over EDGE.

Quality is fine given the bandwidth limitation but it's more about principle than actually watching video with Slingplayer.

ATT is wrong in crippling Slingplayer and, hopefully, this issue will be remedied over time.

Traveling With Mobile Devices

I haven't posted or shared anything for the last 2.5 days.  And for good reason.  A good friend's bachelor party and an annual event with friends from my UCLA days.  Go-cart racing.  Dinner with a bunch of hockey buddies.  Visited old haunts in Westwood.  Lots of video games.  Poker games.

I drove in all about 350 miles from Friday night till Sunday evening.  Slept over at friend's houses and kept watch on sick friends from alcohol.  In between, I had access to electrical outlets to charge my MacWind and G1.

I wasn't not concerned with the iPhone because there was no SIM in it to drain power.  I've turned it into an iPod Touch since switching over to using the G1.

With me was my trusty Hymini.  It's been a long while since I've talked about that.  Essentially, it's a wind and solar charger that lets you charge cell phones and lower power mobile devices.  What did I learn?

• 3G isn't ready for prime time.  It's fast.  I love it but I don't love the lack of day-long battery.
• Turn off 3G when there isn't a need for fast Internet access.
• Edge is good enough.  Even when using navigation, EDGE was fast enough to update Google Map to show me where I'm going.
• Need a secondary battery.  I will be picking up another G1 battery soon.  I'm not sure they even sell it.
• It's good to have a car charger with USB interface.  I don't carry one.  I had the Hymini with me.
• A solar charger is a very good investment.  Be it a portable charger or a messenger bag with a solar panel.  I think I will be picking one up this Christmas.  I had been holding out for one that can also charge a laptop as well.
• And in an emergency, your laptop can also serve as a charger for your smartphone or cell phone if your mobile device can be charged through an USB plug.

I had a blast.  But I'm also glad the weekend's over and we've got a short week coming up.  As far as mobility goes, this was walk in the part in terms of getting juice for my mobile devices.  It's really gotten me thinking about energy independence and trying to do it as green as possible.

I'm sure there are a lot of mobile warriors much more efficient and knowledgeable in this area than I am.  I hope you would be able to share with everyone your tips, gears, and how to increase energy efficiency for mobile gears.

Mobility For Political Nut in 2012

We're not even done with 2008 yet and why am I talking about 2012?

I'm watching CNN, Fox News, MSNBC, CSPAN, and ABC News all at the same time. And I want to go get my hot chocolate from Starbucks. What do I do? Ideally, I want to be able to take them all with me.  But I can't.  Not all the channels.

I can't do that in 2008 so I'm looking forward to 2012. WiMax. Maybe a more liberal 3G policy. Forget 3G. Maybe we can be looking forward to the 4th generation, LTE.

Four years from now, we can also look forward to fast mobile devices that runs not hours per charge but days. We will not have to make sacrifices. No more switching to EDGE because 3G takes up too much power.

We will have instant information that is similar to push mail. Any piece of information you require will be available whenever you want and presented in ways you want.

We will not just have phone calls but video calls. This will happen in four years. Video will be the norm. And it'll happen over wireless broadband.

Not only that, we will choose between traditional wireless providers, providers using AWS-3, Cox's wireless network, or white spaces networks.  It will be affordable, less strictive, and ubiquitous.

More importantly, we will be able to take our television channels with us, wherever we go.  Political junkies, rejoice.  Blogging, Vlogging, Twittering.  They will still be around.

2012.  Ubiquitious wireless broadband, crazy battery life, and new ways to sharing and processing information.

Fring on the iPhone

I downloaded Fring this afternoon and I could not wait to test it.  Since Fring works only with Wi-Fi and we don't use it at work, I had to wait until I get home.  I've been testing this out since about 8 or so.

So far, this is what we've used Fring for and the results:

• Made an overseas call via Skype.  It was a 20 minute call - there is a slight delay.  Otherwise, it's very clear.  I think the delay is something that is iPhone related.  Well, the app.
• I tried SIP with a friend, Dave.  You've likely mentioned me talk about his work with Onxo here a few times.  It did not work well.  We used Gizmo.  We had issues with it.  Dave tried another SIP program from  his laptop and it worked fine.  We can't say for sure but the issue appears to be iPhone-to-iPhone calls.  Oh, I forgot, the issue was that I could not hear each other when we're both on the iPhone.
• We tried Skype.  Initially, we were both used the iPhone like a regular phone:  holding it to our heads.  There was a bit of an echo.  Then we tried it with the headset and the echo went away.  The delay was not as apparent in my call overseas with Skype.  I can't say with any certainty because it was relatively subjective and perhaps after using it and testing for a while, I got used to the delay.  So, definitely use the head set.
• It kills the battery life on the iPhone.  I was about 95% charged.  I charged it until 2pm this afternoon.  Some light browsing and checking e-mails.  We started working in this about eight and by 11:30, the phone died.  I've never used the iPhone this intensely before so I can't say for sure.  
• Only works with Wi-Fi.  3G and EDGE.

So there you have it.  I definitely recommend Fring now and just in case Apple does a two-face, get it before it's yanked! However, I do not think that's likely to happen.  Let's just say it is something of a road map I think Apple is following.  

For that analysis, another time.  Here is the direct link.  And it'll only get better with time.  By far, one of the better IM/VOIP app (the only VOIP app so far).

Definitely recommended.

Quick Speed Comparison: 3G Versus Edge

I don't own a 3G device yet.  Like some, I've yet to upgrade to an iPhone 3G.  And as T-Mobile subscribers go, millions of us won't get to know 3G until later this year.  But I've had the opportunity to play around with a couple.

Knowing that I was playing with a mobile phone with a higher Internet access speed, I thought I was going to see an increase along the line of going from 56K analog modem speed to cable modem speed back in 2000.  Perhaps, that was too much of an expectation.  I came away from the experienced not impressed.  I rationalized that perhaps the 3G access in the area was not up to standard yet.

Apparently, Barefeats feels the same with the 3G versus EDGE tests using iPhones.  But we can draw some conclusions if the results of the tests can be attributed to other mobile devices.  So, what do we know?

• AT&T's 3G is faster but not by much.  It depends on coverage in your area.  
• EDGE is good enough for today's mobile needs on a smartphone.  Today.  Mobile needs are changing by the day and we will need 3G access to be at its best.  
• So far, WiFi is king.  4X the speed of 3G.  

So for the mobile warriors who are on EDGE, relax.  No need to upgrade to 3G especially if your smartphone also have WiFi access.  At the speed we're moving, it's going to take two years (just a arbitrary number, educated guess) before we see robust 3G coverage in the United States. 

For the rest of the world who had 3G years ago, you probably don't understand the limitations mobile users here go through.  Here is a video highlighting Barefeats and Onxo's comments about the necessity of having 3G today.  It's a speed test between a Treo running on Sprint 3G EVDO and the iPhone running on EDGE.