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The Telecom Digest for August 9, 2013
Volume 32 : Issue 168 : "text" Format
====== 31 years of TELECOM Digest -- Founded August 21, 1981 ======
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Telecom and VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) Digest for the
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Date: Sun, 4 Aug 2013 22:03:11 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: How to Avoid a Smartphone's Bite
Message-ID: <p06240805ce24b813a088@[10.0.1.5]>
How to Avoid a Smartphone's Bite
By SETH KUGEL
SEPTEMBER 18, 2012
Correction Appended
Travel and smartphones go together - and these days, texting,
updating Facebook and good old tweeting-while-eating are the least of
it. Instant access to Yelp, TripAdvisor and endless other apps helps
with everything from choosing an entree, tracking down discounts,
posting a photo and checking the traffic ahead. Add a healthy dose of
old-fashioned phone calls from poolside or mountain trail, and you
might say staying connected has become something close to a
constitutional right.
Just one catch: leave the country and your smartphone plan - much
like the Constitution - no longer has you covered.
As many people have learned the hard way, calling and texting while
abroad can bring painful bills; using data services can lead to
insolvency. That's because standard international roaming rates are
outrageous: $2, $3 or even $5 a minute, 50 cents for a text message.
A megabyte of data costs $15 to $20. That means that checking the
status of your Facebook friends can cost about $3 or $4. That's a lot
to see your high school classmate's backyard tomato plant.
The good news is there are ways to save. The bad news is there are
lots and lots of ways, some complementary and none perfect. Here's
how I'd break it down for five kinds of budget travelers.
...
http://frugaltraveler.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/18/how-to-avoid-a-smartphones-bite/?pagewanted=all
Date: Sun, 4 Aug 2013 22:00:04 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Roam the World and Keep the Cellphone on a Budget
Message-ID: <p06240802ce24b71b6646@[10.0.1.5]>
Roam the World and Keep the Cellphone on a Budget
By ERIC A. TAUB
May 29, 2013
Getting ready for a summer vacation abroad? Then you have a lot to
anticipate: fine food, great wine, historical museums - and
thousand-dollar cellphone bills.
Actually, overseas cellphone bills do not have to be huge anymore, as
long as you do some planning.
After facing years of stinging criticism that they charged exorbitant
fees to subscribers traveling to other countries, several major
American mobile carriers have come up with overseas calling packages
that cut costs to a small fraction of what they once were.
As a result, the additional cost of using a cellphone in many other
countries may end up being a minor inconvenience, rather than
motivation to take out a second mortgage.
Unfortunately, no one solution will work for everyone. Which approach
you take depends on your current carrier, the countries you are
visiting and your tolerance for changing calling habits while away
from home.
...
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/30/technology/personaltech/packages-lower-cost-of-travel-with-a-cellphone.html?pagewanted=all
Date: Sun, 4 Aug 2013 18:43:13 -0700 (PDT)
From: Neal McLain <nmclain.remove-this@and-this-too.annsgarden.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: Re: Only Seven Percent of TV Households Rely on Over-the-Air
Message-ID: <742d31db-ecd7-4640-a29d-4d6382254a34@googlegroups.com>
On Tuesday, July 30, 2013, I wrote, quoting an article posted on FierceCable on July 30, 2013:
>
>> ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--New research released today from the
>> Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) found that just seven percent
>> of American TV households rely solely on an antenna for their television
>> programming. The findings of the new study, U.S. Household Television
>> Usage Update, are consistent with CEA's 2010 research which found eight
>> percent of TV households reported using an antenna only for television
http://tinyurl.com/lq6bkkx
On Friday, August 2, 2013, Michael Muderick wrote, quoting an article posted on FierceOnlineVideo on June 21, 2013:
> IT DEPENDS ON WHOSE STATISTICS YOU READ:
> Antennas aren't just for grandma's boob tube anymore: 19.3 percent
> of all US TV households get their TV fix from free over-the-air
> broadcasts, according to a new GfK study released this week...
Sounds like a pretty "Fierce" battle to me!
Neal McLain
Date: Sun, 4 Aug 2013 22:00:04 -0400
From: Monty Solomon <monty@roscom.com>
To: telecomdigestmoderator.remove-this@and-this-too.telecom-digest.org.
Subject: What to do (and not to do) when traveling overseas with Apple gear
Message-ID: <p06240803ce24b75b7542@[10.0.1.5]>
What to do (and not to do) when traveling overseas with Apple gear
Serenity Caldwell
Jul 31, 2013
When I'm at home, I have an Apple device for almost everything. My
iPhone is my travel buddy, my iPad mini is my reading and writing
companion, and my computer takes on all the other heavy lifting. But
for a visit to Italy earlier this year, I knew I had to pare down my
collection: An iPhone, Mac, and iPad all seemed a bit unwieldy for a
trip that involved a lot of walking and travel; also, you don't
necessarily want to bring every piece of electronics you own to a
foreign country.
So instead, my companion and I made an electronics game plan. We made
a list of what, between us, we should take, and packed accordingly.
For the most part, we did really well. If you're planning on
venturing out overseas anytime this summer, here are some of our tips.
...
http://www.macworld.com/article/2045191/what-to-do-and-not-to-do-when-traveling-overseas-with-apple-gear.html
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