[geeks] a cell phone that doesn't suck

[Shannon Hendrix]

On Nov 24, 2007, at 11:17 AM, Lionel Peterson wrote:

>> NOTE: I'm not saying they are right, but consider:
>>
>> As long as it falls below a certain emission rate, off can be defined
>> as something most of us here would not define as off.
>
> uhm, "On is the new Off"?

"soft off" is very common.  Less than half of the devices around me  
right now actually power off when I hit the power button.

Why would I assume my cell phone is any different.

>> Have you actually powered a cell phone off and checked it for
>> emissions, or for that matter, checked the data stream and verified  
>> it
>> never sends video data without being asked?
>>
>> No?  Then you don't really know.
>
> Well, yeah, if you exclude the possibility of applying logic to the  
> question, then yes, you are right - I don't really know.

Really?  What logic did  you apply to determine that cell phones are  
fully powered off, and can't be abused in their on and off states?

It should be interesting.

We already know the opposite is true anyway.

Most cell phones can be remotely activated, turned off, or  
reprogrammed, even if you have them "off".

The only question is whether or not this is being abused or maybe how  
much is it being abused.

> The prices are way too high to justify, IMHO - Personally, I tend to  
> fall into the "I just want a phone" category, and as such I often  
> wonder why cell phone companies don't offer "refresh kits" for older  
> phones when you renew your contract - i.e. kits that contain a new  
> faceplate, battery, and maybe a carry case. While the cost would be  
> minimal in comparison to the $100-150 or more in subsidies when you  
> renew your contract, if they could cut some money off the monthly  
> fee I'd consider it.

They could, but until major changes happen in the cell phone and  
related industries, I don't see it happening.  They charge $70 for a  
data cable at Sprint, which indicates the likelihood of them doing  
something pragmatic for their users.

Anyway, the main point I was making is that cell phone companies were  
trying to say that unlocked phones were illegal, and now they are  
being sold in the open market.

To me that means that even if I get a phone from Verizon, there's  
little they can do if I unlock it, since that's no different from  
buying one already unlocked from Wal-Mart.

One nice thing about some unlock software is that it also blocks  
malicious updates from your provider.

I like the idea of approving updates they send out, rather than just  
having my phone blindly "upgraded" without my knowing it.



-- 
Shannon Hendrix
shannon at widomaker.com