11. September 2009 by admin.

Cowbell Sound 

There’s a lot of blog chatter and a New York Times Article talking about how iPhones are Overloading AT&T’s Cellular Wireless 3G Network in places around the country.

One Blog Link here: http://prairiepundit.blogspot.com/2009/09/iphone-overload.html

And this one here: http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=5323

(part of which says:)

What’s interesting about the situation that AT&T finds itself in is that while smartphones have been around for years, people really didn’t use them like they use the iPhone. Up until the iPhone, smartphones were cellphones with a browser clumsily attached. The iPhone is basically a pipe to the internet with a phone attached. On top of that, a huge number of apps aimed at the iPhone connect to the internet in one way of another, making it an even bigger network hog.

Oh, and tethering and MMS will just make things worse …

Personally, I don’t blame the iPhone or users of the iPhone. The easy target for blame is AT&T for not having invested enough cash in its infrastructure to handle the iPhone, but that’s a dodge too. The real culprit here is Apple. By tying the iPhone to the AT&T network it meant that customers had no choice as to which carrier to choose, and the chosen carrier is in a position where it doesn’t really have to work that hard to please customers because they’re stuck anyway. Opening out the iPhone to other carriers (which seems increasingly likely over the next 12 months anyway) would have introduced the element of competition into the mix. I’m pretty sure that AT&T wanted the deal to be exclusive too, but it seems clear now that the company didn’t really know what it was getting into (or didn’t plan for it at any rate).

(again, as I always say, more at that link: http://blogs.zdnet.com/hardware/?p=5323)

And the NY Times article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/03/technology/companies/03att.html?_r=1&em

* I received an email from one yacht captain having problems in an area. A portion of that email is as follows:

[Quote] 

It has been a summer of frustration with our data connections across New England.  Some days [or sometimes hours] it works great and then poof it’s gone or extremely slow.   As you may recall I went into “very concerned” mode back in June when we docked in Greenwich, CT.  We’re back here again and this morning the whole system was unworkable.  But I think I know exactly why this is now… and as you suspected.  Please see the attached article from the New York Times on Sept. 3, 2009.  I saw this in the paper and thought of you.  I just logged on to the newspaper and copied it for your viewing.  Enjoy!

[End Quote]

So I think there’s a cry that we Need More Cow Bell ! I thought of that as a funny way to put it. If I remember right in the movie Deja Vu … one of the young engineers shouted that out “I need more cowbell” as they were scanning THE NOTE to transmit it back 4 days to Denzel Washingtons characters desk in the movie. Also it’s funny that in that movie … that using so much Cow Bell caused Power Grid Outages in large areas in the movie (and they talked about previous large Power Outages.) Similarly 3G iPhone and other 3G users using up so much of the Cow Bell is causing area outages (or slowdowns?) as well.

* So since there’s not enough Cow Bell a lot of users are getting booted off of cellular service or are getting slower and less than paid for performance. And that’s all I’ve got to say about that

Deja Vu (2006) - Trivia  

Deja Vu on IMDb: Movies, TV, Celebs, and more… … Dr. Denny’s line, “I need more cowbell“

Dr. Denny’s line, “I need more cowbell”, is a reference to the Blue Öyster Cult’s “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper” sketch in “Saturday Night Live” (1975), during which the track’s producer (played by Christopher Walken) demands “more cowbell” in the song.
 

* By the way, there are a lot of other 3G devices vying for that Internet Bandwidth - Cellular 3G Routers that share the connection. Forget about tethering (as Jacky Gleason would say in Smoky and the Bandit “That’s baby sh compared…”) What you oughta worry about is that EVERYONE is GETTING ON. Cellular Sharing Routers were out, articles on the Internet (do-it-yourself), then companies started building them commercially. This has been done for over 5 years now that I know of. Because it follows the timeline of my Marine Telecom Business. So the Cow Bell Users were already out there before the iPhone, the iPhone just added a lot more of them in a hurry because of the popularity of the product.

* Anyway there’s an old saying … You can put coulda, woulda, and shoulda in One Hand, and (Cow Bell) in the other hand, and see which one fills up first. 

—

Alan Spicer Telecom / Alan Spicer Marine Telecom

+1 954 683 3426

http://www.marinetelecom.net

http://www.wifiyacht.net

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11. September 2009 by admin.

The sale continues on the Ericsson W35 Mobile (Cellular 3G+) Mobile Broadband Voice and Internet Router. See pictures and web control panel screen shots here:

http://blog.marinetelecom.net/page/2 (near the bottom of the page.)

$440.00

$ 8.00 - MCX to N-Female Radio Pigtail (mates with LMR 400 or other coax cables ending in N-Male Connector.)

$ 25.00 - Shipping to US destinations

—————————————

$473.00 total

(Not including external antenna or coax cable run. Call or email for those items.)

* Many customers are upgrading from their Ericsson W25 units - or purchasing new W35 units. They are very flexible mobile Internet Routers working on 10-28vDC allowing installation in Boats/Yachts/Motor Vehicles/Temporary - Work Sites/and Remote Data Acquisition. Providing dial tone on RJ11 telephone jack for standard telephones or Private Branch Exchange (PBX) systems.

* WiFi is becoming HOT at this time … Smart Phones and PDA’s with WiFi Capability are becoming VERY POPULAR. With an Ericsson W35, which provides a WiFi Base Station built-in, you can share the Internet to all of your “i” devices such as iPod Touch, iPhone, and other Smart Phones supporting WiFi. Share Internet with your friends! Share Internet with your Yacht Crew! Share Internet with your automobile passengers!

* Share USB hard disk drives and USB memory sticks via Windows WORKGROUP networking.

—

Alan Spicer Telecom / Alan Spicer Marine Telecom

+1 954 683 3426

http://www.marinetelecom.net

http://www.wifiyacht.net

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11. September 2009 by admin.

For yachts and many special applications on land and land/mobile keep in mind the venerable Ericsson W35. GSM/UMTS/WCDMA Cell Carriers Only. If you got to do multiple cellular technlogies / carriers … then you probably want something like the Cradlepoint gear mentioned on here. The Ericsson W35 has something that cellular cards just don’t provide (exception if you use VOIP) - Voice Telephone from the Cellular Service to Standard RJ-11 Phone Jacks on the Unit. This allows a PBX - Private Branch Exchange Telephone System (common on Sail and Motor Yachts, not to mention most Businesses and Offices.)

It replaces previous Ericsson models such as the F221m or F251m. Pretty much plug and play. The same external antenna can be used (the antenna jack type did change with the W35 though - it’s now MCX, so you need a different Radio Pigtail - I can provide that) that you used with previous models - or even with other manufacturers gear.

W35 has it’s own WiFi Signal built-in. But the best thing about it is that you can easily build a larger network (or hook it up to an existing one) to extend the capability of it. It has 4 Ethernet CAT5 ports for wired computers or for jacking it into a larger network. Make sure you know what you are doing though - because it does run DHCP and will take over running the network. Get professional help if you have multiple Internet inputs to your larger Network. I do a lot of yachts. I know about satellite, cellular, wifi and other Internet Inputs typical to marine / yachts.

My Ericsson W35 page is:

http://www.marinetelecom.net/Ericsson_W35/

…and there have been pictures and web management page screen shots posted to this blog (keep going back more pages.) I am a reseller - I should say a VAR - Value Added Reseller for this product - which means I support it. And I have years of experience doing so. I support end users as well as marine electronics dealers and other sellers / installers. I’m just as happy to install them in the local area, as I am to just sell them to others that do so.

— 

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11. September 2009 by admin.

Apple quietly cuts price of iPod Touch

And reportedly there are new models of iPod Touch coming out.

So get a couple … get a few … + 1 Cradlepoint Router (for fixed, portable, or mobile…) and get THEM ALL online. Great for RV travelers. Great for Family Auto Travel local and on vacation. Great for Business Users with co-workers and associates in the same vehicle. (It makes a “Network” you can share files or whatever sharing or collaboration you could do on your devices on any WiFi Network or Wired Network for that matter. All while giving everyone access to the Internet of 1 Cellular 3G/4G Card.

It’s a less expensive way to have the iPhone “touch” screen type of system - run “Apps” you know Applications Programs … And use the Internet via WiFi. It’s not a Phone. It’s not a 3G Card (like the iPhone is.) But like we said before “It doesn’t care where it gets it’s WiFi Internet from”. It also doesn’t get LOCKED ON AT&T for 3G Internet like the iPhone does. With a Cradlepoint Travel Router … or one of the other Fixed/Mobile Capable Routers … You could put whatever 3G, 3G+, 4G (if you have 4G in your area) Cellular Internet Card that you like in it. (Check and see 1st what cards are supported.) It could be Verizon. It could be Sprint. It could be AT&T if that’s what you like.

And even more of the beauty of it is that you’re not limit to one “i” device using that Cellular Internet Signal. An iPod Touch, Two of them, Three of them, Plus a Laptop, maybe another Laptop … could all use it. All on the road. Or in a fixed location if you prefer. Or a combination of both fixed/temporary and mobile - on the road. It’s a beautiful thing.

Meanwhile an iPod Touch is an iPod. Well ask your kids what that means And even though I don’t sell Apple iPod Touch myself - it sure seems like a great thing for kids and adults as well. Especially when coupled with the Cradlepoint products.

— 

“One if by land, and 2 if by sea”. Alan Spicer works with land/mobile/marine customers…

Alan Spicer Telecom / Alan Spicer Marine Telecom

http://www.marinetelecom.net

+1 954 683 3426

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11. September 2009 by admin.

In my last post, I said that we should all Get Out more (for business and for pleasure.) And today I got out myself. And I took one of my ideas with me. Two ideas actually.

1.) Cradlepoint MBR1000 in a Pickup Truck - with a small DC 12v to AC 110v Inverter (available all over the place.) I added a Power Strip (like you use at home or office to plug in all of your AC 110v “stuff”) and was able to power my Laptop (battery needed charging) and the Cradlepoint MBR1000.

2.) Cradlepoint as a rolling Mobile Business Card. I’ve had this idea and used it before with other gear. The idea is … who doesn’t like a little bit of FREE WIFI? So I’m out with my vehicle, I’m working anyway, why not use the WIFI SIGNAL as a Business Card?

Set the WiFi Network Name to: MyWebsite-Name-Phone-Number and turn security off. Leave it on in the vehicle where you parked. Hopefully near where people might want to get on WiFi - especially if it’s free. Even for awhile. (Of course if you do this you are responsible for all Bandwidth consumed on your cellular plan for the duration of such an excursion.) Probably not a lot of people will hop on. Unless you happen to go to convention or a place where people routinely scan for WiFi signals a lot. For me it was in a Marina near the Big Yachts. So even if some yacht used it for a bit… I don’t care. But there’s a good chance that captains, crews, etc. of yachts might see this signal. Which contains as its name: marinetelecom.net-954-683-3426. They might just jot that down and visit my web site and/or call me on the phone. Bada Bing! Rolling (or parked) WiFi Business Card.

That’s how I got out today…

— 

“One if by land, and 2 if by sea”. Alan Spicer works with land/mobile/marine customers…

Alan Spicer Telecom / Alan Spicer Marine Telecom

http://www.marinetelecom.net

+1 954 683 3426

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