GSM unlocked and unbranded

Luckily, T-mobile gave me the unlock code to my first GSM phone. I had to enter a special code that they emailed me, and enter a password and that was it. T-Mobile I think is one of the few carriers in the US that allows this(They want you to use your T-Mobile phone overseas too on their networks there). My t68i was a great phone, but it actually lacked one of the frequencies used by North America, especially in rural areas.. Worked fine in the city... I also am a Cingular, Pay as you go customer... I just need to pop a different SIM card in, and I'm on Cingulars network. I have found this handy in a few dead spots up in the mountains.

My k790a unlocking was a bit trickier. I really got hooked on Sony Ericsson's phones, they are loaded with really useful features.. This one has a 3 megapixel camera and loads of other features. One problem, this phone was only available in Canada, and it was locked to a canadian carrier. So I bought it off ebay, locked, it was a few hundred dollars cheaper than the unlocked version.

Then the fun begins, I still had my t68i but one of the buttons started to act up.. I got a new Blackberry Pearl from T-mobile, wait a few weeks and unlock it, sell it on Ebay brand new, and it all comes out in the wash as an upgrade to the phone I actually wanted, not the one the carrier is pushing to sell.

Unlocking the k790a took a bit of research... If you are not technical, have one of your tech friends do it or visit any non-carrier gsm reseller and pay a guy to do it. The phone came with a USB cable, so that was key, I knew I could somehow use my computer to unlock it. I used Davinci Teams software to unlock it, and Mobile2Mobile.net's software to unbrand it.

cell phones - Sony Ericsson T68i

I currently have a Sony Ericsson T68i phone(2.5 years old!), and service with T-Mobile. Prior to owning this phone I had a Samsung flip-phone, and a Kyocera candybar style phone with Sprint. But when I moved from Brookline to Allston, Sprint coverage seemed to be lacking in my house. While T-Mobile is known for their great in-city coverage (works underground at major subway stops), they also allow for usage of superb phone models(any unlocked GSM phone) which just aren't possible through many other wireless carriers in the US aside from AT&T. T-Mobile's coverage is pretty bad when you travel out to the rural areas(unless your phone supports the 850 band, but usually while I'm out there I'm on vacation and don't want to be easily reached anyway.. Well enough about service and carriers, this post is really about my phone...

-Great battery life (my conversations are generally short) -Bluetooth - sync: contacts, calendar, xfer pictures, ringtones -Yahoo Mail & SMS notifications of new mail -limited Free WAP site browsing -Laptop internet through cellphones bluetooth (56k) -SIM card contact management. -iGo charger tip (works with my car/home charger)

These features i'd like in my next phone/service, and probably won't upgrade until:
-3+ megapixel camera
-superb audio/microphone quality, 2.5mm headphone audio out..
-internet audio streaming & playback
-faster internet data tranfers when using phone+laptop combo
-Similar pricepoint (under 50$ for all the minutes/data xfers I need)
-better network coverage
-mini-usb charging/data connection would be nice.

cell phones - New phone! K790a

So back in the day(2005), I wasn't able to take a picture with my phone. I wasn't able to instantly upload it to my blog. I didn't always carry around a 3-megapixel camera.

This photo was uploaded directly from my phone to the web, know what that means? You'll probably start seeing less text and more pictures! I'll try to add text and stories after the fact, cause you know how much fun it is to T9 or type text message style --

Check out technical specs...

This post, really one up's my first mobile blog-post... I guess my ole t68i can now retire after 4 great years of usage...

Calendar Sync (syncML)

So my cellphone has a calendar feature, which I've practically never used... Why? Because it is a pain to manually enter in my calendar items, or to bluetooth sync with my computer often....

I've now had the same cell phone for almost 3 years, and by now pretty much have gone into every possible menu and setting for it... but just the other day discovered something new... Under my Connect menu, there is a Syncronization menu, and under that 'Remote Sync'. Sounded interesting, so I wanted to see what I could do with that --

It turns out I can Sync my Calendar and Addressbook on my phone with any web-based Calendar/Addressbook that support a standard called SyncML. Pretty cool, a good way to back up all your numbers and keep your online Addressbook up to date.. Also it's pretty handy to be able to wirelessly sync your Calendar without entering any appointments in manually.. Yahoo Calendar/Addressbook seem to support it for some phones, but not all yet.... Hopefully my t68i is on their list of phones to soon support, since I like to primarily use Yahoo Calendar and Addressbook.... For now, I'm giving this free Mobical service a try--

So, if you think this sounds pretty interesting, check it out and see if your phone is SyncML compatible.. And if not, try to get that feature in your next phone!