Traveling Cellularly

With my abroad plans growing ever closer, I took some time during spring break to investigate cellphones and the best way to use them internationally. I was surprised at the amount of choices available - and at some of the practices of the cellphone companies which milk dollars from the customer.

To understand your options internationally, you first have to understand a few basics about cellphones. Here in the States, the largest network is Verizon Wireless, which runs on a wireless protocol called CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access). Nextel runs a proprietary protocol called iDen (though they are in the process of merging with Sprint, who also uses CDMA, while T-Mobile and the newly merged Cingular/AT&T Wireless use a protocol called GSM (Global System for Mobile communication). GSM is the modern replacement for an older protocol, TDMA. CDMA is a lot like the US system of measurement - it works great here, but everyone else uses the metric system (GSM).

While GSM coverage used to be terrible in the United States, it is quickly gaining ground against CDMA. The advantage of a GSM phone is that it uses technology known as a SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) to hold your information for the network. The nice thing about these cards is that they are removable, so you can use your phone on pretty much any network by simply replacing your SIM card (though there is a catch). The U.S. carriers offer international service, but it is extremely expensive (usually a dollar a minute and up when calling from overseas) - so what you can do is buy a SIM card when you get to your destination. The domestic carriers abroad will give you much cheaper rates, and you can even buy special "phone card" SIMs that are basically like prepaid minute accounts that cost more like 7 cents a minute when calling home. Swapping these cards in and out is usually VERY easy - they are usually located right underneath the battery. Upon your return to the U.S. you can simply pop your old SIM card back in and pick up using your old cellphone plan right where you left off.

Now I mentioned there was a catch. In order to prevent you from switching carriers, most U.S. cellphone companies lock their handsets so the technically illiterate would have to buy a new phone in order to switch, and hopefully be discouraged by the costliness and just stick with the carrier. However, the wonderful staff at It's Geek to Me has discovered a way around this. Cellphones are programmed with a manufacturer's unlock code that allows the phone to be unlocked and therefore accept SIM cards from a variety of GSM carriers. These codes are readily available online, or there are services that will unlock your phone for a small fee. I believe that T-Mobile will also unlock your phone for you upon request, though I'm not 100% sure about this. You may also want to check with your carrier anyway before unlocking, as unlocking may void the warranty on your phone (though this might not be a big deal).

If you are locked into a contract with Verizon, all is not lost. They do offer an international phone that runs both CDMA and GSM and accepts SIM cards, though reviews on it are mixed and its features are limited. A great resource when researching carriers and phones is the website www.phonescoop.com.

In short, a GSM phone is the way to go for traveling flexibility - just make sure you get it unlocked before you leave! Since handsets overseas are all sold unlocked, SIM cards are sold just as frequently as phone cards - and any cellphone store there can help you get ready to go. Just make sure you find a card that gives you a good rate to call home AND domestically in-country if that's what you need.

Google Adds a Few More Zeros

If you read the Tech Journal in The Heights a few weeks ago, you heard about how Google.com is revolutionizing the way data is accessed online. Its effects are so far reaching that the term "google" is becoming a word in common usage (originally from googol, meaning 10^100, hence the witty title). However, their innovation is not limited to the world wide web; a slate of new Google products is changing the way we access all sorts of information: from pictures to email to IM conversations.

GMail, Google's mail service, is a clever new way to do email. Each user is given one gigabyte of storage space, which means that one really doesn't need to delete email. Combined with Google's search tools, you can build your own archive of information, recalling old conversations by keyword at will. GMail is still in beta testing, so you need to be invited by a current user in order to open an account. Fortunately, this website allows users to donate their extra invites so people who don't have an account (like you) can get an invite from a stranger.

Picasa is Google's streamlined approach to managing a digital photo album. Referred to by man web gurus as "iPhoto for the PC", Picasa combines simplicity and innovation to organize and store your digital pictures for easy manipulation, sorting, and sharing. The program scans your hard drive for all photos, then lets you input captions, descriptions, dates, etc. while also sorting the photos into albums. This data can also be imported from filenames and/or existing directories. The developers of Hello have teamed up with the Picasa team to create a messaging client that allows you to share your photos with your friends and family - and gives you the ability to chat about it. It also has an easy upload feature to allow you to share your photos on a blog or website. Though I initially had some problems with this, an upgrade to my Mozilla Firefox web browser corrected it - and the streamlined integration from Picasa -> Hello -> Blogger makes everything about digital pictures incredibly convienient.

Google Desktop Search is a new search tool from Google that searches one's own hard drive. After initial installation, it takes a few hours (do it overnight) to index your entire hard disk. It looks at all your files (from pictures to word documents to previously visited webpages to IM conversations) and indexes them for quick searching. It logs your IM conversations, emails, and web history (though these features can be turned off for privacy reasons) and stores them for later access. At a later date, you can search for keywords from a previous conversation or email without knowing the date or anything about it and it will generate results from your own computer in true Google fashion.

Various versions of these programs exist, from browser plugins to toolbars, so you can choose the format which works best for you. The three of them are extremely useful, especially when used in conjunction with each other or other applications. The ease with which Google products access data make technology more and more valuable and make human-computer interaction more and more painless. Isn't that the point after all?

Let's get it started...

I'm envisioning a forum where the technology-inclined can share their finds: anything from easter eggs in software to nifty little gadgets like Konfabulator (thanks Brad) to features on a new phone or camera. If it's something nifty and you want to share, this is the place. Nothing is too complex or too simple - I'm hoping to build a wide audience in connection with a column in The Heights, where people with all levels of technical expertise in addition to contributors can take advantage of these pearls of technical wisdom.

We all hear about stupid little things from all over the place. This is simply a medium of dissemination - an experiment in web media that we'll hopefully all take something away from.

If you want to contribute, email (billclerico@yahoo.com) or IM me (redhead349) and I'll add you to the member list. If you just want to read, that's great too - feel free to leave comments or ask questions.

Thanks!