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Connectivity
Peeps, it’s a Gator!
3 years ago
by manfred
in Connectivity
Just announced today, Afrigator‘s Gatorpeeps is a micro-blogging platform built and hosted in South Africa. Afrigator has already had a lot of success with its aggregation platform and ad-serving service to local bloggers.
Gatorpeeps is another innovation from the Afrigator stable, though it is effectively little else than another Twitter. That means having to follow yet another set of people and trying to keep track of what is going on…
Local services deserve our support – until Gatorpeeps has been tested and shown to be able to last longer than other micro-blogging services, get an account an hop right in. That’s the only way to give it a chance.
You can follow me here.
Google Tasks on the move
3 years ago
by manfred
in Connectivity
The first use I find most appropriate for a mobile device is the maintenance of lists. Such lists must be updated either from a desktop or the mobile device itself, ideally by synchronization or the like. My lists are used for current interests or things to do, and the dreaded grocery shopping list. On the Windows Mobile and Nokia devices I’ve used up until now, I’ve generally relied on a synchronization of tasks from the mobile calendaring application to Outlook. That works well, but the biggest disadvantage is the inability to get to the task list unless Outlook for the web is opened on a system not supporting Outlook directly, or having to be in front of the Windows system I use at the office.
The iPhone is well-suited to web application integration. Most of the applications I use, other than games, rely on some form of backend system. And generally, that backend system is a web server whose content can be accessed from any web browser on any platform. The inclusion of Tasks by the Google team in the Labs section of GMail has made management of lists an absolute pleasure and provides access by any web browser regardless of operating system.
First off, activate Tasks in the Labs section of your GMail‘s Settings tab.
The Tasks pane is minimized and floats around at the bottom of the browser screen when the GMail tab is open. Adding items is really easy, as is marking them as complete or deleting items from the list. For those relying on due dates and the like Google‘s Tasks will probably be too basic, but for generic list management it’s all you will need.
More than one list may be created and it’s easy to switch among the various lists.
Connect and partner the E220
3 years ago
by manfred
in Connectivity
The E220 is a decent USB modem to connect to 3G and HSDPA networks. Unfortunately, the management software provided by MTN is functional but hardly attractive. Since I re-installed G2S with Windows 7 64-bit, I decided to try out something that I’ve been holding off for quite some time: overwrite the default MTN connection manager with the default Huawei software. The primary reason for doing this is to install the latest firmware to the device. The second to beautify the desktop and get rid of the rather monstrous MTN dashboard.
Come to think of it, the Vodacom dashboard is not exactly that much better looking – a bit more refined, perhaps… Why they don’t simply brand a version provided by the original manufacturer, I simply don’t understand.
Before starting, I copied the content of the internal storage of the E220 to my hard drive as a backup. Next, I copied down the most important connection details to re-establish myself with the world at large. These are (for MTN):
- Number to dial = *99#
- User name = MTN with password mtn
- APN name = myMTN
Next, download the latest version of the Huawei E220 software here. Interestingly, various software archives are available there, not simply Mac and Windows versions but two entirely different dashboards. Why, I don’t know. Thankfully, however, there are two versions since I could not get the E220 to be recognized by Windows 7 without switching to the alternate dashboard software. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
fring-fring
3 years ago
by manfred
in Connectivity
fring is an application I’ve neglected to update and use for quite some time. As with all popular software, there’s always a new version available and I proceeded to download it to the E90. fring is essentially an application to enable voice over IP (VOIP) calls to be placed using a mobile handset and the carrier’s data connection. For calls to far away locations this is significantly cheaper than dialling a landline or mobile number. If the called party has access to fring or Skype or a similar support service, the calls are essentially free, except for the small amount of network traffic generated. If you’re in the coverage area of a wireless network, fring can connect over that too, meaning call costs are driven down even further.
But fring has evolved into much more than a simple VOIP application. It can become the central hub for all your messaging requirements, as it provides plug-ins and support for a host of services. The list is extensive and includes Skype, MSN Messenger, ICQ, Google Talk, SIP, Twitter, AIM and Yahoo. If you’ve signed up with any of these you can access them all from your handset. The fring interface provides an easy way of adding services: simply enter your credentials and all the necessary connectivity takes place.
As many services as necessary or practical can be activated. fring maintains a connection and updates as required. Though I use the Mobile GMail application on the E90, I find the GMail notifier in fring to be particularly useful. It pops up whenever a new message has appear in my inbox and displays a short preview.
For those with a special love for Facebook, a plug-in for that is available. The most salient features of the web interface are present and functional. A similar plug-in for Twitter exists, too.
The fact that one is able to activate so many services at once is a great idea. The usual problem of reacting to inputs and requests from all of them may be less novel to many. I switched off Twitter pretty quickly and followed that with a deactivation of the Facebook module. Unless you have serious ADD, you may want to be selective about which modules you really need to retain some of your sanity. Know that they are all there should you ever need them, though…
At the end of the day, fring‘s primary mission is to provide telephony services. It does this very well and integrates all contacts from the phone, displaying the status of each contact with regard to the various services that have been activated. So, you would know which of your contacts are presently logged on and available via various IM clients, for example. Or you could simply call them, using a supported VOIP protocol of your choice…
The call quality over a mobile GSM network is very good, though it does rely on decent signal strength. The same can be said for using fring in a WLAN environment. For travelers who wish to phone home without being shocked by hotel phone bills or reams of cellular call logs, fring is probably one of the best alternatives. The download is free of charge and works on virtually any handset.
USB 3.0
3 years ago
by manfred
in Connectivity
While the Interwebs are still dallying with components between versions 1.0 and 2.0, the USB Implementers Forum is boldly marching on to USB 3.0. I haven’t seen many devices sporting the latest wireless USB standard, but the USB 3.0 specifications are rather impressive, if cable-bound. Devices conforming to the new 3.0 specification will sport this logo:
Existing devices will be compatible with the new USB hubs that will appear in desktop and notebook computers, though an adapter will be required. The new, super speed USB connector has a different shape and contains a number of additional connectors.
Performance for copying files should be quite remarkable: 4.8Gbits per second, or thereabouts. With those kinds of speeds, it’s unlikely Firewire will survive much longer. Already, Apple has decided not to fit the lower end MacBooks with Firewire ports. Though video cameras are increasingly relying on removable storage, the transfer speeds promised by the new USB standard makes downloading video over USB a reality. USB 3.0 should be available in devices from the second half of 2009.
2008 My Broadband Conference
3 years ago
by manfred
in Connectivity
And your broadband conference 
The My Broadband Conference 2008 is set to take place on 27 November at Vodaworld in Johannesburg and promises to be a very interesting event for anyone keen to gain an insight into the state of broadband Internet access in South Africa.
The conference program includes talks by a number of the country’s biggest telecommunication providers as well as panel discussions. Best of all, the event is free of charge – register here if you are interested.
GMail on-the-go
3 years ago
by manfred
in Connectivity
The Mobile GMail application is constantly running on the E90 and is the easiest way I have found of watching out for new mail. The GMail team has released a new version with a number of usability features and additional functionality.
Mobile GMail version 2.0 now allows access to multiple accounts and has fixed the softkey command assignment display on the E90‘s wide interior and narrow exterior screens. The ability to access multiple accounts is the feature I’ve been looking forward to most of all.
Overall, the application has been optimized to load faster and retrieve email more efficiently. Another great addition is the customizable menu that provides entry points to the inbox, outbox and other folders. As I live in the All Mail view, I can now access that with a single selection rather than having to scroll around two menus as in the previous version.
Mobile GMail is now also capable of working in an offline mode whereby composed emails are kept in the outbox until a network connection is once again available. From a usability point of view, some handy shortcut keys make composition and other activities easy to activate through a single button push.
To install to your device, open a web browser and point it here. Java-capable (J2ME) devices and Blackberry only. Any existing older version will have to be uninstalled prior to the download and installation of the new version.
If you use GMail and have a phone capable of running the client, you should try it out. The ease with which you’ll be able to interact with your mail account on-the-go will be something you’ll wonder how you ever did without.
File sync with Dropbox
3 years ago
by manfred
in Connectivity
Dropbox is a very handy service that assists with file synchronization and sharing. To get going, a small installation file needs to be downloaded and installed on the relevant operating system your computer is running. Dropbox is supported on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. My experience with the installation on my existing Mandriva 2008.1 system was not good: Dropbox simply wouldn’t install, let alone run. I’ll try another installation from the source sometime this week.
On the remaining systems running Mac OS X and Vista, the installation couldn’t have been easier. Once installed, Dropbox creates a standard desktop folder and indicates its presence and status by a small taskbar icon in Vista. From there, some rudimentary settings relating to storage locations and network configurations can be changed.
Account creation is a must. The service is still available without charge, though it will be monetized soon. The principle of use is thus: install the client on your systems and provide your account details. Drop files that you want to synchronize into the special desktop folder and watch the status on the taskbar icon. Once files are changed or added, the application automatically uploads them to the Dropbox server. From there, they are pulled or pushed to your other clients as required.
A great feature is the ability to log on to the Dropbox website directly and gain access to files.
From the web interface, files may be downloaded and new ones uploaded. In turn, these are synchronized to the clients as soon as these log on to the service.
I use Dropbox a lot to shove small text and image files to my various systems, obviating the need to haul out a thumb drive. There’s a specific area for synchronizing photos and even the ability to share files with other users.
If you have a requirement to synchronize important files across a collection of systems without the hassle of carrying around removable media devices, Dropbox may well be the solution you’ve been looking for.
Hotspot in your pocket
3 years ago
by manfred
in Connectivity
The E90 is a great device. As with any computer, adding software to enhance its functionality is where the real payoff lies and often allows existing hardware functionality to be exploited in interesting and useful ways. There are a number of applications that transform the E90, and a variety of other mobile phones with 3G/HSDPA access, into a portable wireless access point. WalkingHotSpot is one such application – I first heard about this application in a comment and eagerly downloaded and installed the small file. Unfortunately, WalkingHotSpot had no intention of running on my E90 – the cause of the error was never clear and a reinstallation did no good. So, I gave up on the idea of running such a solution on my phone.
Recently, I stumbled across JoikuSpot and had to try it out. This application is for Symbian S60 3rd Edition devices only. There are two editions: a free, light version and the same application with a number of features added available for purchase. It’s always good to be able to try something out before spending any money: I installed the free JoikuSpot Light.
The download is quick and painless, weighing in at 116KB. Transfer to the phone and install. That’s really all there is to it. I performed a quick test by enabling the JoikuSpot on the E90 without changing any settings. As with most data-enabled applications, JoikuSpot requests permisson to connect
and then requests the connection to use.
JoikuSpot won’t work with a WAP connection and requires 3G or HSDPA – I did a configuration OTA (over the air) to get my 3G connection settings working. For some or other reason, MTN decided to name that access point MTN-WAP.
Bandwidth sucker
3 years ago
by manfred
in Connectivity
BashPodder is still my favourite podcast downloader. Easy to setup and schedule, it diligently goes about it’s duties without question. And sometimes, that’s the problem.
For the second time in a row, a content provider I subscribe to has changed something on their feed causing bashpodder to download about 50 podcasts. If they were all new, I would be only half as mad. Seeing as they’re very old and I’ve already listened to most of them a long time ago, that was an absolute waste of bandwidth and has depleted the extra 3GB cap I purchased less than three days ago!
Certainly not bashpodder‘s fault: any podcast catcher would have been caught out by this one. The only one to win out of this is iBurst. Here goes another ZAR 500 for an extra 3GB…
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