An overview on stuff in my mind and what I’m working to publish shortly….
1. Mippin is just phenomenal. Really, really smart. I met their co-founder Scott earlier today. Despite being surrounded by lovely looking cakes, I didn’t give in. I focused my attention on the mobile service. I really do like what they’re doing. Think content aggregation without any hassles. I think it’ll be a super hit with mainstream users.
2. I used MaxRoam in Italy and it was flawless. Pure genius. I’m just fascinated by it. I’ve got to ask the team a few questions — e.g. right now my UK MaxRoam number is a slightly unglamorous Birmingham number. I’m wondering if that’s changeable. I’ve got a review of that coming. Get your own sim at www.maxroam.com.
3. ROKTalk. Without doubt one of the planet’s best voice handset applications. I’ve been using it regularly for setting up teleconferences (twice in the last hour, actually). Fooking smart. They’re giving more and more beta test accounts away now — if you’ve got time, check it out. I’ve got a ’15 days with ROKTalk’ piece coming.
4. I gave in and ordered a Sony CMD-Z7. £20 on eBay. Obviously it won’t arrive for WEEKS because of our ridiculous postal system here in the United Kingdom. This was, in part, prompted by the comments sent in by everyone contributing to the ‘what was your best handset ever‘ post.
5. Have you been trying out SMS Text News Mobile on your mobile recently? (Just type www.smstextnews.com into your mobile browser to have a look). I had some really good feedback!
6. I have completed 30 odd days with an Apple iPhone. More or less. I stuck an A5 sheet on my wall and drew a line down the middle (pros on the left, cons on the right). As I’ve been noticing them, I’ve been writing them down. Right now I have seven major, major cons.
7. The N95 still has it. I’ve been through the wilderness with the iPhone and as I’ve always said, it wasn’t perfect. My primary handset is still a Nokia.
8. The Motorola Q Smartphone has been following me everywhere running Good Mobile Messaging. It’s seriously hot.
9. Spinvox. Oh yes. Lots moving there. Including a write-up coming soon!
10. Sony Ericsson. I predict a revival. Have you SEEN the new green one?
11. Ah, NEC. You know, I met a chap from NEC the other week who, if memory serves, calmly explained that it was nigh on impossible for NEC to bother competing in the UK handset market because (amongst other things) our network technology is so old. Heh.
What what about SE?
No problem with changing your number Ewan
we will be adding 70 more countries over next period and will be adding personal/Glamour numbers also at a premium
My experience with MaxRoam had been a disaster.
1. I first ordered my sim card one month ago. The first card never reached me.
2. After a week, I wrote them and was told that I would receive a new card by express mail immediately. That card also never arrived.
3. After another week, I wrote them again. They said told that they would ship another card to me. I finally received that one. But then, I am unable to activate and use that sim card because their website said that my email address and phone number are already in use, presumably because it is tied to one of the sim cards that never reached me.
So, they activated my card for me. This led to more problems.
4. I thought I would able to choose my own home number in the USA. However, because I did not go through the normal activation process and they activated my card for me, I was not given that choice. I have a number assigned to me that is not from the USA.
5. When they activated my account, they sent me my user ID and password via an *unsecured* email. Amazingly, their website does not allow me to change my userid and password (like virtually every other web-based account). So, now I have to use random strings of numbers instead of an userid and password that I can actually remember AND they have broadcast that userid and password over the internet.
I understand that a new company often has some start-up problems, but they have been embarrassingly inept.