Posted by
timothy
on from the shhh-someone-might-buy-it dept.
Cesaro writes: "According to this CNN article here it looks
like Verizon has beaten all others to the punch on launching the
first 3g wireless network in the US. I was at a loss to find any
good information on this at Verizon's website. One would think they
would want to publicize these items."
This might be a rant or something, but is this technology really needed? I can understand if one had a web tablet or something like that, but do you _really_ need streaming video on your cell phone? I can't imagine myself being on the run and having to watch the latest jenna jameson video or some such nonsense.
-- I SURVIVED THE GREAT SLASHDOT BLACKOUT OF 2002!
Re:Useless...
by
spellcheckur
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
More important than connecting that much bandwidth to your phone is sharing it among many devices.
The problem most people haven't realized yet (and the press coverage doesn't seem to understand) is that the existing wireless bandwith is getting eaten up, not because individuals are using more and more of it, but because more and more individuals are using it.
Have you noticed an increase in "all circuits are busy" or "unable to connect" messages, even when you're getting perfectly good signal? I know I have. As more people get phones/PDAs/computers connected to the wireless networks, it's only getting worse.
Yes, 3G provides a fat pipe to your phone, but a more important aspect is that it's just plain capable of sharing a fatter pipe among all the phones.
Puff, puff, give. We're pushing the limits of what the existing networks can handle; 3G *should* give us enough capability so that we dont f*** up the rotation.
Pity it had to be Verizon...
by
fleeb_fantastique
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
I have yet to enjoy a Verizon Experience that didn't suck in some way.
They don't do a great job of handling my local phone service. They provided extreme discomfort when trying to acquire DSL (through a different carrier, mind you; I've already seen what they do to their own customers), and have not exactly heard wonderful things about their wireless phone service.
Now they have extended this wonderful track record to a 3rd generation wireless internet access?
Likely, they will embitter so many people with their poor service that the technology itself will be labelled 'bad'.
One would thing they would want to publicize these items.
Considering that the service has only been in a fraction of Verizon's coverage area, they may be attempting to maintain the option to retract their company from the 3G market in case significant service problems arise.
Yes, they've most likely executed extensive tests on the technology, but it is logical to wait and ensure that the implemented technology is stable before asking $30-50 a month per individual for the privilege of using it.
as cool as it is,
by
minus_273
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
i must also ask, why we need it, i can understand in the case of preofessionals in certain industries and markets who need access to as much info as possible as quick as possible, hassle free.. in which case this is very good, however, for an ordinary user, what is the use? i dont see joe publuc using a 3G network right now.
What can you do that you can't currently do? Verizon may be targetting this towards certain markets that it would be profitable in rather than the general public, thus the lack of publicity
-- The war with islam is a war on the beast
The war on terror is a war for peace
Eehhhhh no.
by
Morgahastu
·
· Score: 5, Insightful
There are plenty of uses the 3G network. Its not only for cell phones. It can be used for PDAs (imagine the Treo with 3G). Or my laptop could have a 3G card so I can get some fast internet access anywhere. Cars could also use it to deliver information based on your whereabouts (or a computer in the backseat).
This technology is terrific and I think it will be a big boost for PDAs.
My ultimate phone wishlist
by
DG
·
· Score: 5, Insightful
Maybe it's just me, but I don't understand the concept of streaming video to a phone.
For me, the ultimate cellphone would have the following:
1) A decent phone, with decent battery life, reception, and audio clarity (how many convergence devices overlook the fact that the primary purpose of the damn thing is a telephone?)
2) Palm Pilot-like functionality, with emphasis on providing space/ability for uploading apps of my own as well as the canned apps.
3) A GPS, with detailed street maps and wayfinding ability built in.
4) Integrate this stuff as tightly as possible, and keep as much of the data local as possible.
I can see, for example, having the complete North American phone directory on the phone, so I can look up numbers without hitting the network. Tie this into the GPS, and now I can do stuff like "get me the phone number for the house I'm standing in front of right now" or "Let me search the yellow pages for [whatever] and now that I've made a selection, give me driving directions to get there"
Or allow phones to transport GPS data on voice connections, and now I can get a map of where whoever it is I'm talking to is - geographic caller ID.
Network access is all well and good, but phones are phones first and foremost. Build in apps that support the "phone" part (things like searchable directories) and the "mobile" part (with the GPS) and now you're talking!
The Kyocera Smartphone (which is a Palm) seems close, and will probably be my next phone, but I'm still looking forward to a well-done phone+GPS combo.
do you really need
by
Richthofen80
·
· Score: 2, Insightful
any more than 640 k?
come on, can't *anyone* think of good ideas for this? mobile videoconferencing with a pocket sized phone? on demand broadband almost anywhere? while talking on your cellphone, and giving / getting directions, you could also quickly pull up mapquest on your phone, and have images of landmarks sent over... Honestly, I'm a bad brainstormer... but someone else should be able to come up with something better.
-- Reason, free market capitalism, and individualism
Silent REALLY IS Better
by
UNIBLAB_PowerPC
·
· Score: 5, Insightful
As a geek in a PR office, here's the inside scoop on why they're not beating their own drum on this one (or it's why 99% of all organizations will sit on newsworthy information like this): it's not "ready" yet (meaning they aren't ready to field internal or external questions about said stuff; they aren't ready to fill the rest of their own staff in on it yet or they're doing that right now while the public is left in the dark with rumors; there are problems that no one except a select few know of and they would like them "fixed" in whatever way necessary before the public is informed via the marketing droids; etc.). Mix any combination of said ingredients (or come up with your own possiblities and they're likely true) and you have a press release that's "on hold" until the events change or the marketing/PR folks find a way to respin things in their favor.... oh, and don't throw rocks, I'm not allowed to talk to outsiders in the office. I just know what happens....
Now I can get in an accident with a SUV while the driver is surfing the net as well as talking on the phone.
This was modded as "Funny", but this is really a sad reality. Many accidents are caused by irresponsible drivers who don't think about how talking on a cell phone impairs their driving ability. This problem is big enough that some cities have passed or are debating rules about cell phone use in cars.
I observe daily that some people just don't care whether they put other lives at risk while driving. These people just aren't qualified to drive, yet they all do.
Re:Sound Quality
by
sulli
·
· Score: 3, Insightful
Ain't gonna happen. People actually don't care about sound quality as much as they say they do, from what I understand from talking to folks in the industry.
IIRC TDMA (used by AT&T) allows the carrier to select various levels of sound quality, cramming more calls onto the circuit in exchange for crappier sound; since users always complain about dropped calls and don't usually complain about tinny voices, you can guess which choice they made.
Slashdot Mirror
This might be a rant or something, but is this technology really needed? I can understand if one had a web tablet or something like that, but do you _really_ need streaming video on your cell phone? I can't imagine myself being on the run and having to watch the latest jenna jameson video or some such nonsense.
I SURVIVED THE GREAT SLASHDOT BLACKOUT OF 2002!
I have yet to enjoy a Verizon Experience that didn't suck in some way.
They don't do a great job of handling my local phone service. They provided extreme discomfort when trying to acquire DSL (through a different carrier, mind you; I've already seen what they do to their own customers), and have not exactly heard wonderful things about their wireless phone service.
Now they have extended this wonderful track record to a 3rd generation wireless internet access?
Likely, they will embitter so many people with their poor service that the technology itself will be labelled 'bad'.
And so it goes.
One would thing they would want to publicize these items.
Considering that the service has only been in a fraction of Verizon's coverage area, they may be attempting to maintain the option to retract their company from the 3G market in case significant service problems arise.
Yes, they've most likely executed extensive tests on the technology, but it is logical to wait and ensure that the implemented technology is stable before asking $30-50 a month per individual for the privilege of using it.
Do you like German cars?
i must also ask, why we need it, i can understand in the case of preofessionals in certain industries and markets who need access to as much info as possible as quick as possible, hassle free.. in which case this is very good, however, for an ordinary user, what is the use? i dont see joe publuc using a 3G network right now. What can you do that you can't currently do? Verizon may be targetting this towards certain markets that it would be profitable in rather than the general public, thus the lack of publicity
The war with islam is a war on the beast
The war on terror is a war for peace
There are plenty of uses the 3G network. Its not only for cell phones. It can be used for PDAs (imagine the Treo with 3G). Or my laptop could have a 3G card so I can get some fast internet access anywhere. Cars could also use it to deliver information based on your whereabouts (or a computer in the backseat).
This technology is terrific and I think it will be a big boost for PDAs.
Maybe it's just me, but I don't understand the concept of streaming video to a phone.
For me, the ultimate cellphone would have the following:
1) A decent phone, with decent battery life, reception, and audio clarity (how many convergence devices overlook the fact that the primary purpose of the damn thing is a telephone?)
2) Palm Pilot-like functionality, with emphasis on providing space/ability for uploading apps of my own as well as the canned apps.
3) A GPS, with detailed street maps and wayfinding ability built in.
4) Integrate this stuff as tightly as possible, and keep as much of the data local as possible.
I can see, for example, having the complete North American phone directory on the phone, so I can look up numbers without hitting the network. Tie this into the GPS, and now I can do stuff like "get me the phone number for the house I'm standing in front of right now" or "Let me search the yellow pages for [whatever] and now that I've made a selection, give me driving directions to get there"
Or allow phones to transport GPS data on voice connections, and now I can get a map of where whoever it is I'm talking to is - geographic caller ID.
Network access is all well and good, but phones are phones first and foremost. Build in apps that support the "phone" part (things like searchable directories) and the "mobile" part (with the GPS) and now you're talking!
The Kyocera Smartphone (which is a Palm) seems close, and will probably be my next phone, but I'm still looking forward to a well-done phone+GPS combo.
DG
Want to learn about race cars? Read my Book
any more than 640 k?
come on, can't *anyone* think of good ideas for this? mobile videoconferencing with a pocket sized phone? on demand broadband almost anywhere? while talking on your cellphone, and giving / getting directions, you could also quickly pull up mapquest on your phone, and have images of landmarks sent over... Honestly, I'm a bad brainstormer... but someone else should be able to come up with something better.
Reason, free market capitalism, and individualism
As a geek in a PR office, here's the inside scoop on why they're not beating their own drum on this one (or it's why 99% of all organizations will sit on newsworthy information like this): it's not "ready" yet (meaning they aren't ready to field internal or external questions about said stuff; they aren't ready to fill the rest of their own staff in on it yet or they're doing that right now while the public is left in the dark with rumors; there are problems that no one except a select few know of and they would like them "fixed" in whatever way necessary before the public is informed via the marketing droids; etc.). Mix any combination of said ingredients (or come up with your own possiblities and they're likely true) and you have a press release that's "on hold" until the events change or the marketing/PR folks find a way to respin things in their favor .... oh, and don't throw rocks, I'm not allowed to talk to outsiders in the office. I just know what happens ....
Even superheroes once were losers
Now I can get in an accident with a SUV while the driver is surfing the net as well as talking on the phone.
This was modded as "Funny", but this is really a sad reality. Many accidents are caused by irresponsible drivers who don't think about how talking on a cell phone impairs their driving ability. This problem is big enough that some cities have passed or are debating rules about cell phone use in cars.
I observe daily that some people just don't care whether they put other lives at risk while driving. These people just aren't qualified to drive, yet they all do.
Healthcare article at Kuro5hin
IIRC TDMA (used by AT&T) allows the carrier to select various levels of sound quality, cramming more calls onto the circuit in exchange for crappier sound; since users always complain about dropped calls and don't usually complain about tinny voices, you can guess which choice they made.
sulli
RTFJ.