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Cellphones that Work Everywhere?

Posted by Cliff on from the don't-I-wish dept.

spoonist asks: "The vast array of available wireless protocols in the US is quite bewildering: CDMA, TDMA, GSM, AMPS. I spend most of my time in urban areas. Major providers appear to be rolling out GSM, so that seems like the way to go. I also spend a lot of time hiking and climbing in rural areas and like having my mobile phone in case of an emergency. My ancient analog phone gets a signal in all but the most remote of areas LONG after friends' digital phones loose their signals. Are there any dual mode mobile phones that can talk both GSM and AMPS? Also, I occassionally travel to Europe. From what I understand, GSM in the US uses a different frequency from the rest of the world (WHY!?!). Are there any phones that talk European GSM, US GSM, and AMPS?"

4 of 52 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Because We *Like* It That Way by Gordonjcp · · Score: 1, Offtopic
    Yeah... Why do you call it the English system? Presumably "English" rather than "British" because most Americans can't tell the difference, but we'll let that one slide.


    If you used the "English" system of measurement, then surely your units of measurement would be the same size as in Britain? In which case, why are your weights lighter, and your measures smaller? And are distances the same?

  2. Re:Because We *Like* It That Way by zulux · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    Actuall I *like* imperial measurments for every-day things!

    Saying my "my large penis is 150mm long" doesen't have the same ring as "my giant 12 inch cock"

    Saying you were in a "10K race" sounds suspiciusouly like a Special Olympic race, but "a 5 mile run" - now that's some distance.

    and "I'd like 300 millleters" is just gay. "Gi'me a Pint!"

    --

    Moneyed corporations, non-working 'poor' and criminal prisoners are turning productive citizens into tax-slaves.

  3. Re:Because We *Like* It That Way by hitzroth · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    Saying my "my large penis is 150mm long" doesen't have the same ring as "my giant 12 inch cock"

    Of course it doesn't: 150mm is closer to 6 inches than 12. Much. Pretty average in fact.

    but "a 5 mile run" - now that's some distance

    No it's not: 10km is ~6.2 miles.

    "Gi'me a Pint!"

    And a pint is more like 475ml. So you're okay there. But only if it isn't American beer.

    Sigh. You know, it takes practice to get this anal.

    --
    In mathematics, one does not understand things, one merely gets used to them.
    --VonNeumann
  4. Re:Because We *Like* It That Way by zulux · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    But only if it isn't American beer.

    Preficae that with mass-produced, and wer're in agreement. Thare are a lot of micro-brewerys here in the states that produce excelent beer. Small breweries are going extinct in most part of the world - but where I live, in the North-West US, I can walk to two different mom and pop breweries.

    We're actually becoming beer snobs 'round here - you know it's bad when you start to think of Guiness in the same vein as Budweiser* - Mass produced crap to get people drunk.

    *real "Ceske Budejovice" is quite good - the American bastardisation is piss-water.

    --

    Moneyed corporations, non-working 'poor' and criminal prisoners are turning productive citizens into tax-slaves.