I don't know what Samsung CDMA phones are like, but Samsung GSM phones look nice but usually miss something like Bluetooth, HSCSD, EMS, a decent phonebook, or maybe even IR out.
The only CDMA countries are the US, Canada, and South Korea (where Samsung is). The rest of the world is GSM. There's bound to be less choice. And it's probably a conspiracy too.
For a technology board we do have some luddites round here.
They ALL recognise everyone else's habits. That's why they've ALL got off buttons or, if you really can't bear to turn it off, profiles (one of which is called silent).
The problem with your sweeping generalisation is you only notice the people who have left their phones on and tar the rest of us who have turned them off before going into the restaurant/cinema/etc with the same brush.
Watershed is 9pm. Pre-watershed (before 9pm) is reserved for programs suitable for any audience (i.e. nothing which will scare the horses or children). Post-watershed means programs can have more swearing or soft porn (usually Channels 4 and 5).
This is a voluntary code which all five terrestrial channels follow, although the definition of what's acceptable pre and post-watershed has shifted over the decades.
Orange isn't even producing it for the European market, it's for the UK market.
They may release it for their network in other European countries, depending on how it goes in the UK.
With Java phones, Java is safely sectioned off from the phone part. Firstly to prevent what you mentioned. And secondly if Java goes down the phone carries on (or goes down in a controlled manner) - a badly configured phone can bring down the GSM network.
Is it true that a program could e.g. make calls, send text messages, or mess around with the network on the Smartphone platform?
You could wait for the P800 (also by Sony Ericsson) out in January or Februrary, or go for the Siemens S55 which is going to be released in the next week or two - it's the T68i done right and with Java so you can bolt on the extra Smartphone stuff with midlets if you like.
Most mobile phone dealers buy phones in bulk at around £100-£150 (probably $150+ in the US) each from phone manufactures and receive the cost of the phone plus a commission from the phone network for signing up customers. The phone network makes this money back later by trapping the customer with a year's contract, line rental every month, and call costs much higher than the cost of actually providing them. Of course, the customer must think they're getting something for all this, which is why they get some free minutes every month. Pay as you go is similar, they make money with the expiry dates on credit vouchers and even higher call costs in comparison to a contract phone.
So providing a disposable phone with a limited amount of calls for $30 is economically unviable, because the whole system is geared up to not having a phone with a limited lifespan in order to recoup the cost of the phone and network infrastructure and finally make a profit with later calls.
I also don't see how they're going to do a voice recognition in a $30 phone that understands at least 10 words said in any American accent (at least) right from the first time you use it. Proper mobile phones have to sample each person's name in turn and you have to say the name again in the same tone of voice, and even this limited functionality comes in quite a pricey middle-to-high-end phone.
They could buy airtime in bulk from networks so they don't have to make their own network and they might have some mighty computer at the other end listening to everyone screaming numbers down their phones, but I still don't see how it'd be economically possible at that price, especially when they'll have to provide far more phones than other networks as the old ones will keep being disposed of.
As for those demo phones, Hop On probably bought a bunch of old phones off Cingular which were returned by their customers because the case got smashed or the loudspeaker didn't work or the buttons fell off or the customer wanted to upgrade the phone to a later model or something and stuck their plastic case on it.
So, given all that, it's probably just an exercise in disappearing to the Caribbean with lots of money.
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I don't know what Samsung CDMA phones are like, but Samsung GSM phones look nice but usually miss something like Bluetooth, HSCSD, EMS, a decent phonebook, or maybe even IR out.
The only CDMA countries are the US, Canada, and South Korea (where Samsung is). The rest of the world is GSM. There's bound to be less choice. And it's probably a conspiracy too.
For a technology board we do have some luddites round here.
They ALL recognise everyone else's habits. That's why they've ALL got off buttons or, if you really can't bear to turn it off, profiles (one of which is called silent).
The problem with your sweeping generalisation is you only notice the people who have left their phones on and tar the rest of us who have turned them off before going into the restaurant/cinema/etc with the same brush.
GSM almost is as clear as a bell, if you've got the coverage.
Unfortunately GSM coverage is very limited in the US.
Ho hum.
What are you on about, man?
Watershed is 9pm. Pre-watershed (before 9pm) is reserved for programs suitable for any audience (i.e. nothing which will scare the horses or children). Post-watershed means programs can have more swearing or soft porn (usually Channels 4 and 5).
This is a voluntary code which all five terrestrial channels follow, although the definition of what's acceptable pre and post-watershed has shifted over the decades.
Orange (UK mobile phone operator) has been at this kind of thing for ages...
r an geathome.asp
http://www.orange.com/English/forwardthinking/O
(all the links on the right underneath "Orange at home")
Orange isn't even producing it for the European market, it's for the UK market. They may release it for their network in other European countries, depending on how it goes in the UK.
With Java phones, Java is safely sectioned off from the phone part. Firstly to prevent what you mentioned. And secondly if Java goes down the phone carries on (or goes down in a controlled manner) - a badly configured phone can bring down the GSM network. Is it true that a program could e.g. make calls, send text messages, or mess around with the network on the Smartphone platform?
You could wait for the P800 (also by Sony Ericsson) out in January or Februrary, or go for the Siemens S55 which is going to be released in the next week or two - it's the T68i done right and with Java so you can bolt on the extra Smartphone stuff with midlets if you like.
Last time I looked it was about who you talk to and how good your golf is. So you see, playing and socialising are important.
Most mobile phone dealers buy phones in bulk at around £100-£150 (probably $150+ in the US) each from phone manufactures and receive the cost of the phone plus a commission from the phone network for signing up customers. The phone network makes this money back later by trapping the customer with a year's contract, line rental every month, and call costs much higher than the cost of actually providing them. Of course, the customer must think they're getting something for all this, which is why they get some free minutes every month. Pay as you go is similar, they make money with the expiry dates on credit vouchers and even higher call costs in comparison to a contract phone.
So providing a disposable phone with a limited amount of calls for $30 is economically unviable, because the whole system is geared up to not having a phone with a limited lifespan in order to recoup the cost of the phone and network infrastructure and finally make a profit with later calls.
I also don't see how they're going to do a voice recognition in a $30 phone that understands at least 10 words said in any American accent (at least) right from the first time you use it. Proper mobile phones have to sample each person's name in turn and you have to say the name again in the same tone of voice, and even this limited functionality comes in quite a pricey middle-to-high-end phone.
They could buy airtime in bulk from networks so they don't have to make their own network and they might have some mighty computer at the other end listening to everyone screaming numbers down their phones, but I still don't see how it'd be economically possible at that price, especially when they'll have to provide far more phones than other networks as the old ones will keep being disposed of.
As for those demo phones, Hop On probably bought a bunch of old phones off Cingular which were returned by their customers because the case got smashed or the loudspeaker didn't work or the buttons fell off or the customer wanted to upgrade the phone to a later model or something and stuck their plastic case on it.
So, given all that, it's probably just an exercise in disappearing to the Caribbean with lots of money.