Tag Archives: Optus

More on using the Dell Streak 5 as my full-time phone

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I’m still enjoying using the Dell Streak 5 as a ‘full-time phone’. It reminds me of using a PDA back in the day because it’s larger than what I’m used to in a phone. Funny how perceptions of size can change over time, huh? I used to think the HP iPAQ hx4700 was massive, but it only had a four-inch screen like the Samsung Galaxy S and HTC HD2. And the HTC Advantage – which I’m sure I still have sitting around somewhere at my parents’ house – was SUPER massive and there was no way in the world that I would use it as a phone back then, and yet it has the same five-inch display as the Dell Streak 5!

Then again, those older devices were larger, thicker and uglier than the ones that are available now. Industrial design has come a long way since then, largely thanks to Apple and its game-changing iPhone!

I’ve taken a few calls on the Dell over the weekend, and yeah, it does feel like I’m holding a shoe up to my head. These calls were all taken in the privacy of my own home, and I’m not sure how I’ll feel about doing it in public! I’ve paired it with a gold Plantronics headset that I had lying around, however, so this might help me to preserve my dignity while I’m out and about. We’ll see – I’ve never been all that good about fumbling for a Bluetooth headset while the phone is ringing!

One annoying aspect that I’ve discovered about the Dell Streak 5 is the absolute dearth of accessories that are available for it locally! It seems that Dell and Optus have fobbed the responsibility onto each other, and as a result, you really can’t buy anything for it from Dell’s online store or from the Optus retail shops. Especially annoying as I’ve seen lots of cases for the Samsung Galaxy Tab in Optus shops, as well as some electronics retailers like Harvey Norman. Where’s the love, Dell? I managed to find a white rubber case for the Dell Streak at a local mobile phone accessories shop, but even there I think I got lucky – it was the only one that they had, and it wasn’t even on display – it was hidden inside one of the carts! In demand, much?

One of the oddities of being me is that I love accessories for my gadgets much more than I love accessories for myself, so it looks like I’m going to have to source them all from overseas. I’d like to get a nice leather case, and the official car kit and multimedia dock (the latter lets you connect the Dell Streak to a HDTV via HDMI). I might even get a secondary battery for it – Mugen has a ridiculously large one that’s over three times bigger than the standard battery, which would be worthwhile if I flew overseas on a regular basis, but don’t see that happening in the near future with bubs on the way! I do like that I can get a spare battery for it, however, unlike the Samsung Galaxy Tab and Apple iPad!

Want lots of 3G data on your smartphone? You’re best off going on prepaid

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The cheap cost of data in prepaid mobile plans in Australia has been dominating my thoughts this week – so much so that I penned two articles on the topic for my ‘day job’. On APCmag.com, I wrote about how much cheaper data is on a prepaid mobile plan compared to a year ago. Telstra was the big standout here; a year ago, a $30 recharge would have gotten you 10MB of data – barely enough for a day’s worth of email for me! Now, you can get just over 1GB (1050MB) for the same $30 recharge! Vodafone charged a pay as you go $2 per megabyte rate for all of its prepaid plans up until October last year (you can now get 500MB for a $29 recharge, plus unlimited access to Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, FourSquare and LinkedIn), while Optus counted data in the same credit that calls and SMS come out of (Optus’ prepaid plans now have the same data value as Vodafone’s plans).

The other interesting story, which I wrote for PC and Tech Authority, is that carriers are now in fact offering more data on their prepaid plans than the equivalently-priced postpaid plans! It’s crazy, but true. With Telstra, for instance, you can get 3.3GB with a $50 recharge on its Pre-Paid Cap+, while its $49 Next G Cap postpaid plan only gives you a measly 1GB. It’s the same story with all of the other carriers except for 3 – which, to be honest, is pretty far behind with its data pricing, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they overhauled their data pricing model in the near future!.

It kind of sucks that I’m locked into a postpaid plan now, with all of these awesome data deals going on. I easily use data on my phone more than calls and text messages, between email, web browsing, social networking, and the numerous apps that use the web to send data back and forth (Evernote, Dropbox, Android Market, Google Navigation, WhatsApp, etc). I’m on what’s perhaps the only truly unlimited plan in the country: Optus’ $129 Timeless Advantage plan (which you need to have an ABN for to quality as a ‘business user’), which not only offers unlimited calls, text and voicemail access, but also includes unlimited data use from my phone and 10GB of data for non-phone uses like tethering. I like having the freedom of using my smartphone without having to think about whether I’ll be going over my monthly credit limit or not, which I use to do a lot before I switched to an unlimited plan!

But if I wanted to spend less, going on prepaid would be perfect, as I could just keep on using the data until it ran out – no ugly excess usage fees (Optus charges 50c per megabyte on its postpaid plans when you go over your limit!), just the inability to access the Internet until you top-up your account again. I gave my partner an iPhone 4 for Christmas; he’s on Vodafone prepaid and only recharges $29 each time. The generous 500MB allotment means that he runs out of call credit way before he runs out of data, and luckily the data doesn’t disappear when the call credit is all up – he’s able to send me messages on WhatsApp and call me on Viber when he runs out of credit to use calls and text messages over the carrier network!

Camping with gadgets

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I’m going camping for the first time in over 15 years this weekend. The idea fills me with both excitement and trepidation. Excitement because I haven’t done it for so long and there are bound to be lots of amazing photo opportunities. Trepidation because there won’t be a power socket anywhere for me to charge my gadgets. That’s right, we’re going full old school camping, with tents, sleeping bags, gas cookers and all! I’m told there won’t even be any toilets or showers, so we’ll be bathing in the lake and going to the toilets in the woods!

Now I do realise the best camping experiences are probably gadget- and technology-free, but I just wouldn’t be myself if I couldn’t bring a selection of gadgets with me to enhance the experience. So this is what I’m bringing with me on the trip:

1. Motorola Defy. I’m leaving the Samsung Galaxy S at home in favour of this semi-ruggedised handset, which I’ll happily take with me on the canoe thanks to its water-resistant properties. It’s not waterproof, mind you, but as long as I fish out of the water immediately if it falls overboard, then it should be fine. :)

2. I haven’t decided whether to bring the Canon 5D Mk II or the Sony NEX-5 (I have two batteries for the former and three batteries for the latter, so power shouldn’t be a problem). Whichever one I end up bringing (and so far I’m leaning towards the 5D Mk II because it’s insured and the NEX isn’t), I’ll be outfitting it with DiCAPac waterproof SLR case, which waterproofs it to 5 metres and lets you use a zoom lens with it. I may bring my Canon SX30 IS as my ‘disposable’ camera. Retailing at $649, it’s not exactly ‘disposable’, but I got it for a ridiculously cheap price, making it my ‘cheapest’ camera. The powerful 35x zoom will also be good for birding and taking shots of other wild animals.

3. Apple iPad 3G. I’m bringing this over the Samsung Galaxy Tab due to its longer battery life and the fact that I can upload pictures to my Facebook account from it using the camera connection kit. I’m guessing reception is going to be spotty in Kangaroo Valley, where we’re camping, so I’m going to replace the Optus SIM card currently in it for a Telstra one – if any carrier has reception there, it will be Telstra. It’ll suck if Kangaroo Valley is in the 1% of the Aussie population that isn’t covered by Optus! I don’t have a waterproof case for the iPad – not that I’d be bringing it with me on the canoe anyway – so I’ll be leaving it in my car during the day.

4. Flip Ultra HD. As this is the first time I’ve camped in so long, I’d like to make a shot movie from our adventure, and the latest Flip is a great option. It shoots in 720p HD, records up to 2 hours of footage, has built-in image stabilisation, and runs off the bundled lithium ion battery (good for two hours) or alternatively three AAA batteries. The latter capability makes it perfect for camping, as I can just bring a half dozen AAA batteries and have enough power to shoot the whole trip. I’m pretty sure that the camera connection kit will let me transfer videos shot on the Flip to the iPad (I’ll check this before I leave), so I can offload footage if I end up running out of space. I’d love to get a waterproof case for this as well, but since I’m not actually going to be snorkelling or anything like that, I think the Canon or Sony on its own would be fine for the canoe!

5. For both the camera and Flip, I’m going to be bringing along the lightweight Joby GorillaPod SLR Zoom tripod. Fits easily in my bag, and flexible enough for lots of different photo and video ops! I’m hoping to wake up early on the Saturday or Sunday morning and catch a sunrise, which I’ll be using the tripod for.

6. Of course, I’ve given thought to how I’m going to keep my Defy and iPad charged up. The solution: The Energizer XP4001 Power Pack. This comes with charging tips for microUSB, the iPhone and the iPad (as well as a USB socket for charging things off USB – I could use this for the Flip as well, if I run out of AAA batteries for it), and I’ve been told that it can charge up the iPhone (or similar mobile devices) up to 6 times, or the iPad twice. Perfect! I’m only going for two nights, and I suspect that this little gadget will make me popular with other gadget freaks that are coming along.

7. I’m debating whether to bring my Kindle. I think I will – I’m bringing my car after all, so I can leave any excess baggage there if my bag ends up too heavy. In the Kindle’s favour is its ultra-long battery life (will easily last the whole weekend) and imperviousness to sunlight. Plus, reading on the Kindle will be preserve battery on my iPad, which I can use for other things.

Have I missed anything??? ;)

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