racoma.com.phJ. Angelo Racoma on technology, economics, writing, problogging, and getting things done

Posting from my Smartphone using Scribe.

I got an invitation to attend the launch party of this yet-undisclosed (as of that time) telco, but I wasn’t able to attend. Turns out it was ü Mobile, and they had launched an innovative (relatively) mobile service, which lets users get free credits for receiving advertisements.

The service seems to be exclusive, though, as they are targeting the 15- to 35-year old demographic. That’s understood, given the need to target advertisements. And perhaps we can assume that if you’re over 35, you probably don’t have the patience to read ads; or perhaps you have enough disposable income that you would prefer to pay for services rather than get freebies.

And so I got a call the other day from ü Mobile telling me they are sending over a SIM card. I got the SIM this morning, and excitedly plugged it into my Nokia 1112. After several attempts to make calls and send SMS, I gave up. I had a hunch that the service only worked over 3G networks, which i confirmed after calling customer service.

It’s a bit disappointing, since the ü Mobile network supposedly ran over Smart’s network. So ideally it should work both on the UMTS and GSM networks. I did have a spare 3G-enabled phone I could use the SIM on, but it was locked to Smart. Even if ü Mobile were a Smart brand, I still couldn’t use it because of the locks (while other Smart brands like Talk n Text and Addict Mobile can be used on Smart-locked phones).

Easiest option for now would be to plug the SIM into my E51 (review to follow), but then being my main mobile (for use with both business and personal calls and text, IM’ing and VoIP) I would rather not.

Or, I could have my LG KU250 unlocked, but it would void warranty. Or perhaps I could acquire another (unlocked) 3G-enabled mobile, but this would be a truly unnecessary expense.

My ü Mobile SIM would have to wait, then. Ah, the lost advertising opportunities.

If you’re a Smartphone user, you should try out Fring. It lets you chat and talk via Yahoo IM, Google Talk, and a host of other IM networks via 3G, GPRS or WiFi. You can even make and receive calls via Skype, Google Talk, FWD and GIZMO over WiFi and 3G networks. Now that’s cool. Imagine if all mobile phones could access these VoIP networks via WiFi. Free calls for everyone!

fring™ is a mobile internet service & community that enables you to access & interact with your social networks on-the-go, make free calls and live chat with all your fring, Skype®, MSN® Messenger, Google Talk™, ICQ, SIP, Twitter, Yahoo!™ and AIM®* friends using your handset’s internet connection rather than costly cellular airtime minutes.

Call quality is above average, and this is highly dependent on the network speed, and of course, the processing capability of your smartphone. On WiFi networks, Skype and SIP calls are good, albeit with some lag, which is expected.

And if you’re an avid IM user, you would love how Fring can keep you connected anywhere there’s a WiFi hotspot or 3G connection. I’ve been using this at my home wireless network for the past few days, and I don’t even have to turn on my computer(s) to IM or VoIP.

Fring has versions for Symbian, Windows Mobile and UIQ, and even the iPhone. That includes most Nokia, Motorola, SonyEricsson, O2, and a host of other Smartphones.

My latest gadget is the Asus Eee PC. With some tweaking, I’ve been able to connect it via 3G using my LG KU250. Check out my Asus Eee blog over at http://www.myasuseee.com.

(image source)

Got myself an LG KU250 for backup and mobile connectivity. Who can beat that—at PhP 6,000 (about US$ 136) you get a 3G-enabled phone that can connect via bluetooth or USB (USB cable is even bundled in!). And Smart prepaid lets me surf for PhP 10 per 30 minutes (flat rate), so I don’t have to worry about monthly fees or contracts.

My first problem was making it work on Ubuntu. Initially I was only able to use it with Windows, with the bundled PC connectivity suite. But that’s now solved with these configurations.

Here’s my current speedtest.net result:

Not bad for mobile internet. What’s great is that I was able to install Opera Mini so I have a more or less full-fledged browser on my phone.