Apple’s [AAPL] lockstep dance with AT&T [T] as its exclusive 3G service provider may be ending, with Verizon [VZ] showing up to the dance hall seemingly first. So what’s a mobile data services consumer going to do?
Wi-Fi
If you have been a frequent Wi-Fi user at Starbucks [SBUX] and also a fan of the Starbucks-iTunes free media (music and videos) card promotion, you may have noticed that some stores have had recent troubles in keeping the physical cards in stock or, even worse, up-to-date. How are you going to keep abreast of [...]
The Setup For a few years now, Starbucks [SBUX] has been offering free Wi-Fi access to two groups of people: qualified AT&T wireless customers, and Starbucks Card holders. While it has worked well for the “in” people, it has been a point of mild consternation for those who have not been inclined to get a [...]
“Is it true? Can I finally use Skype on my [iPhone|iPod touch]?” After several months, the answer is finally: yes. The official Skype app for iPhone and iPod touch is now available at the iTunes App Store. That’s the good news… … But if the comments for the app are to be believed, the bad [...]
The war for the hearts, minds, and hands of the wireless masses continues, this time with a new entrant (actually a duo) vying for an initial foothold (handhold?) in the ever-dynamic market for smartphones. Or, perhaps more accurately, it has taken on a new angle due to the new competitor. Never mind the Samsung Instinct. [...]
Hot out of the CTIA Wireless I.T. & Entertainment 2008 conference are the announcements from RIM [RIMM] about their upcoming smartphones: BlackBerry Pearl 8220 BlackBerry Bold BlackBerry Pearl 8220 Unfortunately for AT&T [T] customers, the Pearl 8220 will debut in the U.S. as a T-Mobile [DT] exclusive shortly. It sports a lot of the same [...]
The Setup This afternoon, as I sauntered into the local Starbucks [SBUX] to get my usual coffee refill, I noticed a small countertop sign at the register bravely announcing the availability of some new menu items… for breakfast. “What?!? Breakfast? “Steve, what happened to returning to core competency?” Well, I didn’t quite understand it, either. [...]
The Setup The last you heard from me, I was struggling mightily with a moblogging session to Javamancy, with mixed success. It has been several days since I managed to acquire public terminal access back to Javamancy, and geez, it’s been quite an ordeal. The Premise Maybe I’m too jaded, but in the past, whenever [...]
Here’s a quick update on the previous update post on the Starbucks Card site access: After a few more hours (most likely quite aggravating and anxious period of rushing to scale up and fix-hack-patch, for the developers and ops involved), the Starbucks Card site has been opened back up for the incoming new user-registrants for [...]
Once I determined that some of the login capability had resumed, I began exploring the Starbucks site… Situational Awareness After doing some site testing over at the Starbucks site, here are more details on the site access issue, and the Starbucks Card site login disturbance: The main site itself is operational; The Starbucks Card feature [...]
