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Sprint: Marketing for Dummies?Yesterday

I’ve seen this ad all over the internet lately, and its really been bugging me (click image to view full size).

In it, Sprint claims that with their new Samsung Rant, I’ll be able to “Experience texting at 3G speed.”

Can someone please explain this one to me?
Maybe I’m missing something here, but doesn’t Text Messaging get ZERO benefit from 3G data?

Texting (or the more technical term, SMS) was created as a way to embed short messages of up to 160 characters into the same networks used to carry digital voice.

3G Data came much later, and was created to offer high-speed internet access. It actually works using a separate (but parallel) technology to the voice network.
This is why SMS rates and cellular data rates are usually kept separate when billing. (Side note: Sometimes when roaming or in spotty coverage areas, one may find the data network does not work, however SMS works fine wherever you have voice coverage.)

Everytime I see this ad, I wonder who thought this was a good idea for a catch phrase. Then, I wonder who at Sprint gave the OK for it. Does anyone in the marketing team know how their phones work?

I actually picture the conversation going something like this:

Marketing rep #1: �

Blame it on Open Source…November 12

Open source is great, right?
That should make Google’s open source Android OS great, too.
Funambol’s Fabrizio Capobianco sure seems to think so. In a recent blog post, he shares his personal experience regarding a feature on the Android-Powered T-Mobile G1 that was fixed by the Open Source community instead of waiting for Google, HTC, or T-Mobile to release an update patch.

This is a perfect example of how Open Source platforms, when done right, can become a living, breathing entity. They are able to evolve with the times and essentially “heal” themselves, since the users are able to repair problems when spotted instead of waiting for an update patch to be released.

The problem is, at least in the case of the G1, sometimes little things fall through the cracks that would otherwise have not happened in the first place. Take this little shenanigan for example:

From user:jdhorvat
I was in the middle of a text conversation with my girl when she asked why I hadn’t responded. I had just rebooted my phone and the first thing I typed was a response to her text which simply stated “Reboot” - which, to my surprise, rebooted my phone.

Apparently, the early G1 adopters have f

148th Carnival Of The MobilistsNovember 3

Welcome to the 148th Carnival of the Mobilists… the American Presidential Election Issue (and perhaps the issue that will get MOPocket to start blogging regularly again!)
On the eve before the US presidential election we have some really good posts from around the mobile blogosphere.

To begin with lets discuss the iPhone issue:

Jamie Wells of Mobile Stance asks an interesting question: Is the iPhone a major indicator of an eroding middle class?
While Matt Radford of AllAboutiPhone asks” How many applications does the average iphone owner install?

In the foreign (from an American point of view) policy section:
The Digital Evangelist reports from the Symbian Smartphone show to tell us that Symbian should have but has yet to have learned anything from Psion.
De

Sprint does not show any Android love.October 27

Honestly, ever since I saw Sprint on the Open Handset Alliance announced by Google, I had a feeling that they’d be the first with an Android powered handset. Sprint and T-mobile were the first 2 carriers I saw on the Alliance, and of the two, I figured Sprint has the best track record of getting new HTC phones first.

I’m glad T-Mobile got the G1 first, because in all honesty T-Mobile could use some limelight lately. But imagine the irony when I stumbled upon the following information, courtesy of Reuters:

Apparently, Sprint CEO Dan Hesse doesn’t think Android in its current form is ”good enough to put the Sprint brand on it.”

Really? I mean, come on, you’re kidding, right?
Sprint is too good for Android?!

Look at the devices Sprint HAS put their name on… the Sprint Mogul had a bluetooth bug and advertised features that weren’t available at launch (EVDO Rev A and GPS), yet released it as is. The Moto Q is generally considered the buggiest smartphone released by a major carrier, yet Sprint had no problem putting their name on that… but Android, who early adopters are absolutely loving so

Santa Clarita,CA Now Using SMS to Alert Residents of EmergenciesOctober 7

“Success in saving lives and property is dependent upon timely dissemination of warning and emergency information to citizens in threatened areas.”

With the potential threat of earthquakes, wildfires, and other local emergencies, the technology staff  in Santa Clarita, CA  has created a new text alert system.   Simply text “SCEMERGENCY” to 41411 and you’re all set!

Source: City of Santa Clarita

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