Tag: Tech

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T-Mobile Test Drive: Day One

Received T-Mobile Test Drive kit on Wednesday afternoon, June 25, 2014.

T-Mobile Test Drive kit

The Test Drive Kit includes:

  • Gold 64GB iPhone 5s with nano-SIM pre-installed
  • Apple EarPod with mic and remote
  • Apple 5 Watt USB Charger
  • Apple Lightning Cable
  • Manual
  • Terms & Conditions booklet

T-Mobile Test Drive kit, iPhone 5s

I wonder what T-Mobile / Apple would do with the EarPod after it is being used. Remember, I have to return the Test Drive kit at after the seventh day.

T-Mobile Test Drive is free with no obligation to buy, but if the iPhone 5s comes back with a cracked screen, damaged screen display, water damage, active Find My iPhone feature, or can’t be powered on we have to charge a $100 damage fee. If you don’t return the device, we have to charge $699.99 plus applicable taxes.

A hold for $699.99 + taxes will be placed on your credit or debit card. The timing of releasing that hold will vary by credit card company. We won’t charge your card unless you fail to return the device.

Here’s the interesting part: a 64GB unlocked iPhone 5s retails for $849 + taxes at Apple Store. Should I choose to keep the 64GB iPhone 5s from the Test Drive kit, it would have cost me $699 + taxes. That is $150 cheaper than Apple Store price.

I already have an unlocked 64GB iPhone 5s, courtesy of firstnameatappledotcom. I don’t think I would want to buy one anytime soon.

Gold Unlocked 64GB iPhone 5s

For 24-hour period I used the iPhone 5s on T-Mobile network and performed Speed Test using Ookla SpeedTest.net app. Bear in mind, these tests were not done scientifically. In that 24-hour period I spent some times at the following locations in Southern California:

  • Long Beach, Downtown and 2nd Street
  • Fullerton and Placentia
  • Costa Mesa and Newport Beach

I noticed that T-Mobile network performed exceptionally well in the Costa Mesa and Newport Beach area; 74.99 Mbps download and 25.43 Mbps upload peak test result. T-Mobile has the best network around my office desk, beating out AT&T, Sprint and Verizon. T-Mobile might have secretly installed a cell tower a few feet from me.

SpeedTest,net T-Mobile Costa Mesa, Newport Beach

Somewhere in the Fullerton / Placentia area, Verizon seems to have the best network; beating T-Mobile and AT&T. Sorry for the slightly blurry picture, it’s the only one I have.

iPhone 5s on Verizon LTE network has an impressive 40.77 Mbps download speed compared to 13.48 Mbps and 9.92 Mbps for T-Mobile and AT&T, respectively.

iPhone 5s on T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon

In the Downtown Long Beach area, AT&T hits 8.88 Mbps download speed while T-Mobile hits 20.55 Mbps.

Speed Test Long Beach Downtown AT&T

Speed Test Long Beach Downtown T-Mobile

What do these all mean?

I can certainly say that I would not mind switching carrier. Six more days to go.

p.s. Here’s a 37-second video of one of the speed test I did.

Speed-Test-poster

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Google Domains

Google is now in the domain registration business. Google Domains is currently an invite only beta.

Google Domains Invite Only Beta

Google Domains Request Invitations

Whether you’re a rookie or a veteran, our website building providers offer everything you’ll need to easily create a beautiful website. This is an optional service offered by Shopify, Squarespace, Weebly and Wix. For an additional cost, you’ll enjoy secure, reliable hosting, customizable web templates and powerful features like e-commerce, drag & drop creation and mobile site-management. No coding required!

I have a few domains that were originally registered through Google Apps but not by Google. I will try moving at least one domain registration to Google Domains.

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Hello Google Voice, How Are You?

Google I/O keynote is set to begin at at 9:00 AM PDT on June 25, 2014. Most likely there will be mentions of Google Glass, Android TV and the next Android OS. One thing that I personally am interested in is Google Voice.

Google Voice seems to have become a forgotten product as part of its features were integrated into Hangouts for Android and iOS, separately. Google Hangouts for iOS gained the ability to make phone calls while its Android counterpart gained the SMS and MMS integrations.

Google Voice on iPhone 5s

Google Voice App for iOS was last updated on September 25. 2013.

Google Voice iOS App Update History

There have been speculations on what Google would do with Voice.

Nikhyl Singhal:

  • Finally, we want to make Google Voice as secure as possible. There are a few third-party applications that provide calling and SMS services by making unauthorized use of Google Voice. These apps violate our Terms of Service and pose a threat to your security, so we’re notifying these app developers that they must stop making unauthorized use of Google Voice to run their services and transition users by May 15, 2014.

Many speculates that Google will kill Voice as a product. We all soon find out what Google will do at Google I/O 2014.

I use Google Voice number for work, that means I need to port that number out should Google kill Voice.

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I can’t believe this exists: Washboard

I wanted to call this segment as the Whiskey Tango Foxtrot File.

A company will mail you a roll of quarters or two for a fee.

  • $10 worth of quarters costs $14.99 per month
  • $20 worth of quarters costs $26.99 per month

Oh, f*c* it, I’m gonna say this: WHAT THE F*C*!

When I still live in an apartment, I saved up quarters. It was not that hard. As a matter of fact out of habit I am still saving up quarters and other coins.

Faith in humanity, fading slowly…….

Washboard WTF 10 dollars

Washboard WTF 20 dollars

Comments at Hacker News.

Chris Ziegler (@zpower):

a startup sells $10 in quarters for $14.99. I am peering into the void of my own soul and questioning why we are here washboard.co

John Gruber’s take on Washboard:

If today being National Martini Day hasn’t driven you to pour a stiff drink yet, this will. Jiminy.

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T-Mobile Test Drive

T-Mobile Test Drive

From T-Mobile Test Drive page:

  • The iPhone 5s test device must be ordered online. It will be delivered by mail.
    You must sign for it and be at least 18 years old to sign.
  • T-Mobile Test Drive is free for 7 days and starts when the device is signed for.
  • After 7 days you must return it in good condition to a T-Mobile retail store (not an authorized retailer) so it’s important you know where your nearest retail store is. Find it here.

T-Mobile Test Drive is free with no obligation to buy, but if the iPhone 5s comes back with a cracked screen, damaged screen display, water damage, active Find My iPhone feature, or can’t be powered on we have to charge a $100 damage fee. If you don’t return the device, we have to charge $699.99 plus applicable taxes.

A hold for $699.99 + taxes will be placed on your credit or debit card. The timing of releasing that hold will vary by credit card company. We won’t charge your card unless you fail to return the device.

You can sign up here.

T-Mobile is rolling out Wideband LTE in the following cities:

  • Atlanta, GA
  • Birmingham, AL
  • Columbus, OH
  • Dallas, TX
  • Detroit, MI
  • Honolulu, HI Houston, TX
  • Jacksonville, FL
  • Los Angeles, CA
  • Minneapolis, MN
  • Mobile, AL Orlando, FL
  • Portland, OR
  • Seattle, WA
  • Tampa, FL
  • Upstate, NY

Glad to know that Los Angeles is one of the cities, that’s why I’m interested in test-driving AT&T new network.

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