3G & Google Maps mobile is da bomb

[mikea]

I got my HTC (ATT/Cingular 8525) eBay 3G phone just before I ran for the train. I was able to put in my old SIM card and try it out. I had no problem getting the 3G status symbol locked in the whole trip through the Chicago burbs - inside an aluminum train car, where EDGE would take forever to authenticate, drop me and be painfully slow.

Internet Explorer was no great improvement vs. what I could see on EDGE. It seemed the latency was still fairly painful. But then I used I.E. to go to mobile.google.com. Google helpfully offered a download of the Google Maps application for Windows Mobile. The download was blazingly fast. Installed. Then WOW!

The Google Maps app runs nearly as fast on 3G as the web page does on my home DSL! It has traffic on the major routes close to town. I was able to switch to satellite view and scroll and zoom all the way from home to work. The pcutre updated, again, clsoe to as fast as home.

I note that the Google Maps app will take advantage if you have a GPS. A cheap bluetooth GPS might be fun to add. I wonder if I can use my Nuvi over USB...hmmmmm..

Gonna try Opera mobile again. That might be viable vs. the old 8125 with the crippled CPU and EDGE.

I'm thinking I'm gonna like tethering on 3G. I wonder when I'll get the letter from AT&T that my service is cancelled due to excessive use.

Anyway, you iPhone guys: I have 3G and you don't. I bet my Google Maps performs better on wireless. Of course, I'll be joining you when the 3G iPhone comes out anon.

 

[RJM62]

I have Verizon EVDO and love it. In fact, because of heavy t-storms, my DSL was crapping out earlier; so I popped the AC-595 into the EVDO router and have been using it all evening.

I'm gonna try VOIP over EVDO one of these days...

 

[mikea]

I have Verizon EVDO and love it. In fact, because of heavy t-storms, my DSL was crapping out earlier; so I popped the AC-595 into the EVDO router and have been using it all evening.

I'm gonna try VOIP over EVDO one of these days...

Ah, ah, ahhhh. That's prohibited by the TOS.

 

[wsuffa]

I have Verizon EVDO and love it. In fact, because of heavy t-storms, my DSL was crapping out earlier; so I popped the AC-595 into the EVDO router and have been using it all evening.

I'm gonna try VOIP over EVDO one of these days...

Verizon prohibits VoIP, and they actively look for abusers.

I have Sprint EvDO, and it works pretty well, except the past few days at my office it drops to 1xRTT whenever it connects, even if it shows -67 dBm or better signal strength EvDO prior to connection. It used to work great here, and it works great at home and other locations around the city. Something is wacked with the cell local to the office. I've used Skype a couple of times and it's been fine, but if the connection drops, you get to start all over. In the end, it's a bit easier just to use a cellphone....

 

[RJM62]

Ah, ah, ahhhh. That's prohibited by the TOS.

Yeah, it is, unfortunately. But if I just tried it to see if it worked, they wouldn't care. I'm just curious if the latency is small enough to make it realistic. I know the bandwidth is there on Rev-A.

I do a lot of work with VZW Data Services, setting up stationary wireless Internet in remote locations where the only other alternative is satellite. It's amazing what can be done with a 3-watt amplifier and an external antenna (especially a directional one). So they're pretty forgiving of my "experiments."

 

[RJM62]

Verizon prohibits VoIP, and they actively look for abusers.

True. The only reason they cut me some slack is because I sign up a lot of business-grade data customers for VZW. Most of them actually have trivial bandwidth requirements because the service is only being used for things like remote equipment monitoring, credit card authorizations, and the like.

I wouldn't recommend abusing their TOS in general, though. They usually don't give any warning before they close a consumer-grade account.