iTechSpeak :::...

Run your career like a business. This includes personal expenses. If you do not receive the service you pay for, tell the vendor service provider.

All cell phone service providers sincerely want to keep you as a customer. They will do whatever it takes to ensure your loyalty, month after month. This includes giving you money you are entitled to, as long as you ask for it. Your contract appears to lean more in the direction of your financial responsibilities, which makes each of us feel helpless. Get over it.

Similar to the employee hand book, there are more unwritten rules than there are written rules. As I tell my business career coaching clients "Learn the rules. Then make the rules work for you". This means you are in the driver's seat, as long as you pay attention to your monthly cell phone bill. Don't expect major money for each instance, but it can add up over a 12 month period. I received about $275 in service credits in the last 14 months, for various "no service" issues.

Every person has a different cell phone plan. Be very clear about the various services your cell phone plan covers. Write it out:

• Phone service
• Text message / SMS
  
• Email
• Internet Browsing
• Downloading services
• Unlimited plans
• Being able to call people with the same service provider, at no cost
• International vs. U.S. services (calling, email etc.)
• Minute usage draw down on accessing voice mail

1. Note the first date of the service failure
2. Keep track of all the time for the service outage
   
3. Call your cell phone service provider
4. Get the customer representative to create a help desk request and provide you with the help desk request number
5. Get the representatives name and or ID number - note it down
   
6. Call every day until the issue is resolve
7. Once the issue is resolved "ask for a pro-rated credit for the time the service(s) is down". It does not matter if it is 1 hour or 10 days. Ask for a credit. You might be surprised at the response.
   

• For 6 months 2 different people had no signal in the building where they worked. For 8 hours a day for six months they could not send or receive phone calls on their cell phone. Each month each person paid the full bill, despite not receiving full service. After I suggested they call their provider for credit, each company representative said "no problem". 1 person received a $260 credit and the other person received a $280 credit. Two different credit amounts, for the same issue, tells you each customer service representative is empowered to make "judgement calls".
• Before traveling outside the U.S., I had my phone turned for being able to send/receive emails. The international fee was $19 a month. I went on vacation for a week, but 4 months later I was still paying the $19 per month. I forgot to turn the service off. I called my service provider and they credited 3 months back to my account.
  
• How about being late with paying a bill. The cell phone company turns off outgoing call capability for whole week. Once the bill is paid for the current period outage, ask for a credit. Why? The cell phone service provider is turning your current service off, for a previous bill from a service they previously provided. Be sure to explain that logic to them. Cell phone companies make million$ just from the shear ignorance of people.
  
• My cell phone provider was upgrading a cell tower in the neighborhood where I was working at a client site. For 8 hours a day I couldn't receive or make calls and I could not send/receive email on my Blackberry phone. I called every day and once a week I called to get a credit. Each week I received a $15 credit. Each week I was also told this is a "one time" credit. I said no problem, but I repeated the process every week any way. So that was $15 X 7 = $105. That equals a little more than 1 month of free service. 7 different representatives making excellent judgement calls.
  

The "Wi" in Wibree stands for wireless, while Bree is a reference to a city in the epic fantasy series "The Lord of the Rings." Go figure . . . click here for Wikipedia's Wibree history and technical details.

Nokia developed Wibree back in 2001. Today there appears to be an update as news periodicals stir up the buzz.

In AMNY, Peter Svensson's article "Bluetooth Links Up With Rival Technology" provides a few simple incites. . . . "The technology, called Wibree, opens up the possibility of a host of small wearable gadgets, like watches, heart rate monitors, pedometers and pill boxes that communicate with Bluetooth-equipped cell phones or computers. A watch could display the user's incoming text messages, for instance, or an action figure toy could sense the presence of other toys." Read more . . .

DotGizmo states "Wibree and Bluetooth play nice Mathematically speaking, Nokia's Wibree technology is now a subset of the Bluetooth realm." Read more . . .


John Blau reports in Infoworld with his article "Nokia's Wibree joins Bluetooth": Ultra low-power technology to connect button-cell battery power devices to users

"In October 2006, Nokia's research arm announced the development of Wibree and establishment of an industry forum, including Broadcom Corp. and STMicroelectronics NV, to define a specification.

But after forming, the companies -- many of them members of Bluetooth SIG -- favored having ultra low-power devices supported in Bluetooth, according to Harri Tulimaa, head of Nokia Technology Out-Licensing. "They didn't want to complete an entirely new technology," he said. " Read more . . .

Reuters reported today: "HELSINKI, June 12 (Reuters) - Mobile handset firm Nokia's (NOK1V.HE: Quote, Profile , Research) ultra-low-power short-range wireless technology is to be developed as a new version of Bluetooth to connect devices such as watches and heart monitors, the company said on Tuesday.

Nokia's agreement to offer the technology as the basis for an ultra-low-power Bluetooth standard should help to speed its adoption and encourage acceptance -- rather than be a competing technology, the Bluetooth industry interest group said." Read more . . .

As reported by Kamika Dunlap on Red Herring, Eye-Fi securing $5.5Million in funding is now positioned for the roll out of it wireless technology that automatically uploads photos from digital cameras.

Michael Kanellos, Editor at Large for CNet News.com , reports in today's New York Times . . .

In the fall, start-up Eye-Fi plans to release Secure Digital memory cards with integrated Wi-Fi chips. With the card, digital cameras will be able to automatically send photos to home PCs or to photo-sharing Web sites.

The company is negotiating with about a dozen Web sites to allow direct uploads from cameras containing the cards, Eye-Fi founder and CEO Yuval Koren said.

The card is set to cost about $100. Although he did not clarify their memory capacity, he strongly indicated that they would hold about 2 gigabytes. Many current cameras won't easily accommodate larger cards, which have a slightly different format, he said. After 2GB, people should be downloading anyway, he added.

Network Coumputing has an interestig article on their Daily Blog which provides some inciteful information on the usage of wireless products. The results of a survey depict slow market growth due to concerns with security. It interestingly identifies 3 types of wireless users; wireless resisters, tactical adopters and strategic adopters. Security features were judged most important, followed by upgradeability of products to meet future standards, and centralized management.

Read more . . .

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Usually iTECHSpeak moves on to new technology angles. As a prologue to Blackberry maker Research in Motion's recent victory, it's worth mentioning 20-20 hindsight gained by the unbelievers. An article by Mathew Ingram, "RIM gets reprieve - now free to fight", points out how the scared unbelievers were in a selling frenzy of shedding RIM stock.

Bravo to the believers who staid the course. RIM cut it's losses by settling with NTP. This produced an 18% increase in RIM's value. This is not just due to the outcome of the settlement. The leadership of James Balsillie, Mike Lazaridis and their entire executive team exemplifies compassionate capitalism, where RIM subscriber concerns were placed at the forefront, during the entire process up to the settlement.

Rock on Blackberry. Woo hoo!!

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There was never any doubt in my mind that my Blackberry service would be disrupted. RIM is a company that knows how to do the right thing. I was always confident they would continue to do so. Maybe a portfolio revisit is in order regarding RIM investments.

I understand late Friday (3/3/2006), RIM settled the dispute with NTP for $612.5million. RIM had a work around any way. So Blackberry service would not have been down very long.

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"Success is where preparation and opportunity meet." -Bobby Unser

Think fast. What famous stadium is pictured in this satellite photo? I took this picture from my desk in Manhattan using Google's latest toy called "Google Earth". After downloading the free software, you type in a street address any where in the world. Voila, Google Earth allows you to look through the lenses of a satellite camera, taking you right to the top of the building. Imagine a satellite miles above earth providing a clear crisp photo of a building, like you're right next to it.

We are surrounded by opportunities with sound bytes of what's to come in the satellite business. It's in its infancy. Now is the time to prepare.

Heck, even people with blogs or web sites can cash in by becoming affiliates. Decent commissions are paid for new satellite radio subscribers bloggers recommend from their site.

Did you come up with Yankee Stadium in the satellite photo above?
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Before wifi there was hifi. High fidelity referred to sound reproduction equipment that reproduced sound as near to the original sound as possible. It was accurate and faithful reproduction of the original, containing absence of distortion or enhancements.

Keeping within the fundamentals of HiFi, Wireless fidelity (WiFi) is a term for wireless local area networks (WLAN) that use specifications conforming to IEEE 802.11b. WiFi has gained acceptance in many environments as an alternative to a wired LAN. Public locations such as Starbucks, Borders, FedEx Kinko's Office and Print Centers, airports, hotels, and other services offer public access to WiFi networks so people can log onto the Internet. These locations are known as hotspots.

Wireless networks will be mainstream within the next 5 years. The writing is on the wall with all the upcoming wireless events in 2006.

It's primetime for anyone involved in the cabling infrastructure sector of technology to shift skill gears by learning about wireless networking implementations. A great way to start learning is by setting up your own wireless network at home. Wireless network security is and will continue to be in [profitable] demand, as an excellent specialty skill.

There are many reasons why municipalities are interested in installing metropolitan Wi-Fi networks. Three most common applications are:
- Public Safety (emergency responders, surveillance)
- Municipal Interest (more efficient city workers, bridging the digital divide, promoting development)
- Commercial Services (providing affordable residential or business broadband connectivity)

To see a glimpse of what the future will hold for wireless technology, the Pepper Pad is a 2.3-pound, Wi-Fi-enabled device, with a large, high-resolution screen, 20-gigabyte hard disk, built-in speakers and a thumb keypad, providing a powerful, versatile platform for a much wider range of online and off-line activities than any other portable device. Its 8.4-inch display is ideal for viewing full-width Web pages and watching full-screen videos. The Pepper Pad can store hours of music and videos, plus thousands of photos. And, with three forms of wireless communication – Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and infrared (IR) – the Pad can access and control a wide range of devices around the home, from Wi-Fi access points, to keyboards and mice, to TVs, set-top boxes, music systems, home theaters and media servers. It's an ideal way for consumers to have Internet and media access plus wireless remote control in every room of their home.
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I received this email from a good friend. Reading this could save a life.

Cell phones are once again proving just how valuable they can be by coming to the aid of police and paramedics during the time of an automobile accident or a disaster. Mobile phone users are being urged to enter a number in their cell phone's memory with the initials ICE which stands for In Case of Emergency, along with the contact person's name and number. For example: ICE John Husband 555/222-2222 -

With this valuable information readily available, emergency personnel can swiftly find the number and use it to reach a relative or friend who could help treat injured victims by providing personal information, including details about medical conditions. In extreme circumstances ICE contacts can help with identifying deceased victims.

British paramedic Bob Britchie is credited with creating ICE after reflecting on difficulties he has experienced on the job while trying to obtain information about the injured. The vast majority of people do not carry emergency contact information or next of kin information, but the vast majority of people do carry cell phones. Paramedics can search for ICE contacts and get the much needed information faster than looking for contacts or trying random names.

The Foundation recommends the following be done prior to listing an ICE contact:

1. Talk with the potential ICE contact to make them aware that they will be listed.

2. Give the ICE contact your full name, date of birth, address, blood type, medical conditions, allergies, surgery history, etc.

Please keep in mind that ICE is not fool proof. If you lock your phone out or the phone is damaged during the incident or accident, it will not work. With this in mind you should have your emergency contact information somewhere else such as in your wallet, briefcase or in the glove compartment of your car. ICE could be a lifesaver; these three letters can expedite treatment and help people at the earliest opportunity.
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Anyone involved in any aspect of the cabling infrastructure business should seriously consider changing gears. Now is time to get your skills/business into wireless. In today's New York Times there is an article about Airgo Networks called "A Company Looks to Wean Computers Off the Wires" by Michel Marriott. It's a small example which indicates how wireless technology connectivity will virtually eliminate the need for physical cabling of local area networks.

Prepare now, by doing your own homework on wireless technology. Get wireless skills or get lost when the demand for cabling takes a nose dive in 3 - 5 years. Make the decision now, while you still have a choice. To get started today, CWNP has free white papers in wireless technology and training centers around the world. I'm not affiliated with CWNP. I only recommend them, because they appear to have organized a plethora of information in wireless technology.

Cheers!!

C.E. Reid
Savvy Intrapreneur
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