If you were to read this page, you will find out that Nokia Siemens is gearing towards a new technology where it will allow a mobile device to be connected to two cell tower simultaneously. In doing so, it will cut down the potential drop calls especially when a mobile device is located close to the edge of a cell tower.
Personally, I welcome this technology with open arms. I think it is not too late to introduce such technology because we need to be able to access to internet at broadband speed especially with the introduction of LTE in the near future.
At this moment in time, O2 UK has deployed 3G 900mhz and other mobile networks will have to follow them. With LTE, mobile network providers who run on the O2 UK network will benefit greatly as it has extended the coverage range of the cell network.
I will be waiting for such technology to be deployed by OEMs. At this moment, we have quadband GSM + Pentaband UTMS + LTE with A-GPS + GLONASS. I will be most delighted to see more technologies to be deployed soon.
Kudos to Nokia Siemens!
Fish
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Tuesday, 21 February 2012
Orange and T-Mobile UK Introducing Superfast Network Service
After reading this page, I could not help myself and wonder whether there is necessary for a company like "Everything Everywhere" to introduce superfast 4G technology incorporating LTE in the very near future. In doing so, they will spend about £1.5 billion over the next three years to cover the introduction of 4G service and to improve on their customer service.
I think "Everything Everywhere" should put their priority to improve on their customer service before they try to introduce new technology like LTE in the UK. Perhaps it is the fear of being "losing out" to O2 UK which sprung some action on their part as O2 UK has started its testing on their superfast 4G service in London. Previously, they have started such testing in Slough, the headquarter of O2 UK. Judging by the progress of the 4G trials by O2 UK, it seems that "Everything Everywhere" does not want to be left out of the race as to which company will roll out their very first 4G service.
Personally, I do not have any objections to that as introducing new technology will be quite useful as they could utilise faster downlink and uplink speed which is very useful these day. However, I would stress upon the fact that they should improve on their customer service first before doing that.
It is a shame that there are many dissatisfied Orange and T-Mobile customers in the UK as they don't seem to understand the meaning of loyalty at all.
What a pity...
I think "Everything Everywhere" should put their priority to improve on their customer service before they try to introduce new technology like LTE in the UK. Perhaps it is the fear of being "losing out" to O2 UK which sprung some action on their part as O2 UK has started its testing on their superfast 4G service in London. Previously, they have started such testing in Slough, the headquarter of O2 UK. Judging by the progress of the 4G trials by O2 UK, it seems that "Everything Everywhere" does not want to be left out of the race as to which company will roll out their very first 4G service.
Personally, I do not have any objections to that as introducing new technology will be quite useful as they could utilise faster downlink and uplink speed which is very useful these day. However, I would stress upon the fact that they should improve on their customer service first before doing that.
It is a shame that there are many dissatisfied Orange and T-Mobile customers in the UK as they don't seem to understand the meaning of loyalty at all.
What a pity...
Sunday, 19 February 2012
Giffgaff - A Simple Review
Ever since I've decided to move on without Vodafone, I've been looking out for a better mobile network which will give me the best possible deal in the market. As far as I'm concern, there are loads of mobile networks out there waiting to be explored.
If you have the time to have a walk in town, you would have realised that besides Vodafone, you have T-Mobile + Orange (They called themselves "Everything Everywhere"), 3UK and O2. In addition to that, one could also sign up for Talk Mobile if you head over to a Carphonewarehouse shop and Tesco Mobile (It is available in larger Tesco stores). Last but not least, one might have a chance to sign up with Virgin Mobile in certain high street stores which they operate.
Apart from signing up a mobile contract in shops, one could also sign up a mobile contract online irrespective of whether it is on Vodafone or not. The only problem is whether you have the time to look for the best network provide which suits you.
After searching high and low for a SIM only/PAYG deal, I have decided to sign up to a mobile network which is not mentioned above. I would explain why have I come to that conclusion. Before that, I would explain as to the reasons why I've not chosen the mobile networks above.
Let's begin with T-Mobile and Orange. As I've posted earlier, I have gone through many rough patches with them. The lack of data security awareness and the incompetence of telephone customer service left me without a shadow of a doubt that I would not set foot on those two networks again. In regards to 3UK, the network has left me with disappointment. No doubt that previously I had a few dealings with them but not anymore. This is because I have lost faith in them particularly in the way how they handle customer service complaints. I think four years of battle on the telephone is sufficient to justify my disappointment of them.
Honestly, I do not have any problems with O2 and Talk Mobile apart from the fact that O2's tariffs are more expensive than other mobile networks in the market. Talk Mobile, on the other hand, does not offer a good customer service. In fact, their customer service is the worst among the mobile networks in the UK (I have to stress on the point that this is only my personal opinion and no one has induced me to come up have that thought). Tesco Mobile, on the other hand, has very strict policy in anyone who is trying to sign up a mobile contract with them. In doing so, they are losing out to many other mobile networks in the country. They are one of the many MVNOs or virtual networks which runs on the O2 UK spectrum. I have covered in the earlier post regarding the superiority of the O2 Network at this moment to introduce the 3G 900mhz spectrum. It is not that I don't agree with their policy as they want to be paid at the end of the day and they would avoid non-paying customers at all cost. I am very happy to report that their customer service is the best which I could safely conclude that their service is as good as Vodafone Business Customer service.
Virgin Mobile, on the other hand, does not really think about retention of their loyal customer so I would not even bother about staying with them. Moreover, you might have a nasty bill at the end of the month so you need to be very careful with your bill. Apart from that, Virgin Mobile is quite alright. In fact, they have a special deal for all Virgin Media customers so if you are one of the lucky ones, why not try their service? After all, Virgin Mobile latches on to the T-Mobile UK network so it will have a stronger signal while you are outdoor as they run on a 3G 2100mhz spectrum and they have some pretty good coverage in part of the city.
Last but not least, I would also like to stress on the point that after looking through all the available mobile networks in the country, I have also come across ASDA mobile which runs on Vodafone UK and they offer the cheapest PAYG rates in the country! However, it is not as good as Giffgaff.
Giffgaff, as I have mentioned in the title itself, has connections or ties with O2. If you look into their company profile, their CEO has strong ties with O2. Effectively, they run Giffgaff as an MVNO in the country. One special reason for many people to use Giffgaff is that it is run by members themselves apart from the few top posts. If you look at their tariffs, it is THE cheapest in the marker! Moreover, it is a PAYG system and it does not need any credit scoring to get connected to their network! You only need to use £10 per month and you will be receiving 250 minutes of air time to all UK numbers with the exceptions of some special numbers but 0800 numbers are part of the free minutes; unlimited text messages and truly unlimited data! I have tried using Giffgaff for a few weeks and I have to give two thumbs up to them. However, they would not be able to get a perfect score because they still could not uplift over 18 contents to be accessed on my phone even after I have given them my particulars. That is a small sacrifice to make as I would be very happy to report that I will continue to use them! I don't think other mobile networks will allow users to make 0800 numbers as part of their plan without paying extra for it.
Well, what are you waiting for?
If you have the time to have a walk in town, you would have realised that besides Vodafone, you have T-Mobile + Orange (They called themselves "Everything Everywhere"), 3UK and O2. In addition to that, one could also sign up for Talk Mobile if you head over to a Carphonewarehouse shop and Tesco Mobile (It is available in larger Tesco stores). Last but not least, one might have a chance to sign up with Virgin Mobile in certain high street stores which they operate.
Apart from signing up a mobile contract in shops, one could also sign up a mobile contract online irrespective of whether it is on Vodafone or not. The only problem is whether you have the time to look for the best network provide which suits you.
After searching high and low for a SIM only/PAYG deal, I have decided to sign up to a mobile network which is not mentioned above. I would explain why have I come to that conclusion. Before that, I would explain as to the reasons why I've not chosen the mobile networks above.
Let's begin with T-Mobile and Orange. As I've posted earlier, I have gone through many rough patches with them. The lack of data security awareness and the incompetence of telephone customer service left me without a shadow of a doubt that I would not set foot on those two networks again. In regards to 3UK, the network has left me with disappointment. No doubt that previously I had a few dealings with them but not anymore. This is because I have lost faith in them particularly in the way how they handle customer service complaints. I think four years of battle on the telephone is sufficient to justify my disappointment of them.
Honestly, I do not have any problems with O2 and Talk Mobile apart from the fact that O2's tariffs are more expensive than other mobile networks in the market. Talk Mobile, on the other hand, does not offer a good customer service. In fact, their customer service is the worst among the mobile networks in the UK (I have to stress on the point that this is only my personal opinion and no one has induced me to come up have that thought). Tesco Mobile, on the other hand, has very strict policy in anyone who is trying to sign up a mobile contract with them. In doing so, they are losing out to many other mobile networks in the country. They are one of the many MVNOs or virtual networks which runs on the O2 UK spectrum. I have covered in the earlier post regarding the superiority of the O2 Network at this moment to introduce the 3G 900mhz spectrum. It is not that I don't agree with their policy as they want to be paid at the end of the day and they would avoid non-paying customers at all cost. I am very happy to report that their customer service is the best which I could safely conclude that their service is as good as Vodafone Business Customer service.
Virgin Mobile, on the other hand, does not really think about retention of their loyal customer so I would not even bother about staying with them. Moreover, you might have a nasty bill at the end of the month so you need to be very careful with your bill. Apart from that, Virgin Mobile is quite alright. In fact, they have a special deal for all Virgin Media customers so if you are one of the lucky ones, why not try their service? After all, Virgin Mobile latches on to the T-Mobile UK network so it will have a stronger signal while you are outdoor as they run on a 3G 2100mhz spectrum and they have some pretty good coverage in part of the city.
Last but not least, I would also like to stress on the point that after looking through all the available mobile networks in the country, I have also come across ASDA mobile which runs on Vodafone UK and they offer the cheapest PAYG rates in the country! However, it is not as good as Giffgaff.
Giffgaff, as I have mentioned in the title itself, has connections or ties with O2. If you look into their company profile, their CEO has strong ties with O2. Effectively, they run Giffgaff as an MVNO in the country. One special reason for many people to use Giffgaff is that it is run by members themselves apart from the few top posts. If you look at their tariffs, it is THE cheapest in the marker! Moreover, it is a PAYG system and it does not need any credit scoring to get connected to their network! You only need to use £10 per month and you will be receiving 250 minutes of air time to all UK numbers with the exceptions of some special numbers but 0800 numbers are part of the free minutes; unlimited text messages and truly unlimited data! I have tried using Giffgaff for a few weeks and I have to give two thumbs up to them. However, they would not be able to get a perfect score because they still could not uplift over 18 contents to be accessed on my phone even after I have given them my particulars. That is a small sacrifice to make as I would be very happy to report that I will continue to use them! I don't think other mobile networks will allow users to make 0800 numbers as part of their plan without paying extra for it.
Well, what are you waiting for?
Saturday, 11 February 2012
A Quick Review of the Apple Macbook Pro 17 (Late 2011)
Despite the many shortcomings of the Macbook Pros, I have come to a conclusion that the latest edition to the Macbook Pro (MBP) line of laptops will be suitable for many people including a person who is suffering from Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI) like me. I would like to stress on the point that I am not bias towards any maker as I would be as neutral as I can be in my findings.
In doing so, I would like to do a quick review on the MBP 17 instead. The MBP 17 (Late 2011) comes with a standard configuration as below:
CPU: Intel Core i7-2760QM;
Memory: 4GB DDR3-SODIMM (1333mhz) by Samsung;
Hard Drive: 750GB (5400rpm);
Graphics: 384MB Intel HD 3000 (Integrated) + 1GB AMD Radeon HD 6770 (Automatic graphics switching under Mac OSX Only);
3X USB 2.0;
1X Thunderbolt port;
1X 3/4 Express Card slot;
1X Gigabit LAN;
1X Superdrive;
1X Broadcom BCM4331 (3X3) Wireless Card (a/b/g/n) [2.4Ghz only];
Backlit keyboard;
Standard 1920x1200 resolution Glossy screen;
Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR;
Stereo speakers with subwoofers and audio line in/out including a microphone;
Battery indicator on the left; and it is preloaded with...
Mac OSX Lion
You need to take note that the above standard specifications are upgradable. This includes where you could upgrade the CPU from Core i7-2760QM to a Core i7-2860QM. The benefit of the upgrade will see that there will be a speed increase of 100mhz from 2.4Ghz to 2.5Ghz. Apart from that, you would also notice that the L3 cache on the Core i7-2860QM has been increased from 6MB to 8MB. This will greately benefit CPU intensive applications like video or picture editing as it will speed up on at the production stage.
In regards to the system memory itself, you could actually increase the memory from 4GB to 8GB as specified by Apple. However, after reading through many forums which states otherwise, I have performed a test by myself. In doing so, I have made a purchase for a pair of 8GBx2 Patriot DDR3 SODIMM which is Apple MBP certified memory and installed it onto the MBP 17. I can confirm that you can install an 8GB memory on each slot despite not being endorsed by Apple. I can remember that OWC was the very first company to release an 8GB DDR3 SODIMM memory and a pair of 8GB would cost a consumer around US$870 when it was first released back in January 2011. Presently, you could choose from Samsung, Kingston, Hynix and Patroit and it will most probably cost someone around £250 for a pair of 8GB. I would prefer Patriot memory as I have been using such memory for a very long time on many of the machinese which I have tested.
Besides the issue of system memory, you can also configure the standard hard drive of 750GB (5400rpm) to be replaced by a better hard drive, i.e. 750GB (7200rpm) from Apple. You could also replace the standard hard drive with an SSD for up to 512GB. If you look at the price of such upgrade, it will be too expensive for you to upgrade. If you are a person who likes to D-I-Y and want to increase the hard drive of your MBP 17, you could replace the original hard drive from Apple with a Samsung 1TB internal hard drive which spins at 5400rpm and at a more affordable £99 on ebay; On the other hand, if you want to get a faster hard drive but you do not want to break your bank account by getting an SSD, you might want to consider Seagate's Momentus XT 750GB. It comes with an additional 8GB SSD apart from the 750GB. It has a 32MB cache and it spins at 7200rpm. The Seagate Momentus XT 750GB is priced at around £150. You could also choose to make a purchase for an Apple certified SSD hard drive from ebay for a cheaper price.
With the MBP 17 as compared to the MBP 15 and MBP 13, there is an additional usb 2.0 port for disposal. Apart from that, you can also use the in build 3/4 Express Card which is really useful e.g. external SoundBlaster sound card.
The MBP 17, like its MBP 15 and MBP 13 siblings will come with an integrated graphics card on the CPU. However, if you noticed, Apple have also include a discrete graphics card from AMD which is the 1GB HD 6770M. Bear that in mind that you would only experience automatic graphics switching if you run on the Mac OSX and not under Boot Camp or under any other virtual OS. This is because Apple has not provide an Intel graphics drive under Boot Camp. What shame. This means that if you were to run on Boot Camp, the graphics will run solely on the 1GB AMD HD 6770M. As a result, you will see that a single charge of the MBP 17's battery will only yield a result of 3 hours instead of the claimed 7 hours. I believe that the 7 hours is only possible if you run under the Mac OSX.
So far I have no significant worries or troubles to report apart from the annoying graphics switching which Apple has disabled under Boot Camp. Apart from that, I only have praises for the MBP 17. The funny thing is that I do not have the firewire problem under Boot Camp as I have experienced on the MBP 15. Perhaps the solution is that Apple has released the Boot Camp 4.0.1 which came with the MBP 17, unlike the Boot Camp 4.0 which came in the MBP 15.
Apart from that, I would suggest that potential buyers of the MBP 17 will upgrade the screen to anti-glare as it helps a lot. It is worth the upgrade in the end as you would never know that it helps your eye sight too. What I like most is the position of those two fans in the middle of the chasis. It helps in a way that I could easily buy a cover for the MBP 17 to protect it from being scratched.
Besides this, the HD camera is superb, same goes to the bluetooth function. I don't think I have much to complaint about the Apple MBP 17 apart from the fact that the wall socket seems to have shrunk and it takes a little bit more time for someone who has big hands like me to unplug it from the wall. With Ivy Bridge looming in the background, it might be a good idea for consumers to wait until it arrives around April 2012 or May 2012 but I think the current MBP 17 is worth every penny especially it is light weight as compared to makers like Dell, Toshiba, Sony and Acer in the same category.
Kudos to Apple!
In doing so, I would like to do a quick review on the MBP 17 instead. The MBP 17 (Late 2011) comes with a standard configuration as below:
CPU: Intel Core i7-2760QM;
Memory: 4GB DDR3-SODIMM (1333mhz) by Samsung;
Hard Drive: 750GB (5400rpm);
Graphics: 384MB Intel HD 3000 (Integrated) + 1GB AMD Radeon HD 6770 (Automatic graphics switching under Mac OSX Only);
3X USB 2.0;
1X Thunderbolt port;
1X 3/4 Express Card slot;
1X Gigabit LAN;
1X Superdrive;
1X Broadcom BCM4331 (3X3) Wireless Card (a/b/g/n) [2.4Ghz only];
Backlit keyboard;
Standard 1920x1200 resolution Glossy screen;
Bluetooth 2.1 with EDR;
Stereo speakers with subwoofers and audio line in/out including a microphone;
Battery indicator on the left; and it is preloaded with...
Mac OSX Lion
You need to take note that the above standard specifications are upgradable. This includes where you could upgrade the CPU from Core i7-2760QM to a Core i7-2860QM. The benefit of the upgrade will see that there will be a speed increase of 100mhz from 2.4Ghz to 2.5Ghz. Apart from that, you would also notice that the L3 cache on the Core i7-2860QM has been increased from 6MB to 8MB. This will greately benefit CPU intensive applications like video or picture editing as it will speed up on at the production stage.
In regards to the system memory itself, you could actually increase the memory from 4GB to 8GB as specified by Apple. However, after reading through many forums which states otherwise, I have performed a test by myself. In doing so, I have made a purchase for a pair of 8GBx2 Patriot DDR3 SODIMM which is Apple MBP certified memory and installed it onto the MBP 17. I can confirm that you can install an 8GB memory on each slot despite not being endorsed by Apple. I can remember that OWC was the very first company to release an 8GB DDR3 SODIMM memory and a pair of 8GB would cost a consumer around US$870 when it was first released back in January 2011. Presently, you could choose from Samsung, Kingston, Hynix and Patroit and it will most probably cost someone around £250 for a pair of 8GB. I would prefer Patriot memory as I have been using such memory for a very long time on many of the machinese which I have tested.
Besides the issue of system memory, you can also configure the standard hard drive of 750GB (5400rpm) to be replaced by a better hard drive, i.e. 750GB (7200rpm) from Apple. You could also replace the standard hard drive with an SSD for up to 512GB. If you look at the price of such upgrade, it will be too expensive for you to upgrade. If you are a person who likes to D-I-Y and want to increase the hard drive of your MBP 17, you could replace the original hard drive from Apple with a Samsung 1TB internal hard drive which spins at 5400rpm and at a more affordable £99 on ebay; On the other hand, if you want to get a faster hard drive but you do not want to break your bank account by getting an SSD, you might want to consider Seagate's Momentus XT 750GB. It comes with an additional 8GB SSD apart from the 750GB. It has a 32MB cache and it spins at 7200rpm. The Seagate Momentus XT 750GB is priced at around £150. You could also choose to make a purchase for an Apple certified SSD hard drive from ebay for a cheaper price.
With the MBP 17 as compared to the MBP 15 and MBP 13, there is an additional usb 2.0 port for disposal. Apart from that, you can also use the in build 3/4 Express Card which is really useful e.g. external SoundBlaster sound card.
The MBP 17, like its MBP 15 and MBP 13 siblings will come with an integrated graphics card on the CPU. However, if you noticed, Apple have also include a discrete graphics card from AMD which is the 1GB HD 6770M. Bear that in mind that you would only experience automatic graphics switching if you run on the Mac OSX and not under Boot Camp or under any other virtual OS. This is because Apple has not provide an Intel graphics drive under Boot Camp. What shame. This means that if you were to run on Boot Camp, the graphics will run solely on the 1GB AMD HD 6770M. As a result, you will see that a single charge of the MBP 17's battery will only yield a result of 3 hours instead of the claimed 7 hours. I believe that the 7 hours is only possible if you run under the Mac OSX.
So far I have no significant worries or troubles to report apart from the annoying graphics switching which Apple has disabled under Boot Camp. Apart from that, I only have praises for the MBP 17. The funny thing is that I do not have the firewire problem under Boot Camp as I have experienced on the MBP 15. Perhaps the solution is that Apple has released the Boot Camp 4.0.1 which came with the MBP 17, unlike the Boot Camp 4.0 which came in the MBP 15.
Apart from that, I would suggest that potential buyers of the MBP 17 will upgrade the screen to anti-glare as it helps a lot. It is worth the upgrade in the end as you would never know that it helps your eye sight too. What I like most is the position of those two fans in the middle of the chasis. It helps in a way that I could easily buy a cover for the MBP 17 to protect it from being scratched.
Besides this, the HD camera is superb, same goes to the bluetooth function. I don't think I have much to complaint about the Apple MBP 17 apart from the fact that the wall socket seems to have shrunk and it takes a little bit more time for someone who has big hands like me to unplug it from the wall. With Ivy Bridge looming in the background, it might be a good idea for consumers to wait until it arrives around April 2012 or May 2012 but I think the current MBP 17 is worth every penny especially it is light weight as compared to makers like Dell, Toshiba, Sony and Acer in the same category.
Kudos to Apple!
Saturday, 4 February 2012
3G 900mhz
I have been having some signal problems with the Iphone 4S. It is not uncommon for someone to complain about signal issues on the Iphone. Having said that, I was promised by 3UK that they have an excellent coverage throughout the UK. Above all, I should be receiving good signals in my house. I took their word for it and signed up to a SIM only contract which is on a 30 days rolling contract. All I have to do is to pay £15 a month for 300 minutes, unlimited text messages and truly unlimited data per month.
It is a good move by 3UK to introduce unlimited data on such a low price plan and I congratulate them for doing so. With the move, one could see that T-Mobile UK would not want to lose out to 3UK by releasing their full monty price plan. However, you need to look closely to the full monty plans by t-Mobile UK because it is rather more expensive than 3UK. One could argue that T-Mobile UK provide a better customer service to consumers but I beg to differ. I would not use T-Mobile or Orange UK again, if possible as they have messed up my life before. I think I have posted an article about their work previously on my blog so please check it out.
Well, the million dollar question is:"Which network is the best?"
In answering the question, it is simple - It depends on the coverage in your area.
As for me, Vodafone has patchy signal quality around my area of work and in my home; both T-Mobile UK and Orange UK (so called "Everything Everywhere") have excellent 3G coverage around my area of work and home; and last but not least, O2 UK. O2 UK used to have very poor signal coverage around my area of work and home until recently.
One would ask: What is O2 UK's secret ingredient? 3G 900mhz. As you know, most modern mobile phone these days are equipped with quadband GSM, i.e. 900mhz,1800mhz,1900mhz and 850mhz. Apart from that, most 3G enabled phones will run on either 3G 900mhz or 3G 2100mhz. A good example will be 3UK, Vodafone UK, O2 UK, T-Mobile UK and Orange UK where all of them run on the 3G 2100mhz frequency. However, you need to understand that there are advantages and disadvantages of running on the 2100mhz frequency. While the radio frequency can travel very fast, it is not good in penetrating walls on a building as it will lost its steam.
Often than not, all mobile network providers have been asking the same question throughout the years - How to increase the signal quality especially in indoors? Finally, they have come to a solution and that solution will be to utilise or enhancing 3G 900mhz. This is truly in the sense that with the 900mhz frequency travels much slower than the 3G 2100mhz, it can easily provide more signal coverage indoors. Well, once mobile network provides have understood how it works, they had to come up with a plan to mobilise the 3G 900mhz.
It is not easy to deploy the 3G 900mhz even though all mobile network providers with the exception of 3UK have access to the 2G 900mhz by default. The reason why 3UK does not have 2G 900mhz is because they have build their mobile structure around the 3G 2100mhz frequency and so they are in disadvantage over here. The reason why 3UK is in a disadvantage is because they need to invest in new technology instead of build on the existing technology which they have.
Apart from that, 3UK have joined force with T-Mobile UK to become the largest network to deploy 3G across the UK. Personally, I feel that 3UK is trying to save money by sharing T-Mobile UK's technology instead. However, given their track record in providing good customer service, I doubt many people will think about staying with the network itself. Don't get me wrong as 3UK have one of the industry's best value for money mobile plans but they need to work on the quality in providing good customer service.
Having said that, one could not ignore the fact that 3G 900mhz is the way forward. This is because until LTE or 4G is properly roll out in the UK, 3G 900mhz is the alternative solution to the limitation in using WCDMA 2100 or 3G 2100mhz. 3UK, in this sense will lose out to competitors as they only deploy 3G 2100mhz! 3UK could complain about anti-competitive movements by other mobile network providers in the UK which you could also find the news here but in reality, they know that they are in disadvantage due to the fact that they have not given much thought when setting up their 3G network back in 2002.
Ofcom has previously approved the use of existing GSM 900mhz and GSM 1800mhz for 3G use but 3UK will definitely lose out as they are only running on the 3G 2100mhz or WCDMA 2100! That is why they have responded to Ofcom's plan to utilise 3G 900mhz and 3G 1800mhz in addition to the 3G 2100mhz frequency in the UK. Poor 3UK!
You may not know but O2 UK was the very first mobile network in the UK to adopt the 3G 900mhz frequency. In doing so, it has increased their network signal tremendously! A good example will be where I live. Before the 3G 900mhz switched on, I could only receive 2bars of 2G service. With the 3G 900mhz switched on, it is now full bar on 3G!!! That is brilliant!
I think O2 UK had no choice but to invest in the 3G 900mhz technology. Otherwise, they will lose more customers because their existing 3G coverage before the 3G 900mhz switched on was poor!!! Well, not all are lost as currently, only O2 UK has deployed the technology and the rest of the mobile networks have yet to commence on the new technology. I feel that 3UK would have to join force with T-Mobile UK again on the sharing of the 3G 900mhz frequency if they want to be competitive once T-Mobile UK might want to join the fun by implementing 3G 900mhz although they are running on the 2G 1800mhz. Most Vodafone UK customers are wondering why Vodafone UK have not roll out the use of 3G 900mhz technology and Vodafone UK need to take into account its customer's dissatisfaction. If they don't improve on their network, they might be another O2 UK before the roll out of the 3G 900mhz technology!
In the end, as a consumer, I am pretty happy in O2 UK rolling out the 3G 900mhz technology. In doing so, I have switched network from 3UK to Giffgaff where I would only have to pay £15 a month via top up for 400 minutes, unlimited text messages and truly unlimited data and I will be enjoying free calls, texts and video calling to another Giffgaff mobile user. Best of all, it is Pay as you Go so I do not need to go through credit scoring!
Friday, 27 January 2012
PhD
I am quite shocked to see most jobs will require applicants to have at least a PhD. This is quite shocking because it is not easy to obtain a PhD in nature. One would have to ensure that he/she has sufficient funds to last for the entire duration of his/her course (usually a full time PhD will take around 3 years while a part time PhD will take around 4-7 years).
Apart from having sufficient funds, it is also required that the PhD student is mentally capable to do the same research for the entire duration. This is an achievement which is very difficult to realise. However, never say never because if you have a will to proceed with the course, naturally there will be a way to complete the course.
Naturally timing is very important to complete a PhD. Ideally it will be much better if the PhD student were to have sufficient moral support throughout his/her studies as there will be no shortcut to achieving such a feast.
Personally, I am a big fan of someone doing a PhD. However, one could argue that there are more than just one route to obtain a PhD. You could do a research to obtain your PhD or you could also publish articles before applying for your PhD.
Having a 'Dr.' before your name is a privilege and I hope that I will be able to achieve it.
Wish me luck...
Apart from having sufficient funds, it is also required that the PhD student is mentally capable to do the same research for the entire duration. This is an achievement which is very difficult to realise. However, never say never because if you have a will to proceed with the course, naturally there will be a way to complete the course.
Naturally timing is very important to complete a PhD. Ideally it will be much better if the PhD student were to have sufficient moral support throughout his/her studies as there will be no shortcut to achieving such a feast.
Personally, I am a big fan of someone doing a PhD. However, one could argue that there are more than just one route to obtain a PhD. You could do a research to obtain your PhD or you could also publish articles before applying for your PhD.
Having a 'Dr.' before your name is a privilege and I hope that I will be able to achieve it.
Wish me luck...
Sunday, 15 January 2012
HP Laptop's DVD-RW
If you ever have a HP laptop, you might want to check on its inbuild DVD-RW. I am asking you guys to do so because ever sinced I have acquired a few HP laptops, I have never stop making calls to HP to get a replacement for the DVD-RW on the laptop. I have no idea why is this happening but I would be telling you more later.
First of all, I have been told that HP laptops are good to use and long lasting. It means that it is easily upgraded and it is also reasonably priced. Well, I have to admit that all of these are true. However, once you have acquired a HP laptop, don't forget to get yourself an external DVD-RW. The reason why am I asking you to do so is because the DVD-RW will not read any "burned" CDs or DVDs. It means that the drive will not accept any copied CDs or DVDs. I have no idea why this is so but the problem still exist even after a few DVD-RW replacement units being done.
Well, never say that I have not warn you!
Have fun!
First of all, I have been told that HP laptops are good to use and long lasting. It means that it is easily upgraded and it is also reasonably priced. Well, I have to admit that all of these are true. However, once you have acquired a HP laptop, don't forget to get yourself an external DVD-RW. The reason why am I asking you to do so is because the DVD-RW will not read any "burned" CDs or DVDs. It means that the drive will not accept any copied CDs or DVDs. I have no idea why this is so but the problem still exist even after a few DVD-RW replacement units being done.
Well, never say that I have not warn you!
Have fun!
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