Hi everybody, I just wanted to let you know that last week CounterPath expanded it’s Bria offering on the iPad.  I’ve been using this since the summer and it’s brilliant.  I’m able to make calls via my iPad when my phone doesn’t have any service but my iPad is picking up wifi.  In this new version of Bria CounterPath included video calling.  It may not sound like much but video chat without a computer is a big step.  If you have an iPad and use VOIP like Phone.com I suggest spending the money, yes it’s a paid app and I did pay for it.  It’s well worth the money.

By the way, this is a great way for small businesses to use Phone.com without having to buy a desktop phone, just run your inbound and outbound calls through Bria.

With this onslaught of mobile technology taking over and being the hot thing in tech (at least in my world) it’s clear that mobile money and transactions must take off.  I just bought a gift card from a hair stylest (for my wife) today and he used a Square to charge my credit card.  This is one aspect of mobile money.  But today I’m thinking about another form of transactions.  I’m thinking it would be great to have self checkout at grocery stores (and any other stores for that matter) that are done via the mobile phone.  I’m not talking about NFC, but something entirely different that I haven’t read about previously.  Imagine walking through Vons (a US chain grocery store) and scanning the bar code on the cereal you’re buying.  Imagine picking up your milk and scanning the bar code to add it to your “shopping cart”.  Do the rest of your shopping the same way, scanning the bar codes as you go.  When you pick up your produce you just scan the bar code on the price tag on the shelf.

Another option is to have checkout area’s where there could be more supervision and employees to assist customers if it is necessary.

This would cut your time out standing in line plus you might have to the download Vons app that would deliver your coupons and weekly ad.  This would be more secure by not having to take out your credit card and hand it to someone random you’ve never seen before.  You’re also not needing to take your wallet or purse with you.  By the way, you won’t be able to use the payment part of the app with out activating it and putting in your pass code so even if your phone is lost you’re credit card won’t be compromised unlike if you lose your wallet.

If any company is already doing this or something similar please reach out to me, I’d be delighted to talk with you and see what you’re working on.

Pepcom also known as Mobile Focus was held Monday before CES opened.  It was the biggest I’ve ever seen it and I was a bit overwhelmed by the magnitude of it.  It was like a little trade show unto itself.  Anyways, I was able to snag Vlingo’s CEO Dave Grannan for a quick video.  Come to find out they’re making Vlingo for TV’s.  And what I heard blew me away.  I can’t write most of it just yet but Vlingo is doing well, very well.

I was also able to chat with Vimeo’s crack web developer Joe Schmitt who showed off their new video editor for the iPad.  I can’t tell you how excited I am about this and it might just make it possible for me to bring only my iPad to trade shows now.  Take a look at what Joe had to say.

Android is getting a bad name in terms of fragmentation. It really is if I’m getting asked about it by my non mobile/non tech friends and I am, every weekend when I see them let alone the parents at my daughters school asking me about it.  Android is just getting slammed.  people know what they are getting when they buy an iPhone or BlackBerry but each Android handset manufacturer typically produces their own flavor of Android and this is where the problem lies.

I won’t make this a long wordy post, I’ll just suggest that the phones should be made compatible with the newest version of Android and are future proof for at least a year, preferably 2.  So any new HTC devices comes with Sense UI (they’re flavor or skin for the UI) but is open to have vanilla Android installed on it.  No problems, no issues and no boot loader BS.  It needs to be part of the licensing rules/regulations to use Android.  Nothing complex, just make your phones OPEN to this kind of thing.  Maybe even

It would be a huge selling point for many people I talk to.  HTC could advertise this as a feature of the phone, just like a camera or a qwerty keyboard, it’s part of what should be included in the specs for every Android device

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Here’s a quick unedited unboxing of the BlackBerry Bold 9900 by AT&T.  It’s rough, I didn’t get a chance to edit it but enjoy my Spielberg level video.

I have to say, I know a lot of people are down on BlackBerry these days but this is a great device.  It’s slick, responsive and incredible to look at.  The battery lasts for at least 2 days and the keyboard is a pleasure to use.  I’m truly suprised at the level of responsiveness of the touchscreen as well.  If you’re traveling internationally I highly suggest using a BlackBerry to keep your data consumption down to a minimum.

My only single gripe at this point is that Google and BB have not yet been able to get the read/unread status of your email in order.  No matter what I do I can’t get the bloody email to sync its status.

Anyways, if you’re considering getting a BlackBerry I recommend this one.  Go get it.

I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I feel like AT&T service for all their niggles has gotten faster and more reliable.  I was thinking about this just last week.  I drove by a street corner where I used to drop calls most of the time but guess what, no dropped call.  I was at dinner the other night and my 2 daughters finished before my wife and I did so of course they were going bananas (they’re still young) and we didn’t bring any coloring books or toys in for them so I handed over my phone with a YouTube video playing and guess what, no stuttering or “Daddy it’s not working” because of a freeze.  I was truly impressed.  And I don’t say that often or easily about AT&T let alone any telco.

Then this morning I read a press release that came across my desk saying exactly what I noticed.  ”More than 1,700 network improvements were completed in Los Angeles, many in the last few months.”  Translation, more towers and better coverage/service.  Also mentioned is the fact that there are 41% fewer dropped calls.  Color me impressed!

It goes on saying “AT&T has added thousands of more lanes to its mobile super-highway.”  That doesn’t give any solid numbers about internet speed or capacity but I’ve personally noticed a bump in service.  I don’t even know if it’s faster speed or more lanes as AT&T says.

What ever this is I like it.  They’re doing something right over there and doing it well I must say.  It’s not all rosy for AT&T these days but that’s for another blog post and a private chat with corporate suits.

Keep up the good work AT&T!!!

Note: I couldn’t find the press release on line to link to sorry.

I’ve been against this whole AT&T – T-Mobile merger from the start.  I didn’t think it was good for the many thousands of T-Mobile employees who’d lose their job.  I didn’t think it would be good for international travelers roaming in the US.  And I didn’t think it would be good for AT&T customers.

That’s all in the past now it seems.  Now that the deal is all but dead, for the time being at least I imagine AT&T is scrambling to replace the bandwidth it was expecting from the merger.  AT&T needs to work on their 4G, LTE or whatever it is they’re calling it today.  They need more bandwidth but not more bands.  I’ve heard rumors that AT&T is still trying to work with T-Mobile to share their bandwidth.  I’m not sure what exactly T-Mobile will get out of it but AT&T will get more speed and a wider internet highway.

The problem I see is this, T-Mobile uses 1700MHz for much of their high speed internet.  That’s nice and all but no one else uses it.  meaning AT&T will have to get new phones with new radios that will use that space.  This is a bummer for current users with new phones, it’s a bummer for current iPhone users and it’s a bummer for travelers to the US from foreign countries.  None of these people will be able to access the 1700MHz band and get LTE.

I never liked adding a new band that no other carrier world wide uses (as far as I know) on T-Mobile, let alone now onto AT&T.  This is a horrible idea and I hope it doesn’t go through.  AT&T needs to use bands that are supported on most current smart phones around the world and they must not even consider T-Mobile’s bands.

That’s just my 2 cents but it sure seems valid to me.