Cell Phones

Speakout data and android... calling all users for tips/tricks.

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Sep 1, 2005
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NoseyBonk wrote: Yes it most certainly will, but that means if you ever need data one day, when you DO enable data it will be like opening a DAM... your data will be drained because every APp will be updating and system and what not.. you MUST Root and install Droid wall or any other Firewall.

And rogue apps sometimes use data for no reason, just to report back home to the mother ship.

I feel much better knowing that data is only used when I have an App open, sthi also stops Google from tracking you.
Just went into the higher usage apps and non-important apps (ie apps I don't need while on the road like Flipbooks or News and Weather apps) and checked "restrict background data". With only 100mb, have to ruthless cutting back on non-essential data. I will have to monitor how well this works and how much my data usage is going forward with these changes.
We're all bozos on the bus until we find a way to express ourselves...

Failure is always an option...just not the preferred one!
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Sep 26, 2006
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With the overall pricing increasing due to the data packages, I still don't know why SO doesn't include free evenings/weekends. I mean paying $55/month for voice/text/data plan I'd expect evening/weekends at the very least for the voice portion.
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Apr 28, 2013
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Arviat
gr8dlr wrote: Just went into the higher usage apps and non-important apps (ie apps I don't need while on the road like Flipbooks or News and Weather apps) and checked "restrict background data". With only 100mb, have to ruthless cutting back on non-essential data. I will have to monitor how well this works and how much my data usage is going forward with these changes.
Android phones with 4.0 have a data breakdown of each app, you can check the history and see what used up the most data...
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Jan 7, 2002
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Waterloo, ON
NoseyBonk wrote: This is why they removed it, people were using VOIP and streaming radio all day long... Not that I care but you cant complain about a funtion that was designed not to work with proxy. Anything worked, even Youtube streaming,,
I'm not complaining at all. Just pointing out how difficult it was to do stuff other than essentially just browse. And yes I realize that a relatively small number of people were abusing UMB to the point that Robbers (hence ztar) took notice.

I can live with 100MB for $10. In fact I said way upthread when the demise of UMB was first announced that I'd be OK with 100MB/$10 provided it was true, unrestricted data. It seems that's exactly what we're getting. And at the same time we get rid of the abusers. Good riddance IMO.
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Jan 1, 2004
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So if the new data has no restriction, does it mean that we can use Skype for VOIP call ? If that's the case I will consider the $15 for 500MB option. Just not sure how much bandwidth skype use. With UMB and proxy apps Skype does not work for me and I did not bother finding a solution.
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sfrancis wrote: So if the new data has no restriction, does it mean that we can use Skype for VOIP call ? If that's the case I will consider the $15 for 500MB option. Just not sure how much bandwidth skype use. With UMB and proxy apps Skype does not work for me and I did not bother finding a solution.
It depends on the data speeds/ping to know if it's reliable even or not.
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Apr 28, 2013
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sfrancis wrote: So if the new data has no restriction, does it mean that we can use Skype for VOIP call ? If that's the case I will consider the $15 for 500MB option. Just not sure how much bandwidth skype use. With UMB and proxy apps Skype does not work for me and I did not bother finding a solution.
Yes, because there is no proxy in between you and your server.

The proxy was just to reduce the amount of data and the type of data, that is why all the images that were not HTTPS were grainy, it compressed it much like Blackberry BIS users and opera mini users see. Now it is a free for all because you are paying for straight data, the more you use the more money they get, they have no reason to slow you down. The only wat to get the highest data speeds is pay for LTE Premium plan, this means that you get %!00 speed all the time no matter how many people are onthe same tower as you are... sort of like a reserved system, and it is not cheap.
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Apr 21, 2004
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bylo wrote: It's not only that. They're not always reliable (to put it mildly), especially for the free ones. I found myself spending an inordinate amount of time messing with them. Then there's performance, especially if you want to use VoIP to make calls.

I'm also spoiled from when I travel overseas and get local SIMs. There I just plug in the SIM, set up a simple APN, and start enjoying data. VoIP works every time so I can call home for free using Fongo.

I'm hoping that SpeakOut's "data" will be full 3G so that Fongo, Google Voice, etc. work well enough that I won't need to pay 25¢/min for voice calls. (On à la carte data that pays for 2.5MB/min. I believe VoIP burns at a much lower rate so calls should be cheaper on data.)
I so want a Canadian Number Google Voice but it was only made available with the 403 area code for a brief time.
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Feb 1, 2012
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sfrancis wrote: So if the new data has no restriction, does it mean that we can use Skype for VOIP call ? If that's the case I will consider the $15 for 500MB option. Just not sure how much bandwidth skype use. With UMB and proxy apps Skype does not work for me and I did not bother finding a solution.
not sure if u know but i think we can only buy $10 -100MB data standalone. (or you are just referring to the $35 plan)
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Dec 25, 2003
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Yeah sucks you can't add on 500mb for $15. At least that's somewhat decent. 100mb for $10 is garbage.
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Mar 30, 2011
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well not too bad though I was hoping there is an option of 5/100MB which would be perfect for me.

The 35/month plan is reasonable when counting in the discount basically 20% off when getting the top up bonus. So 28/month for 500MB data + 100 minute + sms/voice mail/caller id is not too shaby.

Need to think about my game plan a bit going forward.
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does anyone know what happen on overage ? I hope it is 'stop, you hit the limit this month' rather than the 50c/MB overage :-)
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thanks. that is bad. probably have to go the tablet plan route.
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Jan 7, 2002
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1226 wrote: Yeah sucks you can't add on 500mb for $15. At least that's somewhat decent. 100mb for $10 is garbage.
Who's offering it for less (other than part of a bundle or plan like PC Mobile or Koodoo?) Yes, I too would have liked to see it lower (or something like 500MB for $15 or $20, etc.) But what they've come up with, while not a bargoon, is hardly "garbage."
chimp wrote: does anyone know what happen on overage ? I hope it is 'stop, you hit the limit this month' rather than the 50c/MB overage :-)
It's 10¢/MB. That's $10/100MB. So basically the à la carte rate is a flat 10¢/MB with a $10/month minimum.
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indeed, counting in the 20% discount it probably is the cheapest.
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May 29, 2012
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Any apps to monitor and cap the data usage on WAN? thanks
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I know WP(just got my Lumia 620+Amber update) and latest android have that built into the OS, not sure about iOS(as I am still on 5.1.1)
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Jan 7, 2002
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chimp wrote: does anyone know what happen on overage ? I hope it is 'stop, you hit the limit this month' rather than the 50c/MB overage :-)
I just looked at CRTC's new Wireless Code that comes into effect in December to see what it says about notifications about overages. The way I read it notifications apply to post-paid services and a hard stop at $50. So it seems we have to police/control ourselves to prevent inadvertently draining our balances. I suppose that's no different than with cell calls, i.e. if you forget to hang up on a call you could lose your entire balance.

But I did find this interesting bonus, "Expiration of prepaid cards: A service provider must keep open the accounts of customers with prepaid cards for at least seven calendar days following the expiration of an activated card, at no charge, to give the customer more time to “top up” their account and retain their prepaid balance." So it seems SO's much-touted 365 day expirations just became 372 days ;)
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