Cache & Carey

Product Review: The senior-friendly Doro PhoneEasy

This week's review is of the Doro PhoneEasy, a cellphone marketed for seniors. As you would expect, it has big buttons and a large, easy-to-read screen. But it's got a few more features than its competitor, the Jitterbug J.

Normally I love more features on a phone! But if you are buying this phone for someone who doesn't know how to use a cellphone and get nervous easily around technology, you need to ask yourself if having a few more options in the menu will be a turn-off.

For example, you can scroll through a menu that has an FM radio, calculator, calendar, settings options and games. In comparison, Jitterbug J has none of that. In fact, it is so basic that you can call an operator (by dialing 0) to change a setting or add a contact.

Don't get me wrong -- the Doro is easy to use. It's just that having more features could be a downer, depending on the user. The way I see it, the Doro is less expensive and worth taking the time to learn the extra menu features.

UPDATE: AT&T 3G service problems in South Florida

[UPDATE 8:30 p.m. - My 3G is back and calls are working just dandy. Same goes for some friends I know who have AT&T. Looks like things are back to normal.]

[UPDATE 7:02 p.m. - Phones in problem areas are now auto switching over to AT&T's Edge network and it's not showing any 3G coverage where I'm currently at (a few minutes ago I had full bars). If it doesn't auto switch for you, restart your phone or manually turn off the 3G in your settings. It automatically went to Edge for my phone and for a coworker's phone.]

[UPDATE 6:25 p.m. - The AT&T Twitter account, ATTNews, sent Miami Herald online producer and writer Adrian Ruhi the following in a direct message: "There is an equipment issue affecting S. FL wireless calls - data is running normally. Techs are currently working to resolve the issue."]

AT&T customers around South Florida are unable to send or receive calls on its 3G network.

Customers who click on "settings'' and turn off 3G will switch to the AT&T's Edge network -- the slower network -- and should be able to make calls without trouble.

Reports of service problems started after 4:30 p.m. Thursday. Not every AT&T 3G customer was having problems.

"They're still looking into it,'' said AT&T spokeswoman Kelly Starling. "It seems to be an equipment issue.''

Starling, who was in Palm Beach County, said she and others near her have had no problems calling on AT&T phones with 3G.

But reports of problems are coming in from Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Frustrated AT&T users in the tri-county area have posted messages on social networks like Twitter and Facebook about not being able to make calls, but users seems to be able to still access the Internet on its 3G network.

From 2006 to 2008, AT&T has invested more than $3 billion in its wireless and wireline networks in Florida. This year, AT&T announced plans to invest between $17 billion and $18 billion in its networks worldwide.

Is it working where you are? Post a comment and share what problems -- if any -- you're noticing.

T-Mobile Sidekick users lose all data, contacts

A disaster with a Microsoft server this weekend has caused folks with Sidekicks to lose all the data on their phones, like calendar items and contacts. Below is the AP story about the situation. T-Mobile has issued a statement asking customers to NOT remove their battery, reset the phone or have it lose power, because there could be a chance they can fix it.

NEW YORK -- (AP) -- Owners of Sidekick phones may have lost all the personal data they stored on the phone, including contact numbers.

The phones are made by a Microsoft Corp. subsidiary and sold by T-Mobile USA, which say many Sidekick owners' information is "almost certainly'' gone after a failure of servers operated by Microsoft wiped the data out. The companies said they hoped to update customers on recovery efforts Monday.

The phones have been troubled by data outages for more than a week. Some users attempted to restart their phones by removing the battery, which erases data on the device. Normally, the data is then restored from servers, but with the server data gone, the device is left empty.

Because of that, customers are being advised not to let the battery completely run down either.

It's not clear how many customers have been affected, or how many Sidekicks are in operation. The phone has never been a huge seller, but it's very popular among young, urban customers, and it has had a certain cachet as a celebrity phone. Most famously, Paris Hilton used a Sidekick. Users have appreciated its large QWERTY keyboard for text messaging, a feature now copied by mainstream phones.

Microsoft bought Danger Inc., the maker of the Sidekick, last year in an attempt to revitalize its "smart'' phone software portfolio.

Product Review: T-Mobile's HTC myTouch with Google

Got my hands on another T-Mobile "Google" phone, the HTC myTouch, which runs on Google's Android operating system. It's pretty good. But unlike it's older brother, the G1, it doesn't have a physical keyboard.

AT&T's A-List lets you call favorites for free

AT&T came out with a ton of news today -- sorry I forgot to include this tidbit in the last post. But now AT&T Wireless is offering a similar service to T-Mobile's "Fave 5" and Verizon's Friends & Family, where you can have unlimited calling for 5 or 10 numbers on any network.

AT&T calls it the A-List. If you're an individual with a calling plan of $59.99 or more (900+ minutes), you can select five domestic phone numbers to call anytime for free. If you're on a family plan that costs at least $89.99 (1,400+ minutes), you can pick ten numbers.

The service begins Sept. 20, and customers can manage the numbers online at att.com/alist.

AT&T boosting 3G speeds in Miami, adding coverage to South Florida

AT&T announced Wednesday plans to boost it's 3G wireless speeds, starting with six major cities this year, including Miami. AT&T hasn't released geographic details and what parts of Miami will be benefited, but more details will be known closer to launch.

The technology is called HSPA -- the current 3G speed is HSPA 3.6 megabits per second, the upgrade will be to 7.2 megabits per second. Miami, along with Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles are expected to get the upgrade this year. It then will be launched to 25 markets by the end of 2010, and by 2011 will cover about 90 percent of AT&T's 3G network.

But that's not all. AT&T is also boosting the traffic it can handle in South Florida by adding a third layer of capacity from Key Biscayne to as far north as Sunrise. AT&T also upgraded its UMTS switching center and plans to double its radio network controllers capacity in South Florida before the end of 2009.

This week the company also announced activation of five new 3G cell sites, one in Miami-Dade and two each in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

In Miami, it's on Fontainebleau Boulevard near 97th Avenue, which boosts coverage in the Fontainebleau community, along the Dolphin Expressway and to the commercial area north of the expressway.

In Broward, there's one in western Parkland expanding coverage to the area north of the Sawgrass Expressway, east to University Drive, north to Loxahatchee Road and west approximately 1.5 miles. The other is along Hillsboro Mile, boosting coverage along A-1-A between S.W. 10th Street to the north and N.E. 39th Street to the south.

In Palm Beach, there's one in Boynton Beach boosting coverage along Hagen Ranch Road between Boynton Beach Boulevard to the north, Pipers Glen Boulevard to the south, the Florida Turnpike to the west, and Jog Road to the east. Another is in Wellington at the corner of Forest Hill Boulevard and S.R. 7 - U.S. 441 is providing additional coverage to the Mall at Wellington Green and surrounding areas.

Verizon looking into how customers can avoid accidental data fees

If you don't have a data plan on your cellphone, sometimes you can still access the Internet -- but it gets real costly real fast. And with shortcut keys that make it easy to fire up the Web, customers could be charged for data when they didn't intend to hit that button.

The Cleveland Plain Dealer wrote a column about an issue like this with Verizon, and then got feedback from hundreds of readers saying they also have similar billing problems.

So Verizon says they are looking to this issue and will work with any account that believes they have a problem. Verizon also told the Plain Dealer that they will give refunds, depending on the issue.

Have you or someone you know gone through a similar issue with a carrier? We've all heard billing horror stories when you go over your minute plan or text messaging plan, but what about data plan billing problems?

Product Review: Show off your green side with Sprint's Samsung Reclaim

All right, so I may have gone a little overboard with the hippie garb in this week's review of the Samsung Reclaim. But hey, when you give me a phone that's made of 80 percent recyclable materials... and made from CORN, well, this is what you get...

AT&T improves 3G coverage in Pembroke Pines and Miami

AT&T Wireless has just announced it added a 3G cell site in Pembroke Pines on Pines Boulevard, behind the Pembroke Lakes Mall. It also added one on N.W. 25th St., just west of Miami International Airport.

Since July, AT&T has added four other 3G cell sites to boost areas in South Florida:

• Parkland – along Holmberg Boulevard between 63rd Way and Pacer Drive
• Pembroke Pines – covering Pines Boulevard between 170th and 120th streets
• Miami – located on N.W. 70th St, this site is expanding 3G coverage in northern Doral and southern Medley near N.W. 74th Street and west of the Palmetto Expressway
• Islamorada – additional coverage to Lower Matecumbe Key, where the Florida National High Adventure Sea Base is located

AT&T reported it plans to invest between $17 billion and $18 billion in total capital expenditures throughout the U.S. this year, about two-thirds of which is devoted to network enhancement and expansion.

Alltel stores in Florida getting Verizon makeover

Verizon Wireless acquired Alltel in January, but now Floridians should be noticing the store switchovers, as 21 Alltel stores in Florida get remodeled. They all have the Verizon signs and merchandise, but the remodeling at some is still going on and is expected to be completed at the end of 2009. About nine of the 21 stores are done, but none of them are in South Florida.

Part of the conversion includes more than 700 former Alltel cell sites and several large switching facilities in Florida being reconfigured for Verizon's network. The multi-million dollar network conversion is expected to be completed in Florida by 2011. Verizon reports it spent nearly $2 billion on network enhancements throughout Florida since 2000, when the company was formed.

Alltel store locations that switched to Verizon in Florida:

• 465-C Brandon Town Center Mall, Brandon, FL 33511
• 7191 Broad St., Brooksville, FL 34601
• 3626 S W Archer Rd. (Butler Plaza), Gainesville, FL 32608
• 2625 E Gulf to Lake Hwy., Inverness, FL 34453
• 2750 West US Highway 90, Lake City, FL 32055
• 3406 S. Florida Ave., Lakeland, FL  33803
• 6830 Suwannee Plaza Lane, Live Oak, FL 32060
• 2811 Highway 71, Marianna, FL 32446
• 36 Ninth Street South, Naples, FL 34102
• 2606 SW 19th Avenue Road, Ste. 200, Ocala, FL  34474
• 4414 SW College Road, Ste. 315, Ocala, FL  34474
• 101 Bluefish Drive, Suite 140, Panama City Beach, FL 32413
• 2909 James L. Redman Parkway #13, Plant City, Fl 33566
• 1808 Tamiami Trail # D 5, Port Charlotte, FL 33948
• 1216 W Jefferson St., Quincy, FL  32551
• 4223 Sebring Parkway, Sebring, FL  33870
• 4314 Commercial Way, Spring Hill, FL 34606
• 1889-1 N Martin Luther King Blvd., Tallahassee, FL  32303
• 6721 Thomasville Rd. Ste 3, Tallahassee, FL 32312
• 4288 South Tamiami Trail, Venice, FL  34293
• 345 Cypress Gardens Blvd., Winter Haven, FL 33880