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Saturday, October 1, 2011

Saving Money;Reasons for advancing

Do you have eight gadgets when actually your mobile phone does all the same tricks in one? Do you keep CDs in your home when you own the music in other formats? Do you pay for unnecessary subscriptions when you can get the same service for free online?
If the answer to any of the above is yes, then you could be wasting money. Plenty of us no longer need many of our regular purchases and services, because we have access to alternatives.
That means we can avoid paying for them again and potentially even sell off some stuff.
Here are seven things you could do without:
Books:
It's contentious, but bear with me. If you have an e-reader like the Kindle or a tablet computer then do you really ever need to buy a book again?
According to the International Data Corporation, more than 10.1 million media tablets were sold in the last three months of 2010, alongside six million e-readers. That's a lot of people who don't need to buy a real book again.
Project Gutenberg has more than 36,000 free e-books that you can download onto your computer, e-reader, tablet or even smartphone. Most of the well-known classics are available, so you can save a fortune.

TV Subscription
Almost six in 10 Brits use the internet to watch TV, films and online video, according to a uSwitch survey. If you're one, do you still need to watch normal TV?
You don't need a TV Subscription to watch catch-up TV like the BBC and so, unless you're watching or recording a programme in real time, you do not need to pay the annual fee.
With so many people using their computers to watch programmes after they've been broadcast, for example, through 4oD, there will be plenty of people who no longer watch 'live' TV at all.
You can still use a TV set for watching DVDs and playing games, as long as it isn't installed as a TV receiver. If it is then you need a licence/subscription . You can avoid the endless letters/notifications demanding payment by notifying TV provider's
Don't forget, if you watch TV as it happens, even online, then you do need to be covered by Subscription
CDs
When I was a Little, I had mountains of music tapes, then when I was a teenager I had mountains of CDs. These days I can't remember the last time I used a physical disc to play music, and the growing popularity of iTunes, Windows Media Player,Media Monkey shows that I'm not alone.
If you're buying music online and storing it on your MP3 player or even your phone, then maybe it's time to ditch your CD collection. Move fast and you could sell them before the rest of the country goes entirely digital too.
Landline telephone
The landline is fast going the way of the dodo as individual mobile phones become the normal way to contact friends and family.
So you're potentially paying an unnecessary line rental fee, which you may think you need to get broadband in your home.
However, if you're a fairly lightweight internet user then talk to your mobile provider about whether it could be cost-effective to connect your computer to the web using your mobile — it's really very straightforward and easy.
That also means that you can access the web wherever you are, you aren't tied to your home or office. Make sure your data allowance meets your needs, for example, 5 currently offers unlimited data packages.
Maps
SatNav hasn't just saved me time and effort; it's probably saved my marriage too - as a navigator on long journeys I apparently "didn't inspire confidence".
But why hang onto road maps if you're simply not going to use them?
If you don't have a SatNav yet then it's worth investigating whether or not your phone has a SatNav capacity. There are even free apps like NavFree,Google Maps,Nokia Maps, etc.
Away from the car, smartphones now not only can store all the maps you need, but they also use satellite data to put a nice pin in where you are on the map and even which direction you're facing.
Calculator/personal organiser/most gadgets
Before buying any gadget, ask yourself if your mobile phone does it. Ofcom reports that more than a quarter of adults and nearly half of all teenagers own a smartphone.
If you have a high-spec phone then you can find cheap or free apps that do everything, from egg timers to pedometers, calculators and even a torch.
Newspapers
My smart phone has internet access, meaning I can read every non-subscription newspaper online for free, so I haven't bought a physical paper in more than a year.
This doesn't just save money, it cuts down on paper waste and lets me read news and columns from more than one place, giving me a broader range of reporting and opinion.
And you can even get your phone to pull down an entire paper overnight, meaning you can read it in places without phone reception

Sent from my BlackBerry® wireless handheld from Glo Mobile.

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Tizzy: How to Make BlackBerry As Modem For Laptop

Tizzy: How to Make BlackBerry As Modem For Laptop: HOWTO: BlackBerry As Modem For Laptop Introduction Did you know that BlackBerry can now be used just like an external modem for a la...

How to Make BlackBerry As Modem For Laptop

HOWTO: BlackBerry As Modem For Laptop

Introduction
Did you know that BlackBerry can now be used just like an external modem for a laptop computer, so that a laptop can have full Internet access? This is useful when you need to do certain things that a BlackBerry cannot yet do. Increasing numbers of success reports have caused me to post this message. (Note: Mark Rejhon has not himself yet successfully used a BlackBerry as a modem; I am aggregating information). Sometimes, it is still tricky to set up a BlackBerry as a modem for a laptop, but this feature is becoming more and more common in cellphones, and BlackBerry models are following suit.
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Credits
Credit goes to Scoobydoo, bfrye, bollar, VitaminB, jmounts, webtoker, dozment for their contributions.
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Supported BlackBerry Models
Model 710X: Success (Rogers, T-Mobile)
Model 7290: Success (Rogers, AT&T, Cingular, T-Mobile)
Model 7250: Success (Verizon)
Model 8700: Success (Rogers, Cingular)
Model 7130e: Success (Verizon, Bell Mobility)
Model 7510/7520/7230/7280/7730/7780/7100i: Use www.mobishark.com
All Older Models: Use www.mobishark.com
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IMPORTANT:
Other Models Than Listed Above: There is no modem built in. However, you can use third-party modem software called Shark Modem at www.mobishark.com
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Supported Carriers
Carrier AT&T: Success!
Carrier Rogers: Success!
Carrier Vodafone: Success!
Carrier T-Mobile: Success!
Carrier Verizon: Sometimes Successful
Carrier Cingular: Sometimes Successful
Carrier Nextel/Telus: May need to use www.mobishark.com
Carrier Sprint: May need to use www.mobishark.com
Carrier Bell Mobility: 7130e Confirmed, Must use www.mobishark.com otherwise
Currently, Rogers, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Vodafone UK are reported to work. Sometimes and Cingular works, but is much harder to setup. No confirmations for other carriers yet.
Important: If you are using a BES 4.0 server, your BES 4.0 server, you should not use the "Disable IPmodem" setting. BES hosting providers such as eOutlook/Mailstreet/BES4U/MyBlueberry must avoid setting the "Disable IPmodem" setting.
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Connect Your BlackBerry
Make sure your BlackBerry is connected by USB cable, and your BlackBerry Handheld Manager is running (just launch BlackBerry Desktop to run it.) This is necessary for using the BlackBerry as an external modem. You cannot use BlackBerry as a modem unless you have BlackBerry Handheld Manager running in the background!
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Modem Driver Install
If you installed a recent version of BlackBerry Desktop that came with a 7100t, 7290, 7250, or 7520, it should include modem drivers and already be automatically installed. In the event you need to manually install them, the modem drivers should be located in this directory:
C:\program files\Common Files\Research In Motion\Modem Drivers
However, if you are having problems with these drivers, uninstall, delete all leftover RIM files, and then reinstall the latest version of BlackBerry Desktop.
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Verify The Modem Driver Is Functioning
Go to Control Panel -> Phone & Modem Options. In the Modems tab, you should see a new Standard Modem on a new port (such as COM6 or COM11). Click Properties -> Diagnostics -> Query Modem. You should see the following:
Quote:
ATQ0V1E0 - OK
AT+GMM - BlackBerry IPmodem
AT+FCLASS=? - OK
AT#CLS=? - OK
AT+GCI? - OK
AT+GCI=? - OK
ATI1 - Research In Motion / BlackBerry IPmodem
ATI2 - Research In Motion / BlackBerry IPmodem
ATI3 - Research In Motion / BlackBerry IPmodem
ATI4 - Research In Motion / BlackBerry IPmodem
ATI5 - Research In Motion / BlackBerry IPmodem
ATI6 - Research In Motion / BlackBerry IPmodem
ATI7 - Research In Motion / BlackBerry IPmodem

Note: This may look different on Nextel 7520, or Sprint/Verizon/Bell Mobility 7250. This is normal. Just make sure there is a response at all, rather than no response.
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IMPORTANT SPECIAL CONFIGURATION STEP
Click Properties -> Advanced and add only ONE of the following Extra initialization commands with the appropriate carrier-specific APN Setting:

TMOBILE USA Users (Success!)
+cgdcont=1,"IP","wap.voicestream.com"

Rogers Users (Success!)
+cgdcont=1,"IP","internet.com"

Cingular Blue/AT&T Users (Success!)
+cgdcont=1,"IP","proxy"

Cingular Orange Users (Success!)
+cgdcont=1,"IP","ISP.CINGULAR"

UK Vodafone Users (Success!)
+cgdcont=1,"IP","internet"

Verizon Users (Success!) - Keep blank
Nextel/Telus iDEN Users (untested) - Keep blank
Sprint/Bell Mobility CDMA Users (untested) - Keep blank
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Add A New Internet Connection
Close the Phone and Modem Options and the Control Panel. Create a new connection with Start -> Connect To -> Show all connections -> Create a new connection.
Quote:
1. Click Next

2. Select "Connect To The Internet" then Next

3. Select "Set up my connection manually" then Next

4. Select "Connect using a dial-up modem" then Next.

5. Check only the Standard Modem (if prompted).

6. Give the connection a name such as "BlackBerry Modem", then Next.

7. On the next screen, pick one of the following phone numbers, depending on your carrier:
....If you use GSM/Cingular/AT&T/TMobile: Enter phone number *99#
....If you use iDEN/Nextel/Telus: Enter phone number S=2
....If you use CDMA/Verizon/Sprint/Bell Canada: Enter phone number #777

8. Click Next.

9. On the next screen, pick one of the following, depending on your carrier:

....If you use Cingular Blue, AT&T or Nextel:
.........Username: (blank)
.........Password: (blank)

....If you use Rogers Canada:
.........Username: wapuser1
.........Password: wap

....If you use Cingular Orange:
.........Username:
.........Password: CINGULAR1

....If you use T-Mobile:
.........Username: (Your existing TMobile.com Username)
.........Password: (Your existing TMobile.com Password)

....If you use Verizon, replace 8005551212 with your phone number:
.........Username:
.........Password: 8005551212

....If you use Sprint:
.........Username: (Your existing Sprint PCS Username)
.........Password: (Your existing Sprint PCS Password)

....If you use Bell Mobility, replace 8005551212 with your phone number:
.........Username:
.........Password: (Your Bell Mobility Voicemail PIN)

10. Clear all checkboxes ("Use...when anyone..." and "Make this the default...")

11. Click Finish

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Disable IP Header Compression
Make sure TCP/IP Properties (Advanced) "Use IP Header Compression" checkbox is NOT checked. To verify this, do these steps:
Quote:
1. Start Menu->Network Connections->"BlackBerry Modem"
2. Click Properties Button
3. Click Networking Tab
4. Select "Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)"
5. Click Properties Button
6. Click Advanced... Button
7. Disable "Use IP header compression" checkbox
8. Click all OK buttons to close all dialogs

Also make sure you clear all these checkboxes, if you see any of these checked:
Turn off "Enable Hardware Flow Control"
Turn off "Enable Modem Error Control"
Turn off "Enable Modem Compression"
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BES Configuration
Skip this step if you are not on BES. You only need to follow this step if your company gave the BlackBerry to you. If you are at a company and you are on a BES 4.0, your Administrator must enable the "BlackBerry IPModem" setting on the BES. This is a new setting in the Version 4.0 of BES.
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Surf On The Laptop!
Connect to the Internet on the laptop by clicking the "BlackBerry Modem" icon via Start Menu->Network Connections. No username or password is needed.