Interesting People mailing list archives

Previous By Date Next
Previous By Thread Next

re Reports of Google Nexus One 3G and Support Problems

From: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:51:21 -0500




Begin forwarded message:


From: Steve Muir <steve () grimupnorth org>
Date: January 11, 2010 11:45:46 AM EST
To: Bob Frankston <Bob19-0501 () bobf frankston com>
Cc: krulwich () yahoo com, dave () farber net, 'Lauren Weinstein' <lauren () vortex com > Subject: Re: [IP] re Reports of Google Nexus One 3G and Support Problems
My personal experience of Fring, on a Nokia/Symbian device, is that it mostly works as promised, but the latency when using the Skype inter-connectivity functionality was really high, i.e., more than a second. The nice part is that it is indeed access-agnostic, working equally well (or badly, in terms of latency) on WiFi or 3G. 



On 1/11/2010 11:41 AM, Bob Frankston wrote:

Tried Fring once but had problems – Lauren might know more.

*From:* Krulwich [mailto:krulwich () yahoo com]
*Sent:* Monday, January 11, 2010 03:03
*To:* dave () farber net
*Cc:* Bob Frankston; 'Steve Muir'
*Subject:* Re: [IP] re Reports of Google Nexus One 3G and Support Problems
I've been checking regularly for Google Voice to support routing calls 
over VoIP, based on their acquisition of Gizmo5, but no news yet.
In the meantime, the best (only?) solution for VoIP over data on Android 
is from Fring, an Israeli start-up company, available free in Android
app store (also others). It's basically an aggregator for Skype and
others, but operates its own VoIP. In my experience there's a bit too
much lag when used over 3G, but that might be based on local network
conditions here.

--Bruce



--- On *Mon, 1/11/10, Dave Farber /<dave () farber net>/* wrote:


   From: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Subject: [IP] re Reports of Google Nexus One 3G and Support Problems 
   To: "ip" <ip () v2 listbox com>
   Date: Monday, January 11, 2010, 2:24 AM




   Begin forwarded message:

       *From:* Bob Frankston <bob2-39 () bobf frankston com
<http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=bob2-39 () bobf frankston com >> 
       *Date:* January 10, 2010 7:23:01 PM EST
       *To:* dave () farber net
<http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose? to=dave () farber net>, 
       'ip' <ip () v2 listbox com
<http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=ip () v2 listbox com >> 
       *Cc:* 'Steve Muir' <steve () grimupnorth org
<http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=steve () grimupnorth org >> 
       *Subject:* *RE: [IP] re Reports of Google Nexus One 3G and
       Support Problems*

       I would be delighted if Google voice worked over Wi-Fi – it
currently just uses the voice path. I’m going to try Skype to 
       see if that’s a solution. As an aside I tried Skype from my
laptop over GoGo in flight and it didn’t work – my guess is that 
       GoGo purposely tries to prevent it.
As the frequency choices – of course it’s a business decis ion 
       though I would like to think that with an unlocked phone they
wouldn’t want to bias it towards T-Mobile but given that th ere 
       is a previous relationship who knows.

   At this point I see Ambient Connectivity <http://rmf.vc/?name=UAC>
   as the larger issue and view all these as intermediate annoyances.

One other takeaway from looking at the MagicJack femto-board is how
small the chip is. Admittedly it only supports a subset of the cellular protocols but we have to remember that cellular was designed on what is, by today’s standards, very simple computers. All these arbitrary c hoices distract us from the real issue of bits being just bits. Instead we seem them through kaleidoscopic glasses that make it all seem magical rather 
than simply lame.

*From:* Dave Farber [mailto:dave () farber net]
*Sent:* Sunday, January 10, 2010 18:57
*To:* ip
*Subject:* [IP] re Reports of Google Nexus One 3G and Support Problems 


Begin forwarded message:

   *From:* Steve Muir <steve () grimupnorth org
<http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=steve () grimupnorth org >> 
   *Date:* January 10, 2010 6:48:57 PM EST
   *To:* dave () farber net
   <http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=dave () farber net>
   *Cc:* ip <ip () v2 listbox com
   <http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=ip () v2 listbox com>>
   *Subject:* *Re: [IP] re Reports of Google Nexus One 3G and Support
   Problems*

   One might speculate that the design decision not to support AT&T's
   3G frequency bands was intended to support a business decision to
   limit the use of the Nexus One to T-Mobile customers, particularly
   when T-Mo is subsidising many of the Nexus One phones by a
   substantial amount. Without use of AT&T's 3G bands it's very
unlikely anyone would purchase one of these devices but then switch 
   it to an AT&T SIM card - this is a much more effective way to lock
   your customers in than SIM locking.
The ability to support standard cellular voice over WiFi requires a 
   set of technologies known as Generic Access Network (or Unlicensed
   Mobile Access) that tunnel 3GPP voice protocols over WiFi. GAN/UMA
   has not achieved widespread adoption within handsets or operator
   networks, and Google may feel that Google Voice is a superior
   alternative.



   On 1/9/2010 10:55 AM, Dave Farber wrote:

   Begin forwarded message:

       *From:* Bob Frankston <bob2 () bobf frankston com
<http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=bob2 () bobf frankston com > 

       <mailto:bob2 () bobf frankston com
<http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=bob2 () bobf frankston com >>> 

       *Date:* January 9, 2010 10:44:33 AM EST

       *To:* dave () farber net
       <http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=dave () farber net>
       <mailto:dave () farber net
<http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose? to=dave () farber net>>, 
       'ip'

       <ip () v2 listbox com
<http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=ip () v2 listbox com > 
       <mailto:ip () v2 listbox com
<http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=ip () v2 listbox com >>> 

       *Cc:* <mailto:nnsquad () nnsquad org
<http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=nnsquad () nnsquad org >>nnsquad () nnsquad org 

       <mailto:nnsquad () nnsquad org
<http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=nnsquad () nnsquad org >>
*Subject:* *RE: [IP] Reports of Google Nexus One 3G and Support 
       Problems*
My complaint about voluminous disclaimer was aimed at our legal 
       system

       rather than the Nexus. If I need a manual something is wrong
       though it
has taken some learning to use my Nexus and there are still some
aspects I’m getting used to. But I haven’t had radio probl ems 
       that are
different from those with my G1. Getting 3G from T-mobile is still
problematic – often moving the phone an inch will move it f rom E 
       to 3G.
These problems with repurposing a cellular network as a data network
are one of the issues behind my comments on Ambient Connectivity 

       <http://rmf.vc/?n=UAC> (new). If anything my big complaint is
       that the
Nexus, like other Androids, lacks the ability to act as an access
point (tethering) – a feature built into my Win Mobile phon e . 
       Also I
bought my Nexus unlocked but it lacks the radio necessary to let me 

       use ATT’s towers as an option. This is an arbitrary design
       decision –

       after all when companies like HTC, Samsung etc produce phones
       they do

       them for various carriers rather than for users.
The Nexus (like other such devices) are very powerful and convenient
personal computer devices reduced to begging for the ability to
communicate and settling for a repurposed voice network. For that 

       matter when I do have a Wi-Fi connection but no cellular, why
       can’t I
get voice over the IP path? In fact T-Mobile has phones which do 
       this

       but so it’s a matter of policy not technology.

       *From:* Dave Farber [mailto:dave () farber net]

       *Sent:* Saturday, January 09, 2010 07:10

       *To:* ip
*Subject:* [IP] Reports of Google Nexus One 3G and Support Problems 

       Begin forwarded message:

       *From:* Lauren Weinstein <

       <mailto:lauren () vortex com
<http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo..com/mc/compose?to=lauren () vortex com >>lauren () vortex com 

       <mailto:lauren () vortex com
<http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo..com/mc/compose?to=lauren () vortex com >>> 

       *Date:* January 9, 2010 3:13:58 AM EST

       *To:* <mailto:dave () farber net
<http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose? to=dave () farber net>>dave () farber net 
       <mailto:dave () farber net
<http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose? to=dave () farber net>>
*Subject:* *Reports of Google Nexus One 3G and Support Problems* 

       Reports of Google Nexus One 3G and Support Problems

       <http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000664.html>http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000664.html
Greetings. Various media points are reporting fairly widespread
complaints about customer support and technical problems related to 

       Google's new Nexus One Android phone (

       <http://bit.ly/5MB22D>http://bit.ly/5MB22D [PC World] ).
The volume of postings appears to have been sufficient to trigger
Google's "real time search" mode for the search term "nexus one 

       complaints" at this time.

       The customer support complaints seem to involve both pre- and

       post-sale issues, tales of finger-pointing between T-Mobile,
       HTC, and
Google -- and a reported lack of other than (currently slow) e-mail 

       support from Google related to the phone.
I do not know at this point the extent to which these complaints are
or are not representative of the overall Nexus One user population.
In these kinds of situations, you usually hear from the people with 

       problems, not the folks who are satisfied. Of course, it's the
       former

       group who most need an effective support structure in such

       environments.

       I did receive an unsolicited message from a reader (possibly
       reacting
to my "The Google 'Nexus One' Saga Turns Ugly" blog posting from 

       yesterday -

       <http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000663.html>http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000663.html

       ) expressing

       incredulity that his Nexus One arrived with voluminous legal
disclosure documentation but (he reported) no manual of any kind.
Concerns over the Nexus One's 3G performance appear to be piling up
( <http://bit.ly/6keyck>http://bit.ly/6keyck [TFTS] ). Again, it 

       is impossible to estimate

       at this time how representative these are, and of course any

       associated
real problems (if actually related to the phone itself) could be
caused by anything from hardware issues (usually a hassle to fix) to 

       firmware issues (typically much easier to deal with).

       Since my longstanding concerns and recommendations regarding
       Google's

       support structure in general are already quite well known, I
       won't go

       farther into that aspect here for now

       (

       <http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000509.html>http://lauren.vortex.com/archive/000509.html

       ).

       --Lauren--

       Lauren Weinstein

       <mailto:lauren () vortex com
<http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo..com/mc/compose?to=lauren () vortex com >>lauren () vortex com 
       <mailto:lauren () vortex com
<http://us.mc655.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=lauren () vortex com >> 

       Tel: +1 (818) 225-2800

       <http://www.pfir.org/lauren>http://www.pfir.org/lauren

       Co-Founder, PFIR

       - People For Internet Responsibility -
<http://www.pfir.org <http://www.pfir.org/>>http:// www.pfir.org 
       <http://www.pfir.org/>

       Co-Founder, NNSquad

       - Network Neutrality Squad -

       <http://www.nnsquad.org
       <http://www.nnsquad.org/>>http://www.nnsquad.org
       <http://www..nnsquad.org/>

       Founder, GCTIP - Global Coalition

       for Transparent Internet Performance -

       <http://www.gctip.org
<http://www.gctip.org/>>http://www.gctip.org <http://www.gctip.org/ > 

       Founder, PRIVACY Forum - <http://www.vortex.com
       <http://www.vortex.com/>>http://www..vortex.com
       <http://www.vortex.com/>

       Member, ACM Committee on Computers and Public Policy

       Lauren's Blog: <http://lauren.vortex.com
       <http://lauren.vortex.com/>>http://lauren.vortex.com
       <http://lauren.vortex.com/>

       Twitter:

       <https://twitter.com/laurenweinstein>https://twitter.com/laurenweinstein

       Archives <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now>

       <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/>

       <http://www.listbox.com <http://www.listbox.com/>>

   Archives <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now>
<https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/> [Powered by Listbox] 

   <http://www.listbox.com <http://www.listbox.com/>>

Archives <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now>
<https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/>



<http://www.listbox.com/>

Archives <https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now>
<https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/>



<http://www.listbox.com/>





-------------------------------------------
Archives: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/=now
RSS Feed: https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/rss/247/
Powered by Listbox: http://www.listbox.com
Previous By Date Next
Previous By Thread Next

Current thread: