Phone, frequency, hell

My selection of getting my next mobile in Hong Kong and then bring it back to US to use in either AT&T or TMobile network is getting smaller and smaller.  But the reserach forced me to understand all options I have now, and that is actually a good thing.

So it started with me finding out that AT&T operated at a 3G Data Frequency (850/1900), and in fact use 850 in most area since it's the original and better equipped frequency.  My HTC Desire brought from Hong Kong does not operate at that frequency and so I cannot use my HTC Desire with AT&T's 3G data network.


So now, with the TMobile $30 unlimited 3G no-contract data plan, I was thinking, how about T-Mobile.  Sure, many people have shitty experience, the activation seems to require IMEI, but I was told that there are people successfully worked around the problem to use the plan.  And since the kit is so cheap, I was thinking that maybe it worth the try, PROVIDED that the TMobile phone frequency works with my HTC Desire.


So here's what I found out: nope.


Here's what I got from this link: "T-Mobile uses a specific kind of frequency calls AWS and it's the 1700mhz band, if the phone just has 2100mhz it will not receive any kind of 3G signal whatsoever."  Another link confirms that it does use 1700.  This post explains further about the fact that even if a phone supports 2100, which TMobile use, but since "TM splits its downstream/upstream services for 3/3.5/4G between 1700 and 2100 mhz. If you have a phone with just 2100 it won't work."   So that means a phone needs to either use 1700 or have both 1700 and 2100 in order to work on TMobile's 3G data network.


Becasue of that, not only my HTC Desire won't work on TMobile, the international version of Samsung Galaxy S II also won't.    notice that they have 1700 only for special version "(For Telus)". How about Note?  International version, NO CHANCE.  All thanks that freaking 1700.  Now I was told that Tmobile is working on it SO THAT they can support iPhone.  But I'll wait til that actually happens.

So TMobile is out of the picture.  On the bright side, most recent phones like Samsung Galaxy Note, Samsung Galaxy S2 and so on supports AT&T's 850/1900 frequently.  So I guess I just have to stick with AT&T for a while then.

Adding Chinese handwriting on HTC Desire

After using custom rom on my HTC Desire, I found one thing that is seriously missing: Traditional Chinese handwriting input.  No problem, since some one already figured it out.  Go can go to this site, and for HTC Desire, download the "下載 v4 WVGA SD 卡版本 ( 不需要 root, 需要 sd card ) (SE Arc, Desire, Nexus One, Galaxy )" one, which is "HTC_CIME_WVGA_mod_v4.zip".  You need to expand this zip, and you will find an .apk file and a .zip file (zifiles.zip).  The content of the zifiles.zip file (.ziz8d folder) needs to be at the root of your microSD card.  Then you just run the .apk file to install the package.  In fact, you can even move the installation to the microSD card.  Very nice.

How to stop AirDroid

Ever since AirDroid updated to new version, I was always puzzled by how to stop AirDroid since the "Stop" sharing button was golden.  Today I finally figured out: all you need is click back button.  The applicaiton will ask if you want to "Exit" the application.  Said yes, and you will stop AirDorid sharing.

More apps I installed on my customed-Romed HTC Desire

- Pulse
- Facebook
- AudioGalaxy
- Twitter
- Dolphin Browser HD
- Google Voice Search

So that's why my unlocked HTC Desire sucks on AT&T network

Today I spent quite some time, and finally figure out how to make the iPad microSIM works in my HTC Desire mobile phone.  It's actually way easier than I expected.  All you need to do is set up these under [Wireless & Network] setting, and under [Mobile Networks], create a new entry under "Access Point Names":

Name: AT&T Data (or whatever you want)
APN: Broadband
MCC: 310
MNC: 410
Authentication Type: None

Now simply select that "AT&T Data" access point name, and that's it.

I found that on my phone, it's better to reboot the phone to make the setting finally sink in.

So I few things special to my phone:

• Since I am using AT&T network, so under Network Preference, I should choose "GSM only".  The W-CDMA is irrelevant to me.
• I don't think "Network Operators" matter to my case.  BUt it's ok to get into, let the system sense the right one, and the reboot.

But then, the hard reality sink in: the phone seems to be ALWAYS running under GPRS and speed was horrible.  It took forever to download just 4Mb of data.  I was puzzled, because I heard that there are other people using HTC Desire on AT&T network.

And finally this post hit the core problem: even though the voice data is operate in a frequency range that my HTC Desire support, the 3G data network doesn't.  This one explain stuff by number:  For 2G network, the phone support the "GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900" range.  But for 3G network, the international version only support "HSDPA 900 / 2100", while the north America version support "HSDPA 850 / 1900".  That totally explain why I can get connection, but yet the data connection is in 2G quality.

So how the hell can I find phones in HK (heaven of unlocked phone) that support 3G network i n "HSDPA 850 / 1900" range?  I don't know.  BUt there's one phone I know for sure that will work: iPhone.  Damn, so maybe that's what I should go for?

I also read this, and this, and this, and this ....  but damn, all hope lost.  Seems like getting an unlocked iPhone is my only back of having a powerful pocket size WiFi device that allows me to reuse the AT&T microSim for my iPad.

Finally I installed a custom ROM

It took me so long to make up my mind to install a custom ROM on my HTC Desire.  There were a lot of reasons, like laziness and such.  But today after went to BestBuy trying out some mobile phones, I finally decided to give custom room a try.  A few reasons:

• I found that sometime I thought I wanted something, and after I got it, I realized that it's not what I want.  Case in point: I thought I will love a 5 inch phone, like Samsung Note, but I tried it at the store and realized that I didn't like the fact that I can't do a lot of things single hand.  That 5 inch phone was just way too big for my pocket.  And the Note application?  Very sluggish.  And then I suddenly realize that everything I need for a mobile phone is already installed in my HTC Desire already.  There's no point to get a new phone.  After all, my HTC Desire is exactly the right size for me.
• I realized once again that no matter what phone I get, it's the data plan that will ultimately make the difference.

 So I downloaded this custom ROM, and tried installing it using the Rom Manager.  But the first time failed, and I have to reboot the phone.  On the second time I did clear all the data in the BIOS, and apply the custom ROM again.  This time it worked. 

And everything went pretty ok. 

Here's the apps I reinstalled on my Andorid phone.

Google Play Marketplace

- Evernote
- Dropbox
- People Radio
- Google Voice
- You Tube
- Winamp
- Angry Birds Space
- Flickr
- GTasks
- Office Suite Pro 6


Amazon App Store

- App 2 SD Pro
- Amazon Music
- Sketchbook (Pro) Mobile

Good USB 3.0 Harddisk; Bad SkyDrive

Last night I brought a new USB 3.0 hard disk called Touro Pro, and it works pretty darn well.  I used it to host a VMWare disk in it, and unlike other USB 2.0 harddisk or eSATA harddisk I used, I haven't experienced any lost connection yet.  I will keep using it and report whatever finding I have.

On the other hand, hosting my work files on SkyDrive sucks.  Not only that I keep having syncing problem, I also found that it slow down my home network.  Also, on iPad, I can't roundtrip it so that I open the file in SkyDrive app, edit it in QuickOffice app, and then save it back to SkyDrive.  Come to think of it, maybe I should store my stuff in GDrive instead.

Seriously think that SkyDrive is **cking up my home network

I know my way of using SkyDrive, like putting portable application in it, maybe abusive, but then SkyDrive engineer should find way to fix it.  Instead, I found SkyDrive constantly sucking up bandwidth from my home network.  In fact, the moment I stopped SkyDrive for desktop, suddenly the network went super smooth.  So, nope, no SkyDrive for desktop for now.

Eee Slate with Windows RC: I want to love and use you, but I don't

With so much hype happening during Computex 2012 related to touch supported hardware for Windows 8, it's hard not to get excited about the possibility of using these WindowsRT tablet instead of iOS or Android based tablet.  Yet, the experience of using EeeSlate with Windows 8 RC as my primary daily use tablet didn't give me the confidence that Microsoft hoped Win8 RC would.

To me, as for now, the biggest deal breaker is the failing on Windows Media Center and lack of Traditional Chinese handwriting input for the device.  Those 2 are my main use case, and they both failed on the current build.  My iPad doesn't do Windows Media Center extender, but at least there's enough media play back apps that makes the experience more acceptable.

Nevertheless, Microsoft is heading toward the right direction, and I hope that eventually they will solve these problems. or eventually I will buy another hardware that doesn't have these problems anymore.

No Traditional Chinese handwriting input on Windows 8 RC ... yet ...

After finding out how to set up additional input for non-English language, I was excited and trying to add Traditional Chinese handwriting input, only to find out that it's not available yet. Sad.

So that is Windows 8 RC

Windows 8 RC was released a few days ago, so I downloaded it, have it installed on both my Asus Eee Slate 121 and Lenovo X60T.  Here's my observation so far:

• Some of the problems in Developer Preview and Consumer Preview has been fixed.  For instance, SketchBook Pro Metro app now works flewlessly on my EeeSlate.
• Windows Media Center STILL does not work on my EeeSlate (got the codec missing error).  This is so frustrating, since if this feature works, I can actually use this device daily.  Now it becomes a reminder of my frustration.  However, it worked ok on my X60T.  Odd.
• Visual Studio 2012 Premium Edition RC was FAILED to be installed on my EeeSlate (running Win8 RC 64 bit).  However, the installation went ok when applied to a 32bit Win8 RC (my X60T).  

So I really have mixed feeling with this release.  and I seriously doubt if people will choose WindowsRT tablet instead of Andorid or iPad.