Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with 3g

What can I/should I do with my new-to-me used Kindle DX?

Zed — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 12:54:16 -0800

I've had an e-reader, but never a Kindle and never one with 3G. I understand the reading PDFs and mobi file part, but what else should I know about: what the 3G is good for; apps; hacks; subscribable Kindle-optimized content; the Kindle ecosystem? Besides Instapaper, are there other convert-stuff-to-read-on-your-ereader things I should know about? You can assume I'm already paranoid about Amazon being in my business and will back up all material to where the Bezos don't shine (and if I ever give in and buy something DRM-ed, I'll strip it.)

My computers are Linux-only, so I'm generally not interested in any Mac or Windows helper applications (unless maybe some Windows-only thing is so totally amazing it inspires me to go through the overhead of setting up a Windows VM.)

Is it looked at as unprofessional to not have mobile internet?

bleep — Sun, 03 Feb 2013 17:33:45 -0800

My career in web design is progressing and I'm wondering how long I can get away with not shelling out for a data plan before it makes me look bad. I'm in the field of web design in Chicago. I'm working as a contractor.

I don't have any sort of 3G/4G internet to my name. I have a laptop and take notes on paper instead of on a tablet like many of coworkers. I also have an iPod touch. I live in a big city so when I need to get email or maps there is usually a McDonalds or Starbucks nearby. For calls and texting I have a dumb-phone. This has sufficed so far. I don't do much traveling for work but that may change in the future (that possibility is one thing that makes me think about this now).

Previously I wasn't making enough to afford any kind of mobile internet but now I'm making enough to wonder if not having it is making me look cheap and/or unprofessional. I admit it would be a nice luxury but at the same time I do see it as a luxury and one I'm not certain I can afford. But if it's making me look bad and I need it for my career then I don't want to be cheap. Please advise.

If it does turn out that this is something that needs to happen, I'm also not at all sure about any of the particulars.
Do I also need a tablet? Can I get a tablet with 4G that can be tethered? Or should I get a smartphone or one of those mini personal hotspot devices? How much GB do I need on my plan?

Short-term Internet service in London

Kronios — Sun, 13 Jan 2013 04:58:48 -0800

I am studying abroad for the semester in London. My flat mates and I are looking for an Internet solution that doesn't require a contract. We picked up a 3G hotspot from Three but it isn't very fast. Is it possible to get actual broadband service without a 12- or 18-month contract?

How to work around $20/day hotel Internet in Central London

carlodio — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 12:33:11 -0800

My friend is headed to London for eight nights and the hotel he is staying at has Internet for $20 a day. Is there a way around that? Is there a cheap "Mi-Fi" type 3g/wifi device available without a plan, or other tricks to leverage prepaid 3g for his and his wife's laptops? Just a 3g sim isn't enough as they will really need laptop wifi access.

Cheap, 3G, or readable: pick two

nakedmolerats — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 13:23:37 -0800

What kind of tablet/reader is best for me? I want something with built-in 3G, but I'd rather not pay an arm and a leg for a contract. The product I am looking for may not actually exist, but I'm hoping MeFites can offer recommendations based on their experience.

Features I want:

-web browsing. I know the Kindles come with "experimental browsers" but are those really slow or annoying? I want to be able to check email, Facebook, Metafilter, etc.

-built in 3G, but free or cheap. I don't know if this is possible. I've read that some Kindles have built-in 3G, but only to access the Kindle library. I really can't afford to pay for a monthly data plan on top of my cell phone bill. But I would like to be able to get online in buses, cars, etc and not have to squint at my 3" phone screen.

- I'd prefer to use Android, and I think the iPad is pretty pricey, but if that seems closest to what I want I would consider it.

Basically, I want something I can web browse on with a bigger screen than a smartphone, maybe watch Netflix on, and use as an e-reader, but not primarily. I like the idea of a Kindle but ideally I want something that is a reader and has web functionality.

Does this product exist? A tablet-sized smartphone, without the phone functions?

(I should add that I have a smartphone and am vaguely aware of tethering, but I use Virgin and I don't think they allow that, plus I'm not very techy and don't know where to start)

Do used Kindles with cell modems still get service?

morganw — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 17:57:22 -0800

Do used Kindles with cell modems still get service? I'm in California doing the formatting for a novel my dad, in Rhode Island, wrote for Kindle Direct Publishing. I'm using the Kindle iPad app and the Kindle Previewer app to see what comes out of kindlegen, but I want to get some real devices, old & new.

To start, I'd like to get a couple of Kindle 2s. I'd like my dad's to have the 3G working so he doesn't have to set up the wifi & I can email new .mobis to his magic @kindle.com address. (I know he'll still need to sign on to Manage My Kindle to "push" it to the device).

But I'm baffled by the "Unlocked" Kindles on eBay. The descriptions suggest that you can only count on the wifi working. I've read that Kindle 1 and early Kindle 2 were Sprint and the Kindle 2 International is GSM and in the US is AT&T.

The AT&T models are $75-$80
The International/Unlocked models are $40-$50

I thought that these were not designed for users to be buying SIM cards & service, but it just worked in countries where Amazon had agreements with carriers.

Looking for a Mac OS compatible 3G AT&T USB dongle

circular — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 12:07:14 -0800

I'm looking for 1) an AT&T 3G USB modem(?) that is compatible with Mac OS and 2) an accompanying short-term data plan arrangement. I haven't been able to find a device that states it's compatible with Mac OS, but I may be looking in the wrong place. I will be traveling to Bear Lake, UT, and it looks like coverage there is OK.

I also don't know if there's some sort of pre-paid card I can get that fits the bill--I won't be gone for long, and am not sure which service to inquire after. My needs are web & internet stuff like SSH.

Thank you!

What's 3G got that wifi doesn't on a phone?

garlic — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 13:36:10 -0800

I've had a smart phone (android nexus one) for a few years now, but have always gotten by with wifi access only. I just recently bit the bullet on 3g access. So what new things can I do now with my phone with my newfound wandering internet access?

Best 3g SIM card for Western Europe?

pompomtom — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 21:50:24 -0800

What are my prepaid 3g data+sim options for Western Europe? I will be in the UK for a week, the Netherlands and Belgium for a fortnight, and then France for a few days. What are my options for prepaid 3g data (including SIM(s))? Telephony is a minor issue, data is most important.

What companies should I be checking out? Are there any which won't require a new SIM per country?

3g iphone not reading sims card after update

foodybat — Thu, 12 Jul 2012 10:01:52 -0800

I updated a iPhone 3g with the latest software & now it won't read the sims card .... okay... my daughter's phone is a iPhone 3g 16 gig. works fine. I bought (what i thought) was the same phone for my son (my intention is just for him to use to play games/movies), used. After I examined it, this 3g 16 gig has a video camera capability. I took the sims card out of my daughter's phone & put it into this phone... & it worked just fine.

So, i wanted my daughter to have that (video capability).. so my plan was to give the 'new' phone i just bought to her, & then give her's to him... So the first thing i did was a full back up of my daughter's phone.

I then plugged in the new phone to iTunes & it immediately said it needed the new software update... so i did the update. When the phone restarted, i went through the setup ... (English, USA, connect to wifi,...) then on the last step which was activate phone.

iTunes came back saying, "Could not activate phone"... "your iPhone could not be activated because the activation server is temporarily unavailable. Try connecting your iPhone to iTunes to activate it, or try again in a couple of minutes. If this problem persists, contact apple support at apple/support.com". which of course i did plenty of times.

I then searched google a bit... i then put the phone into DFU mode & restore... which i tried & got the same results...

Now, i can still put the sims back in her old phone & it works fine... but now i have this other phone I can't seem to make work now....

I'm on a Macbook pro... & of course i confirmed my iTunes software was up to date.

I went to AT&T twice ... but they said they couldn't help & to goto the apple store or something. Of course when i called apple about this, they said any problems with the sims card must be addressed by the carrier (even though i told them the problem seemed to start when i updated the iPhone's software)

I am scheduled to go into the apple store tonight... but i'm sure they'll charge me...assuming they can fix it or not....

ANY IDEAS???

Mobile broadband in Australia, but cheap

dg — Thu, 03 May 2012 22:24:43 -0800

Seeking mobile broadband on the cheap in SE Queensland, Australia. Asking for a friend who wants to set up Internet access as cheaply as possible, but she doesn't have access to a landline. She simply wants to connect an iPad (WiFi only) to the Internet. Service must be pre-paid.

Obviously, ADSL is out and a USB dongle or similar is out. As far as I can tell, the only solution is one of the variously-described 3G modems that allow a connection via SIM card and then devices can connect to the modem via WiFi. She does not have a smart phone that can be tethered nor the capacity to get one.

It seems that Vodaphone have the cheapest deal available for prepaid. This modem, plus pre-paid data recharges.

Does anyone have any experience with this device/similar devices or suggestions for alternatives that are as cheap or cheaper? The same device is available for much less via a month-to-month plan, but she is adamant about pre-paid.

Slap me an app....

london302 — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 12:27:56 -0800

I need help finding an Android App which will do the following for me: Log me into my work's guest wifi which is an insecure hotspot but you have to open a web page where you enter a password (no username). It is like a hotspot you would find at starbucks but only expects a password (no username)

Extra bonus: If the same or a different app switches my data connection from 3G to 2G.

I am pretty sure such an app must exist but if not maybe a tasker recipe?

A similar question here was asked before but doesnt cover my problem

Can I force iOS apps to WiFi-only mode?

Shepherd — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 04:35:54 -0800

How do I prevent iOS apps from using 3G on my Bell-account iPhone? So Bell (Canada) reports obscene data usage on the cell phone, which neither my wife nor I can find any reason for. But Bell also refuses to tell us what the data was, or which sites/IP addresses were accessed from the phone, for "privacy reasons."

Aside from the obvious "Bell is making up numbers to soak us on our phone bill" assumption, I was wondering if there was something I could do to prevent apps from defaulting to 3G when WiFi was inaccessible. Our router seems to cut out from time to time (that's another AskMe in the future, probably), and we're wondering if part of the problem might be streaming audio that starts on WiFi and gets kicked to 3G when the router farts. Streaming audio that somehow switches to 3G without "warning" us is the only thing I can think of that can pull down the sudden 200 MB spikes in usage we see when reviewing usage.

I've been looking at settings, and I don't see any evident "only use WiFi" or "never use 3G" option for most of the apps, but I was hoping there was maybe something I was missing.

Jailbreaking is only a last-ditch apocalypse option, but if it's the only way I can control how data streams in and out of this thing, it's on the table.

In essence: I'd like to set the iPhone up so 3G works for telephone calls, maps and SMS, and only telephone calls, maps and SMS. I don't want to be able to access YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, BBC Listener, Soma FM, etc. etc. etc. over 3G.

Is this possible?

Dropped iPhone - Can the display be saved?

mikepop — Mon, 09 Apr 2012 09:39:42 -0800

I have a an old iPhone 3G that was dropped and is now only showing a white screen or a grayish screen with some vertical stripes (or a black screen). Otherwise it seems to be working - it makes the "battery connection" noise when you plug it in, the "unlock click" when I swipe my finger in the unlock area, etc. Is this something the genius bar can help with, or is this sort of thing un-recoverable (or are there other options I should explore first)?

Is a kindle good for this?

You Should See the Other Guy — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 12:09:05 -0800

Kindle questions: 1) I want a device that I can read (mostly) 8.5" x 11" PDFs on without much scrolling (as opposed to page turning) and 2) use to look up prices of things (not just books) on Amazon and other sites. The iPad is great for these except it's too heavy to lug around and a bit too bright to read for hours and I'd prefer no monthly bill for price checking. I'm in Canada if that makes a difference. Is the Kindle appropriate and if so, which one? Also, is it easy to transfer my PDFs too? Can I access Dropbox, for instance? Thanks.

No 3G roaming? For shame, Verizon!

dunkadunc — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:39:33 -0800

Cell phone question: Droid 3 user, on Verizon in coastal Maine. My phone only gets one bar of 1X data while roaming on US Cellular, while my girlfriend's CDMA Kindle and my brother's US Cellular phone get 3-4 bars of 3G data. The Verizon rep told me I should be able to get 3G from the US Cellular tower, but it's not happening. Does anyone know if there's any way to force my phone to roam on US Cellular's 3G? I know some people use custom PRLs, but this sort of thing is new to me and I'd like to do it properly. Other info:
I had the same situation on my original Droid. Tried a *228 on both phones, no improvement.

So I ordered it, paid for it, it's been shipped, but now I realize that it's not exactly what I wanted. What next?

Blue_Villain — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 05:52:17 -0800

I just bought a 32 GB Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, despite the fact that I was trying to buy a 32 GB Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 with 3G. What now? Return it and get what I wanted, or root my phone, save some cash, and move on? Brain fart, cognitive dissonance, either, both, whatever. I knew the price seemed too good to be true, but now what do I do?

I do a bit of travelling here and there, a couple times a year. Sometimes it's by plane, others by car, but it seems like it's almost always outside the range of wi-fi. So I figured I wanted a 3G tablet, despite the fact that 90% of my time will be within range of a decent wi-fi signal. (Yes, I know 3G doesn't work on planes, but it does work in those airports that don't offer free wi-fi, of which I have at multiple layovers in the next few months)

I have a phone that I can probably root for the occasional 3G fix, which I guess would make more sense financially, but it's not without it's drawbacks. I currently have a grandfathered unlimited data plan from AT$T, which I never really even get close to 4 GB of data, but I'd like to not have that taken away. And of course Occam would not be happy about having to maintain multiple devices and their cables while on the go. (dang you micro/mini USB standards) Also, that phone's kinda buggy and is still under warranty, so should I try to get the phone replaced before I try these shenanigans?

So my two part question is whether or not it's worth it to send back what I ordered but didn't want, and if so then can I do that now or should I wait until after it gets here. It was through an Amazon partner, because I'm sure that makes a difference.

So any advice, suggestions, shared experiences, age old wisdom, tall tales, even limericks and/or haikus would be appreciated.

Tooooo much goodness?

SLC Mom — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:32:05 -0800

Where should I have 3G function? iPhone or iPad? In October I broke down and bought a 3G iPhone. I love it, use it all the time.

On Friday I won an iPad2 in a drawing. (YAY! Thank you KPCC, you are my favorite radio station, ever!) Delivery in about 2 weeks, so I don't have it in my hands yet. I have played with iPads before though and love them. But from what I can tell today, this iPad will be wifi only.
I was looking forward to having 3G on a larger screen, using it as a GPS in the car, being able to browse the web while out and about, etc. I thought all iPads had 3G. Who knew?
Definitely a first world problem here, but still...

1. Will Apple let me upgrade it/swap it +cost for a 3G model?
2. What combination of iPad + some phone makes the most sense functionally? and financially?

iPad WiFi + iPhone: Is it too frustrating not to have your full iPad functions all the time? (I have heard about using the iPhone to create a personal hotspot, and then to use the WiFi on the iPad, but I think that is like $20 /month, which is more than an upgraded iPad would be.)

iPad 3G +iPhone: I would have to pay for two separate data plans, right?

iPad 3G + dumb phone: I can picture using iPad for my browsing and using a non-smart cell phone. Daughter would be happy to swap phones with me I think. Or does a smart phone offer something a 3G iPad does not (besides phone calls)

I keep a 200 MB data plan only, so we are not talking about huge amounts of data here.

In short: What combination do you use? What are the benefits and problems that you have found with it?

Thanks, hive!

Now iPhone, iPad, can you two play nice or do I have to have you separated?

Rewind — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 17:51:48 -0800

Can I use the same Macbook Pro (and iTunes account) to sync up both an AT&T iPhone AND a Verizon iPad? I currently have an AT&T iPhone which I sync with my Macbook Pro. My lovely wife currently has a Verizon iPhone which she syncs with her own Windows machine (separate Apple store account as well.) She very generously bought me a Verizon iPad2 for Christmas thinking that she would just add the iPad data plan to her existing Verizon account. However, I'm wondering if I'll be able to do this since the iTunes on my Macbook Pro still "thinks" I have a data plan with AT&T (via my existing iPhone.) Is iTunes smart enough to recognize that the iPhone and iPad are using two different data carriers but the same Apple store account, or is my best bet to return the Verizon iPad and just get an AT&T version?

Note: I also realize that I could create my own Verizon account just for the iPad and pay month to month, and I'm willing to do that, but it seems a little cumbersome for both my wife and I to have two separate accounts with Verizon. I've yet to open the iPad and just connect it and see what happens in case I end up needing to exchange it. Thanks in advance.

3G Access for My MacBook?

kmel — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 08:34:21 -0800

Can I get 3G access on a new Macbook Pro? If not, what is the least expensive alternative for my situation? I would like to have internet access at work (during breaks and lunch, of course) on my new Macbook Pro. We're not allowed to set up wifi hotspots at work, and there are no open wifi networks available. I have a 3G data plan with AT&T for our iPad, and ideally I'd be able to get a dongle so I can use that same plan for the Macbook, but it seems they only have 4G dongles now and the plans cost twice as much a month ($50 vs. $25 that I'm currently paying). I saw that there are old ATT 3G dongles on eBay but don't know if they'll work with my computer or my data plan.

I also have an LG Android phone with Virgin Mobile with unlimited data, don't know if there's any way I can tether it to the Macbook. Seems like not.

I also feel very uncomfortable using the word "dongle," but that's probably true of most everybody.

Move an iPhone 4 from AT&T to Tmobile?

idyllhands — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 19:43:48 -0800

I currently am on my parents plan with an iPhone 4 via AT&T for my phone/data. I would like to keep my phone and number, but move to T-Mobile on to my wife's plan. Is it true that 3G will not work as this article suggests? Can I use any other carrier beside AT&T without gimping my phone? Is there any chance in the future of compatibility with Tmobile? Also: would this nullify my unlimited data with AT&T? Is it possible to get off my parent's plan and on to my own without losing unlimited data? (I was told they no longer offer it..)

Must be cheaper than BT eh?

By The Grace of God — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 07:33:17 -0800

I need a pay as you go USB dongle for 3G wireless that will work with eee pc running Easy Peasy Ubuntu. This is in the UK. Contract will also be considered.

AT&T vs. Verizon: Bay Area iPhone Smackdown!

apostrophe — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 20:02:43 -0800

as a san francisco bay area resident who is about to upgrade to the iphone 4s, should i stick with at&t (with grandfathered-in unlimited data package) or jump ship to verizon? I have an iPhone 3G. It's an antique. I can't listen to my Spotify in the background while I use other apps. It's slow & cumbersome & has a cracked screen to boot. So I'm going to upgrade to the 4S. I've had an account with AT&T for years now, so I'd be grandfathered-in with the unlimited data plan. I don't use a ton of data currently, but is that because my phone sucks? I mean literally it takes 4-5 minutes to boot up the Facebook app.

I've heard wonderful things about Verizon. I live in Oakland but work in San Francisco, so use my phone on BART quite a bit. Mostly I use it to play Solitaire because I can never actually get on the network (even when the bars are full) during peak commute hours. So I've been pretty keen to jump ship.

But I've heard rumors that AT&T may have an edge when it comes to the 4S. And I'd hate to lose that unlimited data plan.

So tell me, nerds: what should I do? What would you do? Stick with AT&T? Or head on over to Verizon land?

Cached Wikipedia Vandalism

nzero — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 10:18:34 -0800

Why does Wikipedia show an old article revision on my phone? While looking up a quick fact about TNG today, I encountered a strange phenomenon. I went to this page from my Android phone (via Verizon 3G). I've never visited the page previously. There was some obvious vandalism (see this version) which I decided to log in from my computer to fix. Lo and behold, it isn't actually in the article anymore. Odd. So I refreshed the page from my mobile, and it still shows the vandalism (for a moment I thought it had been corrected in the time it took me to pull it up on the PC). Even if I view it in Desktop mode from my phone, or go into the history list and click on the newest revision manually, I still see the vandalized edit. However, if I compare versions I can see the most recent fixed article. So, what gives? Is Verizon caching Wikipedia pages?

Googling did turn up this vaguely related page.

Kindle 3 3G in Canada

backwards guitar — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 06:13:44 -0800

I'm in Canada and planning on buying a kindle, and am currently deciding whether I should buy a Kindle 3G, or stick with the Wi-fi only model. I'd like to use it at the cottage, where there is no Internet Access, but (not-so-great) 3G coverage. It seems like there are some restrictions on international kindles that don't exist in the U.S. Here are my main concerns:

* I'd like to use the built in browser over 3G, but I've heard this may not be possible for international Kindle units. I'd mostly just use it to check gmail, and perhaps the local newspaper. Twitter would be nice too.
* I need to be able to download/purchase books over 3G as well. From what I understand, the store is always available, though.
* As a heavy Instapaper user, I understand I can sync with my account there. Will this work in Canada too?
* It sounds like I can subscribe to magazines and newspapers - I'd like to be able to access these with 3G as well.

Not 3G specific:

* How easy is it to convert non-kindle format books to kindle format? I'd like to get books from the library, and don't think they're Kindle-ready. Calibre seems to be well regarded for this - does it work well?
* As a new e-reader owner, I'd appreciate any other knowledge on the subject.
* Also, are there any advantages to buying it through Amazon? A few brick and mortar retailers are starting to carry it as well, and I don't think there'd be a huge price advantage either way.

I know the Kindle 3 has been out for a while, and that a new model (or tablet) is probably forthcoming, but I'd like it for an upcoming trip in September, so I can't really wait.