Mobile Phones, WAP, and The Evil Service Provider

This is a bit off-topic, and kind of a rant; but hey...it's my blog, right? And it will end up having something to do with circuit boards. At least I think it will.

About a week ago, my wife (who is not exactly a bleeding-edge techno-nerd) asked me about putting a custom ringtone on her mobile phone. I (rather arrogantly, and shortsightedly) replied: "I guess any script-kiddie out there could probably create a ringtone out of an MP3 and send it to your phone in a few minutes. I'll take care of it some morning while I'm having coffee..."

Now, I understand a few things about mobile technology. I know what WAP, WML, CDMA, and GSM are. I know that the worldwide ringtone market is estimated at around $4Billion/year. Hard to believe until you see your bill after your teenage daughter finds all the real music polyphonic ringtones on GetItNow! or similarly convenient services.

So I find some tutorials, some software, and some other rants and begin putting the pieces together. Should be able to simply send an email message to the phone with an MP3 attached, right. Nope, never makes it through SMS gateway at the service provider. How about one of those $20 "create-a-ringtone" software packages? Nope, phone can't seem to access the URL's. After some more digging, I find out that with ALMOST EVERY service provider (e.g. AT&T, TMobile, Cingular, Sprint, and about a hundred I've never heard of), this all works relatively seamlessly. Only a handful of providers make it more difficult...well, maybe just one and it happens to be my provider, Verizon. Anyway, I hand-code some Python to send a special SMS to the phone, and it ends up working. Then one of my friends announces "oh, I use a website that lets me do all the ringtones I want for like $10 a year..." ARRGH!

CAUTION: TOPIC DEVIATION AHEAD

So as I'm investigating all of this rediculous-ness I happen to look a bit deeper into one of those PCMCIA-based wireless broadband deals that gives you unlimited broadband over a wireless (e.g. "cellular") connection for $59/month. Yes, I often get sidetracked. So I'm thinking "I could just get one of those and use my Skype account to make all my phone calls, and I'd have unlimited mobile communication for $60/month." Of course, I'd have to tote around a full-size laptop. So now I'm in search of an ultra-portable, possibly wearable, super-battery-life PC with a PCMCIA slot. In later articles, we may discuss the technical challenges facing PCB shops who attempt to build such a device...or maybe we won't.

Top Ten Reasons Why I'm Not Attending The IPC Expo

Continuing on in the "TOP TEN" genre...hopefully this one is funnier than the last one :-)

10. Really...how much different can THIS year's drill machines be?
9. I typically drink WAY too much cappuccino at the Orbotech booth.
8. I hate pretending I understand what one of those German engineers is talking about.
7. I've already been to Disneyland.
6. I don't drink beer...anymore.
5. "Networking" gives me a headache.
4. I've already got a closet full of stress-balls and light-up pens.
3. Nobody is paying my way.
2. So I don't have to deal with the "namebadge-glance-smile-handshake".
1. Because nobody told me I HAD to be there!