Cell Phone-related Question

[WizardStan]

... and anyway, phones tend to cost *less* than those modems...

Agreed. Instead of trying to make the pandora do everything, why not just accept that there are some things it's not suitable for, buy a small cell phone with no bells or whistles for $40, and bluetooth tether it to your Pandora.

 

[TaG]

... and anyway, phones tend to cost *less* than those modems...

Agreed. Instead of trying to make the pandora do everything, why not just accept that there are some things it's not suitable for, buy a small cell phone with no bells or whistles for $40, and bluetooth tether it to your Pandora.Sensible suggestion.

Too sensible, not enough fun.

It's just one of those things you would love to do. It would be both cool and under certain circumstances very practical to be able to do this. But battery life and economics conspiring are probably going to put this on the back burner.

 

[God Ginrai]

Don't these usb cellular modems have a high power drain? I think it would be better to just use a cellphone over bluetooth to have mobile internet.

I wasn't looking at this for internet. I was looking at it for Cellular calls.

... and anyway, phones tend to cost *less* than those modems...

Agreed. Instead of trying to make the pandora do everything, why not just accept that there are some things it's not suitable for, buy a small cell phone with no bells or whistles for $40, and bluetooth tether it to your Pandora.


1) Because the cell phones that Verizon provides are shit. (And no sim cards means for now that we can't use other cell phones)

2) Because I'm not trying to bluetooth-tether my cell phone to my Pandora for Internet access. I want to make cellular calls with it

I realize how absurd this may sound that I want to make phone calls with my Pandora, (even tho' I've seen plenty of people harping about VoIP) but I'd at least like to try it out.

-God Ginrai

 

[WizardStan]

1) Because the cell phones that Verizon provides are shit. (And no sim cards means for now that we can't use other cell phones)

Find a different carrier ASAP. There's no excuse these days for a provider not to support sim cards, and the sooner everyone moves en masse to someone who does the better.

2) Because I'm not trying to bluetooth-tether my cell phone to my Pandora for Internet access. I want to make cellular calls with it

That's what I meant as well. Leave the phone in your pocket, just tether it to the Pandora for making the calls. I'm pretty sure (although I could be wrong) that you can place calls via the bluetooth link. Like a bluetooth dialer... nope, not wrong. Such software exists: first google hit though I expect there to be others.
Thus, smallest phone you can get with absolutely no extra features beyond bluetooth sits in your pocket, or backpack, or on a belt loop; somewhere innocuous, And via software link, you make "phone calls" from your Pandora.

I realize how absurd this may sound that I want to make phone calls with my Pandora, (even tho' I've seen plenty of people harping about VoIP) but I'd at least like to try it out.

It's not absurd in theory. It's the principal. Replacing something small and cheap with something larger and more expensive is contrary to what I see in the Pandora. Even if you could find a USB dongle that would do what you wanted, it would still hang off of it making it difficult to put in your pocket. The tether/softdial seems to be the best option for what you're looking for, or so it would seem to me. I'd love to hear your arguments if you feel otherwise.

 

[Soulkiller]

Also, you question about SMS. Keep in ming that SMS is essentially email. You can e-mail someones cellphone and it will show up as a text message.

Eg: if their number is 555-555-5555 and their carrier is verizon then you would email
5555555555@vtext.com

(just search around for the carriers SMS address for diffrent carriers)

And these people can reply back to your email as well. Most carriers also support sending pictures as well through email.

 

[AireTamStorm]

EDIT: There doesn't seem to be any indication of it working in the US. :\

-God Ginrai

I'm using the internet right now on an EV-DO modem in the USA. There are also GSM equivalents. (http://www.letstalk.com/img/prod/cell-phones/sprintpcs/sierrawireless/32728_pdi.gif) a Sprint AirCard 595U. It is one of the reasons I hope the Pandora gets the full suite of networking utilities (PPP as well as Ethernet / WiFi) and certain kernel driver support (usbserial, sierra although I don't believe sierra is necessary). I wish there was SOME kind of confirmation or request page for kernel driver support.

Edit: The EV-DO modem I have has an internal battery. The battery kicks in when the amperage goes below the full 500mA. The Pandora's host port does put out the full amperage to my knowledge, but the OTG port does not. I don't know if you would be able to set the host port to the lower amperage. If you're able to, you'll drain the modem's battery and the Pandora should have less of a load. EV-DO otherwise devours battery life as has been suggested.

 

[emil10001]

I'm going to agree, in part, with WizardStan. Getting a crappy cell phone with bluetooth that is mostly used as a modem is exactly what i did. The only problem is that the phone is crappy, it only supports bluetooth version 1 (or 1.2?). So, on my laptop, I use USB instead of Bluetooth. I hardly ever interact with my phone, so the crappiness doesn't really bother me too much. But it does allow me to be online on my laptop for 9 hours a day at the office. And the speed isn't really that bad.

I think that aside from the form-factor issue, the other major drawback of trying to use the pandora as a cellphone with the usb modem is that it will always have to be on, and feeding power to the radio. So, even when you aren't using the pandora, it's killing the battery.

I will disagree with WizardStan on the whole SIM-card thing. Verizon is not a GSM carrier, they don't use SIM cards. The excuse for not using them would be existing network architecture. However, I believe that this will change once they move towards LTE. Though I do agree that their phones could be more portable and suck less (stupid BREW).

 

[God Ginrai]

1) Because the cell phones that Verizon provides are shit. (And no sim cards means for now that we can't use other cell phones)

Find a different carrier ASAP. There's no excuse these days for a provider not to support sim cards, and the sooner everyone moves en masse to someone who does the better.


Aside from AT&T and Verizon, all the other US providers have crap for coverage. And AT&T likes to drop your calls a helluva lot more than Verizon does.

Even if you could find a USB dongle that would do what you wanted, it would still hang off of it making it difficult to put in your pocket.

A short USB extender would fix that problem easily.

-God Ginrai

 

[WizardStan]

1) Because the cell phones that Verizon provides are shit. (And no sim cards means for now that we can't use other cell phones)

Find a different carrier ASAP. There's no excuse these days for a provider not to support sim cards, and the sooner everyone moves en masse to someone who does the better.


Aside from AT&T and Verizon, all the other US providers have crap for coverage. And AT&T likes to drop your calls a helluva lot more than Verizon does.

That's only because you (the mass market, not you specifically) let them. If you (the US at large) had actually moved forward with the cell standards that you (the US government) had accepted like Europe and Asia did and not allowed companies to produce mostly incompatible services, we wouldn't have to worry about it. Of course, if you (the consumer) had refused to buy into anything that did not follow the standard, then Verizon and all others would have quickly fallen by the wayside, or changed their business plans, and you would be experiencing similar connectivity that Europe and Asia currently experience.
Note: this is an entirely hypocritical statement since I generally tend toward the cheapest products, within reason. If one can of tuna says "no dolphins killed" and costs $1, while another one says "we're pretty sure no dolphins were killed" but only costs 75 cents, my conscience allows me to save a quarter. Just as a bad example that has nothing to do with cell phones.
The whole thing was me being only partially serious. In the ideal world, all networks would be GSM (or whatever the latest standard is) and you would be free to choose whichever phone you wanted, so that cell phone carriers could compete strictly on the services they provide. I still encourage people to move off of non-SIM card services, but it's the same as encouraging people to ditch Windows and switch to Linux: wishful dreams, but not likely to happen. Anywho, that's enough random banter. Back to the topic at hand!

Even if you could find a USB dongle that would do what you wanted, it would still hang off of it making it difficult to put in your pocket.

A short USB extender would fix that problem easily.

Yeah, I thought of that later as well, but you're still looking at a couple cm sticking out the side, plus a fair bit of cable, unless you cut it down. And you do need to be more careful pulling your Pandora out than normal with the extra attachments.
I'm not saying it's a bad idea, just that it may not be the best idea.

 

[God Ginrai]

1) Because the cell phones that Verizon provides are shit. (And no sim cards means for now that we can't use other cell phones)

Find a different carrier ASAP. There's no excuse these days for a provider not to support sim cards, and the sooner everyone moves en masse to someone who does the better.


Aside from AT&T and Verizon, all the other US providers have crap for coverage. And AT&T likes to drop your calls a helluva lot more than Verizon does.

That's only because you (the mass market, not you specifically) let them. If you (the US at large) had actually moved forward with the cell standards that you (the US government) had accepted like Europe and Asia did and not allowed companies to produce mostly incompatible services, we wouldn't have to worry about it. Of course, if you (the consumer) had refused to buy into anything that did not follow the standard, then Verizon and all others would have quickly fallen by the wayside, or changed their business plans, and you would be experiencing similar connectivity that Europe and Asia currently experience.
Note: this is an entirely hypocritical statement since I generally tend toward the cheapest products, within reason. If one can of tuna says "no dolphins killed" and costs $1, while another one says "we're pretty sure no dolphins were killed" but only costs 75 cents, my conscience allows me to save a quarter. Just as a bad example that has nothing to do with cell phones.
The whole thing was me being only partially serious. In the ideal world, all networks would be GSM (or whatever the latest standard is) and you would be free to choose whichever phone you wanted, so that cell phone carriers could compete strictly on the services they provide. I still encourage people to move off of non-SIM card services, but it's the same as encouraging people to ditch Windows and switch to Linux: wishful dreams, but not likely to happen. Anywho, that's enough random banter. Back to the topic at hand!


Trust me, I would like to switch to Verizon, but they have better bang for your buck, if you get what I mean.

Even if you could find a USB dongle that would do what you wanted, it would still hang off of it making it difficult to put in your pocket.

A short USB extender would fix that problem easily.

Yeah, I thought of that later as well, but you're still looking at a couple cm sticking out the side, plus a fair bit of cable, unless you cut it down. And you do need to be more careful pulling your Pandora out than normal with the extra attachments.
I'm not saying it's a bad idea, just that it may not be the best idea.


I understand, however, my pants have large pockets, so I don't have to worry.

-God Ginrai

 

[Twiitcher]

My thoughts on this --> Skype + Pandora ---> Wi-Fi = Pandora as a telephone.. can use bluetooth headset if you want.... not technically a cell phone call however it's Pandora to any phone #. Cost is minimal.

Not sure if this serves your needs / wishes.... but it would serve mine... using the Pandora to make phone calls to anyone for a monthly fee of $8.00 monthly, unlimited calls US / Canada. [3 bucks monthly for outgoing, 5 bucks monthly for online number for incomming]

Twiitcher

 

[God Ginrai]

My thoughts on this --> Skype + Pandora ---> Wi-Fi = Pandora as a telephone.. can use bluetooth headset if you want.... not technically a cell phone call however it's Pandora to any phone #. Cost is minimal.

Not sure if this serves your needs / wishes.... but it would serve mine... using the Pandora to make phone calls to anyone for a monthly fee of $8.00 monthly, unlimited calls US / Canada. [3 bucks monthly for outgoing, 5 bucks monthly for online number for incomming]

Twiitcher

It would serve my needs easily if there was WiFi wherever I went.

-God Ginrai

 

[emil10001]

With GrandCentral, and a VoIP client, you could make and recieve calls for free* to/from either your cell phone or your VoIP client, whichever is more convenient at the moment, all with one number.

*Currently (AFAIK) both ways are free through GC, but I understand that they might start charging for outgoing calls at some point.

 

[jmetal88]

Aside from AT&T and Verizon, all the other US providers have crap for coverage. And AT&T likes to drop your calls a helluva lot more than Verizon does.

Not in my area. :rolleyes:

AT&T is total crap. I can get coverage in my home town sometimes, but where I live now they don't even have roaming coverage.

Verizon has good coverage here, but none in my home town.

Y'know what the best cell provider is? T-Mobile. I haven't found a single spot in my home town or here where I don't get coverage, and T-Mobile doesn't even sell service in these parts. T-Mobile has free roaming on their prepaid phones, and, apparently, also on their data plans (I don't have a voice plan with them, so I can't comment there). Because they have roaming contracts with nearly every GSM provider, you'll get service pretty much everywhere there is service.

 

[God Ginrai]

Aside from AT&T and Verizon, all the other US providers have crap for coverage. And AT&T likes to drop your calls a helluva lot more than Verizon does.

Not in my area. :rolleyes:

AT&T is total crap. I can get coverage in my home town sometimes, but where I live now they don't even have roaming coverage.

Verizon has good coverage here, but none in my home town.

Y'know what the best cell provider is? T-Mobile. I haven't found a single spot in my home town or here where I don't get coverage, and T-Mobile doesn't even sell service in these parts. T-Mobile has free roaming on their prepaid phones, and, apparently, also on their data plans (I don't have a voice plan with them, so I can't comment there). Because they have roaming contracts with nearly every GSM provider, you'll get service pretty much everywhere there is service.


T-Mobile is good in some places, but not on the average. For example, T-Mobile is the worst service you can get in my area.

-God Ginrai

 

[Fishbong]

My thoughts on this --> Skype + Pandora ---> Wi-Fi = Pandora as a telephone..

Cool, but are there opensource skype clients? I don´t think so...

Anyway, the way you guys are talking, you seem to assume that support for using (cellphone) dialup over bluetooth is a given. Is that so? I don´t have a clue how the bluetooth device support of linux looks like.

Offtopic, but i am a bit confused: Can't you just buy a cellphone and then stick any sim card into it in the USA?

 

[God Ginrai]

My thoughts on this --> Skype + Pandora ---> Wi-Fi = Pandora as a telephone..

Cool, but are there opensource skype clients? I don´t think so...

Anyway, the way you guys are talking, you seem to assume that support for using (cellphone) dialup over bluetooth is a given. Is that so? I don´t have a clue how the bluetooth device support of linux looks like.

Offtopic, but i am a bit confused: Can't you just buy a cellphone and then stick any sim card into it in the USA?


Verizon doesn't use SIM cards.

-God Ginrai

 

[emil10001]

Anyway, the way you guys are talking, you seem to assume that support for using (cellphone) dialup over bluetooth is a given. Is that so? I don´t have a clue how the bluetooth device support of linux looks like.

I believe that it will work out of the box. As I have said before, there isn't really that much to it. I will post the chatscript and instructions that I did when I get a chance (hopefully this week).

 

[Jaxartes]

Offtopic, but i am a bit confused: Can't you just buy a cellphone and then stick any sim card into it in the USA?

Nope. Here's the story:

There are several different systems used by cell phones. Typically a given phone uses one and only one of those systems (I believe there have been some phones that support more than one, though), and likewise a given provider's network.

One of those systems is GSM. That's the one sim cards are for. At one time, as I recall, Europe had GSM and the USA had a couple of other competing systems. Now GSM has caught up in the USA, but it's still by no means universal.

So, if your provider is not using GSM, you don't get a sim card and your phone won't take a sim card.

 

[God Ginrai]

Offtopic, but i am a bit confused: Can't you just buy a cellphone and then stick any sim card into it in the USA?

Nope. Here's the story:

There are several different systems used by cell phones. Typically a given phone uses one and only one of those systems (I believe there have been some phones that support more than one, though), and likewise a given provider's network.

One of those systems is GSM. That's the one sim cards are for. At one time, as I recall, Europe had GSM and the USA had a couple of other competing systems. Now GSM has caught up in the USA, but it's still by no means universal.

So, if your provider is not using GSM, you don't get a sim card and your phone won't take a sim card.


To expand, I believe that verizon is CDMA.

-God Ginrai