Communications Connection » News & Tips

What’s with the Gs?

admin — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:07:54 +0000

There’s been a lot of publicity around 3G in recent days. Third generation technology or 3G provides accelerated data speeds and simultaneous voice and data capabilities for an amazing wireless voice and data experience. Some of the benefits you get with AT&T’s 3G coverage:

Access Cellular Video for faster on-demand viewing of high quality video clips from your favorite TV shows, news, sport and weather
Surf the wireless Internet faster and significantly lower your wait for page loads
Download files and access email faster from favorite providers like Yahoo!, MSN, and AOL.
Multi-task while you are on a call—search for movies times, look up directions, or send messages.
Get more done on the go with faster access to email and internet with AT&T LaptopConnect

AT&T has the nation’s fastest 3G network. This network currently covers 233 million people and is growing every day.

There are multiple levels of data service available on AT&T’s wireless network:

GPRS

General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is the first level of data service. Data is compressed into small packets and sent in short bursts. With average speeds of about 35 kbps, GPRS allows nationwide text and email service and basic WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) Internet browsing. GPRS is the service of choice for many text messaging PDAs, including Blackberry, Treo, and others.

EDGE

EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) is a third-generation, high-speed, mobile data and Internet access technology. The AT&T EDGE network is available in more than 13,000 cities and towns and in areas along 40,000 miles of highways. With typical speeds of 75 to 135 kbps, it’s fast enough to support advanced mobile services like video and music clips, full picture & video messaging, high-speed color Internet access, and email on the move. EDGE is especially important to business users as it permits mobile access to corporate applications at speeds far in excess of dialup.

UMTS

UMTS (Universal Mobile Telephone Service) is the next level of service. It is the leading 3G technology choice today, offering potential worldwide coverage. Typical speeds of 220 to 320 kbps permit workgroup collaboration, vertical-specific devices (an x-ray viewer, for example), video and music on-demand, digital TV and radio, and services such as home or business security video monitoring.

HSDPA

Enhancement of UMTS with HSDPA (High Speed Downlink Packet Access) moves GSM into the range of true broadband service. With typical speeds in the range of 400 to 700 kbps, and a burst mode of up to several megabits per second, it is the fastest available cellular broadband technology. This brings a mobile data experience that is essentially the same experience of a wired network in the home or office.

Additionally, unlike other wireless technologies, UMTS and HSDPA offer you the ability to make simultaneous voice and data calls. This flexibility lets you use the same phone to speak with someone while also accessing Internet information.

Calling All Fans

admin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 18:49:24 +0000

Your phone keeps you connected in so many ways. Wireless capabilities change on a daily basis. To help you keep pace, we’re now on Facebook. Become a fan and get automatic updates. You’ll receive Tips, Tricks and News to get the most from your wireless phone. Fan benefits will include exclusive coupons and discounts. You get access to our online accessory superstore for thousands of items you can’t find anywhere else. When we have special events and sales, you’ll be the first invited! For these benefits and more, sign up today.

Instructions for becoming a fan and inviting your family/friends

Log on to facebook.com (if you don’t have an account, it is free and easy to sign up)
Search for “Communications Connection”
Select your store’s area
Once on the page, click “Become a Friend” at the top right – you will now automatically receive any messages that are posted to that site
Under the profile picture of your store’s site, click “Invite your friends,” select the friends that you wish to invite off of your friend’s list and send the invitations.

Cool Tools for School

admin — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:45:11 +0000

What better way to brush up on material for a pop quiz or exam than while walking to class or working out? Students at many universities are now downloading and reviewing lectures or supplemental course materials recorded in audio format. Their phone’s video function permits students to view course materials, from video supplements to book chapters. More schools are beginning to make use of digital textbooks when possible because they often are half the price of a printed book!

The phone’s web browser provides portable access to the World Wide Web and the many resources that can be found there for homework answers and research for papers. More and more schools are sending information directly to students’ phones to assist them with the locations of classrooms, access to student services and progress assessments (instead of waiting for mid-terms or semester grades).

Let’s face it… education is so much more than what goes on in the classroom! Your phone can give you instant access to your favorite social networking services to keep up with your friends on the go. Combined with GPS capabilities, you can quickly find the location of your classmates to get help with that last homework problem

For parents, you can finally keep up with your students! With AT&T FamilyMap, you can schedule automatic updates to notify you that your student arrived home from school safely. Or quickly check to see if they’re still at football practice while you run one last errand.

Stop by and let us show you how to make this the best school year ever!

Remember when we used to talk?

admin — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:31:24 +0000

The way we communicate is quickly changing. More and more people are sending emails, instant messaging or texting instead of talking. Just 18 months ago, we communicated more with phone calls (226 per month) than text messages (193). Now the average person sends or receives 357 text messages each month and only makes 204 phone calls.

In the United States 1.3 Trillion text messages are sent in a year! That equals 105 Billion text messages every month, 146 Million text messages every hour or 40 Thousand every second. What’s the highest number of text messages you’ve sent/received in a month?

See how you compare to the national averages:

Average Number of Monthly Calls vs. Text Messages (by age)	Phone Calls	Text Messages
All Subscribers	204	357
12 & Under	137	428
Ages 13 – 17	231	1742
Ages 18 – 24	265	790
Ages 25 – 34	239	331
Ages 35 – 44	223	236
Ages 45 -54	193	128
Ages 55 – 64	145	38
Ages 65+	99	14

Now that’s the ticket

admin — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 21:04:39 +0000

Whether it’s Jimmy Buffet and the Coral Reefer Band, The Jonas Brothers’ World Tour or the next home baseball game, get the best seats with your BlackBerry® and it’s all access Ticketmaster® application.

It’s just like purchasing the tickets from your PC.

View event listings, venues and seat locations
Use stored billing within your Ticketmaster account or the BlackBerry® Wallet application to quickly and securely enter your payment and shipping information
Get your tickets, head on out and have a great time at the show

Once downloaded, all access to Ticketmaster.com on your BlackBerry® smartphone will be channeled through this application, allowing you to enjoy an optimized Ticketmaster® experience.

To use the Ticketmaster® for BlackBerry® smartphones application, you must have the following:

Wireless service data plan with browsing capabilities
BlackBerry® smartphone with 64 MB of memory
175 KB of available smartphone memory
BlackBerry® Device Software 4.2 or higher

Plus, BlackBerry® Wallet helps make mobile, online purchasing faster and easier. It lets you retrieve information securely stored on your BlackBerry smartphone to help fill in forms with the following:

Credit card data
Reward program account numbers
Shipping information
Retail website login details
Gift card information

With just a few clicks, BlackBerry Wallet fills in your information, so you can spend more time shopping and less time typing.

92466 is the New 411

admin — Fri, 01 May 2009 20:03:03 +0000

Dialing 411 from your cell phone is an expensive proposition. It costs as much as $1.79 per call plus tax. If you ask for additional numbers or want the number texted to you, the price goes up. Now there is a solution that is quick, easy and only costs as much as a text message.

Next time you need directory assistance send a text to YAHOO (92466) and get an answer within seconds. Looking for a restaurant nearby? Text “food,” plus the zip code or city and state, and instantly get some options sent back to your phone. You will also receive the address and phone number for each.

It can be used for quickly getting other information as well. Here are some examples to try:

Search Features	Sample Query
Weather	weather chicago
Sports	score st louis cardinals
Movies	movies 63005
Stocks	stock t
Directions	directions tulsa to altus
Maps	map 5^th avenue new york
Flights	flight aa 2111
Area Codes	area code 650
Products	price ipod player 40gb
Q&A	abraham lincoln birthday
Zip Codes	zip code 72202
Local	sushi 94040

To get started save 92466 as Yahoo! in your phone. Standard text messaging rates apply.

Water and electronics just don’t mix

admin — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 19:06:54 +0000

Do you want to save your cell phone when it gets wet? Here’s some info you need to know.

Steps

1. Get it out of the water as soon as possible. The plastic covers on cell phones are fairly tight, but water can enter the phone in a short period of time, perhaps only 20 seconds or less. So grab your phone quickly! If you can’t get to it in time, your best bet is to remove the battery while it is still under water. Water helps dissipate heat from shorts that can damage the phone, so most damage occurs when the inside of the phone is merely wet and there is a power source.

2. Remove the battery. This is one of the most important steps. Don’t take time to think about it; electricity and water do not mix. Cutting power to your phone is a crucial first step in saving it. Many circuits inside the phone will survive immersion in water provided they are not attached to a power source when wet.

3. If you have a GSM carrier, remove your SIM card. Some or all of your valuable contacts (along with other data) could be stored on your SIM. To some people this could be more worth saving than the phone itself. SIM cards survive water damage well – just pat it dry and leave it aside until you need to connect your phone to your cellular network.

4. Dry your phone. Obviously you need to remove as much of the water as soon as possible, so you can save it from getting into the phone. Shake it out without dropping it, then use a towel or paper towel (ideally trying not to clog the wet paper in the gaps and grooves of the phone) to gently remove as much of the remaining water as possible. Dry the excess moisture by hand.

5. Remove any covers and external connectors to open up as many gaps, slots and crevices in the phone as possible.

6. Use a vacuum cleaner if possible. Do not use a hair dryer (even on a “cold” mode) to dry out the phone, as this may force moisture further into the small components, deep inside the phone. If moisture is driven deeper inside, corrosion and oxidation may result when minerals from liquids are deposited on the circuitry. Using a hairdryer might be a temporary fix, but this will eventually cause component failure inside the phone. Instead, remove all residual moisture by drawing it away with a vacuum cleaner held over the affected areas for up to 20 minutes in each accessible area. This is the fastest method and can completely dry out your phone and get it working in thirty minutes. Be careful not to hold the vacuum too close to the phone, as a vacuum can create static electricity, which is even worse.

7. Use a substance with a high affinity for water to help draw out moisture. Leave the phone in a bowl or bag of uncooked rice overnight. The rice would absorb any remaining moisture. If available, it is preferable to use desiccant instead. Desiccant will absorb moisture better than rice. It may be found under a brand name such as “DRY-ALL” “Damp Rid” or “Dry Right”.

8. Let the phone sit on absorbent towels, napkin, or other paper. Remember that the goal is to evacuate all the moisture and humidity, not to trap it or add even more. Check the absorbent material every hour for 4 to 6 hours. If moisture is evident, repeat the vacuuming step and desiccant steps.

9. Test your phone. After you have waited a day or so, make sure everything is clean and dry looking and re-attach the battery to the phone and see if it works. If your phone does not work, try plugging it into its charger without the battery, if this works, you need a new battery. If not, try taking your cell phone to an authorized dealer. Sometimes they can fix it. Don’t try to hide the fact that it has been wet. There are internal indicators that prove moisture.