All Posts by Paul

How to figure out which Straight Talk Sim to buy!

Paul

So you have an Unlocked Phone!

Just because you have an unlocked phone and can use a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) doesn’t mean it will work with Straight Talk.   Let’s face it, not all phones are going to be compatible with Straight Talk service.  I talked about How I did it with  my HTC inspire 4G phone, but I am sure some of you have tried and failed at this because of the phone in question.   So what phones work with Straight Talk?   I’m here to help, I might not know all the answers but I will at least give you the important details and point you in the right direction.

It is about the Cell Carriers!

Knowing how some carriers only will work in certain areas can help you determine which SIM card to buy.  It however isn’t always going to help.   There may be more than 4 to 5 Cell Carriers in your area and thus you might not know which phones will work with any particular Cell phone.  So I’ve decided to break this down into small parts and thus maybe then you can figure out if it will work with your phone!

The Data Speed of the Phone!

It isn’t really the amount of data that we are worried about but which version of antenna your phone is using. Some phones use Code division multiple access (CDMA) and others use Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) and thus if your try to use a CDMA on a GSM network which really are incompatible with each other.   So I will tell you which ones the major providers use:

 

This is just a short list of providers but these are at least the major players in the USA, so you can see it is a split between CDMA and GSM!  

Now that you figured that out!

You’ve figured it out now, you’ve can know if your cell phone will work with Straight Talk.   If you have a CDMA phone you will not be able to use it with Straight Talk, but if your have a GSM.  You now have to ask find out which Frequency your phone uses!  Many GSM phones will use different frequency, some use 800 mhz and others use 1900 mhz spectrum.   You have to choice the right SIM card from Straight Talk but you also have to have the right Phone.   I suggest buying an Unlocked GSM phone [Affiliate Link]and then picking the SIM card.  

This should help you determine if your phone will work with Straight Talk but you can always go buy a GSM Unlocked Phone [Affiliate Link]to be sure!  Nothing is a guarantee when it comes to phones though!

Paul Sylvester

Buy an Unlocked GSM PHONE [Affiliate Link]

 

 

Android Antivirus is that a Scare or Real?

Paul


I’m not saying it isn’t real!

I just think that there are a lot of security firms, who are making more fluff then there is really any actually need of an antivirus for Android devices.  On a Popular Android forum, they discuss this in length and I tend to agree, with all they are saying.   Some researchers are saying Android don’t need antivirus, but that artcle was done in 2008.  Yes I am the type of guy who believes in Antivirus but I have to question what the Security firms are doing to try to get money.   Some of the well know firms are charging 10 dollars for the app, others are doing the try before you buy.   

Do I need one for my HTC inspire?

Someone emailed me that question and I really didn’t have an answer because being so new to the Android devices.   I however will tell you what I believe and hopefully this will help others with their questions as well.   I know that malware writers will start looking to the those who use it like a small computer and thus.   We will sooner or later end up like Windows, or even Apple with having worms, viruses, and malware.   Thus, we should start being on the lookout.   I think having an antivirus on an Android device is rather pointless because most of security firms are in their infantacy with Android.   Most of them have only had to deal with Windows machines and thus they will take some time into figuring out how to find those nasty viruses, malware, or worms that may be on your device.

Don’t use 3rd party Appilications!

use Coupon Code Savenow15 and Save 15% off the lifetime of your account! Works with Android, IOS, and Windows!If your are realitively new to Android, it is something that loading appilications that isn’t supporting by Google.  These are applications that you get from the internet and thus you will have to allow 3rd party installation.  It is best to not enable 3rd party and just keep it 1st party installation.  That is what I’ve done to make my device more secure,  I don’t allow 3rd party installation and you should to!

If you need an Antivirus!

I’d always recommend going with the ones that you know.   At least you are far safer than picking Antivirus software or applications that are realitively unknown.   The ones who I recommend are:

 

  • Antivirus Free (AVG) — AVG Antivirus for Smartphones & Tablets automatically detects harmful Apps & SMS AVG Mobilation™ Antivirus Free is a free mobile security solution that helps protects your phone from viruses, malware, spyware & online exploitation in real-time.
  • Avast! Mobile Security – Full-featured Antivirus and Anti-Theft security for your Android phone.  Protect personal data with automatic virus scans and infected-URL alerts. Stop hackers by adding a firewall (rooted phones).
  • Norton Antivirus & Security —  Security, antivirus, antitheft protection that won’t slow your Android down.  Norton™ Mobile Security Lite protects your mobile device against loss, theft and malware. Norton lends its anti-malware, anti virus, and security expertise to mobile.
  • Antivirus Free (Commodo) —  Antivirus, privacy protector, call-blocker and anti-theft in a single app. COMODO Mobile Security provides real-time protection against known and emerging threats on your mobile device while helping to protect your privacy and keep your system optimized.
  • Mobile Security Personal Ed. (Trend Micro) —  Named by PCWorld USA as one of the Top 100 products of 2011.  Protect your Android™ device with one of PCWorld USA’s Top 100 products of 2011. It protects your Android from loss, malicious apps, and dangerous websites.

 

These are only a few good brand names that you can trust because they have been doing Antivirus business for quiet some time on the Windows machine.   Give them time and their app’s will develop as the Operating System develops.   If you feel you need an Antivirus these are just a few that I suggest, you can find more at the Android Marketplace and decide which one is best for you.

Paul Sylvester

 

 

How to get the HTC Inspire 4g AT&T to work with Straight Talk

Paul5 Replies

It really wasn’t hard!

I have been doing a lot of stuff with this HTC Inspire that I got from a family member.  Here are some of my observations about this phone that I wanted to share with you before we get into making it work with Straight Talk.   Afterall I want to be fair to you my readers.

 

The HTC Inspire in whole, isn’t really that bad of a phone.   There will be some caviates of the phone though.  The battery that was in the phone has been charged and discharged so many times that I can’t reliably say that the battery is bad. So with that in mind, I plan on making a trip to Batteries Plus to buy me a new battery.  The Screen on the Inspire gives you so much more than you get on most other smart phones.   The Resolution of the screen is crisp and you can do a lot with the Apps from the Marketplace.

How I did it!

If you’ve been reading my blog the last week or so, you would of noticed that I showed you how to unlock the HTC Inspire 4g AT&T Phone yourself for free.   I did unlock it successfully, because when I got the new sim it had to be set to be used it but didn’t say it couldn’t use that SIM.  If your really unsure of it yourself you might just got buy an unlocked HTC Inspire 4g AT&T Phone .  I really don’t want you to brick you phone but you can also try to get AT&T to unlock it  or you could buy the Unlock Code.   I really don’t know if they will or not but it is always a possiblity.

Getting the Right Sim Card from Straight Talk!

I’ve found in the past that if your are going to use a phone from a carrier unlocked it sometimes the best results can be continueing to use the same carrier in one aspect or another.  So choose the right Sim for the phone you have and you won’t be disappointed.  This will be a short tutorial for the AT&T HTC Inspire that I just got done unlocking.   You will need to unlock your HTC Inspire to do this successfully, but if your are successfull, you will be able to use their service for much less than you normally would.

Make sure you pick the AT&T Compatible Sim!Once you unlocked the cell phone and gotten the AT&T Compatible Straight talk SIM card, you will need to set up some Access Point Names(APNS) for the HTC Inspire 4g Unlocked Cell phone.

On the Inspire itself hit:

MENU > Settings > Wireless & networks > Mobile Networks > Access Point Names

There you will see two APN’s already set by AT&T.  They are MEdia Net and MMS (Wap.cingular).   Mine were locked but I left them alone on my phone   In order to get both internet and mobile calls on you phone you will need to create two APNS:  (This would be a good time to bookmark my site in case you need to come back to it!)

Only fill in the ones I tell you, Leave all the rest blank or <Not set> and it all CASE Sensitive:

MENU > Add APN

Name : straight talk

APN: ATT.mvno

MMS protocol: WAP 2.0

MCC:  310

MNC:  410

MENU > SAVE

MENU > Add APN

Name: mmsc

APN: ATT.mvno

MMSC:  http://mmsc.cingular.com

MMS Proxy:  80

MMS protocol:  WAP 2.0

MCC:  310

MNC: 410

APN type: mms

MENU > SAVE

So if you have done this right, it is now time to reboot your HTC Inspire 4G unlocked Cell phone.  Hold the power button down for 3 seconds and hit RESTART once you have done this you should be able to use both internet and make calls on the Straight Talk Network with your SIM.  Remember you will need to register the sim with Straight Talk before you can use it but if you haven’t now would be a good time to Activate the SIM and associate that SIM with your Account.

I hope this helps you figure out how to use your new found freedom with yoru android device and thus you should be all set to make calls and surf the web with your HTC Inspire 4G.   If you have any questionns please feel free to contact me or leave a comment.  

Paul Sylvester

 

5 Steps to unlock your HTC Inspire 4g (AT&T) Phone!

Paul

It isn’t hard really!

If your like me, you really don’t want to pay to unlock your used AT&T Phone but yet your not one to do it yourself. This is going to be a simple way to unlock it and be able to use any SIM you might want to use with that phone. I’ve recently done it and it really wasn’t as hard as I thought. You will need a few things and thus these steps are ESSENTIAL!  If you don’t feel comfortable doing this, you can always either pay to have unlocked or go buy an Unlocked HTC Inspire 4g phone [Amazon Affiliate] or Buying the Unlock Code [Affiliate Link] for it!!  I have done this and it works just fine as long as you follow the Effen Manual.  Yes I know it sounds like a cuss word, not my idea.

The Five Steps: 

  • Either Find a USB to Micro B Cable or buy it [Amazon Affiliate]!
  • Read the Manual — You can check it out and get the idea of what you will need to do but it is a MUST!
  • Download the File — You can find that right after the Manual.   Make sure to figure out which system you will use to do this with though.
  • Windows USERS — If your using Windows you will need to remove all possible interferences.  So you will need to stop Antivirus Software, and other such software.   I recommend creating a Boot LINUX with Ubuntu on it to do this.  Just make sure you have the file that you just downloaded on to the USB Drive. [The instructions for this in the manual!]
  • Plug in you phone and Run the Program — After you have verified that you can access the SD card, you should be able to run the program.   Let it run for a while, it will reboot several times.   It only took me like 20 mins if I remember correctly.

 

Nothing in the Manual is hard!

If you follow the manuals instructionns like I did, you will probably have no problems.   I can’t say that you are going to be successful.   You may brick your phone but if you are patient and keep trying you are more likely to succeed than fail.   If your looking to save money by switching to another provider you can always try Straight Talk, which still go through AT&T but only pay 45$ a month for Unlimited everything plan!  They even sell you sim card to use with you Unlocked Cell phone.   I don’t know if you can use a Locked AT&T Phone with them but you can always call them to verify it.   

Paul Sylvester

Why Data backup and Data Recovery is essential.

Paul1 Reply

Master Chief, Backed Up by Rico-san, on Flickr

Behind the blog post!

I hate to rant on my family but sometimes they can be hardest people to deal with.  My Sister (I’ve got a lot of ’em) brought me this Acer Aspire One [Amazon Affiliate] laptop and asked me to get her data off it.  I really don’t have a problem with the laptop myself but what happened was something only another Geek would cringe.  The screen was cracked and the laptop wouldn’t boot.   The basic signs of a the laptop being dropped or smashed along the lines.  Anyways, she asked me to get her I-Tunes stuff off your computer.   That part isn’t really a problem because you can pretty much find the technical manuals for free.  So that problem was solved for me because I never taken apart a small laptop like that.  However, upon inspection of the cables I would need to use the hard drive.   I found I had a really old version of the IDE and Atapi USB connector and didn’t have a SATA USB Cable.   I bought one off Amazon which was Cables To Go 30504 USB 2.0 to IDE or Serial ATA Drive Adapter (Black) [Amazon Affiliate].   It Plugged in and started right up the Hard drive.   I must say it was the simplist plug and copy of files, that I’ve done in a long while.

Data Backup!

I really don’t buy from Itunes because of the fact I only get one file copy and if that is lost or stolen, then I have lost my money.   I prefer Amazon Video [Amazon Affiliate], because I can have 2 downloads and still stream it all I want.   I wanted to at least talk about some ways to backup again, I’m sure you’ve heard me talk about backing up once.  I hate for anyone to loose their data because they didn’t want to backup.  So I’m going to give you some help:

  • Decide what type of backup! This is the first step I take to figure out what type of backup I want.
  • Crashplan Plus [Affiliate link] is what I recommend.   You can backup all your household for just 6 dollars a month.  Works on All Major Operating Systems Linux/Mac/Windows, so no worries there.
  • Keep alert for Warning signs of a Hard Drive going bad.   This is also why you need to keep your data backed up.
  • Free backups are also better than nothing.   I don’t recommend as much because you get what you pay for, but it still might help you if their was a problem.
  • Don’t forget about Backing up your Drivers for those important hardware add-on.   I’ve seen it before, people have to go re-download them once they re-install the Operating system.  This will help prevent it.
  • If you want to keep your OEM Operating System, you might want to Backup your Hidden Partition on the Drive.  

In the End, it is what you want!

Nothing is set in stone, so you can always decide to do it your own way but you must remember to do it often and you must remember to have two or three ways to back up your software in case something terrible happens.   If you don’t you just might regret it, and you know how important those pictures of your kids are. 

Paul Sylvester