The Story of my failing battery and why it happens!

Paul

Batteries

It’s been a while!

Having had my HTC Inspire for over a few months, it was a brand new inspire.   It was actually a used one from my sister. So I got what I wanted to get an actually android working on the Straight Talk Network and all life is good!  Until recently, I’ve started to notice a few things with my phone that I wanted to share with everyone else in case you’ve had the same problem I had!  If you’ve not had this problem before you might have it later on! 

Phone just Shuts off while unplugged!

As you know this might not be the only time it shuts off but it will be a good indication that something is wrong with the battery!  There is a great explanation on how batteries work over at HowStuffWorks, I won’t go into detail about this but I will explain some of what is happening.   The rest after all should fall in place when you read the article!  Over the past 2 months or so, I’ve had the phone just randomly shut down but it didn’t start doing it like it did yesterday and today.  

Why Does it Shut down!

Basically the cell phone thinks it has more power than what the battery pack is telling it.  You see batteries that are stored in this fashion or even used can only be charged and discharged to a certain extent and thus once you hit that no power threshold in that cell batter then it can’t be charged due to fact that you might just blow up the cell.   While on the subject, what is a battery cell?  A battery cell is typically more than one battery but can also be one battery.   It is used in either parallel or sequential series, you can find out more about that by reading that article also.   This is all fascinating but what does this have to do with the battery?  You’re probably asking yourself this question.

Each battery cell has a circuit where you once it hits the charge limit it just shuts the that cell down and you can no longer access it or use it.   So when your cell phone thinks it has a full and you loose power quickly then that is basically the reason.   The battery knows how much it can send to your phone but your phone is only learning this over time.   It is definetly a process that just is crazy.  


How does this help me?

It basically is a good indication that your battery is get old in age and needs to be replaced.  If it happens to you at least once a few weeks it is probably a good idea to replace the battery.   Now I must comment, sometimes it isn’t the battery but the software.  I thought so, and I put my old Froyo OEM version of Android back on my phone and it still did it.  So if you don’t want to have to send off for that battery and pay extra to over night it, it is probably a good idea to have one who two batteries ready once you start seeing symptoms like this.   I sure learned my lesson for next time this happens.

Paul Sylvester

My Amazon Link

How ‘Unrealistic’ Goals helps get stuff done!

Paul

Goal Setting

Everyone has a Goal in life!

Not to say that all goals should be an ‘Unrealistic’ Goal, but then again.   Having seen the power of being told I have some Unrealistic Goals!  It got me thinking, just how can some people consider my goals to be unrealistic?  It baffles me as to why people think they have to comment on these or write these down in hopes the person who has these goals can get hit in the stomach and try to deflate their balloon sort to speak.  

It bothers me!

It always seems to be a point of contention when someone say something like having an ‘Unrealistic Goal’ or it will never happen.  As I’ve been looking for a job, I’ve been told several times to go flip burgers, or become a bagger for the local grocery store.  All of it has good intentions, saying I don’t have the luxury to pick and choice but then are we just telling people to be mediocre and thus setting ourselves to not be extra-ordinary?  Nothing in life is ever going to be easy, I’ve heard it and learned that fact in many ways.   I however think the God almighty has given my a desire to be more than I could be.   I want to be more than 100%, I want to be 101% or more.   

My Goals = ‘Success’ and Their Goals = ‘normal’!

So your probably asking your self, what are my Goals?  I’ve got a few that I wouldn’t mind completing but those aren’t what I call ‘Unrealistic’.  I am going to share with you a few of my Goals that I hope to complete before I die.  Although these may or may not ever be completed it is something that I will continually strive for!

Finding a Job that I love — Nothing in this world will be everyone’s dreams.   It is however a dream of mine to have a job that I either have a passion for or is something that helps people with my knowledge and details. 

My brother-in-law said that he graduated with an associates degree in History but yet he is selling cars.  He said we never get what we want.  

I have a thought, are we defeating ourselves before we begin by telling people that we should be mediocre or Normal.   What is normal?  It is a definition that has plaqued everyone since the word has been used.

Being a Famous writer — Another one is to have people who know who I am far a wide.   I know with being famous you have to worry about all sorts of things.  Writing has always been my dream since I was a young boy.  When I first started this blog about 8 years ago, I decided to make some of my dreams happen.   My tenacity to be a writer far out weighs what people thought of me and thus my family never supported me in this endeavor. 

Making a Connection to my Reader — Not that I’ve not tried, my dream however is to make more connections with my loyal readers and come up with a way to say thank you for all of them.  I haven’t come up with a way because I don’t know who would consider contacting me and talking about themselves and sharing their story to me and possibly my readership.  That is one idea, give them their lime light and I’ll be able to say Thank you on my blog to them.  To say thank you face to face would be ideal but that also might be ‘Unrealistic’!

As you can see by having these goals, I am saying to myself I will not give in to normal.   Having ‘Unrealistic Goals’ makes me want to succeed and not just sit here doing nothing.  If anything, it drives me to become a better writer, worker, and friend to everyone I know.

Those are just three of my goals that some people would probably say are ‘Unrealistic Goals’.   I don’t know I think each one has merits and possibly.   Am I saying that these will happen, maybe but in the scheme of things only time will tell!

Paul Sylvester

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Getting you Picture Messages and Multimedia Messages to work on Straight Talk AT&T!

Paul

The Need to Update your APN!

I’ve found an updated APN that can be used to give you access to Multimedia Text message, in essence picture messages for some of you who are on the Straight Talk AT&T Network!  This APN setting will only work for any that have #89014 on their sim.  If you don’t then you might try looking elsewhere or maybe consider contacting me, and I’ll do the hard work and find the right APN for your situation!  This also will only work if you have an Unlocked Phone [Affiliate Link]!

Before you do this though, It is time to do a APN Backup of your settings.   You wouldn’t want to have to look for those APN Settings that are working all over again.   This might work for you but then again it might not.  It seems to work for me and Another reader on our HTC Inspire 4G Unlocked Cell phones [Amazon Affiliate Link].   So I’m not entirely certain that it will work 100%.

Delete all existing APNS and enter these APNS!

Name: HOME

APN: att.mvno Leave everything else alone

EXCEPT the bottom selection that says:

APN type: default,supl

Then save, next choose to add another APN

Name: MMS

APN: att.mvno

MMSC: http://mmsc.cingular.com

MMS proxy: proxy.mvno.tracfone.com

MMS port: 80

APN type: mms 

THEN SAVE You will see that only one APN has the option to be chosen, that is ok, Just choose the one that is able to be chosen. Now go back to Homescreen and then reboot your phone.  If this doesn’t work you can always restore you APN’s and no harm no fowl.   I just know that some of you are wanting to recieve the Pictures messages on Straight Talk AT&T.   I encourage you to contact me if you need help finding the APN for your Straight Talk Phone.  Please remember to support my blog, because it is only with your help I can keep this site running.  

Paul Sylvester

My Amazon Affiliate Link

A Mid Month Report for July!

Paul

Made $20.28 so far!Look at the Clicks!

A Thought process came to mind!

I haven’t done one of these reports from Amazon [Affiliate Link] for quite a while. So I went to my affiliate network to see where I was at and I thought I was seeing things.   I know you probably thought I was bringing in the money lately but you’d be wrong.  I plan on Doubling that to $40.56 by the end of the month.   I would love to have your help.   Here are a few ways you can help:

Remember this URL:

http://www.paulstechtalk.com/amazon/

Click This Banner whenever you want to buy something from Amazon!

You can Search on my Site for what you are looking for (another URL TO REMEMBER):

http://www.paulstechtalk.com/amazon-search/

Download and install my toolbar which also has some great tools for browsing!

http://paulstechtalk.Toolbar.fm/

Economy is not good right now!

I must say that the money that I will be getting for this month will be a great change to me because it will at least pay for a full month’s of hosting for my provider.   After all you may want to know, I’m in between jobs and any money I’m making right from my links are just going to help keep this site up and running.   It isn’t like I can do much more with $20 so far.  If you would please help me out and use my link whenever you are thinking of buying stuff from Amazon, that would REALLY help me out and maybe even keep me a float.   

I’ll probably make another report at the end of the monnth or beginning of next month.  To see if we made it past the $40.56 Goal that I’m trying to make!  That would pay for two months of hosting that I wouldn’t have to worry about!

Thank you for your support and please don’t forget to recommend my site to anyone who might want to know more about the stuff I talk about.

Paul Sylvester

My FAQ’s About Straight Talk!

Paul

Sim card’s aren’t always easy!

Let’s face it, nothing in life is ever going to be easy and this is no exception in my book.   I’ve had my Straight Talk sim and I’ve posted about it on my blog.   I’ve been asked a few different questions about the Sim Cards from Straight Talk and I’ve figured a good little post about this would help people out.  Some of these questions will be repeats, please skip the ones you have already read!

Do I have to unlock my phone to use Straight Talk?

The Short answer is NOT necessarily. You’ll probably have to need to unlock your cell phone later on but if you have a T-Mobile phone and use Straight Talk T-Mobile Sim, you shouldn’t need to unlock it.   Just because I did it with my HTC Inspire AT&T 4g Phone, Doesn’t mean you will need to unlock your phone.  I did it just to be on the safe side, this was my first HTC phone after all and of course because I could.  As long as you buy the right  SIM for your phone from Straight Talk, you really shouldn’t have much problems with the SIM.   

Will the HTC Inspire have “Jelly Bean”/”Ice Cream Sandwich”?

The Short answer is NO!  The HTC Inspire is basically end of life cycle and won’t be updated.  It is be replaced with the HTC Desire and others like that but that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t have those Operating Systems on your Phone!  You can get past that if you really want to use that operating System.  You basically have to Unlock your Inspire and Root it all at the same time.   

Can I tether with my HTC Inspire and Can I use 4g Speeds?

Short Answer is YES!  Long answer is if your want to tether your Straight Talk phone you will most likely need to unlock it and root it.  Although if your are planning to use the 4g network you will need to make sure you area has it.  You can do that from AT&T, T-Mobile, Or sprint website depending on which card you use and if they have the capability for 4g.  Remember if your are downloading heavy and other such stuff they might call you, so you just need to remember not to use to much of their so called Bandwidth.  

Also, If you have great signal strength then you will have better speeds but if you don’t have the signal strength the you will have slower speeds.   Just keep that in mind when you are traveling and tethering.

Why do I See the Word HOME on my screen?

Short answer is “It’s basically your local network, where you live!“.   Although some people also have ROAMING and I get that whenever I go to a different city.   It isn’t going to charge me any more or any less, it is just their.  If you are worried about it, just remember that this is for the network to identify with more than you.   Straight Talk and other MVNO’s like to keep cost down so they don’t have to pay higher fee.   This is one way they do that, by telling you are either HOME or Roaming.   It really is an ingenious idea because most people will unconsciously stay closer to home!

Why am I not getting any signal from Straight Talk?

This is something that I’ve had to deal with on the HTC Inspire.   I’ve not had a good signal strength while using the Inspire on Straight talk thru AT&T network I should add.  I’ve troubleshooter this and found out that it was the way I was holding my phone.   I did occasional have to take the SIM card out and reboot and replace the SIM to get my network back.   I don’t know if it is just a loose connection or if the phone just forgets that it has a SIM card.  This also could just be a problem with Ice Cream Sandwich version that I’m using.   You’ll have to figure out your own little way to hold you phone and get signal.   I’ve found having a bluetooth earpiece [Affiliate Link] to work really well in my situation!

These are a few of the questions I get when I’m out and about and thought I’d make a post about it and hopefully help someone who might need that little nudge in the right direction.   I’ll post another one if I get more questions.  Have a Good day!

Paul Sylvester