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Tag: cellular

cellular flight

I conducted an short, impromptu test on my flight back from Colorado Springs this evening. As I loaded the plane, I was texting several different people to coordinate a ride back to my car from the airport. I took my seat at 7A and received a reply.

As I was conversing back and forth between a potential ride, I noticed that the flight attendant completed her company standard speech about our safety and convenience about flying. I couldn’t remember hearing anything about shutting my mobile phone off, so I continued to send text messages.

After a brief walk-thru, she made her way back to the front of the plane to take her seat. I received and sent another reply on my phone which was hidden from plain view. Our plane began rolling in reverse, away from the hangar and slowly into the tarmac leading to our runway.

I received another text message. The plane turned to the left, then turned left once again. The acceleration swiftly began since we were the one and only plane in line to leave.

I sent one more text message as the plane lifted from the ground before a minute passed with one more received message. We were at least a few hundred feet off the ground when I sent my last text message successfully.

A couple of minutes after the plane ascended to a few thousand feet, I noticed the service bars disappearing. I received no more replies after the last message.

For the next 10 minutes or so, I watched my service bars go in and out. Sometimes they’d be at three bars, sometimes at no bars, sometimes at two bars. Anytime there was more than one bar, seconds later it would go to no bars. The rest of the flight was spotty like this with no chance of there being real service anywhere so I entered my phone into flight mode for the remainder of the flight.

About 10 minutes before landing, I wanted to see if I could once again get service while in the air. I took flight mode off and noticed the same pattern of shifty and sudden drops in bars. It was unlikely that any consistent service was received.

So, that kinda took care of my curiosity about cellular phone usage on flights, confirming what I pretty much assumed anyway.

Here is an experiment similar in nature to my test.

limited cellular service

So my cell phone has almost finally taken its last breath. My phone charger is dead, and hopefully i have a duplicate at home otherwise this phone is useless. And I won’t be able to get to it until this weekend so if you try to call me and can’t get through, this is the reason.

I am working on/with Sprint to get a new package deal but am trying not to lose certain features and gain access to others. Getting exactly what you want is not an easy task unless you know the right people or talk to the right reps. Sprint has been notorious for giving out insane plans to customers and that’s why I won’t switch to other providers.

Here’s what I’m shooting for:

$30/month
500 anytime minutes
unlimited weekend/nights at 8pm
unlimited mobile to mobile
unlimted email and IM – AOL;MSN
unlimited Picture Mail
Unlimted web access
free nationwide long distance
First Incoming Minute Free
50-100 Text Messages

This would basically be paradise for me right now. But unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll get the 8pm (although I can get 7pm for an extra $5) and no text messages or FIMF either. Everything else is included in this one plan that I know about. I’m crossing my fingers that something awesome will work out!

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attn: all annoying cellular customers

So you’re sitting in the the theater watching the latest film which interests you. Everyone is enjoying themselves and the movie is great. All of a sudden, to your annoyance, a cell phone rings. Some irresponsible person didn’t turn his cell phone off. In fact, he’s gaudy enough to answer and talk to the person on the other line like no one is around. Come on!!

Just the other day, you were in line buying your groceries at your local supermarket. The lines were long and you had no choice but to wait. Ugh. Well, just then, someone’s cell phone rings and he starts chatting loud enough for everyone around to hear. He or she starts chatting about his or her love life, saying inappropriate comments that make you feel uncomfortable, especially in public. You don’t know how to politely ask him or her to just wait until he or she is in his or her car. Dang!

Well, brought to my attention from brilliant web designer Jeffery Zeldman, you can finally take some kind of control or at least make the initiative! It’s time to buy some thick 40lb paper so that you can print out your own shut the hell up business cards! It’s fast, it’s easy, and best of all it’s free! No more will you have to just sit there and take it. It’s time to stand up and be heard, quietly!