They don’t give two craps about what you really want, they just want to make it as easy as possible for their billing department, or shareholders, or whatever:

Chat Information Please wait for a Verizon Wireless sales representative to assist you with your order. Thank you for your patience!
Chat Information A Verizon Wireless online pre-sales specialist has joined the chat. You are now chatting with VZWRep

VZWRep: Hello. Thank you for visiting our chat service. May I help you with your order today?

You: yeah, why is the pda plan so much more expensive than the equivalent plans for ‘normal’ phones?
You: if i want the new android phone with 500 minutes and unlimited data and text, it’s $100 instead of $70 for the connect plan..

VZWRep: That’s because they are pda plans. Pda plan use a different type of data then the other plans do.

You: but the plans are a lot more expensive than they were two years ago when i stopped being a verizon customer.. then i had the plan for $80, now it’s 100 for the same thing..
You: besides, evdo data is just evdo data, how are the types of access different?
You: just tell me the truth, that since verizon has market share right now, they’re overpricing data..

VZWRep: Data plans have access to corporate the others do not. That’s the difference.

You: corporate what? you mean an exchange service?

VZWRep: Yes.

You: so, if i don’t have a use for that, like say, i’m using the new android, which can’t do exchange, will the plan be less expensive?

VZWRep: Thank you for waiting. I’ll be with you in just a moment.

You: ok

VZWRep: I’m sorry for the delay. I’ll be right with you.

VZWRep: No, they will be the same price.

You: ok, so just so i know i’m not confused, you’re saying the price is higher for a service that most people don’t know anything about and probably won’t ever use? and you don’t give customers the option to only pay for what they need/want?

VZWRep: Right.

You: Awesome, time to chat with Sprint! thanks for your time

VZWRep: Thank you for visiting Verizon Wireless, I look forward to speaking with you again. Have a great day!

Chat Information Your chat session has been ended by your Verizon Wireless online agent.

To be fair, I’m already on the Sprint SERO plan, but out of contract.. and ready for an android phone. I didn’t have issues with Verizon when I did use them, much. But they’re still the most expensive provider.

Get the new SERO plan:
http://sprint.com/sero
Email: russ.s.mcguire@sprint.com
EID: 383

Stop for a second to realize that your way of doing things is always the best way of doing things.  If only for no one else.

I’ve been playing with a G1, mostly for Google Voice/Sipdroid and My Maps Editor (for an upcoming vacation).  As I currently have a great plan with Sprint, and don’t want to drop the major coin required for the full voice and data package, I’ve got the G1 on the network with a pay-as-you-go Sidekick data plan.  No, it doesn’t really work for much, except SMS.  I have no need to make cellular calls, but I do want data while I’m out and about.  The Sidekick plan does NOT work for data on a G1.  It does register on the 3G/EDGE network, get an IP, set up the routes, and shoot, DNS even works.  But you cannot get ‘out’ to anything.  Yay T-Mobile for preventing me from giving you money you wouldn’t otherwise get at all, because lets face it, your network almost exists.

Thus my want for a BT PANU client.  As it turns out, cupcake includes pand and bluetooth networking support is built into the kernel.  Which is just about all you need.  Well, you might need root too.

Enough blathering.

First, you need the MAC of your Bluetooth Network Access Point.  I’m using Internet Sharing on Windows Mobile, so I just need my phone’s BT MAC, for instructional purposes, we’ll say it is: 00:15:81:3E:ED:02

Next create a shell script something like this:

#!/bin/bash
pand --connect 00:15:81:3E:ED:02
sleep 1
dhcpcd -d bnep0
setprop net.dns1 192.168.0.1

That last line sets your DNS / Name Server, it might be different depending on your BT NAP.  If you’re just using this at home instead of wireless because you’re bored or masochistic, then you’ll need to figure out what DNS info you need.  I just connected to Internet Sharing with my netbook first and checked what DNS servers it was configured to use.

One other thing to note:

If you have wireless disabled, and don’t have any SIM card inserted, then as far as Android is concerned, you have NO network connection.  Even after running the script above, only some Apps will work.  Maps works fine, as does Google Voice, but the Browser complains on open, then works fine.  Google Talk never opens at all.  Inserting a SIM card that shows an active 3G connection avoids this, but if I figure out an easier way (to save on the losses of cellular radio) I’ll post it.

If you hadn’t noticed, I’m a fan of Google Voice..  But after a couple days with the G1, now I’m a fan of Android too.

As I am currently unable to switch providers, I wanted to use the G1 without cellular service.  I won’t go into the process of getting past the “No SIM Card” screen, as that’s a whole other story; but I will tell you how to configure a G1, or other Android device, to pretty much work perfectly with Google Voice.

Requirements:

• G1, or some other Android device
• Active Google Voice account
• Active Gizmo5 account linked in Google Voice’s Phone Settings
• Google Voice (the official app)
• Sipdroid
• GV (thanks to Evan Charlton for this)

The process:

First install Google Voice (the official app) and configure with the following options:

• Making Calls - Do not use Google Voice for any calls
• This Phone’s Number - select your gizmo5 number

Next install GV and configure it.  Enter your account info and click next.  When it shows your Phones, just click next, lastly for your GV Settings:

• Route all calls through GV - Checked
• Calling method - Call back
• Your callback number - Gizmo5 number
• Voicemail PIN - 1234

The last two options don’t actually matter in this setup, or anyone using callback, but they’re required by GV because Evan left out a conditional statement somewhere.. :p

Lastly, install and configure Sipdroid:

• Username/Password - the Gizmo5 account you created
• Server - proxy01.sipphone.com
• Port - 5060
• Use WLAN - checked
• Preferred Call Type - Phone

So, how does this work?  When you attempt to create a call from the Contacts or Dialer, Evan’s GV app takes control and initiates a callback via your G1’s internet connection.  This instantiates an incoming call from Google Voice, through your Gizmo5 account, which Sipdroid catches.  The beauty of this configuration is that Sipdroid and GV both integrate into the G1 so well that everything looks like a normal incoming or outgoing call..

Noteworthy:  It may be possible to configure Sipdroid to initiate callbacks directly, thus negating the need for GV, but I’m too lazy to bother trying to figure it out right now.  Also, Google Voice’s usefulness is questionable..  The Visual Voicemail is awesome, but the text messages don’t show up instantly, in fact, I’m not sure how often it polls for new messages, or if it only checks when the app is started, or when you Refresh from the Menu.

Good luck, and happy ‘off-the-grid’ calling.

First, a short lesson on Manila files.  They have no file extension.  Some are plain text ASCII XML files and can be opened with a text editor.  Others are Mode9, QTC, or Lua Script, and require special tools to open, edit, save, etc.

Manila Editor allows you to export the images from QTC files to PNGs, or replace the current image in a QTC with your own PNG.

m9Editor allows you to view the XML and Lua Script IF, AND ONLY IF, your copy of Windows is up-to-date, and you have these  developer libraries installed, namely:

• Visual C++ 2008 Redistributable
• .Net Framework 2.0 Service Pack 1
• .Net Compact Framework 3.5

To edit XML, I personally use vi, but you might want something a bit classier.  Be sure to use something with syntax highlighting, it makes all the difference.

Things to note about Manila files:

• You should disable the TouchFLO 3D Today Item before replacing Manila files in the Windows Directory and enable it after the copy has completed.
• You MUST use a third party application on your WM device, such as Total Commander, to overwrite the manila files in your Windows directory.  File Explorer can’t do it.
• OEM Manila Files, like many other OS files, are part of the ROM, meaning that when you copy your own into the Windows directory, you’re not truly replacing the ones that are there. You’re just setting yours down on top of the ROM files, in such a way that yours take precedence over the ROM files.  What does this mean?  You can delete any Manila files you placed in the Windows directory, and WM will revert back to the files from the ROM.  This is a very easy uninstall feature.

So, onto the main point: removing that excessive Sprint Logo from the Home Tab.

Use Manila Editor to open 443d5315_manila and export it to a PNG image file.  Then resize the image to 1 x 1 pixel and use Manila Editor to replace the original.  Save 443d5315_manila to your Windows directory on your WM Device. Voila!

OR: just download this file I’ve already modified and place the extracted Manila file in your Windows Directory.  Of course I might not have made it 1 x 1, it could read FAIL when you re-enable TF3D, and then you’ll have been pwnd.  Like this guy.

While setting a new background on your Home tab might not be a challenge, the same cannot be said about the rest of your tabs.  Here’s the process:

1. Grab whatever image you want to start with, like this one I got from some forum:

Dimensions: 480(w) x 640(h)

2. Next, crop it by 50 pixels on the top and bottom to account for the start bar and soft keys bar:

New dimensions: 480 (w) x 540 (h)

3. Now you need to squash/stretch/skew it to the dimensions it needs to be to embed it in the manila file:

Dimensions: 460 (w) x 512 (h)

4. Next use Manila Editor to Export the current image in 4a087e41_manila using “Save As..”

4. Open your image in MS Paint, Select All, Cut.

5. Open the image you just exported from Manila Editor in another instance of MS Paint, Paste, Save.

6. Next, use Manila Editor to Replace the image in 4a087e41_manila with yours:

7. Open 4a087e41_manila with a HEX editor such as XVI32 and modify the first two lines of the file’s header to the values pictured below, ending with the selected box:

8. Disable the TouchFLO 3D Today Item (Start, Settings, Today, Items, Uncheck TouchFLO 3D).

9. Copy the new version of 4a087e41_manila to your Windows directory with Total Commander.

10. Enable the TouchFLO 3D Today Item.

11. (Optional) Open your original image in Pictures & Videos on your Touch, then click Menu, Set as Today Background, and change the Transparency Level to 0%, Click OK.  Now you should have a background in your Start Menu that matches the one TouchFLO is using

Alternatively, you could download this file, and just follow steps 8 - 10.

Using the pinout from nethopper’s post, I made my own cable using the headset/charging breakout cable provided with my original Sprint Mogul (HTC 6800) pictured here:

So that you may not have to create an account there, here’s the pinout:

After cracking open the breakout cable with a knife, you have access to the pcb with everything on it.  Internally, the headset pins 1 - 6 are actually labeled 6 - 11 on the pcb.  So the pinout for this breakout should be:

You’ll have to desolder the headset connector, and cut the wires from the pcb, but it’s not THAT much work..

Here’s the end result, which surprisingly worked the first time, and I’m terrible with a soldering iron:

Of course, if you don’t care about being able to charge the Touch Pro, you can just use a headset connector and RCA cable.. Just remember that Pins 3 and 5 need to be grounded to tell the Touch that the cable is a video cable and not a headset.

Google Voice has the option of forwarding all incoming calls to multiple numbers.  Additionally, it can forward calls to a Gizmo number.  Gizmo, is a standard SIP-based VoIP service.  Meaning that an Analog Telephone Adapter can be used to attach any standard PTSN telephone you want to your Gizmo account.

So what does that really mean?

After registering for a Gizmo account, I set up my ATA, similar to this $30 ATA from Grandstream, to use the Gizmo service.

Then I configured Google Voice to forward calls to my Gizmo number, which requires an exciting verification process that consists of answering the phone and dialing 2 numbers.

Voila!  Free incoming calls to a real phone at my house, which has no standard pots landline.  Additionally, if I get bored of talking to you on my landline, I just press *, answer on my cell phone and hit the road.

I’ve been a GMail user for years now, so I was a little excited to hear that Google bought out Grand Central.  Mainly because all of the google apps are so nice..  Google Voice would eventually be cleanly integrated into Google’s apps.

So, the first shortcoming with Grand Central was that my contact list was always out of sync with my HTC Touch Pro running Windows Mobile.  Sure I could manually export from one and import into the other, but that’s a bit of a pain.  With Google Voice, I’m now configured to use activesync on the phone to sync to google’s server.

What it means is that my phone and my google calendar and contact list are always in sync, changing one instantly affects the other via push technology.  After an hour or so merging all of my contacts, I ended up with one clean list of contacts.  Now I even have all of my contacts’ email addresses on my phone, something I never bothered to do before.

Now, with all of my GV contacts constantly in sync with my phone, the next issue was calling them with the GV number so that other people would return my calls appropriately, as I’ve disabled my cellular voicemail.  Enter iDialer and iContact.  This clever piece of software allows profiles for use with Grand Central, Google Voice, Calling cards, Cellular, etc..  But the effect is that now; with this fancy dialer, my calls are all routed through GV automatically.  This works by calling my GV#, pressing 2, and dialing my contact’s #.  It’s a fairly acceptable method vs. callback, and for any of us with unlimited calls to our favorite #s, we’ve now got unlimited outgoing calls.  If you don’t mind not having caller-id and using call presentation, you can have unlimited incoming calls too.

Next up, SMS, GV has some nice options for text messages, allowing viewing and responding via the website, but they also enable both via the phone, by essentially bridging the SMS through another number.  This wreaks havoc on my contact list, as I can’t possibly guess which number is going to be used for each of my contacts, but it still works.  I wouldn’t mind knowing if those numbers are static, so that I can save them to the contact.

The voicemail transcription is a bit funny at this point, but I can see it being valuable in situations where the message is well articulated.  I’m still looking for a visual voicemail app, and hope someone will release one in the near future, but until then, I’ll walk to a computer or open PocketIE..

What is with all of these people and all of these people?  They get their panties in a knot because of words that someone deemed in foul, crude, crass, bad, profane.  I’m afraid I’m with Carlin on this one.

It’s not the content, it’s the context.  Which I will prove very simply:

Example 1 includes no ‘profanity’:

I hope your family dies of cancer on christmas, and in their wills, they’ve donated everything to charity.  You can’t afford to bury them because you’ll lose your job the same day, and you’ll have to live out of your minivan with the decaying corpses of your loved ones.

Obviously Example 1 is malicious.  But it doesn’t include any bad word, so it should be G-rated, and is safe for all.  Shoot, it even says love!

Example 2:

Holy shit! Did you see that Ferrari?  It was totally bitchin’  I rode in one of those one and nearly pissed myself.

So, there’s an R-rated comment, not able to be broadcast on television.. Yet who’s feelings were hurt?  Those of a conservative soccer mom that thinks her smutty novels and lifetime romance movies don’t have a negative effect on her child’s development.  You’re living in a dream world baby.

You want to complain about content?  Feel free, but understand that the world exists, your children are going to learn about the Holocaust in history class, and it isn’t knowledge that is destructive, but rather a lack of discipline, common sense, or empathy.  Our society obviously breeds murderers and rapists, but they’re not a result of television or books or video games.  No, we have only ourselves to blame.  That’s right mom and dad, they’re home schooled.

Well, I ran across a nice new, if only to me, IM client for Windows Mobile, among other devices.  I found out about it on this article on Gizmodo.  I’m expecting a ‘pay us’ message to pop up at some point.. Just like Agile did to me, jerks. In many respects, Palringo is a lot like Agile Mobile.  It’s got a ‘push to talk’ feature that sends a link to whatever sound byte you record on the fly.  It will also send pictures, just click the button, capture the picture, and return to the app, it’ll already be sending a link to the photo to your contact.  Very slick overall.  It has support for all the big chat services, I’ve currently got it configured for AIM, GTalk, ICQ, and MSN.  It’s running well at the moment.  My Sprint Mogul’s Unlimited EVDO connection is the only reason I’d want to be online everywhere, all the time…. because I can.

Specific to the Sprint Mogul, I had to make a registry change for the connection to function properly.  Prior to which, Reconnect Pending was displayed on the screen.  This article provided the info, but here’s the change:

[[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Comm\ConnMgr\Providers\{7C4B7A3 8-5FF7-4bc1-80F6-5DA7870BB1AA}\Connections\Sprint PCS Vision]
“AlwaysOn”=dword:00000001

Also worthy of noting, you can download the cab directly from their mobile version of the site.