Hi everyone. Today I will discuss a plan for those of you who are always going over your data limit, and seem to never be able to put your phone down. While I do not do this often, I will be recommending a plan from a major carrier. My ideas are based on two main principles. First, I assume that those of you who use ridiculous amounts of data do so by streaming some sorts of video, whether it be from Netflix, Youtube, or something else. Second, I believe that once you disregard all of video streaming, you should really only need about 2 gigabytes of data per month for everything else.
For this reason, I have selected T-Mobile as a good carrier. You might say that T-Mobile is not the cheapest. However, one aspect of this plan makes it unrivaled for you heavy users. With it, you have access to T-Mobile's "Binge On" option, which allows you to stream unlimited video without it counting towards your data limit. The plan also provides unlimited talk and text (to be expected) and 2 gigabytes of T-Mobile's fast 4G LTE data. It is priced at $50, a good deal for you heavy users. If you still don't feel comfortable with 2 gigabytes of data, you can get 6 gigabytes of data for only $15 more each month. With this plan, you can stream as much video as you want, and have enough data still to do all of your other tasks.
For the cell phone you have two options. You can either bring your own device or purchase one from T-Mobile. They have a wide variety of devices to purchase, so you can decide how much you are willing to spend on a phone. In addition, if you do not want to pay for a phone upfront, you have the option to pay for it with a monthly fee each billing session. All plans are no contract. I hope you enjoyed guys, and keep your eyes out for more posts in the near future!
Saturday, June 18, 2016
Friday, June 17, 2016
Get 500 Megabytes of data free per month!
Hi guys. Today I'll be telling you all about a bit of a life hack. It's simple, easy, and costs very little when compare to the results. If you are like everyone else in the world, you probably have a data limitation on your cellphone. Wouldn't it be nice to have some more?
If you read my article from two days ago, I talk about the company Freedom Pop. This same company not only offers cellular service, but also mobile hot-spots. While they do seem to show various options of hot-spots, I was having issues with the website, and only two seemed to be available for purchase (although you can purchase Freedom Pop's hot-spots independently from their website). These were the Freedom Pop Zing and the Mingle, both of which provided 4G LTE data. The Mingle, the cheaper of the two retails for approximately $70. The Zing is $100.
Now to discuss plans. Freedom Pop provides you with three options. While I do not think that the other two are very useful, one of their plans is incredible. After you purchase the hot-spot, you get 500 megabytes of free 4G data each month. For a one time fee of $70, you can pad your data, and even use it as an emergency if you ever run out.
If you read my article from two days ago, I talk about the company Freedom Pop. This same company not only offers cellular service, but also mobile hot-spots. While they do seem to show various options of hot-spots, I was having issues with the website, and only two seemed to be available for purchase (although you can purchase Freedom Pop's hot-spots independently from their website). These were the Freedom Pop Zing and the Mingle, both of which provided 4G LTE data. The Mingle, the cheaper of the two retails for approximately $70. The Zing is $100.
Now to discuss plans. Freedom Pop provides you with three options. While I do not think that the other two are very useful, one of their plans is incredible. After you purchase the hot-spot, you get 500 megabytes of free 4G data each month. For a one time fee of $70, you can pad your data, and even use it as an emergency if you ever run out.
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Page Plus Cellular
Hey guys, now that school is over, I'll be trying to post somewhat consistently. Today I want to continue my evaluation of the MONEY article. The plan I will share with you today is for those of you who want the best service out there, but do not want to part with your hard earned money. The article is based on one main principle, which I, along with many others consider to be true. You can argue otherwise, but I am adamant in the validity of this statement. Verizon has the fastest and most consistent service of all the wireless carriers. Say what you want, I've done my research. At this time, Verizon has the best service, hands down. But Verizon is not the best carrier. Why do I say this? Go to their website sometime, and look up their prices. Therefore I found a great alternative.
The carrier that I am evaluating today is not known very well, because like yesterday, it is an MVNO. To summarize what I explained in yesterdays post, and MVNO is a private company which uses the cellular towers of another private company. In this case, the plan I am about to tell you about uses VERIZON'S towers. If you decide to go with this, you will have America's best service at your fingers.
Now to give you the details. The carrier is called Page Plus Cellular. Feel free to google them, they have a website. They are owned by the company America Movil, the fourth largest cellular operator in the world. Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let's talk about plans. They are all no contract, if you were wondering. My first recommendation for typical users is the $39.95 plan. It includes unlimited talking and texting, along with 3 gigabyte of Verizon's speedy 4G LTE data. There are no overage fees, going over the data limit causes the carriers to slow your speeds. International texting is also included. The next plan, for lighter users is also a great option. For $29.95, you receive 1500 minutes of calling, unlimited texting, and 1 gigabyte of internet usage. While they do have plans for heavier users, I am going to post about this later, because I believe there are better options for this than what page plus offers. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me in the comments, or look at Page Plus' website!
Finally, I get to the "catch." Because these plans are no contract, it requires that you buy a phone from Page Plus at full price. In addition, in order to take advantage of their LTE service, you need to buy a phone with LTE capability. While these can be very expensive, there are certainly low cost options for LTE capable cell phones. They all have the popular android operating system as well. While they can run you as much as $700, you ca buy LTE capable phones for around $60. So yes, you can get great service for a low price. I hope you enjoyed this article! I will likely post again over the weekend for heavy users, so look out for that!
The carrier that I am evaluating today is not known very well, because like yesterday, it is an MVNO. To summarize what I explained in yesterdays post, and MVNO is a private company which uses the cellular towers of another private company. In this case, the plan I am about to tell you about uses VERIZON'S towers. If you decide to go with this, you will have America's best service at your fingers.
Now to give you the details. The carrier is called Page Plus Cellular. Feel free to google them, they have a website. They are owned by the company America Movil, the fourth largest cellular operator in the world. Now that I've gotten that out of the way, let's talk about plans. They are all no contract, if you were wondering. My first recommendation for typical users is the $39.95 plan. It includes unlimited talking and texting, along with 3 gigabyte of Verizon's speedy 4G LTE data. There are no overage fees, going over the data limit causes the carriers to slow your speeds. International texting is also included. The next plan, for lighter users is also a great option. For $29.95, you receive 1500 minutes of calling, unlimited texting, and 1 gigabyte of internet usage. While they do have plans for heavier users, I am going to post about this later, because I believe there are better options for this than what page plus offers. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me in the comments, or look at Page Plus' website!
Finally, I get to the "catch." Because these plans are no contract, it requires that you buy a phone from Page Plus at full price. In addition, in order to take advantage of their LTE service, you need to buy a phone with LTE capability. While these can be very expensive, there are certainly low cost options for LTE capable cell phones. They all have the popular android operating system as well. While they can run you as much as $700, you ca buy LTE capable phones for around $60. So yes, you can get great service for a low price. I hope you enjoyed this article! I will likely post again over the weekend for heavy users, so look out for that!
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
Freedom Pop
Hey everyone, I'm so sorry I haven't really posted for over a year now. I've been busy with school, and among other things, haven't been to concerned with keeping up the blog, so it slipped my mind. That being said, something that I saw today angered me, and made me say to myself, "Hey I've got to tell the blog about this." Maybe you have heard of it, maybe you haven't but today I was reading MONEY magazine, and came across an article talking about the best phone plans of 2016. I was not about to let the writers get away with the the plans they mentioned. If by some coincidence you actually read the article, you have been misinformed. Well, maybe not misinformed. They didn't lie to you, but those plans were far from the "best". So for that reason, I will be correcting what they said. One of their categories was plans for light users. The plan I will tell you guys isn't even that light, but the cost is so light that you won't feel the money leaving your wallet. I'm talking about Freedom Pop.
I believe that I mentioned Freedom Pop in a different article, but they have an unbeatable plan. Freedom Pop is an MVNO. This means that they use the cell towers of a different company (and pay them to do so) but have different ownership. Freedom Pop uses Sprint towers, which means that you will have Sprint service if you use this plan. While Sprint service is not the best (I would highly recommend checking Freedom Pop's coverage maps before purchasing), it is a steal for the price. For $80 a YEAR (yes a year), you are given one gigabyte of data, along with unlimited talk and text. This averages out to a whopping $6.67 per month. But that's not all. Freedom Pop also has free plans for those extreme light users, offering 500 megabytes of data, 200 text messages, and 200 minutes of calling per month.
Of course there must be a catch, right? The only "catch" is that you need to buy a phone up front, which means no free phones. But is that really true? Freedom Pop offers the option to bring your own device. You can enter it on their website, www.freedompop.com to see if it qualifies. And if you don't have a phone to bring, they offer Android phones starting below the $100 mark, which is easily worth it because of the money that you save each month. And by the way, the plans are no contract which means that you can leave them any time. Just remember that the $80 that you pay for the plan is a one time fee, at the beginning of the year. So if you do switch out instantly, I suppose you would have spent $80 you will never get back.
What does this mean? It means that you can get a cell phone and service for an entire year, for dirt cheap. MONEY magazine averaged a $600 yearly price tag for their individual plan. Their plan is on Boost Mobile, which uses the same Sprint service as Freedom Pop. Why do that, when you can pay $180 and have your phone for a year with no hidden charges?
I believe that I mentioned Freedom Pop in a different article, but they have an unbeatable plan. Freedom Pop is an MVNO. This means that they use the cell towers of a different company (and pay them to do so) but have different ownership. Freedom Pop uses Sprint towers, which means that you will have Sprint service if you use this plan. While Sprint service is not the best (I would highly recommend checking Freedom Pop's coverage maps before purchasing), it is a steal for the price. For $80 a YEAR (yes a year), you are given one gigabyte of data, along with unlimited talk and text. This averages out to a whopping $6.67 per month. But that's not all. Freedom Pop also has free plans for those extreme light users, offering 500 megabytes of data, 200 text messages, and 200 minutes of calling per month.
Of course there must be a catch, right? The only "catch" is that you need to buy a phone up front, which means no free phones. But is that really true? Freedom Pop offers the option to bring your own device. You can enter it on their website, www.freedompop.com to see if it qualifies. And if you don't have a phone to bring, they offer Android phones starting below the $100 mark, which is easily worth it because of the money that you save each month. And by the way, the plans are no contract which means that you can leave them any time. Just remember that the $80 that you pay for the plan is a one time fee, at the beginning of the year. So if you do switch out instantly, I suppose you would have spent $80 you will never get back.
What does this mean? It means that you can get a cell phone and service for an entire year, for dirt cheap. MONEY magazine averaged a $600 yearly price tag for their individual plan. Their plan is on Boost Mobile, which uses the same Sprint service as Freedom Pop. Why do that, when you can pay $180 and have your phone for a year with no hidden charges?
Sunday, May 24, 2015
Android Wear Updates and New Devices
Hey everybody. Recently, the arrival of the Apple Watch has seemed to grab most of the attention of the smart watch industry. However, there seems to be a general belief, not only that the world is not ready for smart watches, but that smart watches are not ready for the people. What do I mean by this? Many critics of smart watches have stated that wearables are useless, that all they do is provide a way to avoid pulling one's smartphone out of the pocket. In addition, others say that, with their limited battery life, and low processing power, they are practically obsolete. I am willing to argue that this is not true. One example that I can use is the tablet. When it originally came out, most people viewed it as a useless device. The laptop can do all things that a tablet can, and so can a smartphone. But when looking at tablets, we can see that they are purchased for one reason. And that reason is convenience. The tablet allows for high portability of one's devices, without lugging around a heavy laptop. People do only basic tasks on their tablets, compared to what is done on their computers. I feel that smart watches have that same potential, with regard to phones.
I am sorry for going off on a tangent. However, I do genuinely believe that one day smart watches will be commonly used. Anyways, I will now talk about my original point, being the arrival of two new Android Wear devices. The first of which, the Huawei watch, I enjoy a lot. It looks very similar to the Motorola 360, with a thin, circular screen. I love the design of the watch. The bands are fashionable, the casing comes in multiple sleek color options, and it has layers of sapphire crystal to provide a futuristic look. The main downside to the watch is its high price point, speculated to be around $400. The other new arrival is the LG watch Urbane. The first thing I noticed about this watch, is that it looks just like any normal watch. If worn with a suit, I would consider it to be a traditional "fancy" watch, rather than one powered by Android Wear. Another thing that I noticed was that LG seemed to stress the battery life, saying that it would last all day, if not longer. Thus far, many have questioned the battery life of wearables, considering that the factor is large con of the entire wearable market. The Urbane is priced around $350.
While it may not seem as if large improvement is being made in these Android wearables, that is because I have decided to save the best new change for last. A new feature of Android Wear allows for WiFi connectivity. With this update, these watches have become much more independent than previously, and now one can take only their wearable with them to do certain tasks (without their phone), such as errands or exercise, knowing that they have the capability to make calls or text when needed. Finally, we have come just one small step closer to a technologically sane life.
I am sorry for going off on a tangent. However, I do genuinely believe that one day smart watches will be commonly used. Anyways, I will now talk about my original point, being the arrival of two new Android Wear devices. The first of which, the Huawei watch, I enjoy a lot. It looks very similar to the Motorola 360, with a thin, circular screen. I love the design of the watch. The bands are fashionable, the casing comes in multiple sleek color options, and it has layers of sapphire crystal to provide a futuristic look. The main downside to the watch is its high price point, speculated to be around $400. The other new arrival is the LG watch Urbane. The first thing I noticed about this watch, is that it looks just like any normal watch. If worn with a suit, I would consider it to be a traditional "fancy" watch, rather than one powered by Android Wear. Another thing that I noticed was that LG seemed to stress the battery life, saying that it would last all day, if not longer. Thus far, many have questioned the battery life of wearables, considering that the factor is large con of the entire wearable market. The Urbane is priced around $350.
While it may not seem as if large improvement is being made in these Android wearables, that is because I have decided to save the best new change for last. A new feature of Android Wear allows for WiFi connectivity. With this update, these watches have become much more independent than previously, and now one can take only their wearable with them to do certain tasks (without their phone), such as errands or exercise, knowing that they have the capability to make calls or text when needed. Finally, we have come just one small step closer to a technologically sane life.
Saturday, May 23, 2015
The Best Basic Phone With Wifi
Hello all. If you have read my blog in the past, you will know that I have devoted lots of time looking for a specific phone. As a previous user of AT&T, I realized that there were no options to buy a plan that would allow the purchase of a smartphone with no data. However, I attempted to find a loophole. I wondered if there were any non-smartphones "out there" with WiFi, so that I could still browse my Facebook and email accounts as long as I was on wifi, without paying for a data plan. After my search, I came across a phone from the company Blu. I paid only $35, and inserted my sim card. While I did have what I wanted, (WiFi capability) the phone was lacking in its many features, and while I was not unhappy with the experience, I know that I received what I paid for.
The main problems with the Blu phone were its lack of app use. In checking any of my various accounts, I would have to go to the browser and login, providing me with an unfriendly user interface and a bad picture. Another problem was that, with the phone's physical keyboard, I would "butt dial" certain contacts multiple times a day. Finally, it lacked a decent camera, something that I feel is a necessity.
These problems I considered largely before presenting to you the following phone. I am talking about the Nokia Asha 503. The Asha 503 is technically considered a feature, or basic phone, regardless of its many "smart" features, mainly WiFi. It has a five megapixel camera, which trumps that of my old phone (only 1.3). The phone itself is not new, but was released not long ago (Late 2013), and has many software update options, the most recent arriving this past April. The main thing that I like about this phone is the app integration. Unlike my other phone, this one has all of the social media apps, like Facebook and twitter, and provides notifications as well. All photos have the option of being emailed, texted, or posted straight to any account registered with the device. While the app store itself is not nearly as vast as that of iOS or Android, it contains some of the high profile apps and games that we still use today. In a review that I watched, I noticed that certain apps, such as Pac Man, Plants Vs. Zombies, and older versions of Fifa were present.
The phone itself is tiny. It has a slightly smaller screen than that of the first generation iPhone. Buyer beware. It is an all touchscreen phone. If you don't feel comfortable typing on a small screen, this phone might not be the one for you. The Nokia Asha 503 also has an intriguing design. It is covered by a colorful back (color options are available), with a clear plastic casing surrounding that. As for navigation, the phone relies on many swipes, as it has only one main button on the front, being the "back" button. Other than the design, nothing special stood out to me to make this phone that much better or worse than a slightly aged Android smartphone. In terms of price, the Asha 503 is sold on electronicsforce.com for approximately $100, GSM unlocked. Remember, this means that once you get the Asha, the only thing necessary is to insert your Sim Card. It is not necessary to consult one's carrier. Another thing to keep in mind is that this phone is primarily meant for those who are stuck under AT&T, and do not want to purchase a data plan. If you are still unsure about your thoughts on the Nokia Asha 503, or want to learn more about it, either contact me, or feel free to look up a review and images of the device. Make sure to follow my blog, The Road to a Technologically Sane Life!
The main problems with the Blu phone were its lack of app use. In checking any of my various accounts, I would have to go to the browser and login, providing me with an unfriendly user interface and a bad picture. Another problem was that, with the phone's physical keyboard, I would "butt dial" certain contacts multiple times a day. Finally, it lacked a decent camera, something that I feel is a necessity.
These problems I considered largely before presenting to you the following phone. I am talking about the Nokia Asha 503. The Asha 503 is technically considered a feature, or basic phone, regardless of its many "smart" features, mainly WiFi. It has a five megapixel camera, which trumps that of my old phone (only 1.3). The phone itself is not new, but was released not long ago (Late 2013), and has many software update options, the most recent arriving this past April. The main thing that I like about this phone is the app integration. Unlike my other phone, this one has all of the social media apps, like Facebook and twitter, and provides notifications as well. All photos have the option of being emailed, texted, or posted straight to any account registered with the device. While the app store itself is not nearly as vast as that of iOS or Android, it contains some of the high profile apps and games that we still use today. In a review that I watched, I noticed that certain apps, such as Pac Man, Plants Vs. Zombies, and older versions of Fifa were present.
The phone itself is tiny. It has a slightly smaller screen than that of the first generation iPhone. Buyer beware. It is an all touchscreen phone. If you don't feel comfortable typing on a small screen, this phone might not be the one for you. The Nokia Asha 503 also has an intriguing design. It is covered by a colorful back (color options are available), with a clear plastic casing surrounding that. As for navigation, the phone relies on many swipes, as it has only one main button on the front, being the "back" button. Other than the design, nothing special stood out to me to make this phone that much better or worse than a slightly aged Android smartphone. In terms of price, the Asha 503 is sold on electronicsforce.com for approximately $100, GSM unlocked. Remember, this means that once you get the Asha, the only thing necessary is to insert your Sim Card. It is not necessary to consult one's carrier. Another thing to keep in mind is that this phone is primarily meant for those who are stuck under AT&T, and do not want to purchase a data plan. If you are still unsure about your thoughts on the Nokia Asha 503, or want to learn more about it, either contact me, or feel free to look up a review and images of the device. Make sure to follow my blog, The Road to a Technologically Sane Life!
Thursday, February 5, 2015
Best Windows 8 touch Screen Laptop under $400 (HP pavilion 11 x360)
Hello again. As you know if you read my last posting, I am doing a series of Windows 8 budget laptops that suit the needs of many. Today, I will provide my thoughts on an HP notebook, the Pavilion 11 x360. It servers many functions, I will explain why:
The Funky:
HP pavilion 11 x360. Currently $379 on hp.com
In my opinion, the Pavilion, is not exactly what I would consider to be a work computer. However, it isn't a bad option for a budget personal computer. In terms of bulk processing power, it is faster than the HP stream, (which I talked about in the last posting) as it uses an intel Pentium processor, rather than using intel Celeron. It has an 11 inch screen, which relatively speaking, is small. However, for a budget computer I must admit that it has some impressive features for its price. Finally, we reach the X factor. This computer (as shown in the picture) can flip its screen to touch the keyboard, making its touch screen a very useful feature. The touch screen can serve a purpose from either checking email to playing games. Remember, this is in the best sense of the word a laptop. The many screen features should not deter you, rather should seem as amenities to a budget level laptop. As long as you aren't going for a high level gaming laptop, the HP pavilion x360 could be your next.
The Funky:
In my opinion, the Pavilion, is not exactly what I would consider to be a work computer. However, it isn't a bad option for a budget personal computer. In terms of bulk processing power, it is faster than the HP stream, (which I talked about in the last posting) as it uses an intel Pentium processor, rather than using intel Celeron. It has an 11 inch screen, which relatively speaking, is small. However, for a budget computer I must admit that it has some impressive features for its price. Finally, we reach the X factor. This computer (as shown in the picture) can flip its screen to touch the keyboard, making its touch screen a very useful feature. The touch screen can serve a purpose from either checking email to playing games. Remember, this is in the best sense of the word a laptop. The many screen features should not deter you, rather should seem as amenities to a budget level laptop. As long as you aren't going for a high level gaming laptop, the HP pavilion x360 could be your next.
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