During my investigation, I stumbled across information about the new HTC Touch PRO.  PRO is the objective word here. The HTC Touch PRO not only features a great touch screen experience for casual/recreational use, it also packs a slide out keyboard (just like my old HTC 6700) for times when I have to grind out accurate quick text.   This thing packs everything… wifi, touch screen, keyboard, gps, camera, and a lot of other cool features.  Also, Windows Mobile 6.1 seems to be a LOT more stable than previous versions. After two weeks of use, I don’t recall any lockups or mysterious reboots which were so prevalent in prevous versions.

A simple search will result in several debates that tout the Touch Pro as a legit iPhone competitor.  I happen to agree. I would like to hear what you fellow PTIers think.  Chime in and let the debate begin!!!

Today, I received the following email from Comcast.   Before I comment, take a look at the verbiage….

Dear Comcast High-Speed Internet Customer,

We appreciate your business and strive to provide you with the best online experience possible. One of the ways we do this is through our Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). The AUP outlines acceptable use of our service as well as steps we take to protect our customers from things that can negatively impact their experience online. This policy has been in place for many years and we update it periodically to keep it current with our customers’ use of our service.

On October 1, 2008, we will post an updated AUP that will go into effect at that time.

In the updated AUP, we clarify that monthly data (or bandwidth) usage of more than 250 Gigabytes (GB) is the specific threshold that defines excessive use of our service. We have an excessive use policy because a fraction of one percent of our customers use such a disproportionate amount of bandwidth every month that they may degrade the online experience of other customers.

250 GB/month is an extremely large amount of bandwidth and it’s very likely that your monthly data usage doesn’t even come close to that amount. In fact, the threshold is approximately 100 times greater than the typical or median residential customer usage, which is 2 to 3 GB/month. To put it in perspective, to reach 250 GB of data usage in one month a customer would have to do any one of the following:

* Send more than 50 million plain text emails (at 5 KB/email);
* Download 62,500 songs (at 4 MB/song); or
* Download 125 standard definition movies (at 2 GB/movie).

And online gamers should know that even the heaviest multi- or single-player gaming activity would not typically come close to this threshold over the course of a month.

In addition to modifying the excessive use policy, the updated AUP contains other clarifications of terms concerning reporting violations, newsgroups, and network management. To read some helpful FAQs, please visit http://help.comcast.net/content/faq/Frequently-Asked-Questions-about-Excessive-Use.

Thank you again for choosing Comcast as your high-speed Internet provider.

 I especially like the phrase…”In addition to modifying the excessive use policy, the updated AUP contains other clarifications….”

Now… I ain’t a Broadband expert.  And I never heard about these AUPs, but I don’t like the tone of this note!  I can smell this one from a mile away!!  How dumb do they think we are??? I can see through this like a picture window!! 

PTIers, where there is smoke there is fire.  All of a sudden Comcast wants to start monitoring your individual broadband usage, then there will be a charge for going over the limit, then there will be a “new” plan that will offer to save the “light” users money, and then BANG!!! … average users will be thrown into the high category, and we will all be paying by the GB!!  Where there is smoke there is fire, call me the smoke alarm PTIers….  Just like the robot on Lost in Space (younger PTIers won’t know what I am talking about), but WARNING, WARNING, WARNING, DANGER, DANGER…

Help PTIers,  we need to stop this train before it gets to the station.  We need to squash this before its too late. 

Tell it like it is!!!  Quick, let’s get a plan of action!!!

The fact of the matter is that my PPC 6800 has and is still delivering on every aspect of functionality that I expected no complaints.  However, its time.   Its time for a new smartphone.   I like physical keyboards, so any “touch” version is out. I need bluetooth, I want GPS enabled this time, I want a touch screen, and its got to be wifi.  

With these requirements, I am left with two choices from Sprint.  The HTC Mogul which is the successor to my PPC 6700, and the Treo 800w. 

Come on PTIers share some of the unwritten pros and cons with me.   You long term PTIers remember my issues with the 700w that pointed me to the PPC 6800, in the first place.  Should I go with the next version of what I have? or should I try the new 800w and jump on the Treo bandwagon again?  Tell it like it is and tell me what you think.

I have to admit, my philosophy has always been, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it”.  This has especially been my opinion about web browsers. PTIers have helped me make a lot of decisions in my tech life, so I thought I would ask you all if it is time to change browsers.  Instead of searching features and such, I thought I would ask you all what you think of the comparison.  Is it time to take advise from the Man in the Mirror and make that change? Is it too early to tell.  Let me hear from the PTIers to see what you think.  Share some of the hidden features and advantages that you see, and let’s see if Chrome really has the bling. 

I will admit upfront that I am not an easy sell when it comes to change. 

Tell it Like it Is!!!!

You already know most of the story from the previous gen iPhone.  What puts this new device way over the top, is the app store.  Now there are many 3rd party apps (and growing) that make the iPhone so much more useful.  As I write this post, I’m listening to an AOL Radio station on the iPhone (using 3G, not wifi) that’s actually a local smooth jazz station in my area.  I just downloaded the new iPhone eReader app.  Now I can read my books like I used to do on my old Palm device.  Except with the iPhone, I downloaded some of the books to the device using 3G, not with a hard connection to my PC.  Earlier today I was using the Truveo app to watch a video replay from yesterday on an MSNBC news program that I missed at home (no commercials by the way…and using 3G, not wifi).  If you’re a Facebook user, there’s an app for you.  If you’re a MySpace user, there’s an app for you.  Heck, I’m a SmugMug photo user, and there’s even an app for me.  Hopefully Mobile Slingbox won’t be far behind by the way.

By the way PTIers, I have a feeling that TI still won’t understand.

Tell it like it is, PTIers.

It has been a while since I have personally had a tech challenge, but I have one that really has me stumped.  I just moved into a new home with a really cool home theatre.  The previous owner left most of his equipment as part of the sale.   Things were going good until I chanaged a component in the setup.  I have a really cool RF remote control.  This thing has a color touch screen, tabs, and lighted buttons.  The model is MX-3000 and I think the company name is Universal Remote Control (not sure though).

The remote worked flawlessly with the old TIVO box, but when I changed to a Directv HD DVR the remote no longer works…wouldn’t expect it to.   Now I have to use two remotes, one for the dvr and one for everything else.   Not sure who to call, but there seems to be a way to download information on this thing.

Is anyone familiar with what I am going through.  Is there a PTIer out there that can explain to me what I have to do???  PTIers to the rescue…HELP!!!!!!