Virgin Mobile USA Broadband2Go

I am excited and ecstatic about Virgin Mobile USA's new rates for their pre-paid Broadband2Go service. I have been using their service for over six months and hoping they would increase the megabyte to price ratio.

Two months or so past AT&T announced a plan of $25 for 2 GBs of use, which at the time surpassed Virgin Mobile USA's previous rate of $20 for 300 MBs in a 30 day period. I never expected they would announce a $40 unlimited plan within a 30 day period!

Users have rightly dinged this service for lackluster speeds. You will likely feel like you're connected at just above dial up speeds, even though Virgin is using Sprint's network. In my case, I don't do many graphic intensive things so the Broadband2Go service is suitable.

If you occasionally need mobile connectivity to the Internet and don't want to rely on public wifi the Broadband2Go service may be for you. The device costs $79.99 with no activation fee, contract or Early Termination Fee. You pay only when you need the connectivity.

Internet Connection Hell & Over the Top TV

I have been in Cable Internet Hell for about three weeks. The cable company diagnosed the problem as a dead router (symptoms dropped connection, unable to connect, this page unavailable errors, online for 45 minutes with no problem, other times only online for 20 minutes and then unable to reconnect. Using the Repair Connection feature in Windows XP & Vista was unsuccessful as the OS was unable to diagnose and repair the connection problem). Router's light indicators were lit as normal. Cable tech said problem not cable modem but router.

When he connected the computer directly to the cable modem the internet connection was solid and working - no dropped connection. Once the router was integrated into the system connectivity was sporadic at best. My router's been around for awhile and received heavy use it simply never occurred to me that it could go bad. I bought a Linksys e2000 router and shortly thereafter a Western Digital Live TV Plus.

Here are my observations:

• Linksys e2000 (improved wifi range) No external antenna which I believe would provide extended and improved range. The netbooks in the living room (which are 3 good sized rooms away from the router) always connect with a low signal indicator but no noticeable lag in loading sites. The connection is reliable and steady.


• One annoyance is that Cisco Linksys provides guest account access which is on by default. The default should be off. The guest account is password protected with a default password programmed. Anyone owning a Linksys will know the guest password unless the user is savvy and changes it.

• WD Live TV Plus (natively streams NetFlix & YouTube videos and displays Full 1080p HD quality). It natively connects with the MediaFly service.


• Only one TV in our household has a HDMI connector so we set it up via HDMI and the quality is very good near HD. The HDMI cable must be purchased separately and I was amazed at how expensive they are! Average price for one cable is $29.95 for a generic brand.


• WD Live TV Plus also can connect via composite video and after enjoying the HDMI connection we tried the composite connection on the living room TV. The quality is equivalent to VHS when connected via composite, but is still acceptable when you consider you're streaming NetFlix movies. When reading film credits the smaller print is barely legible but tolerable. Of course, HDMI provides the best viewing experience.


• Ethernet connection is wired as the WD Live TV Plus doesn't have built-in wifi. You can purchase an optional USB wifi device, but streaming video is very processor intensive and I wouldn't expect wifi streaming to be a pleasant experience.


• Two USB ports for connecting hard drives. Of course, if you buy the optional USB wifi device then you're left with one USB port for connecting an external drive. It's a great way for me to view the multitude of video podcasts I download. If the podcast is 1080p it's a spectacular viewing experience!


• It automatically connects to the MediaFly service, which is a free site that provides access to a number of video and audio podcasts. Of course, Leo Laporte's Twit network, as well as Revision 3 shows GeekBeat and Tekzilla are featured on MediaFly for easy viewing.

I've been downloading these programs in iTunes for years but really haven't viewed them on the iPod because it's easier for me to listen to an audio podcast then stop what I'm doing and view them.

I can't tell you how great it is to sit in my bed all comfy and cozy and watch video podcasts on a big screen TV. It's beyond convenient, it makes perfect sense. I mean, who wants to sit propped in an office chair and view a couple hours of web content on a computer screen?

I've been downloading video podcasts forever and simply archived them to an external drive so that I didn't fill up the drive iTunes is on. I can stop downloading selected shows in iTunes and simply view them via MediaFly.

For the older shows I've archived, I've simply connected the external drive to the Live TV Plus, easily navigated to the drive via the onscreen menu and begun viewing the content. I have many shows that go as far back as 2006!

I've been archiving shows precisely because I didn't want to sit in front of the computer and watch them. Of course, the shows look good on a monitor, but they look even better on my TV as I sit in a comfy sofa with my legs propped up or lie in bed.

The video podcasts I'm enjoying are Alaska HD, London Landscape, American RVer and Beautiful Places to name a few so viewing 2006 episodes in 2010 isn't an issue as they're travel related and timeless.

So to summarize the WD Live TV Plus automatically connects to YouTube, NetFlix (provided you're a member), MediaFly and displays many audio / video formats that may exist on your external USB drive.

I can search YouTube content based on subject or username via an onscreen keyboard I navigate via remote. The remote does not have a keyboard but I don't have a problem pointing and clicking on an individual letter to spell out a username / site. I can also view channels I'm subscribed to.

Once I locate a user I want to view, all videos by that user are listed and I simply scroll to the end of the list to continue listing what's available. Once I view a user's video, Live TV Plus will present a list of like videos based on the tags used in the previous video. I can view videos from other users with like tags or navigate back to the original user to continue viewing their videos.

I now view YouTube videos, which I didn't do before. You can't believe the difference when viewing web content on a computer screen vs a TV screen. It's a completely different experience that is beyond enjoyable, it's fun! It's fun because you can share the content with as many people as can comfortably fit in the room and adequately see the screen. Try doing that on a computer monitor!

The Roku 720p  with built-in G wireless support wasn't a consideration for me because I knew I wanted my connection hard wired for best results and wanted 1080p capability. The Roku maxes at 720p which is what NetFlix streams at.

I always read Amazon.com reviews, I try to read as many as 50 to get a solid feel and average for users' experiences. One reviewer shared about preferring a wired LAN connection to Roku's wifi option but not wanting to snake CAT 5 cable through the house.

He opted to purchase PowerLine Ethernet, which uses the electrical current in your home to transmit network traffic. Now I haven't employed this solution simply because my house so old it lacks enough electrical outlets and the PowerLine Ethernet needs to connect to the electrical outlet to work - not into a surge suppressor.

Food Trucks

I know it's irrational to have a fear of consuming food prepared in a food truck, but there you have it.

I have never ever purchased food from a street vendor. You know, the hot dog guy or the lady selling tamales or the guy peddling shaved ice on a hot summer's day. I have never ever patronized them.

Never been tempted to try.

My immediately wanders to when was the last time they washed their hands? And, where ARE the bathroom facilities? No one. No one can spend hours on the street without needing to use the bathroom. So where do they go and what's done with the food cart when they're preoccupied?

See what I mean? I can't get beyond these questions. The same thought pattern applies to food trucks. How sanitary are they? How well refrigerated is the food? Is one person in charge of food preparation and another strictly handling currency? You know money is the filthiest thing we handle.

Enlighten me. Am I irrational or can you see my point of view?

PrePaid Broadband

My home wifi connection doesn't penetrate the walls from the den at rear to the front porch, so it's a good thing I have Virgin Mobile Broadband2Go megabytes to blow out. I bought the 250 MB / 30 days plan and it's been more than adequate for my limited weekday use, which averages about 45 minutes to an hour of online surfing.

I'm not committed to a 2 year contract, early termination or activation fees. If I need more megabytes I simply buy them directly from Virgin Mobile's site or I can purchase a Top Up card from any Best Buy. The denominations are: $20 = 250 MBs, $40 = 600 MBs, $60 = 1 GB all megabytes must be used within 30 days or you lose them - no carry over.

If you occasionally need mobile broadband connectivity then prepaid broadband may be a viable alternative.

Cheaters

I read a BBC article that prompted this blog post:

Cheating on exams - whether they're weekly, education certifications or state licensing exams has been available for many years. Cheaters would write answers on their hands or  arms or etch their pencils or pay someone to take the exam for them.

Students who passed the exam would sometimes record their answers and sell or distribute them to others. The cheater could  also easily look at a neighbor's paper and simply copy their answers.

So now we're in the digital age where we have iPods, MP3 players, USB disks, pen drives, mobile phones - many equipped with a Note feature for recording notes, we have texting, we can receive photos via mobile and on and on so cheating has become even easier and more difficult to detect and prevent. Never mind the web sites that purport to have the exam online for would be cheaters to see and memorize for a price.

Today's cheaters are just as dodgy as those from my time. And yes, several of them will gain acceptance into ivy league institutions or colleges with stellar reputations and some will advance the ranks in Corporate America.

The thing is we'll always be able to spot them because they're likely to have administrative staff who do everything for them. Not because they can afford the staff, but because the cheater is absolutely dependent on their skills to compose the memos, budgets, speeches, policies,  etc. that the cheater's pea brain never mastered.

The cheater is likely the manager or director at the office who can't spell worth a damn or compose a standard business letter.  He's the one the staff picks apart his emails and ridicules his spelling and grammar.

He doesn't know how to create  a budget or prepare a proposal. He likely paid fellow students to write his papers and take his exams. Now he's in Corporate America and still at a loss about how to do things.

Look closely and you'll spot him.

Status of New Year Resolutions

So far I'm keeping three of six resolutions, what you ask, you only listed five? Yea, let's talk about that...I forgot to write one down. Doh! The missing resolution has to do with Boo and I doing something new / different each month.

It can be as simple as dining at a restaurant that we've passed multiple times and muttered our intention to eat there someday or trying a new adventure / getaway. We have done two new things this month, in addition to me reading the Bible daily and spending more time with my mom.

So basically I'm at 50% in keeping my resolutions. Not a figure to brag about this is certain, it can equally be said that three weeks into the new year I have a 50% failure rate! I choose to be a glass is half full type of gal so I'm going with the success rate.

Did you make any resolutions? What's your success rate?

You've Got Mail!

I spent the day with my mom and had a great time. We didn't do anything special or different, we dined together, ran errands and did grocery shopping all things that made me very appreciative to have my mom in my life to do these things with.

We watched the film You've Got Mail on the 'E' cable channel and I was reminded of my father-in-law, the only person in my life who used and loved AOL. The man loved hearing three words: You've Got Mail.

Without fail each visit resulted in me repairing his OS, fixing something awry with AOL, reinstalling AOL or uninstalling AO-Hell after an automatic update that wasn't ready for the wild or updating drivers.

The one consistent thing my FIL and I shared was his love and addiction to AOL and my ability to keep his addiction operating smoothly. It might take me an hour or two each visit to get things working again but I never failed him.

He's departed earth for almost four years this February and as much as his AOL-related tech support taxed me and made me nuts, I now reminisce with very fond memories.