A deep dive into digital marketing

Paperless check-in on AA

Posted by Chris under Travel

So I’m flying on AA tomorrow out of ORD and plan to try to new paperless check-in, info below. But here’s what I’m wondering. When you go through the scanner and they say “keep your boarding passes out” and the TSA person looks at it once you go though the metal detector, how’s that going to work with my iPhone or Blackberry?

Will let you know tomorrow!

12. Paperless Flight Check-In

AT&T + iPhone = Free Wifi

Posted by Chris under Apple, Broadband, Mobile, Technology, Travel, iPhone

That’s right, recently announced by AT&T and shared across twitter and the web, free AT&T Wifi for iPhone users at AT&T WiFi hotspots. So beyond just Starbuck, including any of the public AT&T Wifi hotspots, you’ll get free Wifi on your iPhone, can you tell I’m excited.

As AT&T says

AT&T knows Wi-Fi is hot, and FREE Wi-Fi is even hotter. Which is why FREE AT&T Wi-Fi access is now available for Apple iPhone at thousands of hotspots nationwide, including Starbucks*. Users can relax and access music, email and web browsing services with their favorite blend in hand from the comfort of their nearest location. For information visit www.att.com/attwifi.

Enjoy the experience of mobile Internet on Apple iPhone. Your iPhone now has free AT&T Wi-Fi access at thousands of hotspots nationwide, including Starbucks*. Visit www.att.com/attwifi for more information or find a Starbucks location near you. That’s all you need to get going – so go ahead, see what your iPhone can do!

And it’s pretty darn easy to activate, instuctions via AT&T are below.

iPhone users, get started with Wi-Fi

• Activate Wi-Fi from the settings icon on your iPhone
• Select “attwifi” from the list of available networks
• Enter your 10-digit mobile number and check the box to agree to the Acceptable Use Policy. Tap ‘continue’
• You will receive a text message from AT&T with a secure link to the AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot. You will not be charged for the text message.
• The SMS link will only be valid for 24 hours at the location it was requested. Another request must be submitted when using another hotspot location.
• Open the text message and tap on the link for 24-hour access to the AT&T Wi-Fi hotspot

Roaming with your iphone, better have lots of cash!

Posted by Chris under Apple, Mobile, Technology, Travel, iPhone

So I’m getting ready for a trip to Canada, which according to AT&T, may be our northern neighbor but your phone and data plan is US only. Which means get ready for some extra $$, especially around data usage.

Now I’m well used to paying high costs when traveling internationally for mobile phone calls. Of course paying for an international plan can lower the rate slightly or going full native and getting local pay as you go sim/phone can be one way to go. Or at the other end use Skype or tools like that for free skype to skype calls.

But it’s the data that will really get you. After all in my article on TalentZoo.com I wrote about how the iPhone was more computer then phone and I still stand by that.

So first a BIG thanks to AT&T for calling attention to the issue and for Felix Salmon over at Portfolio.com for pointing out even more.

International data roaming can get expensive quickly. In two weeks I’ve pushed almost 100MB to/from my iphone, which if I was international would be about a $2000 bill (based on pay-per-use international data rates of $.0195/KB). Or breaking it down a bit more uploading one photo to Flickr would be about $20-30. OUCH!

What can you do to minimize your international data charges? Here’s where AT&T is very helpful.

1) Turn Data Roaming “OFF”: Be sure to download and install the latest version of iPhone software (version 2.0) from iTunes. By default, this setting for international data roaming will be in the “OFF” position.

To turn data roaming “ON/OFF” tap on: Settings>General>Network>Data Roaming

2) Utilize Wi-Fi instead of GPRS/EDGE/3G: Wi-Fi is available in many international airports, hotels and restaurants to browse the web or check email.

Turn Off Your Phone’s “Auto-Check” Function for Email: Data usage from email can accrue quickly. Check email manually using Wi-Fi instead of having email downloaded automatically to your iPhone. This way you can control the flow of data coming to your iPhone.

To turn off the Auto-Check functionality tap on: Settings>Fetch New Data and select manually

3) Consider Purchasing an International Data Package: Purchasing an international data package can significantly reduce the cost of using data abroad. AT&T now offers two discount international data packages.

$24.99 per month - 20 MB Data Global Plan (20 MB of usage in over 65 countries*. Overage is $.005/KB)

$59.99 per month - 50 MB Data Global Plan (50 MB of usage in over 65 countries*. Overage is $.005/KB)

*for a list of countries visit att.com/dataconnectglobal for current information

Reading Felix’s article he points out the issues of the Data Global Plan, one being that you have to keep it for multiple billing cycle. Otherwise if you cancel it upon your return and the charges haven’t come in yet you be charged the non-plan rate. -note my call to AT&T did confirm this as well but they also said there is no termination charge for the plan you can keep it as long/short as you like. They also did, to their credit, point out the same point that Felix made.

So what am I going to do? Well the plan is to get the 20MB plan so at least if I really need to use things like Google Maps (as in help I’ve wondered off and am lost) I won’t feel like my $ are flying away. But this is for “emergency” use only I’ll plan to use WiFi as much as I can.

I’ll let you know when I return how that all worked out. Oh and one last note I’ll be resetting the Usage Tracker to Zero when the plane touches down (in the general settings menu & select reset statistics.) This way I’ll rally know how much data usage I use. Unfortunately it doesn’t differentiate between WiFi and 3G/Edge.

Lastly, no comment on how crazy this feels having to plan my data usage, so much for the ubiqutous internet, I guess that’s just for the well heeled vertu crowd.

Blogging is like working out

Posted by Chris under Chicago, Travel

I’m sure I’m not the first and won’t be the last to write a post like this but after taking a few days off from most all technology. Not necessarily by choice but visiting family over the holiday in rural Illinois can leave you a bit out of the connected loop. Now don’t get me wrong visting Avon, Illinois where for the most part I grew up, except for my divorced kid travel to Amherst, is a nice diversion from the city.

Last year we got WiFi for my mom but cell service, at least for AT&T, of which I’m a subscriber, continues to be a challenge. So making a long story short I took a few days off from twitter, blogging, surfing, social networking and the internet in general.

Which meant more time for water skiing, tubing, and setting off a few fireworks. Oh, and star gazing, I always forget how the night sky really looks until a clear night visit down state.

But that takes me back to, blogging is like working out. A few days off and it’s hard to get the routine going again, just like I find with the gym/working out. Given a routine it’s great and becomes part of your daily system. A few days off and that first day back, well it’s not easy.

So I guess it’s with that note that i serve up what seems to be some tech “dish.” Happened to look at Vallywag last night and the article titled Kinderplex crisis reveals Google founder’s fumbling and fibbing, wow, trouble at Google, this referencing the New York Times article on problems at Google Day Care.

For some reason I find this interesting, maybe because it’s a public Google stumble, which is pretty darn rare.

Laptop Traveling

Posted by Chris under Apple, Technology, Travel, Uncategorized

Well I’ve just found out I’m either way ahead of the curve or just keeping up in regards to travel. For two years all my stuff went into my Dakine Terminal Backpack but most recently I’ve been using the Timbuk2 commuter (in large). Both are great packs for traveling with a laptop, all assoc. cords, ipod phone, papers, magazine, etc.

*note to self I’ll have to do some unpack shots of all the stuff in my pack*

Anyway this is great until you find yourself at the airport and you have to take your laptop out. That’s where I’ve been using a Incase Neoprene sleeve to protect my MacBook Pro for the last couple of years. Funnily or luckily as the case may be I almost never have to take it out of the case. And strangely when I do have to go sans incase it’s only been at smaller airports (Louisville and Charlotte) but not in Heathrow, Chicago, New York or Miami.

But I guess it’s all about to be legit or at least official. According to the NY Times the “TSA has given the go-ahead for passengers to use newly designed carry-on bags that will let them pass through security without having to take their laptops out for the X-ray inspection”

Not sure if my Incase is “official” but it’s been working for me and I hope to continue to use it.