SpeakOut with Android and iPhone

In searching for a cheaper phone plan with data & texting, I decided to try Seven Eleven's SpeakOut plan (SO).

SO runs off the Rogers network, so coverage is good. Petro Canada has a very similar pre-paid plan, but SO seems to be a little cheaper according to some forums.

Anyway, so off to a 711. Since I just recently rooted my Samsung Galaxy S with SuperOneClick (http://shortfuse.org/), I didn't need to purchase a phone that would work with SO. Also, from what I read, apparently any Rogers locked phone will work with SO, since it is running on the same network.

What makes SO different is it is a pre-paid service. So there are no contracts, and since I just came off a 3 year Rogers iPhone contract, I am really interested in the no contract part.

So I get the SIM card, insert it into the Galaxy, it boots up, shows up as on the SpeakOut network. I go to the required SO website, activate the phone by typing in the SIM's activation code and the phone's IMEI, and voila, phone is activated.

I try placing a call, of course it fails, it tells me insufficient credits available to being the call. Which makes sense, since I hadn't bought any air time yet.

Off to register on SO's site with an account, and then to select a plan.

I had already eyed the $30 value plan, it includes 100 minutes any time and unlimited text and unlimited browsing. The unlimited text is quite important since I use that a lot. The unlimited browsing was the curious part, I wasn't sure what this meant. From what I've read, it is sort of a proxied WAP thing. So I expected it to be sucky, like old WAP proxied Internet access on phones before smart phones.

I buy $100 worth of air time, which costs $113 after taxes. In doing so, I get a $25 air time bonus. Now, if I did this in the 7-11 store, I could've gotten a free Nokia craptacular phone. Yeah, not really interested.

After buying the credit, now I can activate the $30 value plan. A few more clicks later, and voila, I can make phone calls, send SMS, access voice mail, all the basics are now working.

But what about this unlimited browsing business?

Turns out, it is sort of a WAP thing, but it is actually pretty decent.

On the Samsung Galaxy S (or any Android running 2.2+), you have to add a APN, which is easy:

1. go to Settings/Wireless & Networks//Mobile Networks/Access Point Names
2. add a APN with the following info:
name: Speakout
APN: goam.com
Proxy: 10.128.1.69
Port: 80
username: wapuser1
password: wap
MMSC: http://mms.gprs.rogers.com
MMS proxy: 10.128.1.69
MMS port: 80
MCC: 302
MNC: 720
authentication type: Not set
APN type: internet + MMS

I tested all the apps I had, maps, email, facebook, twitter, various news apps, weather, it all works!

I downloaded the Speedtest app from the market, and was quite surprised to see the speed was really quite good: ping time approx 140 ms, DL speed 2 MBps, UL: 250 KBps.

Next, I wanted to see if this SO SIM would work with my iPhone 3GS.

Stick in the SIM, plug the iPhone back to iTunes since it is complaining about "Different SIM inserted"... but once connected to iTunes, the msg goes away, and everything is fine.

Right off the bat I try the Weather app, no go. I use SBSettings and check for IP address, nop, no IP address. Humm... Since I had to add a APN with the Android, I read somewhere this can be done with the iPhone Configuration Utility (http://support.apple.com/kb/DL1466). So I get that, and add the following:

1. under Configuration Profiles, click New
2. add Speakout wireless with a Unique Identifier of : com.speakout.wireless
3. under Advanced add:
APN: goam.com
Access point user name: wapuser1
Access point password: wap
Proxy server:port: 10.128.1.69:80
4. plugin the iPhone, and go to to the Configuration Profile tab and click Install
4b. If you get a error installing the profile, click Export on the profile first, that will sign and encrypt the configuration, then, after the profile has been saved through the export process, go back to Configuration Profile tab, and click Install on the profile, and like magic, it is now signed!
5. accept the Profile installation on the iPhone, and voila!

Once this was done, I check SBSettings again, and yup, it now has a data IP. I test all the usual apps, and everything works fine.

So the long and the short of it is, 7-11's SpeakOut unlimited browsing plan works fine on Android and iPhone, and the speed isn't bad either. Certainly in using it, I cannot tell it is any slower than my regular Rogers 3G data connection. I think PetroCanada's service probably works much the same way.

Summary: $10 SIM, $100 air time voucher + taxes = $124.30 total out of pocket. This bought just over 4 months of 100 minutes/month + unlimited text + unlimited browsing of service. That 100 min/month is Canada wide long distance. Visual voicemail is the only thing SO doesn't have.

Chevy Volt vs BMW, fight!

Hybrids are becoming more common now, and the new Chevy Volt actually looks pretty good, especially in the ads of it always going places and never needing to fuel up.

Then, I priced it out a little, wow, it's listed at $41500 at GM.ca (http://www.gm.ca/gm/english/vehicles/chevrolet/volt/overview)

Now, I thought to myself, but it's so fuel efficient, I wonder how much it would save me compared to what I am driving now, a 2004 BMW 330ci.

You can find a similar 330ci for under $18000 (http://www.autotrader.ca/a/pv/Used/BMW/all/bmw+330ci/?lloc=Toronto%2c+ON&cty=Toronto&prv=Ontario&ctr=Canada)

According to http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/findacar.htm, the 2012 Chevy Volt in Electric only mode uses (equivalent I imagine) 2.5 L/100 KM, or cost $1.08 to drive 40 KM. For the 2004 330ci, combined usage is 11.8 L/100 KM, or estimated cost $4.65 for 40 KM.

So that means a savings of $3.57 per 40 KM driven, or about $0.08 per KM of savings.

The price difference between the two cars is around $23000 (let's say you negotiated $500 off the $41.5k sticker price of the Volt).

How far can $23000 get you in the BMW? Let's say premium gas is around $1.45/L. That would buy you over 15000 L of premium gas (yes, at today's price).

How far would 15000 L get you? Let's take worse case scenario of City only driving, again, fueleconomy.gov estimates that to be 13.8 L/100 for the BMW.

15000 L / 13.8(L/100) *100 KM = 108700 KM.

That's over 100000 KMs.

So if a 2012 Volt and a BMW 330ci started travelling into the city today, only after 100000 KM, the Volt driver can finally gloat about how much money they are saving.

Yes, of course I neglected to take into account repair costs on both cars, battery replacement costs, etc. But I was frankly surprised at the result. Because I too was taken in by the idea of not paying more and more for gas each time.

Oh btw, when you do need gas for the Volt, and you will, it takes Premium gas, just like the Bimmer.

Humm... I think I'll keep my baby :-)