Database Users

Can I get a Japanese SIM card to work with my Hermes?

I have tried searching the forums but could not find anything on how I could get a Japanese SIM card to use with my Hermes to minimise (ridiculous) Vodafone roaming costs, particularly for data, while I am in Japan on business. If I am not currently a resident in Japan, what are my options? I may be able to use my client's business address here if being a resident is a requirement for a contract, but I am also interested in prepaid options. I am prepared to go into various Softbank, au and Docomo shops if necessary, but I was hoping that I could tap into the collective wisdom of the forum to give me some pointers.
arigatou!

Kurvenal said:
If I am not currently a resident in Japan, what are my options? I may be able to use my client's business address here if being a resident is a requirement for a contract, but I am also interested in prepaid options. I am prepared to go into various Softbank, au and Docomo shops if necessary, but I was hoping that I could tap into the collective wisdom of the forum to give me some pointers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
These days as a foreigner you will have to prove residency in Japan to get a post-paid contract. Either by showing a Japanese driving license, a foreigner registration card, a combination of health insurance card and utility bill, etc. The only way for you to get a post-paid contract if you don't live here is to have someone else get the contract in their (or their business's) name.
Pre-paid is relatively easy. You don't have to prove that you live here (though you do have to show something with your name on it, like a passport), but I don't know if they have pre-paid SIM cards or if they only have SIM-less prepaid phones. I think that Softbank is the only carrier left who still does prepaid.

Sony Ericsson Xperia(TM) X1 Available in U.S. 28th of November

Hot off the press: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/11-12-2008/0004923677&EDATE=

dont get too excited yet!
remember the launch date for uk? 9/30/2008? haha
by the time this X1 is out in USA, it already 2009!

Unlocked = crippled!
Sure....an $800 unlocked phone for the US that will only fully work with a single carrier...riiiiight.
Could Sony Ericsson have possible botched the Xperia any more than they have??
Any bets on the date that SE announces they're withdrawing the Xperia from the US market?
Be seeing you,
The Duck

You ever wonder why people complain that Europe and Japan get all of the "cool" phones and the U.S. doesn't? It's because the way our 3G network is setup. Everyone has different frequencies, and it's almost impossible to make a chip to carry all of them. Europe has a bunch of different carriers that use the same 3G frequencies, which is why it's easier to roll out the phones there. Helps the consumer, helps the carrier, helps the manufacturer.
So when some manufacturer DOES decide to bring a phone to the U.S., you lambaste them because of it's high unlocked price, even though all unlocked phones are expensive. (I was in best buy today and they're selling the N95-4 for $750 still!). Guess what, the X1i is free on contract in Europe. It would be free here too if our 3G network weren't so backwards.
So basically, all these manufacturers are producing 3G phones for the U.S. and they know fully well it only works on AT&T. That's why they only make a few phones compatible - it's not economical to bring them over just to work with one carrier.

dinan said:
You ever wonder why people complain that Europe and Japan get all of the "cool" phones and the U.S. doesn't? It's because the way our 3G network is setup. Everyone has different frequencies, and it's almost impossible to make a chip to carry all of them. Europe has a bunch of different carriers that use the same 3G frequencies, which is why it's easier to roll out the phones there. Helps the consumer, helps the carrier, helps the manufacturer.
So when some manufacturer DOES decide to bring a phone to the U.S., you lambaste them because of it's high unlocked price, even though all unlocked phones are expensive. (I was in best buy today and they're selling the N95-4 for $750 still!). Guess what, the X1i is free on contract in Europe. It would be free here too if our 3G network weren't so backwards.
So basically, all these manufacturers are producing 3G phones for the U.S. and they know fully well it only works on AT&T. That's why they only make a few phones compatible - it's not economical to bring them over just to work with one carrier.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're right that the US frequency mish mash is a mess....but don't think for a minute that phones can't include multiple frequencies and that the carriers are innocent! Verizon, for example, recently insisted that a mfr modify their phone to remove frequencies that would allow the phone to work on T-mobile's network (I forget the phone....a blackberry, I think). Who decides that a quad band phone should be released in the US as triband or dual band? The phone mfr...nah.
As microsoft said the other day....US carriers don't want to be considered "dumb pipes"; i.e., providing generic access to cell frequencies for customers to use any phone with at reasonable rates! It's the carriers that block phones from tethering unless extra fees are paid to do what the phone can do using the cell networks....its the carriers that create goofy MediaNet type "services" to extract extra fees for doing what the net provides on the unadulterated phones! Its reminiscent of when AOL made users think they were part of some special club that was better than the new fangled internet....even by rebranding a limited access to the net as their own service!
Ah well....I rant and I vent....and I still pay crazy high phone bills.
Bill Gates himself once said that we'd one day look back and view paying for telephone services based on time and distance as "quaint". Within a country we're clearly there (ever watch an old movie and see people run to the phone when a "long distance" call came through?...too funny). But we're not there currently internationally! One day we'll look back at Orange being able to offer a phone for free on contract compared with AT&T being able to charge $299 or even blackmail the mfr into not making a deal, forcing them to sell a phone (a few of them, anyway) for $800 as quaint.
I can't wait for the arrival of international voice and data packages that would allow customers to choose Orange or AT&T or whomever we want to give our monthly money to without being forced to accept bloated software crippled phones!!
Ahh...ok...NOW rant over.
Be seeing you,
The Duck
p.s. - the carrier greed doesn't excuse Sony for this goofyness! If they wanted to sell an unblocked phone they could have made it compatible with more networks than AT&T. It looks like they screwed up and built a phone that was only suitable for AT&T without locking up a contract with AT&T. The carrier probably used the position of strength to extract more than SE's ego would accept....but the phrase "cutting off your nose to spite your face" comes to mind. Bad SE lawyers + greedy AT&T = bye bye Xperia.

TheDuck said:
Sure....an $800 unlocked phone for the US that will only fully work with a single carrier...riiiiight.
Could Sony Ericsson have possible botched the Xperia any more than they have??
Any bets on the date that SE announces they're withdrawing the Xperia from the US market?
Be seeing you,
The Duck
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you have to complains, u cant afford it!
did u also complain about HTC diamond selling for 699$ at bestbuy? haha
well, i bought diamond at bestbuy for 699+tax=748$, i know i can get it cheaper online, but i just hate waiting!

[Q] Live in US, Travelling to Europe -- Need Advice on European Carriers

Hi all,
I will be studying abroad in Europe this fall, staying in Sweden, and am looking around for a balance mobile plan. I have an unlocked Captivate so I have bands covered for the majority of Europe -- I will be looking for a sim-only plan.
I'm not a heavy user so texting/calling are not my priority. However a decent data plan would be ideal, and be gold if I could use it across the Eurozone.
Does anybody have experience with European mobile carriers? Recommendations? Advice?

No one is from Europe? :/

You'll need to do research specific to your country yourself, but as far as I know, it's quite good here.
For example in my country (poland) I have pre-paid plan where for 50 PLN I "upload" into my account I get 50 days of unlimited internet. And the 50 PLN is still to use on SMS/calling.
P.S.: I'm afraid there may not be good, affordable data plan that you can use all across euroland.

info on uk
hi!
I live in the uk and here the main carriers are o2, vodafone, orange, t-mobile and 3.
they all have a pay and go sim where you put £5, £10 on and have certain things like 500mb of data with texts/calls etc have a look at their website and see if any are ok for you!
i hope it helps!
cheers
Rob

If I were you I would change the title to Sweedish carriers, Europe is not a country it's a bit like me asking for anyone from North America to tell me about Mexican carriers lol!

TheMadMoose said:
... Europe is not a country ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's it ... something like a flat rate for all over Europe doesn't exist.
You have to get a SIM from a carrier in that country, where you will mainly stay and it's very likely, that a prepaid card will be the best/cheapest choice.
Let's take myself as an example:
I have a prepaid card from T-Mobile in Germany, which is the cheapest choice for my needs. If I need data connections, I have two choices. Standard is, that I pay 1 Euro for a day flatrate. Alternatively I can book a monthly data flatrate for 10 Euro.
If I travel e.g. to the Netherlands I will be connected to T-Mobile Netherlands and have to pay higher roaming fees, e.g. 2 Euro data day flatrate. For day trips this is acceptable, especially when mainly used for navigation, but if I would make holidays, let's say 2 weeks in spain, I would buy a prepaid SIM in Spain, because roaming fees can empty your wallet very quickly
So you first have to look for a carrier in Sweden, where you mainly will stay and check their local and roaming conditions. If you stay longer in other Europian countries, it's a good idea to check the carriers and their prepaid offers in that countries too.

Lets Beat Verizon's Encryption. Mass Effort Required.

TL;DR - Verizon blocks your ability to unencrypt the boot loader and upload another wireless carriers software for use on their network which is explicitly written into the law. While Verizon stated the encrypted boot loader helps keep customer support high and FCC deemed it reasonable, Verizon will have a hard time explaining the reasonableness of it's encryption when you've decided you would like to take your device to another network. This "locking" of the device to Verizons network only is the noose we're going to tie around Verizons neck.
The concept:
Say you've decided you may be interested in taking your 4g device to another network. Unfortunately, the bootloader is encrypted and any flash of another providers software renders the device "bricked."
The law, as it is written (Feel free to skip to the next section):
§ 27.16 Network access requirements for Block C in the 746–757 and 776–787 MHz bands.​
(a) Applicability. This section shall apply only to the authorizations for Block C in the 746–757 and 776–787 MHz bands assigned and only if the results of the first auction in which licenses for such authorizations are offered satisfied the applicable reserve price.​
(b) Use of devices and applications. Licensees offering service on spectrum subject to this section shall not deny, limit, or restrict the ability of their customers to use the devices and applications of their choice on the licensee’s C Block network, except:​
(1) Insofar as such use would not be compliant with published technical standards reasonably necessary for the management or protection of the licensee’s network, or​
(2) As required to comply with statute or applicable government regulation.​
(c) Technical standards. For purposes of paragraph (b)(1) of this section:​
(1) Standards shall include technical requirements reasonably necessary for third parties to access a licensee’s network via devices or applications without causing objectionable interference to other spectrum users or jeopardizing network security. The potential for excessive bandwidth demand alone shall not constitute grounds for denying, limiting or restricting access to the network.​
(2) To the extent a licensee relies on standards established by an independent standards-setting body which is open to participation by representatives of service providers, equipment VerDate Mar<15>2010 16:46 Dec 15, 2010 Jkt 220201 PO 00000 Frm 00334 Fmt 8010 Sfmt 8010 Q:\47\47V2 ofr150 PsN: PC150325 Federal Communications Commission § 27.20 manufacturers, application developers, consumer organizations, and other interested parties, the standards will carry a presumption of reasonableness.​
(3) A licensee shall publish its technical standards, which shall be nonproprietary, no later than the time at which it makes such standards available to any preferred vendors, so that the standards are readily available to customers, equipment manufacturers, application developers, and other parties interested in using or developing products for use on a licensee’s networks.​
(d) Access requests.​
(1) Licensees shall establish and publish clear and reasonable procedures for parties to seek approval to use devices or applications on the licensees’ networks. A licensee must also provide to potential customers notice of the customers’ rights to request the attachment of a device or application to the licensee’s network, and notice of the licensee’s process for customers to make such requests, including the relevant network criteria.​
(2) If a licensee determines that a request for access would violate its technical standards or regulatory requirements, the licensee shall expeditiously provide a written response to the requester specifying the basis for denying access and providing an opportunity for the requester to modify its request to satisfy the licensee’s concerns.​
(e) Handset locking prohibited. No licensee may disable features on handsets it provides to customers, to the extent such features are compliant with the licensee’s standards pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section, nor configure handsets it provides to prohibit use of such handsets on other providers’ networks.​
(f) Burden of proof. Once a complainant sets forth a prima facie case that the C Block licensee has refused to attach a device or application in violation of the requirements adopted in this section, the licensee shall have the burden of proof to demonstrate that it has adopted reasonable network standards and reasonably applied those standards in the complainant’s case. Where the licensee bases its network restrictions on industry-wide consensus standards, such restrictions would be presumed reasonable.​
How to play it:
Call Verizon Tech Support. Ask for the encryption and verification software used to verify the Operating System is approved "by Verizon" so you could potentially take your device to another network. You may be told, as I was by a Tech Support Supervisor, that it's as simple as having your new carrier flash their software onto the phone and it's good to go. Of course, we know this bricks the device. When you are told no, you could then ask to be transferred to someone who can remove this software, or, you could end it there, your job is done.
Once you're told "No." you have a legitimate complaint to file with the FCC. The law states specifically "No licensee may disable features on handsets it provides to customers, to the extent such features are compliant with the licensee’s standards pursuant to paragraph (b) of this section, nor configure handsets it provides to prohibit use of such handsets on other providers’ networks. The last part, in bold, is the noose you've just tied around Verizon's neck.
This will only work *if* you are told "No" by a Verizon Representative. As every call is logged by Verizon, you cannot lie about having been told no as their logged call may be used against them. You may ask them to note this in your account as well.
What to tell FCC:
You're allowed 1000 characters when you fill out the FCC complaint form. Lets do it with 690 characters:
I was told by a Verizon Wireless Representative that Verizon would not allow me to remove the software installed that verifies the device only runs "Verizon approved" software, and the encryption protecting it. As this explicitly limits my ability for a new carrier to provide their software on my device, for use on their network, I feel it is a direct violation of FCC code § 27.16(e). Any Operating System uploaded to my device not "Approved by Verizon" renders the device non-functional and requires the device be sent back to the manufacturer or Verizon for reapplication of "Verizon Approved Software" effectively restricting my ability to use my device on the network of my choice. Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How to tell the FCC:
https://esupport.fcc.gov/ccmsforms/form2000.action?form_type=2000F
With enough pressure, provided the FCC will enforce their own codes, we can effectively unlock *all* devices with 4g capability. Samsung, Motorola, Etc,.
(Mods, please feel free, as you see fit, to merge my other thread that is far less refined and was used as a brain storming session for the creation of this one. Thank you)

Wasn't there something about all the above is null if the company needs to lock it down to provide better service?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2

There was something that if they say it is for network security that is the loop hole they can use. But they have double standards of having some phones with unlocked bootloader not to mention allowing the developer edition which is the same exact phone just not locked down.
Sent from my SCH-I535 using xda app-developers app

Forgetfull said:
Wasn't there something about all the above is null if the company needs to lock it down to provide better service?
Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you're referring to the unlock request made by a Droid Razr user, which what you wrote was essentially Verizon's official response.
We're taking a different approach here, which asks the bootloader be unlocked, not just because, but for the ability to load a different carriers software on the device to switch said phone to a different carrier. A request, which has nothing to do with providing any service to the user, at all. This is the beauty in it.

call for Canadian Developers - droidcon Canada

This is a shout out to the Canadian android developer community! I would like to organize a Canadian chapter for droidcon in either Toronto, Montreal
The idea behind the droidcon conferences is to support the Android platform and create a global network for developers and companies. Part of the venue includes offer high-class talks from different parts of the ecosystem, including core development, embedded solutions, augmented reality, business solutions and games.
So far droidcons have been held in Amsterdam, Bangalore, Berlin, Brussels, Bucharest, London, Madrid, Moscow, Murcia, Paris, Stockholm, Tel Aviv, Tunis and Turin, but more locations are popping up all the time, including NYC in two weeks.
get in touch with me to join the project!