Virgin Mobile USA Needs some Continuity!

Virgin Mobile USA purchased Helio lately, which is super freaking awesome and all well and good, except for the lack of continuity across plans.  Want an example?

The Virgin Mobile Shuttle.  A fantastic, 3G phone that comes without a contract.  The phone itself costs just $80, and for unlimited talk, the price is only $50 per month.  Not a bad deal, is it?  You can even add unlimited texting into that deal for another $10 per month. 

Then, of course, there is the Helio Heat.  Cost of $219 (Minus an additional $170 if you’re a new member, and another $49 if you’re purchasing online for a free phone!)  But if you want unlimited talk on that plan (and nothing else) it’ll run you $80 per month!  Although, you can move that up to a Completely Unlimited Voice, Data, Text, IM, etc. for $100 per month; but still, in comparison the prices for the plans just don’t add up!

So what does Virgin Mobile need to do?  Personally, I think they should finally combine Helio with themselves, and even out the plans to bring them some continuity!  Without it, things just don’t seem to be in the right ballpark.

How to Safely Anonymize Users

You want to allow Anon to post messages; you want to block their IP address if they don’t follow your terms; but you don’t want them to be traceable.  The solution to this is excessively simple.  One-way encrypt their IP address.

This can be done in PHP simply by grabbing the MD5 of their IP address.

The last note is; this still isn’t completely anonymous.  Anyone could easily compile a rainbow table for IP address MD5 results.  Try mixing it up.  Apply a secret key to the MD5 before, after, or even between the numbers.  Encrypt the numbers to letters before throwing it through an MD5.  Either way, you gain the ability to identify anonymous users through a Unique ID without having anything of use to a hacker or federal employee.

Improvements for @GoogleVoice

Google Voice is in dire need of some few improvements if it wants to be useful:

• Archive & Labels feature of Gmail

This one is fairly self-explanatory.  It allows us to keep records of voicemails, calls, SMS, and the likes, but it doesn’t allow us to archive, label, or tag them.  This would make organization much simpler.

• MMS

Google Voice does wonderfully with it’s support of SMS; but it’s lacking in one thing that more and more phones are getting: MMS.  Without MMS, or at least an MMS to email forwarding system, it’s impossible to receive those cute and funny picture, sound, and/or video messages from your friends.  This is a much needed feature.

• Contact Bridge

This is another issue I can see with Google Voice.  How am I supposed to randomly SMS someone from my phone?  Right now, it’s impossible.  But doing something simple (that US carriers support) would make it super-easy to SMS people, and would remove the requirement for Google Voice to send the contacts name with each SMS.

CONTACT_NUMBER@YOUR_GOOGLE_VOICE_NUMBER.gvoice.com

ex. 15555555555@13055085676.gvoice.com

Verify that the sender is indeed the phone number supported, and then send the text from the email, and reply back from that email.  SMS and MMS over email is supported by many (if not all) US carriers.  Like this, I would be able to add my contacts to my phone’s address book, and message them seamlessly.

• UTF-8 Texting

So far, through my tests (in SMSing an iPhone, since they have a world keyboard) I have only been able to receive Japanese text messages through Google Voice.  Attempting to send a text that's either partially or completely Japanese appears garbled on the receiver’s iPhone.

• Shortcode SMS

Maybe?  This may not be cost-effective for Google.

• Ringback Tones

GrandCentral had them, and we want them back.  At least the basic ones, like “Russian Ring” and “Japanese Ring.”

• Alias Numbers

One Forever number is pretty good; but you know what’s even better?  Two forever numbers.  Unfortunately, not all landlines have free long distance yet (Heck, not even all cell phones do yet!)  So even (at least) a paid model for another number would be nice.

• Skype

Seriously, you bridge over to Gizmo but not Skype?  Adding a Skype bridge would be pure awesome.  PURE AWESOME.  I don’t think anybody can argue with that. 

Suggestion for Email: X-Thread-ID

I was just thinking, as I read over my twitter stream, that one of the best features for Gmail is indeed the threading capabilities.  To have all of your messages that pertain to a certain subject/discussion listed as a thread with individual messages; allows for much better message management, and makes it much easier to find what you’re looking for.

But one way to make this even easier, would be an introduction of a new header into emails:

X-Thread-ID

This would be the MD5 of the subject and timestamp, or something along those lines to generate an ID that would be very or completely unlikely to accidentally be recreated.

This would make it super easy for mail clients and servers alike to keep track of threads.

Skype Oddity: Send SMS from Skype

Don’t get me wrong, I love Skype.  It’s one of the best IM services I’ve used, the best voice chat service I’ve ever used.  But it does do one thing that I find quite odd.

You can send SMS messages through it; as long as you purchase Skype credit.

Now, as an American, this is fairly odd behavior.  Through most other IM services I use, I can also send and receive SMS – Completely Free.

Maybe Skype just doesn’t have enough money rolling in to be able to do that?

The Resolution

Yeah, it’s late, I know.  Sorry about that, but better late than never, right?

I am now Home Schooled; and I don’t plan to allow my children to attend public school unless Obama or the president(s) after him manage to revolutionize the public education system to be a little less stupid, and a lot smarter.

The principle’s formal decision was to assign me to “Annex.”  If you haven’t been keeping up, Annex is the short name given to the Alternative Education building by the Klein ISD.

I have been withdrawn from school, and am now “Homeschooling” myself until the Alternative Education Placement time period has expired.

April 13^th, I will be re-enrolling in my classes at the local public school and will start the procedure to get credit for the classes during the time of the suspension and my homeschooling.

I don’t want to re-enroll, but as the colleges I have applied to will be expecting a High School Diploma and a Last Transcript, I need to formally graduate from High School.

We had a lawyer, but he wasn’t able to do anything, and all-in-all was a waste of money.  A 2,998 dollar waste.  He was a good lawyer, but there was simply nothing he could do.  (No offense to the lawyer if he reads this post.)

Here is a video of what I did to get into trouble.  HD is available on Vimeo’s Website (Click the HD button):

All in All, this is entirely ridiculous, but at least it’s over.

Day 13. Much more Bearable

My mother gave me back my laptop today (she had picked it up from the school earlier this morning).

I’m so happy to have it and my phone and everything back.  It makes me happy enough to almost entirely forget that I might be attending Annex.

Honestly? It’s like getting a new computer all over again.

I was using a Dell Dimension 2400 with 512MB RAM, a CELERON processor, 128MB Video RAM, and a Crappy CRT Monitor with 1024x768 resolution.

I’m now on a Dell Inspiron E1705 Notebook with 4GB RAM, a Core 2 Duo, 256MB Video RAM, and a 17” LCD screen with 1920x1200 resolution.

I’ve re-discovered high definition, and colours.  God, I love this computer.

I’ll update you on the Annex situation when I, myself know more.

Day 12. Okay, What the fuck?

Wait, I already posted a Day 12 blog… Didn’t this day start off on a good note?

Well, Fuck.

I’ve been informed that my things are available to be picked up at school, oh, and one other thing.

They didn’t find anything.

Oh, and guess what?

They’re using the testimony I wrote of what happened as a “confession,” and I’ve been informed I’m being assigned 30 days of Alternative School Placement.

For what “crimes?”  I don’t know.  I’d like to find out myself.  Is there anyway I can get a piece of paper that has what I did wrong written on it?  Or the rule I broke?  We should give those pieces of paper a name too, maybe we could call it a “write-up” or a “D1?”  Oh, wait, those EXIST!  Why don’t I have one?

Is it because I didn’t break any rules?  I bet it is.

This is getting RIDICULOUS!  I’ve been out of normal classes for nearly two weeks now, and I’m being told I’m going to be placed in Annex (the alternative school) for doing… what again?

Oh right, NOTHING.

I’m asking my counselor and associate principle about it, since I assume my principle is still off campus.

Would you like to read a little bit about “Annex”?

Procedures On Arrival To School

On arrival to school, students must have shirts tucked in at the waist and belts on and fastened. As students enter the Annex building each day, they should be prepared to remove their belt, turn out all pockets from pants, and remove any metal objects that would cause alert from a metal detector. Metal objects should be turned over to designated Alternative Classes staff who supervise transit through the metal detector. Students must pass through the metal detector with palms up.

or how about…

 

Alternative Classes Standardized Dress Code

A standardized dress code for students assigned to Alternative Classes was approved by Klein ISD Board of Trustees and adopted in 2004-2005. The dress code will remain effective 2008-2009 and will be enforced from the time students board the bus for transit to school until the student de-boards the bus at their assigned stop. Alternative Classes dress code for both girls and boys includes beige khaki pants worn at the waist (no shorts, Capri pant, skirt, or dress), a solid color black, brown or white belt with a small belt buckle, a white shirt with a collar (no logo or writing) that is long enough to tuck neatly into pants at the waist (a white or light gray undershirt may be worn under the white collared shirt), and white or black shoes with corresponding colored shoelaces and a white or light gray sweatshirt (no hood, no logo or writing) for classroom appropriate outer wear. Shirts must be tucked into pants with the belt showing and pants must be worn at the waist on arrival to school. If a belt is not worn or a belt is loose, twist ties may be used to keep the pants at the waist. The dress code will be strictly enforced – campus isolated instruction or out of school suspension could be assigned on the first dress code violation.

If you want to read more, check out the Alternative Education Campus of the Klein ISD’s website.

My laptop? Really? (Day 12)

Yesterday (10 February 2009) my mother received a call from my principal; he said that my property should be returned today (11 February 2009).

I’m ecstatic, if this is all true, I should be receiving my laptop, cell phone, and SD cards back today.

There is, of course, one additional thing to update:

I’m still suspended.

Even though they’re returning my materials; I’m still “under investigation,” and as such will remain suspended until the completion of said investigation.

This was a good thing a week ago, not so much anymore.  I know for a fact I’m falling behind in my classes, and I’m starting to become quite irritable since I’ve been stuck in my house.

That’s all there is, there isn’t any more.

Windows 7 Genuine Advantage

Should be aptly renamed to “Windows 7 Ungenuine Disadvantage.”

Why you ask?

Simply because a single simple hardware revision (“upgrading” your computer for example) can make it lose it’s mind.

Would you like to know the modifications I had to make to my computer to get “You may be a victim of software fraud” and “Activate Now” popping up all the time since the first time I activated with a serial code provided from Microsoft?

I had to make one: Attaching a second IDE hard drive that’s less than 20GB.

That one IDE hard drive freaked Windows 7 out like there is no tomorrow.

Luckily, since the Beta is free; I have another key; and have re-validated my version of Windows 7 as genuine.