So I'm not crazy... (at least not about this;)

So I finally called Nokia about the issues I was having with the phone and it seems its not "user error" after all!!  The rep said that I received a refurbished phone and that it was not working properly.  I am not sure of the specifics or if this is 100% verifiable as I bought it "new" from Amazon (not 3rd party, but actual Amazon). 

Yeah... lets hope you can help connect us humans...

Basically when the Nokia rep asked for the serial number, and I told him I bought it new last week, he seemed pretty shocked an said that it was actually refurbished.  Could be had been sitting on Amazon's shelf for a while or that somehow they got  duped and sold a bad batch  as new.  But they say they buy only new from the manufacturer...  Not sure, but the bottom line is that I have had lots of success with both seller and manufacturer of the years, so best not waste time speculating.  The phone isn't working properly, so they'll send another one and I'll go from there.   

 An exchange via Amazon can be here in 3 days, so I went for that.  I am a bit worried that it will be from a bad batch and maybe there will be issues again, but ordering direct from Nokia takes longer and the phone is $30 more plus shipping.  So I'm going exchange first.  If there is an issue then I'll be up against the wall.  I'll have to take what I get from there as I scramble to leave.  This really does mess up my experimentation scenario.  I still have to be sure the phone and keyboard will work to buy the right solar panel.  I might just have to buy the panel and hope it all works out...

Technology... $%#%&...      

More Communications

So I spent a moment yesterday in 'The Mall" (Poughkeepsie Galleria), no not reliving junior high glory days, but looking into some communication options.  I went to the AT&T booth and hung out with Jesse and Kevin (hoping I got the names right - not my strength!).  They were great, and with lots of good information and interest in my trek.  I went to AT&T because that's who I use right now and also because they use sim cards/the types of phones I could use abroad.

Their solution - which seemed pretty ideal - was the i phone.  I can basically do everything I want to do with it from wireless keyboard to messaging to email and blog posting, pictures, video, etc.  All seems quite simple.  And I could get the old one for $99 or the new one for $199, if I go onto my parents plan (I'm currently on the pay as you go/highway robbery plan).  I would have to change my current number though, but wouldn't pay anything more than I am now to be on their plan, and my communications issue would be solved for about $130 plus tax (keyboard and phone), or $230.  the newer phone has a better camera and a flash, unfortunately possibly both needed and worth the extra layout.   I had been budgeting about 200 each for phone and netbook (at a possible family discount), and was pretty aware that was an incredibly optimistic estimate.

So it seems ideal, BUT, can the i phone work in Sierra Leone?  They were saying that it requires a data package, but what is the service there like?  The country has plenty of mobile phone service, but how advanced is that specific service?  Would an i phone work on it and to what extent of coverage?  The one company Zain offers Blackberry Enterprise services, but I didn't see anything about an i phone.  Another service, Africell has a pretty poor web page and I didn't get far.  Comium markets mobile internet (using GPRS), but still no word on the i phone.  I'll have to contact them and see where that gets me.  But it still is encouraging that I should be able to get the keyboard and simply use the internet over the phone for all my needs.  It may have to be with a blackberry though or something like that, but we shall see.  What I had hear about blackberries was that they were not great for international stuff.  Maybe I was wrong...  ;)

Communications

So the trip itself is going to be a challenge for sure, but staying in contact is going to be something that will be essential, as blogging is a key to the whole project, actually it is the heart of it.  My whole goal with this project is to chronicle it, to raise awareness, to draw people in, and to assess things on the ground.  Obviously the walking and meeting people is the assessment and important, but means very little without the awareness and bringing people in.  This is all about information, and that is the blog.

So how do I do this while backpacking through the small post-war West African country of Sierra Leone?  I have looked into mobile phone service and Satellite phones there as well.  There seems to be plenty of mobile phone service there, and sat phones are quite expensive and tough with data.  So it doesn't seem worth it, especially with multiple mobile phone providers there with varying coverages.  The other nice thing with the service there is that they all use sim cards (smart cards), so with an unlocked phone I could just get sim cards for each provider and then simply swap them out depending on the service. As far as coverage, the country's coverage seems the same as most places in the world, stuck mostly to population centers, but the country isn't very big (about the size of South Carolina).  So if I was to walk 15-20 miles a day I would certainly not spend to much time out of coverage.  So the question then becomes what capabilities do I have with those networks?  Is it 3G?  Internet compatible?  Can I simply write things and then upload them onto the web right then and there?  These are questions that must be asked.  It is hard to get answers from Sierra Leone for these questions though while I'm in NY.

As far as hardware goes, this is something that I would want to handle from here in the US as things will be much more expensive there (Yes, more expensive in a place with much less purchasing power, ironic huh?).  As of right now I am looking to solve the communications issues by taking a small "Netbook" with me, a mobile phone, and the ability to connect the computer to the internet and/or phone.  I had considered taking a phone with full internet and word processing capabilities and then a flexible key board.  But the key boards are not lap top sizes and would take up more space than the Netbook.

Power is obviously going to be an issue there as well.  They use British type plugs (which are huge), but I will be basically camping so without access to outlets.  There are however small compactible solar panels that you can roll or fold up into a backpack.  It really is a great little scenario, you unfold them and leave them facing the sun on the outside of your backpack with the wire running into the computer or mobile phone.  As you hike throughout the day the batteries charge.  Wunderbar.

The computer itself needs to be really small and light with a very long battery life.  They have these Netbooks that are tiny little things.  They become a bit of an issue in terms of typing as the keyboards are really tight, but I would certainly be able to manage that as it would save so much weight.  These computers can be about 2.5 pounds.  Really nothing comparatively, and that is the real key - weight.  When you are carrying your life on your back, the lighter your 'life' can be, the better!!

Anyway, there is a lot of research to be done.  I need do some sharing of it and bring some other people in to work with on it though.  Doing things on your is very rewarding in many ways, but not as rewarding or as motivating as it is when you can share it all with others...