On a recent trip to Puerto Vallarta, me and fellow travellers wanted to stay connected without paying huge money for roaming or shoddy hotel wifi. So I looked into getting a Mexican SIM card for my iPhone. Its not quite as easy as prepaid in the US or Europe, but the good news is that if you want to get online while visiting Mexico it is relatively simple and inexpensive.

Actual calling tariffs in Mexico are very confusing. They’re based on regions and, depending on where you call within Mexico, your calls could be very cheap or very expensive (like long distance in Canada). You’re also charged extra if you travel outside of your very small home region. So I decided to skip native calling and texting altogether, and opt for data-only instead. VOIP, email and app based texting.

There are a number of cellphone companies in Mexico. Telcel, Movistar, Isuacell, Nextel among others, but Telcel and Movistar have the most widespread 3G networks that are compatible with iPhones and other unlocked GSM devices. And between those Telcel is said to have to greater coverage at somewhat higher cost.

I was ready to try out either Telcel or Movistar, but it turned out that we drove past a Telcel shop first. It was right on the big highway in Bucerias (Nuevo Vallarta area). There are plenty of these little stores and you shouldn’t have trouble finding one. We went inside and I explained what I wanted to do. There was a language barrier, but in my case a salesperson’s friend was visiting and he spoke perfect English. You might want to write down or save a couple phrases in Google Translate before heading to the shop.

I’ve read online that some have had to go into a big city and have their passport scanned. But in my case they just had me write down the spelling of my name, the hotel I was staying at and we were good to go. Activation was done over the phone.

The SIM card was $149MX (just over $10CAD). There’s plenty of data plans to choose from, but I went with the 1GB/7days for $199MX (about $15CAD). They activated it for me it was working right away. If you need to reload your account to buy more data or check your usage you can do it from the Telcel self-serve website. The site accepts international credit cards.

Coverage was OK. It worked just about everywhere, except inside the lobby of the hotel where there were some dead spots. It was mostly 3G but I saw Edge sometimes too. Speeds aren’t amazing but better than the hotel wifi.

I used the Personal Hotspot feature on my phone, and we had up to 5 devices surfing and emailing harmonioulsy.

The Spice is not a top of the line Android, but overall a useful handset and a great value. Others have complained vehemently about the phone. And I agree that it has some flaws, but with a little work and patience it can definatley hold its own.

Hardware

Its actually a pretty decent looking phone, especially compared to other Motos like the XT720/Milestone. Its has a smaller Palm Pre or BlackBerry Torch form factor; portrait touch screen with slide down keyboard. The exterior is almost entirely plastic with a few metal accents. Despite this it feels reasonably solid, although it does seem a little slippery. I would suggest getting a case or skin for this phone if you trend to drop things easily.

I’ve never been a big hardware keyboard user, but the keyboard on the Spice actually seems pretty nice. After a few days I can type on it at almost the same speed as a BlackBerry Curve or iPhone keyboard.

The camera does alright in well lit conditions. And it’s brutal in low light conditions. I’ve posted will soon post a few sample pics at the bottom for your viewing pleasure.

The screen is reasonably bright and a decent size, but it does have a pretty low resolution. The LED notification light (a la BlackBerry) is a very nice touch. This phone comes with the BackTrack feature, basically a touch pad on the back of the device, and I agree with other reviews that it useless but unobtrusive.

Battery life seems OK after some software modification (see below). Its not the best, but I’ll report back in a few weeks. It was a struggle to install and remove the battery because its a little too big for its compartment.

Software

The Spice runs Android 2.1. As I understand it 2.2 had a lot of performance improvements, so its too bad Motorola has yet to push an update. This is the only Android handset I’ve owned so I have little to compare it to, but it runs pretty well after some modification.

I rooted my Spice with SuperOnceClick version 1.7 (somewhat difficult), and used the Titanium Backup app to remove Motorla’s FlashBack software (its filename is spicey.apk). This went a long way towards solving performance issues other Spice users have complained about. The other modification I made was to download Launcher Pro, which made the home screen experience much snappier.

Android does a really good job of keeping your info in sync. I’ve got it hooked up to my Google Apps email, contacts, and calendar. It also works well with Twitter, Facebook and other social media. Unfortunately syncing media like music and photos does not seem as easy (with a Mac at least).

Service

I think the service is almost the best part of this deal. Mobilicity’s plans are awesome, its great to have unlimited service and it really does change the way you use your phone. You don’t have to worry about minutes, or how many texts you’ve sent, or how many YouTube videos you’ve watched, or even long distance. And to top it off the cost is a fraction of what you’d pay a Big 3 carrier.

But in some suburban places (like in parts of my home), phones struggle to get a Mobilicity signal. Given how much you pay its understandable. You can even overcome this kind of issue by leaving the phone somewhere with a good signal and using a Bluetooth headset (one’s included with the Spice). What I’d really like to see on Mobilicity, though, is UMA or similar technology.

If you have any questions or comments about the Moto Spice or Mobilicity leave them here.

My experience is based in the Greater Vancouver Area, so yours may vary based on where you’re located. So far I’ve found that:

• Pages load quickly (faster than iPhone tethering, slower than cable Internet)
• YouTube videos are watchable in 480 and 720p
• Pings are OK (avg. 150-250ms)
• VOIP works fine
• Works on Mac
• No disconnects so far
• Signal strength is better than I expected

My cable connection was down the other day, so I shared the connection from the stick over WIFI and that worked fine.

The plan is $29/month for unlimited service (for a year anyway). Technically it can be throttled after 5GB, but from what I hear that’s rare unless you hit 50GB+. If you prepay two months you can get the data stick for free, and there’s no contracts.

Beware some have complained about slow speeds and disconnects in congested areas. I’m yet to experience that, but I imagine it would get old fast. Regardless, if you’re in a WIND zone and looking for a data stick you should definitely consider these guys.

I bought the MOTOROKR S305 Bluetooth Headphones a few months ago and I’m loving them. Use these with my iPhone 3Gs at my desk and on my commute. They sound fantastic, the on-ear controls are convenient and [the best part] there are no pesky wires!

Operation

After you pair them with your iPod / iPhone / iPad / BlackBerry / Android / dumbphone operation is dead simple. Pull the headset out of your bag and hold the power button. They’ll connect automatically, and you can start listening to music or making calls.

Comfort / Ergonomics

These are comfortable to wear for a few hours. After several hours of use you might notice some discomfort, especially on the top of yours ears. They are more comfortable than iPod earbuds.

The behind-the-neck setup is generally good. You slip them on from the back (no ruined hairdos) placing them over yours ears. They aren’t too tight, but you won’t have to worry about them falling off either (even while running).

One irritation is that if your resting your head against a pillow or seat back, the band tends to push the headphones up over your ears. The problem is that the designers made the band protrude needlessly far backwards. You can overcome the issue by repositioning the headset but it can definitely be a nuisance.

Sound Quality and Controls

Stereo sound quality may vary on your device. I use an iPhone 3Gs with iOS 4.0, and I find the quality very good. As long as you’re coming from iPod or similar earbuds: I doubt these could compare to sound isolating or in-ear headphones. The bass won’t rattle your brain, but it is reasonably good. I haven’t experienced any skipping/audio issues except when I was more than 25ft away from my phone.

The audio controls work on iOS 4.1 and above, and presumably other phones and media players. The buttons are small, but you’ll figure out where they are quickly. Theres a track forward, track back, play/pause and call button on the face of the right earpiece. On the top there’s two volume and the on/off buttons.

And that’s about it! They’re available for around $40 depending on where you shop, and I would definitely recommend them.

Macally MSUITPAD

I bought an iPad a couple weeks ago, does that mean I’m horrible person? Anyways! I wanted to be able to share my new toy with people that might not, uhh, value its scatch-and-scuff-free good looks as much as me. So I set off to find a case. Let me tell you something about iPad cases in BC: there’s almost no selection. Your best bet isn’t at Apple, its actually London Drugs. I visited several stores and they had the widest selection.

Unfortunately I don’t like any of the cases I’ve seen so far (I want the Incase Grip Protective Cover), so I decided to pick up a cheap alternative until I can get down to the US. I settled on Macally Silicone Protective Case for iPad (msuitpad). Here’s what you need to know..

Its cheap. I got mine for $25CAD plus tax. Its also cheaply built, there’s some rough rubber around the edges and the fit is mediocre. That said, it does the job and is actually very nice to hold. The material is a soft rubber texture, and the back has these awesome ridges that make it easier to hold on to your iPad. In fact, if the fit were just a bit tighter I think I would have been content with this product.

The problem is that the fit is too loose. And I fear that with time it will only get worse after repeated repositioning/removing. Here’s a little video to demonstrate my concern.

So overall it gets the job done. Don’t go picking your iPad up by the cases’s rim, don’t expect top of it’s class beauty, and save a little coin. If you’re looking for a nice-enough silicone case, a temporary protective cover, or something cheap this might just be the product for you.

My latest issue with them resulted in more than a week of technical issues and wasted time. It was only resolved when I moved my domain to a different company. I was further irritated when they billed me for the domain, that had been transferred to another company a month earlier, and forced me to fill in a form and fax it across the continent to be reimbursed.

A word of advice for 1&1 customers trying to setup or change GLUE (nameserver IPs) for their domain. After making changes to your subdomains ns1 and ns2.yourdomain.com, you must go into the settings for yourdomain.com and click “update” to start the update process. Otherwise nothing will happen and your GLUE will not be updated, and sometimes even this doesn’t work. Best of luck.

1. Cellular Data switch: This is great news for people outside of the US and UK who have limited data plans. Now if you have no data plan, are reaching your limit, or just don’t want to use any data at a given time you can turn it off independently of 3G/edge voice and SMS.
2. Missing music controls: Double tapping on the home button to bring up Multitasking has come at the cost of the iPod controls (the little blue menu that would appear over whatever app you were working in). I suppose this doesn’t matter when you’re using Apple earphones, but I already miss that feature quite a bit and I hope they can re-implement it.
3. Threaded email doesn’t work (yet): The universal inbox works perfectly, but the actual threading makes strange mistakes. Completely unrelated messages from different people are grouped together, not all conversations are threaded…its a mess. Hopefully Apple can get this figured out by the Summer release date, and I’ve just disabled the threading for now.

There’s actually a surprisingly wide selection out there, and these are some details you should pay attention to when looking for a backup / external battery for your phone.

• Capacity: iPhone’s have about 1200 mAh capacity, so bear in mind how many times you mind want to charge your phone.
• Size/shape: For this to be useful you’ll have to carry it with you. Pick a battery that fits in your bag, case or purse.
• Price: Prices range from about $9-$60. More expensive batteries aren’t necessarily any better. Read on for my suggestion.

I chose the Monoprice iPhone Battery Pack (1900mAh). Its holds enough to charge my phone 1 and 1/2 times, its small enough to slip in my bag and it was super-cheap! $9 + $2 shipping to Canada got this to my door in just under two weeks.

Monoprice is an excellent company; in my experience their products are exceptionally high quality and very reasonably priced. The backup battery was no different-it does exactly waht its supposed to. You charge it with your iPhone cable or dock and pack it away for when its needed. Then when you’re running low on power just plug it in the bottom and the phone starts charging immediatley.

So if you’re thinking about getting the Monoprice device, or any backup battery, go for it. You won’t regret having the security.

When I got my 15″ Unibody MacBook Pro I decided to get a hardshell case along with it. I travelled to a few local Mac resellers, the Apple Store and various websites, considering the options available. I asked a couple questions that helped me make a decision:

1. How well does this fit and will it make use difficult?
2. How effective is it at actually protecting my Mac?
3. What’s it going to cost me?
4. Will it make my sleek computer look dorky?

So here’s what I discovered. Cases from Incase and Speck both fit reasonably well, with the Incase having a slightly better implementation. It’s hooks seem more sturdy and connect in better places. Neither case seems impede use at all, except that they make the screen feel looser. It will fall if you use your MacBook at an extreme angle (this is annoying if you use your computer in bed).

Both cases will protect a Mac from bumps and scratches. I couldn’t say which would do a better job over time, but I doubt there’s a big difference.

The Incase and Speck offerings have the same exorbitant price of about $60 CAD (Can you spell collusion?). For the love of broccoli, how could two pieces of plastic cost that much? Anyway, its a price that I agreed to pay to protect and customize my MacBook and YMMV.

The dorkiness factor is a pretty subjective topic, so bear with me here. I found that the Speck product looked a little cheaper and less refined. It doesn’t follow the shape of the MacBook Pro as closely and and it looks bulky when attached. The Incase seems to preserve shape and sleekness, following the nice lines and curves of the computer very well.

So I settled on a green Incase 15″ Hardshell Case for MacBook Pro. Public opinion of my case is good. Two or three people ask me where I got it everyday, and its always easy to tell which laptop is mine. It fits well, protects my Mac, cost me a lot and looks pretty good. Probably my favourite part about the case is the soft-touch rubberized coating. If you don’t know what I’m talking about you should really go see one of these cases, because its truly awesome.

Other than the price, I don’t have anything negative to say about the Incase. If you follow the instructions its simple to attach and forget its even on. It is difficult to remove, but there is no danger of damaging your Mac in the process. And in all honesty, if you plan to remove the case that often you should probably be looking at a sleeve-type case anyway. All in all I’m very happy with this purchase. If you’re looking for a hardshell case for your MacBook I’d recommend it for you too.

The app is put together by Mira Software, who provide frequent updates and, in my experience, excellent support. It works with a great number of devices and there is an updated list of compatible phones. These are my favourite capabilities:

• Readings texts on my Mac’s large screen
• Receiving instant notification of new messages
• Typing messages on a full size keyboard and sending them through my cell
• Mass archival, moving or deleting of texts
• All over Bluetooth (as the name implies) so there aren’t any messy cables

The applications provides a seamless SMS experience. When you receive a text your Mac’s screen flashes white, and the message appears in an iChat-like window. You can then type your response and send without having to touch your phone. Messages in the chat windows are threaded so you have one open with each of the contacts you’re chatting with.

BPE also has a number of calling features. I don’t really use them since Skype is available on my computer, but they are impressive nonetheless.

When you receive a call the screen flashes and displays a window that contains the phone number of the caller. If the caller is in your address book, it will also show their name and display picture. Even better, the app will fade out and pause iTunes if music is playing, and then resume playing when the call ends. You can also initiate calls with a dial pad on the screen or by clicking “Call So-and-So” straight from your address book. The integration is nearly flawless.

Issues and Solutions

I use BPE with my KRZR K1m on the Telus network in Canada. This setup has worked very well for me, although I’ve had a few issues. Sending texts on my phone is not possible when “Hands-Free” (the protocol that lets you make calls through your Mac’s speakers and microphone) is enabled. I’ve solved this problem by choosing “Suspend Hands-Free” from the BPE menu. Alternatively you can set an option that only opens Hands-Free when in a call, which was successful in my limited testing. You should know that the Caller-ID and iTunes features work regardless of these settings.

MMS messages also seem to mess with BPE, so they should deleted or moved before you use the app (at least on some phones). I don’t imagine these issues will affect every phone, mine is quite old, but this is what I have learned through trial and error and in conversations with the support team.

Conclusion

Its definitely a great app, but before you buy you should test to see wether your phone is fully compatible. Fortunately Mira Software provides a trial period, and if you’re still not sure you can even request a trial extension. Given the complexity of the app, its a bargain at $24.95 USD. I would recommend it to any Mac user that spends a lot of time tied to their computer and phone.

If you have any questions about app I’d be glad to answer them in the comments.