Prepaid Data in Mexico

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.

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Kodi for MyBB Release

I promised a new theme for the summer and here it is. Its one of my favourites so far, and I think you’ll like it too.

I’ll post more info and screenshots soon. Please go ahead and try out my demo or download Kodi for MyBB below. If you notice any issues tell me about them in the comments.

Creative commons attribution as usual.

Open the demo.

  Kodi (1.6.8a) (292.6 KiB, 3,285 hits)


Motorola Spice on Mobilicity

I’ve wanted to give Android a try for a while, and Mobilicity recently had a deal I couldn’t pass up. $99 for a Motorola Spice and 3 months of unlimited service on WagJag (same place as the WIND data stick).

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. Continue reading


New MyBB Theme: Kodi

Here’s a preview of a new theme I’ve been working on: Kodi for MyBB 1.6. Its nearly done, working on Javascript / buttons / computability now.