Unlimited mobile data

If you are going to make use of mobile data - web browsing, Google Mail Mobile, Google Maps Mobile, ShoZu, WidSets etc, you do need a mobile tariff that offers unlimited usage to avoid nasty bills! 3's X-Series tariffs are great. Definitely worth switching to 3 from another network. You also get a selection of pre-installed applications including Skype, eBay, Windows Live Messenger and others.

Camera-phone photos

I've just discovered ShoZu. It allows you to send photos from your camera-phone direct to Flickr, Blogger, etc online. Brilliant! And best of all it's free ...

Receive your voice messages by text

Spinvox automatically converts your voice messages to text (SMS) and sends them through to your mobile phone. Much easier than having to dial in to pick up messages. You can sign up for a free 7 day trial here.

Another use for your camera-phone

Have you ever arrived back in the long stay car park at the airport and wondered exactly which row you parked in? When you park, use your camera-phone to snap a picture of the parking zone sign to use as an aide memoire when you return. In fact, your camera-phone is a great tool for recording the details of all sorts of things - stuff you see out shopping, wine labels, web addresses. If you send the photos to your Flickr account with a description and a tag to keep it private you can build up a useful information store. Go to the Flickr email upload page to find out more about uploading to your Flickr account by email.

Great value broadband

PlusNet broadband starts at £9.99 per month with a minimum contract length of only 1 month. There are advantages in staying with PlusNet for 12 months, like a free router and no set up fee, but the 1 month contract allows you to test the service before making a longer commitment. If you leave early you then pay for services that are free if you stay for 12 months. PlusNet offers a range of broadband options for light and heavy users, including Broadband Your Way that allows you to customise the package you receive so it exactly meets your requirements. There's also a helpful explanation as to what 1Gb of usage could mean in real terms so you can judge if that's likely to be sufficient for you.

Google Checkout - a reminder

Google Checkout is still offering £10 off purchases over £30 at selected sites. Just ordered some spares from Shaver Savers UK, part of a great family of websites, Savers UK.

Mobile phones and malware

On the subject of malware - if you're using a smartphone you really need to protect it as well. Again, I've been using F-Secure here, in the guise of F-Secure Mobile Security. Today's post in the F-Secure blog underlines the risks to mobile phones, this time from spyware - worth a read.

A question ...

Do you receive your phone bills online or in the post? If you still get a paper bill what would prompt you to switch to an online alternative? Have you tried online billing and found it lacking? What online billing experience would you expect from your phone company? Post your comments ...

Malware hoaxes

I regularly receive forwarded emails from friends quoting some supposed malware (malicious software) threat to my PC. These invariably turn out to be hoaxes, of which the sender is another unwitting victim. Never forward these emails on without checking whether they are genuine - they very rarely are! A good source to check is the F-Secure Hoax Description Database. I'm a fan of F-Secure and use F-Secure Internet Security 2007 to protect my PC, with good results. The F-Secure blogs are a good way of keeping an eye on what's happening out in the malware world.

More about Truphone

The Truphone user night was a great opportunity to meet the Truphone team. Another example of how open and honest the company is and I hope the first of many such occasions. There's some good stuff to come from Truphone and they're certainly a company to watch. Keep an eye on the Truphone blog for new developments.

Truphone's ability to seamlessly roam onto The Cloud's wireless hotspots is very impressive. I've used it on The Cloud's City of London mesh network recently with good results. What really makes it work for me is the way (after initially running the Truphone wizard) my Nokia handset will automatically register with the network with no requirement to enter login credentials. Another example of how Truphone seamlessly integrates with the handset. People just want a simple. straightforward calling experience - no separate application to launch, no codes to remember - and Truphone does this.

Interesting article in today's Sunday Times about the threat that VoIP poses to the mobile operators.

Payment card fraud

A good tip here is never use your debit card to pay in the high street or online - always use a credit card. That way, if your card is compromised, the thief only has access to a credit card account - not your bank account. If you have more than one credit card you can use your second card while the problem is sorted out.