If you plan to bring your technology abroad this summer, be sure to check these 5 quick tips:

1) The voltage

Before you even think of plugging your electronic device into a foreign outlet, you need to check the voltage in that country, and the voltage compatibility on your device. I’ve posted about this in the past so I suggest reading that and checking your power supplies.

2) Mobile phone roaming enabled and possible at your destination?

Most mobile operators do not turn international roaming on by default. If I had a nickel for every time someone emailed me complaining that their mobile phone "could not get a signal" at their destination, I’d have a couple of bucks.

There are 2 things to check before taking your phone with you:

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Greetings foreign visitors! I’m sure that the pull of cheap Dollars is making you excited to come and visit the US.

But what if you plan to come to the States and make a lot of mobile phone calls? Prepaid phone service is nowhere near as advanced as it is in the rest of the world, but if you know where to look, you can still find some decent options.

Here are 11 simple things you need to know about our prepaid services, where to find them, and how to save some money.

1) Finding a prepaid sim

The prepaid “sim pack” is impossible to find in the US. No retail stores carry a “sim only” prepaid kit. If you are just looking for a cheap sim card for your existing (unlocked) phone, then you’ll need either purchase a kit with a phone, or visit one of the AT&T or T-mobile branded corporate stores. Even the phone kiosk in the local shopping mall won’t always be able to activate one of their sim cards for prepaid service.

Don’t bother looking around the airport for a prepaid kit. Some common stores that carry prepaid phones are:

• Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid and most other chain pharmacies (drug stores)
• Bestbuy, Circuit City, Radio Shack and Fry’s (all large electronics stores)
• Walmart, Target, K-Mart (department stores)
• T-mobile and AT&T corporate owned stores
• 7-Eleven and some other convenience stores

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If you have ever found yourself stuck in a hotel with no mobile phone signal AND are a Sprint Customer, then this product might just brighten your day.

The Sprint AIRAVE (made by Samsung) is a portable cellular base station with a network port.

Simply plug it into an Internet connection, and hey presto; instant Sprint signal.

Coverage is about 5000 square feet, which should be enough for even the largest hotel room. The device is secured, which means only the phones you register to it will be able to access the signal (up to three at a time).

The AIRAVE should be available from July 15th, and will cost $99 plus $15 per month for a currently unknown calling bundle.

When connected to a cable or DSL line, the AIRAVE will support voice and data signals, as well as provide location based support thanks to an included GPS antenna.

The Sprint FAQ’s don’t mention anything about using the device abroad, but chances are it’ll work just fine; though it may not be legal…

Sprint AIRAVE

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We’ll file this one in the "still has to prove itself" folder. Earthcaller is a web based (Activex powered) application that promises 100% free calls within the United States.

The couple of times I tried it ended in complete silence and not a ringing phone in sight.

The service is still in an early beta, so I can forgive them for not having enough capacity. Time will tell whether they have what it takes to deliver a working service, or whether I’m stuck using Skype and Magicjack for my free calls. The best part of this application (if it works) is that you don’t have to install anything on your laptop, which is great for corporate machines. Though the installation of an Activex applet might still be blocked by your IT department…

Try it out for yourself. Did it work for you? Leave a comment!

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AOL just released a beta version of their AIM client for Windows Mobile. The previous version was almost 5 years old and never worked right on current devices, so this new version is a welcome update. When I took it for a spin it seemed to work fine, but on my device the enter key did not act as a "send message" button, so I had to tap my screen to send the IM.

The AIM client for Windows Mobile is free, and is a great way to stay in touch with folks back home using limited data. Just keep in mind that is is a beta release, so don’t blame me if something bad happens to your device.

You can find the client here: AOL beta central

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The press have been covering in-flight broadband trials by Aircell for some time now. They even managed to get Walt Mossberg on a flight to test the service. But in-flight broadband is not new, and the service being offered here is (on paper) quite similar to something that was launched back in 2004; Boeing Connexion.

The Boeing system was first put into service on a Lufthansa flight on May 17th 2004. Services included Wi-Fi Internet access, streaming video to the in-flight entertainment system as well as streaming video to laptops.

Connexion ceased operation In August 2006 due to a lack of commitments from major US operators. The Connexion network still exists, but is only being offered to the US government and has been renamed the “Boeing Broadband Satellite Network”.

So, why could Aircell succeed where Connexion failed?

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When it comes to Mobile Operators, Virgin Mobile USA really is the little engine that could. While some other virtual network operators have come and gone (Ampd), Virgin seem to be doing quite well. Their phones are available in most electronics retail stores, and their prepaid plans are attractively priced.

Their upcoming "totally unlimited plan" offers unlimited mobile calls (mobile to mobile, and mobile to fixed) for just $79.99 a month, without a long term contract (no contract at all actually). A similar plan from the "big operators" is $20 more on a 2 year contract. Unlimited text messaging can be added for $10 per month.

The monthly fees can be paid for by debit, credit or a Virgin prepaid card, which means that anyone, including tourists can signup for it.

My next wish from Virgin? Prepaid broadband data plans!

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American Airlines is the next big carrier to embrace in-flight broadband Internet. The service runs off the Aircell system I previously wrote about back in January.

Some American Airlines Inc. transcontinental passengers will get a chance to browse the Internet in-flight on Wednesday.

The Fort Worth-based carrier and technology provider Aircell LLC said Tuesday that they are planning a dress rehearsal of the service on a round trip flight between New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Los Angeles.

A broader customer trial on flights between New York and San Francisco and New York and Miami is expected to begin in the next couple of weeks and the carrier is considering expanding to other fleet types, said H. Douglas Backelin, American’s manager of inflight communications and technology.

"I think there will be great reception to the service," Mr. Backelin said. American and Aircell have spent the last three months conducting in-flight tests on the carrier’s fleet of 15 Boeing 767-200 airplanes, but Wednesday will be the first time the airline’s customers can give it a whirl.

Access will cost $12.95 for long flights (over 3 hours) and $9.95 for shorter flights. Access to some sites (like Frommers) will be free.

Source: Dallasnews.com

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Tomorrow is a big day for Sprint. It’s when their newest and "most advanced" smartphone goes on sale. The Sprint Instinct will sell for $129.99 (after a $100 mail in rebate). This is quite a bit lower than the $199 I had expected it to launch for. To get the phone, you’ll need to commit to one of the "simply everything" plans which start at $69.99 (for unlimited data and 450 minutes).

Family plans (with unlimited data and 1500 minutes) are $129.99.

Over the course of the 2 year contract a family using 2 of these phones will pay $3379, which seems quite insane for what is essentially a fairly basic smartphone. The features of the Sprint Instinct match the other smartphones in their lineup (the Touch and Mogul). Needless to say, I doubt we’ll be seeing iPhone like madness at the local Sprint store tomorrow.

Sprint press release

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It’s hard to be a mobile phone designer nowadays. Virtually every feature you think of has already found its way into a phone somewhere. So in their quest to invent a feature not found in mainstream phones, LG decided to add a Bluetooth headset to their newest handset.

It’s actually not a bad idea, and the phone itself has pretty decent specifications (2MP camera, sliding keypad, removable memory card, 5 way joystick). The headset slides right into the back of the phone, and charges when docked.

Of course, a cool looking phone still won’t prevent you from looking like a dork when you walk around all day with a headset glued to your head. The LG Decoy is available from Verizon Wireless for $179.

Product page: Verizon Wireless - LG Decoy (via Engadget)

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