I got this from Mashable in my random searches for phones that might work well in Guate. Now where’s the new Android phone in there? I am also wondering when people will start reviewing these in developing countries based on what’s most compatible with networks down here.
Through an hour’s worth of tinkering and a little help from this tutorial I was able to tether my Blackberry Pearl 8100 to my Macbook using bluetooth. Now while this may seem a bit like a gearhead gone wild, it is a very practical way for me to be online in our car for the next 2,992 miles as we traverse Mexico and Guatemala.
A definite must for doing my content management work on several Web sites and writing longer entries and posts to the blog. I’m not sure how the connection will hold up as we drive, but I have a feeling I will be able to do a lot with a little. Isn’t necessity the mother of invention? A good friend brought up the point that while I will be increasingly connected than most people in Central America in these new ways, I will be doing it in countries where people will expect eye contact and to be connected in the more traditional sense. I’m not quite sure if that is the case, but there’s only one way to find out.
I spent an hour with AT&T’s international department today and worked out all my anxieties about data access from the road. They even sent me an email summarizing the FAQ of international data plans and cellphone telephony.
While I’ve been madly unsubscribing from all listserves, email lists, groups and newsletters– in fear of having to pay per kilobyte as I did a few years ago when I went to Mexico City to report for the AP– this time I’m more informed on the data plan front. Here’s what I signed up for:
My next line of attack: setting up my forwarding of calls to my GoogleVoice or VOIP and tethering my blackberry to my MacBook. Adelante!