Fast text entry for WM phones

If you look at some of my other post you know i have the Sprint Touch by HTC-

Recently a few similar programs have come to light…

SWYPE has been in the news because of it’s success at Techcrunch50.

Swype:

Swype provides a faster and easier way to input text on any screen. With one continuous finger or stylus motion across the screen keyboard, the patented technology enables users to input words faster and easier than other data input methods—at over 50 words per minute. The application is designed to work across a variety of devices such as phones, tablets, game consoles, kiosks, televisions, virtual screens and more.

However, now that it has gotten a lot of attention, many are saying it’s not an original idea at all. I found two other companies with similar ideas:

ShapeWriter:

ShapeWriter™ makes mobile phones, tablet computers, game pads, and all other touch-screen devices more useful – and user friendly.

The next step in the evolution of touch-screen technology has arrived. ShapeWriter makes using touch-screen devices easier, faster and more enjoyable than ever before. Ideally suited for touch-screen devices such as mobile phones, handhelds and tablet computers, ShapeWriter’s cutting-edge text input technology helps manufacturers of these devices create the most innovative new products for consumers.

ShapeWriter is already out on certain devices, however the only one i care about is WM6 since that is what my phone works off of, and no it’s not out yet on WM but i’m hoping sooner than later.

SlideIT:

SlideIT™ is a breakthrough, speedy and intuitive way to write text on touch screen enabled devices. Instead of the current method of tapping each letter on the screen, the user points to the first letter of a word and slides the stylus to the subsequent letters. .

When reaching the last letter of the word, the user simply lifts the stylus and the recognized word is automatically inserted together with a space after the word. Suitable for writing text in all applications, users love the feel of being able to write quickly and accurately. Speeds of more than 50 words per minute are achievable.

SlideIT is the only out of the three that is currently available for WM.  SlideIt offers a free demo and if available for purchase a low $40.

I’ve tried out Slide it and it’s pretty fun. My gripes about it include the half dome shaped keyboard (i know they do this in order to allow for the graffiti input to the left).  However i have found my speed on the keyboard increasing as i use it more and more.

Check back as i will be updating as i start to use some of these other keyboard options soon. Of course if you have tried any (of these or others) feel free to comment.

Touch ROM update?

I think it’s time for an update on what’s going on with  my phone, but first i would like to share the news that i heard that the long awaited official ROM update should be here TOMORROW!!

The ROM update is said to have:

• Sprint’s EV-DO Rev.A
• enhanced GPS functions
• Opera browser
• full on-screen QWERTY keyboard

We’ll see what happens tomorrow!

Touch my Buttons? (new ROM for Touch)

I know there aren’t that many buttons… but on my Sprint HTC Touch the green, red, camera buttons do not work (the other ones do… dpad, on off screen)

I’ve reset it to the manufacture default 3 times and the buttons work for a few minutes… and then it goes back. anyone have any other ideas?

also occassionally when i plug in or unplug my phone (from computer or charger) it resets (completly power off and back on).

other than these two issues im quite happy with the phone –

talked to the guys at HTC and this is what they told me:

Hello Anomoly,

Thank you for your inquiry

Anonmoly, I understand your concern with regards to the buttons issue that wasn’t resolved by doing the hard reset. Unfortunately it sounds like it could be a hardware issue and possibly a software issue, but that can only be verified through a rom update of the device. Currently there exists no rom update for the device just yet, I recommend you contact UTStarcom for troubleshooting and warranty information regarding your device.

UTStarcom 1-800-229-1235 Mon-Fri 8:30AM to 5:00PM EST

so i asked … do you know WHEN a new ROM update will be out?

Hello Anomoly,

Thank you for your inquiry

Anomoly, We do not have a specific time on when the update will be released but it will most likely take 2-3 months to include Windows Mobile 6.1 upgrade.

so i’ll try that number and see what they say… but at this point i think it might be something that only an update could fix (or a new phone) ….

my biggest problem was i couldn’t take pictures… but i figured out i can use the big key in the middle of the d-pad (action key?) to make calls, and take pictures.

the good thing is that i can still use the phone, it’s just annoying having to power the screen on in order to hang up a call. (adds about 3-5 seconds to the end of a call)

Unlimited Text

So after a few calls to sprint… and some help from your neighborhood forum… unlimited texting has been extended until 2/16/08.

And it only took about 4 calls in and 3 emails to sprint customer service.  to finally get free unlimited text messaging included on my account.

Unlimited Text Messages… small limit

I could be wrong (and i hope that i am) but i just got off the phone with two Sprint retention reps who state that the Unlimited Text messaging that was included with the Sero plan https://anomoly.wordpress.com/2007/12/04/power-of-persistence-the-sero-journey/

is no more 😦

many thought that they would extend this wonderful promotion… the reps both stated that sprint decided not to continue it. If this is wrong please let me know.

I was able to get $8 unlimited text on both sero lines, and a $5 credit on each line for 12 months (i will have to call back in a year to get it fixed again)… but free is soooooo much better.

so basically if you have it… congrats… if you don’t, they might give you a discount if your nice… but don’t expect it to be free or included…

More Sero

So i guess i shouldn’t have expected to be converted from a regular Sprint family plan to a Sero plan without a hitch….

I was set to be switched automatically on the first of January (to avoid back charges) well happy new year came…

the plan did switch… but some things from the old plan stuck.

Unlimited text messaging, and phone insurance ….

Unlimited text messaging is included on the Sero however i was getting charged for it on both lines. And as far as insurance, i had my last phone for two years without a hitch, which means i wasted 98 bucks.

I called once and the guy said he took it off, but only gave me a one time credit.

Well i called retentions after checking and seeing that i’m still getting charged for unlimited text. After ONE RING The lady from sprint picked up seemed very nice and willing to help 🙂 . then her voice saddened as she explained that i’m still in the old billing system so she would have to transfer me –

15 min later another guy picks up (not as nice), and explains that they have taken away the included unlimited text messaging with SERO 😦 . however he proceeds to tell me that he CAN put $8 unlimited text messaging on both lines and add a reoccuring $5 credit to each line each month for 12 months (8-5 = $3 a month for unlimited text messaging)

I’m not happy about it but $6 a month (for two lines unlimited text) is better than $30.

it takes him a while but he finally gets it done.

I go online to check it out… it still doesn’t look right… and that equipment protection is STILL on both lines… i’m going to give it a day or two and then call back if it doesn’t go away.

New Phones…

What is it about new stuff that reverts us back to the little kid days waiting for that big birthday gift… i digress

Well i got my phones today… i was suposed to actully get them yesterday, however, i missed the delivery man (doesn’t that SUCK!). Mainly because i wasn’t expecting the packages to be here already, less than 24 hours!!!

Charged my phones (Touch, and Centro… see previous post) and called in to get them activated on the account.

The first time i called i was on hold about 7 minutes.

I got a nice lady, she started to add my Touch to my line, and wouldn’t you know my phone (my girlfriends At&t cellphone) got disconnected…. ugh!

Called back and got a guy, i could tell from the jump he knew what he was doing. had both phones activated in no time flat… he commented on how great both phones (touch and especially the Centro) were… and then he noticed…

Again my Sero plan doesn’t kick in until Jan 1st (which i can’t wait for, i’ll get to that in a minute) but he noticed and said,

rep:”wow you got the Sero plans for both the lines… how did you swing that?”

I halfway explained it (about being told in the store about the plan and calling in)

rep:”yea, i know those are hard to get these days”

I asked him about the unlimited text messaging if it would still be available after december (i think he misunderstood me and thought i asked if “I” would have unlimited text messaging after december)

rep:”yea as long as it’s on your account then you will have unlimited text.”

So i didn’t push the issue –

the rep explained that my account would not let me add the internet package until the sero plan kicked in 😦 so no internet on either phone until Jan 1st… counting down the days….

Power of Persistence (the Sero Journey)

Follow me on my Sero journey 

So let me set this up a little bit…

In my 6 years of owning a cell phone i’ve been with:

-Sprint for 2 years

-At&t/Cingular 2 years

-and then back to Sprint for 2 years

On December 2nd my contract with Sprint ended… that’s right, I, was a free agent and as you all know, this means big decision time.  I’m big into tech so after visiting many, many forums and blogs i learned about SERO (Sprints employee referal offer)  honestly the best deal on the market.

 
includes unlimited data (vision or power vision depending on your phone), unlimited texting, early nights and weekends (starting at 7) sprint to sprint, unlimited roaming and a bunch more.

My situation aka current plan:

Family plan with two lines:

1500 shared min, unlimited data, unlimited text, navigation comes out to about $130 a month

My mission:

To get this switched to the SERO plan WITHOUT having to cancel the lines aka keep the same numbers.

So here’s the play by play of how it went down YMMV:

HOW it went down:

9:00 –

Called in using my cellphone and *2. Told the automated system CANCEL! Sent me to a rep… Talked to the rep and asked if she was familar with the SERO plan. She placed me on hold (mostlikely to ask someone about it OR look it up online) came back and said that the only way that i would be able to sign up would be online. She asked me to hold while she notated my account

No shock, as this is what the forums said would happen.

9:05 –

Called back again using *2. Talked to another rep. She stated that whatever the first rep told me is what i had to do.

Discouraging… i thought that it wasn’t going to happen, however i knew if i got the right rep, i might be able to switch from normal out of contract Sprint to SERO.

While i was talking to the second rep i checked the forum and came accross a 877 retention number… thought i would give it a try.

9:10 –

Called the 877 retention number, it rang twice and a rep picked up the line. I told her I wanted to cancel unless i could get switched to the SERO plan. I asked her if she was knowledgable about the SERO plan… she was, a glimmer of hope….

Then she stated that i was not on her system so she would have to transfer me to another department… another discouraging blow…

transfer … on hold … decent music… but still on hold

9:22 –

A rep picked up.

I explained that I wanted to cancel in order to leave to Helio because of their great rate plans..

She states that she is sorry that i am unhappy and ask if there is anything that she can do to keep me as a Sprint customer… a glimmer of hope

I explain that i went into a sprint store the day before and that a rep had told me about the SERO plan, i asked her if there was any way that i could switch over to the SERO plan (since i’m out of contract) and keep my numbers.

9:27 – 

Placed on hold

9:37 –

She states that she would be able to make the switch for me… a large glimmer of hope!

She informs me of the plan and all that it intails (cannot have a family plan so the lines would be split, which is what i wanted anyway)

9:41 –

Placed on hold again

9:45 –

Went over the details of the internet package include (i already knew)

Silence while she worked on the account.

9:54 –

She informed me in-order to avoid proration the SERO plan would take effect on Jan 1st (my next billing cycle)

9:55 –

Informed of $200 ETF … new contract, big discount on new phone 🙂

10:01-

Waiting for account to update

10:04 –

Silence

10:05 –

Rep says, “We usually have customers do this online because it takes a lot longer, and harder for us to do it on our end”

10:07 –

We are set on the first line… YES!!!!

10:12 –

We went over the details for the second line ($50 1250 min)

12:15 –

Silence

10:18 –

Rep: Sorry it’s taking so long, this is a little tricky

me: no worries, take your time 🙂

10:20 –

Rep: All set! Went over details

10:22 –

Went over phone choices

10:25 –

Silence

10:30 –

Shipping Address verification

10:33 –

Rep: It should take 3-5 business days for it to arrive because of the holidays.

10:35 –

Rep: In order to put one of the lines into someone else’s name both of the parties would have to go into the store and have them split it. or you can both call in together at the same time.

10:36 –

I ask to speak to her supervisor to let him/her know what a wonderful job she has done for me (this is always a good thing to do… it lets the Supervisors hear straight from the customers that the rep is doing a great job and ensures that they will keep doing so)

10:38 –

Success!!! and she didn’t even ask me for an Employee name!!! Was able to switch Sprint out-of-contract to SERO without cancelling or porting or anything like that!!

10:39 –

I do my celebration dance

11:09 –

On my way to work i get a call from 888 number… pick it up

Rep: Sorry to bother you again, I just needed the name of the rep you spoke with….

Me: Let me find it i know i wrote it down around here somewhere (luckily I had an email/name that i googled and tested out via the www.sprint.com/sero website to make sure that it still worked 😉

So what did I get in the end?

Same phone numbers i’ve had for over 6 years.. no headache of trying to port a number out and back in.

$30 Sero plan with a Sprint Touch by HTC ($249.99 after – $99 MIR)

$50 Sero plan with a Centro ($99 after – $100 MIR)

In the end it took about an hour and a half… and had to  call back and get transfered a few times… but i got what i was looking for.  

Stay tuned… i’ll let you know how it goes.