Finally, Skype is launching their Android app for everyone else. After making what I think was one of the worst business decisions ever with Verizon, where they were forced to give their Android app only to Verizon, and nobody else  - in the world – and leaving the market open for competition like Fring, Tango, Vonage and others who’ve created Android apps that enable you to call your friends for free through wi-fi, 3G, or both.

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Western Union and EnStream, a joint venture between Bell, Rogers and Telus, are partnering to offer all their mobiles customers a way to transfer money internationally, to up to 200 countries. The service they’ve created is called Zoompass, and it’s an innovative way to send, request and receive money.

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The Galaxy Tab, which is one of the most expected tablets to come out this year, will arrive at Bell, too. We do know that Samsung’s strategy is to make its Android smartphones and tablets as widely available as possible, so Bell, which is one of the biggest and best carriers in Canada, can’t be left out.

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Can you actiate the Bell Mobility Palm Pre without a data plan?

After a customer of ours, emailed us saying that their local Bell Store would not activate their Bell Palm Pre because they did not want a data plan, we thought we would investigate!

Here’s what we found…
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Using this short guide, we will hold your hand and walk you through the process of programming your phone number into your Samsung M230 cell phone for Bell Mobility. Don’t worry; the process isn’t hard. In seven easy steps, you’ll have your phone programmed in no time. And you’ll save up to $25 on in-store programming fees.

So let’s get started!

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Add Video to your Bell BlackBerry

This short guide will show you the steps that you need to take to play videos on your Bell Blackberry.

Important: Before you start, it’s important to know that not all Bell Mobility BlackBerry’s can play video files. If you have an older Bell Blackberry model like the Bell 8703E, 7250, 7750 you are out of luck because these and other other models do not have media players and cannot play video. Keep reading…

Bell Mobility GSM Users Encounter Local Area

Urban users of Bell Mobility GSM / HSPA+ phones find Black Holes (in service areas)!

It sucks, to buy a new cell phone and not be able to use it anywhere you want.

This is a problem that many new users of Bell Mobility’s GSM (HSPA+) phones are currently experiencing. Although most users of Bell’s GSM phones (like the iPhone) get superb service in their home service areas, many users lose their service when they leave their local area.

Why? Keep reading…

Bell Mobility GSM Users Go Without Mobile Serice Across Large Areas of Canada

Bell Mobility users have been eating up new HSPA devices like the iPhone and BlackBerry® BoldTM. But many of Bell’s HSPA early adopters are encountering some significant problems.

One major problem is that Bell’s network does not mirror its existing network coverage. Currently, there are large areas of Canada where users of Bell iPhones and other new Bell Mobility GSM devices will be without network service, even though other Bell devices (non-HSPA) would work.

For Bell, which currently operates three different wireless networks, this issue is not new. At present, Bell users across Canada connect to Bell through their 1xRTT network (first-generation) or EVDO (second-generation) networks. In markets with higher populations, both networks are available on top of each other. In more rural areas, however, only the 1xRTT network is available. This network issue poses no problem for Bell’s existing CDMA users because both the older 1x phones and the newer EVDO phones both have one common denominator: both operate on Bell’s slower 1x network.

But users of today’s HSPA phones do not have the luxury of defaulting to Bell’s 1x standard. So when an iPhone user leaves Bell’s HSPA network, his shiny new iPhone turns into a very attractive paperweight.

So beware: if you are planning to drive across the country with your Bell HSPA device to take in the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver, expect no phone usage throughout rural Ontario, in 99% of Manitoba, and in all of Saskatchewan. This could mean days and days with no cellular service.

Interesting… The new HSPA devices now allow Bell users to use their phones in over 200 countries worldwide. At home, however, many could experience service issues while on the road.

And if you liked this article you can find more articles and videos for Bell Mobility users at http://cellarama.com/articles/ – At http://cellarama.com you’ll also find great contract-free cell phones for Bell Mobility. Written by A. Thompson

Bell Mobility GSM HSPA Coverage Map

Bell Mobility 1X EVDO Coverage Map

What happens when you need to access the Internet from your laptop and there is no Wi-Fi available?  Until recently, as a Bell customer, you had few options. If you had a compatible phone, you could use your cell phone as a modem for the Internet (this could be very costly) or you could use a Bell laptop card or USB Internet stick.

What if you needed to connect more than one device to the Internet (say, a second laptop or a cellular phone)? Well, until now there was no easy solution.

Enter the MiFiTM, Bell Mobility’s latest portable Internet device.

The MiFi box creates mobile Wi-Fi hotspots, allowing up to five devices to connect to the Internet simultaneously. Worried about having to lug this huge device around with you?  Don’t be. At about three ounces in weight and around the size of a deck of cards, the MiFi will not be an inconvenience to carry.

Formally called the Novatel MiFi 2372, the MiFi offers download speeds up to 7.2 megabits per second. The hotspot generated is up to 30 feet.

With the launch of the MiFi, Bell is the first cellular operator in Canada to offer this service. With the holidays approaching and families on the move, Bell Mobility’s timing could not be better for its launch.

Currently, the MiFi will set you back $199 at your Bell dealer or $99 on a three-year contract.

Google’s Android operating system for cellular phones is fast becoming a popular choice for cell phone users.  In the past few months we’ve seen Android phones moving north into Canada.  Rogers’ Android offering includes the HTC Magic, and Telus recently announced an exclusive deal with Motorola to bring the “Milestone” (think or Verizon’s Droid).

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