UMA

Without AT&T, what's next for T-Mobile? (Ask Maggie)

The Department of Justice doesn't want to see AT&T end up with T-Mobile, but would it stop Sprint Nextel from making such an acquisition? What about MetroPCS or Leap Wireless?

Earlier this week, the DOJ stunned many people in the wireless industry when it filed suit against AT&T to stop its $39 billion acquisition of T-Mobile USA. The agency said that allowing AT&T to buy T-Mobile would likely result in higher prices and a loss of innovation in the wireless market.

The news has sparked speculation about what will happen to T-Mobile if … Read more

Ask Maggie: AT&T to cut T-Mobile Wi-Fi call feature?

All good things must come to an end. At least that's likely the case for T-Mobile USA customers who like using the carrier's Wi-Fi calling feature on certain smartphones.

In this week's column, I discuss whether I think AT&T will keep the Unlicensed Mobile Access Wi-Fi calling feature that T-Mobile offers on some of its smartphones. I also discuss Samsung's problem with long delays for Android OS updates. And I explain to a Boost Mobile customer that he has two years to pick out a new phone before Sprint turns out the lights on … Read more

Bread Bag makes for warm rolls at the table

I never met a bread I didn't like. From French, rye, or sourdough, all the way through to the mysterious-sounding pumpernickel, bread has been a delicious and nutritious staple in my life. Even that squishy white stuff once had a place in my heart (although I was a kid then).

With a life-long affinity towards grainy goodness, I tend to notice bread-related products when they a-rise. (Sorry). This Bread Bag from Uma is simple in nature, but elegant in execution. With four magnets along the opening, the bag can be closed to keep bread warm at the table. This … Read more

Troubled financial IT staff ease their stress by making Star Wars movie

It's not easy being a bank employee these days. You don't know what your bank will be tomorrow. Perhaps it will be a different kind of bank. Or even a former bank.

So perhaps it is unsurprising that Geoff Harmer, an IT chap at Barclays Bank in Basingstoke, England (a little like the nice parts of New Jersey), decided to invest $90 and his artistic talent into making a Star Wars movie.

The opus is entitled Overtime and the action takes place around the bank cubicles, in an elevator (where the protagonists encounter a tall bald man who … Read more

Cincinnati Bell Wireless launches Wi-Fi/cell service

Cincinnati Bell Wireless has launched a new service that allows people to use one handset that switches between a Wi-Fi and cellular network.

The service, called CB Home Run, works using a dual-mode Wi-Fi and cellular phone that lets users switch between the two networks depending on which one offers the best signal. Cincinnati Bell is using the Nokia 6086 handset, which contains radios for both Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity. The operator is offering the phone for about $65 with a $15 rebate. It works with Wi-Fi networks in homes and offices as well as with Cincinnati Bell's more … Read more