"$1000 a Month" written by Jim on estrip.org

09/21/07 12:52 - 76ºF - ID#41230

$1000 a Month

Carrier short codes for SMS messages are $1000 a month. (That's the way you can text to or from a really short number, like 22345). I didn't think it would be that expensive. And that's just the cost for the CSC number, there are addiitional higher charges for receiving and sending messages from CSC's as opposed to normal numbers.

Guess I'll need a long number! 716-998-1987 is harder to remember then 23560, though.

paul writes at 08:17:17 09/21/07 - Comment #24978: You can definitely use a GSM modem with sim card attached to a server to send out the messages. Then you just buy an unlimited messaging account from tmobile for that sim card.

I think that SMS is in its death throws. Honestly, after years of closely following mobile telfony I am sure that it is yesterday;'s technology and that most cell phones are going to go in the direction of email very soon. Many, many of them already have.

james writes at 02:35:20 09/21/07 - Comment #24932: Hey Jim, someone smeared geek all over your journal.

jim writes at 02:05:00 09/21/07 - Comment #24926: I mostly need to send outgoing SMS's at this point, so doing without a short code isn't that big a deal for my project.

I think the better browsers and get (mobile safari for example), and mobile email too), the less relevant the SMS racket will be.

jim writes at 02:02:56 09/21/07 - Comment #24925: Yeah, Paul was telling me that I should just tether a cell phone to a server and send them out that way, but my server is in a rack in San Diego, and so...

zobar writes at 02:01:26 09/21/07 - Comment #24924: So you pay per month for your short code, and then you pay per-message for using the API. GOD THIS INDUSTRY IS SO SHADY. Network providers screw service providers and service providers screw content providers and everyone screws the end user. How many people could you possibly bill for sending one 160-byte packet over the network? Let's find out ...

Now that I think about it, my previous phone [Sony Ericsson T616] could operate over Bluetooth as a Hayes-compatible modem. There were special AT commands you could issue to it; there was probably one for sending SMS.

- Z

jim writes at 01:57:27 09/21/07 - Comment #24923: Well you don't need a short code, but whether or not you have a shortcode you need either a web gateway API to call or a cell system interface terminal. The costs for sending a message seem to be around $0.05 per text, and you have to buy at least $25 worth at a time.

jim writes at 01:44:29 09/21/07 - Comment #24922: It's an API call, usually just in an encoded url like this describes: :::link:::

But some of the you have to submit XML packets with the message info. You need to pay for a short code, and then pay a gateway service for an API connection, and your site can send SMS messages directly.

Alternatively there are actual cell devices that you'd hook up to your server and send messages with over the regular cell networks, but I am not too clear on what's involved with that route.

zobar writes at 01:40:50 09/21/07 - Comment #24921: Funny, we were just solicited by a mobile service provider. Question: once you have a short-code, how do you submit SMSes to the network?

- Z

Permalink: _1000_a_Month.html
Words: 71
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: work

09/20/07 08:27 - 80ºF - ID#41221

Roswell Park Memorial Mace

The Roswell Park Cancer Institute Memorial Mace

Yes, an honored stick with which to beat people, in a glass class by Human Resources.

And even better, an illustrated history of the evolution of medicine:

(view large here)

Including these highlights:

Centaurs curse humankind with illness, including cancer.

Greeks like to have sex with other men and also fail to cure cancer.

An old Jew wears pointy shoes and withholds secret knowledge of how to fight cancer.

Some guy invented very small drippy zeppelins that fail to cure cancer.

Madam Curie returns from the dead in radiant form, but no one can see her cure for cancer.

There is another secret ghost hiding behind the ghost of Madam Curie. We do not know his story.

Scientists are too poor to own chairs, so you should donate money to RPCI. To help them cure cancer.

Cacti are taking over the world, a new form of mega-cancer.

An African looking mask likes to leer at reclining nude women. Something something cancer.

Permalink: Roswell_Park_Memorial_Mace.html
Words: 172
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: tech

09/18/07 09:14 - 70ºF - ID#41184

Finally, Router/NAS/Printer Solution

I ordered an Apple Airport. I am sorely in need of a more reliable network connection, so hopefully this will ease my sorrows. Plus it's Wireless N. A step up.

But, the best part, and why it was worth a little extra money to go this route, is that i can hook up a USB hub to it and attach the printer and my backup hard drives and (most importantly) my photo storage hard drives. I'll reduce clutter on my desk and everything will always be available to (e:James) too.

I've only got a few GB's left on my notebook hard drive, so I desperately needed to get a better photo storage plan. Right now they are all on my notebook and one backup drive and one CD per month. Now the recent ones only will be on my notebook, and there will be two external hard drives plus the CD backups. Sweet. And I have my favorite / best photos stored online too, for offsite backup.

I think running out of space is slowing down my laptop. Need to keep some space free for sleep and scratch.

Permalink: Finally_Router_NAS_Printer_Solution.html
Words: 188
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: life

09/18/07 02:02 - 68ºF - ID#41177

2 Years

I am sort of a wreck today.

I can't believe it's been two years already.

I miss you, Mom.

fellyconnelly writes at 11:45:03 09/18/07 - Comment #24756: I couldn't imagine how hard that must be for you. She sounds like an amazing woman who lived an amazing life. You and your dad must be so proud of her and who she was for you and those people who needed her.

jim writes at 11:30:59 09/18/07 - Comment #24755: Thanks Koocity and James, for your kind words :)

kookcity2000 writes at 11:26:42 09/18/07 - Comment #24754: dude I'm quite sorry: Losing a parent is always hard, especially when its quite unexpected.
It brings a lot down on you and I only hope that in these years you've worked through some of it and its not as hard as it was.

jbeatty writes at 11:18:53 09/18/07 - Comment #24752: I'm sorry. Losing a parent sucks. My father died 8 years ago. I would have to say it doesn't exactly get easier but after several years you tend to not think about it every day.

drew writes at 10:46:05 09/18/07 - Comment #24747: sympathy.

mike writes at 10:12:14 09/18/07 - Comment #24745: I can't even imagine losing a parent. I'm sure it never gets easier but I hope it does for you.

jim writes at 10:04:03 09/18/07 - Comment #24744: Thanks, Del

mrdeadlier writes at 09:55:57 09/18/07 - Comment #24743: I'll echo Jenks here and say that your mom seemed like a really cool person. You have my sympathy.

jim writes at 08:35:05 09/18/07 - Comment #24740: Thanks, everyone!

jenks writes at 08:30:17 09/18/07 - Comment #24739: Hugs.
Losing a parent is about my biggest fear. :(
From your post, your mom sounds amazing. I'm sure she's proud of you. :)
I hope that with every year the good memories outweigh the sadness more and more.

hodown writes at 03:26:51 09/18/07 - Comment #24726: I'm so sorry.

jim writes at 03:26:20 09/18/07 - Comment #24725: Thanks, Paul. I just miss her a lot. No need to pray about anything :)

paul writes at 03:22:07 09/18/07 - Comment #24723: I don't even know what to say other than hang in there. I think people normally say, "My prayers are with you." but I think my prayers might be worthless at this point.

james writes at 03:06:58 09/18/07 - Comment #24720: Hope it is easier this year Jim.

Permalink: 2_Years.html
Words: 30
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: books

09/18/07 01:21 - 68ºF - ID#41175

NOOOOOOOOO

So, author Robert Jordan died.

He was working on Book 12 of 'The Wheel of Time'. A series that I started reading about a decade ago. This was supposed to be the last book and would've wrapped everything up. I am sorry he is dead. But mostly I am mad that I can't finish the series, and I'll tell you why.

The first few books of the series were really really good, but then it just started dragging on FOREVER. The last 5 books, nothing much happened. And I read them anyways just to work towards closure and find out what happens. But now I've invested so much time in the thing that the fact it's going to have over my head for the rest of my life is aggravating. If I knew the man I"d feel differently, but impersonally from a distance this is what I'm upset about.

Permalink: NOOOOOOOOO.html
Words: 154
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: estrip

09/17/07 09:00 - 63ºF - ID#41164

Estrip Buffet Night Part 2

Estrip is pretty jumping lately!

I had a lot of fun at last month's dinner, so I would like to set something up in the next couple weeks. It would be a week night I think, and I am open to suggestions for location.

India Buffet again? No Chuck-o-Rama's in sight, thank god.

Do tell what your free nights are, and if you're likely to come! Once the location is finalized I'll need to know ahead of time if you're coming so I can make reservations a few days before hand.

Hope to see you all there! I know there may be an Estrip/PMT party coming up soon, so we should try not to crowd that date, lest we become sick of each other.

Permalink: Estrip_Buffet_Night_Part_2.html
Words: 125
Location: Buffalo, NY

09/16/07 10:39 - 62ºF - ID#41142

OK

Three posts in a row, sue me.

I hate the City of Buffalo's website. There is a bunch of stuff there I want to repurpose and it's all in PDF form or actually it's not there at all. I hate screen scraping.

I want to map all the properties owned by the city, all properties that will be auctioned off, and in an ideal world be able to overlay city zoning and survey maps on my maps.

But no luck really with any of that. The city has it's own maps:

That's almost completely unusable, and I shudder when recalling the markup under the hood. There has to be a devious way to get what I need.

Oh, and as far as I can tell - there is no website for the Buffalo Police Department. Does anyone know what it is? I guess if they have no website it means they don't publish any information I could map.

Permalink: OK.html
Words: 168
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: wtf

09/16/07 10:34 - 62ºF - ID#41141

Councilmatic

Councilmatic? That appears to be a real word from the research I just did, but seems so so wrong.

Permalink: Councilmatic.html
Words: 21
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: work

09/16/07 09:15 - 62ºF - ID#41138

Progress!

Importing data from 3rd parties :) works. Now I'm working on the user interface for adding new geolocated pages.

Permalink: Progress_.html
Words: 20
Location: Buffalo, NY

Category: commerce

09/14/07 10:52 - 64ºF - ID#41107

Apple Pricing

My take on the Apple Rebate for the $200 drop in price on iPhones, in response to a question about how I could be happy to be partially refunded after being 'overcharged'.

Saying they overcharged me is wrong, it is just not an accurate description of the economic transaction that I participated in. They asked for $600 and I thought it was worth $600 *TO ME*, and so I paid. This is how a market works. What the price is two months later is completely irrelevant. Prices on electronics always drop or better models come out. I was charged exactly the agreed upon amount.

Apple is giving credit to make up for the price drop, yes. But they do not feel bad for overcharging me, because there was no overcharging. There is just a different charge now, that is lower, and they are doing partial credits to acknowledge that it was quicker then usually happens. That is good manners, in my book.

The rebate process was super easy, and I never expected a rebate or credit, so I am happy to get it.

Additionally: the price was high when initial demand was high, and now that they're heading into Christmas and have production ramped up, they dropped the price to gain market share. I'm glad I paid an extra $200 to Apple if it meant I could walk into an Apple store and buy an iPhone, instead of not being able to get a phone because they were going for an extra $1000 on eBay because the prices at launch were so low that demand was out of sync with supply causing scalper scum to snatch up every damn phone in the country.

That's what happened to the Wii and xBox and PS3, to buy one you had to spend a small fortune on eBay. Apple priced the iPhone high enough that they were selling them at the same rate they were making them, thus ensuring they were stocked in stores. Sure, they made more money, but what the hell? They are a business not a commune of hippies. I am happy with how everything has gone.

(this was originally a comment on this post)

uncutsaniflush writes at 02:21:03 09/15/07 - Comment #24496: Hmmm, (e:jim) why do you feel it is important to point out that you didn't buy the iPhone to be the first on the block? Is there something wrong with being the first on the block?

Personally, the major reason I'm rarely the first kid on the block to get anything is because and I'm cheap and lazy.

By the way, I enjoyed your humorous reference to the origins of Apple's name. It is true that even though Steve Jobs came up with the "Apple" name after visiting a hippie commune, he and the other Steve chose to start a for-profit business instead of a hippie commune.

jim writes at 10:43:52 09/15/07 - Comment #24485: I want to be clear that I did not buy this to be the first on the block. I needed a new phone, and I paid extra for a phone that would be enough of a computer that I could leave my laptop at home instead of lugging it everywhere. Also, since I use a Mac, this is the first phone that has flawless Mac syncing, a big plus. So for me that is the value of the phone, not status or bragging rights.

uncutsaniflush writes at 08:32:37 09/15/07 - Comment #24479: I don't tend to be an early adoptor for variety of reasons including the high initial cost. As I said in my last comment, I am happy that you are happy with the iPhone credit situation. You are certainly right that Apple didn't "have" to do anything at all.

As to the "overcharging", since I don't have an iPhone, who am I to disagree? Personally, paying extra to be the first kid on the block with aany product just isn't worth it to me. So if I got an iPHone and two months later it was $200 cheaper I would feel "overcharged" And that is why I don't tend to buy anything when it first comes out. But is just me. I

Happy iPhoning.

(this was originally a comment on this post :::link:::)

jenks writes at 01:28:42 09/15/07 - Comment #24474: Couldn't say it better myself. People keep asking me if I'm pissed the price went down. I said no, that's just how it works. The price you pay for being an early adopter.

I am a little sick of people bashing iphone to me, though. Saying I'm stupid for paying all that money, that ATT sucks, that THEY would never pay that much...

Whatever... I paid almost $400 for an ipod before. Several times. I paid $400+ for my Treo.... Whether or not it's "worth" it- I was willing to spend the money.

But apple announced that they just sold their one millionth iphone. After 74 days on the market.

I don't know crap about sales or marketing or business- I don't know if selling a million in 74 days is a big deal- except that they said it took almost 2 YEARS to sell a million ipods.

So apparently I wasn't alone in being willing to spend money. And to switch to att...

And honestly, I've heard plenty of people say "i would never buy an iphone. it's a rip off, it doesn't do x y or z." But I have never heard anyone with an iphone say they don't like it ore regret buying it.

wow, sorry, long comment.