Smart phones put the Internet at your fingertips, allowing you to check your email and surf the web from anywhere with the power of 3G and 4G. However, if you don’t have an unlimited data plan, you can be charged more if you use it too much. Ray and Tom have some tips to make sure you’re not going over your data limit on this week’s Ask Deemable Tech.

And if you like our radio segments, make sure to check out Deemable Tech’s weekly hour-long podcast. You can subscribe to the show by clicking the following links or by searching for Deemable Tech in iTunes or YouTube.

RAY: Hi, I’m Ray Hollister,

TOM: I’m Tom Braun,

RAY: and we’re the hosts of Deemable Tech. On the show, we answer your questions about computers, tablets, mobile phones and the Internet, like this question:

TOM: Michelle asks, I was wondering about ways to lower my data usage on my iPhone. I always seem to go over my limit, and then I am slapped with another monthly charge. What things can I turn “off” or put away unless I need them, and how do I do it?

RAY: Thanks for your question, Michelle. iPhones and Android phones can eat up a data plan like a 5 year old with an unattended candy bowl. Unless you’re on an unlimited data plan, you have to keep an eye on what your phone is downloading and sending, or it’ll end up taking a bite out of your wallet.
Periodically check your cellular data usage on your iPhone by opening your Settings app, and tapping General, Usage and then Cellular Usage at the bottom. On that screen you can see how much data your phone has sent and received. Each month, at the end of your billing cycle, tap the Reset Statistics button to clear out the counters and start over.

TOM: Well, Ray, that’s good information about how to keep track of how much data you’re using on an iPhone, but Michelle wanted to know how to reduce the amount of data she’s using on an iPhone. Come on man, stay focused!

RAY: Well, you’re right, but the first step to any diet is keeping track of how much you’re consuming, or so I’ve heard. Knowing how much data you’re using in the first place will help to stay you on track. Now, here’s a few tips to keep your cellular data usage low. First of all, don’t download or stream any video or audio unless you are connected to a Wi-Fi network. Those NPR, Netflix, Hulu and PBS Kids apps will devour your cellular data. I’m not saying don’t use them! They’re great apps. Just make sure to use them when you are connected to a Wi-Fi network if you’re trying to save your cellular data.

TOM: And, if you have streaming video or music that you just have to watch or listen to over 3G or 4G, go for the Non-HD version or the lower quality version. That will save you a bunch of data, too. If you use Spotify, make your playlists Available Offline so that the next time you’re away from home they’ll play from your phone instead of over the Internet.

RAY: The same thing is true for Amazon Cloud Player and the Podcast app; make sure to download your songs and new podcast episodes to your device before you leave the house. Also, and it’s probably obvious, but make sure to only download new apps and updates when you are on a Wi-Fi network too.

TOM: Also, try reducing the number of times that your phone downloads new email. On the iPhone, open your Settings app and tap “Mail, Contacts, Calendars” and then, Fetch New Data. Turn off Push, and change Fetch to Manually or, at most, Hourly.

RAY: Finally, If you see that you’re getting close to your limit, or you just want to save your data plan for later in the month, turn your cellular data off. On the iPhone go to the General menu under Settings, tap Cellular and then tap the Cellular Data on/off switch. You’ll still get phone calls and text messages, but you won’t be able to browse the web and none of your apps will access the Internet either unless you are connected to a Wi-Fi network. You can also turn off Cellular data for specific built-in functions like iTunes, FaceTime, and Personal Hotspot in that same menu.

TOM: Follow all of these tips, and you should have a thinner waistline – oops, cellular bill – within a month or two!

RAY: To hear more answers to questions like this one, listen to our show at Deemable dot com, that’s D-E E-M A-B-L-E dot com. There you can listen to all of our previous episodes and subscribe to our podcast.

TOM: If you have a question for Deemable Tech give us a call us at One Eight Eight Eight, Nine Seven Two, Nine Eight Six Eight, or you can send us an email at questions at deemable dot com.

RAY: For Deemable Tech, I’m Ray Hollister,

TOM: And I’m Tom Braun.

Last year, Sprint was the first wireless carrier to announce a fourth generation (4G) wireless network. T-Mobile came next with what it proclaimed as “America’s largest 4G network.” Then Verizon entered the picture with its own 4G network which they announced as the largest and fastest in the United States. AT&T, of course, eventually released its own 4G network to keep up with the competition, but in hindsight, none of these telecommunications giants have a network that can truly be called 4G. In actuality, what these companies are offering is basically a 3.5G network. A marketing ploy. A hoax…

In November of 2010, the global wireless standards-setting organization, called the International Telecommunication Union, defined 4G as a network that is capable of download speeds of 100 megabits per second (Mbps). While all of the supposed 4G networks out there are clear improvements to the current 3G networks that offer speeds between 500 kbps to 1.5 Mbps, none of them conform to the International Telecommunication Union’s 4G definition. Even more perplexing, each carrier has its own 4G network based on different technologies:

• Sprint offers a 4G network based on Wi-MAX technology.
• T-Mobile offers a 4G network based on an expansion of its 3G-HSPA+ network.
• Verizon offers a 4G network based on Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology.
• AT&T offers a 4G network similar to T-Mobile’s expanded 3G-HSPA+ network and is set to launch their own LTE 4G network sometime this year.

On Wednesday, however, Congress introduced a bill that would hopefully clear up some of the confusion between all of the different 4G offerings. Initiated by the ranking member of the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-CA), the Next Generation Wireless Disclosure Act would force wireless carriers to provide specific information about coverage, reliability, speed, pricing, and the type of technology used by the service. A side-by-side comparison of the top 10 competing networks’ speeds and prices would also be available to consumers, and the bill would get the FCC to work with the wireless providers to establish a guaranteed, minimum speed standard for 4G.

With all confusion and technical jargon aside, the bill is a great proposal to help consumers make better choices. Eshoo explained, “Consumers need to know the truth about the speeds they’re actually getting. My legislation is simple?it will establish guidelines for understanding what 4G speed really is, and ensure that consumers have all the information they need to make an informed decision.”

You can learn more about 4G in the video below:

Photo by David Goldman via CNN

iSpy something red. iSpy something blue. iSpy Apple and they’re spying on you. Two security researchers, Alasdair Allan and Pete Warden, announced yesterday in an article on O’Reilly Radar that your iPhone or 3G iPad has been secretly ?recording the position of your device into a hidden file. Ever since iOS 4 arrived [in June of 2010], your device has been storing a long list of locations and time stamps. We’re not sure why Apple is gathering this data, but it’s clearly intentional, as the database is being restored across backups, and even device migrations.? Both Allan and Warden have come up with an application that maps the information that your Apple device is tracking about your location history.

What is alarming about this news is that the hidden file is both unencrypted and unprotected, and thus can be accessed by anyone who is in contact with any of the machines that you’ve used to sync your device to – which is a direct breach of user’s privacy and a threat to your security. While the availability of the data may not be an immediate cause for concern, Pete Warden says that it could potentially be used by “a jealous spouse, or a private detective ? with access to your phone or computer to get detailed information about where you’ve been.” Although mobile networks already record the location of cell phones, this information is only available to certain organisations through mandate of a court order. However, the system that the Apple iPhone and iPad 3G are using appear to record the data whether or not the user agrees or even acknowledges that it is being created.

Apple has declined to comment about the hidden file at this time, but to safeguard your information it is suggested that you encrypt your backups by clicking on your device within iTunes, then checking “Encrypt iPhone Backup” under the “Options” tab.

Photo by Alasdair Allan via O’Reilly Radar

A GSM monopoly? A savvy business acquisition? A precursor to the end of times? Call it what you’d like, but AT&T is offering Deutsche Telekom AG 39 billion reasons to sell T-Mobile. The potential mega-merger will face strict scrutiny over the next year by the government, the media, and the public, but one thing is certain – current T-Mobile users have a cause for concern.

As a satisfied customer of T-Mobile since 2002, there are two things that I believe set this cell phone provider apart from the rest, and that is their loyalty to customer service and their great pricing strategy.

So what could this merger mean for us T-Mobile users? Although the networks of AT&T and T-Mobile use the same underlying cellular technology, T-Mobile users who currently have 3G wireless mobile broadband service would eventually have to upgrade to AT&T’s 3G or 4G LTE (Long Term Evolution) data services. Say goodbye to $30 unlimited data plans for our beloved Smartphones, and say hello to expensive, capped data plans that charge overage fees. With a company as large as AT&T, customer service is not a primary driving point for their business model and by adding an additional 33.7 million more U.S. customers, how bad could it possibly get? Look on the bright side though, fellow T-Mobilers: You would have a wider array of phones to choose from, including the coveted Apple iPhone, and a merger could lead to better network coverage throughout the States. Although we will have to wait and watch the outcome unfold, if the deal is eventually approved though, I’ll be making sure that I’m not one of the people left asking, “Can you hear me now?”

Photo by djshoaib via Surfpk