I purchased a new Samsung phone for my second oldest daughter (2/4) for her 11th birthday. Like computers - but even more so IMO - they really change tremendously in as little as 12 months. When I was in Korea a year ago the LG engineer I talked to said the "flip" (not churn) rate in Korea was every six months.

which is leading many to see...

The comeback of the mobile Internet Here's some totally obvious facts about cell phones, as a refresher:

1. They consume little power these days (digital networks) and will stay charged all day
2. Compared to all other neworks, they are by far the most pervasive 2-way voice and data networks
3. the device fits in your pocket
4. They are the cheapest mobile network devices (compared with PDA/laptop)

both of my cell-phone equipped older daughters are on Verizon, and love using the "get it now" feature (aka BREW)

That was fun. A full month "off" in a broadband black hole, no, make that two broadband black holes. Being from San Diego (well, Del Mar) I'm used to having pervasive broadband - sort of. I'm here to tell you that broadband has not come to scenic maine or bosnia. ok. rant over.

The wedding was fantastic, despite the disco (and my lost phone!). I FINALLY posted the photos on my .mac site here, or if you have REALLY GOOD BROADBAND here. Well, you don't really need the 10 mbps+ that they have in Korea...I guess it's all relative. The photo on the top of the page is one I took as I was about to drive off as "limo driver" using my favorite little Fuji FinePix camera. I've taken more great photos of what's going on behind me by simply holding the little camera up by my head and snapping. it's fun too. But it was a struggle taking photos..driving the most important car...honking the horn...tuning the radio...and sipping a nice hot latte (not really)..


After much fun in Bihac, and a drive north back to Zagreb, I parted with my friends, new and old, and headed back to Maine. What should I see, but a reminder of CA on none other than a license plate! . Maybe I don't talk enough to the folks on the street, but I've not seen too much Arnold email.

Am I the only one who is getting lots of spanish language SMS Spam on my verizon phone?? Nothing in the past few weeks, but boy, in early August I got 10 or more of them. What's up with that? This is all I've found about it.

well, all is going well here in Bihac. the weather is much nicer than it was in Maine last week, and the European heat wave has subsided a bit, so it's not too hot. Almost all the buildings around here have lots of bullet holes in them from the wartime activities, but reconstruction is underway. The REAL issue with the infrastructure here is not so much war-related but plain old neglect from 40 years of communist rule. It's so bad it's funny...you have to be here funny that is. when I'm able to hook up my own computer I'll post some photos of rafting, the wedding and more. Running water, even without cold water, would be nice. more than a few hours a day.

Our hotel is directly accross from an outdoor disco that is open until 3 am. We have adopted a 'if you cannot beat em, join em' approach. I was able to get a BIHAC mobile sim card and finally could call the states, but then managed to forget it at bar last night...and it is no officially lost. oh well. I refuse to let it add needless stress. Today is the wedding...more later.

made it to munich...next stop Zargreb. As luck would have it, the Munich Lufthansa lounge has wifi, but, it rejected me. Not sure why. Looks like they are using the lan for other things here too like a 4-screen TV system that's nifty. Well, I'm going to try to get through more of Balkan Ghosts on the way to Zargreb. Think it's costly to use a cell phone in the US? It cost me a whopping 8 pounds to phone from here in Munich to Bihac this morning roaming on my Vodafone GSM phone. Wow. I hope I'm lucky enough to get a sim card on the local system when I get there!

TTFN

"I'm Mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore"
With my apologies to Peter Finch and his Network, I want my broadband back! You don't know what you got 'till it's gone. Well, no WiFi/Verizon/DSL/Cable/inernet cafe in the rustic Maine coastline. Of course, I know that there's a 1XRTT upgraded cell site in Brunswick, but I'm a way from there. So, radio engineer that I am, I whipped out a topo map and calculated the best spot around. It worked. But like many places in the lovely state of Maine, "you can't get there from here".

Sorry kids...for subjecting you and mom to hours of driving around in the rain searching for that signal. How can we expect to exist as a society on the cutting edge when our vacation spots have no broadband?? Well, I found a place at a high spot where it worked. Whoppee. My family was so pleased.


Well, I don't expect as much when I arrive in Bosnia tomorrow. I'm going to a friends wedding in Bihac, site of mass graves, and am only wondering if my Vodafone World Phone will be as much as a marketing ploy as my "nationwide" verizon service.