Net10 Ringtones

Please! Read through all the comments too before posting a question. Also–check your phone manual to see about downloading MP3s –sometimes it’s a phone issue. If your phone (Notably the Motorola W375 ) only allows mp3 downloads through the web browser, you can’t do it. Sorry.  And if your phone doesn’t have mms capabilities, you’re out of luck. Sorry again.

New possibly exciting news on the W375 front: A comment by our new hero, Rjay may have the solution to the Motorola W375 mp3 ringtone problem. I don’t have a Motorola W375 because I am way too cheap for that, but if you are not such a tightwad, please give this method a try and let us all know in the comments section how it works and I’ll update this post to include his instructions. Right now, I’m pretty hopeful!

Okay, on to the original post:

I got a new phone, new company. And I did not research my phone well enough–or the company. Everything went smoothly enough with the transition, number ported over, etc., although the wait was kind of long (not Net10’s fault, really). I’m happy with the price, I don’t want a contract, and the phone is nice enough. Nothing too fancy.

But I was quite annoyed to find that, although this is a web enabled phone, Net10 has the access blocked. Kind of a pisser. I was all set to upload my ringtones into the phone–and after paying for the web access, one minute standard deduction immediately, plus more as time ticked by–nothing. 404 forbidden error. Like I’m trying to hack into the Pentagon or something.

This is not advertised by Net10 by the way. They’ve got their own ringtones, and they charge 2 bucks each for them.

After two days–really, too much effort trying to solve this problem, and that obsessiveness is an issue I’m trying to deal with, but apparently not today–Crostel.com helped me figure a way around. Working through their site for a while, I found out that you can send anything you want to this phone– you just have to email it to yourself. Because multimedia messaging (mms) is unrestricted. Nice.

As is always the case, it’s quite easy, it’s just the getting there that’s so complicated. And it depends on the phone. Mine only takes polyphonic (midi files). There’s loads of those online, download away. Then email the file as an attachment to your phone via mms. From what I can figure, Net10 is piggybacking AT&T wireless, so first try (your 10 digit phone number) @mms.att.net and see if you get the message. Then you’ll be able to open it, download for a mere 2.5 minutes (25 cents) and save it as a ringtone. (Pics work the same way.) If that address doesn’t work, and you don’t know the stuff after the @ symbol, send a multimedia message from your phone to your email address. Your email will display the From address with all that helpful information in it. Just hit reply, attach your mp3 or midi or jpg and you’re good to go.

So now I got my (melodic interpretations of) Bone Thugs-N-Harmony on the phone, and I must find something more productive to do for the rest of the day.

 

DTV

My mother keeps reminding me to get online and order coupons for those set-top converter boxes for Digital Television signals. (I know this sounds backwards, as usually it’s the kids telling their parents.) She’s concerned that the government will run out of coupons, and our TV’s won’t work in 2009. We don’t have cable, and our TVs are old. So we’re the prime candidates for TV failure.

Her concerns are valid. First on the TV not working: I read an article today in which a guy said when he tries to explain this new DTV system, everyone laughs at the suggestion that their TVs will stop working on February 17, 2009. They’ll probably stop laughing, but if my TV goes out, it won’t be a great loss. (Wait, that’s American Idol season, isn’t it? Scratch that last thought.)

So today I went onto the website to explore the coupon issue. And “issue” is really the correct word for this fiasco. First: limited number of $40 coupons. Interesting. 22.25 million coupons for Americans available, two per household. There are (by my last reading of some blog) 266 million tv sets in America. Now, a lot of these receive digital TV signals already, and theoretically retailers have been required to sell only dtvs since 2007. (I’m sure they just sent all their analog sets back or donated them to charity, rather than continue selling them.) Either way, sounds like a severe shortage. A positive note: after those 22.25 million coupons run out, 11.25 million coupons will be available to consumers who rely exclusively on over-the-air broadcast TV. So if the coupons run out, and the only way you catch TV signals is by wiggling the rabbit ears and hoping the clouds are thin on American Idol night, you get a second chance.

Therefore, due to this shortage of coupons, the smart money is on applying right now, correct? Not so fast.

The coupons expire 90 days from the mailing date. So I apply early, and I get my coupon, I have 90 days minus mailing time to purchase my box with the coupon. The only problem is, you can’t purchase a box. There are none available.

An exaggeration. I found one– that’s right, one–set top analogue to DTV converter box available for purchase online. One model, one store, (Radio Shack) and one price of 60 bucks. Minus my 40 dollar coupons, times two TVs, that’s a forty dollar cost. With four total reviews of the product on Radio Shack’s website and absolutely no competition, this is my option right now.

What will my options be within 90 days? My fortune telling skills are so limited, it’s difficult to say. I can say this–when there’s a rush on these boxes, Radio Shack runs out– it’s just a little store, after all–and my coupon’s sitting in my wallet with the expiration day ticking closer and closer, I may be wishing I’d just ordered the coupons and bought early.

Apparently the feds will make billions selling off the broadcast spectrum after the switch to DTV. Plus with the money they save by offering time bomb coupon cards for a product that is unavailable … it’s a win-win.

If you want to read all about the DTV converter box coupon program or sign up for your coupon, go ahead. For fun, you should really check out the find a retailer near you option. Expand that search to fifty miles, and please let me know if anyone comes up with anything higher than zero.

 

Happy Tuesday!

I’m not posting the tag answers, because again, no time. Makes me crazy. I have some good quirks, too.

I do have a take-home midterm to complete this week, which looks extremely easy, except for the essay question, something about the Constitution, but at least it’s writing.

However, I am posting chapter 12, as we see what happens when Henry tries to follow through on plan B…

 

Late again

But this time, so late that it’ll be Tuesday, which is not actually today. I did some writing on the novel today, which is important for future releases, so that’s a good thing. Really, it is.

Also I got tagged last week, and I was planning on answering that when I posted the next chapter. That’s really why I’m putting it off.

For now though, I have to watch last week’s House episode and then tonight’s Prison Break, and then, well, it’ll be time to get ready for bed. Because how far will I get in life if I can’t keep my priorities straight?

 

Man, it’s late!

But not too late, right?

Thanks for stopping by, Mr. Fab… I wish you’d stop whooping my ass in Trivia; however I will be more diligent to play every day in February, and thereby at least pull within throne-toppling distance.

Got busy with my daughter helping her record a ‘commercial’ for her monthly book report. Sweet music in the background, thanks to Nick’s talents.

All right, not much commentary today, but if you’ll recall, Henry–with a little help from Abby–frightened off the other criminals hovering around the jewelry in the museum, and after they left, Abby suggested visiting the gift shop, as a reward for her performance.

She just doesn’t seem all that interested in the offerings.

And now…Chapter 11.

 

Playing for Keeps

If you like superheroes–and even if you’re not all that impressed by them, like me–there’s a darned good chance you’ll like Mur Lafferty’s podcast novel, Playing for Keeps.

(Did I just say “darned”? I can promise that no one in my own novels has ever said “darned”.)

I was going to put the audio promo up here, but wordpress says that I can’t do that unless I pay them something, so umm.. love you Mur, but here’s the link instead:
Playing for Keeps Promo

And then you can just click the play button and hear what it’s about.

Or, you can read what it’s about, right here:

Playing for Keeps is a free novel delivered via podcast in audio and PDF form. It tells the story of Keepsie Branson, a bar owner in the shining metropolis of Seventh City: birthplace of super powers. Keepsie and her friends live among egotistical heroes and manipulative villains, and manage to fall directly in the middle as people with powers, but who just aren’t strong enough to make a difference. Or that’s what they’ve been told. As the city begins to melt down, it’s hard to tell who are the good guys and who are the bad.

And then you can go listen to the first episode right now!

And you thought your Saturday night would be boring.
More Iced Out, coming Monday.

 

Sugar Rush

If you haven’t seen this piece of Transformers, Anthony Anderson and his incredibly versatile talents pretty much make the whole movie worthwhile. Me and Sam are frequently trying to keep from suppress our cracking up so we don’t miss anything.

Okay, let’s see what Henry’s going to do, now that nothing is working out as planned…Read Chapter 10

 

Dean’s List–and my birthday

Yep, both in one day. Got a letter telling me I made the dean’s list last quarter at Columbus State. My kids are all like, what’s the dean’s list?

The next chapter was running too long, so I split it into two parts. Will post the second half later in the week. Meanwhile, check out chapter nine point one. According to the snap preview key words, we oughtta call this one “Bluetooth, Diamonds and Diapers.”

FYI, no comments on any of these chapters for a long time. So, what? Just too boring to bother? That would be good for me to know, kids.

 

Shelfari

I could spend far too much time on here. You get a page, you add books to it, they show up on a pretty wooden bookshelf, then you can see other people’s shelves which have matching books! Totally cool.

Here’s my bookshelf

And yes, I know I’m late. I’m making up all the work I missed while I was sick for two weeks and counting. But thanks to WC, the Mucinex is helping with the last dregs of this disease.

 

Puffs Plus with Vicks

You would think these would be the stupidest things ever, but after blowing my nose for an entire week, I think they were created in Heaven.

Posting up Chapter 7, you can check it out right here!

I have super exciting news about my previous novel, which I will save for the new year.