I’ve been blasting music through a variety of Sonos products for years now, I have slowly been increasing the collection of Sonos devices throughout the house and especially since they are adding new music service every day it makes for a very good music distribution system. Debuting today is the next step forward for at-home or at-work networked music playing with the release of Sonos Play:3. The device, designed as an all-in-one unit, promises bigger sound quality in a compact package, perfect for any room in need of bumpin’ tunes.

The Play:3 gets its name from its three integrated speakers, three dedicated class-D digital amplifiers and three drivers. With an overall goal to crank up the quality, each unit also has a passive rear-firing bass radiator to keep the sound rich.

The beauty of Sonos is that the hardware all blends perfectly together to be controlled from your iPad, iPhone, Desktop, Sonos Controller, or Android device. They slowly keep improving the selection of hardware that you can use with the Sonos music Distribution system and all you have to do is add it easily and play your music normally. I can’t help saying how much I love their system and all the music that I can play through it. And for $300 this isn’t too bad to join the Sonos music system and then expand later on and you see necessary, the best part about the Sonos guys is that they make sure the sound of their devices is fantastic before putting it in the market.

Link: Sonos

Recently while traveling in Europe I wanted to see what options I had to get a data roaming packages and I always annoyed with overcharges. Looking around TEP Wireless seems to have the solution I needed, I wanted a Mifi type device that I could take with me wherever I am going and have internet the moment I land. They used the Huawei device for the connectivity which is standard use by telco companies.

What they are good for?

If you are traveling through multiple locations through Europe and need internet connectivity, they provide a good solution. Keep in mind that the service is based on the carrier such as Vodafone, Orange, or O2, not their own native network. If you want a smartphone when you travel you can also rent it from them but there are a few short comings which I will point out below. Overall for mobile network they did the job.

What they aren’t good for?

I was looking to get a chip for an iPad or iPhone, or a chip for BB service while roaming. They don’t provide this service which would have been very useful, they provide you a full smartphone or blackberry but not the sim card by itself, so with a Blackberry its useless, your groups and emails are synced to the device not the sim.

Overall:

For 75 GBP I had roaming internet at a very 2 to 6 MB speed which is very good, but when the cell service is bad you don’t get any connectivity. I had it working in a few remote locations which isn’t bad, and the device worked fine but after a few hours of being on it would hang so I would have to restart it every few hours but thats a problem with the device. I think its worth it if you are roaming a lot and need data connectivity, but if you are only based in the UK you have other options.

I have been planning to write this post since I was getting fantastic service from Vodafone UK while traveling in Europe. And the funny part is the day I landed in Kuwait I get a text msg from Zain stating “Welcome back your loved ones are waiting for your call”, then an hour later my phone gets disconnected, luckily it isn’t my primary phone.

Data Roaming Pricing Structure

Zain

• 0.006 KD per Kilobyte so about 6.144 KD per 1MB

Vodafone:

• Europe: 85p a MB up to 5MB, then £4.25 for each 5MB after that
• Rest of the world: £3 a MB up to 5MB, then £15 for every 5MB after that

What Vodafone does better then Zain:

• There is a charge of 50 British Pounds for data, not including normal call charges
• This charge cap can be removed if requested by the user, also you get notifications when you are 50%, 80%, or 100% at the Cap where ever you are roaming
• They disconnect the Data and not your phone line when you reach the cap, unlike Zain who disconnect everything and no notification
• Also a side note if you have a Vodafone plan then you can also get a package for 40 British Pounds per month to get 25 MB a day to use with your phone line which is very useful and more then enough for your phone

Overall my normal phone with the vodafone line used about 300 MB worth of data in one week, it was my only access to the net so it was very Data intensive period for my regular phone. This cost me a total of 255 British Pounds or 113 KWD, if I did the same type of data roaming on Zain it would have been 1843.2 KWD which is insane. I had my Blackberry on which had a Zain line in it, I would never call from it or do anything with it except replies to BBMs, and as soon as I arrived back in Kuwait they sent me a welcome message and disconnected my phone within an hour, no notification, no call, no nothing. TMobile & Vodafone both manage to contact the customer even when abroad for irregular activities and make sure that the charges aren’t ridiculous but Zain doesn’t mind cutting off the customer in the middle of no where.

I can understand Zain saying that they can’t provide the same prices in Europe as Vodafone has, since Vodafone does cover Europe. But even in the Middle East where Zain is based we get charged insane prices, they don’t have agreements across their own networks when it comes to Data. I know that Kuwait’s international phone lines are controlled by the Ministry of Communication so they can’t give us local calling all over the Middle East but at least Data is controlled by the operator, you would think they have a system in place for their Data charges or have packages in place, and they would be able to come to an agreement between STC and Etisalat to provide mutual data services across each of their networks, it is a long process but something that would benefit the customer at the end of the day. But with the way things are now we will always get the short end of the stick.

Find unique products and stores you’ve never heard of.

It is a product bookmarking sight where you get to share all the items that you like and the popular ones get to the top. Its a little different then Pinterest because the items are updated instantly not just what you follow which makes it very interesting. After browsing the website you find a lot of very interesting products, I loved the ideas of the hanging beds and couches.

Link: Wanelo

Being disconnected from internet when you have a lot of activities feels slightly strange. Its not that I was completely disconnected, just that I couldn’t really use the internet available very well since it worked at a snails pace. I tried using the internet at the hotel but it would time out a lot and take a lot of time to load normal items such as my email and very light browsing, I tried downloading an attachment but that took so long I had to cancel it.

I was lucky that I got a Vodafone UK Prepaid chip which works fantastic in Europe with Data, just top it up comfortably and even Data works while roaming in Europe in even remote locations but it wasn’t enough to go through my RSS feeds, but I could go through my emails and get on Twitter & GooglePlus. I am loving the Google Plus application on my Android, really streamlines it and gives you lots of options for uploading when roaming. Even the Vodafone UK Roaming chip is 100 times cheaper then Data Roaming on your Zain Chip and much better service and connectivity, I do wish that Zain Services improve until it reaches the levels of Vodafone, but doesn’t look like it any time soon. And before I had a problem with my RSS Feed being over 1000, but now that has gone way past 1000, I think its close to 12000 articles and it would take me at least 3 months to bring it down, and my problem is that I HATE using the “Mark All As Read” button.

Google has been working on a social networking platform for a while now, and they have failed with Wave and Buzz is just a side tool at this point. They needed to find the key mixture of social connectivity, privacy and content to out do Facebook as well as integrate it into the other Google Services.

I like that you can completely control the level of content and connectivity that it has to your account. And I like the simple interface and the Android application which works seamlessly with it, I don’t have an iPhone but a few people already mentioned that the iPhone interface for Google+ is very good. The best part about it is that you can completely delete your account and shut it down if you don’t want it. For me this is a new thing to enjoy because I never had a MySpace or Facebook account, and I for one trust Google, I don’t know why I do but I trust them. So lets hope that Google+ keeps getting better, and for now its invite only and they have closed it but I’m assuming that it will open soon to all.

Its one of those things that you never really think would happen to you and then it does, and you have to deal with it. A lot of people have had their usernames and password comprimised by Playstation Network and were recommended to change their usernames and passwords if they use it in other locations. Now it has happened to me and luckily I managed to recover the accounts, surprisingly it happened to three of my accounts: A Bank, Amazon, and Hotmail.

In my case I did use my username and password but I honestly didn’t think of changing anything though I’m usually very paranoid about these things. I try to keep as many different usernames and password for different sites as possible not including what I use for my machines which is very different.

The only one they managed to get through to was the Amazon Account and I checked right away that nothing was ordered or changed in any of the details so I changed my password to something very difficult and hoping that it will do. The password is a combination of Letters, Numbers & Symbols making it very difficult to figure out unless they cracked my machine and are copying my usage of the passwords.

They tried reseting my password to hotmail several times but luckily it was sent to one my other emails so I managed to cancel it and notify hotmail and made changes right away.

Luckily the bank is a European Bank and head several layers of protection so they didn’t get too far with it and I was notified right away.

This was strange that it all happened in 24 hours so I changed most of my passwords and some of the usernames where I could, it did freak me out but I’m hoping these will hold. You don’t realize how much you are connected online and how vulnerable you are until something such as this happens.

Major Tip:

Make sure to have a complex password and use different passwords for different websites, that is the only thing that really saved me. I know it sounds difficult but the extra effort will save you, and make sure to familiarize yourself with the password recovery process of the websites that you constantly use and what you can do to protect yourself.

There is a dirty battle going on between the Ministry of Communication and the Internet Service Providers in Kuwait. People have always been supportive of the ISPs and we never really said anything about their charges even though we knew they were ludicrous.

User MoC Issues

The Ministry Of Communication is the main source of the issue with a lot of issues that we face in Kuwait. The limited capability of our lines for DSL services is because they haven’t upgraded since the 1970s and fiber optic cables is no where in sight. So no matter what ISP you go with there is always have a limit some people have it at 2 MB and some at 10 MB it depends on the quality of your copper line and how far you are from the MoC Hub in your area. So what ever maximum speed you can reach isn’t really the fault of the providers and applaude them for working with what they have and bring technology that can give us better speed for the quality of lines that we have.

ISP MoC Issues

The only connectivity to Kuwait is via the Ministry of Communication, you don’t have any other option to connect to the outside worlds and this what the ISPs have to work with. And because the MoC hasn’t gone on the initiative to bring more major fiber cables to Kuwait we don’t have the increase to satisfy the requirements. Basically these guys have been too lazy to attend the meetings and they could have easily turned Kuwait into an internet hub, it wouldn’t have taken too much effort. Instead we were stuck with this capacity for over two years now with no progress really in sight to increase it because they didn’t plan ahead. With all this the MoC is charging the ISPs taxes and exuberant prices that they do not like and thus they are passing it along to us. The cost of the internet in many countries across the world which you can see from 360 Dewan’s post

Price Unification

Now this is the first step the ISPs took this year that shocked a lot of people, we always wait for InfoConnect to get the best pricing but this time around all the prices across the board were increased by 100%. The big four players sat down and agreed on prices across the table with minor differences between them, which is basically price fixing and it is illegal in many countries but it has passed in Kuwait.

Data Caps

Because of the issues faced by the ISPs with the MoC they decided to take another tactic to try get users worked up. The ISPs don’t want to fight or get into any argument with the MoC as they can make their lives a living hell, instead they make our lives a living hell so we can in turn do that to the MoC and complain enough so that action is taken on their end. The ISPs want the MoC to lower their prices and the only way they can do that is to get the Users riled up to storm into the MoC and then and only then they would make changes that the ISP want.

When they stated that the Data Caps were from the Ministry of Communication it was a complete lie to get people off their backs. Data Caps do help the ISPs they make more money and you get a lot more less usage which is basically robbery plain and simple. The ISPs also state they are doing this because of the “Abusers” which is ridiculous because very few people use their internet connection 24/7, I for one download a lot but I added it up to about 8 days out of the month where I do major downloading and the rest of the time its just updates, programs, gaming, surfing, and streaming which in reality you hit the Data Cap in mere hours not even the amount you really require or are paying for.

What they are also trying to do with these Data Caps is target Building and Business Owners who use a residential line to get internet service and pay for lower pricing but really abuse the hell out of the connection. They want to target these people and limit their usage and have them move to business plans and pay a higher price because of their heavy usage. Your talking about buildings with 20 users on one 4MB connection or a company with 25 users with a 2 MB connection, and to them the connection is being used too much too consistently. And this problem isn’t for us normal people to pay for, we pay our fees and expect a service, not to be restricted from it.

They talk about Data Caps in Europe and in other countries, that does happen but in those countries the users pay about 5 to 10% of the amounts we pay, I used to pay $1200 per year for 20 MB connection in 2004 which was excessive but that is 350 KD but in Kuwait you pay 350 KD for 3 to 4 MB connection depending on the company, and for a 20 MB connection you would have to pay around 1500 KWD per year. And we haven’t complained about the pricing as long as we are getting the service.

What is ILLEGAL at this Point?

Price Fixing – Sitting between the competition and deciding to increase prices across the board for the same product is illegal on every level.

Data Caps – Changing the terms and conditions of the service without notification, and everyone literally just renewed their service in the last 5 months.

What We Need?

We need a TRA or Telecommunication Regulatory Agency, a independent agency that will govern the ISPs and Telecom companies. Oman, Bahrain, Emirates and even Saudi Arabia has one and you don’t want to cross these agencies as they have the power to fine the companies and suspend their services based on their actions. Such the as the case with Batelco and the Bahrain TRA and STC and the Saudi TRA when they took actions that were deemed illegal they were fined heavily and it hurt. Ind our case Kuwait’s ISPs aren’t afraid because they would never get fined or no real damage would happen, and the letter from MoC doesn’t really scare them, they have had lots of those.

We need clear fines to be defined for their actions over the last few months and it should be made clear that they can’t make changes to the user’s contract except until the contract ends which in our case is 1 year from now and Data Caps should be made illegal because this isn’t the service we are paying for, we are paying for speed and no the limitation of usage. Now it seems the ISPs are selling Data Amounts and not really speeds and soon they will come up with an insane package and even worse pricing to get us to pay for the Data amounts we want.

Cash for Electronics has been around for a while but doing it effeciently online has been a difficult task for a few and usually your best bet is to sell it on Ebay. Best Buy have been taking used electronics for a long time now and giving semi crappy prices, and just recently Amazon have launched a trade in service which seems like an excellent idea. Now there is Gazelle a website that gives you cash right away and better value for your product, especially if you have a lot of items. I put a good amount of items on it and it was fantastic, it would be a smart idea to do it especially if you are living in the US, I would honestly trade in a lot of items. Check it out you can even get an estimated value for your electronics, my cart added up to over $2000, I’m just calculating the cost of shipping to see if its worth it to ship the things.

What is Gazelle?

Gazelle provides an easy, fast, and safe way for you to sell or recycle electronics. When you gazelle cell phones, MP3 players, laptops, or other gadgets, you’ll earn cash and help save the environment by keeping electronics moving and out of landfills.

Link: Gazelle

“Jimmar Baka >> Kems – is pretty disappointed with freakin FAP… hope something happens to all the ISPs in Kuwait”

I have been out all day for the last 24 hours between work, meetings, and family social events only to come back home to find that KEMS mentioning my posts and linking me to “Abusers”, these “Abusers” who are early adopters of internet, these “Abusers” who paid the ridiculous prices from early 2000 until now, from corporate to residential. They have even gone as far as blaming me for the slow speeds and high latency across their network

I am one of the earliest users of KEMS when they first started accepting home users, in addition to giving them numerous glowing reviews and recommendations (https://www.zdistrict.com/?s=kems). I honestly find it INFURIATING that ISPs take their clients so lightly and changing the service they promised their clients. I have paid for and renewed my service for an 8MB connection, not some time, not half the time, all the time. And they have chosen to single me out as an internet abuser; and going as far as claiming they are going to terminate me and ban me from renewing.

What the person that posted this comment on behalf of #KEMS fails to realize that in the past I have always recommended my corporate accounts to utilize #KEMS due to their strong support, even when priced higher than local competition. I don’t understand how KEMS can make accusations about its customers without considering the implications it has to their core business. To the person who posted the comment on behalf of KEMS, please go ahead and terminate my connections in addition to my corporate accounts.

First they claim to have implemented the FAP policy to reduce prices, increase speeds and lower latency. Now after castrating our internet connections to 10% of its actual capability; they now plan on implementing a ‘super user’ account without limits for residential user and creating a ‘bandwidth bank’ for people to purchase additional bandwidth.

Keep in mind that KEMS just won a tender from the Ministry of Oil to provide Data Connectivity to their employees at a very reduced rate. Meaning someone in a Managerial or Team Leader level can get 8 MB connectivity for 150 KD for the year at home. It is part of the package that KEMS gave to the Oil Companies such as KOC or KNPC or KPC, that as well as connecting all the major buildings between each other and abroad, that they also provide connectivity to the Oil Company Employees at a VERY reduced level WITHOUT CAPS. So KEMS is selling their service in bulk to a ministry for a lot cheaper than they are selling to individuals, as well as providing individuals with connectivity which is also without CAPS as per their tender agreement. It seems they honor their agreements with governments but they couldn’t care less about their contracts with their customers.

While neighboring GCC countries are striving to deliver 100mbit service to their customers. Our providers are trying to squeeze out every fils out of our pockets. It’s really a shame that our local companies have created an oligopoly to rip-off their customers while the MOC is doing nothing to prevent the cartels from increasing prices and setting caps.