Tuesday, January 30, 2007

mumsy the techno dunce

i'm trying my level best to keep up with technology. and i hate to admit this, but i'm struggling with it the hard tried-and-tested way! unlike the gen-yers who are tech-savvy geniuses, i'm a fumbling idiot when it comes to using the latest gadgets like my new N73 from nokia.

the hub called me at work last monday and asked me to go buy a new phone (he wanted to use my old one as his office fieldwork phone). the contract with the service operator (M1) had expired, which meant that i was entitled to renew the plan and purchase a new phone. so i made my way down after work to chinatown to meet the hub.

to cut the boring details, i settled for the N73 with a 3.2 megapixel camera (i'm a nokia die-hard cos i'm accustomed to its features). actually they only had 2 models available in the small shop. and i couldn't resist testing the camera functions - here's a test shot of the hub - he's holding onto my old nokia phone.

as you can well imagine, i was extremely delighted with my new "toy". the moment i reached home, i opened the box to read the instructions and loaded up the Nokia PC Suite which would enable me to transfer my images, videos and other data files to my PC. i'd already backed-up the data from my old phone and was hoping to port over the information to my new phone. not exactly sure if i'd installed the software correctly, but i spent over 3 hours trying to do a data transfer...

it was unsuccessful.

*argh!*

i'd followed the instructions. step-by-step.

next, i tried the 3G web functions. i drew another blank. i was using a starhub SIM card i realised that the phone was still configured to M1 settings although i'd already uploaded the starhub settings. my new N73, the poor fella, was obviously confused as much as i was. i couldn't override or delete the M1 logos, icons and settings (i guess this is configured on purpose to prevent people like me who buy a phone from M1 and use a starhub SIM card etc.)

*argh! argh! argh!*

allow me to explain the mess. the hub's M1 line was originally mine - the account's under my name - and he wanted the number. coincidentally, i was one of the trial starhub users and was given a free line to use. meanwhile i had also gotten a supplementary M1 account (for his office staff) but i took it (M1) back after the guy left. then the hub wanted the starhub line for his office (free incoming calls - back then starhub was the only service provider to offer that, and the original plan's no longer available for new subscribers). my phone bills rocketed sky high under the supplementary plan and the hub subscribed a new starhub line under his name for me to use (searched the market for the most suitable plan for me to use).

in short: hub’s phone line (M1) is in my name. and my phone line (starhub) is in his name.

don’t ask me why we have to further complicate matters. things are staying that way cos we want to retain the numbers and loyalty perks.

anyway, while at IMM yesterday (to buy an outdoor wooden bench and chairs) i decided to seek help from the experts. when i approached the starhub guys, they suggested i go back to M1 since i'd purchased my phone from them. the M1 customer service dude deleted some of the M1settings but informed that he wasn't authorised to tinker with some configurations.

no matter. as long as i can use the basic functions. it's not that i would download tonnes of ring tones, games, and graphic images etc. on the other hand, i was excited about the image web uploading service from my N73 to flickr and i was so thrilled to bits when i managed to get some pictures uploaded! hooooooooo-raaaaaaaay!!!

perhaps this proves i'm no longer in the running for the cyber-caveman award. :)

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