The iPhone has finally reached China, or should I say, the iPhone has finally officially reached China. There were plenty of unlocked iPhones invading China’s GSM networks, but only Friday was it on the China Unicom network.

The first shipments manufactured for China Unicom, however, are missing wi-fi. It wasn’t until May, after manufacturing of the device had begun, that Beijing lifted the existing wi-fi ban on devices.

This will create problems for China Unicom, which has reportedly contracted with Apple for 5 million iPhones. China Unicom hopes to have WiFi in the next batch of phones, saying: “We are talking with Apple and expect the problem to be solved by the end of this year.”

Until then, though, what? China Unicom also is at a price disadvantage: unlocked grey import iPhones (with wi-fi, no less) cost around 5,700 yuan ($835) in China’s street markets, while China Unicom charges from 4,999 yuan ($730) to 6,999 yuan ($1,025) for the high-end, 32-gigabyte iPhone 3GS.

Hmmm. Unlocked iPhone for less money, or official iPhone, tied to one carrier, for more money. Which would you choose? To be honest, even with the wi-fi feature, the fact that the unlocked iPhone goes for less creates an issue for Apple, as well as China Unicom.

In other countries, unlocked iPhones go for more, and far more than a locked version. This backwards set-up in China may prove to be difficult to overcome.

The iPhone has finally reached China, or should I say, the iPhone has finally officially reached China. There were plenty of unlocked iPhones invading China’s GSM networks, but only Friday was it on the China Unicom network.

The first shipments manufactured for China Unicom, however, are missing wi-fi. It wasn’t until May, after manufacturing of the device had begun, that Beijing lifted the existing wi-fi ban on devices.

This will create problems for China Unicom, which has reportedly contracted with Apple for 5 million iPhones. China Unicom hopes to have WiFi in the next batch of phones, saying: “We are talking with Apple and expect the problem to be solved by the end of this year.”

Until then, though, what? China Unicom also is at a price disadvantage: unlocked grey import iPhones (with wi-fi, no less) cost around 5,700 yuan ($835) in China’s street markets, while China Unicom charges from 4,999 yuan ($730) to 6,999 yuan ($1,025) for the high-end, 32-gigabyte iPhone 3GS.

Hmmm. Unlocked iPhone for less money, or official iPhone, tied to one carrier, for more money. Which would you choose? To be honest, even with the wi-fi feature, the fact that the unlocked iPhone goes for less creates an issue for Apple, as well as China Unicom.

In other countries, unlocked iPhones go for more, and far more than a locked version. This backwards set-up in China may prove to be difficult to overcome.

The iPhone has finally reached China, or should I say, the iPhone has finally officially reached China. There were plenty of unlocked iPhones invading China’s GSM networks, but only Friday was it on the China Unicom network.

The first shipments manufactured for China Unicom, however, are missing wi-fi. It wasn’t until May, after manufacturing of the device had begun, that Beijing lifted the existing wi-fi ban on devices.

This will create problems for China Unicom, which has reportedly contracted with Apple for 5 million iPhones. China Unicom hopes to have WiFi in the next batch of phones, saying: “We are talking with Apple and expect the problem to be solved by the end of this year.”

Until then, though, what? China Unicom also is at a price disadvantage: unlocked grey import iPhones (with wi-fi, no less) cost around 5,700 yuan ($835) in China’s street markets, while China Unicom charges from 4,999 yuan ($730) to 6,999 yuan ($1,025) for the high-end, 32-gigabyte iPhone 3GS.

Hmmm. Unlocked iPhone for less money, or official iPhone, tied to one carrier, for more money. Which would you choose? To be honest, even with the wi-fi feature, the fact that the unlocked iPhone goes for less creates an issue for Apple, as well as China Unicom.

In other countries, unlocked iPhones go for more, and far more than a locked version. This backwards set-up in China may prove to be difficult to overcome.

The iPhone has finally reached China, or should I say, the iPhone has finally officially reached China. There were plenty of unlocked iPhones invading China’s GSM networks, but only Friday was it on the China Unicom network.

The first shipments manufactured for China Unicom, however, are missing wi-fi. It wasn’t until May, after manufacturing of the device had begun, that Beijing lifted the existing wi-fi ban on devices.

This will create problems for China Unicom, which has reportedly contracted with Apple for 5 million iPhones. China Unicom hopes to have WiFi in the next batch of phones, saying: “We are talking with Apple and expect the problem to be solved by the end of this year.”

Until then, though, what? China Unicom also is at a price disadvantage: unlocked grey import iPhones (with wi-fi, no less) cost around 5,700 yuan ($835) in China’s street markets, while China Unicom charges from 4,999 yuan ($730) to 6,999 yuan ($1,025) for the high-end, 32-gigabyte iPhone 3GS.

Hmmm. Unlocked iPhone for less money, or official iPhone, tied to one carrier, for more money. Which would you choose? To be honest, even with the wi-fi feature, the fact that the unlocked iPhone goes for less creates an issue for Apple, as well as China Unicom.

In other countries, unlocked iPhones go for more, and far more than a locked version. This backwards set-up in China may prove to be difficult to overcome.

The iPhone has finally reached China, or should I say, the iPhone has finally officially reached China. There were plenty of unlocked iPhones invading China’s GSM networks, but only Friday was it on the China Unicom network.

The first shipments manufactured for China Unicom, however, are missing wi-fi. It wasn’t until May, after manufacturing of the device had begun, that Beijing lifted the existing wi-fi ban on devices.

This will create problems for China Unicom, which has reportedly contracted with Apple for 5 million iPhones. China Unicom hopes to have WiFi in the next batch of phones, saying: “We are talking with Apple and expect the problem to be solved by the end of this year.”

Until then, though, what? China Unicom also is at a price disadvantage: unlocked grey import iPhones (with wi-fi, no less) cost around 5,700 yuan ($835) in China’s street markets, while China Unicom charges from 4,999 yuan ($730) to 6,999 yuan ($1,025) for the high-end, 32-gigabyte iPhone 3GS.

Hmmm. Unlocked iPhone for less money, or official iPhone, tied to one carrier, for more money. Which would you choose? To be honest, even with the wi-fi feature, the fact that the unlocked iPhone goes for less creates an issue for Apple, as well as China Unicom.

In other countries, unlocked iPhones go for more, and far more than a locked version. This backwards set-up in China may prove to be difficult to overcome.

Best Buy has started selling the Little Buddy Child Tracker. The device is supposed to help parents track their children, and it’s listed as $99. What isn’t mentioned however, are the recurring fees for the service.

The Little Buddy Child Tracker uses real GPS technology to help you track your children. It’s advertised as being able to alert you if your child isn’t in the location he’s supposed to be at a specific time. It does so by sending text messages to you.

The light bulb above my head went off when I read that. Obviously, there’s some cellular connection involved with the Little Buddy Child Tracker. Also, unless they are as generous as Amazon.com is with their Kindle device, you’re not going to get that for free. And since Amazon.com expects you to buy stuff with the Kindle, and that’s not the case with this device, you can see they probably aren’t going to be that generous.

And they’re not. Although Best Buy doesn’t mention the recurring fees, Insignia, maker of the Little Buddy Child Tracker, does on their site.

For unlimited service, of the type that would alert you if your child wasn’t in school when he should be, the cost for the Little Buddy Child Tracker is $14.99 monthly. For per-use service, it’s $0.99 per use. They aren’t specific, but this sounds like a service where you could “ping” the device to see where it is.

Clearly, one problem with the whole idea is that the company claims you should slip this into your child’s jacket or backpack. Kids lose backpacks and jackets all the time; hence, they are going to lose this rather expensive thing, too. The Little Buddy Child Tracker also comes in ugly blue and green colors, designed to get your child to leave it in his locker.

The problem with more “portable” types of devices than the Little Buddy Child Tracker, such as those that are similar to wristwatches, is range. There are a few like that on Amazon.com, but they are woefully bad in terms of the user reviews. The fact that this one, for example, was over $100 at first and is now in the $20s, along with really bad reviews, shows you why.

To be honest, you get what you pay for. More expensive devices like these work better. They’re also pricier, but some of them have no recurring fees yet can be tracked via Google Earth. For me, I’ll pass on the Little Buddy Cnild Tracker.

Best Buy has started selling the Little Buddy Child Tracker. The device is supposed to help parents track their children, and it’s listed as $99. What isn’t mentioned however, are the recurring fees for the service.

The Little Buddy Child Tracker uses real GPS technology to help you track your children. It’s advertised as being able to alert you if your child isn’t in the location he’s supposed to be at a specific time. It does so by sending text messages to you.

The light bulb above my head went off when I read that. Obviously, there’s some cellular connection involved with the Little Buddy Child Tracker. Also, unless they are as generous as Amazon.com is with their Kindle device, you’re not going to get that for free. And since Amazon.com expects you to buy stuff with the Kindle, and that’s not the case with this device, you can see they probably aren’t going to be that generous.

And they’re not. Although Best Buy doesn’t mention the recurring fees, Insignia, maker of the Little Buddy Child Tracker, does on their site.

For unlimited service, of the type that would alert you if your child wasn’t in school when he should be, the cost for the Little Buddy Child Tracker is $14.99 monthly. For per-use service, it’s $0.99 per use. They aren’t specific, but this sounds like a service where you could “ping” the device to see where it is.

Clearly, one problem with the whole idea is that the company claims you should slip this into your child’s jacket or backpack. Kids lose backpacks and jackets all the time; hence, they are going to lose this rather expensive thing, too. The Little Buddy Child Tracker also comes in ugly blue and green colors, designed to get your child to leave it in his locker.

The problem with more “portable” types of devices than the Little Buddy Child Tracker, such as those that are similar to wristwatches, is range. There are a few like that on Amazon.com, but they are woefully bad in terms of the user reviews. The fact that this one, for example, was over $100 at first and is now in the $20s, along with really bad reviews, shows you why.

To be honest, you get what you pay for. More expensive devices like these work better. They’re also pricier, but some of them have no recurring fees yet can be tracked via Google Earth. For me, I’ll pass on the Little Buddy Cnild Tracker.

Best Buy has started selling the Little Buddy Child Tracker. The device is supposed to help parents track their children, and it’s listed as $99. What isn’t mentioned however, are the recurring fees for the service.

The Little Buddy Child Tracker uses real GPS technology to help you track your children. It’s advertised as being able to alert you if your child isn’t in the location he’s supposed to be at a specific time. It does so by sending text messages to you.

The light bulb above my head went off when I read that. Obviously, there’s some cellular connection involved with the Little Buddy Child Tracker. Also, unless they are as generous as Amazon.com is with their Kindle device, you’re not going to get that for free. And since Amazon.com expects you to buy stuff with the Kindle, and that’s not the case with this device, you can see they probably aren’t going to be that generous.

And they’re not. Although Best Buy doesn’t mention the recurring fees, Insignia, maker of the Little Buddy Child Tracker, does on their site.

For unlimited service, of the type that would alert you if your child wasn’t in school when he should be, the cost for the Little Buddy Child Tracker is $14.99 monthly. For per-use service, it’s $0.99 per use. They aren’t specific, but this sounds like a service where you could “ping” the device to see where it is.

Clearly, one problem with the whole idea is that the company claims you should slip this into your child’s jacket or backpack. Kids lose backpacks and jackets all the time; hence, they are going to lose this rather expensive thing, too. The Little Buddy Child Tracker also comes in ugly blue and green colors, designed to get your child to leave it in his locker.

The problem with more “portable” types of devices than the Little Buddy Child Tracker, such as those that are similar to wristwatches, is range. There are a few like that on Amazon.com, but they are woefully bad in terms of the user reviews. The fact that this one, for example, was over $100 at first and is now in the $20s, along with really bad reviews, shows you why.

To be honest, you get what you pay for. More expensive devices like these work better. They’re also pricier, but some of them have no recurring fees yet can be tracked via Google Earth. For me, I’ll pass on the Little Buddy Cnild Tracker.

Best Buy has started selling the Little Buddy Child Tracker. The device is supposed to help parents track their children, and it’s listed as $99. What isn’t mentioned however, are the recurring fees for the service.

The Little Buddy Child Tracker uses real GPS technology to help you track your children. It’s advertised as being able to alert you if your child isn’t in the location he’s supposed to be at a specific time. It does so by sending text messages to you.

The light bulb above my head went off when I read that. Obviously, there’s some cellular connection involved with the Little Buddy Child Tracker. Also, unless they are as generous as Amazon.com is with their Kindle device, you’re not going to get that for free. And since Amazon.com expects you to buy stuff with the Kindle, and that’s not the case with this device, you can see they probably aren’t going to be that generous.

And they’re not. Although Best Buy doesn’t mention the recurring fees, Insignia, maker of the Little Buddy Child Tracker, does on their site.

For unlimited service, of the type that would alert you if your child wasn’t in school when he should be, the cost for the Little Buddy Child Tracker is $14.99 monthly. For per-use service, it’s $0.99 per use. They aren’t specific, but this sounds like a service where you could “ping” the device to see where it is.

Clearly, one problem with the whole idea is that the company claims you should slip this into your child’s jacket or backpack. Kids lose backpacks and jackets all the time; hence, they are going to lose this rather expensive thing, too. The Little Buddy Child Tracker also comes in ugly blue and green colors, designed to get your child to leave it in his locker.

The problem with more “portable” types of devices than the Little Buddy Child Tracker, such as those that are similar to wristwatches, is range. There are a few like that on Amazon.com, but they are woefully bad in terms of the user reviews. The fact that this one, for example, was over $100 at first and is now in the $20s, along with really bad reviews, shows you why.

To be honest, you get what you pay for. More expensive devices like these work better. They’re also pricier, but some of them have no recurring fees yet can be tracked via Google Earth. For me, I’ll pass on the Little Buddy Cnild Tracker.

“One group at Microsoft seems to be stuck in 1999. For some inexplicable reason, the technical team responsible for packaging and manufacturing and selling Windows 7 has decided to clam up about a product it is selling by the truckload.”

If you bought Windows 7 Upgrade media (mine was in my mailbox today) you will want to read this article by Ed Bott. He and Paul Thurrott (http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/upgrade.asp) are by for the most vocal of the Windows experts about Windows 7 upgrade issues.