Comments on: Helio charging Ocean users for free content. http://www.heliocity.net/2007/helio-charging-ocean-users-for-free-content/ The Ultimate Resource for Everything Helio Tue, 06 Jan 2009 21:39:14 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Prince http://www.heliocity.net/2007/helio-charging-ocean-users-for-free-content/#comment-3834 Prince Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:17:14 +0000 http://www.heliocity.net/2007/helio-charging-ocean-users-for-free-content/#comment-3834 I had the Helio Ocean for a few weeks and I have to say there are a lot of things about hte Helio Phone, Network and Business model. Closed software ont he phone makes it so that all of the development is dependent on Helio's willingness to develop content. After having the phone for a few weeks and finding ways to hack it for free tethering and other features i found it just was not work the work or effort to be able to use the phone the way the manufacturer intended. While Verizon has similar proprietary software that charges for content that would normally be free. YouTube is not the only thing that concerns me... for example $0.99 for an entire song how ever you have to pay an additional $1.99 for a 30 second clip of that same song to use as a ringtone. It is up to the users to educate them selves to avoid being continually raped by these over priced telco's. These same bastards who wil lturn around and sell you out to any government agency or advertising monster that pays for it. Soon they will be charging every time you call in to complain about bad service. I was able to get out of my Helio contract by citing Illinois Law on Contracts and rather than goto court wit me Helio decided it was cheaper to let me out of my commitment. (Cost $15.00 in ocurt costs versus $175.00 cancellation fee). I urge everyone to keep this in mind as most cell providers are in breach of their terms at least once during the contract giving you grounds to terminate as the consumer under breach of contract. -- If you are obligat4ed to pay for breaching the contract they should have some liability as well. I am anticipating the release of the New Android from google. This phone promises to have an open platform allowing the community to develop USEFUL and FREE applications from day one. FOSS standards for the phone are the main reason EVDO/CDMA/TDMA services will most likely not pick up these phones for their network. I have found that T-Mobile has by far the best support for devices NOT intended for their network. The down side is GPRS is terribly slow so you will need to get a phone with WIFI capability if you are a serious mobile internet user. However until the android is available i have been very content with the Apple iPhone. I was never an Apple person int he past but i must say this is a superior piece of technology. Aside from the bells and whistles of touch this and touch that... the iPhone is a darwin based mobile linux computer and all that it entails. I have so far installed a proxy server to use the phone as a tethered modem for my laptop to do REAL web surfing and for a time I was getting high speeds for free until T-Mobile found out i was exploiting an open port on their network (now i pay 19.99 for internet). - thats right im not on AT&T. Community sources make it possible to do things the iPhone was never originally designed ot do therefore making it extremely versatile and flexible. Video ringtones custom themes and a Terminal Console to connect via SSH or to manual type in commands like a Linux Console on your PC. With so many sources SDKs and librarys already available, developing a program to work on the iPhone is easier and more seemless than ever. Considering the closed platform of the iPhone and the availibility of software I am excited to see what the Android will do on an Open platform. all in all Helio has a great deal if you are just using the Phone and the Phones they have are very nice However if you want flexability and not be hosed on charges because the telcos are too stupid to reinvest profits to build their infrastructure... Stay away from closed networks like Sprint/Helio/Virgin and Verizon. If you truly need reliable high speed data get AT&T if you want exceptional pricing and Customer Service go with T-Mobile. (however if you dont have those as options and you dont mind the high price in Canada Rogers Comm. is suppose to be a reliable but expensive network.) THANKS! I had the Helio Ocean for a few weeks and I have to say there are a lot of things about hte Helio Phone, Network and Business model. Closed software ont he phone makes it so that all of the development is dependent on Helio’s willingness to develop content.

After having the phone for a few weeks and finding ways to hack it for free tethering and other features i found it just was not work the work or effort to be able to use the phone the way the manufacturer intended. While Verizon has similar proprietary software that charges for content that would normally be free. YouTube is not the only thing that concerns me… for example $0.99 for an entire song how ever you have to pay an additional $1.99 for a 30 second clip of that same song to use as a ringtone.

It is up to the users to educate them selves to avoid being continually raped by these over priced telco’s. These same bastards who wil lturn around and sell you out to any government agency or advertising monster that pays for it. Soon they will be charging every time you call in to complain about bad service.

I was able to get out of my Helio contract by citing Illinois Law on Contracts and rather than goto court wit me Helio decided it was cheaper to let me out of my commitment. (Cost $15.00 in ocurt costs versus $175.00 cancellation fee). I urge everyone to keep this in mind as most cell providers are in breach of their terms at least once during the contract giving you grounds to terminate as the consumer under breach of contract. — If you are obligat4ed to pay for breaching the contract they should have some liability as well.

I am anticipating the release of the New Android from google. This phone promises to have an open platform allowing the community to develop USEFUL and FREE applications from day one. FOSS standards for the phone are the main reason EVDO/CDMA/TDMA services will most likely not pick up these phones for their network.

I have found that T-Mobile has by far the best support for devices NOT intended for their network. The down side is GPRS is terribly slow so you will need to get a phone with WIFI capability if you are a serious mobile internet user.

However until the android is available i have been very content with the Apple iPhone. I was never an Apple person int he past but i must say this is a superior piece of technology. Aside from the bells and whistles of touch this and touch that… the iPhone is a darwin based mobile linux computer and all that it entails. I have so far installed a proxy server to use the phone as a tethered modem for my laptop to do REAL web surfing and for a time I was getting high speeds for free until T-Mobile found out i was exploiting an open port on their network (now i pay 19.99 for internet). - thats right im not on AT&T.

Community sources make it possible to do things the iPhone was never originally designed ot do therefore making it extremely versatile and flexible. Video ringtones custom themes and a Terminal Console to connect via SSH or to manual type in commands like a Linux Console on your PC. With so many sources SDKs and librarys already available, developing a program to work on the iPhone is easier and more seemless than ever.

Considering the closed platform of the iPhone and the availibility of software I am excited to see what the Android will do on an Open platform.

all in all Helio has a great deal if you are just using the Phone and the Phones they have are very nice However if you want flexability and not be hosed on charges because the telcos are too stupid to reinvest profits to build their infrastructure… Stay away from closed networks like Sprint/Helio/Virgin and Verizon. If you truly need reliable high speed data get AT&T if you want exceptional pricing and Customer Service go with T-Mobile. (however if you dont have those as options and you dont mind the high price in Canada Rogers Comm. is suppose to be a reliable but expensive network.)

THANKS!

]]> By: nullkid http://www.heliocity.net/2007/helio-charging-ocean-users-for-free-content/#comment-1438 nullkid Tue, 11 Dec 2007 07:19:41 +0000 http://www.heliocity.net/2007/helio-charging-ocean-users-for-free-content/#comment-1438 wow..i must say im only reading all of this now because im considering the ocean...and just...way to freaking go...i wasnt going to get the phone than i got to the bottom of the page...maybe helio will try to be that company if they know how loyal we all can be if were not F***ed with congrats all!! wow..i must say im only reading all of this now because im considering the ocean…and just…way to freaking go…i wasnt going to get the phone than i got to the bottom of the page…maybe helio will try to be that company if they know how loyal we all can be if were not F***ed with

congrats all!!

]]> By: Heliocity - The Helio Community » Blog Archive » 2000 Members! http://www.heliocity.net/2007/helio-charging-ocean-users-for-free-content/#comment-1091 Heliocity - The Helio Community » Blog Archive » 2000 Members! Fri, 21 Sep 2007 09:33:54 +0000 http://www.heliocity.net/2007/helio-charging-ocean-users-for-free-content/#comment-1091 [...] This community, barely 6 months old, has already amassed a list of outstanding accomplishments We rallied together and had our voices heard. We put our brains together and brought homebrew to Helio devices. [...] [...] This community, barely 6 months old, has already amassed a list of outstanding accomplishments We rallied together and had our voices heard. We put our brains together and brought homebrew to Helio devices. [...]

]]> By: JUSTiNB http://www.heliocity.net/2007/helio-charging-ocean-users-for-free-content/#comment-972 JUSTiNB Mon, 27 Aug 2007 04:03:04 +0000 http://www.heliocity.net/2007/helio-charging-ocean-users-for-free-content/#comment-972 Yolanda: When you sign up with Helio, if you read the agreements, which obviously you didn't, it states that auto-pay is automatically turned on :) Yolanda:
When you sign up with Helio, if you read the agreements, which obviously you didn’t, it states that auto-pay is automatically turned on :)

]]> By: Yolanda http://www.heliocity.net/2007/helio-charging-ocean-users-for-free-content/#comment-965 Yolanda Fri, 24 Aug 2007 12:53:17 +0000 http://www.heliocity.net/2007/helio-charging-ocean-users-for-free-content/#comment-965 Does anyone know what the physical mailing address for Helio's corporate office is?. I am pissed as hell because they have done some shady shit regarding my account.My account was automatically put on auto-pay without my knowledge. money was then deducted from my bank account for a bill that had already been paid and I have had to fight tooth and nail for them to refund me my money. This past week I have spoken with over 8 people who claim that they can help me resolve this problem. Before this, I had raved about Helio and the service it provides, I never had a problem until now. People, please go back and check your Helio account infomation and see if you are on auto-pay. They do not state on the website that if you buy your phone from the site with your credit card and the card info stays on there that they will put your account on auto-pay without your knowledge or consent. We as consumers have the right to know every nook and cranny about the billing process and how we are being treated is ABSOLUTELY UNEXCEPTABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Does anyone know what the physical mailing address for Helio’s corporate office is?. I am pissed as hell because they have done some shady shit regarding my account.My account was automatically put on auto-pay without my knowledge. money was then deducted from my bank account for a bill that had already been paid and I have had to fight tooth and nail for them to refund me my money. This past week I have spoken with over 8 people who claim that they can help me resolve this problem. Before this, I had raved about Helio and the service it provides, I never had a problem until now. People, please go back and check your Helio account infomation and see if you are on auto-pay. They do not state on the website that if you buy your phone from the site with your credit card and the card info stays on there that they will put your account on auto-pay without your knowledge or consent. We as consumers have the right to know every nook and cranny about the billing process and how we are being treated is ABSOLUTELY UNEXCEPTABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

]]> By: jon http://www.heliocity.net/2007/helio-charging-ocean-users-for-free-content/#comment-595 jon Mon, 23 Jul 2007 19:20:21 +0000 http://www.heliocity.net/2007/helio-charging-ocean-users-for-free-content/#comment-595 so its free, for real for real? so its free, for real for real?

]]> By: drew http://www.heliocity.net/2007/helio-charging-ocean-users-for-free-content/#comment-403 drew Tue, 10 Jul 2007 00:27:59 +0000 http://www.heliocity.net/2007/helio-charging-ocean-users-for-free-content/#comment-403 awesome! this adds fuel to the fire, my idea that helio is the up and coming rebel cell provider is looking better and better! and now i have some real jaw flapping to do with friends to sway their opinion and get more people on helio. the more people that move over, the more features they can include in their services. it's an upward spiral if they keep this up! jagermonsta@adelphia.net awesome! this adds fuel to the fire, my idea that helio is the up and coming rebel cell provider is looking better and better! and now i have some real jaw flapping to do with friends to sway their opinion and get more people on helio. the more people that move over, the more features they can include in their services. it’s an upward spiral if they keep this up! jagermonsta@adelphia.net

]]> By: EfReN http://www.heliocity.net/2007/helio-charging-ocean-users-for-free-content/#comment-370 EfReN Thu, 05 Jul 2007 22:44:34 +0000 http://www.heliocity.net/2007/helio-charging-ocean-users-for-free-content/#comment-370 thats good.....because helio wants to still be heading in the right direction... thats good…..because helio wants to still be heading in the right direction…

]]> By: Lenny http://www.heliocity.net/2007/helio-charging-ocean-users-for-free-content/#comment-364 Lenny Thu, 05 Jul 2007 05:14:26 +0000 http://www.heliocity.net/2007/helio-charging-ocean-users-for-free-content/#comment-364 no more charges. Youtube is freee once again! we don't need to use the /?=whatever hack anymore. helio finally came to their senses again. no more charges. Youtube is freee once again! we don’t need to use the /?=whatever hack anymore. helio finally came to their senses again.

]]> By: Heliocity.net http://www.heliocity.net/2007/helio-charging-ocean-users-for-free-content/#comment-331 Heliocity.net Sun, 01 Jul 2007 08:13:37 +0000 http://www.heliocity.net/2007/helio-charging-ocean-users-for-free-content/#comment-331 [...] few days ago, we mentioned that Helio had began charging for access to (the otherwise free) Mobile Youtube with their “Video Virus” package option. The package was an additional 7 dollars on top [...] [...] few days ago, we mentioned that Helio had began charging for access to (the otherwise free) Mobile Youtube with their “Video Virus” package option. The package was an additional 7 dollars on top [...]

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