I didn't know M1 provides multi-SIM service until now. From StarHub's website, it doesn't look like StarHub has this service. Here's a comparison between the multi-SIM service charges for M1 and SingTel.

SingTel:
- Connection Fee: $10.70
- SIM Card Charge: $32.10 (for 2 SIM), $42.80 (for 3 SIM), $53.50 (for 4 SIM)
- Monthly Subscription: $5.35 (for 2 SIM), $10.70 (for 3 SIM), $11.77 (for 4 SIM)
- More Info

M1:
- Connection Fee: $10.70
- SIM Card Charge: $19.26 (for 2 SIM), $38.52 (for 3 SIM)
- Monthly Subscription: $5.35 (for 2 SIM), $10.70 (for 3 SIM)
- More Info

If you are a M1 subscriber and own a Symbian S60 phone from Nokia, you can try out the client for SMS 2.0 here. In a nutshell, SMS 2.0 allows you to send/receive formatted text messages. It's a brand new world of text messaging. Hope more phones and other network operators will be supported soon. Information on usage charges are available on this page.

Service Pack 3 (SP3) for Windows XP has just been released. In case you are searching for details regarding the service pack, these are the links which you may find useful:
Overview | Release Notes | Download Page

Mariah Carey's new video for "Bye Bye" is finally available! Check out this link to view the streaming video in full.

Source: Mariah Daily Journal

Nah...this entry has nothing to do with touching a diamond. Rather, it's about the HTC Touch Diamond. This device was launched/announced yesterday featuring the new TouchFLO 3D user interface (code-named HTC Manila) and has created quite a bit of hype in the Windows Mobile world. The specifications of the device are rather impressive for a Windows Mobile device and for the first time, a HTC device actually looks really pretty.



Specifications at a glance:

• Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional
• Qualcomm MSM7201A 528MHz
• HSDPA supporting up to 7.2Mbps (which is still uncommon)
• Accelerometer which allows auto screen rotation for predefined applications
• Bluetooth, WiFi, GPS
• FM Radio
• 192MB RAM, 256MB ROM, 4GB internal storage
• 2.8" VGA screen
• 3.2 MP camera
• No Storage Card slot (storage space is limited to 4GB + 256MB then)
• 900mAh battery (isn't this low for 192MB RAM and well-connected device?)
• 102 x 51 x 11.5 mm (slimmer than LG KS20!)
• 110g

More discussion and links can be found in this news post over at PPCSG.

After finding one more enquiry regarding the update service used by CurrencyConv, I feel the need to explain how it works now. Firstly, the basic list of currencies and also the source of currency rate updates come from the CurrencyConvertor Web Service. On top of this list, I have also added a list of currencies that are pegged either to USD, GBP, EUR or SGD.

On the server where my website is hosted, this link will trigger a script to grab the latest currency rates from the web service, do the necessary conversions, and save them to a XML file. When the user selects update in CurrencyConv, what the application actually does is to download this XML file to the device where the application will read the file and process the information.

So, that's how CurrencyConv and the update service works for the time being. When time permits, I will try to think of and work out a better solution.

I have posted about the mobile internet plans supporting HSDPA available in Singapore just earlier this week in this blog entry. It seems that competition is spicing up once again as StarHub introduces a new mobile internet plan and also a range of home broadband plans that are bundled with mobile internet.

Here are the current mobile internet plans offered by StarHub now:

• MaxMobile Lite: $0.0107/kb (most expensive). Capped at $94.16.
• MaxMobile Value: $10.70 with $20 worth of data ($0.0032/kb for access usage). Promotional rate is now $5.35.
• MaxMobile SurfLite: $38.72 with unlimited data usage. Up to 2Mbps downstream and 512Kbps upstream. Current promotion discount is 30%. There is also a promotion where 50% discount is given plus a free modem for 24-month contract signups.
  
• MaxMobile Ultimate: $72.76 with unlimited data usage. Up to 7.2Mbps downstream and 1.9Mbps upstream (HSUPA). Promotional discount of 50% for existing MaxOnline and StarHub Business Internet customers.

As for home broadband, there are 3 new plans (suffixed with a "Plus" in the names) that come bundled with mobile internet. Check out the plans below.





How I wish SingTel respond to these recent promotions from M1 and StarHub to make customers (like me) happier.

There were much commotion about the using SingTel's Multi-SIM service to enjoy the promotions for Broadband on Mobile. It looks like they have made it clear about such usage in their Terms and Conditions.

Premium Pack Promotion: ....... Free SingTel-Huawei USB Modem or Samsung Z800 USB Modem with free Data SIM card are applicable for 24-month BroadBand on Mobile (512/1800/3600) plans. Not applicable to Multi-SIM customers and with any other BroadBand on Mobile promotion.

Interestingly, the $100 handset discount is nowhere to be seen now.

It looks like competition is starting to warm up as we approach the day when full mobile number portability service will be available. SingTel modified their data charges slight and now M1 has also modified their data plans. You can compare it with the plans available last year in my previous blog entry.

3G/3.5G Data Plans from SingTel:

• Pay Per Use: $0.0038/kb. Capped at $319.93.
• Broadband on Mobile Lite: Up to 3.6Mbps. $3.21 with $7 worth of data, $0.0005/kb thereafter. Unlimited WiFi service at 1Mbps. Capped at $94.16.
• Broadband on Mobile Value: Up to 3.6Mbps. $10.70 with $35 worth of data, $0.0005/kb thereafter. Unlimited WiFi service at 1Mbps. Capped at $94.16.
• Broadband on Mobile 512: Up to 512kbps. $31.05 with 50GB usage and $0.0005/kb thereafter. Unlimited WiFi service at 1Mbps.
• Broadband on Mobile 1800: Up to 1.8Mbps. $47.25 with 50GB usage and $0.0005/kb thereafter. Unlimited WiFi service at 1Mbps.
• Broadband on Mobile 3600: Up to 3.6Mbps. $78.25 with 50GB usage and $0.0005/kb thereafter. Unlimited WiFi service at 1Mbps.

3G/3.5G Data Plans from M1:

• Broadband 1000: Up to 1Mbps. $22.42 with unlimited usage.
• Broadband 2000: Up to 2Mbps. $38.72 with unlimited usage.
• Broadband 3600: Up to 3.6Mbps. $69.30 with unlimited usage.

3G/3.5G Data Plans from StarHub (up to 7.2Mbps):

• MaxMobile Lite: $0.0107/kb (most expensive). Capped at $94.16.
  
• MaxMobile Value: $10.70 with $20 worth of data ($0.0032/kb for access usage). Promotional rate is now $5.35.
• MaxMobile Unlimited: $72.76 with unlimited data usage. Promotional rate is now $36.38 for existing MaxOnline customers.
• Includes HSUPA (upstream of up to 1.9Mbps) support as well.

So, are you on the 3.5G bandwagon yet?

I'm very glad that there are some users and reviewers who have done a good job on writing articles for my Windows Mobile applications. More often than not, these articles make me re-assess my own applications and help me in planning out what features to add in the future.

Anyway, here is a video guide for CurrencyConv, which even shows the update checking feature in the application. The same author has also done a video guide for an older version of ClearTemp previously here.