Je T 'aime, Paris

Where else can a Mt Lebanon guy sip coffee on the sidewalk, pat the passing dogs, check out stockings, and blog al fresco ... besides Mt. Lebanon, I mean? Paris, of course.

One day into our Euro-vacation, I'm adapting to my decision to see how well my iPhone subs for a laptop. My one accommodation is the Apple Wireless Keyboard, bluetoothed to the phone for long posts like this one.

That part's proving to work out well. I'm posting this from my hotel bed with phone and keyboard in my lap. The Hotel Belloy's free WiFi is working smoothly.

A splendid October day it was, walking by the Seine, window shopping, overeating and overdrinking, and trying to reboot the system after the Delta redeye straight from Pgh to Paris. The iPhone hasn't been 100% flawless, but I'm chalking that up to newby clumisiness and all the resetting that must be done.

Here's what's working well:
AT&T's roaming plans:
I called them before leaving and arranged for discounted phone roaming (.99 a minute instead of 1.29) and a data roaming package for when I'm not on wifi. This two-week trip might cost an extra $50-$75 in phone charges this month if I work this right. Per AT&T's advice, since the data plan is limited, I've shut down all my autoupdates and turned off data roaming to prevent the leaky faucet syndrome from running up my bill. It's a bit of a pain to remember to turn things back on when you need them, though.

Here's what else is working well: Skype. I can use it instead of ATT to make phone calls and use data air time instead of voice air time. Skype calls cost .03 a minute vs. AT&T's discounted .99. Skype calls are crisp and clear, and so is Skype text, though it might take an hour or so to cross the ocean.

And finally, what else? Facebook. It's my main source of news. I update when I'm on wifi or, if I really need it, turn on data roaming and update on the road. Sorry, Steelers!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Rue Racine,Paris,France