troubleshooting - wap steel industry news reporting service - wireless guide

More questions answered - setup of WAP steel news service

Problem: I cannot get any internet services to work on my mobile phone.
Solution: Have you checked if your mobile is WAP-enabled? Also, many pre-pay wireless devices will not work if there is insufficient credit - try topping up with some funds.

Problem: I can get the browser to work, but not the steel service.
Solution: Maybe try to see if a different WAP service will work, such as the BBC? Their address is www.bbc.co.uk/mobile. If this works, check that you have spelled the steel service WAP address correctly. If this has not changed, please check your subscription - maybe this has expired?

Problem: I am having trouble entering the correct url address into my micro browser. Could you text me the url address please?
Solution: Sure. Please send an email to url@steelonthenet.com and we will respond to you by SMS message as soon as we can. On receiving our text message (SMS) reply, all you will then have to do is select the 'GOTO URL' function. Once opened, we then suggest that you bookmark the newsfeed page immediately.

Problem: I keep getting an *error* message. What's up?
Solution: It sounds like a temporary server problem - or perhaps local atmospheric or electrical interference. Try again in a few minutes time?

Problem: Is there any easy way to check if the steelonthenet.com server is OK?
Solution: Yes. Please try the following url address from your wireless device www.steelonthenet.com/wap/test.php - it should display TEST MESSAGE ONLY. [Important - this test will not work from a PC. It will only work from a wireless device]. If the test works, you know that both your mobile and our server are working OK, and that the problem is probably a temporary issue to do with newsfeed generation at our end. This is very rare indeed. Please check our main internet-based newsfeed page at http://www.steelonthenet.com/news.php to see when the news service is back online.

Problem: I sometimes see jumbled characters such as ç in the newsfeed output. Why does this occur? Can you do something about this?
Solution: The WAP service that you see shows text in the UTF-8 character set. We receive news items from many different sources however - and not all of these use the standard coding. [ç is the coding for the small letter c with a cedilla - often found in French news items, for example]. The problem occurs only because the new non-standard character has not yet been added to the list of characters that we check for and convert. But don't worry - we keep adding to this list every week, so over time the problem should disappear almost completely.

Problem: My wireless device is a cell phone with quite a small screen size. Will I be able to read the steel news excerpts?
Solution: Please check your screen size in the technical specifications section of your wireless user guide. In MCI's pre-launch tests, optimal viewing required a cell phone screen size ranging from 128x160 pixels (e.g. Samsung X460) to 176x220 pixels (e.g. Motorola V547).

Problem: What is bookmarking? How do I do this?
Solution: Bookmarking saves your favourite pages in memory, so that you can easily find them again later. Whilst using the MCI steel news WAP page, you can do this by selecting the 'Bookmark', 'Add bookmark' or 'Favourites' option from your phone's menu. In future, simply select the 'steel news' or steel newsfeed' link from your 'Bookmarks'/'Favourites' menu to connect to the MCI WAP service. For further help with bookmarking, perhaps also consult your mobile's user guide.

Problem: I cannot see pictures on the steel news WAP service.
Solution: This is how the service is presently designed. As mobile phone technology develops, so we will move into XHTML (WAP 2.0), and with time perhaps also into i-mode or MML ... but not just yet.

Problem: The latest news story is sometimes 2 or 3 hours old. I would like a faster news reporting service.
Solution: Sorry - that's as fast as we can do it. The WAP service is automatically and instantaneously updated in line with the web news service.

Problem: I would like to see more news items than presently shown.
Solution: The subscription service offers five news items. If you would like something different we can probably help you - but we will have to charge you for this assistance. Please contact wap@steelonthenet.com for further information.

Problem: I find your page loading speeds quite slow - sometimes as long as 15 or 20 seconds. Is it possible to get faster news loading?
Solution: All WAP services involve a speed/content trade-off. More data requires longer loading times; fast loading speeds mean less uploaded information. If you would like something different, please see answer to previous question.

Problem: I am going on business abroad. How do I access the service whilst I am away? Is there anything I should do in advance?
Solution: You access the service abroad just as you would at home. GPRS does not recognise borders. The only difference that you may experience is slightly higher access fees from your WAP/GPRS service provider ...so we would forewarn you to check out these charges in advance. But otherwise - just continue to use the service in the same way.

Problem: Your marketing literature refers to use of the WAP steel news service at airports or whilst travelling. Are there not restrictions concerning the use of mobile phones and similar devices on aircraft ?
Solution: Yes, there are - on aircraft, but not at airports. There are also similar restrictions on the use of wireless devices in hospitals, at refuelling points, and whilst driving. We would urge users to switch off all digital communications devices when such restrictions apply. When in doubt, please consult your cell / mobile phone or PDA manual.

Problem: I have a cardiac pacemaker fitted. Can I use the WAP news service?
Solution: Please consult your doctor or general practitioner.

Problem: Do you have a helpline?
Solution: Yes. Please call +44 775 149 0885.

Problem: Can I see the full terms and conditions of use for the WAP news service?
Solution: Sure. Download these here.

In case of further questions,
please contact us at wap@steelonthenet.com

TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE - WIRELESS STEEL NEWS

More questions answered - setup of WAP steel news service