Christmas in July?

By Manzanillo Sun Writer from the July 2014 Edition

Señiora Notsotechie, who doesn’t believe in exaggeration, says she has told me a million times not to procrastinate. So in the spirit of the season, I have decided to dedicate this article as a todo list for all you Manzamericans and Canzanillos who are returning to Manzanillo for the wonderful people and climate this fall.

If you contract Internet service in Manzanillo, consider buying a wireless router before your return. Wireless N routers can be purchased for less than $20.00 at Bestbuy. The advantages of bringing your own router include:

Better security, you select your own security codes. A friend was complaining about slow Internet, only to discover everyone in his complex was using his bandwidth. A renter had convinced a condo staff member to get the security code from the bottom of the TelMex supplied router and proceeded to share with everyone else. Besides, slow bandwidth issues, everyone who had the password, could tap into my friends data because they were on the same network.

Your purchase cost is paid of in four months, because TelMex and TeleCable charge 50 pesos a month for their wifi rental equipment.

You can of course wait and purchase a wifi router when you are in Manzanillo, but expect to pay double the price than in Canada or the USA.

If you read a lot of books, you may find it hard to get the latest thrillers, love stories or best sellers while in Manzanillo. Consider purchasing either a Paper White Kobo, or Kindle. They only need charging once a month and are easy to read by the pool or at the beach. The e-readers are also considerably lighter, smaller, and easier to read outdoors than tablets.

The Kobo is available at Costco for CDN $130.00 including cover. In the USA, Amazon sells the Kindle for about the same price. With the Kobo, you can borrow books from Canadian libraries. In the USA, the libraries lend books for the Kindle. But both companies have online stores that offer the latest releases. Read my article April 2014 for more information on e-book readers.

If you have an Audible (Audible.com) account and have purchased an audio book, you can get the e-book from Amazon at a reduced price. You can listen to the book while driving or doing chores, and then continue reading on the Kindle, where you stopped listening. This feature is called whisper-sync and this option is available for the majority of their 150,000 audio book titles.

I have spoken about the Sling-box in my July 2013 article and would suggest those who have at least 2 Mbit upload capacity at their summer residence consider this option for television reception in Manzanillo. If you have Dish satellite system with “The Hopper DVR” you have Sling capability built in and can watch your programming anywhere.

If you want friends and family to be able to call you in Mexico, consider a VOIP plan. They can call you without toll charges. I am providing three links for you to compare. More detailed information can be found in the March 2013 issue.

Primus Internet Phone

Vonage

Magic Jack

Telecable subscribers who contract Telephone, Internet and Basic Cable can add unlimited long distance to Mexico, USA, and Canada for 175 pesos per month.

Photography information can be found in the August 2013 issue

Readers planning their return
to Manzanillo have 3-4 months to research and purchase any of the items of interest. The money saved by buying electronic devices at home will stretch your Christmas budget in Manzanillo.

If you have a technical question, send me an email message at techguy@senortech.ca.

Download the full edition or view it online