The automated answer system down at O2 command centre in Clare is right up there in the dulcet-o-meter. But wouldn't it be great if they had Shyrka? A quick Wikipeda tells me that Kelly Ricard was cast as Shyrka in the English version of Ulysees. Someone in O2 should look her up. I might be inclined to call more.

Or call back. I'm in a temporary sulk with the teaser of an android in situ. She promised an upgrade on my mobile phone on entry to the nearest O2 shop. A Platinum upgrade at that. Got me all excited. A trifling detail she overlooked - the thrill would cost €149. Some upgrade. Marketing department - 1: Gullible consumer - suckered.

Already hooked on iPhone, it made sense to upgrade to a newer version - the iPhone 4 in this instance. (iPhone 5 is due a June release but it'll be a year before my O2 sulk passes). My 'old' iPhone is 32MB in size, so I'm entitled to an 32MB in version 4. But it turns out that except for valued customers, O2 don't really give out the 32MB version. Suckered again. Until I plug it in at home and realise I use only 2MB anyway. Hah! Screw you O2! Wait a sec.... how much did that first phone cost? Moving along.   

Anyway, the O2 visit was worth the journey. I'm sold on the iPad experience and have scraped pennies, Christmas and birthday vouchers to buy iPad 2 when it ships internationally on March 25. It comes in two versions - one with WiFi only and one with WiFi and 3G. The iPad store in the US lists a $130 difference between the models. O2 will provide an extra SIM card to operate the iPad on their 3G network, but at €20 a month. So to use iPad on a mobile network will cost $130 (or thereabouts in Euro equivalent) plus €240 a year to O2.  

But I could kiss the helpful trainee down in O2 Rathmines. Turns out it's all a waste of money, now that I have the iPhone 4. If I need to connect on 3G I can wirelessly tether the iPad to my iPhone 4 using Bluetooth and connect to the O2 network that way. Deadly. 

Wonder if there's a Ulysees app. 

Malachy Browne
		About the author:
		Malachy is one of the editors at Politico which he co-founded in 2009. Malachy also works as a journalist at Storyful. Malachy has a background in technology and has worked in media since 2006. Read more. @malachybrowne malachybrowne
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