MOBILE SECRETS

Skype makes mobile push at CES

2009-01-12T00:11:00.001-08:00

By Sinead Carew

Skype, which has helped legions of consumers lower their long-distance phone bills with computer-based calling, is making a big push into the mobile sector, announcing support for Google Inc's Android on Thursday.

As cash-strapped consumers and businesses look for ways to cut costs in a weak economy, Skype is expanding its software for making cheap calls to more than 100 cell phone models, including phones running the Android mobile operating system.

Most mobile carriers have yet to allow Skype, a unit of eBay Inc, on their phones for fear of losing revenue if subscribers were to make calls over the Web instead of on their regular voice service.

However, that is changing as the popularity of Skype has grown, Chief Operating Officer Scott Durchslag said. Wireless operator 3 UK, owned by Hutchison Whampoa Ltd, has reported a strong adoption for its mobile Skype service.

"The operators thought in the past we were something just shy of Satan," Durchslag told Reuters in an interview at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. "Now we have carriers coming to us."

The company, which had 370 million registered users at the end of the third quarter, said its Skype Lite software would also support phones using Java software and devices running on Microsoft Corp's Windows Mobile operating system. While Skype promises to give customers cheap mobile calls to overseas contacts and domestic landline phones, users will need to pay their service provider for local air time as well as their Internet service charges for mobile Skype calls.

Durchslag said the weak economy was helping rather than hurting Skype, as consumers look for cheaper options. Even business customers who have been slower to adopt Skype are now seeing it as a way to cut costs.

"We've never seen things better," Durchslag said, adding that businesses now represent about 30 percent of Skype's minutes used, compared with 20 percent earlier in 2008.

"We're getting calls from businesses that never would have called us before," he said, citing as an example the head of a large team at network equipment maker Cisco Systems Inc whose group used Skype to communicate.

Durchslag said that, while other companies were laying off workers, Skype, which is adding more than 30 million users a quarter, is hiring aggressively to keep up with its rapid growth.

With an aim to move beyond the desktop computer and the cell phone, Durchslag also said he had begun working with television manufacturers on having Skype in Internet-connected digital TVs as early as a year's time.

"TVs have a very long development cycle so that's something you'd probably see more likely into the end of 2009 or the beginning of 2010, if everything goes perfectly," he said, but declined to name manufacturer partners.

Meanwhile, Skype said its mobile service would be available in 10 countries: the United States, Britain, Poland, Brazil, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Australia and New Zealand.

Its mobile software can be downloaded from the Android software application marketplace for Android phones, including G1, the first model on the market made by HTC Corp and sold by Deutsche Telekom AG's T-Mobile. Continued...

Terror activities through Mobile Phones! Be aware!!

2009-01-11T23:09:00.001-08:00

Please circulate the message:-

IF SOME ONE ASKS YOU TO DIAL #09 or #90, Please Do Not Dial This When Asked, Please circulate URGENTLY. New Trick of Terrorists to Frame Innocent People! If you receive a phone call on your Mobile from any person saying that they're checking your mobile line, and you have to press #90 or #09 or any other number.. End this call immediately without pressing any numbers. Friends there is a fraud company using a device that once you press #90 or #09 they can access your SIM card and make calls at your expense. Forward this message to as many friends as u can, to stop it. This information has been confirmed by both Motorola and Nokia. There are over 3 million affected mobile phones. You can check this news at CNN web site also.

--
Regards..
Ravindar

People planning to buy a iPhone .... Please go through this first

2008-09-17T11:37:00.001-07:00

Friends .....those of you in India planning for iPhone... THINK TWICE BEFORE MAKING A DECISION... The short comings of iPhone are endless...

No video calling,

no AD2P on the Bluetooth,

CAN'T share ANY (mp3, images,videos....) files via bluetooth,

can't use as a wireless modem, (you pay ridiculous data charges to activate internet on your phone, but cannot connect it to your PC and browse when you are at home)

no copy and paste,(cannot copy a part of a.... say.... email & send it....have to type it out yourself)

no 3.2 or 5 megapixel camera,(the 2MP camera it carries is worst camera i've ever seen..... photos look like they have come out of a VGA camera)

no video recording with camera,

no front camera,

no flash.

no JAVA support

No physical keyboard (BELIEVE me! this alone is a dealbreaker...touch keyboard as good as it looks...once you use it then only you come to know about the importance of having a hard keypad)

No 3G network yet in India..so why pay for expensive 3G phone if you cant use its 3G services ... so, for India, iPhone 2.0 is no better than its first version

No removable battery. (You cannot change battery. Have to send it to apple outlet.. Come on now!!!!...This is not an iPod. Its a bloody phone. You cannot live without phone for 2-3 days)

No haptic feedback and

cannot send MMS,

can't use as external storage device (16 GB of utter waste..next time you go to your friend's house & find some interesting songs, movies, etc...sorry you cannot connect your '16 GB' phone and share it!!!! Apple apparently has a solution.. " BUY MUSIC & MOVIES FROM iTUNES STORE "..... Give me a break will you APPLE!!!)

no FM radio,

can't use your mp3 files as ringtones,(This is heights man!!!)

cannot insert any other SIM cardâ€¦.

completely tied to iTunes... Connect to your friend's iTunes & you risk erasing everything on your phone.

list goes on & on & onâ€¦.

We Indians are used to these features. Most of our phones already have these features. & we cannot do with out them.... i mean can you imagine paying so much for a phone with which you cannot transfer files via bluetooth. what age is this ...STONE AGE???

Some features may be activated by jailbreak.. But why the hell should you risk losing your warranty after paying so much.

And want to add third party softwares??.. YOU HAVE TO BUY THEM FROM iTUNES STORE ONLY!!! . (Shell out more money). Apple is a bloody control freak. Dont surrender your freedom to it.

Its good for american market (who have no idea what mobile freedom/choice is) which is in stone age compared to asian/european markets. When they want to buy a phone, they have to go to network operators and buy only those phones that are available on that network. & stick to that company till their contract expires. You want to change carriers? Not before paying damages, & buying another phone on the other network again.

On the contrary, we in India have so much freedom. We go to handset shops & buy which ever phone we like. Then go to carriers.. checkout the plans & buy SIM.. Dont like the plan or rival carrier came up with a better plan???? EASY .. just remove & replace the SIM.

Apple are trying to IMPOSE THEIR MODEL ON US riding on the hype iPhone has created in the US (yes it was a flop in Europe ..thats why Apple never talks about its sales in Europe).

Dont fall for the subsidized price of iPhone... CHECKOUT THE DATA PLAN ATTACHED TO ITS SIM ..they will recover the cost through ridiculous data plans. Bill might come to around Rs 2500/month.(ATLEAST AMERICANS PAY THAT MUCH)

Let me clear one thing though.. iphone is the best looking phone (its touch interface is nothing like you have ever seen ), & best browsing experience out there no doubt .... (& others are fast catching up..check out the android demo at Google IO 2008).... BUT AFTER A FEW DAYS IT ALL COMES DOWN TO FUNCTIONALITY...

Those of who buy it... You will be most happy for atmost a week... & then, MARK MY WORDS...YOU WILL START REGRETTING IT!!!

My advice...WAIT FOR HTC DREAM!! (powered by android). Still not convinced by then...by all means go for iPhone...

So friends lets spread this info to all our friends and help them in making a wise decision..... & those of you who have bought unlocked versions already please share your experiences with others

THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.... GOODLUCK!!!

New Apple iPod's Generations

2008-09-13T12:24:00.000-07:00

The new iPod collection by Apple proves to be the best products yet. New and exciting features are the hallmark of this years offerings. The introduction of the coverflow feature, a better user interface, and increased storage capacity prove that Apple is committed to improving and enhancing their iPod. Designed to meet and exceed your expectations, the new iPod media players for this year are the best yet.

No matter what your need, Apple has it covered. The new iPod product line has something for everyone.

iPod shuffle

Joggers and runners will love this new iPod by Apple. Only a little bigger than a quarter and weighing .55 ounce, it is the smallest iPod product. The small size and weight means less bulk weighing you down while you workout, causing less frustration and more pleasure while exercising. Plus, since it's only $79, it makes a perfect media player for those looking for a small iPod on a even smaller budget.

Enjoy your workouts in comfort Low price means you can save for that vacation No headaches learning how to use it

iPod nano

Can't afford to shell out the dough for a iPod with video? You're not alone. But now there is a solution. This new and improved Apple iPod now comes with video! This lean and mean new Apple iPod has more storage, an easy to use interface, plays crisp clean video, and much more impressive battery life. Perfect for the frugal shopper.

Enjoy TV shows, movies, video Amazing picture quality Longer battery life

iPod classic

The Goliath of Apple iPod is better than ever! This new and improved media player packs a mean punch with its 80GB and 160 GB storage capacity. Gone is the stress and worry about having to delete songs to make room for a new one. Gone is the frustration of having to delete a TV show that you only got half way through, but you want to upload another episode. Now you can finally relax.

Never worry about which songs to bring Less wading through menus means less frustration Carry your whole media library without hassle.

iPod touch

Are you looking for the coolest of the ipods from Apple for sale this year? Than the iPod touch is the one you want. As far as iPod are concerned, this is the Creme de la Creme. With the touch of a finger, you now have the versatility to enjoy your music, watch a movie or TV show, surf the internet, or download songs from iTunes...all on one device!

Easy to use interface Watch a movie, surf the internet or enjoy music Performance that exceeds expectations

Apple TV

Want to watch a movie you just downloaded from iTunes without a sore back and neck hunching over the computer screen? Now you can. The Apple TV allows you to enjoy your music, videos, movies and more on your widescreen TV. No wires, no breaking down walls to install cables. Just plug it in and begin enjoying your iTunes library from the comfort of your couch.

Feel better watching movies in comfort No cables or wires means less hassle Saves time and money

APPLE 3G IPHONE VS NOKIA N96

2008-09-03T08:25:00.000-07:00

With the recent launch of the 3G iPhone I started to think which phone is superior, either Apple iPhone or the (upcoming) Nokia N96. I will only review the features that are important regarding the performance.Speaking truly about…

Design

The Nokia is a Dual-Slider, meaning that it slides up for a keypad, and down for media controls. The iPhone has very few buttons, but instead has a touch interface which opens up possibilities like a QWERTY keyboard.

Interface

you can’t get much better then Apple on this one. The N96 may be powered by Symbian OS, but what it lacks is coverflow, safari, , a full QWERTY keyboard, iTunes and it’s multi-touch gestures. iPhone OS,would be possibly better because I know that OS X is a solid Operating System.

Storage

What we like more is expandable space.N96 not only comes with 16gb of internal memory (The iPhone only offers 16gb on its higher end model), but you can hot-swap a microSD card for even more room (Currently 8gb is the largest you can buy, giving the N96 a total of 24gb of storage). Even if Apple release a 32gb model, many are still temped to choose the N96, only because we can remove the card and use it in other things.

Connectivity

Both phones support WiFi and Bluetooth and run on a 3G network, but you don’t need iTunes to run a N96.Furthermore, if you wanted to, you could just pile all of your media onto a microSD card, and transfer it onto your N96 that way - without the need for a computer.

Camera

NOKIA N96: 5 mega pixels

IPHONE: 2 mega pixels

Height /Weight/ Size

The N96 weighs a whole 8 grams less then the iPhone. But, the iPhone is thinner then the Nokia, and not as wide. The N96 has a cubic volume of 101.97cm, compared to the iPhone’s 94.68cm. But, the iPhone is thinner then the Nokia.

Battery Backup

For Audio playback, its 14 hours (N96) vs. 24 (iPhone) and for video its 5 hours (N96) vs 7 hours (iPhone). Standby time is 220 hours (N96) vs 300 for the iPhone. Even though the battery can’t be replaced by normal people iPhon can go 12.5 days without a recharge.

Media Playback

The Nokia N96 can not only playback MP3’s, but AAC’s and WMA’s. In terms of video, it can playback MPEG-4, H.264, WMV9 and Flash (It can also playback realVideo). The iPhone can playback H.264 and MPEG-4 video, AAC, Protected AAC, MP3, AIFF and WAV. The N96 supports flash, which is why the Nokia wins the media playback.

So,to conclude which one is better it depends…...and If you was to choose either phone, let me know what you’d choose, and why you would choose it.