mrmobile-blog

Protecting a New Phone from Potential Damage

Sat, 29 Jun 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Your new mobile phone can do a lot of things for you. It can connect you, guide you, organise and entertain you. The one thing it can’t do, however, is protect itself from damage. So the first thing you should consider after taking it out of the box is how you’re going to keep it safe from harm.

Case

A mobile phone case is one accessory you simply must have. It will protect your phone from most bumps and knocks. Cases come in a variety of materials ranging from plastic and silicone to rubber and leather.

Mobile phone cases also come in a wide range of colours and designs, and are even considered an essential fashion accessory by many people. Styles include hard cases, soft cases, bumper cases, wallet cases and even cases that charge your battery for you while you’re on the go.

When choosing a case for your new mobile phone, make sure you select one that is the right fit for your model of phone, one that allows you to access all the necessary functions on your phone and, above all else, one that provides as much protection as possible from the bumps and knocks of daily life.

Screen

While a case will help protect the body of your mobile phone, its most vulnerable feature, the screen, remains exposed to dust, cracks, oil and scratches. For this reason, as well as a sturdy case, you should invest in a clear plastic screen protector. This is a thin, transparent plastic film which adheres to the screen of your phone and protects it from scratching, cracking, oil and fingerprints.

Screen protectors are made for both iPhone and Android phones and vary in quality and price. Cheaper ones often create air bubbles when applied, can peel back at the edges and may leave a sticky film on your screen when you remove them. Therefore, it is wise to invest in a good quality screen protector to avoid such problems.

General tips

As well as buying a case to protect the body of your phone and a screen protector to shield its screen, there are certain precautions you can also take to minimise the likelihood of your phone being damaged. These include:

Always handling it as though it is a fragile object (which it is) and never throwing it on the back seat of the car or leaving it where it might be sat on or knocked on the floor.
Keeping it out of reach of children and pets.
Never leaving it in a hot car, as this can damage your battery and lessen its life.
Not keeping it in your pocket any longer than necessary, where it could slip out when you bend over or be scratched by other items such as car keys and coins.

At the end of the day, a mobile phone is not a toy, but a very valuable (and expensive) asset. If you treat your new phone with the care that it deserves, it will no doubt reward you with many years of reliable service.

Charging Your iPad While Camping

Sat, 29 Jun 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Getting out into the great outdoors is undoubtedly good for the soul. But these days, even when we are camping, we don’t necessarily want to be completely out of touch with the rest of the world.

There may still be emails to answer, Facebook friends to visit with and myriad other things that we like to do on our iPads wherever we happen to be at the time. So a reliable charging source for our mobile devices becomes one of the items that we need to pack before we head off the beaten track.

Portable battery charger

A portable battery charger will give you one recharge of your iPad before it needs to be plugged in itself. A charge will last for seven or eight hours of normal daily use. So if you’re only going camping for a weekend and your iPad use will be limited to emails or surfing the net, then a portable charger should be sufficient for your needs.

But if you’re going camping for longer, say a week or so, then you’re going to need something that can give you a charge every couple of days. Short of taking a supply of spare batteries or long-life batteries with you, which would be impractical and prohibitively expensive, the next best option would be to purchase a charger that plugs into your motor vehicle.

Car battery charger

A car battery charger either plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter port or, if it’s a more recent car, into a special port in the dash. It converts the 12-volt current in your car’s battery to a voltage suitable for your iPad battery (usually 5 volts) and charges it over a period of several hours.

Of course, this is assuming that your car is going to be parked nearby to where you are camping and that you will be running the car’s engine regularly during the time you are there. If you won’t be running your car regularly, you will flatten the battery from excessive charging. Also, if you are going into the bush and leaving your car behind, then a completely self-sufficient form of charging like a solar charger is what you are going to need.

Solar battery charger

A solar battery charger is the ideal device for when you are really going off the beaten track and will have no access to an AC or DC electricity supply. It uses a fold-out solar panel to convert the sun’s rays to charge your iPad.

A solar charger requires around eight hours of constant sunlight to fully charge an iPad. However, if you use it sparingly, each charge could last you several days at a time. Obviously, if the weather is bad, with not much sunlight, it will take a little longer to charge it each time.

So the next time you get out of the city for an adventure, consider how long you will be gone and how remote your campsite is likely to be. You can then take the appropriate charging system for your iPad, one that will keep you happily computing under canvas as much as you like while you are away.

How to Set Up Your Bluetooth Device

Fri, 28 Jun 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Thanks to Bluetooth technology, you can now connect your smartphone to a headset, a keyboard or your car’s stereo system quickly, easily and without any wires. And setting up your Bluetooth devices is relatively straightforward, providing you follow these few basic guidelines.

Bluetooth headsets

Bluetooth headsets are becoming extremely popular, due to the hands-free freedom they allow the user. They let you talk and drive at the same time, listen to music through your smartphone or, when mounted in a motorcycle helmet, allow you to communicate with your pillion passenger or fellow riders on the road.

Setting up a Bluetooth headset involves the following steps:

Press and hold the headset’s multi-function button for a few seconds until the unit turns on and the LED starts blinking in alternating colours. This indicates the headset is in ‘pairing’ mode.
Use the phone to ‘find’ the headset. This is done via a setting in the menu, which will be different for each phone. If it is a relatively new smartphone, it will have a special Bluetooth setup menu, from which you will need to select ‘discoverable’ mode and then scan for devices.
When the phone finds the headset, it will display a message on the screen asking for a PIN number. Type in 0000 and wait a few seconds, after which the phone should display another message confirming that a connection has been established with the headset.

Bluetooth keyboards

A Bluetooth keyboard will allow you to type just as you would on a normal PC and have the words appear on the screen of your smartphone. Setting up a Bluetooth keyboard is similar to setting up a headset, with just a few slight differences.

Turn on the Bluetooth on your phone and select the ‘discoverable’ mode from the menu, which makes the phone visible to other devices.
Hold down the pairing button on the keyboard until the LED light begins blinking.
Select ‘Search for Devices’ (or similar wording) from the menu on your phone. When the keyboard appears on the list, select it.
When prompted, type the code displayed on the phone’s screen into your keyboard and it should be ready to use.

Bluetooth car stereos

Pairing your smartphone with your Bluetooth-enabled car stereo will allow you to listen to streaming audio. While the sound quality varies from phone to phone, it is usually almost as good as your stereo’s inhouse capability. Pairing involves the following steps:

Follow the instructions in your car’s operating manual to set your stereo to pairing mode.
Turn the Bluetooth on in your phone and select ‘Search for Devices’ from the menu.
When your car’s ID appears on the list, select it. When prompted, type in the PIN number that comes with your car stereo. A message should then appear stating that the pairing was successful.
You will only have to pair the two devices one time. After that, it will happen automatically every time you carry your phone in your car.

Most Useful Mobile Accessories

Fri, 28 Jun 2013 14:00:00 GMT

With the help of a variety of accessories, your mobile experience can be much more than simply a telephone.

Headset

A Bluetooth headset gives you the freedom of hands-free use wherever you are and whatever you’re doing. It lets you talk while you’re driving, without having to hold the phone to your ear (and risk a fine). It allows you to walk with your phone in your pocket while GPS navigation instructions guide you to your destination. And it lets you listen to your favourite music through your phone, without annoying those around you.

Battery charger

This is one accessory no mobile phone user can afford to be without. The average smartphone battery lasts around eight hours of normal use before it requires recharging. Therefore having a charger at home or work is essential.

Chargers come in a range of forms for various applications and include:

AC chargers that plug into any AC power outlet
Portable chargers that plug in and charge your phone wherever you happen to be
Case chargers that charge your phone while it is in its case,
Car chargers that plug into your car’s cigarette lighter port
Solar chargers that employ a fold-out solar panel to charge your phone using the sun’s rays.

Keyboard

Thanks to Bluetooth technology, you can use a full sized wireless keyboard with your smartphone whenever you need to do some serious word processing. You just pair it with your phone, start typing and the words will appear on the screen of your phone. Or if you’d rather talk than type, you can simply download a dictation app and dictate your document into your phone, with the words also appearing on the screen.

TV tuner

If you’re away from home and you don’t want to miss the news or your favourite programs, this may be a truly helpful accessory. An IDTV tuner is a mini set-top box that plugs into your phone and lets you view free-to-air television channels on your screen. It doesn’t need an Internet connection and it lets you play, rewind and record live TV programs. It even comes with its own battery, so you don’t flatten your phone.

External speakers

Portable Bluetooth-enabled speakers can be paired with your mobile phone to provide high-quality playback at up to 85 decibels. That means you can take the party with you wherever you go and even do karaoke if you select speakers with an inbuilt microphone. This is also a very useful accessory if you use your phone for teleconferencing, as it will allow group of people to join in the conversation.

Phone finders

If you are constantly leaving your phone behind or forgetting where you put it, a key chain phone locator is a great accessory to have. These phone finders clip onto your key chain and use either Bluetooth to alert you when you get a certain distance away from the phone or GPS to actually track it if your phone is lost or stolen. Because a smartphone is such an expensive item to lose, these accessories are often highly worthwhile.

Protecting Expensive Equipment on your Motorbike

Thu, 30 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Your motorbike is an expensive piece of machinery and needs protection from theft and damage, as does the equipment you use with it.

Helmets

Helmets are expensive to buy and when they are Bluetooth helmets as well (communication devices), they are not something you want to leave sitting on your bike while you pop into the store. The options you have to protect your helmet are as follows:

Carry it with you – this is cumbersome and far from ideal, but better than nothing if you have no way of securing it to your bike.
Have a backpack – not only is a backpack useful for carrying those groceries you popped into the store for, but it is also a good way to carry you helmet and keep your hands free while you’re shopping.
Use a helmet lock – a cable combination lock like those used to lock bicycles is all you need, as it is small and light enough to be kept in a pannier or bag, but strong enough to slow a would-be thief down, unless they’re carrying bolt cutters.

GPS systems

These are now made for motorbikes as well as cars and they are built tough to survive all but the heaviest knocks. They are waterproof and shock and vibration-resistant and are usually mounted on a stand at the front of the bike. Ways to secure a GPS system on your bike include:

Cover it with something when you park your bike, as what an opportunistic thief doesn’t see won’t attract his attention.
Remove it from the mounting and take it with you in your bag or lock it in a pannier whenever you leave your bike unattended.
Don’t carry it on the bike unless you are planning to go on a long trip where it will be needed.

The bike itself

The best way to ensure your bike’s accessories don’t get stolen is to make sure that your bike doesn’t get stolen either and the way to do this is to follow some basic safety precautions. These are:

Always park in well-lit, heavily populated areas where someone trying to break a lock would be noticeable to passersby.
If you’re going to check on your bike, do so in the first fifteen minutes after you park it, as this is the most common time for thieves to act.
Use a combination of locks on your bike, including cable locks, disc locks, U locks and security chains.
Consider purchasing a motor cycle alarm (they are becoming much more affordable these days).
Always lock you bike at home as well (even in the garage or driveway), as 80% of motorbikes are stolen from the owner’s premises.

Of course, at the end of the day, if a professional thief is determined to steal your bike or accessories, then nothing you can do will prevent them, so the ultimate form of protection for your bike and equipment is to insure it fully, so you can replace it if need be (only 25% of motorbikes are ever recovered after being stolen).

Providing Emergency Power for Digital Devices

Wed, 29 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

The average smart phone battery will last about eight hours, which is fine if you recharge it every night when you get home from work. But if the unexpected happens (as it sometimes does) and you find yourself away from home with a dead phone or tablet, having an emergency power supply can be a life saver. This article looks at the different types available for digital devices.

AC charger

This is a normal 240-volt mains battery charger, like the one you use at home to recharge your device every day. It is usually a standard inclusion when you purchase a smart phone, so if you ever damage your phone and have to buy a new one, hang onto the old charger and keep it in your car, as it could provide a life-saving source of emergency power, providing you are able to access a 240-volt outlet somewhere.

Portable charger

There are a variety of different portable battery chargers on the market. Some are made to charge specific devices such as iPhones and some are universal and will charge any type of device. Most are compact, portable and lightweight, allowing them to be carried in a purse or briefcase and some are even built into the smart phone’s protective case, so that the phone charges continuously when in it. A good portable charger will hold a charge for up to 12 months, so that it is always ready to provide you with emergency power.

Car charger

This is a battery charger that uses your car’s 12-volt battery to recharge your device, either via the cigarette lighter port or through its own dedicated port. If you spend a lot of time in your car, then this kind of charger is really a must-have and can be left in the glove box for emergencies.

Solar charger

This kind of battery charger uses solar cells, usually in a fold out panel, to recharge your device’s battery with solar energy. If you find yourself in a situation where you don’t have access to any other sort of power supply (12 volt or 240 volt) then a solar charger can be very handy. It will take a while to charge however and obviously you’ll need some solar rays for it to soak up.

Extended life battery

This is another good way to make sure you’re not caught short with a flat battery. Many extended life batteries will give you up to twice the life of your normal battery. The drawbacks are that they are quite expensive and twice as thick as normal batteries, requiring a special replacement cover for your phone.

Conserving battery life

Prevention is always the best form of cure, so observing the following battery-saving techniques may help to ensure that you never find yourself in need of emergency power in the first place. These include:

Limiting call length
Limiting the number of calls you make
Texting or emailing rather than calling
Turning the device off when not in use
Turning off all energy-hungry features.

Staying in Touch on Your Motorbike Ride

Wed, 29 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

The days of yelling at your pillion passenger over the roar of the wind and the scream of your engine are well and truly gone. Nowadays, staying in touch on a motorbike ride is about chatting casually via intercom without even having to raise your voice.

Bluetooth helmet

The Bluetooth helmet has revolutionised motorbike communications. Bluetooth technology allows mobile device users to access their devices wirelessly and this same technology has been adapted for motorbike riders, with Bluetooth headsets now built into helmets to allow the wearer to communicate, listen to music and make phone calls hands-free while riding their bike.

A voice-activated (VOX) headset will even allow you to dial a phone number simply by speaking a pre-programmed name (e.g. “Call Bill!”) into the microphone. You can also receive incoming calls while you are listening to music, because the music will mute automatically while you take the call and then return to the previous volume when the call ends.

Communication with pillion passengers can also be voice-activated and depending on the range of the headset (can be from a hundred metres to nearly a kilometre), a rider can communicate with one person or a group of other riders, providing they have similar headsets that are ‘paired’ with the rider’s own.

GPS system

A road map is about as useful as an ashtray on a motorbike, so the invention of the motorcycle GPS system was a real breakthrough for navigation purposes. Waterproof, shock-resistant and vibration-resistant, these units are built tough for two wheels and they can be coupled with a Bluetooth headset to deliver voice navigation commands directly to the rider’s ear.

You can use a motorcycle GPS system to plan your entire trip, pinpointing locations and calculating distances between petrol stations, food and accommodation stops. It will tell you how far you have to go, how long it will take to get there and even the best way to go to avoid traffic and delays.

Staying in touch

While communication tools like Bluetooth headsets and motorcycle GPS systems continue to grow in popularity, there is a school of thought that argues that too much technology, whether on a car or a motorbike, can cause a driver to become dangerously distracted. Indeed, several studies have shown that awareness of one’s surroundings tends to drop markedly when talking on the phone while driving.

However, it could also be argued that a Bluetooth headset is keeping a rider more in touch with his environment than ever before. The GPS is telling him exactly where he needs to go, thus removing the need for last-minute lane changes and dangerous manoeuvres.

It could also be argued that the potential is there for headsets to incorporate even more navigational and safety technology in the future. One day, a Bluetooth helmet could be ‘seeing’ obstacles ahead for the rider and even taking evasive action on his behalf.

In the meantime however, just as texting while driving is an accident waiting to happen, so misuse of communication tools on a bike can be equally hazardous. As with anything potentially dangerous, it comes down to the common sense of the user and how responsibly they behave.

Television and Movies on Phones and Tablets

Wed, 29 May 2013 10:53:00 GMT

The smart phone just got a whole lot smarter, with movies and free-to-air tv now on the menu wherever you are.

Free to air tv

IDTV was launched last year, but it only worked on certain kinds of iPhones and iPads. Now there’s a version for the latest Android devices as well, meaning everyone can check out their favourite shows on the go.

A mini set-top box, the IDTV tuner plugs into your iPhone4S, new iPad or iPad2 and now into Android devices as well (those less than 18 months old, with a micro-USB port). You then simply download the free app from the iTunes store and start scanning in the channels.

It doesn’t require an internet connection, so you’re not using up any of your precious bandwidth and it’ll pick up all Australian free-to-air tv and digital radio channels. Other features include the ability to pause, rewind and record live tv programs and to record in the background while continuing to use your device for other things. There’s also an electronic program guide included with the app and a battery built into the tuner so you don’t drain the battery in your device.

The only drawback with the Android version of IDTV is that there’s no way to connect an external aerial, so you can only watch tv in areas where there’s good reception. But for under $100, the IDTV tuner is a great way to get free tv on the go, regardless of whether you’re an Apple or Android user.

Movies

Watching movies on smart phones and tablets can be something of a hit and miss affair. For instance, some devices will not support movies in certain file types or screen resolutions, meaning you must transcode them into another format in order to play them. There are plenty of transcoding software packages available for this purpose and one of the most popular is Handbrake, which is powerful, very user-friendly and works on all operating systems, be they Mac, Windows or Linux.

Another issue with watching movies on phones and tablets is their incompatibility with tvs and video projectors. When you want to plug your device into a wide screen, you may find that it does not have the capability. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab for instance has no ‘video out’ or HDMI port and neither does the HP TouchPad. Samsung does sell a connector to overcome this problem, but it does not support high definition. For that you will need to purchase a multimedia desk dock.

Apple has come up with a portable solution to the big screen dilemma with its i-FlashDrive HD, a pocket-sized drive for iPads, iPods and iPhone 3GS, 4/4S. It’s a portable storage device that lets you copy, swap, save, play and back up files between multiple devices. So, if you want to watch your movie on a bigger screen, you just plug your iPhone or iPad into the nearest computer or laptop, put your feet up, break out the popcorn and away you go.

How Sturdy is Your iPad?

Sun, 19 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

One of the main drawbacks with portable electronic devices such as iPads is their fragility. While Apple products are generally sturdier than most, there’s no getting away from the fact that the iPad is a computer and computers are fragile things.

A desktop PC sits in one place in a controlled environment, so it doesn’t have to be especially robust, but iPads are portable devices, and the fact that we now take them with us wherever we go makes them even more vulnerable to damage.

Components

If you look inside an iPad (not recommended unless you are a repairer), there’s not really much in the way of hardware, but what’s there is all extremely fragile. From the battery, which takes up a lot of the room, to the motherboard and all the various chips and circuitry, it’s a very delicate arrangement that’s very prone to damage.

Screen

The screen is the most fragile part of all and the most expensive part of an iPad. It is also the part that is most often damaged. It has a thin film transistor liquid-crystal display that supports 262,000 colours and a glass touch screen and bezel assembly, and both are extremely fragile.

Transparent films are available to protect the screen from being scratched (the most common damage), but these are often hard to apply and can end up with unsightly bubbles in them.

Cases

The best protection by far is an iPad case. Bought separately as an accessory, cases are made from a variety of materials and come in a range of strengths, depending on the user’s needs. Some examples of iPad covers and cases that are built for strength and protection include:

OtterBox iPad Defender Case -- has three layers of protection, plus the polycarbonate back cover can be removed and snapped onto the front to protect the screen during storage
invisibleSHIELD iPad Full Body Protector -- an all over ultra-thin film that ensures maximum scratch protection (originally designed to protect helicopter blades)
Ballistic Tough Jacket -- three layers of complete protection, making it drop-proof, while still allowing access to all functions (but it is heavy and takes time to put on and take off)
Tough-PAC -- internal shock protection and a sealed outer shell, comes with sync cradle and carry handle.

The kind of case you select really comes down to the lifestyle you lead and the kind of environments your iPad is exposed to. If you take it with you everywhere and throw it on the back seat when not in use, then you should probably buy the toughest case on the market; whereas, if you only use it at home and you don’t have kids or pets, then you can probably get away without a case at all.

At the end of the day, an iPad is like a waterproof watch. Yes, it’s been tested to a depth of 100 metres, but do you really want to find out if it’s true? Far better to treat your iPad with the same care you would show with any other delicate and expensive item you own, because the chances of damaging it will be greatly reduced if you do.

The Benefits of iPad Casing

Fri, 17 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

When smartphones first appeared, many people bought them ‘as is’ and only found out through bitter experience that a case was essential to avoid the bumps and scratches of normal daily use. Now, when we buy an iPad, even though we know they are built sturdily in true Apple fashion, we also buy a case for it, having learnt the lesson that accidents can and do happen.

Protection

The primary purpose of an iPad case is to protect what is a very expensive and delicate device from damage caused by knocks, scrapes and even falls. The whole idea is that, if and when an accident does occur, the damage will be borne by the casing rather than by the iPad itself. Since iPads first appeared, people have admitted to sitting on them, dropping them from heights, leaving them on car hoods and even out in the rain overnight. While not all survived, those that did probably did so because they had a protective case.

Fashion statement

Every iPad looks the same, until you put it in its case. Then it takes on a persona that reflects the personality of its owner. Just as smartphones are the central device in many people’s lives, iPads are becoming just as indispensable, and people are seeking to individualise their ‘best friends’ as much as possible in order to stand out from the crowd.

Functionality

As well as being a protective device, newer iPad cases are becoming more functional and user-friendly as well. Often a case can prevent you from fully using your iPad, unless you remove it from its case, so cases are appearing that not only allow you to access all functions, but to perform new ones as well. Examples include the case that adds a physical keyboard, allowing the iPad to look and work like a notebook; and the case that functions as a holder, allowing you to stand it on a surface at an angle and watch it like a television screen.

Materials

There are many iPad cases available and they are made from a variety of materials. The case you choose will depend a lot on your lifestyle and how you use your iPad. If you are out and about a lot, then you are more likely to subject your iPad to conditions where it could get damaged, so you would be wise to choose a case that provides the best possible protection.

If you only use your iPad at home and there are no hazards such as dogs or small children about, then you could probably get away with a cheaper case, designed more for aesthetics than for protection.

Types

The following are just a few of the many types of cases available for iPads:

Ultra Light Hard Shell -- made from hard plastic, that protects the back, but not the screen
Ultra Thin Smarty Complete -- protects the back of the iPad and also has a stand for reading
Silicrylic Hard Shell -- protects the back and front of the iPad and has a silicone core for added shock absorption
Leather iPad case -- provides the best look, feel and protection from a variety of hazards, including knocks, spills and stains.

Protecting Vulnerable Areas on your Phone

Thu, 16 May 2013 14:00:00 GMT

Having a mobile device that lets you communicate wherever you are is a modern day marvel we all enjoy. But with portability comes vulnerability and there are several areas of mobile phone use that require constant vigilance; not only to guard against our own actions, but also those of others.

Screen

This is the number one area of concern on a mobile phone. While you can buy all sorts of cases made from all sorts of materials to protect your phone from knocks, bumps and even the occasional dropping incident, the screen remains the most vulnerable area, most prone to cracks and scratches.

Most people purchase an Android or iPhone screen protector soon after they buy their mobile or (unfortunately) after they experience their first scratch. A screen protector is a thin transparent plastic film that adheres to the screen to protect it from dust, oil, fingerprints and scratching.

Screen protectors vary in quality, so it’s worth spending more for one that doesn’t create air bubbles under its surface on application, doesn’t peel back at the edges (as some are prone to do) and doesn’t leave a sticky residue behind when you take it off to replace it.

Interior

What you don’t see inside your mobile phone is also very fragile. The battery takes up a lot of the room under the cover, surrounded by various chips and a motherboard. Obviously the computer hardware is extremely fragile, which is why a mobile may stop working if it is dropped, due to something being dislodged inside.

What many people don’t realise, though, is that the battery is also vulnerable to damage; not just from dropping, but from variations in temperature as well. Lithium-ion batteries are the best source of portable power for mobile phones and these sorts of batteries operate best at room temperature. It is important not to leave your phone in your car, especially on hot days, or even it in your pocket all the time, as this will raise the battery temperature. High temperatures drain battery life much more quickly and will also reduce the overall lifespan of the battery itself.

Security

The other area of vulnerability for your mobile phone is the threat posed by other people.
Nikes used to be the target of choice for thugs and petty thieves, but as the mobile phone has become more sophisticated (and more expensive), it has become the preferred target in bag snatches and other opportunistic thefts.

A ‘Find My Phone’ app which tracks your phone’s whereabouts via GPS is one way to counter this problem, but the best way is to put your phone away in public places, unless you are making or receiving a call.

Another security threat is eavesdropping on conversations, which is relatively easy for hackers to do. While it’s not such a huge problem for individual phone users, if you are an executive of a company discussing sensitive business information, it can be an extremely costly mistake to make.

The mobile phone is arguably the greatest invention of our time, taking computer technology out from behind a desk and into the real world. The price of this newfound freedom, however, is a greater risk of loss, theft and damage and the need for greater vigilance as a result.

Indispensable Mobile Phone Accessories

Wed, 15 May 2013 08:16:00 GMT

The mobile phone is fast becoming the one tool everybody carries with them wherever they go. It not only lets you make and receive phone calls, but also text, fax, video conference and much more. And with the addition of accessories such as those listed here, your mobile becomes a device that is capable of just about anything.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth connectivity allows you to connect your phone wirelessly with any other Bluetooth-enabled device, such as a laptop, a PC or another mobile phone. This allows you to exchange data, use a full-size keyboard, listen to music or communicate hands-free or via a headset -- something that is particularly useful for motorcycle riders.

Battery charger

Being able to charge your mobile phone away from home gives portability a whole new meaning, and there are a number of different battery chargers available depending on your particular needs.

AC charger -- this is a standard inclusion with every mobile phone; it allows you to recharge your phone at any AC power outlet.
Portable phone charger -- plugs into the phone for charging anywhere on the go and can also be built into the phone’s case, so that it charges automatically.
Car charger -- this plugs into your car’s cigarette lighter port and recharges your phone using the car’s 12-volt battery; very handy for those who spend a lot of time on the road.
Solar charger -- this uses the sun’s rays to recharge your phone and usually employs a fold-out solar panel of some description; a great way to stay in touch when camping or bush bashing.

Phone locator

Mobile phones are wonderful things, but they’re also expensive, so a device that can locate yours if you lose it is worth its weight in gold. Such a device simply clips onto your keychain and connects via Bluetooth and a free app to your mobile phone. If you leave your phone behind, as soon as you get a certain distance away from it, it will begin chirping for you to come and collect it.

TV tuner

If you have an iPhone 4S, a new iPad or an iPad 2, you can now turn your mobile phone into a portable television. The iDTV tuner is available from Apple and lets you watch free-to-air TV on your phone or iPad absolutely free.

The only cost is the tuner itself, which plugs into your phone and uses a free app from iTunes to scan in the channels. There’s no streaming, Internet bandwidth or Wi-Fi network required; just a small telescopic aerial to help with reception, as with a normal TV. With real time digital video recording, time-shifting and digital radio as well, the iDTV tuner turns your mobile phone into a mobile entertainment system.

There are literally hundreds of mobile phone accessories out there and many more apps being developed every day that, combined, make us more mobile and self-sufficient than we have ever been before.

Mobile Battery Life Explained

Tue, 29 Jan 2013 13:00:00 GMT

Modern mobile phones all use a rechargeable lithium-ion battery of one type or another.
Lithium-ion batteries are used in mobiles because:

They provide the best energy density (energy per unit mass)
They have no memory effect (the inability to hold a full charge)
They have a slow charge loss rate when not in use.

Even though lithium-ion batteries are the best available for mobile phones, they have failed to keep pace with smartphone energy requirements, meaning the average battery life is less than desirable.

How long your charge lasts will obviously depend on how much you use your phone and what applications you use, but an average battery with average use will usually require recharging on a daily basis. With that in mind, there are quite a number of things you can do to get the most out of your portable power supply, not only between charges, but also between replacement batteries.

Between charges

Because mobile batteries run down so quickly due to the high energy demands of smartphones, it is important to conserve battery life during daily use. Ways to do this include:

Turn it off when not in use. Turn it off overnight and also when you are in areas where there is no signal, as the phone will go on searching for one, draining your battery.
Disable power-hungry features when not in use, such as email checking, Bluetooth, GPS and apps that may be constantly trying to download data without your knowledge.
Keep your phone at room temperature. Don’t leave it in your pocket or in the car on hot days, as high temperatures drain battery life.
Turn down the screen backlighting and ringtone volume to conserve battery life.

Between replacements

As well as your phone, the way you treat your battery will determine the length of time it lasts before needing to be replaced. A lithium-ion battery loses around 10 per cent of its useful capacity every year, whether it is used or not, but you can prolong its life span in the following ways:

Fully charge (initialise) a new battery for five to six hours before using it for the first time.
Store your spare battery in a sealed container in the fridge at 40 per cent discharge, and leave it to sit at room temperature for an hour before using it.
Never let your battery drain completely before recharging. Recharge when it still has one bar left on the meter of your portable phone charger.
Clean the battery contacts periodically with nail polish remover and a Q-tip to remove corrosion build-up, which reduces battery life.
Avoid dropping your phone or treating it in a rough manner, as this could not only damage your phone, but shorten your battery’s life as well.

While battery improvements are currently lagging behind smartphone technology, there will no doubt come a time when a new mobile phone battery emerges on the market, capable of delivering ample power for long periods of mobile use. In the meantime, observing the few simple measures described here will help you get the most out of your lithium-ion battery, by prolonging its daily charge time and extending its overall lifespan.

Galaxy S2 vs. the iPhone

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 13:00:00 GMT

The Samsung Galaxy S2 has been around for a while and it’s still going great guns. But how does it stack up against the iPhone 4S, the stalwart of the iPhone range? We compared the features and here’s what we found.

Display

The Galaxy S2 screen wins hands down. It has a bigger 4.3-inch screen, compared to the iPhone 4S, which only has a 3.5-inch screen. The Galaxy’s larger display is more appealing for those who play games or do a lot of Internet browsing on their smartphones.

The iPhone 4S does have a higher resolution display compared to the Galaxy’s, but if you are using older icons and apps not made for high resolution screens, they tend to look grainy and unattractive. So, taking all this into consideration, the larger screen of the Galaxy would seem to make it the winner in this category.

Weight

Another round to the Samsung Galaxy S2, which is lighter than the iPhone 4S. The Galaxy weighs in at 115 grams, while the iPhone 4S is 140 grams. While this isn’t a huge amount, it certainly adds to the weight in your pocket when you’re carrying it around all day. The Galaxy is also one of the slimmest phones on the market, with a thickness of just 8.49mm.

Strength

But while the Galaxy S2 is slimmer and lighter, the iPhone 4S is more robust, constructed from sturdier materials such as metal and glass, rather than being all plastic. It is a typically well-made Apple product, designed to take the knocks of everyday use. Having said that, however, purchasing a Samsung Galaxy S2 case will provide perfectly adequate protection in most situations. In terms of durability, the iPhone 4S is the winner, but only by a small margin.

Speed

The Galaxy S2 has a 1.2GHz dual core processor, while the iPhone 4S has a 1GHz dual core processor. Both are fast and the iPhone 4S is a vast improvement on the single core processor of its predecessor, the iPhone 4. But trying to compare speeds is difficult, as there are no discernable differences, so we’ll call this one a draw.

Camera

There is little between the cameras of both phones. Both are 8MG cameras, able to take 3264 x 2448 pictures. Again, the 8MP capability of the iPhone 4S is a big improvement on the 5MP of the iPhone 4, but the Galaxy S2 camera is just as good. Both phones can shoot 30 FPS 1080p HD video, so for all intents and purposes, this round would also have to be called a draw.

Battery life

Both the Samsung Galaxy S2 and iPhone 4S will give you about a day of use before needing to be recharged. This is fairly normal and depends on what you are using them for and how often. Providing you have access to a portable phone charger, battery life is not an issue with either phone.

Price

There are no prizes for guessing that the Galaxy S2 is cheaper than the iPhone 4S, but it depends what you use your mobile for. If you just want to be able to check your emails, surf the net and play games, then the Galaxy S2 is a great budget buy. But if you need a serious, hard-working, knockabout phone that will be your constant working companion, then the iPhone 4S is also worth every cent.

Watching Free to Air TV on Your iPad

Sat, 29 Dec 2012 13:00:00 GMT

Thanks to the new IDTV tuner, everyone is now watching free to air TV on iPad. On the train in the morning, you’ll often hear snippets of ABC News coming from several parts of the carriage at once. At work, you might catch a colleague watching a rerun of Hogan’s Heroes in their cubicle, and on the train home, Spicks and Specks can invariably be heard reliving the music of the ‘60s.

The new IDTV is a mini set top box about the size of a 10-cent piece. It plugs into your iPhone 4S, new iPad or iPad 2 and requires no Internet connection to operate. You just plug it in, download the free IDTV app from the iTunes store, scan in your channels and you’re in business.

The IDTV tuner can pick up all Australian SD free-to-air TV channels and digital radio as well. You can pause and rewind live TV and record your favourite programs and there’s an electronic program guide included with the app. It also comes with its own battery for up to eight hours of viewing time and a choice of three different antennas for different situations. The new IDTV tuner sells for less than $100, which is why everybody’s now watching TV on the go.

And now there’s another device you can use to make your viewing experience even better: the iFlashDrive HD. It’s a portable storage solution for iPads, iPods and iPhones that lets you copy, swap, save, play and back up files between multiple devices.

This pocket-sized drive is the only one that is compatible with both iOS and Mac/PC and it lets you share files without the need for iCloud or Wi-Fi. So if there’s something on free-to-air TV you want to share with your friends or work colleagues and huddling around your iPad for a better view doesn’t quite cut it, the iFlashDrive HD is a must. It allows you to plug your iPad into the nearest Mac or PC and share the TV program with everyone on a much larger screen.

The iFlashDrive comes with both a USB connector and a 30-pin dock connector for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch, so you can perform a two-way data transfer between any iOS device and a Mac or PC.

It’ll open any file supported by iOS devices, including:

doc files such as HTML, keynotes, numbers, pages, PDF, PPT, DOC, XLS and RTF
video files such as MPV, M4V, MOV, MP4
audio files such as MP3, CAF, AAC, WAV, AIFF and M4A
pic files such as BMP, TIF, TIFF, XMB, GIF, ICO, CUR, JPG and PNG.

It includes a free app from iTunes and cloud storage support for over 30 file formats, and it’s available in 8, 16, 32 and 64GB capacities.

Starting from under $100, the iFlashDrive HD is a very handy gadget to add to your portable arsenal and a great way to optimise your free-to-air TV viewing experience.