what is wifi and push mail ?

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi means Wireless Fidelity used to access Internet services in a Wi-Fi zone. Wi-Fi is also called as WLAN or Wireless Local Area Network.It stands for Wireless Fidelity. Wi-Fi networks use radio technologies provide wireless connectivity in local area networks. A Wi-Fi network can be used to connect computers to each other, to the Internet, and to wired networks using IEEE 802.3 or Ethernet. Wi-Fi networks operate in the unlicensed 2.4 and 5 GHz radio bands. Wireless LANs are not sufficiently protected. It is vulnerable to virus attacks and information privacy invasion. Security technologies are developed to enhance the WLAN security, including, Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP), Wireless Application Protocol (mainly for mobile devices) plus many vendor proprietary technologies.

Push mail

Push mail is a feature in the phone by means of which an email received on the computer gets delivered to the phone also without "pulling" (dialing out to fetch mail) activity. Prerequisites for Push Mail A Java / Symbian / Windows phone with push mail client (a software application loaded on the phone) GPRS/ Blackberry/any other type of push mail subscription. The service is called "mail rendering". It means that any word/excel/ppt/acrobat files first few lines are sent as "text" with mail.

what is skype?

Skype is application software, which is used to make calls using Internet bandwidth. It operates on a technology called VoIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol. VoIP - voice over IP - service, consumers enjoy the convenience of a cell phone with the benefits of full Internet connectivity for telephony. The same technology used in internet surfing (data networks) can be used to transmit voice and fax. Many business series handset like Imate, HP, Nokia, etc comes with Skype software installed in it.

Skype software was developed by the Swedish and Danish entrepreneurs Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis and a team of software developers.

Skype allows users to make telephone calls over the Internet to other Skype users free of charge and to landlines and cell phones for a fee. Additional features include instant messaging, file transfer, short message service, video conferencing and the ability to circumvent Firewalls.

Smart Phone & 3 GP

3gp means Third Generation Partnership Project which is a collaboration between groups of telecommunications associations, to make a globally applicable third generation or 3g mobile phone system.

In simple terms it is a type of file format which is used to store audio or video. Just as an Mp3 format reduces the total amount of space required to store a particular file, the 3gp format also reduces the storage space required on a Cell phone.

It is based on the popular on the MPEG 4 and H.263 format. It is used for both streaming Video and Audio, however the formats used for both are different.E.g. Video streaming happens in MPEG – 4 or H.263 formats while Audio streaming happens in different versions of AMR, AAC formats.

There are 2 different standards :

• For GSM based phones the files will be stored with an extension .3gp
• For CDMA based phones the files will be stored with an extension .3g2

When a 3gp file is transferred to a computer for viewing the files can be seen on the Linux, MAC and Windows platforms. Some of the players that can be used with this format are :

• Real Player
• VLC media player
• Quick Time
• Media Player Classic

Skype software was developed by the Swedish and Danish entrepreneurs Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis and a team of software developers.

Skype allows users to make telephone calls over the Internet to other Skype users free of charge and to landlines and cell phones for a fee. Additional features include instant messaging, file transfer, short message service, video conferencing and the ability to circumvent Firewalls.

What is GPS & Navigation ?

GPS is a functionality that allows a user to know his or her location and the location of points of interest using a Global positioning satellites

GPS

• The abbreviation GPS stands for "Global Positioning System".
• There are several satellites that orbit the globe. These satellites are constantly beaming down information to the earth. The GPS receiver in the phone or the device uses this information from a group of these satellites to determine the location of the phone on earth. GPS tells us where we are at that particular point in time.

A-GPS

• Assisted GPS (A-GPS) is a method to improve the usability of GPS. It enables the phone to obtain the satellite fix faster and more reliably. This results in faster positioning and hence significantly improved user experience. Assisted GPS requires an active GPRS connection in order to function.
• It works by sending a small amount of data using GPRS. This data helps providing GPS satellite information to the handset via the cellular network.

NAVIGATION

• Navigation gives us turn by turn voice guidance to help us get to where we want to go.
• Navigation does not need GPRS to work. Infact, Navigators will even work without a SIM card. However, some of navigators comes with A-GPS (Assisted GPS). This feature requires GPRS.
• Navigation also does not work indoors as it requires line of sight of the satellite to be able to give directions.

can i use my mobile to print images?

Phones with camera capacity of 3 or more mega pixels give optimum print picture quality. 3 Mega pixels give better picture quality on 4"X6" paper or post card size.

Methods of printing : Via Data cable, Infrared & Bluetooth
The above are used from the phone to a photo printer directly. Examples of portable printers are:-

• Hp 325-with memory card, memory stick, Bluetooth hunting options.
• Canon i80-with infrared printing option
• Hp320-With USB cable connectivity available with selected Nokia model gets connected directly from the phone to the printer

what is gprs?

GPRS is a system of transferring information over the GSM mobile phone network in small packets. E.g. an email would be broken down into lots of little packets of information and then sent over the network. Each packet is given an extra bit of information that tells the network where it is meant to be going and how it fits into the overall structure of the original email. This means that the packets can be routed via different parts of the network taking advantage of spare capacity and re-assembled at the destination in the right order. This is exactly the same method used on the Internet for moving information around.

what is 3g?

3G Stands for 3rd-generation. Analog cellular phones were the first generation. Digital marked the second generation.
3G includes high data speeds, always-on data access, and greater voice capacity. The high data speeds are possibly the most prominent feature, and certainly the most hyped. They enable such advanced features as live, streaming video. There are several different 3G technology standards. The most prevalent is UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System), which is based on WCDMA (WCDMA and UMTS are often used interchangeably) 

The common applications for 3G :

• Media on Demand for fast music download.
• Video telephony with the help of 3G camera on a compliant 3G phone.
• Use of phone as a modem to download e mails, browse, Internet, etc

WAP - WIRELESS APPLICATION PROTOCOL

What Is WAP?
WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) allows mobile phones to send and receive information from the internet. On your PC you would use a browser program like Netscape or Explorer to surf the internet; on your mobile you use WAP. It's a communications standard that has been agreed by more than 200 telecommunications companies worldwide.

What does it do?
WAP is simply a way of providing interactive information services for mobile phones. A full page of a normal website wouldn't fit on your phone's small screen, but a WAPsite is designed specially for a mobile. You can do the same kind of things you would do on a website, but in a simplified, stripped-down way.

What can I use it for?
WAP technology brings a huge range of interactive information services directly to your phone - from TV and Restaurant listings to the latest financial news; from pop charts and film reviews to sports results, travel updates and even horoscopes. You can also use your WAP phone to send and receive email, to access information from your home or work computer. Very soon you'll be able to use it for shopping, banking and much more.

How easy is it to get online?
Very easy. Your WAP phone will take you straight to a WAP services home page which has a straightforward menu of key information and entertainment services. You can go to other WAPsites by simply entering their WAPsite address, and for quick access you can bookmark them and add them to your personal favourites list.

Can I access the whole of the internet? Not yet, because you can only access those sites that have been made WAP compatible. Very soon you'll be able to do everything from hiring a car to reserving seats at the theatre, from watching your stock prices to checking ski conditions.

Won′t WAP just be quickly replaced by something better?
No. WAP is here to stay. In fact it is estimated that by 2003 85% of mobile users will have a WAP phone. What will change is the way it is transmitted. Faster methods of sending WAP information will emerge such as GPRS and UMTS, which will make mobile internet come to life.

How do I subscribe to mobile internet?
You don't need to subscribe. Once you have a WAP-compatible phone, you simply start using it. (Some phones will require a simple set-up process.)

MPEG - MOVING PICTURE EXPERTS GROUP

Its the working group of ISO (International Organization for Standardization) in charge of the development of standards for coded representation of digital audio and video. Established in 1988, the group has produced

• MPEG-1, the standard on which such products as Video CD and MP3 are based.
• MPEG-2, the standard on which products such as Digital Television set top boxes and DVD are based.
• MPEG-4, the standard for multimedia for the fixed and mobile web.

MPEG 1 standard (1993) 

This technology covers coding of moving pictures and associated audio for digital storage media at up to about 1.5 Mbit/s. In easier terms, it’s a compression technique which helps in compressing audio and movie files on a digital disc (CD) at a compression rate of 1.5 Megabits/second. This makes it possible for use to watch a movie on a regular 13 Rupee CD on our CD players.

MP3 (MPEG 1 layer 3) forms a part of this particular standard. Using MP3, one can compress an audio file (for example) 30 MB in size to just 4-5 MB. This saves memory and thus large amount of data can be stored on a limited storage media (like CD).

MPEG 2 standard (1995)

MPEG 2 is the file compression technique which involves higher data rates with much better quality. This happens because of extra high compression (encoding can go upto 40 Mbps). Apart from that since the frames supported are larger, the quality of the video seen on a MPEG-2 disc (DVD) is almost like what we get to see in a theatre.

MPEG 4 standard (1997-99)

Higher Quality compression (compression can go upto 1 Gbps). Ideal for real time video/mobile video streaming as the compression is much higher but advance techniques ensure zero loss in quality. The quality of the video is almost real. It was created with mobile data transmission in mind.

WHAT IS ANDROID?

AndroidTM is an Open Mobile OS developed by the Open Handset Alliance, it brings Internet (Computer) like convenience & flexibility in using Applications on mobile phones.

Open Handset Alliance

• A group of 47 technology and mobile companies who have come together to develop this new platform and offer consumers a richer, less expensive, and better mobile experience, on Multimedia & Business applications
• Together, these Companies have developed Android^TM, the first complete, open, and free mobile platform.
• The Open Handset Alliance (OHA) is a business alliance of 50 organisations including Google, HTC, Intel, Motorola, Qualcomm, Texas Instruments, Samsung, LG, T-Mobile, Nvidia and Wind River Systems to develop open standards for mobile devices

Tips to select a smart Phone

More models do end up confusing one about what to choose. Here are 7 tips to help you select one:

Operating system

Yep, just as you have to decide between Linux and Windows on a PC, you will need to make up your mind about whether you would rather go for a Symbian, Windows Mobile, Palm OS, BlackBerry or Linux device and each OS also has its own sub-groups too (Symbian, for instance, has different editions of Series 60 and UIQ). The jury are still out on which one is the best, but you will need to keep in mind factors like speed of operation, number of applications available (preferably free ones) and compatibility with other devices, before you opt for a particular OS. Do remember that unlike in PCs, you cannot install any OS on any phone—so if you are dreaming of running a Symbian OS on an iPhone, forget it! Here you are pretty much stuck with the OS that comes on the device. No changes allowed.

Screen size

While screen size is indeed important on all cellphones, it attains an entirely different dimension in the case of enterprise phones. This is because one often ends up viewing, documents, presentations and spreadsheets on enterprise devices and even browsing the Internet a fair bit. And the bigger the screen, the lesser the strain on your eyes and fingers.

Interface

Do you like touchscreens, physical keypads or a blend of the two? And even in physical keypads, do you want a proper QWERTY keypad, a semi-QWERTY keypad or just the good old alphanumeric affair? it all really depends on your needs. Toushcreen users normally end up with larger screens and the convenience of being able to scribble using a stylus, but have often to put up with iffy handwriting recognition systems and slightly lower battery performance. On the other hand, those with physical keypads often find the keys way too small to really replicate the convenience of a notebook but get better battery performance and more software applications to play around with. Suit yourself!

Software

Different devices come with different software options. For instance, some might come with a full-fledged office suite while others might just have an application that allows you to view (but not edit or create) MS Office files. You will also need to consider whether your device comes with a PDF reader, a good email client (preferably supporting push mail) and a decent Internet browser. It´s just like a PC—the hardware is every bit as important as the software.

Connectivity

As most enterprise phone users are frequent travellers, do check if the phone will work on all networks. If you have no intention of straying beyond Indian borders, do make sure that it supports EDGE (you will be surprised to know that some high-end enterprise phones do not support it). And it is not just a matter of networks, you will also need to check out if other connectivity options such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are available onboard and also the kind of devices supported. It always helps if you can connect a projector or printer directly to your phone!

Multimedia

You need to make sure that the camera on your phone supports features like business card reading and whether the phone´s speakers are good enough to allow you to use it in speakerphone mode even in a meeting, if need be. Also check if the phone allows you to record long audio clips and whether it allows image editing—you will be surprised at just how often you need them.

Processor, Storage

A good processor is necessary to ensure that your device keeps ticking over nicely. Storage of course will allow you to carry most of your files in your hand, and having lots of memory to play around will ensure that you can run multiple applications without your device hanging or crashing.

Samsung Epic 4G lands on Aug 31 at $250

The second 4G phone by carrier Sprint, the Samsung Epic, is all set to release in U.S. on August 31. The Android run phone will be available at $250 after a rebate of $100.

Let us have a quick look at the phone specs. The Samsung Epic comes with a 4 inch AMOLED touchscreen and a slide-out keyboard. It has two cameras- a 5MP with auto focus and LED flash and a front facing VGA camera. Running on Android 2.1 OS, the phone packs in a 1GHz Hummingbird processor.

In addition to that, the Epic has the latest version of Samsung's TouchWiz skin and is preloaded with Swype and Qik apps. The phone can act as 3G/4G hotspot and incorporates Samsung's AllShare and Social Hub features. It has a six-axis motion sensor and a 16 GB microSD card is included.

The Epic weighs 155 grams and is 124.8 X 64.6 X 14.2 mm in size. It has a standard removable 1500 mAh Lithium battery and a memory of 1GB ROM and 512MB RAM. The connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, microUSB, and a 3.5 mm jack.

Sprint earlier released the world's first 4G phone, the HTC EVO 4G. Sprint now has two 4G phones under its belt. However, competitors Verizon and AT&T are also gearing up and likely to roll out 4G services from next year. 

Apple to launch mini iPad soon

Technology giant Apple Inc. is reportedly planning to release a mini iPad this December, a media report said Wednesday.

Details of a smaller version of the iPad were leaked in a Chinese newspaper that had also correctly predicted the specifications of the iPad months before its release.

Apple intends to launch the smaller iPad this December in time for the Christmas shopping season, Sky News reported citing sources.

The rumoured version is predicted to be 200 grams lighter than the standard iPad, which was released in April this year.

A report in the Economic Daily News said Taiwanese companies have won contracts to make components smaller than those used on the current iPads. 

Diamond may replace silicon in computers

Diamond could be the next key component in making computers, as scientists in California are working on diamond-based computers. This new set of computers would store information millions of times more than the existing silicon-based systems and processes that information dozens of times faster, according to the scientists. 

Commercially available technology has been used by the researchers in order to pattern large sheets of diamonds with tiny, nitrogen-filled holes. These diamond sheets, according to scientists, could be the basis for a supercomputer.

Nitrogen has been in diamonds for as long as there have been diamonds; it's why some diamonds have a yellow hue. For years scientists have used these natural, nitrogen-infused diamonds to study various aspects of quantum mechanics. 

"We've used well-known techniques to create atomic-size defects in otherwise perfect diamonds," Discovery News quoted David Awschalom, a scientist at the University of California.

Though the process of using the diamond-based computing has not been determined yet, there is a possibility that applications could range from designing more efficient silicon-based computers to drug development and cryptography. 

Now illegal tapping on mobile will be fined Rs.1 Crore

 Illegal tapping equipment is becoming an easily accessible medium to record mobile phone conversations outside homes, offices or even while someone is driving, without proper authorization. Now, government has acknowledged that this is a huge area of concern as it places national security as well as privacy of regular citizens at major risk. To tackle this technology loophole, the government has decided to put  together a task force to control this menace.
The government also admitted that those found guilty of misusing tapping equipment will face strict penalty including a heavy fine and imprisonment. Specific sections of the Indian Telegraph Act, namely 20 and 25, will be amended. A public notice will be placed in the newspapers to inform all citizens that any attempts at unauthorized use of such equipment will attract penalties up to Rs 1 crore and imprisonment. 


Normally, official interception and recording of mobile phone conversations require specific warrants to be issued by the home secretary or the home minister of a state or Union territory. It has recently come to light that a parallel system of recording calls through this off-the-air GSM technology exists and has been working as a form of illegal and passive mode of interception. Most of the equipment for such off-the-air passive interception is based on the use of multi-channel GSM/ CDMA receivers, transmitters and trans-receivers capable of receiving or transmitting or both in two or more frequencies simultaneously. This is unlawful and unauthorized activity.

National Technical Research Organization (NTRO) has been entrusted with the task of preparing a detailed list of equipment. The government plans to specifically notify operators, importers and manufacturers of such equipment and obtain data to weed out all such machines that are in use. This equipment will be moved out of the open general licence (OGL) list. 

India retains 2nd rank in sending spam, US leads: Report

India has retained its second position in originating spam, accounting for about 12.55 per cent of the global junk mails sent in July, even after reducing the number of mails sent, says a study. 

Besides, the U.S. has continued to maintain its first position as the king of Spam relaying nearly one-fourth of the world's total junk mails and Brazil also continued to hold the third position with 12 per cent, the study by Trend Micro said. 

Continuing the last two-month trend in July, the US, India and Brazil retained their positions as the top three spam-sending countries. 

The report also noted that while India has posted a decline in numbers of mail sent, both the U.S. and Brazil have witnessed an increase in their spam numbers during the month. 

"User account information and credit card credentials reap good profits for cybercriminals. Cybercriminals continued to leverage on the widespread use of social networking sites, search engines, and redirectors this July," Trend Micro Manager(India and SAARC) Amit Nath Country said. 

The report noted that attacks are now carried out using three primary vectors --- email, Web, and file. 

With 11.3 per cent of global junk mails, the UK placed fourth in the list, while Germany was fifth by generating 8.66 per cent of junk messages sent around the world. 

Surprisingly, China, often blamed for cybercrime by other countries, did not appear on the list . 

Junk mails virtually come from malware-infected computers and cause a huge strain on company resources and leads to lost productivity. 

In terms of companies, HSBC has become the top phishing target for July via email. 

Among other countries on the list, Vietnam was sixth with 7.71 per cent, followed by France (6.71 per cent), Republic of Korea (6.09 per cent), Italy (5.46 per cent) and Romania (5.13 per cent). 

Adobe Flash 10.1 player now available on Android platform

Adobe Flash 10.1 Player is officially available on the Android platform, It is fully redesigned with new performance and mobile-specific functionality, mobile users will now be able to experience the full web - games, animations, RIAs, data visualizations, music, video, audio and more.

Flash Player 10.1 beta is already one of the top free apps on Android Market today and will be available as a final production release for smartphones and tablets once users are able to upgrade to Android 2.2 "Froyo." The new version is designed completely redesigned and optimized for mobile, including new interaction methods that support mobile-specific input models, and support for accelerometer. 

On another note, the Motorola Droid could very well get Adobe Flash Player 10.1 tomorrow, according to word of Verizon pushing out a software update. While the software update will not include Flash Player 10.1, it will let you access it in the Android Market. 

Nokia N8 3G WIFI 12MP CAMERA PRICE REVIEW

Nokia N8 is a Bar Phone. weighing 135g. It′s dimensions are 113.5 x 59 x 12.9 . The talk-time of the phone is Up to 7 h 40 min (2G) / Up to 5 h 20 min (3G). The phone operates at frequencies of GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 / HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100 Mhz. Display type is 3.5 inches, AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors. This model comes with Camera of , 12 Mega Pixels Camera with Auto Focus with , 2x Digital Zoom

Price: Rs.23,990

General Information
Brand	Nokia
Model	N8
Weight	135 G
Form Factor	Bar
Dimensions	113.5x59x12.9 MM
Operating Frequency	GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 / HSDPA 900 / 1900 / 2100 Mhz
Touch Screen	AMOLED capacitive touchscreen

Display Details
Display Color	3.5 inches, AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Display Size	Nokia N8 has a display size of 360 x 640 px

Camera
Camera	Yes, 12 Mega Pixels Camera with Auto Focus
Camera Res.	4000 x 3000 Pixels
Zoom	Yes, 2x Digital Zoom
Video	Yes
Video Resolution	Yes, 720p@30fps
Video Player	Yes, Video Formats : MP4, H.264, H.263, WMV

Software
Games	Yes, Java games + Downloadable
Java	Yes, MIDP 2.1
Browser	Yes, WAP 2.0/xHTML, HTML, RSS feeds
Operating System	Symbian ^3 OS

Call Records
Phone Book	Practically Unlimited
Missed Calls	Detailed, max 30 days
Received Calls	Detailed, max 30 days
Dialed Calls	Detailed, max 30 days

Battery
Stand By Time	Up to 600 hours (2G) / Up to 720 hours (3G)
Talk Time	Up to 7 h 40 min (2G) / Up to 5 h 20 min (3G)
Li-ion	1200 mAH

Memory
Internal Memory	Yes, Internal Memory : 16 GB storage, 256MB RAM, 512 ROM
External Memory	Yes, Up to 32GB
Memory Slot	Yes, Micro SD Card

Message
SMS	Yes
MMS	Yes
Email	Yes, Supports IMAP, POP3, SMTP, Microsoft Exchange, Push Email

Music
Ring Tone	Vibration, WAV, MP3, Polyphonic
FM	Yes, Stereo FM radio with RDS; FM transmitter with 3.5 mm audio jack
Music	Yes, Music Formats : MP3, WMA, AAC, eAAC, eAAC+, AMR-NB, AMR-WB
Speaker	Yes
Headset	Yes

Data
GPRS	Yes, Class 32
Bluetooth	Yes, v3.0 with A2DP
Wirless Protocol	Yes, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, UPnP technology
Port	Yes, v2.0 microUSB
Edge	Yes, Class 32
Infra Red	No
3G	HSDPA, 7.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps
Salespack	Nokia N8 mobile computer, Nokia Battery BL-4D, Nokia Connectivity Cable CA-179, Nokia Stereo Headset WH-701, Nokia Compact Travel Charger AC-15, Nokia Adapter Cable for HDMI CA-156, Nokia Adapter Cable for USB OTG CA-157, Nokia Stylus SU-36 (selected markets only), Quick start guide

Others

Camera Features : Carl Zeiss optics, autofocus, Xenon flash, Geo-tagging, face and smile detection, Secondary Camera : VGA Colours : White, Black Sensors : Accelerometer sensor for UI auto-rotate, Proximity sensor for auto turn-off GPS : Yes, with A-GPS support; Nokia Maps CPU 680 MHz processor Special Features : Multi-touch input method, Scratch-resistant surface, HDMI port