Nokia has unveiled its three touch and type phones- C2-02, C2-03 and C2-06.
Out of the three, C2-03 is a Dual-SIM mobile phone and has exact specifications as of C2-02 which is a single SIM handset. All these three new Series 40 mobile operating system running handsets come pre-loaded with Nokia Maps application.
Nokia will offer C2-02 and C2-03 for $105 (Rs 4,725 approximately) as estimated retail price while the C2-06 is expected to be sold for $80 (Rs 5,040 approximately).

The Nokia C2-03 is a the dual-SIM handset that offers Easy Swap feature that lets users change the SIM card without having to switch off the mobile. Besides, users can personalise the look, feel and tones of up to five different SIM cards.

All three handsets sport a 240×320 pixel Resolution supporting touchscreen and sliding keypad – hence you can either use the phone via its touchscreen or use the keypad for quick messaging. Sporting 2 Megapixel camera at the back, these devices have 10MB Internal Memory and capability to expand the storage with Memory card of up to 32GB.

The new C2 series handsets will have Nokia Maps for Series 40 which also has an offline version and thereby offers the users to use it without data connection. All three devices look almost the same but the C2-06 comes with bit smoother finish and more colour options.

Music lovers can also enjoy the FM radio available on all three handsets. Nokia boasts of its new mobile web Browser that speeds up the web page load times. However, you can always use the Opera Mini to browse web.

These three handsets can be expected to arrive in India, China, Southeast Asia and the Pacific, Eurasia and MEA in the third quarter of this year.

The next generation Symbian Anna update for the Symbian^3 based handsets will arrive in end of August this year, Nokia has said. The Anna update, for the Symbian^3 devices N8, E7, C7, and C6-01, is expected to bring new user interface, new icons, and all other performance jazz promised earlier by the Finnish handset maker.

Nokia will start rolling out the Symbian Anna update from July. However, users across the globe will be able to download it via PC or over the air by the end of August only.

Back in December, Gunther Kottzieper, senior manager for Nokia China, shared the company’s plans to roll out number of significant firmware updates for the Symbian platform.

Symbian Anna update will also bring some helpful features like we reported about N8 that is expected to get Continuous Autofocus and 30fps video recording post Anna update.

Apart from that, major focus would be on the Ovi App Store. After applying the Symbian Anna update, the Ovi store will get keyword suggestions, spelling autocorrect, increased download limits and faster applications search.

Meanwhile, freshly announced Nokia X7 and Nokia E6 would be available with Symbian update pre-installed.

So if you have bought Nokia N8, E7, C7 or C6-01, then hold on to your devices till August end, get the Anna update and then make the best out of it.

Excessive reliance on smartphones has attracted a lot of attention from cyber criminals who are eying the confidential and personal information in these devices. What with smartphones being used as electronic wallets, these devices do contain a dangerous amount of private user data such as online banking PIN numbers etc. that the user might not even be aware of. Phishing is one of the most common methods hackers use to steal people’s private data.

In simpler terms phishing is an illegitimate way of extracting confidential information like a bank account number, online transaction Password and your social networking account passwords etc. It is different from hacking, in which cyber criminals do not take any help from users for extracting information. But in phishing, smartphone users are lured in such a way that they end up giving information on their own.

Ways or techniques used by cyber criminals

Email

With smartphones being used extensively for business applications, emailing has become one of the mostly used functionalities of these devices.

Cyber criminals have devised unique and smartphone-specific ways to target users. In a classic phishing attack through email, a cyber criminal will approach the smartphone user with an unbelievable and very irresistable offer, which the user would definitely want to check out. And, the moment he clicks on the link provided, he falls into the trap designed by the attacker.

Users are usually asked to provide some information to complete the offer and 10 per cent of users end up giving all the information the App asks for.

SMS

Similar to an elaborate email, smartly drafted short messages carrying a link to a web page sounding similar to a popular brand are sent to the smartphone user. After the user lands at the web page he is guided through a process during which all the required information is extracted from the smartphone.

Phishing applications

Designed specifically for smartphones, these applications try to get access to restricted information on the device. Most users, while installing free applications, do not see what permissions the application is asking for.

A similar case was noticed by Netquinn antivirus group, which had identified a couple of applications that made calls and sent messages from the victims’ phone without his knowledge. When the service provider tries to alert the user about high usage, the application stops the alerts and messages being sent to the smartphone.

Today, phishing is not just limited to extraction of confidential information but can be used for cloning smartphones as well. According to some recent cases there have been emails claiming to extend the warranty of the smartphone for free, and they require the user to put in information like the IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number, serial number, and type of phone so that the device can be cloned for illegal purposes.

Prevention

It’s not that there is no way to prevent phishing. With a little presence of mind and alertness, smartphone users can counter these attacks.

While checking out any email or offer that seems too good to be true, check for the source of that offer, and if possible call the sender in case it is a brand or company to find out whether it is authentic.

Whenever you go to a third party web site, which asks for monetary or bank related information, do not forget to check for the HTTPS protocol before the address of the website. All banks and financial transaction related institutions use HTTPS protocol. If it is missing you better exit that page.

While installing a free application, always take time to read all the permissions that app asks for. If anything related to security or personal information or access to stored passwords is being asked, then terminate the installation.

Smartphones, like computers, have security software that prevent users from being attacked by phishing attacks. Although there are many free solutions available, investing in a reputed, paid security software is advised.