Home Blog Page 4654

Idea rings in the ‘Power of 3G’

The Mobile Indian Network
-
0

Idea Cellular launched its services on its network in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh today. Idea has also unveiled a new 3G logo.

The third generation of mobile communication systems let customers use an extensive range of high-end data services on a wide variety of handsets and other devices.

Idea has set up ‘Experience Kiosks’ to provide a flavour of the services that customers can opt for. These will be available to all users at select ‘My Idea’ stores.

On the occasion of the 3G launch, Himanshu Kapania, deputy managing director, Idea Cellular, said, “3G services will mark the beginning of the next phase of India’s telecom growth story and bring the sector on par with the most advanced telecom markets in the world. Beginning today, Idea subscribers will be the first in India to experience the Gold Standard in 3G services.”

Currently, 10 per cent of Idea’s over 86 million subscribers are said to be using 3G enabled handsets. It is expected that these users will be the early adopters of 3G services.

Idea’s 3G services will be available in 200 towns by mid April, progressively growing at the rate of 10 towns per day to cover 750 towns by mid 2011, and 4,000 towns by the end of FY12.

Speaking about the 3G network rollout, Ambrish Jain, director, operations, Idea Cellular, said: “Beginning with MP, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and HP, Idea’s 3G services will expand in a progressive manner to provide expansive coverage across 4,000 towns by year end. Idea will target areas of industrial and commercial activity, centres of learning, and high potential rural hinterlands where is yet to make a breakthrough. Idea has set up the most extensive customer service network to educate customers on 3G and support their requirements, across the country.”

Idea’s 3G services will enable users to avail Video Conferencing, IdeaMall Application Store, Mobile TV, Video on Demand, and high-speed Internet Browsing.

IdeaMall is Idea’s Application Store which offers an entire catalogue of games and applications on Web and Mobile platforms.

With 3G, Idea users can do a range of things with ease such as downloading songs, watching videos on YouTube, audio, photo updates on Facebook, mail and other online media, movie downloads, watching mobile TV, e-mailing with attachments, blog postings, viewing photos, and Flash and Gaming.

Idea 3G, the teleco claims, will provide speed upto 21 on 3G handsets, and higher speed on other devices depending on the device capability.

Tariff Plans:

Idea has introduced Time based billing plan for 3G services enabling users to avail high-end data services without worrying about the volume of usage. Applicable for both pre-paid and post-paid users, this plan offers three different plans. For Rs 45, a user gets 30 minutes of talktime with a validity of one day, while for Rs 80, the users get 60 minute of talktime for a three day validity. Another plan under this for Rs 150 provides 120 minutes of talktime for seven days of validity.

To promote usage, Idea has also, introduced ‘sachet’ pricing offering attractive trial packages with per day billing for pre-paid users.

Under this there are two plans including an Rs 8 package, under which a user gets 10 of free data with a validity of one day. While for Rs 51, a user could get 50 MB of free data with three day validity period.

Time based packages are applicable for both pre and post paid connections. For Rs 45, one would get 30 minutes of talktime for one day; for Rs 80 one would get 60 minutes of talktime over three days; and for Rs 150, users can get 120 minutes of talktime over seven days.

Applicable for both pre and post paid users, Data Rate cutter plan offer Rs 55 package. Under this, a user gets 30 days of validity and will be charged 1 paisa for 10 of data download.

Dongle tariffs, applicable for pre and post paid connections, have three different options. Users by paying Rs 599, can get 2 of free data.

For Rs 750, a user can get 5 GB of free data and for Rs 1275, users get 10 GB of data usage. Users will be charged five paisa for every 10 KB of extra usage under this.

To know more about Idea’s 3G services, and to check handset compatibility, customers can log onto the company’s website

Idea had won G Spectrum in 11 circles that includes MP and Chattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra and Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Haryana, UP East, UP West, AP, J&K and Punjab.

Game Review: Roller Coaster Extreme

rahul-gupta
-
0

Most of us, irrespective of our age, love roller coasters. So is what the game Roller Coaster Extreme tries to do, it thrills and entertains the players with different levels.

With the suburbs of New York in the background, the roller coaster goes through various twists and turns and the players’ job is to keep the coaster in speed by taking regular power ups and avoiding mistakes by simply tilting your phone left or right at the right time.

With 11 different roller coaster tracks, users are required to finish one track within a stipulated time after which only they will be allowed entry to the next level.

The graphics are quite impressive but users are advised to have a high end device to play the game. The game has a setup size of almost 11 so it is better to download it using a WiFi or a network.

The game has a unique game play and the addition of tilt to control feature adds a greater level of excitement in the users. However, the game has a slight downside also. In the game, only one person is seen sitting on the roller coaster which takes away all the realism form the game.

But ultimately the game can be enjoyed by users of all age groups and the biggest advantage is that this game is available free of cost. Users who wish to install this application can visit the Nokia OVI store of follow the following link to download.

App Review: Best apps

rahul-gupta
-
0

With the growing number of applications on the stores, it is becoming increasingly difficult to search and install the right app.

Recently Getjar, a popular third part application store, made a survey which says that only 25 per cent of the app users narrow down to the application they are searching for and that most of the users find their desired app over internet.

The “Best Apps Market” is one must have application for those who are fond of applications. It is an application recommendation engine with an intuitive and easy to use interface that allows users to use it without any hassles. It helps them in narrowing down to the application they desire.

The application is quite secure as the only permissions it would require from the users is network access (during installation).

Funny thing is that it took us almost 10 minutes to find and install this application using the app store’s search feature. But after download this app requires only a few seconds to be up and running.

The interface, as mentioned earlier, is simple and uncomplicated. It has a list of best available applications from the app store related to various topics such as ‘The must have applications for all smartphones’.

There are more than ten such suggestions in the list that include, Save Money, Christmas Offers, What To Do and many more.

The developer of this applications claims that each and every application that goes into the list is carefully scrutinised for features and application before using it in the list.

The extent of that claim is unknown but yes the applications suggested are right to the topic and high in rating.

Selecting a suggestion and installing application is really easy. So for example you chose the Opera Mini app from the list, and instantly the marketplace link is opened for the user to accept and install the application.

To sum it all up Best Apps Market is a great way to save time while searching for apps and a must have for all android smartphones.

Top five handset manufacturers of the decade

The Mobile Indian Network
-
0
Top five handset manufacturers of the decade

Finnish handset maker Nokia sold more mobile phones than any make in the first decade of this millennium. It is followed by Samsung, Motorola, LG, and Sony Ericsson in that order, according to Vision Mobile, a market analysis and strategy firm, which made a detail study of handset sales during the decade of 2001-2010.

Nokia, which topped the chart each year, sold 308 crore handsets) during that period followed by Samsung with 130 crore handset sales.

In 2001, Nokia the way followed by Motorola, Siemens, Samsung and Ericsson. In 2002, 2003 and 2004, Siemens went down to the fourth position and Samsung bettered its sales to reach number three. All others maintained their positions in the sales list.

In 2005, Siemens was out of the top five handset manufacturers’ list. Nokia led the way followed by Motorola, Samsung, LG, and Sony Ericsson.In 2006 and 2007, the top five manufacturers were Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, Sony Ericssion and LG.

However, 2008 saw the rise of LG, which improved its position to come third. Nokia sold the maximum number of handsets, while Samsung, LG, Motorola and Sony Ericsson followed. The top five maintained their sales figure the following year.

2010, however, was a watershed year in the telecom sector. It saw two giants (Apple and RIM) rising the ladder while Motorola and Sony Ericsson were shown the door. While at the top, Nokia, Samsung and LG held their respective positions, RIM was the fourth biggest handset maker and Apple was at the fifth position.

There has also been a constant increase in the number of handsets sold every year. According to Vision Mobile, while 40 crore handsets were sold in 2001, in the year 2010 the figure rose to a whopping 140 crore handsets.

Consumers want good battery life in Nokia phones

rahul-gupta
-
0
Consumers want good battery life in Nokia phones

A majority of the people look for a longer battery life and internet access while buying a mobile phone, according to a survey of Nokia.

The poll was conducted by Nokia to find the factors that will help the company to grow its customer base by a billion, and thus is called the ‘Next Billion’ survey.

Just a fraction under 20 per cent of the total people, who took part in the Nokia’s poll for the ‘Next Billion’, wants their phone to have a longer battery life followed closely by Internet access with 11 per cent people opting for it.

The sole purpose of the survey, according to Nokia, was to know what the mobile users expect from a smart yet affordable device.

People also want their first phone to be robust and pocket friendly as well and same is reflected in the poll with 9 per cent and 8 per cent of the people respectively opting for this as one of the top five features.

WiFi connectivity is one of the top five features selected by the people.

Bing search for mobile updated

prasoon-kumar
-
0

Microsoft has updated the mobile version of its Bing search engine. Now it (m.Bing.com) uses HTML5 for faster image search, real time directions, and search for iPhone.

HTML5 is a language to present content on World Wide Web and is the latest revision of the Internet’s core technology. The main new features include support for incorporating video and audio in the webpages.

With the improved Bing, users can view transit routes in Google Maps, which however won’t display real time information. Also the facility is only available for some US cities at this point of time.

The shopping queries can now be answered faster by Bing with its newly designed interface as users can now also read user reviews on products and services.

A new feature, the Instant Answers and Weather Autosuggest, have been added to the Bing search bar itself.

On the feature, the Bing blog post says, “We also updated the Weather tab, to make it easier to avoid bad weather wherever you are. With four different forecast views, you have the option of seeing an overview for the day, an hourly forecast, a 10 day forecast or even the current weather pattern on a map”.

Search results for movie shows (available in US for the time being) are now organised by nearest theatre and the time of the show.

The feature that is probably going to be most popular would be the app store search for iPhone owners.

The HTML5 support is currently not available at Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7, therefore the WP7 devices would not give you improved Bing till the time Microsoft sends the next software upgrade to its phones, which will happen probably by the end of this year.

But the Bing updates are currently available for iPhone and handsets.

Amazon Appstore: A look

prasoon-kumar
-
0

Within just few days of its launch, Amazon Appstore is seems to giving its peers a tough competition in the days to come with a range of popular application making a beeline for it.

A range of Glu Mobile games have recently been added to the store. HighBorn, a role playing game (RPG), has also made its debut on the Amazon Appstore. Gamers assume different roles in role playing games to fight other characters.

The main titles that Glu Mobile Games has brought to the Amazon app store include Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Diner Dash 2, Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock and World Series of Poker Hold’em Legend.

On the first day of the launch, the ‘free app of the day’ was Angry Birds Rio, and the next day it was the turn of ‘World Series of Poker Hold-em Legend’.

“Free app of the day” is a scheme of the Amazon Appstore, in which it gives one application free of cost for that day.

“We are excited to be a featured developer in the launch of Amazon’s Appstore for Android,” said Niccolo De Masi, chief executive officer of Glu. “The launch of the Amazon Appstore will introduce new players to our top premium games, and over the long term support our goal to bring rich 3D social mobile gaming experiences to new audiences.”

The trademark app store belongs to the Apple. Users can purchase apps from the Amazon Appstore through their Amazon accounts.

Amazon Appstore was launched this Tuesday (March 22).

Smartphone sales to double by 2016

rahul-gupta
-
0

With shipments close to 653 million units, global smartphone sales are expected to double by the year 2016, according to an independent research agency Ovum.

Android, which became the No 1 one operating system in the world earlier this year, has also been the fastest adopted mobile operating system ever, according to the agency. is expected to gain a massive 38 per cent market share by the year 2016 and will be the driving force for the smartphone sales worldwide, Ovum adds further.

Robust sales coupled with intense competition would help in bring down the pricesof both smartphones and applications, it opined.

“The smartphone market will see significant growth over the next five years, once again outperforming the wider mobile phone market. We will see dramatic shifts in dominance for smartphone software platforms, with Android storming into the lead with 38 per cent market share, compared to Apple iOS’ 17.5 per cent, by 2016,” said Adam Leach, principal analyst, Ovum.

The reason for the growing popularity of Android are not singular but increase in the usage of applications worldwide can be one of the major reasons. According to the research, the reason for Android’s popularity is that it is being adopted by various hardware vendors for devices at both high and low price points.

According to Ovum’s forecast, Apple will be just behind the Android in terms of sales with a market share of 17.2 per cent following closely by Windows Phone with 17.2 per cent market share by 2016. will come next with 16.5 per cent market share.

The expectations are that with Microsoft having a dedicated hardware partner now, after the Nokia Microsoft tie-up, many hardware vendors might want to do away with Windows Mobile as their operating system.

Motorola looks beyond Android

prasoon-kumar
-
0

Motorola, which is using the right now, is developing an operating system of its own, according to a report.

The report was published in the InformationWeek, who quoted a Deutsche Bank analyst as saying this.

“I think Motorola recognises that they need to differentiate and they need options, just in case. Nobody wants to rely on a single supplier (of operating systems),” the analysts said.
Reportedly Motorola is hiring several web and mobile engineers from Adobe and Apple, a possible indication that it is working on an operating system.

Interestingly, Motorola chief executive officer, Sanjay Jha had earlier expressed the company’s desire to have an operating system of its own.

“I’ve always felt that owning your is important, provided you have an ecosystem, you have all the services and you have an ability and the scale to execute on keeping that OS at the leading edge. And I continue to believe that at some point, if we have all of those attributes that owning our own OS will be a very important thing,”Jhahad said.

However, Motorola is not coming out with its position on the new operating system possibly as it does not want to give a wrong impression to its current customers. It has reiterated its commitment to Android as the operating system of its handsets.

A possible reason why Motorola is veering away from Google could be due to the partner support problems. Numerous lawsuits are also there, which is a problem for companies using Android.

The dilemma of handset makers: customers delight

The Mobile Indian Network
-
0

Off late, there have been an avalanche of operating systems and mobile phones (or smartphones). With so many options on your plate, it is but obvious that you get confused as which Operating system you should go for or which phone you should buy.

It isn’t easy either for the handset manufacturers. For example, Apple makes the iconic iPhone which uses the (iPhone operating system) as a result of which it is missing out on those who wants the operating system in their handsets.

Every handset maker, however, wanted to have their own operating system to cost reduction and develop their brand.

Some time ago, Sanjay Jha, chief executive officer, Motorola Mobility, said, if Motorola had more money, it would prefer to have its own operating system.

So one could expect that in future lot more options vis-&#225-vis operating systems is coming to the market.

But how would the handset manufacturers would cope with this stiff competition?

Let’s take a look at the Samsung’s case.

Samsung has a wide variety of phone models based on different operating systems including Android, Bada, Symbian, Windows Phone 7.

Apart from smartphones, Samsung has also some features phones with basic applications preferred by the users.

So a potential buyer has an array of options to choose from.

On the other hand, Apple uses the iOS platform in its iPhone, which limits its target market.

Samsung, according to a recent survey is the No 2 handset manufacturer in the world. But off late Apple has improved its position and is the fifth biggest phone maker by sales in 2010.

As the telecom sector turning competitive each day, it will be interesting to see how other handset makers respond to the situation.

1...4,6534,6544,655...4,772Page 4,654 of 4,772

© 2024 All Rights Reserved. The Mobile Indian.