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Skype’s low bandwidth version launched

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In a bid to make it accessible to a broad range of mobile users, Skype has launched a new low version of it in the market. It will enable telcos to offer the service even if they don’t offer services.

Known as Mobile Partner Program, the new Skype program is a simplified operator program that utilises a purpose built client/server solution.

The solution developed specifically for operators, enables use of Skype on a broad range of handsets including smartphones and ordinary feature phones. Optimised for efficient bandwidth usage, it keeps users connected with minimal impact on battery life and data usage.

Operators, using the program, can offer their customers a fast, easy Skype experience that runs on a range of OS platforms covering more than 100 different smartphone and feature phone handsets.
Through Skype, customers can make free calls and send instant messages to other Skype users. In addition, users can make calls to mobile phones and landlines virtually anywhere in the world at very low rates.
“We see a growing demand for differentiated services from mobile operators across the world,” said Russ Shaw, vice president and general manager of mobile at Skype. “Our mobile operator program will give operators in emerging markets the possibility to tap into the global Skype community while providing a great user experience on a variety of mobile handsets.”

Skype has been getting increasingly popular with users, and it recently hit the record number of 29,527,474 users logged into the Skype ecosystem simultaneously. With the popularity of Skype, the ability to communicate even in a low 3G penetration area, Skype is poised to grow further but it can only happen if service providers take full use of this program.

Now, gift your Uninor talktime to whom you like

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Uninor, a joint venture between Indian real estate giant Unitech and Telenor of Norway, has announced an exciting offering for all its customers in karnataka.

Uninor customers in Karnataka will now be able to transfer talktime from their phone to any other Uninor phone within the circle by just a single request.

Uninor users just need to initiate a request containing the number to which they want to transfer the balance and the amount which they want to transfer and the same amount will be transferred to the receivers account.

Announcing the service, Frode Haugen, executive vice president, Uninor Karnataka circle, said, “Talktime Transfer is another initiative from Uninor to support our customers so that they can stay connected with family and friends at all times. We are quite confident that this service will be extremely useful to subscribers and will help them stay in touch even with minimal balance.”

To request for balance transfer subscribers need to dial *201*<10digit Mobile Number>* # and to initiate the transfer subscribers need to dial *202*<10digit Mobile Number>* .

To complete the request a processing charge of Rs 2 will be deducted from the senders account along with the transferred amount. The users can use this service for up to a maximum of 7 times in a day while the transfer amount can be from Rs 5 to Rs 50.

MTS offers 50 per cent discounts on items on online recharge

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MTS customers can now avail whooping discounts upto 50 per cent on variety of products and services if they recharge their plans online.

The discounts, available on both voice and data tarrifs, include 20 to 50 per cent discounts on purchase of consumer electronics (like handsfree, mobile phones), travel packages, beauty services, restaurants to apparels and accessories.

Leonid Musatov, chief marketing officer, Sistema Shyam TeleServices Limited (SSTL), said, “We are constantly looking at initiatives which excite and delight MTS customers. Our latest initiative has been specially designed to offer great deals and discounts on a wide variety of products and services. The discounts on offer are on some of the top brands, exclusively made available to our loyal customers.”

Users can log onto www.mtsindia.in to recharge their mobile phone or mobile service and avail deals and discounts.

The deals include 20 per cent discount on purchase of select handsfree and mobile phones on a recharge value of upto Rs 500. For recharge of Rs 1000 to Rs 1500 users get a discount of 50 per cent on purchase of select Blackberry phones, pearl set, sunglasses and perfumes .

Similarly 30 per cent discount can be availed on phones, bags and jewelry when you recharge your phone for value between Rs 500 to Rs 700 and 40 per cent for recharge between Rs 700 to Rs 1000.

For this scheme MTS has partnered with www.rechargeitnow.com and www.benefitsplus.in. While Rechargeitnow offers deals and discounts on online recharge of mobile phone, and DTH service of several brands, Benefitsplus offers reward programs for corporate employee and loyalty programs.

To redeem the deal, MTS customers to pay in advance via internet and the product will be delivered at the specified address.

Handset Review: Nokia C7

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Nokia has recently launched the C7 mobile handset, expanding its much popular C-series.

Based on the latest version of Symbians, the Symbian^3 S60, the Nokia C7 boasts of some nice features, enough to keep the users happy.

To begin with, the C7 has a very sleek and stylish look, grabbing immediate attention of all those around you. Its body is made up of pure metal, that beside giving the C7 a sleeker look, adds some more years to its life.

The screen is protected by Gorilla glass which is very effective against minor knock outs. Furthermore, Nokia has provided a protective holster to the C7 to help protect it from scratches and occasional bruises.

The C7 has a 3.5 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen that provides greater detail and enhances color reproduction of images. The ambient light sensor works perfectly in tandem with the display and helps control display brightness and conserve battery life too.

Display is handled by Broadcom BCM2727 GPU, which is the same as the one used in the Nokia N8, which enhances graphics giving an upthurst to the overall gaming experience of the users.

The C7 has some striking similarities with the Nokia’s flagship smartphone the N8. Be it the display, or the operating system, all of these are same in both the phones and that describes the reason behind the performance that this device gives.

The C7 features all standards of (b/g/n to be more specific) and has 3.0 with advanced two-way data port or and supports faster file transfer speeds of up to 24 Mbps.

The C7 has a standard three-page home screen, which is user customizable of course, and the same old Symbian inside. The user interface is faster in terms of usage and perfectly complements the capacitive touch screen of the C7.

The handset has a very good sound clarity and call connectivity even while traveling. The C7 doesn’t disappoint either if you play music or FM radio on its loudspeakers.

A major drawback with the C7 is that it heats up quickly. But a silver line here is that it does not affect the overall performance of the phone.

Camera is another area of concern with the C7. Though, Nokia C7 has an 8 camera with a dual flash but sadly it comes with a fixed focus. Obviously this is done to save some space but the fixed focus affect the picture quality significantly.

Also, night photography is limited to 1-2 meter unless you are shooting in a brightly lit room.

Considering the configuration one would expect this phone to be a battery guzzler but it is not. It gives a battery backup better than expected. The battery last for up to 2 days with medium usage while for a day of heavy usage.

Overall the C7 comes out to be a good phone with some exception here and there. So if you are a true Nokia aficionado, and want a good smartphone without going overboard consider this on top of your list.

With a price tag of Rs 18,900 this phone makes an excellent value for money.

App Review: Bump

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Bump, an application that helps in transferring data from one phone to other, has launched its version for smartphone users. Developed originally for iPhones, the development is yet another instance of Android’s growing popularity.

The app, as the name suggests, requires you to bump your phone in to another one, literally the way you bump fists with pals to express your friendship!

As soon as you bump your phone with another, the Bump server recognises the connection and stores it for future reference.

Once the connection is established and stored on the Bump server, the two phones are then allowed unlimited data transfer via pictures, contacts and messages in the form of chats from anywhere in the world using any available Internet connection.

The latest version of the software allows users to bump phones having different operating systems too. So, using this app, one can bump an iPhone with an Android handset also.

Thus, it’s a must for those who have a long list of friends and are eager to share data a lot.

Why is Android so popular?

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In a very short time Google’s mobile operating system (OS) has become the number one choice for smartphones.

Google’s Android has overtaken Symbian and Windows mobile in terms of number of users. Research agencies across the world have confirmed this. But how did Android manage this in just a few years?

Android is free

Android, since the day it was launched, has been available free of cost and Google made it clear that it will be free in future as well. The caught the attention of manufacturers across the world and many initially adopted it for low cost smartphones.

Seeing the huge response of the buyers to the Android-based phones, many equipment manufacturers joined the league and more are joining every day. Therefore the free nature of this operating system help in reducing cost thereby helping buyers too.

Open source Android

Unlike other operating systems that are protected by lots of copyrights, Google chose to keep Android open for all. By doing this, the company got many programmers from around the globe to develop applications, while keeping its liabilities to a minimum. With many brains working on the system, newer and newer ideas were incorporated, which in turn helped in making Android a preferred choice.

Open for customisation

Unlike Windows or any other mobile operating system, device manufacturers are free to modify Android as per their needs. Users enjoy much needed flexibility and ease of use because manufacturers are now able to modify anything and everything they need to make the experience a pleasant one.

Large number of applications

Android Market created an opportunity for millions of application developers around the globe to show their skills and come up with newer applications for Android phones. Its users therefore have a wide variety of applications to choose from and can customise their phones for a personal experience.

Android opened numerous possibilities for both device manufacturers and application developers, while helping to reduce the cost of smartphones, thus making them accessible to the common man.
Today, Android smartphones such as Micromax Andro A60 are available at only Rs 6,500; and even high end phones, including Dell’s Venue, are available at about Rs 30,000.

Summing it up, Android has taken user experience to the next level while keeping the prices of smartphones well within the reach of the common man, and that is why Android has become the number one choice among smartphone users.

Now watch Zing music channel on your mobile

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Following the launch of Fashion TV on its mobile TV network a few weeks ago, Yamgo, a global mobile TV network provider, has announced Zing, a 24 hour music, lifestyle and entertainment channel of Zee Network.

Zing airs Bollywood hits, pop, retro, urban and bhangra music. Celebrity interviews, artist profiles, movie reviews, film premieres and Bollywood gossip are also on Zing’s genre list.

Sangraam Marathe, head of subscription and distribution at Zee Network Europe, said, “Since its inception Zing has made an enormous impact on the hearts and minds of the Asian television audience. Launching on the Yamgo TV network is an important and crucial step in reinforcing Zing as the world’s most popular Asian music and entertainment channel.”

The new channel can be viewed on any mobile device that support and has multimedia capabilities. It will be free on most mobile devices.

“It’s a great channel and we are delighted to have it on the Yamgo mobile TV network. We are leading the industry for free TV on the go and deliver the highest possible quality of service over the mobile network,” said Ian Mullins, chief executive officer and founder of Yamgo.

Yamgo mobile TV works even on slow GPRS and networks that offer speeds as low as 50 Kbps. To watch these channels users need to go to via their mobile browser.

Can NFC make mobile wallet a reality?

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Near Field Communication (NFC), which is expected to revolutionise mobile wallet, faces many challenges. Though only in the short term.

NFC is a short range wireless communication technology which allows communication between two devices up to 20 cm apart. needs chips, software and an OS platform such as to operate.

Franco Bernabe, the chairman of GSMA had said in a press statement that NFC will not only enable mobile payments but also services and applications such as mobile ticketing, mobile coupons, and access to cars, homes and hotels.

For the layman, NFC chips, when installed in a handset, enable a user to shop as he does with credit or debit cards. Also, it allows retailers to deliver an related to their business directly to mobile phones.

Users may not come across a lot of NFC opportunities right now as retailers will need to install expensive readers to enable the services, which they may be averse to doing as long as buyers prefer paying through credit or debit cards and cash.

NFC has three essential uses. One, it performs a credit card’s functions and copies its security aspects very well. Users just have to bring two NFC supporting devices near each other and the transaction is complete.

Another use of NFC is in peer-to-peer communication. If two phones are brought close to each other, they can communicate. It is different from because with NFC there is no need to pair devices to each other.

Even though some buyers are not entirely comfortable with the idea of paying with their mobile phones, the slew of news reports and announcements made at the recently held Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2011 in Barcelona indicate that NFC is being adopted by smartphone makers with great speed, and this may make NFC mainstream very soon.

NFC can also be used by retailers to deliver apps related to their business directly to mobile phones. Once an app has been noticed, retailers may benefit from continuous association with users.

Also at the GSMA Mobile World Congress, where NFC was a dominant theme, handset vendors such as Nokia, Samsung, RIM and Motorola said they will ship large volumes of smartphones this year to support NFC. Apple is also rumoured to be working on an NFC-enabled iPhone.

Want to know more about a keyword? Just SMS!

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To satiate the hunger for round the clock access to information, a free and easy instant platform called txtWeb has been launched in India.

txtWeb provides access to a variety of information in the form of an SMS. This information can be about the weather, cricket, movie show timings and so forth. Currently, consumers can get updates on their mobiles from a wide range of over 450 keywords.

To get information, you need to send a keyword in an SMS to 9243342000, and latest information on that topic will be delivered to your phone within seconds.

Users can SMS keywords such as Cricbuzz to get latest cricket scores; Wikipedia Hindi to get the Wikipedia entry on Hindi language or Stocktip to get latest stock tips and trends.

txtWeb is like an SMS-based browser. It is much more accessible than web browsers on computers as anyone with a feature phone can use it. You don’t have to pay anything beyond standard SMS fare to access the service.

The service is especially useful to people using basic phones that don’t have internet access. It is also good in the Indian situation where network congestion makes mobile internet a slow and unreliable experience.

txtWeb also has a website where you can find keywords and related information.

Currently, txtWeb has 20,000 unique mobile users, making 40,000 service requests each day. This platform is witnessing rapid adoption, with its user base currently doubling every 15 days.

Samsung launches Chat 322 and 335 dual SIM Qwerty phones

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Samsung has launched two phones, the Chat 322 and Chat 335, which the company hailed as the “smart phones”.

These phones come with keypads, mail, instant messenger and native SNS (social networking services) clients like Facebook and Twitter.

The handsets also features optical track pad, Active Sync (Push Mail App) and Smart Homescreen, which enables the user to create shortcuts, buddy lists and live ticker feeds from Facebook and Twitter.

Announcing the launch, Ranjit Yadav, country head, mobile and IT, Samsung India Electronics said, “Consumers increasingly want to stay connected with friends and family through SNS, IM (instant messenger) and messaging while being on the move. “

He further added, “These new Qwerty phones from Samsung meet their needs through convenient messaging features and at the same time offer differentiated features like Optical track pad, ActiveSync or the Dual standby feature (Chat 322) that make them stand out from other messaging phones. ”

Samsung Chat 322 is the first Samsung messaging phone to offer a Qwerty keypad with Dual SIM. The phone comes with a dedicated SIM switch key which allows the users to block one of the SIMs if required. This feature will be quite handy for those users who while do not want to use a particular SIM or want to switch of the SIM they use during the office hours.

The integration of social networking features in the home screen is a smart move. It offer customisable shortcut toolbar that allows quick access to favourite apps, a buddy list that displays photo IDs of best friends to call, mail or and a Personal Info Management (PIM) tracker that gives information on calendar based schedules, events etc.

The Smart Homescreen also supports live ticker feeds from the native Facebook and Twitter clients for instant updates from friends.

Samsung Chat 322 offers users direct access to SNS links to 6 popular Social Networking portals MySpace, Orkut, Flicker etc. Moreover, the mobile is equipped with ActiveSync (Push Mail for Google), easy email set up for other popular mail IDs and popular Instant Messengers like Yahoo, MSN and GTalk.

It comes with a 3.5mm audio jack, 1.3 camera, 2.2″ display and FM radio. The phone has a 1000mAH battery offering a long talk time of upto 12 hours and 49 minutes, and standby time upto 588 hours, a 45 user memory which is expandable upto 8GB. The Samsung Chat 322 is priced at Rs 4,990, this price is the MRP so expect it to be less when you go to buy it.

Samsung Chat 335, on the other hand, is slightly advanced version of the 322, with a bigger 2.4″ LQVGA (320 x 240 pixel) TFT LCD display, WiFi, 2.1 and 2.

Other enhancements include multi-media features like a 3.5 mm audio jack, a 2 MP camera and Find Music feature that helps in identifying music playing from any source for the artist or song name.

Rest of the features remains the same as the Chat 322. The Samsung Chat is competitively priced at Rs 5,800.

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