Reliance Communications (RCom) today announced the launch of its next generation 3G mobile and data services in four cities namely Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chandigarh.
The pan India operator is the second private operator after Tata Docomo to launch the services in the country.
3G services in the remaining nine circles where the operator has won the spectrum, will be launched in the next three months and expects to have a pan India footprint by the end of next year.
Mahesh Prasad, President, Reliance Communications said, “We are talking to like minded partners to make the 3G services available pan India by the end of next year.”
Reliance customers can now have access to various 3G enabled applications namely Mobile TV, Video Streaming, faster data speeds etc. Reliance 3G network is capable of offering speed of up to 28 Mbps.
As of now video calling facility is not available for RCom subscribers due to absence of government clearance, however, the company is hopeful that it will get the clearance in a few day. The tariffs for video calls will be announced subsequently.
RCom’s mobile TV offering will include over 120 channels and will be supported by electronic programme guide. The prices have not been announced.
Mobile subscribers currently availing RCom’s 2G services and have a 3G enabled device will automatically upgraded to the 3G network. While voice tariffs remain the same, data service tariffs will vary depending on whether services are used on mobile phone or through the dongles.
The operator has tie ups with Nokia for devices and applications and Getjar and Ericsson for applications.
RCom launches 3G services in metros, Chandigarh
Tata DOCOMO and Sony Music come together with ‘Michael’
Michael is the flavour of the season as far as the mobile companies are concerned. Tata Docomo in partnership with Sony Music has launched the keenly anticipated album from Michael Jackson, called “Michael” for its subscribers.
Rishi Mohan Malhotra, head value added services, Tata Docomo said, “Our customers will have the exclusive privilege rights to listen to his last few recorded songs, even before the launch of the album in India.”
This album carries 10 tracks which are likely to be a treat for the fans of Michael Jackson. It also includes Hold My Hand, a duet with R&B singer Akon, which was recorded in 2007.
A handwritten note by Michael Jackson indicates that he desired this song to be the first single in his subsequent project, but the song leaked out, still unfinished in 2008. Akon recently completed the production of Hold My Hand and that version of the song and nine other tracks from the album “Michael” are now available for Tata Docomo subscribers for downloading.
The Tata DOCOMO subscribers can access Michael’s songs through call me tunes, my song, full songs, videos, wallpapers and ringtones. All these services can be accessed on 55500 by paying a nominal charge of two paisa per second. Users can also set the call me tunes by sending an SMS MJ to 55500. This SMS is toll free for the users.
This is the first posthumous release after the legendary singer passed away. Tata Docomo has got a first mover advantage with the release of this album though Nokia also attempted to pull off a similar feat, by offering a free download of just one track ‘Hold My Hand’ to its users through Nokia Ovi music store. Ovi Store is accessible to internet enabled Nokia phones.
Is there enough space for Nokia’s MeeGo?
The ambitious Linux based operating system (OS) from Nokia and Intel, MeeGo, had seemed to hit a roadblock since there was very little information about it in the market. Interest in the OS increased after a recent event organised by Intel in Moscow, especially since the Intel official allowed journalists to take pictures of a prototype smartphone and tablet.
People could not figure out much about the tablet just by its appearance except that it looks like the iPad, but a glimpse of the smartphone revealed more.
Toward a new MeeGo ecosystem
As of now, the game seems to be open only to quick movers in the market because the marketplace may change beyond recognition between the time when an idea is conceptualised and when it is implemented. The vision is to give developers a platform to create applications which can be marketed through Intel’s AppUp Center and Nokia’s Ovi Store.
Access apps from any device
With the new ecosystem in place, users will be able to access their applications from any device running MeeGo OS, which could be tablets or smartphones. However, whether this ecosystem will work or not has still to be seen since there are many players aiming for the same segment including Apple and Google. Therefore, it is difficult to predict how much ground will be open for MeeGo.
Probable Nokia smartphone features
The phone reportedly comes equipped with an Intel Atom processor and, of course, the MeeGo OS. Its other notable features are a 5.0 mega Pixel camera, WVGA resolution screen and a camera for video calls. The OS itself sports faster boot time, supports Flash and provides easier access to social networking websites. It is also reportedly more secure because of the Linux legacy.
There is already some talk that Nokia N9 will be the first device featuring this new OS. It is also rumored to have features of N8 and more.
Best and worst case scenarios for MeeGo
It was reported in February this year that Intel and Nokia decided to merge Maemo and Moblin on a Linux based platform to come up with an OS that would work well with major devices including netbooks, laptops and phones. In the best case scenario, MeeGo may be adopted by a wide range of companies including developers, software vendors, device manufacturers and network operators.
It’s true that as a project, MeeGo is relatively young. However, it is based on established and mature technology that first saw the light of day in 2005 as something called Maemo. Given the fact that MeeGo is from Nokia, which still controls close to 50 per cent of the mobile phone market, and Intel which is the biggest in terms of processors for PCs, the likelihood of success is decent.
However, Android and iOS have already established themselves and Nokia and Intel will have to ensure that MeeGo delivers a better experience to the end user and a better deal to developers who are crucial in nurturing the ecosystem.
Opera Software launches Opera Mini for Samsung Galaxy S
According to an Opera Software announcement, the Opera Mini mobile Browser will now come preloaded on Galaxy S smartphones. The browser will be pre installed on the smartphone in select markets initially, and can also be downloaded from Opera’s website.
Samsung has been one of the top partners for Opera since 2006, launching numerous Opera-powered handsets. Now Opera Mini, which is among the fastest and most popular browsers, can bring a smooth web browsing experience to Samsung’s Galaxy S.
Opera Mini performs efficiently on mobile devices because it can compress web pages by about 90 per cent, thus initiating them to load faster. The data load is also drastically reduced, which means lower browsing costs for users (especially useful when the user is roaming). Opera Mini already boasts of having 76.3 million monthly users across the world.
However, some users exposed to other operating systems and browsers suggest that while Opera Mini is faster than Internet Explorer Mobile, it is not comprehensive or detailed like Skyfire is.
The good part of Opera Mini is that the address bar can be accessed directly in Opera Mini whereas accessing the address bar on the Android browser is a cumbersome process.
RCom, Airtel showcase 3G services at India Telecom 2010
There has been a lot of hoopla surrounding the launch of 3G services by private operators in India. While Tata Docomo has already launched 3G, other operators will soon follow suit and are currently promoting and advertising their third generation networks.
Two operators, Reliance Communications and Airtel, have exhibited their 3G services at the ongoing India Telecom Summit 2010 and these include video calling and live mobile TV.
Reliance mobile TV currently has around 60 channels of which 16 are news channels and 32 are regional.
Airtel too put up an exhibition of its 3G services. The company’s Mobile TV includes 110 channels at present and is growing.
Mobile TV enables the transmission of on demand, recorded and live television content to a mobile phone. Mobile operators can either broadcast or stream content to users’ handsets.
While streaming, low Bandwidth causes the mobile TV experience to be hindered if multiple handsets are accessing the same program at the same time. In a normal scenario there are several players who work in the mobile TV business, such as content and broadcast companies, mobile service providers, infrastructure providers, handset manufacturers and technology providers. All these companies work together to enable TV on mobile phones.
Neither Airtel nor RCom divulged when they’ll launch 3G services. It seems we’ll just have to wait and watch.
mig33 for Android
mig33, a mobile based social networking and entertainment application is now available for Android devices.
mig33 has 40 million registered users and wants to tap the Android space for further growth. With the launch of low cost Android phones such as Micromax A60, the company is looking at a big Android market in emerging markets such as India.
The Android version of mig33 will provide games, chat features, virtual goods and other social entertainment services on any Android mobile. The company also plans to pre install its App on new Android mobile devices manufactured by handset makers in China, Taiwan and beyond. mig33 will offer a share of revenue to device manufacturers who pre install the app on their devices.
“In our world, an Android customer and a mig33 fan are veritable soul mates, and this will become only more true in coming months,” said Steven Goh, the chief executive officer and co-founder of mig33. “Both are social, savvy, mobile centric, and entertainment oriented, and both are just as likely to prize value as higher-end devices.”
Sharing contacts is simpler with the iPhone app My Name is E
Mobile phone users will identify with the hassle of sharing contact details with each other. Although the world is full of tech savvy people, they still exchange contact details the old fashioned way, using small bits of paper which either get misplaced or make their way to digital storage through mobile phones or digital diaries, which are also outdated methods.
It becomes even more difficult when you have to share contact details with many people in quick succession. However, once you have the iPhone App My Name is E, the whole process will become unexpectedly simple. The only condition is that people exchanging contact information will need to be in physical proximity of one another.
How My Name is E is used
Users just have to download the iPhone app (yes, it’s free), and open it on their phone when they are near other people who have the same app installed on their phone. Users can exchange contact information when another app user’s name pops up on the phone’s screen. Even people who don’t have iPhones can get contact information through the app by an email that is sent from My Name is E itself.
Flaunt all profiles seamlessly
The makers of My Name is E first made a good impression in the market in The Next Web Rising Sun Startup Competition 2009. Today the service is available both as an iPhone app and on the internet. It also helps users connect their social networking profiles (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other networks) with the contacts in its phone book seamlessly and without the hassle of exchanging physical card.
Where did I meet him?
The app even displays location where you met someone so that you don’t have to worry about being unable to place the people you meet. My Name is E is extremely useful for those users who are constantly bombarded with numerous business cards.
Other options
For those who do not have a mobile phone, My Name is E is also available as a USB connector similar to Poken. Alternative iPhone apps include SnapDat, beamME, FreeContact, myCard Free, Fliq, HandShake and Dub.
Latest Apple OS supports new technology to reduce network congestion
If network congestion, call drops and poor battery life are problems you face with your smartphone, the Network Controlled Fast Dormancy (NCFD) technology has good news for you.
With this feature, the network and handset work together to create the best conditions for smartphones to work fast while minimising network congestion and preserving battery life.
Tests conducted by Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) have revealed that Apple’s latest iPhone software supports NCFD.
The problem, believes NSN, lies in the numerous signals that smartphones generate. When a smartphone is left unused for some time, it goes into idle state. Then when someone wants to use it, the device has to exchange about 30 signals with the network before it becomes active again.
Also, applications such as those used for checking email, updating one’s Facebook status, or posting the latest game score online, need the smartphone to connect to the network every few seconds, which could cause network congestion and reduce battery life.
NCFD technology works by keeping smartphones in a state called Cell_PCH. In this state smartphones use no more power than they do while in Idle state and then need to communicate only between three and 12 signals to become active again. Fewer signals mean that the smartphone can become active within half a second while reducing network congestion.
Apart from that, elimination of extra signaling activity results in the smartphone’s battery lasting longer.
Vodafone launches 3G webpage
Vodafone Essar has launched a dedicated 3G page on its website that will address subscribers’ queries and concerns regarding this third generation network.
The telecom operator had won 3G spectrum in ten circles of Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh (E) and West Bengal. It plans to roll out services in the first half of 2011.
The 3G page on its website gives an overview of what this technology is and what it can do. It also answers FAQs related to 3G and has a section where subscribers can register for 3G services. The page also enables mobile phone users to check whether their device is compatible with 3G.
This it does by maintaining a list of 173 handset brands. However, to our surprise, the list has skipped a few big local handset manufacturers such as Micromax, Lava and Lemon Mobiles.
Vodafone isn’t the first operator to create a 3G webpage. Tata Docomo had unveiled a website called 3glife.com, which is dedicated to informing consumers about the benefits of 3G. The home page features a global 3G live stream that captures everything being said about 3G on the internet. Integrated across Twitter, Facebook, thousands of blogs, forums and news sites, it provides a real time conversation cloud around 3G.
Similarly, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Communications also have launched 3G pages on their websites.
Andy Rubin: 300,000 Android phones are activated every day
Andy Rubin, vice president Google, has said in his latest tweet that Google is activating 300,000 Android phones every day. Despite having its fair share of doubters and cynics, Android is fast emerging as a big player in the mobile space.
The Android phones available in India fall in a wide price range of Rs 5000 to Rs 36,000 which means a consumer with a decent budget may find a suitable model for himself (or herself).
Sharp jump in activations
Way back in August, Eric Schmidt had made a statement at the Techonomy Conference that 200,000 Android phones were being sold every day. These figures were disputed by Steve Jobs who indicated may be the company (he didn’t mention the name) was also counting upgrade figures in its activations.
New activations, no upgrades
Google later clarified the figures were completely new activations every day. The latest tweet from Andy Rubin removes all the doubt about new activation figures of Android devices. From the revenue point of view, it is believed Google doesn’t make money directly on the sale of Android handsets, rather its revenue comes from advertising sales which it also gets similarly through iPhone.
Numerous Android options
In the last year, numerous devices, including tablets and smartphones, have been launched which run on various versions of Android OS.
Motorola’s hugely successful Droid sparked off a chain of successful follow up products.
At the same time, HTC was also coming out with successful Android based handsets. The other Android products that came into the market were Galaxy tablet and Dell Streak.
The major Android phones available in India come from Motorola, HTC, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, Dell, LG, Acer, Videocon, Garmin Asus, Spice and Micromax.