Martin Fortus asked:


Close but not Quite Perfection

With mobile phones looking to narrow the gap all the time between themselves and the dedicated PDA handsets on the market – the Apple iPhone springs to mind – manufacturers like Research In Motion (RIM) are having to try even harder to make their products stand out. Enter the new Blackberry 8300 Curve, with a host of new features yet, surprisingly, some glaring ones too.

The fact this new Blackberry has come out so soon after the 8800 model says everything there is to know about just how good mobile phones are at the moment – RIM is obviously worried about the diminishing market. However, PDA’s like the Blackberry 8300 Curve can still offer some features mobile phones can’t, and it’s these features that make this such an exciting product.

The main difference between this model and the recently released 8800 is that the Curve is a lot slimmer. In fact, with the change in size that RIM has given the Blackberry 8300, you’d be forgiven for thinking that you’re holding a normal mobile phone in your hand. The only thing that gives it away is the standard QWERTY keyboard just below the large display screen.

Design-wise, the 8300 Curve benefits from a black and silver colour scheme, which offers it just the right amount of futuristic styling that PDA users seem to love. It’s extremely lightweight as well, at least for a PDA, and is full 1.5 ounces lighter than the Treo. It feels good to hold as well, thanks to the small addition of rubber grips on the side, making it feel more secure and less prone to slipping from your grip.

A neat little trick is that the 2.5-inch screen has sensors that detect what the lighting conditions are like. Too dark or too bright, and the Blackberry 8300 will automatically adjust the brightness and contrast. This makes it a lot easier to navigate your icon-driven menus, and is a definite step in the right direction, not just for Blackberry but PDA’s and mobile phones in general.

Unlike some similar models, the screen isn’t touch-sensitive; however, there is a little trackball nub that you use to move around the screen. Using the keyboard is a lot easier on this model as well, with RIM reverting back to the larger spaces between each of the QWERTY keyboard elements. The smart screen allows pictures taken on the 2.0meag-pixel camera to look just that little bit sharper, especially if you compare pictures from an equivalent specced mobile phone camera. However, there’s still no video playback option.

If there is one thing that stops the Blackberry 8300 Curve from being almost perfect, it’s that it’s not a 3G unit. This seems almost criminal when you look at the features it does come with, yet for some reasons, RIM haven’t seen fit to supply the 8300 with 3G features. There’s no Wi-Fi support either, and again it seems like a missed opportunity. It does make up for this a little by being quad-band, but Wi-Fi would have been nicer.

Yet the Blackberry has always been about its office suite and more professional approach than a mere mobile phone can offer. In that respect, it doesn’t disappoint at all.

Dave Text asked:


Smart phones are mobile phones with computer-like features making them versatile to substitute a plethora of devices. For manufacturers they are about design and software, for users they are about functionality.

Smart phones are mobile phones with advanced features, generally combining standard communications capabilities with rich data applications and enhanced connectivity. As such, smart phones have as much in common with computers as they do with mobile phones. Smart phones often have fully enhanced applications that allow them to perform tasks that are above and beyond the functions of a regular mobile phone that us supplemented only by sandboxed applications. For the manufacturers such as Nokia, Samsung, Sony-Ericcson, Blackberry, Motorola, BenQ, LG and Apple, they are a question of design and software.

The IBM Simon was the first smart phone made commercially available in 1993. It was designed by IBM in collaboration with Bellsouth, introducing it first as a concept product in a computer trade show held in Las Vegas, Nevada, circa 1992. Simon combined the features of a mobile phone, a pager, a PDA and a fax machine, with the following specific applications: calendar, address book, world clock, calculator, notepad, e-mail, a sending and receiving fax, and games. Users could navigate through these applications by an on-screen “predictive” QWERTY keyboard.

By today’s technological advance of smart phones, the Simon would be fairly along the lower end of the spectrum. Smart phones presently have a general versatility to substitute a plethora of devices, handheld or otherwise. Any present-day smart phone may be a datebook or planner, a Web browser, an MP3 player, a video and/or still camera, an FM radio tuner, an audio recorder, or a GPS navigator, among others. Additionally, modern smart phones have enhanced connectivity with the use of Bluetooth and Infrared technology, and even wireless Internet capability for high-end models. These technologies help smart phones connect to other devices such as other phones or computers.

For the end-users, smart phones are all about functionality. The looks of the phone help as recent models are sleeker and more appealing to the eye, however for smart phone connoisseurs, the main selling point is still the number of things it can do.

Smart phones have become a necessity for a great many individuals, particularly those who spend a great deal of time away from their homes and/or offices. The main target market for smart phones are professionals who need constant and regular access to e-mails, pertinent files as well appointment books and contact details. Executives are often inseparable from their smart phones as it contains a great deal of their work life. With recent developments in onboard multimedia features, smart phones have also become media players for those constantly on the road as well as tools for people in the creative field who need regular access to media playing and media capturing devices.

Prospective buyers should consider that purchasing a smart phone is not just about the latest model, the sleekest look or the price of the model. The smart phone should fit the demands of that buyers’ life, enabling them to maximize the use of the phone and complementing their everyday demands.

Certain smart phone models may not have all the latest applications or the most modern operating system, but its capabilities may fit the needs and requirements of a professional photographer or a yuppy. A certain model may not have sufficient memory to hold a large number of documents but its versatility and speed in performing other tasks may make it a necessary tool in someone’s life.

Whatever the case may be, smart phones are only as good as their owners. Once a user decides to pick up one type of smart phone and that smart phone fits the user’s needs perfectly then that makes it a very useful phone.

Christophe Catesson asked:


Company Overview

Verizon Wireless prides itself in being the most profitable mobile carrier in the US. Based in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, it has a strong population of about 70 million customers. Its customer loyalty and low churn are notable as it continues to expand its network coverage across the country.

Prepaid Plans

Verizon Wireless has three INpulse plans that cater to your prepaid needs. The Core plan costs 10 cents per minute and the daily access charge is only 99 cents. You only pay this access charge on the days you use the service and IN calling, calling between Verizon phones, is unlimited. The INpulse Plus has a daily access charge of $1.99 on the days you use the phone. It includes unlimited IN calling and night minutes from 9:01 pm to 5:59 am. All other calls have a rate of 5 cents per minute. The Power plan is for $2.99 and it offers unlimited calls anytime of the day.

Pros and Cons

The INpulse plan gives a lot of savings especially if you choose the Power plan which allows unlimited calling for only $2.99 per day of use. But while many other providers do not charge an activation fee, activating a Verizon Wireless phone costs $25.

Features

Minutes

The rate per minute depends on the Inpulse plan that you subscribe to. The standard charge is 10 cents and it is available with the Core plan. But if you choose the highest plan which is the Inpulse Power, you get to have unlimited calling anytime at no additional charge.

Data

Mobile web access rate is 99 cents on the days you use this service.

Text and picture

The Core plan charges 10 cents per message sent and received. The Plus plan rates at 5 cents and the Power plan charges only 2 cents. The same charges apply when receiving international text messages but sending costs 25 cents. There are two options for unlimited messaging: $20 per month which includes unlimited messaging to any network in the US and $10 per month for unlimited messaging to any Verizon Wireless phones plus 250 text messages to any network. Sending pictures and videos has a rate of 25 cents per message.

International

Verizon Wireless covers international calling. This charges an additional rate on top of the per minute rate of your INpulse plan. You may call customer service to check the international calling rates to specific countries. Calling Puerto Rico has no additional charge.

Calling Features

The Verizon Wireless INpulse plans include standard calling features: call waiting, three-way calling, call forwarding and caller ID.

Long distance

Verizon has a nationwide coverage that allows calling to anywhere in the US and even Puerto Rico at no additional charge.

911

Yes.

Payment Options

You can purchase refill cards online using your credit/debit card or check. Cash payment is an additional option when purchasing at Verizon retailers.

Roaming charge

In areas where there is no Verizon signal, you can roam at a rate of 20 cents per minute on top of the casual airtime charges.

Activation fee

Activating the Pay As You Go service may require a $25 activation fee.

Minute expiration rules

The service period vary depending on the denomination of the refill card you purchase: $15-$29.99 expires in 30 days, $30-$74.99 expires in 60 days, $75-$99.99 expires in 90 days and $100 or more lasts for up to one year.

Customer Service

You may reach the Verizon Wireless customer service through email, toll-free number or speed dial from your handset.

Phones

Verizon Wireless offers a wide range of phone selections from regular flip phones to touch screen phones to PDAs and Blackberry devices. Some models include the Blackberry Pearl 8130, Blackberry 8830 World Edition, Motorola Q, Palm Centro and the LG Voyager.

Jason Parker asked:


Before release, everyone anticipated the iPhone with restlessness, and then with great reviews under its belt, the gadget became the center of attention in today’s high-tech universe. What’s funny to me is that everyone’s pointing out only the upsides of the iPhone (probably because they want to sell it to you). I believe the iPhone is very neat, but is it worth the money or a rip-off? That’s what I’m here to tell you.

One major downside and complaint of the Apple iPhone is its battery’s life. Because of the high-tech features such as multi-touch technology, revolutionary sensors, and nearly the same operating system as in the Mac, the battery is drained easily. Truth is Apple released the iPhone before creating a top-tier battery.

iPhone exclusively using AT&T’s Edge is yet another major complaint. The data network is sluggish compared to other more developed networks today. Apple has claimed this feature isn’t a major drawback, well, because the gadget had been designed to be notorious about receiving broadband connection via Wi-Fi Hotspots. Simply, the network is slower than what you’re used to with your computer.

The iPhone doesn’t support the sophisticated 3G technology for no particular reason. It’s a mystery. MMS functions aren’t even provided in the iPhone. Nor are voice dialing or recording. This means that it’s only a dual-band mobile phone.

Tackling messaging, there is no instant messaging. Therefore, you’ll have to stick to plain and simple e-mails. This can be a drag in the business setting. And what makes matters worse, you can’t copy and paste important data.

The iPhone doesn’t have a memory slot at all. Apple claims there is sufficient built in memory, yet consumers today expect to have the feature of external memory. Therefore, Bluetooth capabilities are weak an do not support file transfers or A2DP. Again I ask, what use does the iPhone have for businesspeople?

Okay. I’m being a little harsh. The Apple iPhone is still the best handheld phone on the market, but that doesn’t mean there’s not room for improvement. It’s possible Apple is saving the upgrades for the next addition of the iPhone.

The iPhone has revolutionary features as said previously. We’ve never seen anything like it, but is it in comparison worth the money? If you need the best there is then possibly. It’s a nice toy but may not be as valuable as priced.

The gadget’s value also depends on what you’ll be using it for. If you’re a businessman, you might want to stick to your current PDA until the Apple iPhone is upgraded. If you’re looking for the most high-tech, hottest toy on the market that you can use to surf the internet anywhere (for entertainment purposes) it may be worth the investment for you.

Apple did quite well with the iPhone. Note that this article is only about the downsides. Of course, there are many perks you should know before deciding whether to get the iPhone.

Wait! Did I mention you’re stuck with a two-year contract if you buy the iPhone?

Bruce Orr asked:


This may be the year when the convergence of hardware, software and consumer behaviour makes a business’ ability to be found through local search an online marketing necessity. The importance of having a business web page that ranks for local search terms on Google, Yahoo!, MSN and the plethora of other search engines that drive Internet commerce is particularly pronounced for small, local businesses that compete for the foot traffic that pass their storefronts in competitive marketplaces.

The hardware that is driving this convergence and fuelling the emergence of local search as a business-critical issue for small business is the new-generation of handheld mobile phones and PDAs – particularly Apple’s iPhone, the next-and-latest version of which is being rolled out in 22 countries July 11th. The software is search engine giant, Google’s Google Maps and the similar mapping applications on the other search engines.

More and more consumers, particularly in the youngest and most coveted marketing demographics, are using smart phone technology as a preferred method for searching the Internet. Typically, the products and services these young and mobile consumers are searching for online are local products and services – be it a coffee shop, a live entertainment venue, a clothing shop or any of the other myriad goods and services that are advertised both online and off.

Google is set as the default web browser on Apple’s iPhone, and the iPhone is the leader in smart phones – a position that is only likely to be enhanced when the next generation of iPhone comes onto the market in July. Google has long been the hands-down leader in Internet search. The synergy of having the world’s leading search engine as the default setting on the world’s most popular smart phone gives a huge impetus to the emergence of mobile search as the rising tide in small business marketing. Already, Google – thanks to its collaboration with Apple – is riding the rising tide of mobile search. In the first quarter of 2008, Google captured 61% of the mobile search market, while Yahoo! raked in an 18% share and third-place MSN accounted for only 5% of mobile searches, according to survey numbers from Nielsen Mobile. This, of course, leaves a paltry 16% market share for all other search engines combined.

As more and more smart phones come to market with advanced Internet search capabilities and GPS functions hoping to cash in on the market already dominated by the iPhone (and RIM’s BlackBerry line for business-types), Google’s dominance of local search and mobile search is likely to be cast in stone. Accordingly, for small businesses who wish to turn web traffic that is already searching for products and services online into foot traffic that will drive customers to and into their storefronts, having an online presence that will rank on Google becomes ever more important.

Survey results from Nielson/NetSurvey, in conjunction with marketing firm WebVisible, indicate that 86% of all Internet users in 2008 search for local products and services online. This number is up from the 70% of Internet users who were conducting online local searches in 2007. Significantly for small, local businesses whose focus is their company’s storefront, rather than an online business, the Nielson results show that 90% of the transactions that are initiated through online local searches are completed offline.

Thus, the importance of local search, mobile search and an effective online business profile for small businesses that are seeking to stay competitive in an increasingly crowded and digital marketplace. And, hence, the importance of Google Maps, perhaps the chief software application that is refining and defining the race for local business web pages that rank well in search engine – read Google – results. Google Maps gives the potential customer who is searching for a local product or service on the fly from his or her mobile handset the maps and directions that specify where the products and services can be purchased in the geographic locale where the customer is.

There are a multitude of 200+ factors that are constantly being tweaked by Google to determine a specific page’s ranking, and over 45 factors that are used to determine a site’s specific local ranking. Optimizing the on-site and off-site factors that determine a web page’s ranking and local search ranking is no easy feat. Yet, at a minimum, small businesses will want to have a web page that sets out there products and services, and to register that site with Google’s local business listings so that they can tap into the web traffic that is increasingly turning into foot traffic thanks to the emergence of mobile search and its convergence with smart phone technology.

andy tao asked:


If you have decided that you want a PDA (personal digital assistant) then there are many characteristics that can influence that decision. You have to do your research in order to get the best deal based on your requirements and budget. If you shop around and get advice from the professionals you will be sure to get a good deal!

First you should identify what you need from your PDA, if you want a basic one to write word documents then you don’t need to splash out on a top of the range device costing you a small fortune. Make sure that the PDA you are buying can cater for all your needs, ask to have a test run of it to make sure you can operate is easily enough and that it has all of the necessary features you require.

It would be ideal if you can set a budget prior to buying as the price can range drastically depending on the level and sophistication of the technology used. You can buy many additional pieces of software to boost the performance of your PDA, you can also get applications which will enable you to use your PDA as a satellite navigation, TV, radio and many more useful devices.

If you are having trouble in finding the perfect device you can always seek advice from professionals who will be able to guide you in the right direction. Always ask your friends and family who have their own personal digital assistants to see how they found them as there is no better information than people who have used them in the past.

Once you have found the specific model you want you then have the choice of where to get it from, when considering this you have to put the price into the equation and the customer service. Most people will put the price first and buy it from the cheapest place available, this is good but in the unfortunate event of a failure you would wish you went for a more reputable company if you receive bad customer service. This is why many people often pick static shops over internet stores as they can take it back into the shop easier.