PXylem

NEW DELHI,INDIA


The rumour mill is catching up with the news of search engine Google launching its own mobile phone. We all know Google products are now available in some selected models of the mobile phone manufacturers. Google has so far maintained silence over the whole issue. But still seeing the amount of buzz., it cannot be denied forthrightly of the possibilities of a Google phone launch.

When search giant Google roar, the e-world reverberates. But this time the virtual world is responding feverishly with the buzz that Google is launching its own mobile phone, the G-Phone. So far, Google has denied that they are planning out any such things in the near future.

But the reports pouring out in the public domain are carrying all indications that Google has its own plan to play in this segment of mobile phone manufacturing. It was reported that Google is currently in talks with India's first and third largest telecos, Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar, concerning the Google Phone. Nevertheless, it is not confirmed it is one another favorite mobile rumor or one having vital information.

Again, if one goes by the report of Rediff's India Abroad, Google has plans to invest $7-8 billion in its telephony plot. On this Google executives are mum all saying that the company is committed to providing users with access to the world's information, and mobile becomes more important to those efforts every day.

And as per the reports from both the BBC and The Wall Street Journal, it was noted that Google has outrightly refused to deny the handset rumors; rather, it simply reiterated that its users and partners are saying that they want Google search and Google applications on mobile, and it is working hard every day to deliver that.

And in this venture - providing Google search and Google applications on mobile - LG Electronics (LG), a leading worldwide provider of advanced wireless handsets and accessories, announced a global collaboration to pre-install Google’s services on millions of LG mobile phones. The features of LG-Google handsets include: Google Maps, Gmail, and Blogger Mobile.

Adding fuel to the rumour fire came from another report stating that HTC is being tapped to build a Linux-based Gphone to be launched on T-Mobile in the US in early 2008, with Orange getting the exclusive in France and other countries.

In an attempt to quell rumors of a Google phone. Richard Kimber, Google's South-East Asia managing director of sales and operations, says that Google is obviously investing in the software side of things, but that it has no interest in entertaining the crowded handset market.

Google CEO Eric Schmidt has even waxed rhapsodic about the possibilities of free handsets subsidized by Google ads. As always, rumorus are just rumours, till than we have to wait and see, but it's hard to ignore the amount of buzz that the Gphone's/ Googlephone is been getting. Even if the rumour wheel rotates in right direction and it becomes the truth, releasing a Googlephone would be a huge step for them, since ultimately Google's goal shouldn't be to have its own phone, but rather to be on every phone.

Steps to be taken on the subscribers and the telecomm operators part

NEW DELHI,INDIA

So far I have lost three mobile phones; one good thing about this is that I didn’t find any of them coming in my hand again. Well, one more thing that I have discovered - all have been stolen from my custody.

No doubt I have lost many things from sweetheart to honey money, to old-and-gold friends. But I have found them someway or the other way in one corner or the other in my life. The sorry part of the story is that I did not encounter these gadgets which had been occupying once one part of my life.

Every time I lost my mobile phone I keep on thinking a call would come saying – is this your mobile phone? Please collect it from me. It has never happened, and perhaps would ever occur.

I have seen stolen money being recovered, the product of one’s life educational marksheets being given to the owner. But I have never seen or heard a mobile phone being recovered. Why one lost mobile phone doesn’t surface back? Where it goes after parting from the owner?

It is not that all my mobile phones were high-end gadgets from Nokia 9**** series smartphones or Nseries multimedia computer series. They were simple gadgets with simple functionalities. The Finnish mobile giant describes those sets in the ultrabasic series. I have lost two sets of Nokia 1110 and one set of 1600 model.

These twos models are not more than Rs 2000. It is very surprising whoever has got fell in love with it and did not care to call me up. He didn’t even care this may be the gadget of a poor man soul, one’s last breathe.

This time when I lost my Nokia 1600 on that un-fateful day I was about to get a call for an interview. The organization was fantabulous and was eagerly waiting for the call. But God has his own plan. I lost my mobile and the interview call, so my dream job. Is he (the proud owners of my lost mobiles) listening?

A Serious Issue

The problem of mobile phone theft is not going to just go away. Mobile phones have been identified by the police as CRAVED (Concealable, Removable, Available, Valuable, Enjoyable, Disposable) items that are highly attractive to thieves and this will be exacerbated as phones become more sophisticated and start to offer users advanced functionality, such as the ability to pay for goods and services directly through the handset.

So, how one could tackle the ever increasing mobile-theft menace?

The best, the most successful trick that can be applied is by remaining vigilant. Nazar hati aur durgantna gati. Someone is constantly prying on your mobile to get hold of it. If possible avoid overcrowded bus or mass commuting vehicles. Your constant companion that is the mobile set may go to other hand. Chances are more.

Keep your mobile phone in the front buttoned pocket of your shirt or in the deep inner pocket of your trouser.

After you buy a mobile set record the unique 15 or 17 digit code IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) and keep it in a place where you place your all e-passwords of banks etc. This digit can be seen in the box your mobile comes. Or it can be retrieved by dialing the following sequence of numbers into the handset: *#06#. If you have a Sony Ericsson mobile phone, you can retrieve the IMEI by pressing the following key sequence: right,*, left, left,*, left, *, left.

This digit code is used to identify an individual mobile station to a GSM or UMTS network. The IMEI number facilitates an important function; it easily identifies a mobile phone being used on a GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) network.

The IMEI is a useful tool to stop a phone that is stolen from accessing a network and being used. Mobile phone owners that have their phones stolen can contact their mobile network provider and ask them to ban or shut off a phone using its IMEI number. With an IMEI number, the phone can be banned from the network quickly and easily. It is important to note that swapping a SIM card will not stop a phone from being banned.

Note: An IMEI device is only used to identify the device and does not usually relate to a specific individual or organization.

Note: However, it is possible to change an IMEI with special tools and there are certain mobile networks that do not automatically blacklist handsets. Current statistics state that about 10 % of current IMEI's in use today are not unique or have been reprogrammed (hacked).

Other safety tips are

Avoid using your phone in the street
Keep your phone out of sight
Use PIN codes to lock your phone
Turn off the ringer
Don't walk and txt

What can be done?

There is no magic wand either on the part of mobile phone owners or telecom operators to root out the problem.

With the IMEI, the crux thing is that it can be reprogrammed, it does not disable the handset from being usable. All it does is stop calls being made on the network that barred it. The handset itself is completely usable and does not lose its functionality.

Text bombing methods can be used as it has been done in Amsterdam.

Making phone theft unattractive by encouraging the use of cheap phones e.g Botswana.

Offer mobile phone security solution, which monitors phone proximity to owner and alarms on any phone security breach.

Curtailing the ready market of stolen phones.

NEW DELHI,INDIA

It was expected. Yes it was quite sure that the Nokia N95 multimedia computer will be voted 'the European Media Phone of the Year 2007-2008' by the European Imaging and Sound Association (EISA), Europe's leading association for consumer electronics.

And why not? The Nokia N95 is endowed containing practically every feature one could imagine in a mobile device. It's no mere mobile phone and no mere status symbol. Pick up a Nokia N95 and you hold in your hands a state-of-the-art communication tool - the ideal way to remain permanently in touch and on track with the world that surrounds you. Read more.

NEW DELHI,INDIA

Good news for style-conscious users, Nokia has launched its latest range of mobile phones called the Prism collection keeping in mind their taste and expression. The Prism collection consists of the 7900 Prism and 7500 Prism set of mobile phones.

These two models from the Finnish giant Nokia not only combine individual style and state-of-the-art technology, but it highlights cutting-edge colors, materials and graphics of the two models. It has been taken into utmost consideration that its signature diamond-cut design, featuring sharp angled lines, geometric patterns and graphic light-refracting colors, stand out in the over-crowded mobile phone market.

Nokia 7900 Prism

The Nokia 7900 Prism has a sleek, liquorice-black front and an anodized aluminium backcover. It has an organic LED main display that supports up to 16 million colors which subtly changes throughout the day depending on the time, battery and signal strength, so that each screen is unique and personal.

Users of the phone have the choice of 49 illumination colors to select. After the selection of the colour, it radiates from under the graphic key-mat and from the LED display. These selected colour are also emitted from the phone to signal missed calls and messages.

Talking about the technical specification, the Nokia 7900 Prism supports dual band 3G technology enabling fast and easy downloads and browsing. And of its quad band GSM- capability technology, users of the phone can enjoy worldwide connectivity without loosing contact with peers and friends. In addition to a 2 Mpx camera, the Nokia 7900 Prism comes with 1GB of internal memory for lots of pictures, video, contacts and more.

Nokia 7500 Prism

The slick black colour 7500 Prism model of the Nokia has 2 Megapixel camera with 8x digital zoom and a built-in flash, which lets users to freeze any momentous moments. Besides it, the Nokia 7500 Prism can record high quality movies, play music for nine hours and hold up to 1500 songs on an optional 2 GB microSD card. It supports GSM Triband EGSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 / 1900 Mhz connectively, with this feature users of this phone can enjoy world connectivity without loosing contact from any part of the world. It has a dimension of length 109 mm, width 43.9 mm, thickness 14.4 mm; and its weight of 82 grams makes the mobile phone very comfortable to carry and hold.

For music enthusiasts the phone 7900 Prism has array of multimedia tools from integrated music player that supports MP3/AAC/eAAC+/WMA formats, to integrated FM radio. With these in built features in the phone users can enjoy while he is not calling or receiving calls.

Of its 30 MB internal storage space and an options to expand memory up to 2GB with microSD card, the phone also includes SMS, MMS, support for attachments, and audio messaging features. It supports Blutooth, USB 2.0 Local / remote SyncML Data Synchronization connectivity, thus making it compatible to other gadgets. Moreover, the comes with data transmission technology like EDGE, GPRS and HSCSD (High-Speed Circuit - Switched Data, high-speed circuit-switched data) / CSD (Circuit - Switched Data, circuit-switched data). These data transmission technology embedded in the phone helps users to download information faster and in more efficient way.