Cell Phone Features

It's not a 21st century gadget. It was developed in 1947 in the form of a car mobile phone. The concept of cellular phone (telefone celular) was produced by Bell Laboratories with the permission of FCC (Federal Communication Commission), and had everything to do with broadcasting and sending a radio or television message out over the airwaves. But there was a scientist, who gave a new shape to the same device. Dr Martin Cooper, a former general manager in Motorola, made the first call on a portable cell phone back in 1973.

The first ever cell phone (telefone celular) was very large and bulky. It almost looked like a radio frequency device. The weight of Motorola's first cell phone was 2 pounds. But now the structure of cell phones has evolved to match the style and comfort of the user. They have shrunk drastically both in size and weight. It is easy to tailor cell phones by choosing its features and functions for one's comfort. There are phone covers that change the face and design of the device. Various accessories are available such as car chargers, belt clips, phone covers, data cables and etc.

Cell phone (telefone celular) emerged as a device of luxury, but in the fast growing technical world, it plays a much bigger and important role. You can get wireless Internet service through your cell phone, with web and email capability. A cell phone with a mini web browser can help retrieve web emails and chat, etc., while you are on the move. A special kind of browser is used for surfing the net on a small cell phone screen. If internet use is a must, make sure that when buying a cell phone you make the choice for graphic browser capability instead of a text-based browser. Also, if you think you will browse the wireless Internet often, you may want to consider buying a cell phone with a larger than average display size.

There are International websites that allow sending mails, without having a computer. All you need is a basic GPRS enabled mobile phone and you can access your mail on your cell phone (telefone celular) anytime and anywhere. It is no wonder that cell phones have become a bed-side essential for us today, like a bottle of water that we may need any time. It is no longer a device of entertainment. From local weather forecast in the morning to your loved ones good night messages, it keeps you connected all the time.

With cell phones (telefone celular) becoming a device with all the modern technology, its theft is growing across the world. In a survey it was found that in the UK a cell phone is stolen every three minutes. In the United States, the statistics are very similar too. By keeping a note on the IMES identification that each phone has, you can trace a phone, though it's a tedious process. The IMES code is individual to each cell phone, when you lose your phone, you can refer the code to your network provider as well as handset provider and trace back the cell phone, or at least block the applications in the phone. The person who stole the cell phone can't use it after the IMES code is blocked.

Cell phones (telefone celular) have definitely become a very popular consumer electronic product. Not just for plain conversation, but for lots of other purposes. With the availability of internet connection, cell phone as broaden even more its options of uses. Not to mention GPS capability, a life saver for tracking cell phone users who are in emergency situations.

Whether for personal or professional purposes, people just can't seem to live without cell phone (telefone celular). A luxury item in the early days, now it is a must have item at all times.

Roberto Sedycias IT Consultant for PoloMercantil

This article is under GNU FDL license and can be distributed without any previous authorization from the author. However the author's name and all the URLs (links) mentioned in the article and biography must be kept.

Android Market Accepts Only Apps Under $200

It seems that Google will not allow developers to add to its Android Market applications that will cost more than $200. As many of you might already know, the search engine's app store for the mobile handset operating system has been opened for paid apps only about a week ago.

From what we've heard, the priciest application that can be found on the Android Market at the moment is the “I Am Richer” software from Mike DG, which has a similar concept with the one that was spotted a while ago on Apple's App Store, called “I Am Rich” and coming from Armin Heinrich.

Some of you might also know the fact that the first app was priced $1,000, although it did almost nothing, and that Apple banned it from its portal. Google is seemingly a little bit less restrictive with the applications it allows on its Android Market, although we already learned that there are certain rules that apply to harmful programs or to those that include explicit content.

On the other hand, the price of the new app is not as high as the one seen on Apple's Store had. But that might have other explanations as well, like the effects of the recession, though it seems that actually the $200 price tag is the highest Google permits organizations to charge.

“Prove your wealth to others by running this app and showing them the mesmerizing glowing crystal,” the description of the software says.

Google might have left the app on its Android Market due to the fact that these are sorted out through mechanisms such as the rating system, and good applications are expected to rise up to the top, “the same as good YouTube videos do,” says Google. “We check applications for compliance with the Market Content Policies and Terms of Service (in order to remove malware, adult content, spam, or profanity),” the company adds.

Sony Ericsson Announces New Walkman Phone, W395

Sony Ericsson has announced another mobile phone that adds to its music handset lineup, the slick slider W395 Walkman phone. The main feature of the new device is its large and powerful built-in stereo speakers, which can provide users with high sound quality, allowing them to share favorite songs with their friends. In addition, the HPM-64 stereo headset is also meant to provide a great sound experience.

The Sony Ericsson W395 Walkman is a pretty affordable handset that features dedicated music control keys, along with a 1GB memory card and FM radio, offering users all they would need to stay updated with favorite tracks. Moreover, the included Sony Ericsson favorite TrackID enables users to find a song even if they do not know its name entirely, while PlayNow can deliver a wide range of mobile entertainment content that can be downloaded to the mobile phone, including unique themes and wallpapers or special ringtones.

“Sony Ericsson takes pride in understanding the youth market, and the W395 is a mobile phone that caters to all their needs with great music quality.” said Alexandre Cardon, Global product marketing manager (music) at Sony Ericsson. “Our most affordable Walkman slider phone to date allows users to share music with friends as well as video clips and photos for the ultimate entertainment experience.”

The music features are not everything when it comes to the Sony Ericsson W395 Walkman. The handset also sports a 2.0-megapixel camera, Bluetooth connectivity, USB mass storage, Micro (M2) Memory card slot, Video streaming and Video recording capabilities, Bluetooth stereo and Walkman player, and more. It also includes a 2.0-inch TFT scratch-resistant display that can deliver a 176 x 220 pixel resolution and 262,144 colors.

The device supports GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 connectivity, it measures 96 x 47 x 14.9 mm and weighs 96 grams, while its battery can provide up to 8 hours of talk time and up to 480 hours of standby time, as well as up to 12 hours and 30 minutes of music listening time. The handset will come in Dusky Grey and Blush Titanium and will become available on the market starting the first quarter 2009.

Sony Ericsson C901 Gets Launched

Sony Ericsson also made available today its C901 mobile phone, although it did not make an official announcement with the device the same as it did with the rest of today's new handsets. The Sony Ericsson C901 will only be available in select markets, yet it seems much like the earlier presented C903 Cyber-shot.

The C901 includes a 5-megapixel camera that sports auto focus, Smile shutter, BestPic, Smart Contrast, Face detection, PhotoFix as well as geo-tagging. In addition to these features, the C901 has xenon flash instead of a photoflash LED. The snapper also comes with Video stabiliser, Video recording, Red-eye reduction, as well as Video and Picture blogging capabilities.

The new Sony Ericsson handset supports GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900, UMTS/HSPA 900/2100 frequency standards, but it also features USB support, USB mass storage, Bluetooth technology, Synchronisation, PictBridge and Google Maps support, as well as Mega Bass and Memory Stick Micro (M2) support.

Other features of the handset include Fm-radio with RDS, built-in accelerometer, Instant messaging, Picture messaging (MMS), Email, Exchange ActiveSync, Sound recorder, Video streaming, Speakerphone, Bluetooth stereo (A2DP) and Media Player, as well as Internet capabilities, including Web feeds, WAP 2.0 XHTML,
WAP 1.2.1, and Access NetFront Web Browser.

The TFT screen of the Sony Ericsson C901 can offer a 320x240 pixel resolution and support for 262.144 colors. The phone's battery can provide up to 9½ hours of talk time as well as 430 hours of standby time. The device measures 105 x 45 x 13 millimeters (4.1 x 1.8 x 0.5 inches) and weighs 107 grams (3.8 oz).

The new C901 will come to the market in the second quarter of the year in three versions, Noble Black, Sincere Silver and Precious Peach.

Samsung Preps Three Android Phones and One LiMo Device

According to the latest news on the Web, the Korean mobile phone maker Samsung plans on releasing during the on going year three new handsets that would run under Google's open-source Android platform. At the same time, the cell phone manufacturer will also launch at least one device sporting the open-source LiMo Linux software.

The news regarding the company's plans for this year has been confirmed by a senior executive from Samsung. The fact that the Korean company will come up to the market with at least three new devices that are based on the Google platform can be seen as a move against Apple's dominance on the mobile phone market.

Last week, Samsung announced that it would not come to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona with any Android-based handsets, but also stated that it was working on such a device, which would be launched on the market sometime during the second half of 2009. The company confirmed at that time the fact that the device had been delayed, after being originally slated for a spring release.

Won-Pyo Hong, Samsung's head of product strategy, also let slip the fact that the company might be working on a LiMo-based device, if not more of the kind, as well as on a number of Android handsets larger than three, yet it is unclear whether the company will launch its devices on the US or on the European market for the first time.

If Samsung releases a LiMo-based handset, then it will extend its lineup to a number of five operating systems, among which we can count the Symbian platform, running on the UltraTOUCH and M7600 phones, and its own proprietary OS, as well as Windows Mobile and Google's Android platform.

Last week, six new operators announced plans to deliver LiMo-based handsets in 2009, which would include Verizon Wireless, NTT DoCoMo, Orange, SK Telecom, Telefonica and Vodafone. At the Mobile World Congress held these days in Barcelona, Spain, ten LiMo-compliant handsets are showcased out of the 33 currently available.

Nokia and Qualcomm Partner for UMTS Device Development

Nokia, the Finnish mobile phone maker, and Qualcomm Incorporated, a leading provider of technology solutions, announced plans to work together in the future for the development of new advanced UMTS mobile devices that would be initially aimed at the North American market. At the same time, the two companies stated that the new handsets were expected to be running under the S60 software on Symbian OS, which is currently the most used platform for smartphones all around the globe.

Besides the S60 software on Symbian OS, the future UMTS devices will also use Qualcomm's advanced Mobile Station Modem (MSM) MSM7xxx-series and MSM8xxx-series chipsets, which are able to deliver cutting-edge processing performance, as well as leveraged mobile broadband capabilities. The companies also stated that the first devices to result from the partnership were expected to come to the market in mid-2010, and that they would be compatible with the forthcoming Symbian Foundation platform.

“Nokia is very pleased to be in discussions with Qualcomm around designing mobile devices that can benefit from the high level of integration found on MSM chipsets,” said Kai Oistamo, executive vice president, Devices, Nokia. “We are eager to demonstrate to the industry the possibilities that exist when innovative and open software is combined with advanced hardware solutions.”

Since both Nokia and Qualcomm are known as worldwide leading providers of advanced wireless technologies, their collaboration will certainly deliver impressive advancements in mobile performance, said Steve Mollenkopf, executive vice president of Qualcomm and president of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies. He also stated that people around the world would be able to benefit from the cooperation of the two makers.

Steve Mollenkopf expressed Qualcomm's excitement driven by the fact that joining forces with Nokia could provide “substantial synergies between S60 software and MSM chipsets.”

A New Solar-Powered Handset Spotted in the Wild

Digicel, the Pan-Caribbean mobile network operator, announced that it would start selling a low-cost mobile phone that is solar-powered. The new handset, dubbed Coral-200-Solar, is manufactured by ZTE, and uses proprietary technology from the innovator Intivation, a Dutch-based company.

Digicel has been offering to its users low-cost or free portable solar chargers in many markets since the beginning of the last year. The concept has seen great success, as it involved a linking charger device and a phone. The company brings the initiative to a new level through the addition of the Coral-200-Solar, which integrates a solar charger built into the phone.

According to the maker, almost two billion people all around the world have limited or no access to electricity. At the same time, consumers from many emerging markets where Digicel provides cellular services would be able to benefit from the access to a mobile handset that could be powered by the Sun, while also being chargeable through electric power when it is available.

As Tom Bryant, Digicel Group VP Distribution Procurement, says, the solar-powered handsets would be able to fulfill the needs of power-challenged users across the globe. The concept of solar-powered handsets is not a new one, and the fresh Coral-200-Solar one becomes a reality through the technology and manufacturing skills of Digicel's partners Intivation and ZTE. Digicel offers such a device for the first time, but Tom Bryant expects the company's customers to be highly attracted by the idea.

Mr. Xiong Hui, VP of ZTE’s handset division, believes that “As mobile phones continue to proliferate in emerging markets and are widely used where electricity is available, mobile operators are demanding more innovative handsets. We are confident that the Digicel Coral-200-Solar is such a product and that solar power technology can be used in any type of handset. We are pleased to provide this handset with Digicel and Intivation. It will help millions of consumers worldwide to use mobile phones more conveniently and the technology is more environment-friendly.”

The handset can offer up to 15 minutes of talk time after being charged for about one hour in the Sun. The new Coral-200-Solar will be available in selected markets starting with June, according to Digicel. The price of the handset, which is being showcased by ZTE at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, is expected to be set at around $40.

Nokia Magnifier Launched for S60 Phones

One of the latest applications available for the Nokia S60 phones is the Nokia Magnifier released today, designed to take on the existing camera functionality of the device. The application is a great solution to improve readability in every-day life situations, like reading “fine print” would be.

Users that have rather hard times reading “fine print” or seeing small objects are now able to use the new application directly on their S60 phone. The Nokia Magnifier comes with a built-in stabilizer able to eliminate or reduce the effects of a shaky hand, while also including a negative filter that allows users to switch from light to dark backgrounds so as to improve readability.

At the same time, the new Nokia Magnifier also enables users to take photos of the magnified image so that they could use it for future reference, through the fact that it uses the existing camera technology. The new application has been developed as part of Nokia Accessibility initiative.

Those that would like to use the new Nokia Magnifier application will have to place the phone in front of the text they would like to read, or in front of the object they would like to magnify, then press the OK button so that the device starts focusing.

In case the application does not succeed in focusing, the handset should be moved away from the object, then the OK button should be pressed again. The application also uses other buttons with different functions, including the '#' (hash) key for stabilization mode, the '0' (zero) key for the contrast mode, or the '*' (asterisk) key for negative mode. The zoom factor can be changed through the use of the up/down keys.

The new Nokia Magnifier can work with N95, E90, N82, on which it has been tested, and is also supposed to work on any S60 3rd Edition handset with auto-focus camera support. At the same time, it seems that it doesn't work with E71, N85, and N96 devices.