ITS News

Chances are high that you have heard about the iPhone coming out this June before you read this first sentence. If you weren’t aware yet, Apple is releasing their own multi-functional mobile device that includes the functions of a cell phone with texting, video iPod, PDA with web browser and the ability to check Emails, as well as a digital camera. The iPhone also has other unique features such as the 3.5 inch touch screen pad that is advanced enough to distinguish the difference between a human finger, and a human face or body pressure like when in a pocket.

Many business owners, small and large are equipping their staff with the essential business tools to help them in the event of an issue, or to prevent them all together by allowing everyone to communicate and complete work with ease. Many have the dilemma or investing in either laptops or PDA’s which are personal digital assistants, similar to a hand-held computer. These small devices have a full range of features and functions such as a calendar, clock, web browser, calculator, word processor, video camera, the ability to send and receive emails, and some have a global positioning system (GPS) on them.

If you want this device to be fully functional like a laptop, with the portability of a PDA, and the functions of a cell phone then the obvious choice is to get in line for the new iPhone. You get all of the necessary functions that you need, as well as a few new features that are designed to make the device more user-friendly. This includes the much-hyped new touch pad that the iPhone features. When you need to make a phone call, the numbers come up digitally on the 3.5 inch screen. When you need to send an Email, text message, or any other typing you can select the virtual keypad for faster and easier typing. There is also a spell checker on the new iPhone, as well as Safari web browser.

Apple decided to give their iPhone an OS X operating system which is something that is different from any other phone out right now. This allows you to use note taking applications which are important to many professionals and students. When you turn the screen sideways you get an aspect ratio of 16:9 which is similar to those in many movie and TV programs. This also gives you the ability to browse the Internet and view other video in wide-screen format.

Apple sat back and waited to see which features and functions were most popular and combined them into one sleek device. With all of the different features and technologies it is easy to see why the iPhone is getting such great reviews from those who were lucky enough to get their hands on one before they were released.

When the Apple iPhones hit retail stores they will be sold with two year service contracts with specific mobile service providers. The 4GB version of the iPhone will start at $499. For double the memory you can pay one hundred dollar more for the 8GB iPhone which costs you $599. You will be able to purchase protective accessories with your iPhone eventually such as hard cases, screen protectors, and skin cases.

By: Michael Ferrerya

If you’re looking for the owner of a cell phone number, there’s really only three options:

You can hire a private investigator for $150-$200 to run the search for you.

You can subscribe to one of the many “do-it-yourself” services that cost about $40-$50 per year.

Or…

You can use one of the many new websites (and a little ingenuity) to find the information for free!

Conventional landline reverse lookups are free since their numbers are public domain; but the reverse cell phone lookups are not free as the cell phone companies charge money to access their list of phone numbers.

But there are two new websites that are taking the “wikipedia approach” to reverse cell phone lookups…

These free services use their huge database of users who compile owner information about as many phone numbers as possible. Basically, there are thousands of “investigators” who will help you with your search for FREE!

One such site is 800notes.com. It provides a reverse cell phone lookup absolutely free and is highly recommended by many users. Browsing through the pages of this website, users can view the forums, articles, messages etc that list the fraudulent phone numbers and a description of the call as well. The site has a number of unrecognized numbers, fraud calls, and tactics to stop telemarketing all of which is provided by users.

A similar site that always has gained popularity with users is whocalled.us. This site has a service where the user inputs a number and a pages that is related to the number pulls up. The pages have posts, which have information on the number, the comments on the number. Along with this, the site also displays numerous caller ID read outs, with a map of the US with flags of users that have posted information on the forum. This web site is regularly checked by phone companies as well and they give the users direction on who should be contacted in order to stop the fraudelent calls.

Of course, none of these methods are as effective as BUYING a service… and if you’re not able to find the information for free… you may need to purchase a lookup… but if you can save as much as $200 with 5 minutes of searching, why wouldn’t you?

By: Derek Damon

You want a phone without a camera and one doesn’t come with earphones to listen to gigabytes of music…

Well it looks like now is your time. Nokia and Sony Ericsson are amongst the first manufacturers to begin releasing entry-level mobile phones and are hoping to increase their sales by 3bn units; mainly within developing countries such as China, India, South-East Asia and Africa where levels of penetration into the market are still relatively low.

Sony Ericsson is releasing the T250a; a phone which they hope will keep in line with their existing range of mobile phones but without all the features of the biggest selling models of the moment. The phone will still have the usual FM Radio and camera for taking pictures but only matches the quality to be expected of an entry-level model.

Nokia are looking at releasing three phones;

The 2610, the senior of all phones, is one of the first entry level phones to be released that will support web access and email support. This phone will have all the basic features, excluding a camera and is seen as an ideal phone for business users.

The 2310 reminds us of past times when we were able to change our covers as and when we pleased. Obviously this phone is targeted for the more fashion and music minded of us. This phone is great for the pre-paid customer who receives updates at the end of each call with their remaining balance.

The 1112, probably one the easiest phones out of the three, comes complete with a demo of all it’s functions for those that understand mobile phone technology the least.

Both Samsung and Motorola have also been releasing affordable entry-level phones for some time now, on occasion surpassing the features on their own mid-range models.

Although were seeing our phones capabilities and technology on the increase, it’s great to see that those of us who want a phone to simply make and receive calls have finally been given thought to and should expect to see some great mobile phone deals on the market within the coming months.

By: Gary Parsons

The Samsung U-series are incredibly stylish phones that gain attention from all fashion conscious consumers. These newest handsets fulfill your need for trendy and sleek handsets. The user-friendly keypad adds to the attractive looks of these handsets. Equipped with the excellent camera features, the Samsung U-series phones work like your digital camera. The slim Samsung U-series ensure to turn heads with their astonishing list of intuitive features.

The ultra-slim slider phone, Samsung U600 is a wonderful device incorporating user-friendly features. The phone supports a quad band network, that enables you to carry your handset anywhere around the world. The 3 megapixel camera, an impressive music player, and smooth connectivity features are some of the features you’d appreciate in Samsung U600. This business phone allows you to view MS Office documents so that you can access your office on the move. Store your essential stuff in the 60MB integrated memory and a MicroSD card. The other eye-pleasing features include a large and bright screen, touch-sensitive soft keys, FM radio and Bluetooth.

The Samsung U700 is all set to amaze the users with a sleek and stylish look. The stunning features of the handset include a 3 megapixel camera with autofocus and flash, a VGA camera for video calling. The media player lets you experience crystal clear music supporting a range of popular file formats. The thin clamshell, Samsung U700 is HSDPA enabled with video telephony that provides the latest in high speed data transfer. The striking looks combined with unparalleled performance of Samsung U700 attract the business users as well as fashion conscious people.

The Samsung U100 is a small but powerful handset offering high quality multimedia experience. The handset boasts a 3.0 megapixel camera digital zoom, flash, and autofocus that provides a brilliant imaging experience. With 70MB memory, you have sufficient space for storing songs, videos, etc.

All the sophisticated Samsung U-series phones can be purchased online through various online mobile phone shops with attractive deals and offers.

By: Eliza

If the last decade was ruled by stereo players, tape recorders and radios, the new age is literally swept away by the tremendous presence of music phones. Nobody would have ever thought that Sony Ericsson’s ‘Walkman series’ would become such a rage among music lovers. Such a great response surely proves, Sony Ericsson’s sheer dedication for music. When every other handset manufacturer has been releasing a music phone with simple entertainment features, Sony Ericsson’s Walkman series has something extra to offer with refined music functionalities. So far, things have really gone quite well for the Sony Ericsson and its Walkman series has literally become a big threat to iPods.

Among various other Walkman phones, the Sony Ericsson W880i is the most talked about gadget and it surely lives up to your expectations. This music dynamite is also the thinnest phone in the Walkman series. It weighs only 71g, but do not go by the looks, as it does have it all to provide you a consummate music experience. Furthermore, it is very well finished up with cool and neat ergonomics, user-friendly design, enhanced functionalities and impressive usability factor. As far as designing of the Sony Ericsson W880i is concerned, it comes in a candy bar design and very well empowered by multimedia. It uses the popular music player version 2.0 and it can play music in various popular formats such as MP3, AAC, AAC+, E-AAC+, WAV, M4A, WMA and MIDI.

On the other hand, its user interface is improved in such a way to provide an impressive sound quality. There are other compatible music features with music DJ composer and PlayNow feature. If you look at the other compatible features of the Sony Ericsson W880i, it is not about music only, as it does offer a lot as a superb communication tool. It is also endowed with an inbuilt camera, which is further supported by photo settings and digital zoom - capture all those special moments, whenever you want. The Sony Ericsson W880i is a 3G enabled device, hence it lets you enjoy video calling. There are other compatible features with Bluetooth, UMTS and USB. So, whether you want a music powerhouse or a compatible communication tool - the Sony Ericsson W880i has it all to take a very good care of your preferences.

By: caitlin

In the last decade we have seen a phenomenal growth in the world of mobile technology. We have got some spectacular handsets clad in advanced technologies-technologies that have the power to impress anyone and everyone. Many mobile manufacturing companies have jumped into the thriving mobile market-while some have got average response, some have risen to the zenith of popularity and continuing to show their dominance in far flung areas across the globe. Samsung, the South Korean electronics giant is one such company that’s reaping tremendous success world over by bringing the best in technology in its handsets.

In the last couple of years, Samsung has launched some high-end mobile phones with awe-inspiring features. Available in different form factors like clamshells, candybars, sliders-these handsets are establishing newer heights of popularity each passing day. Be it business features or entertainment segment, connectivity part or memory expansion-Samsung handsets score the maximum in every aspect. High resolution cameras, high resolution display screens, lifelike games, web access, dedicated music players are some of the many standard features of the latest Samsung mobile phones.

Let’s us take the example of the recently launched Samsung I600 and Samsung F300. Both the handsets are high on performance as well as in looks. The Samsung I600 is a 3G phone with superb functionalities like 2.3 65k colour TFT screen (320 x 240 pixels), 1.3 megapixel camera with flash and 2 x digital zoom, VGA camera for video calling, music player, voice recognition, handsfree speaker, QWERTY keyboard, document viewer, image viewer, 3G HSDPA, Bluetooth, EDGE, Wi-Fi, Quad Band, WAP 2.0, XHTML, 64MB RAM, 128 MB ROM plus MicroSD memory card etc. The Samsung F300 is also a power performer with features like 2 megapixel camera with flash and digital zoom, music player, FM radio, Bluetooth, A2DP, USB, EDGE, WAP 2.0, XHTML, GPRS, 100MB internal memory, MicroSD memory support and so on.

So, Samsung has got much to offer you. You just need to fix your requirements and choose a Samsung handset accordingly. The rest will fall in place.

By: Eliza

The present age is the age of style and innovation added with a dash of sound technology. It is a known fact that pretty little things attract more attention with bolder designs than the shy ones. The mobile phone industry too follows the same mantra with phone manufacturers whipping up their mettle to come up with more eye catching products. Finnish mobile phone leader Nokia has adopted a textbook policy in manufacturing their phones with precision and care. The result of its continued efforts are evident in its chronology of ever popular phone, of which the Nokia 6300 is the latest example.

The Nokia 6300 is a superbly slim and sophisticated mobile phone with all the makings of a winner. The phone has been stylishly packaged in a stainless steel casing with a shiny black four way button to make navigation a pleasure. The 2 Inch QVGA screen proves to be an ideal display platform for the high quality pictures captured by the phone’s 2 megapixel camera with 8 x digital zoom. The video player of the phone streams videos in 3GPP format and has been provided with a Macromedia Flash Lite 2.0 software to spice up its experience. The Nokia 6300 incorporates a digital music player that releases pure bliss in MP3, MP4, AAC, AAC+, Enhanced AAC+, H263, and H264 formats. Besides the music player, the phone also has a visual radio and an FM stereo radio for connecting listeners with their favourite radio and news channels. Bluetooth, SyncML, USB, EDGE, and GPRS ensure high speed data sharing between this Tri Band phone and other compatible devices. The 7.8 internal memory and the 128 MB MicroSD memory card provide ample space to store away several songs, videos, and pictures on the phone.

The large assimilation of features and utilities make the Nokia 6300 a smooth multi tasking phone thereby assuring a safe position in the popularity charts of the new age mobile phones.

By: Eliza

Nokia has introduced a new device, the E65 in its E series portfolio to help manage the corporate world. Built on slider technology, the device is powered by 3G, Wi-Fi connectivity and uncompromising business features. Though its a Smartphone, it does not possess a QWERTY keyboard, but the device is very compact and provides good interface for viewing office documents, emails and other phone features with ease.

Built on Series 60 platform, the in its slider form oozes style with sophistication. Weighing only 115g, the lightweight device comes with a thickness of 15.5mm that easily slips into the pocket. At 16 million colours and 240 x 320 pixel resolutions, the large 2.2 inch screen provides immense pleasure while watching videos, images and business features. With One Touch Keys on the front cover, users can access frequently used applications. Moreover, there is another My Own Key, used for making conference calls, contact database and lots more.

Powered by series 60 3rd edition OS, the allows you to download new software applications. Though the device comes with in-built Quickoffice and Team suite, other applications can also be downloaded. And with Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone, users can view documents in different formats such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.

The device offers advanced connectivity options such as Quad-band GSM, 3G and Wi-Fi - enabling users to stay connected anytime-anywhere. The also supports POP/IMAP, SMTP and IMAP4 protocols and other third party email clients. Synchronise emails, browse the net for latest news and information.

The device is not complete without multimedia - featuring Real player, play your favourite tracks on the move. The device lacks an FM radio. Moreover, the comes with an integrated 2.0 mega-pixel camera, video recorder and video player - shoot still and motion pictures and share. Supported with expandable memory card - the device creates more rooms for your music, videos, images and other documents.

Enjoy browsing unlimited mobile features in and out of the office.

By: Alice

Nokia 6233 is a 3G phone that comes with an attractive stainless steel silver or high gloss black finish coloured casing. This highly professional phone comes equipped with a plethora of business and fun features, making the handset an endearing piece of technology.

As a business phone, it offers high speed internet connection, enabling the users to surf the web, download and manage their e-mails. The Nokia 6233, equipped with 3G technology, gives its users an instant access to all the latest weather, sports and news through the handset itself.

Apart from the professional use, it can even be a handy device when you are in a mood for some fun! Take its integrated stereo for instance that lets you listen to your favourite tracks anytime of the day and anywhere that you take your phone along. The stereo speakers and the 3D surround sound feature enhance the whole acoustic experience, enabling you to experience an upliftment that only music is capable of providing. Also, the 2 megapixel camera with 8 x digital zoom lets you click crystal clear pictures and record videos that can be saved in the 70 mega bytes of built in memory in the Nokia 6233.

Moreover, there’s no dearth of connectivity features in the handset. Bluetooth, infrared and USB port ensures smooth and faster data transfer. Also, the e-mail service with a spam filtering feature is an added advantage.

The Nokia 6233 mixes work and play with aplomb. Work with perfection and have fun with this handset like there’s no tomorrow!

By: Kruz

Filed under: Carbon emissions, Dell, Global climate change, Green business, HP, Microsoft, Yahoo

“Technology is part of the problem, but it’s also part of the solution.” That, paraphrased, is one of the comments that Dave Douglas, Sun’s VP of eco-responsibility, shared with me earlier this month.

The problem he was alluding to was the environmental challenges the planet faces due to global climate change. (When, and why, did the term “global climate change” replace “global warming”?) The IT industry indeed contributes to the phenomenon as its operations and wares churn out greenhouse gas in the form of carbon dioxide.

But a growing number of tech companies are owning up to the responsibility and becoming increasingly better environmental stewards, not only by boosting the energy-efficiency of their products, reducing waste, and finding ways to shrink their carbon footprints; they’re also teaming up with environmental groups, donating not only money but technology and resources toward solving the problems.

Among them is HP, which today is announcing a partnership with the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) to allocate more than $2 million in cash and equipment to the non-profit for establishing three projects aimed at addressing the causes and consequences of global climate change. (HP and the WWF aren’t strangers to working with one another.)

The projects, which focus on analysis, research and data collection, include:

– The Epicenter for Climate Conservation - Focused on advancing climate adaptation and resiliency strategies and projects worldwide, the Epicenter for Climate Conservation will be driven by HP technology and led by Dr. Lara Hansen, chief climate scientist of WWF.

– Information and Communication Technology Innovation as a Driver of Climate Change Solutions - This program will work to identify 1 billion tons of carbon reductions through the use of information and communication technology.

– Climate Witness - An online forum to raise global awareness of the tangible consequences of climate change, Climate Witness will gather the stories of individuals and communities affected by global warming and share them with the world.

This announcement comes less than a week after Microsoft’s big announcement that it would be teaming with the Clinton Foundation to develop a suite of technology tools, both software and services. designed to enable cities to monitor, compare and reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

Assisting in developing these measurement tools by ICLEI (International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives)-Local Governments for Sustainability and the Center for Neighborhood Technology. Microsoft will build the software using the knowledge base that ICLEI has acquired in developing its Harmonized Emissions Analysis Tool (HEAT).

Additionally, Microsoft recently launched its “i’m” initiative, built around Windows Live Messenger. Users of the Microsoft instant-messaging client can register to have a portion of a Live Messenger session’s ad revenue go to one of various non-profit organizations, including The Sierra Club and stopglobalwarming.org (not to be confused with stopglobalclimatechange.org).

The list of tech companies embarking on environmental causes (and other socially responsible ones) doesn’t end there, and while I’ve been, well, a bit skeptical of some of the other efforts I’ve seen, the fact remains that these companies are making an effort and are certainly helping to raise awareness about environmental issues.

Dell, for examples, teamed up with with The Conservation Fund and the Carbonfund.org earlier this to launch “Plant a Tree for Me” — a program through which Dell, er, lets people donate money to plant trees in order to “offset” the carbon emitted by their personal computers, laptops, and general lifestyles.

And Yahoo announced its “Greenest City in America” Challenge last week, which I’m still shaking my head over: Essentially, the city that wins is the one whose residents use Yahoo services the most for the next couple of weeks. And the prize is a fleet of hybrid taxis, or else $250,000, which can be used for a eco-friendly project of the winning city’s choosing.

While the contest itself is, to me, simply ridiculous (they should have called it “The Yahoo-iest City in the U.S.” Challenge), it, too, raises awareness, such as through the info on the company’s new green portal — plus Yahoo is giving out 150,000 energy-efficient CFL lightbulbs to people who participate.