If you own a website, it is important to take into account how your website would be displayed on a mobile platform. Over the past few years, usage of mobile phones and tablet devices has grown manifold. For instance if even 20% of your readers view your website on a mobile device, then it is a good idea to check how if the links can be clicked with a thumb on a touch screen or if text on a page can be read without the need for magnifying.
Google AdSense obviously sees a lot opportunities for displaying ads on websites viewed on a mobile device. It has developed a free online tool called How to Go Mobile, which helps you check how your website performs on a mobile phone.
Enter the URL of your website you want to check and select what you intend to do with your website. This includes options like content publisher or if the website is used to generate leads or about a business that is online as well as offline.
The online tool will carry out relevant checks and show up details like Loading Speed, how images appear, text format and navigation.
In the above screenshot, you might see that Devils’ Workshop passed all the requirements except that the text might need a bit of work.
The Mobile World Congress 2012 (MWC 12), is underway in Barcelona, Spain. Nokia has made a big splash at the MWC 12, giving a sneek-peek at their latest mobile phone called Pure View. The incredible part of this phone it is will be packing a 41 Megapixel sensor. Yup, that was not a typo, it will have a 41 Megapixel sensor.
The 41 megapixel camera will allow to shoot and record in very high resolutions. Some great innovations promised is allowing upto 4X zoom, with no loss of quality of the image. If reasonably priced, I can see these phones pretty much replacing most point and shoot cameras out there.
Most people will concentrate on the 41 megapixel camera but there will be somethings worth noting. The phone does not seem to have a front-facing camera. This obviously means no video calling support on the phone.
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Other details like memory storage and battery have not been disclosed as yet. These might be interesting details too as photos of such high resolution will probably need decent sized memory storage.
Revival for Symbian OS?
The phone will run on Symbian Belle and could probably be the most exciting device brought out by Nokia in the past couple of years. It might be the last gasp attempt at revival of Symbian by Nokia.
In recent past, it seems to be doing a lot better with its Lumia series running Windows 7.5 OS for Mobile phones. So this phone can be viewed as sort of a reiteration of Nokia’s support of Symbian OS.
What are your views on a 41 Megapixel sensor for a camera? Will you buy this phone? Do drop in your comments.
The Canadian firm RIM – owners of BlackBerry have been discussing security arrangements with the Indian government for more than the past 18 months. It appears the government and BlackBerry has reached a settlement on giving access to intercept messages shared over BlackBerry’s messaging service.
Way back in August, 2010 Blackberry had offered a solution that would have allowed lawful access via an industry forum. This solution was not acceptable to the Indian government as it wanted RIM’s servers to be located in India. This was to facilitate easy interception of encrypted messages by security agencies.
Yesterday, according to The Hindu, RIM has confirmed to the government that it has set up a server in Mumbai, India. This will allow real-time access to the government for its messaging service. Though it seems that at the moment, the government has not insisted on interception of mail sent by BlackBerry users.
Why messaging is under scanner?
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The government seems to take the view that emails cannot be used for real-time communication and hence might not require real-time access. But things are different with messaging services and even Nokia’s Push Mail service has been told to give the security agencies adequate access.
Another point to be noted is that the government has moved focus from manufacturers for smart-phones to network service providers like Vodafone, Airtel and others to provide access to interception.
The government has in recent months got a lot of criticism, for its recommendations to internet companies like Google, Facebook and Twitter to screen all their content. Hence asking for email interception at the moment might have raised another round of criticism over internet censorship.
BlackBerry’s Future
BlackBerry is available in 175 countries and India is not the only place it has had issues over encryption and access to its messaging service for security purposes. It might even roll out BlackBerry OS for other manufacturers to use, which might be a reason for BlackBerry to get not be too adamant. It also probably wants a clear road ahead in places like India, which is one of the world biggest phone markets and still one of the few markets in the world which prefers BlackBerry phones over Apple’s iPhones.
Unfortunately the recent service outage of its messaging service which lasted several days has not won BlackBerry many fans either.
What are your views on BlackBerry settling their dispute over access to their encrypted messaging service with governments around the world? Do drop in your comments.
Did you know India has the second most number of mobile phone owners in the world? Also that in Russia there are 1.54 mobiles phones connections per person. Which means quite a few people in Russia who have more than one phone.
This infographic by SoMobile is full of such interesting stats. It also shows how mobiles phone ownership across the world vary from country to country.
Another surprising stat is that 53% of Indian users have lost their phones at some point of time or the other. That is a huge number of lost phones. 😀
Facebook India recently announced that mobile users in India can also access their Facebook accounts without the need of a internet connection, with the help of an app called Fonetwish.
All you are need to do is dial *325# on your mobile phone. This will pull up a list of options via a console like interface to access your Facebook news feeds, update your status, manage friend requests and notifications.
Using Fonetwish App for Facebook on your Mobile Phone
This is done via using Facebook App called Fonetwish, which charges Re 1/- per day while updating status on Facebook is free.
This service is meant to work on any phone which could be an iPhone or even simpler lower-end phone models. There are no roaming charges either.
The only problem with using Fonetwish is that it has a limit of 140 characters.
This service is available in India on Airtel, Aircel, Idea, Videocon, Loop Mobile and Tata Docomo networks.
Video demo for using Fonetwish
This will be really useful for people who do not have a smart-phone but still want to check their Facebook account from their phone at a reasonable price.
Most discussions about smart-phones seem to be focused on hardware features like processor speed, camera capability etc and OS features. There is no denying that all the above are important.
But many of us seem to be ignoring some really awesome innovations achieved in the design of the phones themselves. (with the exception of discussions about Apple products).
I strongly believe that Design innovation isn’t dead and in fact it has taken a new direction in the post-iPhone era. In this post we shall take a look at some of the outstanding designs that are available in the market in the smart-phones category.
Nokia has done what has never been done before in the smart-phone segment. It used a unique injection molded polycarbonate plastic mono-body design which exudes simplicity and yet gives a sense of sophistication.
The plastic body gives an added advantage for being more suitable to the antennae. The body is made with such fine precision giving it a seamless blend in with its beautiful glass display. It gives the image of the phone being monolithic.
Nokia’s persistence with plastic body comes from not just its years of experience with the material but also the fact that plastic adds greater color to the body of the smart-phone. In the monochromatic world of smart-phones, Nokia intends to stand out with vivid and alluring colors.
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Here is the designer’s story about it.
#2.Samsung Galaxy Note (Fabulous Phablet)
Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works. –Steve Jobs
The Samsung Galaxy Note finds a place in this post about designs because of the famous Steve Jobs quote above. Introducing the Phablet to the world, Samsung redefined not just category perceptions of the industry but created a few design innovations along the way.
It got the perfect balance between a screen small enough to avoid the ergonomic issues associated with large screens while maintaining a size that will allow it to be effectively used as a tablet. Samsung with one fell-swoop has provided an awesome option to people who were struggling with a smart-phone and a tablet wherever they went.
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The issues with the phone being too big or the tablet being too small are minor when considering the functionality of the interface and the features of the hardware itself. Samsung Galaxy Note boasts of a giant 2500mAh battery which beats most smart-phones for its long-term use. The stylus has made a grand and meaningful comeback in the form of the S-pen in the Galaxy note.
The S-pen isn’t just for pointing and scribbling anymore. With its inbuilt button which performs important functions such as taking a snapshot of the screen which then opens in an image editor ready to be edited and sent and for opening up the menu screen or performing the function of the back button. Clearly, Samsung Galaxy Note is a leap forward in design functionality and innovation based on meeting unfulfilled needs.
#3. iPhone 4 (A class apart)
A legend in design, Apple is always expected to better its designs with every new iPhone. The iPhone 4 got rid of its old curved back and its slightly thick dimensions to bring in a slim 9.3mm thick body and a new stainless steel and alumina-silicate glass industrial design. The glass fits in both on the front and the back to give the iPhone a royal sheen.
The edges lined with a special forged steel that is said to be stronger than regular steel. The wow factor of the iPhone 4 is the high-resolution display, that Apple termed “Retina Display” with text so crisp and clear even when in the maximum zoomed in mode.
Retina Display is a take on Apple’s claim that the phone provides such higher resolution comparable to that of the human eye.
#4. Nokia E7( Tilt Slider Qwerty Keypad)
Nokia E7 brought out its clear Backlight Display technology combined with its brilliant looking tilt slider qwerty keypad that made the phone a worthy successor of the now legendary Nokia communicator E90.When flipped open,the screen is placed at an angle that is easy to see the screen while typing, giving it great ergonomic appeal and making the phone ideal for sitting down and typing or holding it in your hands to text.
While thumb typing, the phone is brilliant to type at high speeds , even those with slow typing speeds are able to average 30-40 words per minute. The combination of qwerty and touchscreen is perhaps the best possible form factor solution in mobile phones bringing together the best of both worlds.
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E7 is clearly marketed as an enterprise device but has several appealing factors for average consumers as well. Nokia E7 will remain one of the greatest examples of design engineering changing the way people perceive qwerty keypad phones and Nokia itself.
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You may check the designer’s story in the video below.
#5. Dell Venue Pro (Windows Qwerty Phone)
Dell Venue Pro came out sometime in the end of 2010 and remains one of the best designed Windows 7 phones to date. This may perhaps be one of the only Windows Smart phones with a portrait mode slide out qwerty keypad.
It has a beautiful and sleek design with liberal use of chrome sides mixed with angular cuts and rubberized plastic at top and bottom. The 4.1′ curved Gorilla Glass screen with AMOLED display is a delight to use and is extremely responsive.
The clarity of the images on the screen is unmatched. This phone gives great appeal if you are an avid text user and are looking for a luxurious phone.
#6.Motorola Defy (Water Proof and Dust Proof)
Motorola might have heard the prayers and cries of anguish of a few folks with butter fingers when it came out with the super sleek and super rugged Motorola Defy specially designed and positioned for Rugged use .
The screen is made of Gorilla Glass preventing scuff marks and other unfortunate effects of being careless or just a little too adventurous.
To the untrained eye, the only hint of Motorola Defy being rugged are the Torx head screws that clamp the side sections to the rest of the body and the flap jacks covering the earphone and USB port. These flap jacks and coverings make the phone waterproof.
This is perhaps the greatest ingenuity in the design of a seemingly rugged smart-phone. Motorola Defy caters to a niche yet important segment of users who have so far not had the option of a smart-phone due its inherent fragility or have been turned off by the options that exist in the feature phones segment. Clean, Sleek and Rugged, Motorola Defy is a keeper for all butterfingers in the world.
#7. Sony Ericsson Play (Gamers’ Smart-phone)
Sony Ericsson made the ultimate gamers’ smart-phone early 2011 with the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play. The highlight of the phone is the Slide-out game-pad and shoulder buttons that looks similar to the Sony Dual shock controller from its popular Playstation Game Consoles.
This phone is ideal for those who have a need for a PSP and a Playstation Portable. The main design of the phone has stayed true to the other Xperia series of phones with just an addition of a search button which also adds great usability to the Xperia line of phones which earlier had just the 3 buttons for home, return and Menu.
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The game play experience in the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is undoubtedly more enriching than the typical touchscreen smart-phones and meets the need of both a PSP and a Smart-phone and this would indeed be the phone for any gamer to buy.
Summary
In the pre-iPhone era the innovation and creativity was more towards form-factor with countless interesting shapes and ideas floating around in the market. Today, in the age of the smart-phone it seems form-factor innovation has taken a more meaningful step.
That of not making creative designs or weird shapes but to add more meaning to the functionality of the phone. Phones of tomorrow will challenge the perceptions people have for screen sizes and materials. I hope for an exciting future in smart-phones with even greater innovation and creativity in the hardware as much as in the software.
You might have heard that Samsung has surpassed the sale records of other competitor mobile phone companies’; they even left Apple behind in number of smartphone sales. The two devices which contributed in Samsung’s record breaking sales are “Samsung Galaxy S II” & “Samsung Galaxy Note”.
I purchased Galaxy S II few months back and love Android OS because of its flexible nature and high level of customization capability. I had tried 100s of Apps and about 20 custom ROMs on my Galaxy S II.
I thought I will share with your app that I most love using on my Galaxy S II.
#1. Wi-Fi Keyboard
Wi-Fi Keyboard is an amazing and useful app for those who text a lot. It is tough to write a long email/text on a virtual keyboard. With this app, you can use your laptop/PC’s keyboard for typing text on phone.
What you need to do is, install the app and connect you phone and laptop with the same Wi-Fi access point. Now you can access the Wi-Fi keyboard and type on PC and see it typed on phone’s type box. 🙂
The only disadvantage which I feel in this app is this app hides the phone’s keyboard when you are using the Wi-Fi keyboard.
As the name explains itself, this app is a Wi-Fi based app. It shows your phone’s gallery contents on the PC web-browser with a beautiful 3D interface. You can view the gallery images in your phone on PC without copying/transferring them to PC. The app which I am using is the lite version with limited features.
With the Paid/Pro version of this app you can watch videos stored in your phone on PC over Wi-Fi connectivity. I am sure you will love the interface of this app.
If you are in India, you might be using online free messaging sites like 160by2, way2sms etc. I preferably use way2sms but what is dislike is that they do not have a great mobile version of their site. They do not have a official Android app either.
But while searching for their official app, I came across “Free SMS India” app. This app is just unbelievably amazing, it allows you send free messages using various SMS gateways like 160by2, way2sms and few others. I must say, “Give it a try!”
Everyone loves a good caller ring. For making a ringtone from full track one would need a mp3 cutter and a PC.
MP3 Ringtone maker will allow you to make ringtones instantly from your phone. Just you need to select the starting time and ending time and you will get your best quality ringtone and set it as your caller tune.
Samsung seems to have hit another milestone with Galaxy Note. It has tried to bridge the gap between a tablet and a phone. It has a lot of features. I decided to review the phone so you can make up your mind, on whether one should buy it or not.
Samsung Galaxy Note Features
Samsung Galaxy Note is very thin and light. It weighs only 178 grams. Display screen is 5.3 inches and 1280 x 800 resolutions is a nice experience to view video file with HD AMOLED display.
It has dual cameras, primary camera and secondary camera. Primary camera has 8 Mega Pixels with LED which is placed at back of the Note. Secondary camera has 2 Mega Pixels which is placed at the front of the note. It also has photo-editing and movie-maker options.
It has two sets of in-built memory space that is 16 GB and 32 GB. The phone also has a 1.4GHz dual core processor and 1GB RAM.
It has 2500mAh battery which is used to give long battery life to Samsung Galaxy Note. We can use Samsung Galaxy Note up to 13 hours when we use 3G network and it will have battery life up to 25 days in a standby mode
Other features include support for YouTube, Google Maps, Facebook, Twitter and more. Polaris office and Mini- Diary are the application used to support word files.
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Operating System for Galaxy Note
The Galaxy Note has Android 2.3.5 (Gingerbread) running on it. Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) update is expected on Galaxy Note devices early in 2012.
Price:INR 33,000/– Approximately.
If you are looking to buy a smart phone only it might be considered to bulky or if you are looking only for a tablet then it might be just too small. That is exactly what Galaxy Note is, a compromise gadget for people who want a bit of both (tablets and phones).
When it comes to customization and tweaking the look of the device, both Android and iOS are ahead in the race compared to Windows Phone OS. The default metro tile look of Windows Phone is less obstructive and pleasant to the eyes, but it still lacks in offering variation to the end-users.
Windows Phone design brings ‘something different‘ factor on the table.
That said, Windows Phone bounds users to 10 color variation, limiting options to tweak the metro UI of the device. But thanks to chevronWP7 lab unlock and Windows Phone hacker team, it is now possible to create a custom theme for WP.
‘Themes for WP7‘ tool lets you deploy your own background theme onto device, provided you follow certain standards. Basically, all Windows Phone supports 480 x 800 resolution, which means that your background theme should be only 480 pixels wide.
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Themes for WP
Themes for WP7 works on all chevronWP7 unlocked Windows Phone, which was re-opened few hours back. You do not need to go through Interop unlock process in order to use this hack.
For those who might not know, Inertop unlock gives you an access to device drivers which is only limited to Microsoft and OEMs. You need to follow the tutorials given at XDA forum to achieve this. There are loads of homebrew app available on XDA forum that needs an access to Interop codes.
This tool also supports creation of live tile background. In simple terms, instead of applying the background image to all the tiles, you would be allowed to keep it limited to single or multiple tiles.
Once again you’ve to take care of the dimensions of the background image. Users can use only 173 x 173 transparent PNG image as a tile background (any image editing tool will let you customize an image to this dimension). For this matter, Windows Phone Icon maker should suffice.
Note: Make sure Zune player is up and running, and your device is connected to the PC when you deploy the custom theme onto Windows Phone.
This video tutorial will walk you through the process of creating and deploying custom theme on Windows Phone.
The debate on comparing iOS and Android might go on for a long time, with no real winner. But Android is truly a very one of the most popular platform for mobile phones and tablets. It is open-sourced and many developers keep creating new apps for them.
Android has reached 10 Billion downloads of their apps a few days ago. What is more amazing is that in March 2011 it that number was 3 billion app downloads.
That means Android apps were downloaded a cool 7 billion times in the past 8 months. That is phenomenal growth and here is a infographic by Android showing how it reached the 10 billion mark.
Do you own an Android phone? How many Apps have you downloaded and which one are your favorites? Do drop in your comments.
