Smart Phones

'Security: Text Message Smishing Coming To A Cell Phone Near You

What's the best way to disguise a phishing attempt so no one can tell where a request for personal information or a password really came from? Easy: Send it via text message.

"Smishing" is the name being given to the not-entirely-new but growing practice of sending phishing come-ons and scams via SMS message. And spammers are apparently finding it an increasingly easier proposition to text a phishing message to you rather than to email it traditionally.

Why's that? You've probably received hundreds or thousands of phishing emails and immediately saw through the ruse: Images were broken, the \"from\" address was wrong, words were misspelled, or links in the message were obviously directing you to phony websites. There are dozens of things that phishers have to get right for an email scam to fool anyone, and that's apparently quite difficult to do. Making things even tougher, many of those emails are now blocked by ISPs and spam filters and never make it to their intended targets.

Those problems don't really exist at the SMS level: Very few SMS messages are blocked, and since they are composed entirely of text, no images required, it's often impossible at a glance to determine if a message is real or fake.

One popular smish threatens the user that he is about to be charged for something unless he cancels it, with a message like: \"We're confirming you've signed up for our dating service. You will be charged $2/day unless you cancel your order by clicking here: phonysite.com.\" Of course there are no pending charges, and the site you're directed to is completely fake, its goal being to collect your credit card number (which you will helpfully enter in order to \"cancel\" the charges), or install a bit of malware on your computer (or even, someday, on your phone).

Smishing messages may instead direct you to call a toll-free number in order to complete or cancel some financial transaction, the only difference being that a human operator will handily take down your credit card or bank account number for you, to save you the trouble of typing it online. Of course, the number you called is phony, too.

What should you do if you receive a message you fear is a smish attack? The answer should be pretty obvious but bears repeating: Virtually no credible financial institution, utility, or other business will communicate with you via SMS with the exception of your cell phone provider. Don't recognize the website or phone number being sent to you? Don't call it. If you're worried about an upcoming charge, contact the service provider or bank directly via means you know are legitimate and ask them directly about the message. They'll likely tell you what you already know: Just ignore it.

12 Biggest Threats To Smart Phone Security

With nearly six in 10 Android phones running an insecure version of the operating system, it makes sense that Bit9's 2011 list of the 12 riskiest smartphones are powered by Google's OS. Android's security problems are primarily caused by phone manufacturers releasing products with outdated versions of Android, and then releasing upgrades at a glacial pace. As a result, consumers storing personal information on the phones face serious security threats, the vendor says. What follows are Bit9's "Dirty Dozen."

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90 percent post PC

I have been using mobile devices for the lion’s share of my work for a while, but it surprises me how close I am to chuck the PC totally.

I had an epiphany this morning that frankly has taken me by surprise. I realize I am fully 90 percent post-PC, without making a special effort to get there. A lot has been said about the “post-PC” era and what exactly that means. For me, it means that I now can do at least 90 percent of my work and play on a mobile OS-running device. The Windows PC/Mac has largely been kicked to the curb.

I have been using mobile devices to do a bigger part of my work for a while. This didn’t start out as a concerted effort on my part to make do, it just happened as I grabbed the mobile device first and found it to be more enjoyable to get stuff done. The more I used a “non-computer” for working, the more I realized that not only was I able to do so, in many ways it was better than sitting at the old PC chugging away.

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AT&T Places Dead Last in Customer Satisfaction Once More

The survey found that consumers rated the smaller national and regional mobile providers higher than their larger competitors -- AT&T, Verizon Wireless, Sprint and T-Mobile. Heading the list in customer satisfaction is Consumer Cellular, a small national carrier. Ironically, this first-place finisher uses last-place AT&T's national network.

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Addicted To Digital

Shouldn't we be spending less time checking and rechecking our many screens, large and small, and more time taking part in what used to be regarded as real life? Is there something inherently wrong when people being separated from their phones, computers and tablets makes them feel nervous, irritable, tense -- in other words, when they begin to exhibit classic withdrawal symptoms? Read More – Click Here!

Android Warning - Fake Netflix App 10/17/2011

Mobile security experts are warning that hackers have created a fake Netflix app for Android smartphones and tablets.

The device passes itself off as the real Netflix Android app but doesn't give you access to Netflix content. Instead, it steals your Netflix log-in information.

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Android or iPhone - How To Choose - What To USE

You should generally buy a smartphone because you want certain features. Make a list of all the features and if one type of phone has more, buy that. There is one issue with regard to Android security problems, but I’m going to skip that for now. You can read more about that in many other articles (see below).

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AntiVirus Experts Disagree - Android Smart Phones Need AntiVirus Software

Antivirus experts disagree with Chris DiBona, Google's open-source programs manager, who recently said that there is no virus problem on the Android platform and that companies selling anti-malware software for mobile operating systems are "charlatans." "Yes, virus companies are playing on your fears to try to sell you bs protection software for Android, RIM and IOS," DiBona said in a post on Google+. "They are charlatans and scammers. If you work for a company selling virus protection for Android, RIM or IOS you should be ashamed of yourself," he added.

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Are Windows XP Users Worried about Windows 8? (9/27/2011)

According to recent statistics, nearly 50% of computer users shunned Vista and Windows 7, and still use Windows XP. I don’t have a problem with that. If “it ain’t broke”, don’t change. But now a new Microsoft offering will be released by Fall of 2012 and, you guessed it, no upgrade path is planned between XP and Windows 8.

I won’t be loosing any sleep over it, or the fact that there might be a Microsoft support gap between releases. After all, XP is stable, runs 95% of all of the software produced, and we don’t expect to see dedicated Windows 8 software for 12 to 18 after release (2014).

By that time, it may be prudent to replace the old XP computer hardware anyway. So, as always, it may be better to simply buy a new computer with whatever operating system comes with it, but insure that you have an upgrade path to Windows 8 without dropping additional coinage.

As time goes on, desktop operating systems are becoming less of a factor as applications are moving to the Web. Web Apps are extending the life of any operating system that supports a current web browser like Internet Explorer, FireFox, or Chrome. This also opens up the opportunity to use MAC or Linux operating systems as well. Perhaps even a tablet connected to a decent keyboard.

Another factor is the rising capability of SmartPhones. The Verizon Motorola Bionic now sports a dual core processor and is capable of running web apps. They even offer a unit that looks like a laptop allowing to to plug in your SmartPhone and use a large screen and keyboard. The current offering has been severely hamstrung so that it barely runs office applications. But the processor capability is there, and before long, stiff aggressive competition will push this technology into the office and make it a worthy opponent of the standard office PC.

Am I worried about Windows 8? NAAA!

Beware of 3d party Smart Phone Deals

I’m not going to mention a specific online store because I don’t want to be sued into oblivion, but I found several ads for “free” Smart Phones with free shipping, plus a free service pack that included a car charger (19.95 value) and a screen protector (9.95 value).

“All you had to do was sign up for new service or renew your existing service.” Or so I thought. My existing phone just reached the point in my contract where I could “renew every two”, that is, get significant discounts on a Smart Phone if I renewed my Verizon Wireless service, so I clicked the eligibility button on the”xyz company “ webpage and “WOW”, I qualified! “I’m Getting A New Phone!!!”

However, when I proceeded to checkout, I noticed that the “free charger” and “free screen protector” was missing from the order, so I called the sales number to see what happened. I explained what was going on and the sales  person seemed to listen patiently. But when we went to finalize the order, the sales person began pushing hard to get me to purchase the “car charger” and “screen protector”. Finally, after emailing a screen shot of the ad showing “…free”  “…free”, the sales person said they would throw them in at no charge.

The next concern was my “rate plan” I have the 1400 minute family share plan which includes “friends and family”. We also were “grandfathered” in to 250 text messages per line for $5.00 each, and a Corporate discount of nearly $15.00 per month. Our data plan was $15 on one line, and I understood that it would double to $30, since I would need a 2gig data pack (doubled to 4 gigs because of a limited time Verizon promotion for no additional charge) do operate a Smart Phone. The salesperson assured me that the plans and rates would remain the same, only the data plan would increase, meaning a net increase of only $15 per month. So with all the bases covered, I said, “let’s proceed!”

All the sudden, I received page after page of email telling me that “xyz company” was taking over my wireless billing, that changing the service would alter the agreement and result in loss of service.

The new agreement enabled all kinds of things I didn’t want, like allowing them to track my gps and phone numbers for marketing purposes. At the end it said “Click Submit t” to accept and the unit would ship. No way I was going to submit myself to that.

“xyz company” said in their ad that they had 24 hr service, so I gave them a call. However, when I called,  I got a voice message stated that their hours were 9am to 9pm eastern Monday-Friday, and 10am to 5pm on weekends, so I called Verizon Wireless (who was very helpful).

Guess what happened next. Verizon informed me that “xyz company” had changed my Verizon plan. My 1400 minute plan changed to 700 minutes with no “friends and family”, I lost my $15 corporate discount, my $5 text plan was changed to $30 per month unlimited text message plan, with a net increase of $45 per month, and the potential to have significant overages. In essence, my “free phone” was going to cost me at least $540 over two years. Even worse is, “xyz company” clicked “submit” for me on the agreement AND activated the SmartPhone the day the order was placed. They hadn’t even shipped it yet. That burned me flat to the core. I’m getting all hot just writing about it!

The good news is, Verizon reversed all of the “xyz company” transactions, reinstated my service and discounts. I had to prove my case first, but that was easily taken care of with a couple emails proving there was no way I could have received and activated the unit “the same day the order was placed”. Besides, Verizon allows you 14 days to “change your mind” without penalty, and the state of South Carolina allow 72 hours to change your mind on internet and catalog orders. 

I notified “xyzcompany” that I would simply refuse “their shipment” and that if they tried to press the issue any further or disrupt my cellular service, that I would be in contact with the Attorney General of both states AND the Federal Trade Commission. So far, no reaction from “xyz company”.

11/28/2011 Noon Update: Even though I cancelled the order of my Smart Phone, “xyzcompan” shipped anyway. In fact, they shipped “next day air”, instead of “ground” (free) as requested. FedEx delivered it and took off in the truck before I could refused the package. No worries, I was able to take it to the local “ship it” store, mark the unopend box "refused", and they return the package “free of charge”.

“xyzcompany” used an oversize box without any apparent packing to protect the Smart Phone. The box was not marked “fragile” or “this end up”. Turning the box gently from side to side indicated that it was floating free in the box, therefore making it subject to shipping damage. The more I think about, the more I'm convinced that "xyzcompany" is a scoundrel and thief!

Bottom line: Beware of 3d party Smart Phone Deals

Business Card Reader for Android

No more boring manual input of the names, phone numbers, emails and other information from business cards. English, French, Italian, German and Spanish business cards recognition. If you live active business and social life, contact partners, conduct negotiations, make business deals, you usually exchange business cards. Read More:

CellPhone Etiquette – Doesn’t That Burn You Flat To The Core?

Has this happened to you: You're sitting in a restaurant when a CellPhone rings, they answer, talk and laugh and carry-on, oblivious to the disruption they are causing? How about talking to a coworker when their CellPhone rings and they simply LEAVE YOU THERE HANGING? My daughter even tried texting somebody during our conversation, ONE TIME! Doesn't that burns you flat to the core?

Don't take it personal. They didn't have CellPhones when Momma taught us manners, and CellPhone technology has evolved so rapidly that simple CellPhone etiquette has not been able to keep pace. But if someone were to write a book of CellPhone etiquette rules, please let me make some suggestions:

1. Never interrupt a classroom, seminar, or presentation:

Folks that attend class, seminar, and presentations are usually there to learn something; perhaps they paid good money to be there, or traveled to attend. Even if the event was free, those attending indicate, by the presents, that they would rather be there, listening, than anywhere else at that moment. Ringing CellPhones, talking, and texting is disruptive and disrespectful. If you must have your CellPhone on at all, place it on vibrate. And if you have to take that call, take it to another room.

2. Control your voice volume:

When in a crowd, even soft spoken people can get really loud, sometimes shouting so as to be heard. What we forget is that our mouth is only an inch or so from the CellPhone mouthpiece, which is capable of amplifying our voice sufficiently. But when you shout on a CellPhone, you could be needlessly disrupting those around you. You might be blasting the eardrums of the person you are trying to speak with, AND, your loud voice over the CellPhone might be disturbing those around the person you are talking to. So keep your voice at a moderate level, even in crowds. And if the person on the other end say "I Can't Hear You", up the volume a little, not a lot.

3. Don’t check your CellPhone in a darkened theater or presentation room:

Whilst in a darkened theater or classroom, it is best to leave your CellPhone off. Why? When CellPhones ring on vibrate, and even whilst texting, the CellPhone gives of light that might be disruptive to the rest of the audience. If you simply must leave that CellPhone on, be sure to cover the display as fast as you can, and take the call or text in another room.

4. Keep private conversations in private areas:

The bad sushi you ate last night, the nasty details of your neighbors divorce, and the antics at the office are probably not interesting to those that are around you. Your neighbor or your office friends may not appreciate their private stuff being aired in public. More often than not, someone listening could get word back to your neighbor or office friends, and your life could be over. Even worse, you could be caught talking trash about your boss, and your career could be over. So keep private CellPhone conversations private by taking them to a private place.

5. Don't interrupt a friendly conversation:

Ok, it happens, you're talking with your friend and the CellPhone rings. Do you take the call? You might if it is an emergency. If we were talking and somebody yelled "FIRE", you bet our conversation would change. But a casual call or text message interrupting our conversation? THAT'S RUDE. According to dictionary.com, rude means "discourteous, impolite, without culture, illiterate, rough in manners, unmannerly, crude, uncouth...." I'm sure you don't want to be any of those things. Finish your conversation and return the CellPhone call later.

See, that wasn't so bad. You probably thought of those things anyway. CellPhone etiquette is simply a matter of common sense, being polite,  and using the golden rule. Happy CellPhoning To You!

Droid Razr Maxx Solves Battery Issue

A Droid Razr with an edge

In comparing the Droid Razr Maxx to its predecessor, it’s a wonder that Motorola and Verizon didn’t just skip the original phone entirely. At 21 hours, the Droid Razr Maxx offers a talk time almost double that of the original Droid Razr. That, of course, is due to its 3,300 mAh battery, which dwarfs the 1,780 cell found in its predecessor.

As a result of this upgrade, the Droid Razr Maxx is a bit thicker than the Droid Razr. That sounds like a problem at first, but seeing as how one of the most prominent criticisms of the Droid Razr was that it was actually too light, this added weight is actually a good thing in the end.

These things aside, the features of the two devices are almost completely identical. Notably, as with the original, the battery on the Droid Razr Maxx is non-removable, which some potential owners may balk at. But seeing as how it’s this feature that helps keep the device so slim in the first place, perhaps that hesitation is a bit unwarranted.

Solving the 4G battery problem in style

Battery life on the Razr Maxx is a dazzling thing. Even with moderate use, the phone goes at least fifteen hours without need for a charge. Keep in mind that much of this data was transferred is over an 4G LTE connection, making the Maxx’s battery life that much more amazing in comparison to 3G phones than can barely scratch eight hours.

And you won’t get a more useful metric than that. Unless you are running YouTube for hours, or doing something similarly taxing and unlikely, it will probably take a whole lot of work to drain the Razr’s Maxx’s battery. Which is certainly a good thing.

Another notable bit about the battery is that, while it lasts quite a long time, it does take a bit longer to charge compared to, say, the Nexus S 4G. (Disclosure: I own a Nexus S 4G.)

Bottom line Read More - Click Here!

Extreme Measures To Lower Your Cell Phone Bill

Spending more than a grand a year on Smart Phone Service and related activities is difficult to justify. There can be considerable price relief, however, if you are willing to modify your cellular consumption with some new and/or unorthodox services. Here are five extreme ways to lower your cell phone bill.

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Extreme Smartphone Users Becoming More Extreme

Study finds 1% of users now consuming half of all downloaded data.Thanks to new smartphones and the apps that tag along, mobile data is accelerating beyond expectations, network management company Arieso finds in a new study. Following a similar study in 2010, Arieso’s new analysis reveals that so-called "extreme" users are becoming even more extreme, with 1% of subscribers now consuming half of all downloaded data.

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How to Unlock AT&T iPhone 4/3GS Without Losing Untethered Jailbreak Using Redsn0w

In an earlier IBTimes UK report, it was announced that AT&T had decided to unlock iPhones of off-contract users. Furthermore, other earlier reports have discussed eligibility criteria and the service provider's method of unlocking the iPhone using back-up and restore from iTunes.

There is, however, a downside to this process - you are forced to compromise the untethered jailbreak during iTunes' restoration.

MuscleNerd, the brains behind the iPhone-Dev Team has unearthed a workaround to help you enjoy the untethered jailbreak while also successfully factory-unlocking the iPhone from AT&T, reports JBU.

How To Unlock iPhone 4/3GS Without Losing Jailbreak Using Redsn0w:

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How to unlock iPhone 4S, Ubuntu 12.04

Google+ users are linking to articles that explain how to unlock a jailbroken iPhone 4S (and any other version of the device) using a new technique discovered by a Chinese hacker who goes by the name Loktar_Sun.

The hack reportedly makes use of “Sam Bigner’s SAM (Subscriber Artificial Module) Package to create a valid unlock-ticket [that] is available for free.”

“We have tested it and it works,” said Gizmodo, which noted that while you should “proceed at your own risk,” the unlocking process is “painless.”

Plussers are eagerly awaiting the long-term service desktop release of Linux-based computer operating system Ubuntu 12.04.

“Cant wait for the 26th and the #ubuntu 12.04 release!” says a G+’er. “Already have the beta, but its the best feeling when you have the final copy in hand.”

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Is Your Cell Phone Giving Away Your Secrets? by WXPNEWS

Mobile phones have given us more freedom; we no longer have to stay close by a fixed landline when waiting for an important call. They've also given many people a sense of greater security; if your car breaks down or someone seems to be following you, you can call for help. But there's another, darker side to the security issue. Whether you have a fancy smart phone that's really a full-fledged hand-held computer or just the cheapie model that your cell phone carriers provides at no extra charge, the cell phone that you take with you everywhere you go could be posing a threat to your privacy. This YouTube video titled Tapping Your Cell Phone shows how a savvy attacker can use your phone to harass you - even after you change your number, track where you are at any time, or even listen in on what you're doing when you aren't even on the phone.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCyKcoDaofg

Most people know that cell phone calls are really radio transmissions, and since they go out over the airwaves, they can be intercepted. Several years back, it wasn't uncommon for people with old style police scanners to pick up conversations that were occurring on analog phones in the 824.040 to 848.970 MHz range. It's now illegal to sell scanners that pick up cellular frequencies but many people still have them from the days when they were legal, and you can buy them now in many other countries.

Luckily, intercepting digital phone signals is more difficult. However, there are software packages you can buy that will let you listen in on mobile phones that have Bluetooth enabled (you can also use it to read text messages), and the software doesn't have to be installed on the phone that's being spied on. These programs are marketed as tools to check up on your children's behavior, catch cheating spouses, find out if employees are misbehaving on the job, and so forth. Of course, they can be bought and used by anyone to spy on anyone else for any reason. And a really motivated eavesdropper who's willing to invest in a few thousand dollars' worth of equipment may be able to break GSM (GPRS/Edge) algorithms and reconstruct conversations.

What about the sensitive data you carry with you on your phone? Many of us have contacts, email, and even documents stored on our phones. With many sophisticated smart phones, you can encrypt both the data stored in the phone's internal memory and data on the flash card you have inserted in the phone. If you have a Windows Mobile device that you use to connect to an Exchange 2007 Server, you (or your Exchange administrator) can send a command to the phone that will perform a remote wipe (delete all Exchange information stored on it). The 3G version of the iPhone also supports this feature. This comes in handy if your phone is lost or stolen. Some phones can also be set to automatically wipe the local data if the incorrect password is entered a certain number of times.

Speaking of password protection, do you habitually lock your phone when you aren't using it? If so, do you think that will prevent someone else from being able to use it? Keep in mind that most phones allow incoming calls to be answered even when the phone is locked. Once upon a time, IT departments routinely used callback to verify the identity of users, but that can't be relied upon now that mobile phones are in the picture.

Another important thing to remember is that your smart phone works much like a desktop PC in many ways. One of those is the fact that deleting a file may not truly erase that data at all, but just remove the markers so that area in storage is available to be written to. Until new data is written over it, it's still possible for someone with the right software to retrieve the \"deleted\" data.

Perhaps the scariest part of the video referenced at the beginning of this article is the idea that someone can activate the microphone on your cell phone from a distant location and listen to whatever you and those around you are saying - even though there is no active phone connection. And anyone who has watched modern thriller movies is probably aware that the GPS signals built into many cell phones can be tracked to show your every move. In fact, that technology is marketed to parents, to keep up with their children; the software can be installed on many RIM Blackberry phones, Windows Mobile phones, Android phones and others. You may also have to pay a monthly fee for the tracking service.

The only reliable way to be sure your GPS can't be tracked or your microphone can't be activated is to deactivate the phone completely. Some smart phones have a button to turn the screen off, but the phone itself stays on. Windows Mobile, for instance, isn't designed to be shut down completely. If you press the \"on/off\" button, you turn the display on or off. If you hold it in for a longer time, the phone merely reboots. Turning on \"Flight Mode\" will turn off the phone's radios (cellular, wi-fi and Bluetooth). Or if you want to be absolutely sure you're safe, remove the battery (assuming your phone has a user-removable battery).

Of course, many people leave their phones turned on and charging overnight. This provides an opportunity for attackers to exploit the vulnerabilities of an active phone; all they need to know is your mobile phone number, which you might have printed on your business card or even listed in your Facebook profile. Here's a demonstration of how it can be done:

http://www.csoonline.com/article/491200/_Simple_Steps_to_Hack_a_Smartphone_Includes_Video_

Is Your Cell Phone Spying On You?

Your Cell Phone: Every breath you take, Every move you make, Every bond you break, Every step you take (I'll be watching you (sting)). “Consumers need to know that their safety and privacy are being protected by the companies they trust with their sensitive information,” Franken said. “The revelation that the locations and other sensitive data of millions of Americans are being secretly recorded and possibly transmitted is deeply troubling." Read More - Click Here!

Lower Your Cell Phone Data Bill Five Ways

Data plans for smartphones are not what they used to be. As more consumers operate apps, games and videos from their iPhones, Androids and other handheld devices, cellular carriers are raising data prices and at times restricting what heavy users can do on their networks.

In January, AT&T ended its $15-per-month 200MB data plan, leaving T-Mobile alone among the four major U.S. carriers (which also include Verizon and Sprint) that has a data deal that will cost you less than 20 bucks each month. But even the 200MB “Simple” plan offered by T-Mobile for $10-per-month only provides about one-third of the data consumed by the average 24-to-35-year-old cellular customer, according to Nielsen.

So larger data plans and overage fees will force many moderate users to pay between $20 and $50-per-month (note that there are still cheaper plans for less data-heavy feature phones). Even some heavier users grandfathered into unlimited data plans are seeing slower connections after consuming 2GB of data in a month through a practice called throttling.

So whether you are a data hog or newer smartphone user just getting a feel for your device, here are five simple steps to keep your cellular consumption down and data bills low.

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Mobile Vendors - Don't Get Caught In Their Slammin' Door

In other words, it’s becoming increasingly difficult—if not impossible—to differentiate a mobile device based on hardware. Even software is a two horse race with Apple and Google’s Android. On the Android side of the smartphone industry, the commoditization race is going to kill a few device makers. Read More - Click Here!

Phone Bill Cramming Costs you $2 billion A Year - Feds Investigate!

Unauthorized third-party charges on telephone bills cost consumers upwards of $2 billion per year, a recent Senate report found

The federal government should be doing more to protect consumers against the phone bill fraud known as cramming, the attorneys general from 17 states say.

"Consumers ... deserve action against the predatory and exploitative charges that drive up phone bills and impose burdensome costs in money, time and energy to correct," New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman said. "My colleagues and I strongly urge the FCC to adopt effective regulations that stop cramming, and provide consumers with relief."

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Root Kit Hidden In Millions of Cell Homes

The rootkit belongs to a company called Carrier IQ and it seems that it has low-level access to the system that allows it to spy on pretty much everything that you do with your handset. This, on the face of it, seems like an extremely serious breach of security, privacy and trust.

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Scam List Topped By Mobile Threats During Holiday Season

Malware targeting Android-powered mobile devices and Apple computers top a list scams and security threats the people need to guard against this holiday shopping season:

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Security: Don't enter Cell Phone Numbers On Websites

A recent reader experience: "I used my cell phone number when playing a game on the internet (Facebook) and typed in my cell number to get game results texted to me. However, when signing up for the game,  I was not pre-warned that a monthly charge of $9.99 would apply to this particular instance, and being a newbie to my cell phone (and not a texting person) when I got my text message I didn't read anything past the results and was shocked with a charge on my bill that I didn't understand how it got there until I asked my cell phone carrier what Premium Texting was. Boy did I feel duped! I have now learned what it is all about and have put a block on my phone to this type of thing, but am still very annoyed that my phone company allows this type of rip off to me, the consumer.

Don't find out the hard way like I did. Never enter your cell number on the internet and always read the fine print!"

Carol Adds: "There are some other ones out there that if you order things on line they charge you a simple 2 or 3 dollars and in the fine print they also say they are giving you something free and hit you with a $72 first time fee and $24 every month after that. There are several account of this on the internet. Just type in A1 Member and you will see the complaints and how to get some of the refund back."

Kim Adds: "FYI. I use FB and for each of these types of functions, clearly stated in a short, but explicit paragraph, BEFORE one goes to the area to enter his/her cell phone information, (which is required to obtain the results to stupid quizzes such as IQ tests, etc. is the fact that there will be a $9.99 monthly charge. Clearly, people need to read before they click! It was not a rip off, nor was the person duped, as they allege. The statements are clearly there, in readable print (without having to squint or use a magnifying glass) and putting a block on a cell phone for "this type of thing" does not preclude charges that are legal based on customer consent, whether they were too stupid to read the terms and conditions or not. I worked in telecom regulatory law & government affairs for 17 years and learned early on that there were two things that we would never be able to regulate: customer laziness and customer stupidity"

Security: Malls Tracking Shoppers With Cell Phones

But mall officials say shoppers have nothing to worry about. In a statement, the owners of the Richmond mall, Forest City Commercial Management, said all shoppers will be anonymous and have nothing to worry about in terms of privacy. But I don't trust them, Do You?

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Send Text Messages from your Computer Via Email

It’s easy! All you do is enter the 10 digit phone number, then @, then the cell carrier's website. Example, if the number you wanted to send a text message to was 843-555-5555 and the cell carrier is Verizon Wireless, send the email to  8435555555@vtext.com . Just make sure you keep the message to 40 characters or less.

If you happen to use yahoo mail, adding a 1 in front of the ten digit phone number will rout the email to the desired carier without entering the network extension. Simply address the email to 18435555555.

Outlook has fields for multiple phone numbers. That means that you can load outlook with the ten digit mobile number and the extension, and pick the mobile number from Contacts to send a text message.

Outlook Express will only display the primary number when you click "To". Therefore you need two contacts, one with the regular email address and the other with the ten digit mobile phone number plus the carriers network address.

US & Canadian Carriers

3 River Wireless

ACS Wireless

Alltel

AT&T

Bell Canada

Bell Canada

Bell Mobility (Canada)

Bell Mobility

Blue Sky Frog

Bluegrass Cellular

Boost Mobile

BPL Mobile

Carolina West Wireless

Cellular One

Cellular South

Centennial Wireless

CenturyTel

Cingular (Now AT&T)

Clearnet

Comcast

Corr Wireless Communications

Dobson

Edge Wireless

Fido

Golden Telecom

Helio

Houston Cellular

Idea Cellular

Illinois Valley Cellular

Inland Cellular Telephone

MCI

Metrocall

Metrocall 2-way

Metro PCS

Microcell

Midwest Wireless

Mobilcomm

MTS

Nextel

OnlineBeep

PCS One

President's Choice

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Satellink

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Telus

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US West

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International Carriers

Chennai RPG Cellular

Chennai Skycell / Airtel

Comviq

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Delhi Hutch

DT T-Mobile

Dutchtone / Orange-NL

EMT

Escotel

German T-Mobile

Goa BPLMobil

Golden Telecom

Gujarat Celforce

JSM Tele-Page

Kerala Escotel

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Kyivstar

Lauttamus Communication

LMT

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Maharashtra Idea Cellular

Manitoba Telecom Systems

Meteor

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Netcom

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O2

O2

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One Connect Austria

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Optus Mobile

Orange

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Primtel

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Smart Telecom

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Surewest Communications

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Tamil Nadu BPL Mobile

Tele2 Latvia

Telefonica Movistar

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Vodafone UK

Wyndtell

 

Old US & Canadian Carriers (Most Not In Use)

Advantage Communications

Airtouch Pagers

AlphaNow

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American Messaging

Ameritech Clearpath

Arch Pagers (PageNet)

AT&T

AT&T Free2Go

AT&T PCS

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Beepwear

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Cellular One (South West)

Cellular One

Cellular One

Cellular One

Cellular One

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Central Vermont Communications

Cingular

Communication Specialists

Cook Paging

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Digi-Page / Page Kansas

Galaxy Corporation

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GrayLink / Porta-Phone

GTE

GTE

GTE

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MCI

Metrocall

Mobilecom PA

Morris Wireless

Motient

Nextel

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PCS One

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Verizon Pagers

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VoiceStream

WebLink Wireless

  • 10digitphonenumber@@airmessage.net

WebLink Wireless

West Central Wireless

Sharing Data with Mobile Device by Jack Wallen


Takeaway: When your users need help moving data from a phone or tablet to a PC, one of these approaches should do the trick.

Phones and tablets are starting to play a much bigger role in the world of IT. As this happens, users need easy, reliable ways to have their mobile devices interact and share with their PCs. Let’s take a look at five tips for making this data transfer a smooth and painless process.

 
1: Take advantage of Bluetooth

 
Most mobile devices offer the ability to easily share data via Bluetooth. Problem is, many computers do not offer Bluetooth compatibility. If you are one of the lucky ones, and your machine has Bluetooth connectivity, happy sharing. For those without the hardware, it is possible to purchase either a card or USB Bluetooth device (such as this IOGEAR Micro Adapter) that will allow you to share those files. This might well be the easiest method for sharing data between your mobile and your PC. For the Android platform, you will find Bluetooth options in Wireless and Network | Bluetooth settings. In that menu, you can tap Scan Devices to auto-discover any other Bluetooth devices to connect with.

 
2: Use SMB

 
Samba is the be-all, do-all for file sharing. And there are plenty of applications out there to enable your mobile to share data between your mobile device and a machine running Samba. One of my favorites is AndSMB. Any of these applications makes the process of sharing incredibly simple. The challenge lies in setting up Samba. Not that there are any special configuration options necessary for sharing with your mobile, but most users won’t know where to begin to set up an SMB shared directory. If you’re in that boat, it is always possible to contact your IT department to see if they can hook you up.

 
3: FTP it

 
A protocol that end users may find a bit easier to use is FTP. Anyone can download the FileZilla Server and install it on their PC. With that installed, a simple FTP client can be installed on the mobile and data easily shared between the two. A problem with this method might occur if the company has a policy against setting up your own personal FTP server — even if it is only for the sharing of files between mobile and PC. With the Android platform, you can turn the mobile device itself into an FTP server with apps like SwiFTP FTP Server.

 
4: Use Mass Media Storage

 
Some phones (especially Android) offer mass media storage when connected to USB. This means your phone simply acts as an external mass media device. When this option is available, all you have to do is plug your phone in, open up your file manager, and move files back and forth as you see fit. Unfortunately, some phones don’t offer this option. I have also noticed that if USB Debugging is turned on (Android), Mass Media Storage is not an option. So if you are having trouble getting your Android device recognized, make sure USB Debugging is turned off.

 
5: Try an SD card reader

 
Most Android phones have SD cards. You can pull those cards out, insert them into an SD card reader, insert the reader into a PC, and move files back and forth. This is a bit of a cumbersome method, because in most instances, the mobile device will have to be shut off and (in some cases) the battery removed to get to the card. But if this is the only method available to you, you’ll just have to grin and bear it. Chances are, however, one of the above methods will be much easier and less invasive to your device.

 
Built-in apps

 
There are also applications built into your provider’s Android platform that allow for sharing. Most of these applications share primarily multimedia files, so you’ll need another option for sharing documents and the like. But at least one of the previous methods will enable you to quickly and easily share files between your mobile device and your desktop or laptop.

Small Offices shifting away from Landlines to SmartPhones

A new survey finds that small businesses are leaning towards smartphones over landline telephones to keep their workforces connected. Many consumers have been opting to pay only for cell phone plans over landline options for personal reasons for several years now. One would imagine that businesses must be the core customer base for landline telephone providers now, but even that is changing to some degree. Read More – Click Here!

Smart Phone Cameras - Effective Business Tools

SmartPhone cameras can easily become effective business tools, and this article will show you how…

SmartPhone cameras have really improved: SmartPhone camera resolution is getting higher. In fact, it is now common to find SmartPhone cameras with 5 and even 8 megapixels. Lens quality is better, and most SmartPhones even come with a flash. Of course, SmartPhones don’t even approach the quality of a digital SLR camera used for serious photography, but it does contend well with point ‘n’ shoot cameras, and even inexpensive camcorders.

But the big advantage of a SmartPhone is that it is always with you. As long as you carry your SmartPhone with you, you don’t have to worry about missing that photo op’ because you didn’t remember to bring your camera AND, you don’t have to juggle two things, just one. How easy is that!

So let’s put that SmartPhone Camera to work:

#1. Mini Copy Machine: You can use your SmartPhone camera as a mini copy machine to capture information on a printed or handwritten document. Some SmartPhone cameras have a “Text mode” setting to make it easier for you to photograph pages of text, graphics, and pictures.

#2. Mobile Video Conferencing: Several SmartPhones come with two cameras, one camera that faces the front for taking pictures of other people/things, and another that faces the back so that you can use your SmartPhone for video conferencing. How kool is that!

#3. Business Card Reader: Some SmartPhones, come with extra camera-related software preinstalled. Other SmartPhones work with apps that allows you to photograph a business card. The software, or App, extracts the information and puts it in your Contacts phonebook. My iPhone friend uses OcrtoolPro and my Droid friend uses Alchemy Clip. Of course, I’m a Windows Mobile guy and I use Business Card Reader (it also works on Blackberry).

 #4. Whiteboards and Charts: SmartPhones cameras are great for taking pictures of whiteboards, charts, and presentations like PowerPoint. Be sure to ask permission first. It is just the right thing to do.

#5.Field and On-The-Job pictures: If you’re in the field, you can take pictures of items relevant to the job and email them back to the office, which is much more efficient and accurate than trying to verbally relate the information to a client, or attempting remember the details whilst documenting the experience at a later time.

#6.Put Faces with Names: Ever forget the name of an important new business contact? Perhaps taking a picture of that person and inserting it into Contacts will eliminate that problem. Be sure to ask their permission first. I’ve found that if I tell them what I’m doing, they find it kool too and usually ask me to show them how it works.

#7. Aide to remembering Dates: Because digital photos carry a time/date stamp, taking event and meeting pictures can serve as a quick way to find out, weeks or months later, exactly when that meeting took place.

#8. Comparative Shopping Aide: When comparison shopping for big ticket items, snapping photos of tags showing model number, price, and specs can be useful for keeping that information straight later.

#9.Vehicle Location: Ok, I’m telling on myself. When traveling and using a rented vehicle, sometimes it is difficult to find them in a parking garage or lot. You can use your SmartPhone camera to quickly document its location, just in case you forget.

#10. Security: SmartPhones can be useful for documenting an auto accident scene or other incidents that could result in a civil or criminal investigation. SmartPhones can also be used to document suspicious persons or activities, but please be careful.

But don’t get too “snap happy” just because you have a SmartPhone camera that’s always available. Some folks value their privacy or just don’t like having their pictures taken. Although it is generally not against the law in the United States to take pictures of people in public places without their permission, use common sense. If you see “No photography” signs posted, keep the SmartPhone in your pocket. Remember the golden rule, ‘cause if you wouldn’t want your picture taken under those circumstances, chances are they don’t either.

Smartphone Battery Drain a Common Problem

It turns out that the iPhone 4S isn't the only smartphone producing battery life complaints.Take the Motorola's new Droid Razr, using Google's Android operating system. The phone is viewed as a challenger to the iPhone 4S but also seems to have the 4S' battery life problem.

Read More - Click Here!

Smartphone technology of the future By Debra Littlejohn Shinder

Takeaway: Deb Shinder takes a look at a few features that are rare or not found at all in today’s phones that will likely be standard on the smartphones of the future.

Today’s smartphones are pretty amazing. When I first became an IT writer, in the 1990s, cell phones were simplistic devices that made phone calls (sometimes not very well). My first one was a bulky Motorola “bag phone.” The full tower desktop computer I was using at that time had a much slower processor and far less RAM and storage than the smartphone I carry in my pocket today.
 
We’ve come a long way, baby, in less than two decades — but there still are some exciting technologies on the horizon. In this post, I’d like to take a look at a few features that are rare or not found at all in today’s phones that will likely be standard on the smartphones of the future.
 
Near Field Communication (NFC)
 
NFC is a means by which you can transfer data wirelessly between two equipped devices. So, what’s special about that? Sure, we’ve been wirelessly transferring data for a long time, via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and IrDA. NFC differs from those methods in a couple of important ways. First, the devices must be very close to one another (within a few inches) to exchange information. In addition, the data is protected by strong encryption, so that you can send sensitive data such as credit card information securely.
 
NFC could bring big changes to our lives, and it’s seen as the future of monetary exchange, which would free us from carrying around cash, credit cards, or even traditional ID cards. All of that would be stored on your phone, and you could make payments or provide your credentials by simply holding your phone close to an NFC reader.
 
There are obvious security and privacy issues to be addressed, but there’s little doubt the smartphones of the future will all support NFC. It’s already in (or expected to be in) several phones that are on the market or will be released before the end of this year, such as the Google Nexus S, the Samsung Galaxy S II, BlackBerry Bold 9900 series, and the Nokia C7. NFC is rumored to be coming in either the iPhone 5 or iPhone 6, although it was left out of the iPhone 4S. A recent announcement also confirmed that Windows phones will get NFC in 2012.
 
There’s little doubt that in the next few years, NFC will be a “must have” feature in high-end smartphones and eventually in low-priced so-called feature phones.
 
Augmented Reality (AR)
 
Another technology that’s already available but not yet in widespread use is Augmented Reality (AR). The idea behind AR is to combine a live view of an object or environment with real-time data generated by a computing device (in this case, a smartphone). The computer data is generally viewed as an overlay to the live view (which is usually input by the smartphone’s camera lens) to enhance what we see in the “real world.”
 
Here’s an example: You point your phone at an office building, and the information overlay tells you the name of the building, who owns it, company or companies occupying it, its current property tax valuation, maybe even whether companies in the building are hiring.
 
Another form of augmented reality would work like this: point the phone’s camera at an object, and the display will show you its dimensions (height, width, etc.). Or how about this: You point your phone at a stranger on the street, and your phone searches the databases of social networks, such as Facebook and Google+, and brings you back the person’s name and whatever personal information he/she has made public on those sites.
 
There are obvious privacy issues involved, as well as technological ones (for instance, the limited accuracy of GPS and current facial recognition software). However, there are already smartphone apps available that can do some of these things, and you can bet we’ll see more applications like this — in increasingly sophisticated ways — in future phones.
 
Form factors of the future
 
In addition to the exciting new features and functionalities that we can expect to come down the pike, it’s likely that tomorrow’s smartphones will look a bit different from the ones we carry today. Think about the difference between the clunky DynaTAC 8000X that was introduced in the 1980s and today’s sleek designs. The trend in smartphones has been toward ever thinner devices with bigger screens — but as I asked in a previous article on smartphone form factors, how long can that go on? How much bigger can smartphone screens get before they turn into tablets? How much thinner can they become and still have room for the circuits, radios, and batteries that need to nestle inside?
 
One of the biggest annoyances for smartphone owners today is where/how to carry it. Thin as they’ve become, they still take up room in a pocket or bag, and we usually have to carry them in addition to a wallet, keys, and perhaps other essentials. One day, our phones might be the size of a credit card, so we can just slip them into our wallets with our other cards. But the more likely scenario is that we’ll ditch the wallets and carry only the phones, which will contain all that stuff we now put in our wallets (identification, credit cards, key fobs) in digital form (see NFC above).
 
What about those times when we don’t have a pocket, though? One possibility is to wear your phone on your wrist like a watch. The idea is as old as Dick Tracy, and it’s been tried several times over the years, without a huge amount of success. However, there are already a number of “smart watches” on the market running Android and other operating systems. Wristwatch phones may just be a matter of time.
 
Projecting into the future
 
While we’re waiting for the day when we’ll become human/phone cyborgs, there are other ways to solve the small screen problem. There have been attempts to create a smartphone that incorporates a projector, and although the idea didn’t catch fire, it opens up some interesting possibilities for the future. A phone that could project its display onto a larger surface could be smaller than today’s behemoths (think Droid Charge, Infuse, and the upcoming Galaxy Nexus) that must accommodate 4-inch plus screens. Projection technology can even be used to create a projected full-size keyboard for easier typing. Currently, that requires you to buy an accessory like the VKB Magic Cube and Celluon laser keyboard, but it could be built into the smartphones of the future.
 
One phone to rule them all
 
Finally, there’s a good chance that the smartphones of the near future will be, for many people, their only computers. Smartphone processors are getting faster, and they’re getting more memory and larger amounts of storage. Who’ll need a laptop or desktop when we have phones with quad core 3 GHz processors and 8 GB of RAM? What we will need is a way to easily hook that core computer up to peripherals: multiple larger monitors, full-sized physical keyboards and mice, terabyte-plus drives, printers, scanners, surround sound speakers, TVs, and so forth.
 
The Motorola Atrix has already shown us what that could do. It provides desktop and laptop docks, and that’s a great start, but I want more. I can envision the day when I have my super-slim credit card-sized phone that I can carry alone (with built-in projection technology if I want to increase the display size) or slip into a slot on my desktop dock, laptop dock, or even a tablet “shell” to give me more screen real estate without projecting. It would be a full-fledged computer in every sense of the word, with the ability to wirelessly connect to printers, external hard drives, and just about any other accessory that you can currently plug into a desktop computer via USB.
 
The ultimate smartphone
 
The ultimate smartphone would be a true bionic phone (not to be confused with the Motorola Droid). In the extreme manifestation, sensors would be implanted directly to your brain so you could make a call or tell the phone to perform other tasks simply by thinking them, and the display would appear in your field of vision without any physical screen.
 
Your smartphone would always be with you — no worries about losing it, having it stolen, or dropping it on the pavement. There would be no need for input devices, although you could output to printers or physical displays if you wanted to share the visuals with other people. Your phone would be so integrated with your brain that you wouldn’t even have to explicitly think to input some information. For example, I now have a fitness app where I enter all the foods that I eat each day. My bionic phone could detect from my brain activity that I’m eating a banana and automatically enter that into my daily nutrition log. I think we’re still a ways off from realizing that sci-fi scenario, but who’s to say it won’t happen someday?

Smartphone: Making Popcorn – Cooking Eggs

You can’t believe everything you see on YouTube. According to Snopes, Cell Phone Popcorn and Egg cooking is a hoax. Fun to watch but not true.

Still, microwave radiation travels from your cell phone (held next to your brain) to a microwave tower that may be 10+ miles away and back. THEY say they are safe, but THEY might be influenced by the millions of political lobby dollars spent by cell phone carriers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgjx4JROjR4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hadcl6Ctr3o

http://www.snopes.com/science/cookegg.asp

Smartphones Need to Address the Business App Gap

(By Chris Marsh, Senior Analyst at Yankee Group

Employee-purchased smartphones are invading the workplace. Nearly one-quarter (23 percent) of employees plan to purchase a smartphone on their own for work purposes in the next 12 months, according to Yankee Group’s 2011 US Enterprise Mobility: Employee Survey, Wave 2. The survey also finds 60 percent of smartphones in the enterprise are being selected and purchased by employees rather than corporate IT buyers—and that percentage is growing.

Unfortunately, end-users who purchase smartphones for work purposes tend to find them wanting when it comes to providing true business productivity. As a result, many employees download mobile apps from consumer storefronts in an effort to increase their device’s work productivity. If device manufacturers and carriers want to entice employees to their wares, they must begin addressing this “business app gap.” Specifically, they need to rethink their device’s out-of-the-box business appeal and balance that with providing true business/productivity applications employees can download from their specific app stores.

When it comes to the devices employees choose to use for work, our employee survey finds Apple’s iPhone, Research In Motion’s (RIM’s) BlackBerry and Google’s Android are running neck and neck: 40-43 percent of employees are considering purchasing each brand. Each smartphone’s reputation attracts different types of business-minded buyers:

Android attracts younger employees. Most Android buyers are employees aged 18 to 34. They are less likely to have formal work leadership roles and less likely to have incomes over U.S.$50,000 than are buyers of BlackBerrys and Apple iPhones.

Apple also attracts younger employees. Like Android buyers, most iPhone buyers fall into the 18-34 age range, but iPhone buyers are more likely to have a leadership role at work.

BlackBerry attracts older employees. The BlackBerry employee buyer base skews toward formal leadership roles and higher incomes.

Top Types of Business Apps by Consumer App Store

Each of the three major smartphone OSs attracts certain types of developers and seeks to fulfill certain employee needs. A study of the most popular business apps downloaded from each platform’s online store reveals:

RIM users focus on productivity. RIM’s BlackBerry has long established an out-of-the-box experience that thoroughly addresses productivity and messaging-oriented collaboration. Apps in its BlackBerry App World tend to be mobile process-oriented and task-oriented.

Android users focus on information. Android smartphones have long established an out-of-the-box experience that involves collaboration via social media as well as entertainment and information. Android Market tends to have more free business-oriented apps, and while the most popular downloads are in the mobile process-oriented and task-oriented categories, information-oriented apps also rise to the top.

Apple users are heavily word- and task-oriented. Apple has also long established an out-of-the-box experience that involves collaboration via social media as well as entertainment and information. Apple’s App Store, therefore, tends to offer more word processing-oriented and task-oriented business apps.

Yankee Group surveys also find employees who buy Apple iPhones and use them for work purposes are more likely to consider their personal tools and technologies as productivity-enhancing. In fact, 51 percent believe their personal technologies are more advanced than their workplace technologies. Employees who buy Android smartphones and use them for work purposes are least likely to consider their personal apps and technologies as productivity-enhancing.

 

Super Smart Phone Wish List

Don't get me wrong, I like my Windows Mobile Phone. However, there are some really kool things about the iPhone that makes we wish the two giants could get together to make one super-phone, and here is my wish list….

1: File Explorer

The first time I connected an iPhone to one of my computers, I decided to try copying a few files to the iPhone to see which file formats it would support. Having grown up with Windows, I expected the iPhone to have a feature similar to File Explorer (the Windows Mobile version of Windows Explorer) that would allow me to browse the device's file system. Much to my surprise, there is no such feature included with the iPhone. While you can definitely get by without this capability, not being able to browse the file system made me feel like a fish out of water.

2: Task Manager

Windows Mobile handles running applications a little bit differently than desktop versions of Windows do. When you close an application in Windows Mobile, you aren't really terminating the application. The next time you open the application, you pick back up where you left off. The only way to really terminate an application is by using the Task Manager.

The first time I used an iPhone, it felt really strange not to have a Task Manager (or an Apple equivalent). The iPhone has a single button you can press to return to the list of available applications. Some applications terminate when you press this button, but others do not. It would be nice to have a Task Manager-like utility built in that would display a list of open applications and that would allow you to close them.

3: iTunes interface

The primary utility for copying data to and from the iPhone is iTunes. I have to tell you that I am not exactly an iTunes fan. I would much prefer it if Windows treated the iPhone as an external storage device and allowed you to drag and drop files as you can with Windows Mobile devices.

4: Safari Web Browser

One great iPhone feature is its Web browser. The Safari Web browser that comes with the iPhone is far superior to the mobile version of Internet Explorer that is included with Windows Mobile. Granted, Microsoft made some much needed improvements to Internet Explorer in Windows Mobile 6.5, but it still doesn't render Web pages as well as the iPhone browser.

5: One-touch access to everything

Another thing I like about the iPhone is that you can launch applications with a single touch. This design feature goes a long way toward making the iPhone easy to use.

6: The App Store

The biggest thing that has contributed to the iPhone's success is arguably the number of applications that are available for it. Numerous applications are available for Windows Mobile too, but there are way more iPhone applications. With Windows Mobile having been around for as long as it has, I really wish that there were more applications for it.

7: The interface

Earlier, I said that I like the iPhone's single-touch access to applications. While I do like being able to launch applications so easily, the list of applications can become really cluttered as you start to accumulate a lot of them. It would be nice to at least have the option of grouping applications into folders without the aid of third-party software.

8: The operating system itself

In addition to the features I have already named, there are some other characteristics of the operating systems that I like. I like that Windows Mobile looks and feels like Windows. On the other hand, the iPhone's graphics engine is far superior to the one used by Windows Mobile. I have a friend, for example, who routinely plays first person shooters on his iPhone.

9: ActiveSync

For those who are not familiar with ActiveSync, it's a Microsoft feature designed to keep a Windows Mobile device connected to an Exchange Server mailbox. Although ActiveSync is a Microsoft feature, Apple has built its own version into the iPhone. As embarrassed as I am to say it, I have found it easier to connect an iPhone to an Exchange mailbox than to connect a Windows Mobile device.

10: The onscreen keyboard

Finally, if you must have an onscreen keyboard, iPhone onscreen keyboard rocks. Although Windows Mobile device supports touch screen, the onscreen keyboard is so small that I can't type on it without using a stylus. The iPhone's onscreen keyboard is much more practical

Text Message - Cheaper Ways Are Coming 10/17/2011

Cheaper Ways To Text Are Coming

PhotoSending text messages is old-fashioned, expensive and very, very popular. Those three ingredients are combining to produce cheaper – even free – ways to do it.

On Wednesday Apple plans to roll out iMessage, a cross between texting and instant messaging. There are several other apps that provide much the same service. TextPlus, for example, has offered a texting app since early 2010.

Read More-Click Here!

There's An App For That - Not Just For iPHONE

When you here the phrase "There's An App For That", everyone immediately thinks of the iPhone. Besides the kool design, that’s why folks buy the iPhone, because of all the Apps. Fact is, most of the apps written for iPhone were either written for other smart phones, then adapted for the iPhone, or have versions for other smart phone platforms. In addition, more apps have been written specifically for the Windows Mobile Smart Phone than any other platform AND they can be obtained from a plethora of different sources, most of which are FREE (iPhone apps have to be purchased through the "AppStore")....

 But what if you have a "Dumb Phone", a phone not designed to run 3rd party apps? Now Microsoft has created software called OneApp that will allow owners of \"dumb phones\" to easily run applications, as well. Click here to read more here:

http://blogs.wsj.com/digits/2009/08/24/microsoft-moves-to-smarten-up-cheap-phones/

 

What Is 4G by David Drucker

They’re everywhere now… promises to bring “4G” speeds to your mobile devices.  Like the words “Organic” or “Natural” in the food industry, it’s hard to know what, exactly, 4G means.  Is there an official 4G standard?  Let’s explore the basics of 4G and find out…

According to the International Telecommunications Union, mobile broadband technology meets the 4G “threshold” when it delivers downloads of at least 100 Mbps (megabytes per second).  By comparison, Sprint’s Mobile WiMax service offers 3 to 6 Mbps; T-Mobile’s HSPA+ offers 5 to 8 Mbps; and Verizon’s LTE network offers 5 to 12 Mbps.  AT&T claims it will have HSPA+ available to a small segment of its users by the end of February 2011 but doesn’t currently offer any phones compatible with a so-called 4G network.  In other words, none of the major carriers currently come close to the 4G standard.  It sure makes for great advertising to say you do, though…

That said, these actual speeds the carriers are capable of are big improvements over “3G” service.  Laptop magazine tested Sprint’s 4G service in the New York City area and came away with speeds of 1.92 to 7.55 Mbps — in line with the abovementioned speeds but, more importantly, much higher speeds than 3G.  When the same tester switched to 3G, he experienced speeds ranging from only 200 Kbps to 400 Kbps, a significant reduction in service.

The real-life improvement is dramatic when viewed in the context of common daily tasks.  Full websites loaded in 5-7 seconds vs. 17-24 seconds under 3G.  Hulu videos took less than 12 seconds to start under 4G vs. 30 seconds or more under 3G.

The issue presently is coverage.  Sprint’s service is available in 61 markets, T-Mobile’s in about 75 major metropolitan areas, and Verizon’s service is available in 38 metro markets.  And all three offer 4G handsets, unlike AT&T.

The bottom line, then, is that 4G may not be 4G, but today’s 4G is a lot faster than today’s 3G.  As Laptop states, let’s concentrate on these differences and on performance and value considerations rather than the absolute 4G speed offered today.  That will presumably climb over time but the benefits are now.

What's Next For ATT - T-Mobile After The Split

AT&T has now withdrawn its offer for T-Mobile, and the big question facing both companies now is: How can they move forward? Yankee Group believes both companies have viable options for surviving and thriving in the years ahead. Those options, however, will require both firms to think differently about how they run their businesses. The acquisition’s failure means both parties remain starved of the higher-capacity, well-situated spectrum assets needed for effective future competition against formidably positioned Verizon Wireless.

Read More - Click Here!

Why Choose android Over iPhone Opinion By Chris Hoffman

If you’re looking at buying a smartphone, you’re probably going to buy an Android device or an iPhone (sorry, Microsoft). What’s the difference, and which should you choose? We recently gave the pro-iPhone side of the story, and now in the interests of balance, it’s time for to put forward the case for Android.

Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS aren’t just competing operating systems with different software; they’re radically different platforms. Apple provides a locked-down, restricted environment, while Android provides freedom, flexibility and choice. I bet some of you are already itching to comment on this one – remember to share your perspective in the comments.

You Can Run Any App You Want

Apple exercises ironfisted control over what you can do with your own phone – iOS is a walled garden. Exercising control over the app store is one thing, but it’s more pernicious than that. Apple prevents your phone – or rather, their phone – from running anything that doesn’t appear in the app store.

Here’s an example of why this is bad. Apple originally banned Google Voice from the app store. Apple didn’t allow Google Voice apps on the iPhone because they “duplicate features that come with the iPhone“. Gee, it’s a good thing Microsoft didn’t think of that – if they had, you wouldn’t be able to run iTunes on your Windows PC because it competes with Windows Media Player. The US government stepped in, and now you can run Google Voice on your iPhone.

Firefox, Opera and other browsers compete with the default browser (Firefox for iPhone is just a shell on top of Safari). App stores like Amazon and GetJar compete with the Market by offering paid apps for free.

You Can Customize Your Phone

Although Google Voice is on the iPhone, it can’t be as deeply integrated with your phone. On Android, Google Voice can hook into the built-in dialer, so all calls will go through Google Voice. Android allows apps to replace and modify parts of the OS that are untouchable on an iPhone.

Custom keyboards for Android can provide new input methods (and themes, if that’s your thing). Swype and other keyboards allow you to slide your finger over the letters you want to type instead of hunting and pecking. It sounds a bit odd at first, but it’s very intuitive (and fast!) once you try it.

Android also allows custom home screens. People complain about the launchers that come with Android phones, but you can replace them if you don’t want them – just install one of the many third-party launchers from the Market. Home screens, even the built-in ones, also support widgets, so you can see rich information without opening an app.

Or, how about Tasker? It digs deep into the innards of your phone in a way that no iPhone app could and lets you create all sorts of automatic tasks. Tasker can automatically turn off the Wi-Fi at night, mute your phone when you’re in a specific location, and more.
You Have More Hardware Choice

Henry Ford once said that a customer could have any color of car they wanted – as long as it was black. Apple takes the same approach to hardware choice.

Do you think the iPhone’s 3.5-inch screen is too small? Android’s screen size is negotiable – some phones have massive, 4.65-inch screens, while some have tiny, 2.8-inch screens.

Looking for a cheap smartphone? You’ll find cheaper Android smartphones at the low end. Older iPhones may be available for $0 with a contract in some places, but you won’t find cheap iPhones that come without a contract.

Do you want 4G speeds? You’ll need an Android phone. There are also Android phones with physical keyboards, phones with 3D displays, phones designed for gaming and phones with a stylus.
You Can Escape Apple’s Censorship

When you buy an iPhone, you’re allowing Apple to censor content on your phone. Apple recently banned “Phone Story”, a satirical game that criticized labor practices at all smartphone manufacturing factories. They said it depicted “violence or abuse of children” which is kind of the point. A similar game would not have been banned from the Android Market. Even if it was, you could download and install it straight from the developer.

In the past, Apple has also banned a Pulitzer Prize-winning satirist’s app from the app store. Apple explained that they don’t allow “content that ridicules public figures” on your phone. Bad press forced them to back down in this case, but people who haven’t won Pulitzer Prizes would likely be out of luck.

You Can Use Custom ROMs

I hear you iPhone fans out there – you’re saying that this doesn’t matter because you can jailbreak your iPhone. But Apple works hard to ensure jailbreaks are reversed when you update your iPhone’s OS, and they fought to make jailbreaking illegal in the US. Not just against the terms of service, but illegal. As in an actual crime.

The Android equivalent of jailbreaking is called “rooting” and you can also install customized operating systems on your device (known as custom ROMs). Android manufacturers don’t go out of their way to make this extra difficult – some even help you do it.

Android is open-source, so the modding community has a lot more freedom and flexibility when it comes to tweaking it for your device. It’s your phone, and you can do whatever you want with it.

Conclusion

There are other advantages to Android. Google Navigation is amazing. iTunes isn’t necessary for Android. Google Wallet promises to, one day, make the wallet obsolete.

There’s no denying that Android has problems and that Apple’s ironfisted control can make some things more convenient for iPhone users. But I’d rather have the choice, freedom and flexibility that comes with Android.

 

Why Your Business Needs a Mobile Website Right Now

First, the good news: If you have a website, then you have a site that can be accessed by any mobile device with a browser. Now, the bad: Chances are, that site looks pretty crappy on said mobile device.

If you’re worried about this, you’re not alone. Just as companies realized, circa 1996, that they needed to create a website to remain relevant to consumers, history is repeating itself in mobile. By 2013, more people will use mobile phones than PCs to get online, according to Gartner. In mid-2011, we also reached the point at which consumers were spending more time on their mobile devices than on their PCs.

In such an environment, a site designed to be viewed on a desktop PC comes across as woefully lacking. Say you’re accessing such a site from the Safari browser on your iPhone. The first thing you’re likely to notice is that it takes a relatively long time to load. The second thing is that the type on the page is pretty small. It might take a lot of zooming and pinching to navigate the site as well. If you have Flash on your site, it’s not going to come across at all on an iPhone.

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Windows Mobile 6.1 to 6.5 Upgrade

  1. Check the available memory Start>Settings>More>More>More>Hardware.
    • Is there at least 5MB free in Storage and Program each?
  2. Less than 5MB?
    • Free up memory by moving files (music, pictures, etc.) to a Storage Card.
    • Shut down running programs that are not in use by going to Start>Task Manager>Menu>Stop All
    • Clear the browser History, Cookies, and Temp files.
      • Internet Explorer
      • Go to Start>Internet Explorer>Menu>Tools>Options>Browsing History>Clear.
  3. Rule out 3rd party applications by removing them: Start>Settings,>More> Remove Programs.
    • Highlight the application to be removed and select Menu>Remove.
      • The Device must be power cycled to complete the application removal.
      •  
        • If issues aren’t seen after app removal, discontinue use of application You can also add each 3rd party application back one at a time, thoroughly testing after each add, to identify which application is causing the issue. If the application is identified as the cause, the you can contact the vendor to see if other options are available.
  4. If issue remains, perform a Hard Reset.
  5. Once the Hard Reset and Customization process have completed, retest the device. If the issue remains, the device will need to be repaired/replaced.

I found out these problems are not caused by the upgrade to WM6.5.

First problem, win 7 cannot detect phone, this is caused by win 7 does not found the right driver for HTC ozone when I connected it to USB port.  After I click "update driver" in device driver, somehow it can found the correct one, and it can sync.

The other problem, old applications do not work. The applications are different btw phone with touch-screen (WM professional as in ATT Tilt) and the one with non-touch screen (WM standard as in HTC ozone). e.g.: microsoft reader does not have a version for WM standard.  Most of my apps are written for touch-screen version and won't work on ozone. Not sure why the difference, the non-touch screen phone has a directional pad and can has the function of touch screen.  So I have to throw away my existing apps...

iPhone 4S Siri Security Loophole AND Fix

A security loophole has been discovered in Siri, the much-touted iPhone 4S personal assistant. The default setting for the new A.I. is "On", meaning that when a user's phone is locked, anyone can pick it up, hold down the home button, and tell Siri to send texts and emails. Oh My!

However there is an easy fix. If you don't want Siri to work when the phone is locked, simply change the default setting from "Allow access to Siri when locked with a passcode" to "Off." Then check it to make sure the setting takes.

iPhone 4s Battery Issues

Of the negative comments analyzed, fully 23% were about poor battery performance, more than any other single topic.

It's not clear how serious or how widespread the problem is but a ConsumerAffairs.com analysis of more than 1.1 million consumer comments on Twitter, Facebook and other social media and blogs finds numerous complaints about battery life.

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iPhone Battery Fix Not Working

The release came out Thursday and there are already reports that the battery issue continues. A check of an Apple iPhone forum this afternoon produced these comments: "I am suffering from servers battery drain. Worked great on 5.0 but infinitely worse after upgrade (iOS 4, 5.0.1),” said a poster going by Finchystryder. Read More-Click Here!