Cell Phones

The 5.0 version of the BlackBerry operating system was released at the beginning of 2010 and it’s still very popular among the BlackBerry users. In this article we’ll take a look at the improvements brought by the newer version of the operating system, explaining each new feature so you’ll know what to expect from this later release.

Blackberry Os 5.0 (Source: blogcdn.com)

First of all, like all new operating systems, the 5.0 is a bit more stable than the earlier versions and that’s why it’s recommended that you install this version over the old one if the phone allows you to.

With the OS 5.0 version, if you scroll through a long list of emails, the header will remain on the screen  this way making it impossible to lose track of the emails. Also, when sending pictures, this operating system will give you the opportunity to resize the image to a resolution that suits your needs the best, in case you are using MMS or a low quality internet connection when sending the file.

Blackberry Os 5.0 (Source: static.phonesreview.co.uk)

There are also some changes made to the calendar, with the OS 5, entries can be forwarded, and users will also be able to view the attachments that come with certain calendars. As for the internet part, Google Gears will be supported in OS 5.0, but with this version, streaming will be available in the browser and a larger number of web page formats will be supported. Another great feature is the fact that the Maps application has been improved to render the image twice as fast as in the past. In addition to this, scrolling and zooming should no longer work so slowly.

The BlackBerry Maps application has been updated to include a larger number of cities and areas, including some rural areas that up until that point were out of range when it came to maps.

Other features include the fact that users will be able to set their desired default download folder and if the device is low on memory, a message will inform you of this and it will also tell you which apps you should delete in order to clear the storage place.

Finally, all the sounds are fully customizable. The sounds for booting up, shutting down, for when the battery is charging or when the phone is low on battery, can all be customized by the user the way he wants.

Cell phone banking is just beginning to earn the confidence of people, as until today, most people where unfaithful when it came to banking that didn’t involve real money or at least credit cards and ATM’s. With the new technological advancements, security in the field of banking, and especially mobile banking, has improved a great deal and that’s why it’s much more safe to do online transactions than it was in the past.

Cell Phone Banking (Source: fnb.co.za)

Mobile banking can be used for balance checks of your account, account transactions, for making payments, credit applications and other banking transactions with the use of a mobile device such as a cellular phone or a PDA. Initially, these banking operations were made using text messages that were written with the help of a mobile phone, but more recently, with the introduction of smart phones, banks offered their customers to possibility to perform banking operations through the mobile internet offered by wireless service carriers.

Even more recently, with the growing popularity of smartphone operating systems, like iOS or Android, developers and banks have come up with all sorts of specially designed applications that facilitate banking operations in a more interactive way. Banking applications for smartphones have come a long way, offering increased security and a larger number of operations that can be performed online from mobile phones.

Cell Phone Banking (Source: graphics8.nytimes.com)

In the future, these applications will have even more functions and features. Among these, the most important are the enrichment of communications with the possibility of video interaction with banking agents and advisors and personalization of corporate banking services.The security measures that these operations rely on, involve smart cards given by the bank which offer hardware security, the use of authentication methods that involve personal passwords and IDs, and the encryption of data that is being transmitted or stored after all the operations have been made.

All the features and security measures mentioned above are already implemented by most banks, their number growing each day, as banks realize that this will be the future of banking. In a fast moving world, people have less and less time to visit the banks physically, that’s why a virtual banking environment being necessary. There are some people who don’t trust yet these online transactions, but in the near future most people will turn to such alternative banking methods as they represent the future.

There are two major types of cell phone docking stations: docking stations that turn your mobile phone into a landline while the phone is charged and docking stations that can charge your phone and facilitate the connection to a computer via a USB cable. Further in the article, we’ll exemplify a few of these products, describing their functions and their prices to help you decide if you need such a device.

Cell Phone Docking Station (Source: phonelabs.com)

First, the docking stations that turn your wireless device into a wired device are very useful when you want to charge your phone, but at the same time you want to make calls and perform other functions of the cell without having to move it around the house. For instance, the Dock-N-Talk docking station from Phone Labs is a device that allows you to connect your mobile phone to the docking station, mostly for charging purposes, but there are also other advantages to such a device.  After you have connected the mobile phone to the docking station, you can do your other operations with the handset included in the docking station. This means you actually eliminate a large part of the radiation emitted by the cell phone during a conversation. Another great thing about this type of docking station is the fact that it supports a great number of mobile phone models, so even if you change the cell phone, the docking station can still be used. The above presented model can pair up with 8 Bluetooth devices simultaneously, which means you can use more than one phones with the docking station.

Cell Phone Docking Station (Source: ecx.images-amazon.com)

Regarding the other type of docking stations, if we take a look on Amazon.com, we can find a large number of docking stations built for specific devices. These docking stations keep your phone in an upright position allowing them to charge and connect to a computer without any difficulties. Also, many people prefer these models as in many cases a phone attached to a docking station is more stable, the chances of pulling the charger cord and dropping the phone on the ground decreasing considerably. For 70$ you can buy an iPhone docking station that will not only charge your phone, but it will act as a Bluetooth speaker system that can be used to play the music from your mobile phone or from your iPod.

In a recent article we checked out the most rugged mobile phone in the world, the Casio G’zOne. In this article, we’ll take a look at another version of the G’zOne flip phone, the Boulder which should have some slight improvements.

First of all, the exterior looks about the same, keeping the sporty look that made the watchmaker’s cell phone famous. It does have however some slight visual improvements than the previous version which we cataloged as being “ugly”. The external display has the shape of a stopwatch and it can take the role of a stopwatch at the press of a button. Other functions of the external display include the compos function that will help you navigate when taking trips in unknown regions. On top of the screen the phone has a 1.3 megapixel camera, which will take decent pictures with the help of the LED flash. This flash can be also used as a flashlight if needed, the practical purpose of the phone dictating that such features are necessary. If you open the lid, you get a stylish keypad and a decent looking 2 inch screen which will allow you to easily navigate through the phone’s other functions. The phone has all the basic functions a phone would have, such as Bluetooth, a music player, photo and video camera and so on.

Boulder Cell Phone (Source: i.i.com.com)

Even if the phone seems decent from what we said above, its best feature still remains the ruggedness. The Casio G’zOne Boulder can be thrown into 10 feet water and it will live to tell the tale, it can be dropped from a considerable height and it will still work, and finally it can withstand extreme temperatures, which is an important thing when it comes to electronic devices in the wilderness or even on a construction site.

Boulder Cell Phone (Source: i.i.com.com)

The Casio does have however some downsides. The biggest downside is the low quality call reception. In some areas you can hear an echo when you are talking and there is a lot of static noise during a call. The phone is offered by Verizon and it can be bought by anyone for just over 100$ if you choose to sign a 2 year commitment contract.

In this article we’ll take a look at an interesting subject concerning the 911 calls that people make in emergency situations. 911 is the number people from the United States call when they have an emergency or when they need to alert the authorities about something. Everyone knows the number but not many people know the tricks that hide behind the number.

Cell Phone 911 (Source: 911phone.net)

If you make the call to 911 from a landline, the 911 operator can easily determine your location. If you call from a cell phone, your location is available but with a larger margin for error as the only thing that will give your position is the triangulation made with the help of cell phone towers. Many people don’t know that you can dial 911 even if the phone’s keys are locked and even if you don’t have credit or if the phone hasn’t been used for a long time. There are many people who know this and they keep an old cell phone in their cars in case something happens. There are also many people who don’t know this and they make the mistake of paying a monthly bill to the wireless service carrier just to have a phone that they can use in case of an emergency.

Cell Phone 911 (Source: 911phone.net)

Wireless carriers are forced by the FCC rules to make the 911 calls available even to people who haven’t paid the bills or people who haven’t used their phones for a longer period of time. Aside the point, if you have an emergency that is not worth calling the authorities for, some carriers give you the opportunity to make calls anywhere by charging directly your credit card.

Also, there are 911 special cell phones. These are mobile phones that have only one function and that is to call 911. They are small mobile phone-like devices that have a single button that you can use to call the emergency number. These are cost free, as you don’t need any type of contract in order to call 911, like we mentioned above. These phones are great for senior citizens who are known to have health issues, as they can wear the phone around the neck at all times in case they have a problem. These phones take a lot of shapes, but basically they all do the same thing, so if you are in need of such a phone, take a look at www.911phone.net .