Tech Readers » Mobiles

How to Unlock a Phone

Bilal Akram — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 10:01:55 +0000

If you are travelling out of the country and will be staying for a long period of time, one of the first things on your mind will be how you will stay in touch with family, friends and business contacts. The internet is normally your best option, unless of course like most people, you absolutely can’t live without your cell phone.

When reviewing your choices you will see that international plans that will allow you to roam or call home from another country, are very costly and are not the smartest option for a stay longer than a few days. The next consideration will be to get a cellphone in the country you’re staying in.

The only problem with this is that 1) you are probably accustomed to your own phone and 2) you may not be staying long enough for the purchase of a local phone to be worth it. The best option is to take your current phone and buy a new sim card and be able to used your own familiar phone.

Most phones however are locked to a particular service provider and will need to be unlocked before you can use them with another network locally or overseas.

To unlock your phone, you will initially need to identlfy if your phone is able to be unlocked, there are two types of cell phone networks: Gobal System for Mobile communication (GSM) and Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA). If you have a CDMA phone, then your phone cannot be unlocked. If you have a phone that is on GSM network then you may be able to unlock it.

In North America, T-Mobile and AT&T phones are GSM, while Verizon and Sprint are CDMA. Most European phones are GSM. To determine if you phone is locked, ask a friend who is on a different network to loan you their sim card. Place it in your phone and try to make a call.

If you are able to, your phone is unlocked. If it can’t make a call then you can try any of the following:

Search for the unlock code for your phone

This is the code that your service provider has and will give you once your contract with them is up. If you request it prior, you may be charged a fee. Most phones only need this numeric code to be put in once to unlock them. The codes are also obtainable from third party websites that charge somewhere from $5-$25.

Send your phone to a third party

More complex phones, may also require that you unlock the data portion (internet browsing etc.) of the network.
You will have to send your phone to a third party and have them unlock it for you. This is how you can unlock a phone.

The BlackBerry Reign in the Smartphone Revolution

Zaheer Ahmed Khan — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 13:14:58 +0000

Guest Post by: Asifa Hamid

Ever since the first smart phone was introduced by IBM in 1992, the saga of the smart phone revolution began initially at a gradual developmental pace but then it took an aggressive turn and all over the world, owning a smart phone became a must-have for any and every technology savvy individual. May it be a corporate professional, a freelancer, an entrepreneur or a socialite, utility of carrying a smart phone is invariable regardless of what profession or nature of work one may have.

The global smart phone revolution saw the development of operating systems for smart phones and stepping in of smart phone vendor companies. However, the most notable and popular smart phone companies among users remained only a few namely BlackBerry, Apple, Nokia and Motorola handheld devices. According to the last Gartner press release, “In 2009, smart phone sales reached 172.4 million units, a 23.8 per cent increase from 2008. In 2009, smart phone-focused vendors like Apple and Research In Motion (RIM) successfully captured market share from other larger device producers, controlling 14.4 and 19.9 per cent of the worldwide smart phone market, respectively.”

BlackBerry was officially introduced for the first time in Pakistan by the largest telecom service provider in Pakistan, Mobilink in the year 2005. Since then a large number of corporate as well as individual customers have started purchasing smart phones and to date the popular smart phones among Pakistani consumer market are BlackBerry from RIM and Apple iPhone. The reason why most people prefer the former over the latter is the ease of use and greater variety in the handheld devices.

Responding to the overwhelming customers’ response to introduction of BlackBerry handsets in the Pakistani smart phone market by Mobilink, other telecom service providers stirred to introduce BlackBerry handsets too. With Telenor, Ufone, Zong and Warid also jumping onto the bandwagon, BlackBerry’s share in the smart phone market is steadily increasing. Interestingly, roughly 80% of the BlackBerry market-share is held by Mobilink. Besides having the first mover advantage, two additional factors work to Mobilink’s edge – a specialized after-sales support team to facilitate BlackBerry users and more importantly, being the only operator in Pakistan who is directly connected to RIM’s data center. These are of course on top of the network advantages of being part of the largest cellular family in the country.

It is exciting to see the smart phone revolution is as vibrant in Pakistan as it is the world over. The primary reason for this boom in the mobile phone technology is the fast growing telecom industry in our country. As the market shows potential, more players are entering into the smart phone arena from the operator and the handset manufacturing side. The BlackBerry undoubtedly continues to rule the local smart phone market. Competition is resulting in reduction of prices, enhancement of features and improvement in after sales support. With all these perks at one’s disposal, who would not want to own a BlackBerry?

4 Features to Expect in iPhone OS 4.0

Bilal Akram — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 09:43:04 +0000

Less than a week after the iPad was launched, Apple lifted the warps off iPhone OS 4.0 of Apple’s mobile operating system. The new OS will add new functionality to current iPod touch, iPhone and iPad devices. Yes one has to agree that there is always a room for improvement in the OS.

Here are some important that the new iPhone OS version 4.0 will offer to the user:

1. Multitasking

Now the new OS have the ability to run more than one, 3^rd party applications at given time. While the OS supports multiple apps running concurrently, it forces limits to help ensure a positive experience with core functionality. The iPhone OS of today is capable of multitasking because the feature is currently supported on some native Apple applications – listening to music in the iPod app while web surfing or checking mail is a good example.

2. Higher resolution

The new iPhone 4.0 will support higher resolutions for the next-generation devices. This could help iPad owners as well. The iPhone apps do work on the iPad today, but the pixel doubling of lower-resolution software makes apps look blocky and blurry.

3. Support for a second camera

Definitely, the camera in the next iPhone will be higher than the current 3-megapixel. But I wouldn’t be surprised to see a second, front-facing camera for video chatting in iPhone OS 4.0. We could even see third-party apps take advantage of such a change, although Apple may not allow access to such hardware for non-native apps.

4. Enhanced voice-to-text features

Google added this highly useful function to Android 2.1 and it ought to be a staple in any modern Smartphone. Apple added Voice Control in version 3 of the iPhone OS, but it’s limited by comparison — all you can use it for is to call a contact or control your iPod. However the new version will definitely removes these short comings.

EDGE and 3G Innovation

Bilal Akram — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 11:10:57 +0000

The mobile phone market has been growing explosive during the last decade. Moving from analog to digital in a very short period and becoming way more than a telephone by adding features that you’ve never expected in a phone. One of the more prominent features of the mobile phone is internet access. The standard 2G connection back then was GPRS which offered speeds that are even much lower compared to what you can get from a DSL provider.

Over the last decade the mobile phone industry has grown massively. In a very short time period it has moved from analog to digital and furthermore it’s not just a telephone now with all the new and amazing features that we have never expected in a phone.

One of the out standing features of the mobile phone is the internet access. If we go back a little bit, the time of standard 2Gconnection, which was a GRPS, the speed it offered was much lower than the speed offered by the DSL providers.

EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution) came as the need for faster internet connection increased. Both EDGE and GSM uses same equipment except for few minor variations in order to provide a fast internet connection and data speed. EDGE is also considered as a milestone towards the 3G hence it is called 2.5G. If we compare its speed we can say that it is in fact slightly better than that of a dial-up connection. It required a very little from Telcos to implement which is one of the advantages EDGE had.

When 3G was introduced it changed a lot of conventional standards in the mobile phone industry. To implement more features the 3G allowed larger bandwidth on it. The International Telecommunication Union established 3G family of standards to surpass the current 2G technology that was in place. Features like video calls and TV apps were possible because of the speed of 3G which began at 384kbps; well within DSL speeds. Further development on 3G technologies have also created even faster data rate reaching 3.6 and even 7.2Mbps.

However the speed obtained with the use of 3G technology comes with a price. As 3G networks are not attuned with existing GSM networks so therefore a new infrastructure was needed. Telcos have slowly rolled out 3G towers in areas where they feel that the demand is the greatest. So on the whole; they have to operate two radios in certain areas; one for 3G and one for GSM. Mobile phone owners are also required to switch mobile phones in order to take advantage of the new features.

It would only be a matter of time before 2G networks will lose their ground and 3G will take their place as more and more 3G radios are put up and more people are switching to 3G capable phones. By then the current 2G network would be powered down and all the existing 2G phones would become as useful as the analog phones that came before them, as a brick.

A Glimpse into the Mobile Phone History

Bilal Akram — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 10:21:03 +0000

Cell phone has become a necessity! These days every other person has a cell phone. Cell phones have made our lies easier by allowing us to communicate with others without physically being with the other person.

So how did cell phones evolve? What was once a big ugly black box has now become a fashion symbol or luxury?

Pre-Mobile Phones

In 1946, Swedish police used the first official cell phone. They did it in the same way of radio technology by connecting a phone to the telephone network.

In 1960s the mobile phone technology was already available but the problem then was the ‘Cell Area’ which was the base stations and covered only a small area. So, one can say that mobile phones were not really mobile at that time. But this drawback was resolved by Amos Edward Joel, engineer at Bell Labs. He developed the ‘Handoff System’ which enabled the call to be continued from one area to another without dropping signals.

Due to heavy batteries the earlier cell phones weighed over 80 pounds but later they developed batteries that weighed not more than 20 pounds and were called portable.

The evolution of cell phones started from phones that were installed in cars with out their own battery, but later on batteries were installed in cell phones, cell phones were getting smaller and smaller.

We can categorized the evolution of cell phone by its generations

First Generation

Motorola will always be remembered as the first company to introduce the first portable cell phone. This was the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X. It was about 28 ounces. Its dimensions were 13 x 1.75 x 3.5 inches. It was like a brick.

Second Generation Cell phones

During the 90s, the cell phones that were used were called 26 or second generation. These work on systems like IS-95 or the CDMA, IS-136 or the TDMA and the GSM. 26 cell phones had a faster network which provided signals. Call quality was also increased. A 2G cell phone ranged between 100 to 200 grams. The weight already included the batteries. There were also developments in the battery technology which made them smaller and smaller

Third Generation Cell phones

Nowadays, we are using third generation technology and the cell phones are called 3Gs. The cell phones used SMS text messages for communication along with the call. 3G phones can also let the user email and access the Internet. Because of the technological advancements, 3G cell phones are also capable of streaming TV shows, radio shows, and using the Wi-Fi.

The Future of Cell phones

The future of Cell phones is called the 4G. We can expect more technological advances in the coming years.

QWERTY Smartphone: Vivaz Pro by Sony Ericsson

Bilal Akram — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 11:19:04 +0000

Vivaz pro QWERTY Smartphone is a new addition in the Sony Ericsson Phone list, recently Sony Ericsson announced that this phone runs on Symbian Mobile OS. Beside other features it has a slide-out QWERTY keyboard which allows you to type faster. The screen size is 3.2 inch with 360×640 dimensions which is a scratch resistant touch screen display. It also features A-GPS with Google Maps and geotagging, Wi-Fi, TV-out, Bluetooth and a 3.5 mm audio jack.

The original Vivas comes with an 8 megapixel camera on the other hand the latest Vivas Pro is equip with a 5.1 megapixel camera with flash, ability to record 720p HD video and auto focus. It has a 720MHz processor and runs Symbian S60 5th edition OS with Webkit browser, Facebook app and QuickOffice. It supports microSD up to 16GB. It will be available in Q2 2010 in Black and White colors with support for quad-band GSM/EDGE and WCDMA/HSPA 3G networks.

Pakistani Mobile App Cricket Companion Hits Nokia Ovi Store

Bilal Akram — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 10:14:36 +0000

Nokia has taken a great initiative to distinguish and support the creativity of Pakistani developer, and is offering awards of millions of rs to application developer in Pakistan. The developers have to submit relevant apps and content, which will be used by nokia devices users.

A first ever mobile application designed by a Pakistani developer, the ‘Cricket Companion’ has been uploaded on the nokia ovi store. This is definitely going to boost up the moral of other developers. The app is gaining popularity on an exceptionally fast pace as it hits more than 10,000 download just within its 3 weeks of its launch.

The designer and developer of this application is Pakistani who is linked to Tech Access Media Solutions (TAMS). Cricket Companion uses GPRS and can be downloaded and installed on your handset.

Live Coverage: This app would allow user to watch live cricket whether its International ODI, Test or T20 Matches.

Detail Statistics: the app will display the full live statistics of any player.

Analysis: it also includes Bowling and Batting analysis displayed in the form of graphs and charts.

A user is now able enjoy the live coverage of cricket matches frpm anywhere around the globe with the same thrill as watching on a television set.

Supported Mobile Set: This application is only available for both Nokia S40 and S60 devices and you download it from Ovi Store.

Important Things to Bear in Mind While Buying a Smartphone

Bilal Akram — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 16:28:32 +0000

Over the last few years the Smartphone market has changed significantly and it will keep on changing at a fast rate with ever growing new features being released and existing ones enhanced.

There was a time when these points were considered before buying a phone:

Battery life
QWERTY keypads
The number of megapixel a camera had

Though these points are still important in certain situations, as now there are touch screens and latest software. So there are some other things one should be considering before buying a Smartphone.

Touch screen

There have been tremendous improvements regarding the quality of touch screens. Two kinds of touch screens are used in Smartphones:

Capacitive
Resistive

Capacitive screens are more expensive and are smoother to use.

Applications

Latest applications assist you in getting the most out of your phone and this is an important factor to consider while buying a Smartphone.

Integration with social networks

As social networks are gaining more and more popularity, this has also become a selling point for Smartphones with social networks.

Processor

There was a time when this word was only used while buying a personal computer. However, there are a lot of phones which support running multiple applications in parallel, or multi-tasking. On top of this, higher definition video playback requires a lot of processing power.

Well this definitely is not the last article regarding these issues rather as the new and more phones are coming and the market is changing rapidly and you can categorize phones in many different ways.

Send Free SMS Worldwide with Max99

Bilal Akram — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:34:13 +0000

Sending SMS free Worldwide. That’s amazing!

The Pakistan’s first mobile instant messenger Max99, allows you to keep in touch with your friends and family and make New Ones right on you’re mobile.

Max99 offers free SMS to any part of the world to all its users. They have also launched Max99’s PC version and Max99 Email.

By using Max99 you can send SMS with no cost what so ever only the cost of your GPRS if you are using it on your mobile.

How it works?

First get a Max99 for PC or Mobile,
Then go to ‘My Max’ or ‘Send SMS’ option in the contacts tab
Click free SMS and there you go…!
Now write recipient number following this format (country code zero leading number, for example 923312345678).

It is a rapid mounting mobile community. Right now it works only for java phones but Max99 for other phones format will soon be available

They have also launched their PC version so that you can stay online from your PC. Though, it worked on Pocket PC and Linux, but there were few bugs in the application.

Max99 wap site is http://wap.max99.mobi

Max99 PC version download link http://www.max99.mobi/setup.exe

If you have any questions or suggestions regarding this project, please feel free to post them on the forum.max99.mobi.

Will 4G Phones Contribue in 4G Adoption?

Bilal Akram — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 12:05:27 +0000

The first US Phone by Sprint Nextel is soon coming out to hit the US market which will work on a faster wireless network and a significant step in the besieged carrier’s effort to curtail subscriber defections, WSJ reports.

Sprint Nextel is planning to reveal the phone and it is called ‘Supersonic’, at an upcoming industry conference. This phone will be produced by HTC a Taiwanese smart-phone maker.

There is a problem however.

Over the past 3 years Sprint has shed almost 9 million customers and it is the third-largest wireless carrier in the country and somewhat losing its ground.

But there is one thing that Sprint has and the market giants like Verizon Wireless and AT&T Inc. don’t have:

A fourth generation service or simply 4G service which will enable the users to upload and download data just like a web page much faster than the usual wireless systems.

Tech Readers » Mobiles

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