13.6% US shuns landline. India crossed that bridge in 2004!

A survey conducted by National Health Interview Survey has indicated that 13.6% of all US households have done away with their landlines and are relying on their mobile phones as their sole means of communication/connection with friends and loved ones.

The survey has also revealed the following startling statistics:

• More than 30% of those aged 25-29 rely solely on mobile phones
• Almost 30% of those aged 18-24 shunned landlines
• 13% of adults in the 30-44 age group are landline-free
• About 7% of people 45-64 used only cellphones
• Only 2% of adults 65 and older shunned hardline telephones
• Men were more likely than women to be landline-free – a trend that has persisted throughout the years

As compared to the US, the penetration of mobile phones and users is far wider in India. Continue reading “13.6% US shuns landline. India crossed that bridge in 2004!”

T9 goes local

Send messages in Hinglish as T9 will now be available in Hinglish.

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Supplied by Nuance Communications, the software offers advanced alphabetic input prediction in Hinglish. Mobile phone and PDA users will now be able to write SMS text messages, mobile instant messages, and wireless emails in a language that is a popular mode of communication in India.

T9 in Hinglish joins the T9 versions in Japanese, Chinese and Korean developed by Tegic Communications, which was taken over by Nuance in August this year.

The launch of Hinglish T9 is also momentous in more ways than one.

On December 3rd, SMS turned 15. It was 15 years ago that the first SMS was sent. It has been a long journey since then..with SMSs becoming the most popular tool for communication. Billions of SMSs are sent worldwide!

Will the Hinglish T9 feature make communication easier and fun for you?

Via: Techtree

Nokia does it again with the Eco Sensor concept!

It has become a crucial modern day requirement to innovate gadgets that help protect our environment, either directly, by using friendly products in their production, or indirectly, by reducing wastage, emissions etc.

The Nokia Research Center supported by Nokia designers have come up with an innovative new concept, the Nokia Eco Sensor Concept.

The Nokia Eco Sensor concept is a mobile phone and a sensing device. With the device you can be connected to your friends, and to your health and environment as well.

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The handset will also enable you to share environmental data with other similar handsets. This sharing of information enables you to gain awareness about the global environment. Continue reading “Nokia does it again with the Eco Sensor concept!”

Nokia’s vision: Music, Ovi and concern for the environment

At the Annual Nokia World conference held on 4th December, 2007 in Amsterdam, Netherlands, Nokia outlined its vision and plans for the mobile industry.

The company claimed to be committed to Internet evolution and environmental sustainability by consistently and steadfastly innovating products towards fulfilment of its vision.
The mobile industry is witnessing a rapid change driven by the convergence of mobility and the internet, and the need for the industry to make an increasing contribution to environmental sustainability.

“Comes With Music”

Listen to world class music and keep it stored in your hard drive.

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Nokia unveiled Comes With Music, a radical program that enables people to buy a Nokia handset with a year of unlimited access to millions of tracks from a range of great artists – past, present and future. Once the year is complete, customers can keep all their music without having to worry about it disappearing when their subscription is over.

As a music buff you get all you have ever wanted, and you get to keep it in the form of unlimited downloads to your mobile device and PC. The program will be launched with Universal Music Group International, and Nokia is in discussion with other major international music labels.

Ovi – Open the ‘door’ to social networking through your handset

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Ovi, ‘door’ in Finnish will enable consumers to easily access their existing social network and content. The Ovi will function as common user interface between all networking websites from mobiles, PC and web environments. The Ovi environment and services will be formally rolled out in 2008. Continue reading “Nokia’s vision: Music, Ovi and concern for the environment”

Environment Friendly Nokia 3110 Evolve

Environment friendly, are you? Then the Nokia 3110 Evolve is the handset you would look forward to.

The handset is touted as environment friendly as it has bio-covers made from more than 50% renewable material. The handset comes with a battery that is high on efficiency and consumes no load or energy even if you forget to plug it off the socket. The handset is packaged in a minimalistic manner and uses 60% recycled material.

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Specifications:

• Four hours talk time
• 370 Hours standby
• 64 polyphonic MIDI Continue reading “Environment Friendly Nokia 3110 Evolve”

New Samsung clamshell phone SGH–P180

Samsung has launched a new handset SGH–P180 with UMA (Unlicensed Mobile Access) Technology that enables seamless switch between Wi-Fi and GSM networks.

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Specifications:

• Triband GSM (900/1800/1900)
• EDGE/GPRS
• UMA connectivity
• 2″ 65K Color, 128×16 px TFT display
• 1″ 96×96. monocrome STN external display
• Weight 93 grams
• 880 mAh Li-ion battery

samsung_sgh_p180_uma.jpg Continue reading “New Samsung clamshell phone SGH–P180”

Nokia plans expansion of Sriperumbudur plant

Nokia, world leader in Mobile phone technology, announced its plan to expand its manufacturing facility located in Sriperumbudur, Chennai for the year 2008.

Nokia plans to invest approximately 75 million USD in the plant to cater to the requirement and growing demand of its handsets across Asia, Middle East and Africa.

nokia_connecting_people.png Continue reading “Nokia plans expansion of Sriperumbudur plant”

LG launches Shine Titanium

Although LG Shine in Titanium was launched worldwide way back in July 2007, the handset was formally introduced in India on November 4, 2007.

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The LG Shine Titanium is claimed to be the only mobile phone in the market with a Titanium finish metal body.

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The model has been launched in both the bar and slider models.

Features:

• 2 megapixel camera
• Expandable Memory up to 1 GB
• 2.2-inches LCD screen
• GPRS and EDGE compatible
• Bluetooth (with A2DP)
• USB connectivity Continue reading “LG launches Shine Titanium”

Asus announces two PDA handsets for India

Asus India formally launched two models in India, the Asus M530w and Asus P526. Although the Taiwanese giant is better known for its laptops, but also produces competitive mobile phones.

Asus M530w

The Asus M530w is a 3G enabled handset that weighs 135 grams that comes with an Auto Sync feature that enables the phone to transfer data directly to a server, thus creating back up files. Information will be retrievable in case of loss or theft of the handset.

Specifications:

• 2.4 inches TFT display
• 320X240 resolution
• Built-in flash memory of 256 MB
• 64 MB SDRAM

Features:

• Windows Mobile 6.0 Standard
• Windows Live Messenger
• Media Player
• 416Mhz CPU
• Bluetooth 2.0
• Video Conferencing
• Wi-fi
• 3G
• MicroSD slot
• Qwerty keyboard
• 2 megapixel camera
• Quad-band GSM (850/900/1800/1900 Mhz)
• ClearVue Document Viewer
• Business Card recognition

Price:

At Rs 20,900 the handset is very competitively priced.

Asus P526

A smart phone that has unassuming looks but stands a winner on account of its user friendly features, the Asus P526 weighs just 115 grams and comes with a smart leather case to protect its screen.

Specifications:

• 2.6 inch TFT display
• 65 K colours
• 240X320 resolution
• 128 MB Flash memory
• 64 MB SDRAM

Features:

• Windows Mobile 6.0 Standard
• Smart dial that automatically fetches contact list as number is being dialled
• GPRS and Bluetooth
• MicroSD slot
• 2 megapixel camera
• Remote Presenter
• My Secret Function – to protect documents etc

Price:

Rs 16,990 exclusive of taxes as applicable.

Samsung Max to CDMA rescue

Choosing a CDMA operator for low call costs is fine. But if you are seriously unhappy about the handsets you are restricted to choose from, Samsung launched Samsung Max, the first open market CDMA handset in India.

“The availability of CDMA phones in the open market will provide Indian consumers freedom to choose network operator’s of their choice,” said Hyundai Kim, Vice President and Head – CDMA Division, Samsung Telecommunications India.

So you can not only choose to upgrade to the Samsung Max, availability of the handset in the open market will empower you to choose the operator too!

The Max is a slider multimedia phone that includes customised “Indian” features such as an Indian Calendar, a ‘panchang’, mobile prayer, a Cricket scorer and Hinglish SMS.

samsung_max_cdma_phone.jpg Continue reading “Samsung Max to CDMA rescue”

Vertu Ascent Ti Now in India

The Vertu, as the company puts is, “is for individuals who only accept the best”.

At a price tag of Rs 3, 26,000 it is not difficult to imagine why.

Vertu handsets, hand crafted in England is a formidable style statement since 1983. The company launched the Vertu Ascent Ti in India on 27 November, 2007.

The handset is crafted in Titanium (Ti) which is a non-corrosive element with the highest strength-to-weight ratio of any metal. It is also known for its ability to withstand extreme temperatures. Continue reading “Vertu Ascent Ti Now in India”

New LG GSM Models for the Indian Buyer

LG Electronics India Private Limited announced the launch of two new colour handsets; the KG 288, and the KG 285 for GSM users in India.

Even though these two models are entry level handsets targeting the low end of the user spectrum, they are rich with features to enable users to enjoy more features without paying through the roof.

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Continue reading “New LG GSM Models for the Indian Buyer”

TAG Heuer to launch Mobile Phones

Fresh on the list of Luxury Good manufacturers, after watches, eye wear, perfumes and clothes is the booming market for Mobile phones.

With more and more luxury accessory houses joining the fray, the Mobile Phone world is likely to get competitive, to the advantage of the user.

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With an intention to cash in on this mania, in a release to the Press on 26 November 2007, TAG Heuer, the French watch giant, announced their decision to launch a series of luxury Mobile phones. The handsets will hit the market in the second half of 2008. Continue reading “TAG Heuer to launch Mobile Phones”

Philips Xenium Range

They do not care much for features. They are not a name to reckon with in the mobile business. But they generate products consistently, and do have a following amongst “value for money” buyers.

The Xenium range of mobile phones from Philips has been in the news since 2001 for its long lasting battery. With the introduction of several new models in the same range, the long lasting battery phone will now have a slicker and trendier look.

Models:

philips_xenium_99k.jpg Continue reading “Philips Xenium Range”

Samsung U900 FlipShot from Verizon

Verizon, the American wireless network operator launched the Samsung U900 FlipShot with a two year term contract on 22 November 2007.

The handset has cutting edge features such as 3 mega pixel camera, Camcorder, PictBridge printing, business card  scanner, QVGA screen and stereo Bluetooth support. Through Verizon’s supporting network and services, users will be able to their VZ Navigator, V CAST Music and Video.

The camera has a rotating display for optimal viewing while in camera mode for optimal photo capturing comfort.

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Continue reading “Samsung U900 FlipShot from Verizon”