Apple hopes to fare well with iPhone 3G S this time

In India, the new iPhone from Apple is set to face competition from smartphones such as Nokia’s N97 and similar offerings from BlackBerry and Samsung. Another handset that can be a potential threat to Apple’s new product is the Palm’s Pre which has just hit the US market, but is currently not available in India. But, unlike handsets such as Nokia’s N97, the new iPhone 3G S will have a unique advantage as it has over 100,000 applications and also enjoys the support of the most vibrant and innovative developer community in this space. This implies, Apple’s product is more than just a technically superior handset, but more of a software platform with thousands of custom-made applications
.

However, the catch is that the earlier model of the iPhone’s India entry has been a huge failure both in terms of sales (due to an unviable distribution model ) coupled with a steep price tag and poor advertising which resulted in the brand failing to connect with customers here.

Also, customers in India who had followed Apple’s pricing globally during in other countries and believed that the iPhone would sport a similar price tag of $199 here were put off by the fact that they would have to shell out more than three time the amount to buy the product.

Worse still, market watchers say that neither Apple nor Bharti and Vodafone Essar put in the efforts to explain the difference in market dynamics in India which led to the higher pricing here which left customers confused.

Read More...

Bharti, Vodafone to bring iPhone 3GS to India in Aug

NEW DELHI: India’s leading GSM telecom operators -- Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Essar -- are set to bring Apple’s latest iPhone, called iPhone 3GS, to India in August. The new iPhone 3G S, which offers faster data speeds, a new camera, video recording, compass and voice control, was unveiled in US earlier this week.

In India, Apple has exclusive tie-ups with Bharti and Vodafone and this is one of the few markets where the US-based technology firm has a tie-up with two operators. Bharti and Vodafone jointly account for over 170 million of the over 400 million cellphone users in the country.

Apple had issued a guidance, saying the iPhone 3G S would make its debut in India in August, but refused to specify the date and the pricing for the country. The guidance also added that the handset would be launched in 31 other countries in August. Additionally, as per information made public by Apple, the iPhone 3G S will go on sale in 10 countries, including the US on June 19, and another 32 countries in the month of July.

Read More...

MTNL unveils pre-paid 3G service for Rs 300

NEW DELHI: State-run MTNL today brought 3G services to the masses by introducing a prepaid option for this high-end service at just Rs 300.

Announcing the launch of the pre-paid 3G service, company CMD R S P Sinha said, "MTNL is launching 3G Jadoo Prepaid Services so that customer should be able to avail the latest 3G/3.5G services at an affordable price".

Since pre-paid is the preferred by customers, the 3G service will be available for only Rs 300 with lifetime validity, whereby a customer can make local video calls at Rs 1.8/minute and data download at Rs 3/MB.

In addition, a subscriber can also choose any of the data coupons to avail free data downloads coupled with free video calling to suit ones individual requirement, Sinha said.

Sinha expects the launch of pre-paid 3G services to increase it customer base.

He said the PSU has around 400 subscribers for its recently-launched 3G service and expects 2,00,000 to 3,00,000 users for in the first year of operations.

The company introduced 3G services in Delhi in December and in Mumbai last month.

The state-run telecom operator expects to add new capacity to accommodate 8,00,000 users, he said.

Source : Economic Times

Read More...

BSNL to launch 3G services by year-end

CHENNAI: State-run telecom major BSNL on Saturday announced that it would launch 3G services across the country by the end of this year.

"We will be commencing the operations by the end of December starting from North and Eastern parts of the country and then South and West by March, 2009, so that within six months we will be able to roll out the 3G operations," BSNL Chairman and MD Kuldeep Goyal told reporters here.

"Mostly we will try to cover the state capitals in the first phase and then taking it to major cities and other towns," Goyal said.

On the demand for the services, he said, "The demand will pick up once 3G handsets are affordable. Applications suiting the people especially rural areas should be available in local language. Initially, we don't expect the demand to be very high," he said.

"Initially, we are talking to content providers for developing suitable applications, like video conferencing, video telephony, video streaming. A trial was carried out in Pune recently," Goyal said.

Talking about the company's business, he said BSNL was hoping to increase the revenue by more than 10 per cent as compared to last year.

"We are aiming to record 10 per cent growth next year", he said adding that last year the company recorded a turnover of Rs 38,000 crore.

He also hoped that the revenue would reach USD 45 billion by 2010.

Source : Economic Times

Read More...

SOME USEFULL TIPS OF IPHONE 3G

If you’ve been one of the few fortunate enough to get hold of an iPhone 3G you’ll know not only about its style factor, but also all about its highly intuitive interface and ease of use.

However, precisely because it’s so easy to use, very few people are ever going to look at the manual, which means that they’ll be missing out on a few tips and tricks to help them get the most from the device.

And, for many people it’ll be the first time they’ve used an iPhone. So to help get you started, we've put together a quick list of ten items to help you get the most from the much vaunted device.

1. Caps Lock feature

If you’ve ever tried to type in all caps on the iPhone you’ll know that it doesn’t appear to have a Caps Lock function, which can be quite frustrating when you want to really SHOUT in an email.

Actually there is a Caps Lock feature, it’s just that you need to activate it manually by going to Settings>General>Keyboard (scroll down). Once enabled, you activate it by double tapping on the Caps button, which then turns blue. The only question then, is why the feature is off by default...

2. Double tapping keyboard for a full stop followed by space

This is a tip that is actually written in the Keyboard settings page described above, but unless you’ve been to that page you won’t have spotted it. A real time saver when you’re composing emails.

3. Choose suggestions by tapping space bar

As you type, you may have noticed words appearing underneath your chosen letters. These are suggestions, and you may be wondering how to select them – simply hit the spacebar. Cleverly, it also creates a space for you. Even more clever, though, is that if you choose a selection and then double tap the space bar to put in a full stop (see above), it will take out the space it’s just created. It’s like it’s thinking...

4. Hold down keys to get accented characters

If you’re the sort of person that likes to write words precisely as they should be, even when typing a text message, (as in, a pedant) then you’ll be pleased to find out that you can easily type accented characters on the iPhone – just hold down the keys (E, Y, U, I, O, A, S, L, Z, C, N) and the list of alternative pop up. Hold and down and slide across to choose the one you want. Touché.

5. Take a screenshot

It’s possibly a bit niche this one, not to say geeky, but with the 2.0 software you can now take screenshots on your iPhone. You simply hold down the Home button - that’s the actual physical button at the bottom - and then press the power button at the top. The display will flash and the image will appear in the camera roll.

6. Double tap home button brings up Favourite contacts – or iPod

The problem with having no physical buttons means that it’s harder to make shortcuts. However, if you double press the home button, it will take you straight into your list of favourite contacts, enabling you to make calls quickly. And, if you double press the home button when the display is off it will bring up Play/Skip buttons so you can get to your music without even having to unlock the phone – perfect for listening to the IT PRO podcast.

7. Customise iPod bar

In the iPod application there are a number of options at the bottom – the iPod bar. However, you can customise these to your liking – simply select More, then choose Edit at the top left and select the icons you want, and drag them down to the bottom.

8. Delete Applications or Move icons

If you want to remove an application from the iPhone - or just move an icon to a different location round the screen - you simply put your finger on any icon and hold it down, and after a few seconds every icon will start to shake with an ‘x’ appearing at the top left. You press the ‘x’ to remove it, or you press and drag the icons to your preferred locations on the screen, or even over to the next page of icons. Worth trying just to see the very cool shaking icon effect.

9. Add link to Home Screen

If you’ve got a web page that you like to visit regularly, then you can place an icon directly on the home screen so you can get straight to it. Press the ‘+’ symbol at the base of the Safari web browser and choose Add to Home Screen.

10. Correct mistakes with magnifying glass

This is actually a well-known keyboard feature, but just in case you don't know it, you should. If you make a mistake while typing, hold down your finger over the word in question and then a magnifying glass will appear enlarging the text. By rolling your finger gently, you can place the cursor precisely, enabling you to correct erroneous letters.

If you’ve any iPhone tips that you’d like to share with fellow readers then drop us a line at itpro@dennis.co.uk.

Source : I found this on net few days back. Forgot from where. Unable to recall. I will update this post as soon as I get this again on googling. Sorry for that.

Read More...

NEW IVRS BLOG HTTP://WWW.IVRSWORLD.COM AND CLOSURE OF THIS BLOG

I am closing this blog. I have started a new blog with my own name. You are all welcoem to visit. Its http://www.ivrsworld.com or click here.

Read More...

COMPLETE SPECIFICATION OF NOKIA 3G PHONE N96 ( LAUNCHING SOON)

Here is the complete specification of new Nokia 3G Phone, N96. It has a feature list, that redefines a Mobile Phone completely. I personally feel, this phone will set a benchmark, what an truely 3G phone should be. I request you kindly to read my earlier post of complete specification Apple Iphone 3G.

General

Operating Frequency

* WCDMA2100/900 (HSDPA) / EGSM900, GSM850/1800/1900 MHz (EGPRS)
* Automatic switching between bands and modes
* DVB-H Class C, 470-750 MHz


Dimensions

* Volume: 92 cc
* Weight: 125 g
* Length: 103 mm
* Width: 55 mm
* Depth:18 mm, locally up to 20 mm


Memory Functions*

* 16GB internal flash memory, plus microSD memory card slot (hot swappable) for expandability and flexibility
* Approximate dynamic memory capacity indication with 16GB storage:
-Video: 40 hours**
-Music: 12,000 tracks***
* 128MB RAM, 256MB system memory (operating system plus dynamic user data area)


Power Management

* Battery: Nokia Battery BL-5F, 950 mAh
* Talk time: up to 150 / 220 minutes (WCDMA / GSM)
* Stand-by time: up to 200 / 220 hours (WCDMA / GSM)
* Video playback: up to 5 hours (offline mode)
* Music playback: up to 14 hours (offline mode)
* TV playback: up to 4 hours (DVB-H)


Display and User Interface

* 2.8” QVGA (240 x 320 pixels) LCD TFT display with up to 16 million colors
* User Interface: S60 3rd Edition, Feature Pack 2
* Active standby screen, Multimedia menu


Data Transfer*

* WCDMA HSDPA 900/2100 MHz with simultaneous voice and packet data (PS max speed DL/UL= 3.6Mbps/384kbps, CS max speed 64kbps)
* Dual Transfer Mode (DTM) support for simultaneous voice and packet data connection in GSM/EDGE networks. Simple class A, multi slot class 11, max speed

DL/UL: 177.6/118.4kbps
* EGPRS class B, multi slot class 32, max speed DL/UL= 296/177.6kbps
* GPRS class B, multi slot class 32, max speed DL/UL= 107/64.2kbps


Video
Video

Video Center

* Video center: central hub for video experiences
* Access to last played video and easy resume
* My videos: collection of stored videos
* Access to Internet Videos, compatible with RSS feeds and video podcasts, with direct wireless updates and downloads
* Service catalog to discover new Internet Videos


Video Codecs and Formats

* MPEG-4 Part 2 (H.263/SP), up to VGA 30 fps, hardware-accelerated codec, scaled to max QVGA on device screen, or max SDTV on TV-out
* MPEG-4 Part 10 (H.264/AVC), up to VGA 30 fps, hardware-accelerated codec, scaled to max QVGA on device screen, or SDTV on TV-out
* Windows Media Video (WMV9), up to CIF/QVGA 30 fps, hardware-accelerated codec, scaled to max QVGA on device screen, or SDTV on TV-out
* RealVideo QCIF at 30 fps
* Flash video support in browser
* DRM support: OMA DRM 1, OMA DRM 2, WM DRM


Live TV

* Broadcast Television (DVB-H) capable
-DVB-H based mobile TV with internal antenna
-DVB-H Class C, 470-750 MHz


Browser-based video access

* Support for download, streaming and progressive download
* Support for Flash video


Music
Music

Music Features*

* Digital music player – supports MP3, AAC, eAAC+, WMA, album art
* Playlist editing and sharing
* Equalizer and visualization
* Search, browse and purchase songs online in Nokia Music Store – with support for Windows Media DRM protected files



Radio*

* Stereo FM radio (87.5-108MHz, 76-90MHz) with support for RDS, Visual Radio™ and use of FM radio in offline mode
* Nokia Internet Radio


* The FM radio depends on an antenna other than the wireless device antenna. A compatible headset or enhancement needs to be attached to the device for the

FM radio to function properly.
Explore
Explore

Maps and Navigation

* Built-in GPS receiver, with support for assisted GPS (A-GPS)*
* Nokia Maps application
* Free downloadable maps of over 150 countries, millions of locations, location details and satellite imagery**
* Upgrades available for purchase: Multimedia city guides and Navigation services: Drive - voice guided car navigation, or Walk - pedestrian-optimized

turn-by turn guidance


* A-GPS is a network dependant feature that requires a data plan. Additional charges may apply.

** Downloading satellite images may involve the transmission of large amounts of data through your service provider’s network. Contact your service provider

for information about data transmission charges.

E-mail and Messaging

* Easy-to-use email client with attachment support for images, videos, music and documents
* Support for SMTP, IMAP4, POP3, MMS, SMS. Unified SMS/MMS editor
* Compatible with Nokia Wireless Keyboard SU-8W (sold separately)


Browsing and Internet

* Nokia Web Browser with Mini Map, visual history, HTML and JavaScript support, Flash Lite 3.0 and Flash video support
* RSS reader


Connectivity

* WLAN - IEEE802.11 g/b with UPnP support
* Hi-Speed USB 2.0 with Micro USB type B interface
* 3.5mm stereo headset plug , TV-out support (PAL/NTSC)
* Bluetooth 2.0 with A2DP stereo audio and Enhanced Data Rates (EDR)
* Nokia Nseries PC Suite connectivity with USB and Bluetooth wireless technology


Sales Package Contents

Standard Sales Package Contents*

* Nokia N96
* Nokia Battery BL-5F
* Nokia Connectivity Cable CA-101
* Nokia Video-Out Cable CA-75U
* Nokia Stereo Headset and Remote HS-45, AD-54
* Nokia Mobile Charger DC-4 (car charger)
* Nokia Compact Travel Charger AC-5


Imaging

Main camera

* Up to 5 megapixel (2592 x 1944 pixels)
* Carl Zeiss Optics: Tessar™ lens
* Auto-focus, auto-exposure
* F-number/aperture: F2.8
* Focal length: 5.2 mm
* Focus range 10 cm to infinity
* Dual-LED camera flash, video light, recording indicator, auto-focus assist light


Secondary camera

* VGA (640 x 480 pixels) sensor


Video Recording

* Video capture in MPEG-4 up to VGA at 30 fps
* Digital Video Stabilization
* Video clip length: limited by storage
* Video file format: .mp4 (default), .3gp (for MMS)
* Settings for scene, video light, white balance, color tone


Photography

* Still Image resolutions: up to 5 Megapixel (2592 x 1944 pixels)
* Still Image file format: JPEG, EXIF
* Location tagging: automatic insertion of capture location into images
* Settings for scene, flash, sequence, self-timer, color, white balance, contrast, exposure compensation, guides

Read More...