On Your Cell at 30,000 Feet
It looks like as soon as 2007, the sounds of ringing and buzzing cell phones could be filling the cabins of what were previously much quieter areas (atleast when it came to phones).
Airline passengers, already underfed, over-crowded, harassed by security and surrounded by crying children, probably thought they were seeing the last straw on the horizon when — ta-taa! — the airline companies announced they are going to test the use of cell phones in flight.
Until now, cell phone use has been banned for fear that they might interfere with planes’ navigational electronics. But where there’s a will, there’s a technical way. Two European airlines will test a system next year that uses on-board equipment to relay calls from phones to cell networks below. If it works, widespread access could begin in 2007.
So there goes the last public place on or off Earth free from the clamor of ring tones and overheard conversations that predictably begin with “Guess where I am?” This creates new opportunities for airborne rage and passenger conflicts.
It looks like using this service will have a hefty fee behind it to hopefully lessen the ringing to the first class area, but as the system no doubt becomes more widely adopted, it will become cheaper, and thus more wide spread.
I don’t know about you, but I think they should atleast make it so everyone must have their phone on vibrate. I get frustrated enough with my flying experiences, and I don’t want to hear your latest MP3 ringtone of some new hit pop song.
Source: delaware online
Police Use Cell Phone to Track Robbery Suspect
I love when technology is used to stop crime, or atleast reduce them. I think that cell phones, as they become more integrated into our lives might let “big brother” in, but also protect us when we are in need of help.
ksl.com has the story:
Police investigating a robbery that involved a safe being yanked out of a business and a stolen forklift thought they had a pretty good idea how to find the suspect. He apparently left his cell phone behind.
“We got lucky, I figure, then my guys ran with it. I’m glad they buckled down and got them,” Lehi Police Chief Chad Smith recently told the City Council.
There were three known addresses for the cell phone’s owner, so police officers staked out each location after the Oct. 2 robbery. Two days later, Ryan Ferguson arrived at his home in Sandy, noticed the police and took off. After a car chase, Ferguson ran away on foot but was cornered by officers, who arrested him.
Cingular Launches Mobile IM and Email Services
No more big heavy Blackberry needed with Cingular’s new mobile instant messaging and e-mail services.
Mobile Burn has the details on the new service for Cingular wireless customers.
The mobile email service consists of a downloadable Java-based client, and gives access to AOL and AIM email, MSN Hotmail, Yahoo! Mail, and SBC Yahoo! Mail. The client is provided by OZ, and sending and receiving email is charged based on the data transferred. The Cingular mail service is available on the Motorola V180, V220, V400, V551, and RAZR V3.
Also based around a downloadable Java client, Cingular’s mobile instant messaging service gives simultaneous access to AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, and MSN Messenger services. The instant messaging service has been developed by Comverse and Thumbspeed, and gives an easy to use tabbed interface. Instant messaging is charged as SMS text messages. The instant messaging service is available on the Nokia 6230, Nokia 6620, Motorola V180, Motorola V220, Motorola V400, Motorola V551, Motorola RAZR V3, Sony Ericsson Z500 , and Sony Ericsson S710a handsets.
The best part of it all is that it is free to download over Cingular’s Media Mall.
Samsung E358
A really nice slider phone from Samsung called the E358 is coming out soon, and phoneyworld has the details on the phone.
The E358 is aesthetically designed and has some shortcut keys for features that one is most likely to use. On the left hand side of the handset, an audio key and a Infrared port are intricately put in while the other side has the headphone terminal and a shortcut key for activating the camera.
Flip the E358 over and you get to see a 3 megapixel camera along with its flash and a small mirror which would be very helpful for taking self portraits. The bottom has the charging slot and space for data connectivity cable, all of which are covered up by a dust protection pad (it also helps in making the handset look more attractive since the lines flow more effectively without breaking). The E358 display has 65,000 colors, nothing great in that, but the white color of the back lights of the keypad looks really cool and is in fact bright enough to show the closest surroundings in complete darkness. Another cool feature is that the alarm function allows you to set any song in the memory as the wake up tune and you can thus get up listening to your favorite song; a great way to start the day.
Special Effects for Cameraphones
Attach a special lens to your camera phone, and get a special effect with your pictures.
An interesting idea, no doubt going to gain some decent money for the company that made it since many of the teens carrying cell phones don’t know how to use a computer to do simple photo manipulation.
There are 14 different lenses that allow you to include effects like eliminating reflections from windows and glass, a strange “floral” effect which shows your subject about five times (see below) and of course, the popular “blurry” effect which makes something look like its moving.
via: Gizmodo
Samsung SCH-A970 Review
Mobiledia has a review up of the A970 clamshell cell phone from Samsung.
With the introduction of the Samsung A970, heads may turn; figuratively and literally. Building upon the standard flip design, the A970 adds a “twist,” giving it a new perspective to common characteristics.
With a wide array of features including a 2.0-megapixel camera with optical zoom, VCAST video service, and MP3 capabilities, the A970 is a multimedia workhorse also supporting certain Bluetooth profiles to give busy consumers the ability to multitask and work on the go.
In the end they seemed to love the features of the phone and its abilities, but disliked its menu and the charges from Verizon to obtain the full features of the phone.
Things You Didn’t Ask the Vendor but Wanted to Know
Cellphone9 has an amusing look at the questions you wanted to ask before purchasing a cell phone, but probably didn’t.
My gosh, if you could drop the phone to test its durability then do so. Some sales people actually do this. I remember a Samsung guy opening a clamshell and getting a mallet. He pounded the hinge where the screen and keypad were connected really hard just to prove how durable it was. I almost fainted.
I just wanted to add a little story of my own along the same lines…
When I worked at a store that sold cell phones we had one person come in and take nearly the whole thing apart. He took off a few small pieces that easily come off and was stopped short of ripping the whole body open. People do the strangest things to “test” durability.
Samsung SGH-i300 Review
The Unwired goes over every angle of the Samsung SGH-i300, a Windows Mobile Smartphone. They even go as far tot detail what comes in the box when you order/buy the phone.
Not only is this review very detailed on the hardware, and comparisons against other moblile devices, but this may end up being part one of two, as the reviewer states at the end that there will be a software review, pushing the i300 and seeing what it can do.
Here is a snippit from the review:
Unlike the SGH-i250, which was a clam-shell phone, the i300 is a candy-bar device and what makes it so unique is the fact that it has a 3 GB hard disk drive to store all type of files and applications as well a mechanical navigation wheel. In addition, for sure, it has the built-in memory as well as a microSD (previously known as TransFlash) memory card slot. Also it features a 1.3 megapixel camera with photo light, Bluetooth (but no W-LAN), a navigation-pad which also can be used as scroll wheel, a 65K color - QVGA (240×320 pixel) screen and is a tri-band GSM/GPRS (GSM 900/1800/1900 MHz) phone but misses support for GSM 850 MHz as well as UMTS WCDMA support.
Reasons Not To Have a Cell Phone
A hilarious look at why you should not have a cell phone comes from Carole Moore over at The Daily News.
There are excellent reasons to own a cell phone. They come in handy in emergencies, like when you’re running from the bulls in Pamplona. But let’s not forget all of the other, equally great reasons to tap into the cell phone generation:
If you own a cell phone, you:
- Can’t hide from your kids. It doesn’t matter whether a masseuse is pounding the stuffing out of your back or you’re 3 under par for the first time in your life, be assured that if you have a child and a cell phone, they will go off simultaneously.
Then the child will share life-impacting information that cannot wait until you get home, like the fact that her brother has eaten an entire bag of Cheetoes and she didn’t get a single one. Or she forgot her homework and unless she turns it in within the next five minutes, she will fail, be held back and live with you for yet another year.
Read the rest of the reasons to have a good laugh.
Swiss Voters to Cast Ballots by SMS
Something I think should be adopted in more countries to bring voting levels back up is easier ways to vote, such as on the internet, or through text-messaging.
Many people coming into the voting age are very technologically inclined, and therefore like to be able to do things using technology from anywhere they currently are.
The current voting system does not allow such things, but the Swiss are setting the pace (no watch pun intended) and are allowing residents to cast their ballots over SMS.
The residents of Bülach in canton Zurich are casting text, internet, postal and ballot box votes on proposals to introduce a 30kmph speed restriction for vehicles. The result will be known on October 30.
The pilot project will then be extended to Schlieren and Bertschikon, also in canton Zurich, on November 27, when the issues of shop opening hours, GM crops and integration courses will be put to a ballot.
Project leader, David Knöri of canton Zurich’s Office for Statistics, told swissinfo that SMS voting will bring Swiss voting technology into the 21st century, following a successful internet voting trial in Aniéres, canton Geneva, in January 2003.
“Switzerland has fallen behind in this area, but this is a step in the right direction,” he said. “We want to offer people the full range of telecommunications options and make it easier for disabled people to vote.”
Source: swissinfo.org via Engadget
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