First look: Google versions of HTC One, Galaxy S4

NEW YORK: Two new Android phones will look and sound familiar to those who have been paying attention to phones. That's because these two devices are replicas of Samsung's Galaxy S4 and HTC's One, except they lack most of the bells and whistles added to the original models. 

And that's a good thing.

The modifications Samsung and HTC apply to Google's Android software are meant to be improvements. But I've complained before about how the changes actually make phones more complex to use. The S4 even has an easy mode for first-time Smartphone users, an admission that the normal mode is too confounding.

Google worked with both Samsung Electronics and HTC to come out with "Google Play" editions of the hit phones. Instead of customized software Samsung and HTC, the Google phones run a pure version of Android, just as it was developed by Google.

Google lets any phone maker use its Android operating system for free. To set themselves apart competitors, phone makers often add their own touches to devices. They rearrange the menu or load additional apps. Wireless carriers also to add their own apps. Before you know it, phones are bloated with features and apps you don't want and can't get rid of.

Consider my experience with the original S4 over the weekend. As I tried to adjust the camera's flash setting, I inadvertently made some postage stamp icon pop up. That activated the camera's dual-shot mode, which snaps a shot of you with the front camera to superimpose over whatever you're shooting with the camera on the back of the phone. I didn't want that, but I couldn't figure out how to get rid of it. My friend couldn't either. So we bagged the shot. Taking photos with a phone is supposed to be fun, not a chore.

With Google's version of the S4, I get a no-frills camera that is easy to figure out. It lacks gimmicks such as dual shots and the ability to combine several images of motion into a single shot. It offers about a half-dozen shooting modes, such as night, action and panorama, rather than the dozen or so on the original S4. But a half-dozen is about a half-dozen more than I need and use.

Google's S4 also lacks the original model's ability to pause video automatically when you look away the screen or to scroll down an article when you tilt your head. Those features may sound cool, but they often don't work properly.

The Google version of the S4 also has alarm sounds that I can actually wake up to. Samsung had substituted those sounds with soft, soothing melodies that I end up incorporating into dreams. I've overslept a few times as a result.

As for Google's version of the HTC One, you don't get a busy home screen filled with news articles and Facebook status updates your phone thinks you want to read. Instead, you get a clean page with few apps. It's up to you to add the ones you want to see and use.

Both Google phones feel spare and minimal, which is great because it makes me feel in control. If I want to constantly know the weather, it's easy to add a weather widget to the home screen of either phone. But it's not forced.

The same goes for apps. I get basic functions such as text messaging and the clock and a range of Google services such as Gmail and YouTube. If I want other apps, I can easily tap the Google Play icon to get them. With the original S4, Samsung tries to steer you into its own app store, as well as its own music and video players. You end up with too many ways to do the same things.

You might think it takes a lot of work to add the apps you want to Google's phones, but it actually takes more work to hide or turn off everything you don't need - that is, if you can at all- with Samsung's and HTC's versions.

Now for the bad news: The Google edition of the S4 sells for $649, while Google's HTC One goes for $599. You can typically get the original models for $100 to $200 through your wireless carrier with a two-year agreement. And unless you're on T-Mobile, your monthly bill won't go down just because you pay full price for the phone elsewhere.

In addition, both Google phones are compatible only with T-Mobile, AT&T and other carriers that use GSM cellular technology, not the CDMA networks used by Sprint and Verizon Wireless. The Google edition would have been great for Verizon customers who still have unlimited data plans. Verizon no longer lets you stay on that plan if you buy a subsidized phone, so you'd have to pay the full price anyway.

The Google phones are also ideal for people who want the latest Android system that Google has to offer. You'll be able to update your phone as Google releases new versions of Android. Normally, phone makers and wireless carriers updates by weeks or months, so you can only read about those new Android features.

There are a few useful Samsung and HTC add-ons that Google does bring to its versions of the phones.

Google's S4 is compatible with Samsung's S-View flip cover. Using a magnetic sensor, the phone detects when the cover is closed and switches to a special mode that gives you the current time and details about who's calling through a small window in the cover. You can answer or reject a call without flipping over the cover.

Google's HTC One, meanwhile, shares the original model's front-facing speakers, giving you great sound when you're watching a movie or listening to music. Both models also have cameras with larger sensor pixels for better low-light shots. Our tests show that the HTC One produces low-light images with less distortion than other Android phones, though images aren't particularly crisp because the resolution is lower.

There are a few things I wish Google would have brought to its phones and to Android in general.

In the original S4, the on-screen keyboard has a row of numerals to type in. With the Google S4, you have to hit a button to get another screen with numerals, then toggle back for the letters. The original S4 also has the ability to run two apps side by side in a split window. That's gone in Google's S4.

Meanwhile, the original HTC One has the ability to make calls, send texts and take photos by sliding icons the lock screen. With the Google version, you have to unlock the screen before getting icons to those functions.

On both phones, Google also adds one feature I could do without: a 360-degree panorama known as Photo Sphere. Neat as it is, it detracts what is otherwise a just-the-basics camera. It would have been better as a separate app for those who want it.

But that's no reason to shun the Google phones. The minimized feel of Google's versions underscores how busy software can detract good hardware. Take away that clutter, and you have excellent phones.

It's a bummer that you can't get the simplified phones through regular channels. You can get them only through Google's online Play store - for hundreds of dollars more.

About the Google phones

The new phones are existing Samsung and HTC phones loaded with Google's version of the Android operating system. That's the version that Google makes, before phone makers and phone carriers load Android up with their own features and apps.

These phones are good options for those who don't all the bells and whistles in the original models. They are cleaner and easier to use. But they are also more expensive, as you have to pay full price through Google's online Play store rather than a subsidized price that wireless carriers offer with two-year agreements.

These phones aren't compatible with Verizon's or Sprint's CDMA networks. If you're on AT&T, you'll be paying more for the phone without any reduction in monthly phone bills. If you're on T-Mobile, though, expect to save $20 a month, or $480 over two years. You're still paying about $70 more overall for Google's S4 and $20 more for Google's One, but it's not the hundreds of dollars you'd be paying on AT&T.

The one-time, upfront cost is $649 for Google's S4 with 16 gigabytes of storage and $599 for the One with 32 gigabytes. Both phones are available in the US only through Google's online Play store, with shipments expected by July 9.

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Samsung Galaxy S4 may have unbreakable screen

Samsung Electronics, the world's leading technology company by revenue, is likely accelerating the launch of its next-generation flagship Galaxy smartphone -- which may come with a breakthrough unbreakable screen.

Codenamed "Project J" after mobile division chief JK Shin, development of the new Galaxy S IV could be aimed for release by as early as April, according to analysts and tech blogs.

And, as smartphones increasingly look alike - the converging form factor - an unbreakable screen could be a big selling point for the Galaxy, which is battling Apple Inc's iPhone to lead the $200 billion plus smartphone market.

The Galaxy S IV is also expected to have bigger and better display, powerful quad-core processing power and a 13-megapixel camera, with picture density improving to 441 pixels per inch (ppi), a big improvement from the Galaxy S III's 306 ppi and better than the iPhone 5's 326 ppi.

"Looking to the first half of 2013, we see evidence of Samsung likely accelerating the release of the Galaxy S IV - compared with May (this year) for the Galaxy S III," said UBS analyst Nicolas Gaudois. "We believe preparations for volume manufacturing of unbreakable plastic substrate displays continue. All in all, we could see a strong products push in the high-end in the first half, followed by other releases."

Samsung declined to comment.

Samsung, a major backer of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, is a frontrunner in developing unbreakable screens, as OLED panels can replace glass substrate with plastic material. Down the road, mobile gadgets could be flexible as well as unbreakable.

"Eventually, they'll have unbreakable and flexible displays. Either the Galaxy S IV or S V will have unbreakable and even possibly flexible and foldable displays by 2014. That's going to be a game-changer," said Mark Newman, an analyst at Stanford Bernstein in Hong Kong.

Both Newman and Gaudois are ranked as 5-star analysts, the top ranking, by Thomson Reuters StarMine for their recommendations on Samsung.

Courtroom revisited

It would also be a game-changer for Samsung, which has built its reputation as a 'fast follower' of others' technologies and designs.

The South Korean consumer electronics giant faces off against Apple again on Thursday in a US courtroom for a follow-up ruling on whether it copied some of its US rival's patents and should pay the $1 billion awarded to Apple by jurors in an August verdict.

Samsung wants the verdict overturned, while Apple wants the damages to be increased and Samsung phones banned in the United States.

Since that landmark verdict, however, Samsung shares have gained 14 percent to record highs, while Apple shares - dented by a maps app fiasco, tight supply of its iPhone 5 and ever tougher competition in the mobile market - have slipped by nearly a fifth, wiping more than $120 billion off its market value.

Barring any extra costs related to the US ruling, Samsung should report a fifth straight record profit this quarter, as profits from its component business recover and more than offset thinning margins on mobile phones - squeezed by higher year-end holiday marketing campaigns.

"Samsung's strength extends beyond cool products, they're also a leader in the technology behind these devices. We see further upside to Samsung's stock as success in smartphones continues and chips and display profits also rebound," said Newman. "In smartphones, the opportunity is for Samsung to take more share from Apple in the premium segment, where Apple is still dominant."

UBS estimates Samsung will ship around 22.5 million of its Galaxy S III and Note II devices in the quarter to end-December, up from 20 million in July-September. Shin said in November that Galaxy S III sales would hit 40 million by the end of this month.

In a worst-case scenario for Samsung, US judge Lucy Koh could treble the damages payable to Apple, given the jury in August found Samsung "willfully" infringed some Apple patents.

"That would be a major blow to Samsung's fundamentals and overall investor sentiment, but it's not the most likely scenario," said Young Park, a 4-star StarMine analyst at Woori Investment & Securities.

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LinkedIn investigating reports of more than six million stolen passwords

Business social network LinkedIn said it is investigating reports that more than six millionpasswords have been stolen and leaked onto the Internet.

Although LinkedIn did not confirm if any user data had been hacked or leaked, researchers at U.K. Web security company Sophos say they have confirmed that a file posted online does contain, in part, LinkedIn passwords ``hashes.'' That's a way of encrypting or storing passwords in a different form.

Graham Cluley, a consultant with Sophos, recommended that LinkedIn users change their passwords immediately.

LinkedIn has a lot of information on its more than 160 million members, including potentially confidential information related to jobs being sought. Companies, recruiting services and others have accounts alongside individuals who post resumes and other professional information.

There's added concern that many people use the same password on multiple websites, so whoever stole the data could use the information to access Gmail, Amazon, PayPal and other accounts, Cluley said.

As a precautionary measure, LinkedIn issued security tips in a blog post Wednesday. The company said users should change passwords at least every few months and avoid using the same ones on multiple sites.

LinkedIn also had suggestions for making passwords stronger, including avoiding passwords that match words in a dictionary. One way is to think of a meaningful phrase or song and create a password using the first letter of each word.

Cluley said hackers are working together to break the encryption on the passwords.

``All that's been released so far is a list of passwords and we don't know if the people who released that list also have the related email addresses,'' he said. ``But we have to assume they do. And with that combination, they can begin to commit crimes.''

It wasn't known who was behind such an attack.

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IIT responsible for Aakash I failure: Datawind

Six months after ministry of human resource development launched the Aakash tablet, barely a few hundred units have reached students. The manufacturing of the device has been stopped and now the ministry and Datawind, the company responsible for supplying the tablet, are focusing on Aakash 2, an upgraded version of the device.

Datawind concedes Aakash, which is supposed to digitize the way students study in India, has not been a success in its first version. But the company squarely blames IIT-Rajasthan, the nodal agency overseeing the project, for the fiasco. It says the concerns over the tablet's quality and functionality are overblown by the institute in a bid to "favour other firms".

Datawind's CEO, Suneet Singh Tuli, says that after winning the bid to manufacture Aakash, the company supplied 10,000 tablets to IIT-Rajasthan. They were part of an initial order of 1,00,000 tablets that Datawind was supposed to supply to the government at a price of $49.98 per unit. But after a few hundred tablets reached students as part of the pilot project, IIT-Rajasthan started rejecting Aakash tablet, allegedly after reports that the device was failing during pilot testing and did not meet the quality criteria set by the institute.

Tuli, however, disagrees. "IIT-Rajasthan was simply trying to defame us by saying that we could not meet the quality required by it," he says. "When we were awarded the contract, there was only a specification sheet. But when we started supplying the tablets, IIT-Rajasthan started rejecting the tablet based on biased and unscientific testing methodology. "

"IIT Rajasthan put up roadblocks. It jeopardized the whole project. I can say the dirty tricks by the institute put us around six months behind on the project ... they did it because they were favouring other firms... Even now, the institute is trying to sabotage the project," he adds.

There are reports that IIT-Rajasthan has been issued a showcause notice by MHRD last month over the Aakash failure. The notice asks institute to explain why it did not set up a tablet testing facility and procedure in time and why it failed to resolve its dispute with Datawind. Reportedly, the institute also worked with Wishtel, a company that launched a low-cost tablet called Ira last week. TOI tried contacting Prem K Kalra, director of IIT Rajasthan, over the email and phone but he wasn't available.

Datawind says that after the fiasco, it took back the tablets supplied to IIT-Rajasthan. "We have not been paid for a single one of them. But mission is more important to us... we believe in Aakash project," says Tuli.

The company is now working on Aakash 2, an updated version of the original tablet. It will have a capacitive screen instead of resistive and hence support multitouch. It will also have a better processor - based on Cortex A8.

"We are working with IIT Mumbai for Aakash 2 and will start supplying the tablet to government this month. Our original order for 100000 units has been transferred for Aakash 2 now. After the order of 100000 units is met, MHRD will invite bids for more tablets. We will bid again," says Tuli. Kapil Sibal, minister of human resources and development, on Tuesday said that Aakash 2 will be available in May.

Datawind also sells a commercial version of Aakash tablet called Ubislate. Tuli claims the firm has received over 3 million pre-bookings for Ubislate. However, this tablet too has not reached customers. "We are aware of the delay and trying to sort it out. We hope to ship Ubislate to consumer in next 10 days. To compensate for the delay, we will now give them Ubislate+, an upgraded version of the tablet at the same price," says Tuli.

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Aakash gets Rs 765 crore in Budget 2012

The world's cheapest tablet project has been allocated about Rs 765 crore in Budget 2012-13, which is likely to trigger the second phase of the project expected to begin in April, even as the first phase is stuck in a deadlock.
The allocation for Aakash has been made under the National Mission for Education through ICT of Ministry of Human Resource and Development. The mission had launched the low-cost tablet project, last year.
According to official sources, the money allocated is 'sufficient' for the second phase of the project. Aakash-II is likely to cost the government about 569 crore for about 50 lakh tablets.
"Most of the money is likely to be utilized for the Aakash project. Some of it will be utilized for developing e-content," said a senior government official involved in the project.
The government plans to procure about 50 lakh tablets, in a phased manner, at 2,276 each. Half of the cost (about 1138 per tablet) will be subsidized by the central government. The rest will be borne by the state governments, who want to distribute Aakash tablets in state colleges and institutions.

The billion dollar- five-year fund allocated to NME-ICT mission expired on March 31, which led to a fresh allocation by Finance Minister Prefab Mukherjee in the Union Budget 2012-13. The new allocation comes even as IIT Rajasthan was unable to utilize about 25 crore allocated for phase I of the Aakash project, due to a disagreement with its vendor.
According to a government official heading the Aakash project, only about 500 Aakash-I tablets have been procured so far. However, according to Data wind officials, they have supplied about 10,000 tablets to IIT Rajasthan, for which they are yet to receive money.
Disagreement over specifications of the tablet has added to the deadlock. "Allocation of more money to a project which is not stable is not an established practice in government," said Satish Jha, President of One Laptop Per Child foundation, which has a competing product in the market.
Meanwhile, the government has washed its hands off the deadlock, citing it as a commercial dispute between two parties. Nonetheless, Minister for Human Resource and Development Kapil Sibal said in Lok Sabha earlier this month, that Data wind will supply about 100,000 improved tablets.
Sibal also plans to launch a tender in April for Aakash-II, which are expected to come with a better processor and capacitive touchscreen, but at the same price.

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Intel launches second generation processor - Intel Insider

Intel today launched a second generation processor called Intel Insider, a feature that will help people download and view movies in High Definition (HD) on their laptops and PCs.

The PCs and Laptops with the Intel Insider processor would be available in the country from next month onwards, Intel's Managing Director, South Asia, R Shivakumar told PTI here.

'The launch of Intel Insider in India is absolutely befitting considering it is the home of one of the largest film industries in the world -- Bollywood. With Intel Insider, people can watch their favourite movies in HD at their homes on the day of release itself,' Shivakumar said.

In a bid to boost its sales, Intel has tied-up with Hungama.com, which will act as a platform for download and streaming of famous Bollywood and international movies, including blockbusters from Yash Raj Films , Paramount Pictures , T-Series and Reliance Home Video .

The introduction of Intel Insider is a significant breakthrough in the entertainment space where consumers can unlock an ever increasing and expanding world of high- definition content on their PCs, he added.

The technology also offers a 'proactive queue' capability that will help consumers pre-download films ahead of the release date, and give them the ability to purchase those films, securely, even if they are not connected to the Internet.

This will allow consumers to start watching their movies immediately on the release date without waiting to download during peak traffic times.

-JMD Computer

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Walkie Talkie Channels

How many channels do I need? Just like your radio or TV at home, walkie-talkies utilize channels to obtain their signal. FRS radios typically have either seven or 14 channels. Though, in most cases, the manufacturer will give you 38 possible CTCSS tones to use in the receiving and transmitting of your handheld radio. This means that, with a 14-channel radio, you could have up to 532 separate channel configurations or frequencies. GMRS units provide you up to 22 channels.

However, please note that when in a well-populated area, anyone with CTCSS disabled on their walkie-talkie will be able to hear your radio transmission on their radio. The tones, sometimes called interference or squelch codes, are meant to help prevent this. They help filter out static, noise and unwanted chatter on the two-way radio channels. Just select a predetermined channel and code, and you can communicate only with someone using the exact same channel and code. Just remember that your conversation may be semi-private and that privacy is not guaranteed.

          

Channels 1-7 are solely for use with the FRS/GMRS system; including the more common 2 channels and 4 channels. Eight through 14 channels are solely for FRS, and GMRS gives you between 15 channels and 22 channels for a wide range of communication options. Even though FRS offers 14 channels, some radios come with only one channel and some with only seven. These radios can cost half as much and, for most people, be completely adequate. The sturdy single channel radios are good for business use. Other cheaper models with one channel are just toys. The one and seven channel radios generally have the GMRS interstitial frequencies and not the FRS-only channels. Consider a 14-channel unit if you plan to use your radio in a large urban environment where GMRS is already popular.

Your Ad Here

Having a 15-channel or more GMRS unit definitely provides you with more choices for your business communications. Though, if you're on an FRS/GMRS system, having 2 channels or 4 channels might suit you just fine. Be sure to determine your use and functionality before making your final selection.

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Are You Smart Enough For A Smart Phone?

Get ready; the smart phone might just be the next "Must Have" tech device. Don't laugh, this may be truer than many of us realize or would like to believe. Why? Mainly because the smart phone fulfills our ever increasing need for a mobile device that gives us all the features of a laptop/internet/phone in one small package. We want it all and we want it small. Go figure! For regardless of the size of our brain cells, we all need a small communication device that keeps us constantly connected no matter where we are. Connected to friends, family or business via a phone and the Internet. Totally connected to our lives and our sense of "self". So will you pass the smart test when it comes to smart phones? Or are you still scratching your head, wondering why you would need another techno gizmo cluttering up your life? If you're still wondering, here are seven reasons or factors why it would be smart for you to consider getting a smart phone.

1. PDA and Cell Phone Combo
A smart phone is really a combination of a cell phone and a pda. You get the best of both worlds: a cell phone and the functions of a pda in one simple small device. Smart phones can come in different designs: candy-bar, clamshell, slider and flipper. A smart phone offers many pda-like features but keep in mind it is still more like a mobile phone than a dedicated PDA, which offers larger screens and more applications. A PDA is more like a small computer or laptop than a cell phone. As technology becomes faster and smaller one can expect smart phones to become more like a dedicated PDA, offering more applications and more functions of a conventional handheld in a smaller package.

2. Mobile Convenience
Perhaps the greatest advantage of having a smart phone is the mobility it gives you. You can stay in constant contact with all your friends, family or your work. For mobile professionals it can be a very convenient and practical way to stay in contact with your work.

3. Laptop Mini-Me
The smart phone and especially the Pda phone can be a simple laptop that you can take anywhere. This device can take the place of a small laptop keeping you connected via phone and the Internet to all the information you need. Extremely useful for students and in-the-field professionals such as real-estate agents, builders, architects... Although they are slightly different creatures, the line between a Pda Phone and a Smart Phone is blurring real fast. Smart phones are usually smaller and offer less features than a Pda phone which is more related to a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) or a Handheld PC.

4. Entertain me
Increasingly; these smart and pda phones come equipped with countless games, MP3, camera, video... all to entertain you. Important on those long plane or car trips with unexpected stop-over’s. Also great to keep any complaining off-spring totally enthralled and completely oblivious to their surroundings for hours at a time. Save big on your headache meds by getting a smart phone for little junior or little miss!

5. The Lost Factor
just admit it, we have all been lost at some time in our lives. Now you don't have to be; many of these smart pda phones come with a GPS system to keep you in touch with your location at all times. Become totally grounded with a smart phone!

6. The Cool Factor
there has to be something said about style - these smart phones are sleek and stylist. Fashion should not be a reason to buy a smart phone but sadly it will be a major factor for many who do buy one.
7. The iPhone Factor
You can expect the "Cool" factor to leap-jump when the iPhone hits the market. The iPhone may do for smart phones what the iPod did for MP3 players. Hey, there is nothing cooler than an Apple anything! Besides the cool factor, the iPhone will probably revolutionize how we perceive and look at smart phones. It will elevate the smart phone to unheard of heights and place it center stage in our lives. Most of us will be smart enough to quickly grab one of these techno marvels. How about you? Will you be smart enough to get a smart phone or will you take the opposite route? While you're making up your mind, just remember you don't have to be an Einstein to appreciate the smart phone. Nor does being a prime candidate for the next Jackass video necessarily rule you out - everyone can benefit from having a smart phone.

Titus Hoskins operates numerous sites on the web, his first was a general Internet Marketing site http://jmdcomputer.blogspot.com/and his latest site is Marketing Tool Guide where you can find all the latest helpful and effective marketing tools, including Free Internet Marketing manuals: http://jmdcomputer.blogspot.com/this article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

Article Source: http://www.themobiletracker.com/hindi/cellphone.html

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WHAT Does GSM, Lock & Unlock Mean

The term GSM means - Global System for Mobile Communications. It is the most popular standard for mobile phones in the world. GSM differs significantly from its predecessors in that both signaling and speech channels are Digital call quality, which means that it is considered a second generation (2G) mobile phone system. GSM is an open standard which is currently developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). From the point of view of the consumer, the key advantage of GSM systems has been higher digital voice quality and low cost alternatives to making calls such as text messaging. The advantage for network operators has been the ability to deploy equipment from different vendors because the open standard allows easy inter-operability. Like other cellular standards GSM allows network operators to offer roaming services which mean subscribers can use their phones all over the world.

To help you further understand, GSM is simply a standard used by phones to communicate with each other. It is a new standard that has been adopted to all new models of phones and is now so prevail ant that it has become the 'norm' in the phone world. Now to answer your other question, with respect to locked and unlocked phones. A phone is locked when it is attached to network. For example if you go to AT&T and purchase a phone from them then that phone is said to be locked unto the AT&T network and as such it cannot work on another network such as SPRINT or NEXTEL. Thus an unlocked phone is a phone that is bought, that is not locked to any network. And as such it can work on any network. The network it will lock unto will depend on the SIM card you put into the phone. For example if you put an AT&T sim in an unlocked phone then it will work on the AT&T network. In the same way if you put a NEXTEL SIM card in an unlocked phone then it will work on the NEXTEL network. However if the phone is locked to a particular network, like say for example AT&T then changing the SIM card in the phone to another SIM card from another network such as NEXTEL will not work. This is because the phone is locked unto to AT&T network and as such will not work on any other network.

Yes, you can use the prepaid SIM card on the phone once the phone is either unlocked or on the same network as the SIM card you are going to put into it. It should work just fine. Unfortunately is possible to have more than one phone on the same line. It is possible to have more to than one phone on the same account, in fact, some providers will allow many many lines on one account. The reason why you’re unable to do this is that your phone has an ESN (electronic serial number) that associated with that line. What this does is allow your network to send the calls to your phone. If there is more than one ESN per line then it will cause problems receiving calls. For example, I had a phone that I wasn’t using anymore when I bought a new one, well my old phone was receiving text messages that my new one was supposed to get, but the new one would get all the calls. To resolve the issue that had to erase the programming on the phone. Victor Expand is an expert agent for http://jmdcomputer.blogspot.com/, a huge cell phone superstore featuring great prices and rebates on cell phones including Motorola, Samsung, Nokia, Audio ox, LG, RIM Blackberry, Sanyo, Sony Ericsson, and others.

Article Source: http://www.themobiletracker.com/hindi/gsm.html

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Cell Phone GPS Tracking

The development of communications technology has long since surpassed the sole ability to access others when they are mobile. Today, mobile communication devices are becoming much more technologically advanced and offer more than the ability to just carry on a conversation. Cell phone GPS tracking is one of those advances. GPS or Global Positioning System tracks your location by interpreting the data received from 3 or more satellites. This has made GPS a popular feature in cars as a navigational aid.

All cell phones constantly broadcast a radio signal, even when not on a call. The cell phone companies have been able to estimate the location of a cell phone for many years using triangulation information from the towers receiving the signal. However, the introduction of GPS technology into cell phones has meant that cell phone GPS tracking now makes this information a lot more accurate. With GPS technology now more commonplace in many new cell phones, this means that the location of anyone carrying a compatible cell phone can be accurately tracked at any time. Cell phone GPS tracking can therefore be a useful feature for business owners and fleet managers who need to be able to keep track of their vehicle movements. Cell phone GPS tracking can also be a useful feature to the emergency services or police when responding to a 911 call from a GPS cell phone. For this reason, the FCC has legislated that wireless networks provide location information for 911 calls made from cell phones. These are known as E911 calls.

As technology advance even further, future features will be even more powerful. Imagine GPS cell phones used as a navigational device. Based on the cell phone GPS tracking signal, they could be used to find your way to a location, calculate your speed based on your location change over time, from this calculate your estimated arrival time, suggest an alternative route and even phone the person you are calling to see with your ETA! Of course in car GPS navigation systems can already perform many of these tasks; however it is the portability of cell phones that makes them so useful for this technology. Cell phone GPS tracking could also be used to locate the whereabouts of your children and offer protection to elderly relatives should something happen and they need urgent assistance. These features will help to secure the future of cell phone GPS tracking providing advantages for all. For more information on cell phone GPS tracking and other GPS products visit www.satnav-gps.info today.

Article Source: http://www.themobiletracker.com/hindi/tracking.html

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Global Positioning System (GPS) : A Complete Review

The system of knowing one's exact position on this earth is known as the 'Global Positioning System'. Precise positioning of any location can easily be done with the help of this System. If anyone has a Global Positioning System receiver and if the sky remains clear then no one is going to be lost on this Earth. The receiver is a pocket-sized gadget that makes us inform about our exact position on this earth at any moment. One thing is that this pocket-sized gadget or receiver is very expensive and it also involves a lot of technical ingenuity. The primary function of Global Positioning System is the navigation in three dimensions. The Navigation receivers are used for aircraft, ships, and ground vehicles and sometimes it is also carried in hands by individual.

The working of the System
The GP System provides some special satellite signals which is processed in the receiver. These GPS receivers not only track the exact location but can also compute velocity and time. The positions can even be computed in three dimensional views with the help of four GPS satellite signals. The Space Segment of the Global Positioning System consists of 27 Earth-orbiting GPS satellites. There are 24 operational and 3 extra (in case one fails) GPS satellites. These satellites move round the Earth in 12 hours and send radio signals from space that is being received by the GPS receiver. The control of the Positioning System consists of different tracking stations that are located across the world. These monitoring stations help in tracking signals from those GPS satellites that are continuously orbiting the earth. The Space Vehicles transmit microwave carrier signals. The users of the Global Positioning System have GPS receivers that can convert the satellite signals by which one can estimate the actual position, velocity and time. Four satellites are required to track the three dimensional location and time. The operation of the system is based on a simple mathematical principle called Trilateration. The Trilateration may be of two types i.e. 2-D Trilateration and 3-D Trilateration. In order to make the simple mathematical calculation the GPS receiver should know two things. Firstly the location of the place is to be traced by at least three satellites above the place. Second is the distance between the place and each of those Space Vehicles. Units those have multiple receivers can pick up signals from several GPS satellites at a same time. These radio waves are electromagnetic energy that travels at the speed of light.

OverviewGPS is specially a Satellite Navigation System that helps in tracking the exact location with the help of satellites. The Global Positioning System is mainly funded and controlled by the U.S Department of Defense (DOD). The system was initially designed for the operation of U. S. military. But today, there are also many civil users of GPS across the whole world. The civil users are allowed to use the Standard Positioning Service without any kind of charge or restrictions.

Tyson J Stevenson creates useful articles & reviews on a wide variety of everyday subjects. Expect to see his name often. View further samples of his work at My Adjustable Bed & Adjustable Beds.

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GPS - Reduce unauthorized mileage in your company fleet and track your assets.

Global Positioning System - GPS - devices have become everyday items to many of us as their cost has fallen. These devices communicate with geostationary satellites, which tell the device, exactly where on Earth it is. The potential applications for this knowledge are endless. If you know where you are, where you were and the time in between then you know your speed exactly. If you know where you are then others do too.

GPS systems can be installed in cell phones as well as satellite phones. Sportsmen and women can use GPS devices to calculate how far they have run or paddled their current speed and average speed. Increasingly companies are fitting them in their vehicles. Trucks may be carrying $500,000 worth of goods, so it's worth installing a GPS system so you know where it is. A similar system is sold as a theft deterrent to private drivers. Other companies are fitting a system that interfaces with the engine management computer on vehicles in their company fleet. As a driver goes out of a predefined area, the engine power drops and continues to drop the further outside the designated area the vehicle is. The system soon pays for itself in reduced levels of unauthorized mileages.

GPS devices are now so miniaturized that they can be worn on the wrist, like a watch. GPS navigation systems are commonly fitted in trucks and delivery vans. The built in software interprets the GPS information into a series of spoken commands, like "Turn Left" or "You've missed the turning, take the next right and turn around". A GPS system means that courier companies can achieve faster deadlines because drivers never get lost. If you would like to find more about using GPS to reduce your fleet management costs then visit this GPS System site. To research other logistics solutions try visiting this logistics site.

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GPS - Know Your Exact Position Anywhere In the World

GPS [global positioning system] is a worldwide radio-navigation system formed from the constellation of 24 satellites and their ground stations. It is a system mainly used to locate the user's position at a time. Although GPS was originally intended for military applications, but now it is mainly used in marine, location-based services and terrestrial navigation. GPS can work for 24 hours in any type of weather condition, irrespective of sun and rain. Working of GPS system GPS works in a wonderful way. The GPS satellite circles the earth twice a day in a precise orbit and transmits signal information to earth. GPS receivers take into this information and use 'triangulation method' to calculate the user's exact location. The meaning of 'triangulation' is receiving radio signals from a distance. Along with knowing the distance, you also need to know exactly the position of the satellites in space. This is done with the help of high orbits and carefully monitoring the instruments for locating the satellites. Finally you also need to correct any type of delays that the signal can experience as it has to travel for a long distance through the atmosphere.

Importance of GPS system
GPS is important as it helps you to figure out where you are and where you are going when you are traveling from one place to another. Navigation and positioning are important but cumbersome activities, which GPS makes it easier. Once GPS locates your position, and then it starts tracing other factors like speed, bearing, tracks, trip distance, sunrise/sunset time, distance to destination and several other details. GPS uses 'man-made' stars as reference points to calculate positions accurate to a matter of meters. However, with recent forms of GPS you can make measurements much better than centimeter readings. So it is with the aid of GPS that you can give a unique and specified address to every square meter on the planet. You can get GPS services without any subscription fees and set up charges. So these days GPS finds its way into cars, planes, boats, construction equipments, farm machinery, laptop computers and movie making gears.

Modern GPS systems
With the world advancing rapidly every day, there are recently discovered Newer Garmin GPS receivers with WAAS [Wide Area Augmentation System] that can improve the quality and accuracy of location of any one at any time. Although no additional equipment is required, yet users get the advantage of Differential GPS [DGPS] to get correct signals within the distance of three to five meters. So use GPS systems to get the maximum benefits of modern technology. Sharon Albright is the owner of GPS Site. Read more articles on GPS and visit her recommended resources.
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GPS Overload - How to Choose the Perfect Device for Your Needs

Buying a Global Positioning System (GPS) to meet your needs may not be as simple as one might think. There are a myriad of different devices, for many different purposes. The first thing to consider when buying a GPS device is its primary use. Will you be using it on the road, on the trail, or on the water? On the road devices are usually temporary mounted in the vehicle with suction cups or bean bags. Most of these devices have turn-by-turn instructions and auto correction if you miss a turn. We recommend getting a device with the auto-correction feature, that way you don't have to mess with the device if you take a wrong turn, it will recalculate the route for you automatically. There are some devices that are also portable, so you can unplug them from your vehicle and take them with you as you walk around in a large city.

My favorite in this category is the Garmin c330, c340, and c530 series. They are a wonderful size for using it in the vehicle and small enough to use as a portable. They have city maps pre-loaded, so they are not much use off-road. Many of the newest designs have built in picture viewers, MP3 players, traffic updates (careful, that usually costs extra!!), and many other bells and whistles. One of the best features of the Garmin c-series line is the ability to ask for the closest landmarks, such as food, gas, shopping, golf courses, etc. Like anything you buy, make sure you understand what the device has and what you want to use for before making the final decision! One of the most asked questions is should I buy the car with GPS already in it? Personally, I don't like that option because it limits how you can upgrade, and the device cannot be used in multiple vehicles. In addition, some car manufacturers are charging several hundred dollars to update the map data on these devices and you have little choice in using them to do this. The GPS market is an ever changing market and I like to be in control of which device I want to purchase.

Having said that, I am choosing to have a device mounted to my dash or windshield (suction cups....also illegal in some states, so make sure you know which ones!!!) with wires trailing to the power source. On the trail devices are handhelds which depict topographical or basic mapping data, not detailed street level details. These are great for hiking and geocaching. They have the ability to either import or download coordinates of a location (called waypoints) and then tell you how close you are to that waypoint. Ever fear of getting lost hiking, well, you can set different points as you walk, like a breadcrumb trail so you can get yourself out the way you came in. These devices range from $80-$500+ depending on the different capabilities of the device. Higher end models allow you to buy pre-loaded map detail on memory cards, so they can double as driving directions, however, they still don't have the turn-by-turn capabilities. GPS devices used on the water are fixed mount devices. These devices can have water depth, temperature, etc, especially helpful for the fisherman. Maps that can be downloaded can have tidal waters, known shipwrecks, ports, and are very detailed. There is a huge range of devices to consider in this area. Keep in mind that mapping software used on these devices changes about 1-2 times per year. Less frequently for the maps on the water. Understand what your devices downloading capabilities are so you don't get stuck with outdated maps forever! Be aware that maps change, you have to be somewhat flexible when following the directions. I have had instances where it tells you to "turn left here", only to have that be the wrong way on a one-way street!!! In other words, these are guides to get you close to where you need to be, you cannot use them as gospel....common sense should prevail! Ty Thomas is a self proclaimed techno-nut who just has to have the latest gadgets. You can check out the latest gadgets at 4Runner Sports.

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