Blog

4G in Australia

Thu, 10 May 2012 01:22:06 +0000

The HTC Velocity 4G will be the first phone to use Telstra's 4G network, launched to laptop users late last year, but the company promises to release more 4G smartphones and a compatible tablet computer this year. Telstra's 4G network, using Long Term Evolution technology, is currently available in a 5km area around Australia's capital cities and in 80 regional centers, and promises typical download speeds up to five times as fast as current phone downloads. But exclusive News.com.au tests show average downloads are up to 17 times as fast as those on Telstra's 3G network, putting a huge speed gulf between the Velocity 4G and competing phones. Download speeds of up to 40 megabits per second and uploads of 10 megabits per second are possible with the 4G phone, making quick photo uploads, live video streaming and seamless mobile YouTube watching possible. Telstra mobile director Andrew Volard said 4G phones would allow "the next generation of mobile apps" to emerge, including some delivering "cloud gaming" that Telstra was currently testing. Mr Volard said the HTC Velocity 4G was the first of many 4G phones to come this year. "We have a number of devices in development with all the major manufacturers," he said. "We have four in development and we're looking at a 4G tablet that will also come in due course. It's going to be one of our major focuses in 2012."

Tips to Improve Battery Life

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 06:40:12 +0000

Tips to improve battery life include: Turning off Wi-Fi If you don't need to download big files, and you aren't performing some crucial task online, turning off WiFi will let the battery rest. Disable Location Services Apps that use location are constantly communicating with cell towers to pinpoint where you are. While they're doing it, your battery is dying. Turn them off in settings when you need to get that last bit of life. Dim The Screen Dim the brightness of your screens to give battery life a boost. Lowering the default brightness will ensure that the phone uses less charge over time. Turn Off Push Notifications The function that allows your phone to automatically download new email, and notifications from third-party apps, also makes your battery run out faster. If your phone's almost dead, go to settings to turn off this feature. Turn Off Vibrate It takes more energy for your phone to vibrate than it does to ring. Remove any unnecessary apps Apps running in the background of your phone will make it run out of juice faster. Shut down all the apps you don't need to keep it going a little longer. If followed, these tips should drastically improve the life of your smartphones battery.

How to Backup a Sim Card

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 07:27:19 +0000

How To Backup A Sim Card SIM card backup can be performed with a card management tool that along with backing up the card can serve to backup address books, lists of phone numbers and SMS text message archives. Card backups can be performed in a number of different ways including online, through special flash devices that can accommodate SIM cards, and online backup services that should recognize different types of cards from different companies. Through these services, online synchronization with e-mail contacts becomes a simple task. All you have to do to be able to backup your SIM card is have access to your card, some software that can manage the data on your card, and a way to connect your card to a computer. The three most common ways to do this are to: • purchase SIM card management software • purchase a SIM card reader • use an online backup service Following are a few tips that you should look out for regardless of which path you decide to take with your mobile phone data backup and recovery process. The latest SIM card technology makes it possible to upload contacts from one card to another via text files or CSV (comma separated value) files. Once these contacts are recovered and uploaded onto the new device, you can merge these contacts and use them with other applications on your PDA or mobile phone. Some SIM card managers allow for the erasing and deletion of different types of private knowledge and numbers that are automatically saved on the card memory. The best SIM card backup managers support international phone books and are PC and Macintosh compliant. Sometimes it will be necessary to attach a USB data cable from the phone to a desktop computer to perform the backup process. Once the SIM card has been backup on the computer is possible to then transfer the saved data on the computer back onto the mobile device. It is convenient to have some sort of batch processing capabilities that can help you to copy all of the existing contents of your card to some other type of portable storage media. There are online services available that can assist you with these tasks. However, when data security is an issue with confidential information, it may be in your best interest to invest in SIM card backup software that will allow you to keep all of your data in-house. Using this software also gives the added bonus of being able to perform backups at any moment. It might also be a good idea to back up your SIM card in multiple locations so that if any of the backups becomes corrupt you can be sure that there is at least one place where your data will be safe. Mobile phone customers often appreciate when they can extract their text message data from old SIM cards. If you are looking to purchase media backup software, make sure that the software has an option for recovering old text message data. If the data happens to be on there, you may as well have software that has the ability to retrieve it because you never know when it might be necessary.

Cell Phone Battery Life Tips

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 07:27:13 +0000

Cell Phone Battery Tips Maximising cell phone battery life is about three major things: downtime, respect, and simplicity. Learning to appreciate how cell phones function will allow anyone to make the best use of their battery, whether they are using an Android, iPhone or a Nokia.

Downtime

Typical cell phone users leave their phones on 24 hours a day, 7 seven days a week. Like any piece of equipment, a cell phone benefits from periodic breaks where it is turned off completely. This break doesn’t have to be long— a daily five minute stretch will give a cell phone battery the breather it needs to cool down and refresh.

Respect

Typical cell phone battery life lasts for two to three days on a single full charge. However, many cell phone users, in an attempt to always have a fully charged phone, plug in their phone at the end of the day whether or not it requires a full charge. This behaviour artificially drains the battery by encouraging it to only hold half a charge or less.

Charging a phone when it needs it, as opposed to when it is most convenient for the individual owner will extend the battery life. The best time to charge a phone is when it is almost completely drained. Many phones, including Nokia’s, will display warning tones or messages when the battery is about to go dead.

Additionally, keeping a cell phone out of extreme types of weather and temperature is vital to extending the battery life. Heat and cold can impact the function of a battery. Owners should keep their cell phone on their person in order to ensure that the phone is not exposed to glaring heat (such as being left on a parked car’s dashboard during the summer months) or freezing cold.

Simplicity

iPhones and Androids come with a basket load of features, from email to built-in megapixel flash cameras. Not surprisingly, these features quickly drain the battery. Powering down high energy apps or visually heavy displays, such as GPS or movies, will greatly extend the life of a cell phone battery, especially in an Android. By rebooting your phone, hidden applications that drain battery life can be quickly shut down, allowing the battery to power only those programs that are absolutely essential. Reserving the cell phone primarily for calls and not image-heavy internet transactions will dramatically boost battery life.

Top Ten Bluetooth Headsets

Wed, 09 Feb 2011 07:27:07 +0000

Top 10 Bluetooth Headsets

There are literally scores of headsets on the market. Individuals analyse devices based on comfort, functionality and style. According to consumer and technical reviews, these are the top 10 Bluetooth headsets:

Aliph Jawbone Icon (Ace) allows users variable in ear and over the ear mountings. The patented NoiseAssassin technology ensures superior performance for sound quality and noise cancellation. This Bluetooth mobile headset also contains numerous advanced features.

Aliph Jawbone Prime has features similar to the Icon, but the Prime is available in a variety of designer colours. The device is also equipped with NoiseAssassin technology. Multiple ear bud sizes and optional ear loop provide exceptional longwearing comfort.

Plantronics Voyager Pro is one of the most comfortable mobile headsets available. Having an extraordinary battery lifespan, the Voyager Pro easily handles voice dialling, call muting, and toggling between various cell phones. Some believe the Pro provides the best sound quality and noise cancelling features.

BlueAnt T1 provides sturdiness without bulk and comes with two silicon covers for protection. In addition to voice control features, the A2DP provides streaming and caller name announcing. Users can expect excellent overall performance.

BlueAnt V1 is a lightweight Bluetooth wireless headset containing a convenient voice controlled option. A built-in audio tutorial quickly teaches user functions. The unit also features easily accessed multifunction and volume control buttons. Provides excellent voice quality and noise cancellation and contains a variety of unique features.

Sony Ericsson PV712 is not only compact and slender but comes with changeable faceplates for the fashion conscious. Possessing exceptional battery life (15 hours), the PV712 also provides exceptional voice quality and noise cancellation features.

Motorola H 790 is one of the slimmest Bluetooth headsets on the market. The affordable device provides good sound quality along with noise cancelling features. Designed for comfort, the headset has a power slider along with multifunction and volume control buttons.

Plantronics Discovery 655 is compact and slender providing a comfortable and secure fit. The headset has only two buttons, one for multifunction use and the other for volume control. Equipped with variable charging options, the Discovery features excellent voice quality and noise cancelling properties.

Jabra BT3030 is a playful, affordable, pendant, dog tag style device allowing users the choice of plugging in any type of ear buds through the 3.5mm jack. The mechanism front has easy to read and access icon buttons providing various functions.