Finding Yourself with a Smart Phone

Modern mobile devices are capable of a multitude of functions, with thousands of down-loadable applications to enhance your life. These digital Swiss army knifes bring convenience and fun at the swipe and click of your fingers. Smart Phones are the future that has already arrived.

Smart phones are a new breed of cell phone, which is more like an all in one portable power house of a device. Smart Phones are widely available on the market today, used by the young and old. Original conceived as a business tool they have been adapted by users in every category. They are like mini-computers which allow you to check your email, browse the web, send text messages, organize your finances, take photos, watch videos and yes even make and receive phone calls. One of the first brand s to really pioneer this group was the RIM BlackBerry, which took the business world by storm.

One of the many functions and abilities of Smart phones is that they come equipped these days with some form of GSM, and GPS. GPS which is a global positioning system was first developed by the military to use satellites to pinpoint exact locations. Eventually in the mid 80's this technology was opened for civilian use. This amazing technology has a plethora of uses. Since the phone always knows where you are even if you do not it makes it harder to get lost. At the press of a virtual button a map will appear giving your location. They have taken this further by matching it with other apps that help you locate anything from the closest French restaurant, to the nearest movie theater playing the exact movie you desire, to finding old and new friends that are near.

This on-board GPS converts your smart phone in to a full on navigation system powerful and accurate enough to guide you in your car, boat or even on foot whether you are traversing the urban jungle or the highest mountain. This technology has made your smart phone that much smarter and your world that much smaller for every aspect of your life.

Buying the Perfect Piece of Jewelry

There is hardly a woman on the face of the earth who doesn’t enjoy wearing jewelry in some form or shape. Historically, women have been wearing jewelry for thousands of years and though the styles and techniques of jewelry manufacture may have changed significantly over the millennia, what hasn’t changed for women is the desire to display their much-loved jewelry on their body.

For a man buying jewelry for the woman he loves is not the easiest thing to do. Although most people believe that to buy the best and most elegant jewelry, you’ll have to pay through your teeth, that belief is now becoming a myth. Depending on your particular budget, you can easily find enticing and lovely designs in jewelry to give as a gift. It doesn’t have to be expensive to look good and it certainly doesn’t have to be a diamond that graces the finger of the woman you love.

Eternity rings would be a great choice if the jewelry you’re buying is for some one special. As the name suggests, these rings symbolize eternal love and commitment. Many people choose eternity rings as presents for their anniversaries but they can be given on most any occasion. Generally, eternity rings have to be specifically custom-made to fit the particular individual. They consist of a band with stones all round so the fitting has to be perfect to make them comfortable and wearable.

For people who think eternity rings might not be the best choice for their women, they could go for rings with precious or semi-precious stones in Sterling Silver Setting. Sterling silver jewelry is more affordable and comfortable, it is available in a vast choice of designs and stones, so that finding perfect Sterling Silver rings is the easiest thing to do. Searching online for Sterling Silver Rings will allow you to see the work of magnificent jewelry designers at their best and definitely at a price most would be amazed at.

Rings might be the perfect anniversary or wedding gift but there are other options in jewelry that deserve a look. If you’re buying your jewelry online you’ll find that it is possible to buy your jewelry in a set that consists of matching necklaces, earrings and rings. Buying each accessory separately would cost far more than getting a beautifully designed set that contains all the pieces that you like.

How safe is your smartphone?

By: Jane Wakefield
From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12710763

Smartphones are getting pretty clever these days but it is unlikely they will outwit the cybercriminals as fraudsters increasingly go mobile.

Last week Android Market, the shop front for applications aimed at Android smartphones, was hit by around 60 malicious apps.

It is thought that they did little real damage other than to Android's reputation, but the incident put the issue of mobile security back in the headlines.

Phones are attractive to criminals because they are essentially mini computers but with some important added extras.

"Phones also have direct access to address books, calendars as well as offering an ability to generate revenue," said Ian Fogg, an analyst with Forrester Research.

The type of personal data typically stored on a phone opens up a rich new vein for the modern fraudster's preferred crime - identity theft.

However, a more immediate income can be made from so-called rogue dialling programs - malicious bits of code capable of placing calls, unbeknown to the owner.

They are, according to Ovum analyst Graham Titterington, the "number one malware threat" to smartphones.

"Rogue dialling connects the phone automatically to a premium number that invariably belongs to a crook based in another country," he explained.

But it is not an insurmountable issue, he thinks.

"I don't understand why the mobile operators can't just cut off payments - then the problem goes away. But this type of international co-operation seems to be lacking at the moment," said Mr Titterington.

The close relationship between smartphones and location poses a risk that malicious apps will be able to track exactly where a person is at any given time.

"It could even be that it would be used to find out when someone is away from home," said Mr Fogg.

While it sounds scary, these nightmare scenarios are very far removed from the real picture, for the moment at least.

"So far there has been no major detrimental impact on consumers," points out Ben Wood, an analyst from CCS Insight.


Android's popularity is making it attractive for criminals
"There will be a day when there is a catastrophic security lapse and then people will start taking it more seriously," he added.

Android may have hit the headlines but all smartphone operating systems have been targeted by malware of one kind or another.

To date, most iPhone security lapses have focused on offering users the power to break free from Apple's control with software that 'jailbreaks' the iPhone, a modification which enables users to run non-Apple approved software.

"These hacks are often reported as a good thing but from a security point of view it is a nightmare," said Mr Fogg.

Several bugs have taken advantage of jail-broken phones.

A relatively harmless iPhone worm which changed the handset's wallpaper to a picture of Rick Astley was followed a few months later with a more serious bug that targeted people using their iPhones for internet banking with Dutch online bank ING.

Blackberry handsets and Symbian phones have been targeted by a mobile version of the Zeus trojan. Victims were directed to a fake website where they are invited to download an app which then steals their banking details.

Such phishing attacks are likely to become a huge problem for smartphones, thinks Alex Vaystikh a researcher from security firm RSA.

"You can't always see the whole screen and you might be more likely to click on things you wouldn't click on a computer screen," he said.

And when mobile banking reaches a critical mass, there will be a good reason for criminals to phish from mobiles.

"There needs to be a financial incentive and that incentive isn't there right now, but consumers definitely want more service on their mobiles, like electronic wallets and banking, so the potential is huge," said Mr Vaystikh.

There are various ways to attack a mobile phone but by far the most popular is through downloadable applications.

Some experts think that Android's Marketplace is especially vulnerable because it is more open than Apple and Microsoft's systems.

"All have restrictions and guidelines and stipulate no pornography, no viruses and no spyware," explained Phillip Dall, from mobile security firm BullGuard.

"But with the iPhone and Ovi store, apps are sent for some pretty serious testing. At Android the process is different, there are far more self-signed applications," he said.

Others think that there are other aspects to Android which make it just as secure, such as its policy of letting users know what data and resources an app will have access to, giving more savvy users the chance to spot obvious malware.

Google has said that it has no current plans to start pre-screening apps on Android Market.

It said that the recent spate of malicious applications could only access device-specific data.

The company did take the step of remotely "killing" them on all affected phones, proving, if nothing else, that it does ultimately have control over its apps.

There is also a question about how long Apple and Microsoft can continue pre-screening their applications, according to Mr Fogg.

"It is becoming an app internet as they become the primary way people go online, but the sheer volume of them makes human moderation impossible," he said.

Apple does not discuss how it tests apps but it is believed to use both human moderation and automated systems.

Mr Titterington thinks that there needs to be an industry-wide sea-change in mobile security.

"There is a need for Apple and Google to put in place a quality framework - a series of standard tests that issue apps with a health certificate," he said.

And it needs to be made less easy for users to install rogue apps.

"We are going to have to see a re-engineering of the infrastructure of how apps are delivered," he added.

"We need a more proactive approach to installing apps. It isn't going to happen in current generation of phones but maybe in the next two to three years."

Mobile Phones for easy tasks and benefits

Mobile phones are abundantly used. Here in this time it is difficult to find any person without the possession of a mobile. Getting things done is easy with mobiles. Before, basic phone was the only way to convey the message. So mobile is the new alternative to the basic landline phones. Smart Phones are now afforded by most of the people in society. There are a lot of companies that provide the facilities for mobile phones. Mobiles have really made communication possible. Companies have profited a lot. Mobiles are made for talking to people far away.

Many international and national companies provide the network facilities for mobile communication. The communication business is also at it apex. The Smartphone works in many ways. Earlier, when mobiles were not, it was a dream to talk to relatives and friends that stayed far away. Now, mobiles are fantastic. Hardly anyone can be seen who does not possess a mobile.

Mobile phones have become easier to buy. One just requires an identity card or voter card to verify the person and complete paper formalities and one can easily get a mobile phone. Mobile phones are part of life. Touring without a mobile is incomplete. Mobile phones are comfortable and easy to handle. One can follow the booklet given in a series of mobile phones to understand the rules and conditions of the mobile phones.

The mobile phones are available in different price ranges. BlackBerry and others are companies that are making a lot of profits. The Smartphones are easy to handle even for children who are more enthusiastic about the mobile phones and use it without any hurdles. Sometimes, they even teach their elders how to use them. Today, one cannot think of going out of his or her house without a mobile phone. Mobile phones keep the person in touch with the family and friends. Mobiles phones are available in different colors and shapes. One can purchase the color or price that suits him or her. The PDA phones have a wide application and can help you to track all your meeting and appointments. These phones act has a friend who reminds you about the various activities of your daily life.

Cell Phones now have more features at lower costs

These days most people would feel hard pressed to leave home without their mobile phones in hand. These small but powerful devices have become essential tools for our daily use to stay in constant contact with friends, family and our work, The mobile phone enables you to communicate with the people you need to all over the globe, at any time, quickly and relatively inexpensively.

Today's smart phones are capable of downloading thousands of independently developed applications or “apps” directly to the device wirelessly to enhance your experience. These apps range in function from productivity, to delivering content to playing games, or editing photos. They put the “smart” in smartphone. Manufactures have been in a race to introduce new models with even more advanced features and functions. Companies like Nokia and Samsung offer a wide range of models at different price points. Many of the new smart phones include touch screen technology. But with so many choices to choose from selecting your next mobile phone may seem overwhelming at times. Currently there are lots of options (“apps”) available, which can be confusing.

One of the best places to start is to compare the mobile phone providers service plans to see which one might work best for you. This will help narrow down the field considerably, especially since some even offer free or reduced priced phones in exchange for signing a one to two year contract. It may be about brand, it may be about budget? Perhaps you will base your purchase on the design or the functions? Others focus on the soft ware or the additional functions like a built in camera, music player, ability to support certain formats or the operating system? Whatever it is in a cell phone or mobile device that you require there is more than likely a model for you at the right price.

Smart phone good choice for all

If you going to buying a good handset mobile, then touch phones are not a bad choice for you. Its screen size makes it the most popular handset. Everyone should choose to get this blazingly fast mobile phone so they can save time when they add some extra files or data onto their cell phone. Most phones fail because they get disconnected. With the touch phone, you should be aware of these kinds of problems, as here you get a lot of memory. For example, if you want some extra memory, then you add it according to your preference.

As for the processing speed, to make a success in mobile market, a mobile must have a good fast processor. As such, you can easily find all the smart phones that contain a fast processing speed as compared with other handsets. The fast processor used in a smart phone is different from other ones; however, regular phone do not offer you to get such faster activities. It gives you all the features you need in limited manner. Here, you could increase you memory only a limited amount, download all the data or files only few of length, but with a smart phone you should be free from all these troubles.

If you want to buy a superior phone at a reasonable price or want features such as email and the internet, then go for touch screen phones. Smart phones are provide you with all the applications as you want them. In the mobile market, there are many brands that come to make our handset in for same in category of tablet are smart phone with advanced features.

Some companies can give similar features of smart phones in their regular phones. As for internet browser features, you also be obtaining in good price branded handset, a GPRS type facility almost always comes in every handset. A smartphone is one that fills all your requirements, which generally you want from your PC.

Kate Middleton Ring – Marry Like a Princess

It is every woman’s wish to marry like a princess with a prince in fairy tales. There would be a beautiful ring as well as a magnificent castle. It is definitely not vanity; it is just that women love to be beautiful and love to be spoiled. Besides, in normal cases a woman marries only once in her life, so it is very natural that she would like to have a romantic engagement ceremony as well as a romantic wedding.

There are many kinds of engagement ring in the market. All rings are beautiful and eye-catching in a great variety. They can be sterling silver jewelry, gold jewelry, diamond jewelry, platinum rings, etc. However, it is exactly because every piece is so beautiful that usually we find it hard to decide which one to choose.

If you want to marry like a princess, there is one unique ring that would help you realize your princess dream, that is, the famous Kate Middleton Ring. This ring is so named because it is the ring worn by Princes Kate Middleton on her engagement day. And it is the same ring Princess Diana had once worn on her finger. So it is a ring that is closely associated with royalty and romantic love.

It has a very big sapphire in the middle, and around the gemstone are small diamonds. The real one is of course incredibly expensive, worthy of more than 85,000 GBP. There are, however, high-quality replicas ranging from very cheap to very expensive in a variety of designs. So Kate Middleton Ring is in fact a category of ring. The basic design has a big gemstone in the middle around which are a few much smaller gemstones. Expensive ones have real sapphires or other gemstones in the middle, and cheap ones mainly use cubic zirconias which are equally beautiful in appearance.

Kate Middleton Engagement Rings with different prices can be easily found in many online shops. If you just want to have some romantic fun in your love story, you can buy a cheap one; if you want to make your engagement royal and romantic, you can consider buying one made of real gemstones. Either way, you will be a princess in your relationship.

Judge ends BlackBerry hearing with no decision

From: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002826594_webblackberry24.html
By Stephanie Stoughton
The Associated Press

RICHMOND, Va. — A judge ended a hearing over a request for an injunction against the maker of the handheld BlackBerry device without issuing a decision today.

Shares of BlackBerry-maker Research In Motion Ltd. rose $5.54, or 8 percent, to $75.07 on the Nasdaq Stock Market after the hearing was adjourned.

During the hearing, NTP Inc., a small patent holding firm that successfully sued Research In Motion, asked U.S. District Judge James R. Spencer to impose an injunction on the service but permit a 30-day grace period so all sides could work out the details of how to exempt government and emergency workers, among other issues.

The Arlington, Va.-based company also recommended that the judge immediately halt sales of new BlackBerry devices and award it $126 million in damages - for starters. RIM has deposited $250 million or more in escrow, and NTP says that pot of money should be reserved just in case newer BlackBerry devices infringe on its patents.

"This is a self-inflicted situation," said NTP attorney James H. Wallace Jr., who compared RIM to a squatter who continued to live rent-free. "It's just time to pay up."

Henry C. Bunsow, an attorney for Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM, argued against the injunction, saying it would not be in the public's best interests. The process of exempting government and emergency employees from the BlackBerry ban would prove difficult and problematic, he said.

"It will take a lot of time," Bunsow said. "It will take a lot of effort."

Bunsow also pointed to a number of critical users who would not be exempted — including hospitals, large government contractors, energy companies and financial institutions. Over the years, he said, BlackBerry use has become so prevalent that the device has become part of the country's infrastructure.

At the end of the hearing Spencer said he would rule as soon as possible but provided no timetable. He also said that, if he ordered an injunction, he would make sure that the government's needs were met.

RIM's attorneys also noted that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office is poised to finally reject all patents at the heart of the case.

Although Spencer previously had said he was unwilling to delay his proceedings while awaiting final word from the agency, the speedier moves from the patent office have some attorneys wondering whether Spencer will be swayed.
"I really feel it's too close to call," said Stephen Maebius, a Washington patent attorney not involved in the case. "I can really see it going both ways."

Analysts say BlackBerry users shouldn't be too worried. They say RIM could still settle for as much as $1 billion. And, under the threat of an injunction, RIM has said it would introduce new software that would not violate NTP's patents.

How well that software works is another question. Because RIM has released few details, analysts and some companies are concerned.

NTP, based in Arlington, sued in 2001, and a year later, a federal jury agreed that RIM had infringed on the smaller firm's patents. The jury awarded NTP 5.7 percent of U.S. BlackBerry sales — a rate that Spencer later boosted to 8.55 percent.

Spencer first issued an injunction in 2003 but held off on its enforcement during RIM's appeals. After those efforts largely failed, the case returned to Spencer.

The Justice Department, health-care companies and others concerned about a possible injunction have made recent court filings.

But should a BlackBerry shutdown actually occur, a wide variety of rivals might benefit, ranging from Microsoft Corp., Nokia Corp. and Palm Inc. to lesser-known software makers including Good Technology Inc., Visto Corp. and Seven Networks Inc.

A growing number of handheld makers, including Nokia, Palm, Motorola Corp., Hewlett-Packard Co., and Samsung Electronics Co., are making keyboard-equipped handhelds that run on the Windows Mobile operating system. These devices can deliver BlackBerry-like service using Microsoft's software or third-party applications from the likes of Good and Visto. BlackBerry users also can switch to their cellular provider's brand of service (many of these are powered by Seven and Visto).

Associated Press Staff Writer Dena Potter contributed to this report.

Copyright © 2006 The Seattle Times Company

Smart phone: the Right Choice

Every mobile phone user is unique, with their own personal set of criteria for the devices they use. For some its all about the design, others look for functionality, then there are those that focus on price, or even the battery life to be the selling point. A new breed of cell phone born out of the information age is taking the world by storm. A gadget that goes beyond itself to help us interact with the world on a daily basis. A phone that is no longer just a phone, but a highly advanced computing tool that acts as a PDA, mobile office, and entertainment center, dubbed the smartphone.

What makes a smart phone so smart is its ability to connect with various mobile networks, and make use of a wide variety of applications designed for enriching your life and productivity. These days people on the go need to stay in constant contact with their families, friends, clients, bosses and everyone else through messaging, and social networks that allow them to post news and photos of their every activity. Mobile phone manufactures like Nokia, Motorola or Samsung feature numerous models to suit every need. These hardware companies then partner with software developers like Microsoft , or Google to provide the smart phones operating system. Apple has led the way with its iPhone line, rivaled by the RIM Blackberry line, which was one of the first products in the smart phone lineage.

With so many models to choose from it can be a daunting task to narrow down the right smart phone to match your needs and desires. Each smart phone offers a nice range of features, in an array of prices. The key is to first decide on what you need it to do for you, again it may be about style, it may be about the way it works, or it may be just be about the way it it makes you feel. Some smart phones offer touch screens that leave room for watching videos, and taking photos, some like the Blackberry feature full keyboards for those busy executive types. Smart phones may have had their start in the business world but these days everyone from the youngest to the oldest in your family can enjoy the benefits and convenience of a smart phone.

Smart Phone have changed communication

Now people have broken free from the ordinary cell phone, as its uses and applications were limited. No doubt, smart phones have created a special place in the hearts of mobile lovers. People who always want something new in their mobile will find smart phones are the digital gadget for them. The smart phone has distinct features that compel the viewer to buy. The price of the smart phone is now not so costly as it was at time of its launch.

The best thing is that the price of the smart or digital gadgets keeps on slashing day by day. That is the reason why these smart phones have become so common. It is in the company’s favor that people come to know about the company and its applications. The smart phone has an internet connectivity option, which makes it similar to the handy personal computer. Texting can be easily done with the help of the smart phone, along with calls.

The smart phone is equipped with a fantastic high-megapixel camera, which helps to shoot landscapes and faces clearly. The picture from the camera really does not have almost any imperfections. It is not easy for someone to gather the snapshots that have been so beautifully captured with the help of the built-in camera. The range of the megapixel quality of the camera may vary from model to model. The voice recording of the smart phone is also superb. BlackBerry smart phones are available abundantly in the market with discounts for people who still lack a smart phone.

Another fine example of the smart phone is the personal digital assistant device, also known as a PDA. These pda phones are just like digital diaries. They record events and plans, providing reminders if fed the date and time. It is easy for people to keep their appointments in their digital PDA phone. One can even feed strategies and anything else needing a reminder into the PDA phone.

Smart Phones: Enriching your life

In recent times, phones have become part of day-to-day life. A phone is a device that allows us to communicate with the people who are far away from us. Earlier phone were used just for communication purposes. But now the demands of phone users are changing day by day. Features such as a camera, radio and many other applications are seen as necessary. Mobile Phones have replaced wristwatches, with many people finding it easier to check the time on their phone. With the increase of technology, many users are demanding more from their phones.

People like to have phone which has touch screen facilities, so that they do not need to keep pressing their mobile keypad. People want such applications which provide them to access to their programs and other place just with a one touch of their finger. Touch phones mean that users can now access different functions on the phone with just one touch.

Many people now look for a mobile phone which has a music player to give them to chance to relax with their favorite songs, wherever they are. Most mobile phones now have a music player and this is seen as a standard feature. Touch Phones are also now commonly equipped with a camera. The art of photography is being rediscovered as people use the cameras on their phones to capture pictures and videos. By having a camera on your phone, it means you will never miss the opportunity to capture a memorable moment. Touch Screen Phones are now equipped with extra features to help create improved images on their phones.

BlackBerry phones are an example of a smartphone that aims to provide many features to meet the user’s needs. BlackBerry Videos is a feature found on BlackBerry phones that allow for greater control over videos. This feature helps prevent blurry videos and allows the user to attach information to the video. They also allow user to upload the video to the internet. Smart phones are increasingly helping users to experience a wide range of features. It is clear that phones are becoming more important in fulfilling many functions in life.

Jewelry Makes You Look Stunning

Jewelry in any kind is a source of personal adornment. You look fabulous if you are wearing any form of gold or silver jewelry. Some people use jewelry to show their wealth or to raise their standards of living. Most of the women in the world do not consider price in buying their own accessories as it is the best way to attract their beloved! Bracelets are very renowned form of jewelry. A bracelet is usually worn around the wrist. It can be manufactured by gold, silver, diamond, and leather, metal or plastic. Majority of bracelets are bought by girls in their adolescence. Using bracelets for making friends on friendship day is a worldwide tradition. If you receive any bracelet on that day from the one you expected, you feel like flying in the air, your beauty increases by wearing it all day along!

Cubic zirconia is a crystalline material, hard and cube shaped. It may be colorless but can be made in a variety of many different colors. It has a glimpse of diamond in it; therefore it is an important competitor of diamond. It is durable and economic as compare to diamond. In recent times, innovators are finding ways of distinguishing their product by improving cubic zirconia. Many jewelry products are being produced by cubic zirconia jewelers which can be used as substitute of diamond for people all around. I lost diamond earrings, I was devastated. I got the insurance money and decided to try cubic zirconia’s earrings. Now I have an amazing ring and I wear it all the time! Media is the effective source of promoting any style of jewelry. People at once get influenced by the jewelry trends of Hollywood and in fact, imitation always has something that you demand. Celebrity inspired jewelry trends are heating up this summer. There are an endless number of jewelry trends inspired by celebrities. All of us have a desire to follow the trends being set by them while attending any shows or ceremonies. However, mostly the jewelry being worn by celebrities is designer made and therefore, highly expensive. Moreover they don’t have to buy their accessories by themselves. There are many shops which offers you the looks alike of the jewelry worn by the celebrity.

When it comes to jewelry, I can’t forget to mention rings. For me, ring is the preliminary element of jewelry because you get into a relationship when you wear it on your finger by the opposite gender. And if it is sterling silver ring, than you are one of the lucky girls! It’s damn attractive and makes you look adorable. If you are looking for an expensive and affordable gift, than choosing a sterling silver ring can be the best option. According to a saying: “Recreate your looks with carefully chosen pieces of jewelry!”

Boost Mobile scores highest among no-contract phone owners

Recourse from: http://edition.cnn.com/2011/TECH/mobile/04/05/no.contract.customer.gahran/index.html?iref=allsearch

To control costs and increase flexibility, more and more U.S. mobile users are choosing no-contract plans (month-to-month or prepaid) for cell phone service.
How happy are consumers with no-contract phones and service? J.D. Power and Associates recently released the results of its 2011 U.S. Wireless Non-Contract Customer Satisfaction Index Study. The no-contract carriers studied were: AT&T Gophone, Boost Mobile, Cricket, MetroPCS, Net10, T-Mobile, Tracfone, Verizon Wireless and Virgin Mobile.

This year, the overall winner was Boost Mobile, which scored top marks for its cost of service, account management practices, initial activation process and offers/promotions. However, Boost scored only a middling grade on performance and reliability, the characteristic that survey participants rated as most important.

Net10, Tracfone, and Verizon Wireless received consumers' highest ratings for performance and reliability; while AT&T Gophone, Cricket and MetroPCS fared worst on this front.

AT&T Gophone received the overall worst customer satisfaction rating this year, with poor to middling marks in all categories.

According to Valassis, a media and marketing services company, as of October of last year, 28% of all U.S. cell phone service plans did not have contracts (up from 21% in 2008). Meanwhile, J.D. Powers reports that this year, about half of of all no-contract customers have month-to-month plans, rather than prepaid ones. In 2008, only 30% of no-contract plans were monthly.

The increase in attractive monthly no-contract offers might start stealing customers away from contracts. J.D. Powers notes: "Among customers currently under [a regular carrier contract of a year or more] and who say they are likely to switch their carrier during the next year, nearly 40 percent are likely to choose non-contract service."

Monthly contracts are generally cheaper. According to J.D. Powers: "Monthly non-contract customers spend an average of $32 less per month than do customers with contracts. Monthly non-contract customers spend $60 per month, compared with an average monthly service cost of $92 for customers with service contracts."

Some smartphones are now available on no-contract plans. Most no-contract carriers offer some smartphone deals -- usually for BlackBerry phones, but increasingly for Android and some Windows Phone models, too.

These smartphones still cost substantially more to buy up front than the simpler, cheaper "feature phones" these carriers mostly offer, and they generally don't have the latest or most robust technology or operating system versions. Whether these offerings will entice many first-time smartphone buyers remains to be seen.

For example, MetroPCS currently offers a no-contract Huawei Ascend touchscreen phone running Android 2.1 for $129 after a $50 instant discount and $30 mail-in rebate; the month-to-month plan cost is $50. Similarly, Virgin Mobile is currently offering the LG Optimus (running Android 2.2) and Samsung Intercept (running Android 2.1) for $199.99, with month-to-month plans starting at $25.

Right now, the major U.S. wireless carriers are making considerable revenue off of smartphone customers under two-year contracts. And so far, it's pretty hard to get a higher-end smartphone without a two-year contract in the U.S.

But lower-end smartphones might suffice for many mobile users. That's why offers such as these could alter the U.S. wireless competitive landscape over the next few years.

Information technology plays a vital role

As for the development of information technology, there are many things that can be changed. In the field of medicine and science, things are changing day to day. All things see innovations of new techniques. Products are built in a new, modern way or style.

If you want any of the newest information, you can get it in just seconds. With latest techniques, you will not suffer a lack of new information. If we talk about mobile phones, there are lots of new things awaiting you. After a few years, the most progress can be seen in the cell phone industry. The cell phone category contains various numbers of varieties.

We want a phone that not only allows calling, but also provides new features such as viewing movies, taking pictures with a mobile camera, listening to music or getting online. Today, most phones are available at you that contain all these feature in good price cost. If we purchase a cell phone, we must deal with the cost of a mobile phone. In the past, most people do not purchase cell phones because of their high range price. But nowadays, you can buy one at a reasonable price. Mobile shop provide many categories of phones such as a new brand type called the smartphone.

Smart phones are a similar to other categories of phones, but they contain some additional features. For example, you can browse your smartphone anywhere without any wire connections, using it to access GPRS service or browse the internet on your mobile phone. Now, a number of brands make smartphones, as new name of brand known as BlackBerry smart mobile, such phone is specially made for those who love our business or use it for either the entertainment or business purpose.

Organizing Your Life on Your Blackberry

A BlackBerry phone is an electronic gadget that has made life very simple and effortless for its users. In the past, we used to parade around with small booklets and pens to take notes. This was a very inconvenient and cumbersome method due to the fact that you could forget or overlook your pen effortlessly. But thanks to BlackBerry phones, they have offered a solution to many existing problems. With this phone, a person can organize daily schedules, create reminders for important meetings or events, and in general, live a more relaxed, stress free life. Who doesn’t want such a life?

This phone has several brands. The most proclaimed is the Blackberry Smartphone, which also has many series. It has a range of features, including an edge high speed wireless data, broadband EV-DO wireless data which can enable you to store a high quantity of files and videos, along with many other useful features. The memory of the Blackberry Smartphone can sometimes be expanded to over 16GB using the microSD card. This means that there is no need to worry or anguish over the storage space that can be provided to you.

Smart phones come complete with a calendar which users can take advantage of to plan their daily routines for work or home life. Users can compose all of their daily activities here. You can prepare a timetable for any duration, even for months and years later. It comes complete with a reminder function which can show users the time, place and venue of the activity in question.

Another kind of phone is the PDA phone which comes with its own unique features. This has a tethered modern to ensure you are up-to date with crucial information. The browser is unique and can show users maps of any areas of interest around the world. The organizer helps arrange files in a preferred manner. Communication services are a target point to focus on. Email, instant messaging, text messaging, calls and even social networks are available here. It offers both a climate of relaxation and a perfect working tool while in the office.

A built-in media player and games are a couple of the other features that smart phones offer users. Furthermore, you can download and store internet games for future usage. Some smart phones have access to radio and television channels and let you update information while on the go. You can subscribe to sites that revolve around your interests, enabling you to view updates at specified intervals.

A camera and video with high resolution are two other common features of a Blackberry phone that users can enjoy. You will never need to shoulder a video recorder or camera because one can load pictures of videos onto a computer, edit and reproduce them for storage and use at a later date. Smart phones offer a smooth user navigation mode and list of features which make them similar to mini computers.

How Smart Phones influenced the Future of Tablets

Phones like the Blackberry and iPhone as well as the Android based smart phones rely heavily on mobile data networks and an internet connection for their information. Therefore without this access, these smart phones are almost brought to a standstill, meaning that they would not be able to operate as they are designed to operate. The latest batch of Tablet computers available on the market today also rely on these same mobile data networks, and internet access nodes that have been set up by many leading mobile network operators.

Today the internet has truly gone mobile and more people are taking their internet experiences on the road. Having all of our information rest on what is now termed the “Cloud”, alleviating the demands on our local hard drives as our content grows heavier. The upside is that you are able to access your personal files no matter where you are, as well as keep them safe should your computer malfunction or be lost. However it also means that we rely on these access channels like a costly 3G , 4G or wifi packages and tighter security. The concept is not new in anyway, it just took time for the technology to catchup. How many people know that the RIM Blackberry was one of the first smart phones developed to take advantage of the internet? Microsoft Windows based mobile phones were available for some time, but they found it challenging to be able to compete with the robust network that Blackberry had begun setting up. The smart phone concept saw a great leap forward with the introduction of the Apple iPhone touch phone. The iPhone uses a combination of touch screen technology a long with a vibrant app store with millions of applications to choose from to provide a truly ergonomic user friendly experience. The iPhone has also raised the bar on the sheer volume of data that smart phone users have come to demand of their devices. Apple took this a step forward with its iPad series tablet computers. The tablet concept has also long been in development, but again it had to bide its time while the technology caught up to the idea. The iPhone's advances in touch technology as well as its redefinition to what such a product could do, helped the evolution and rebirth of the large tablet computer market that we are witnessing today. Again all of these devices are based around access to data networks, they rely heavily on the faster information transfer speeds that the new LTE and 4G networks are promising. With an increase in the number of gadgets we possess like a touch phone or tablet computer we now have the need to be able to sync them all together, by using the Cloud, and a stable high speed data network.

With the success of Apple's first generation iPad demonstrating a market for tablet computer, most mobile phone, software providers and computer manufactures raced to create their own touch screen devices. RIM creator of the Blackberry introduced the Playbook geared toward the business set, as well as offering their own BlackBerry Videos codex to store and play clips on it's tablet. Other companies like Google and Microsoft are rushing to develop touch screen mobile operating systems, and Lenovo, Nokia, HTC , and an army of others working on the Hardware aspects of touch phones, and tablet computers. The touch phone, tablet revolution is upon us with great advances yet to come in the not to distant future.

How to take care of your Sterling silver necklaces

Sterling silver is the material which is used to make different types of jewelry such as rings, bracelet, pendent or necklaces. The sterling silver jewelry , also called 925 is popular and can be found with almost everyone. The popularity of the sterling silver is the result of its beauty as precious metals and it has the advantage of being affordable. People choose to buy the jewelry made from the sterling silver material because of their delicate filigree, the dainty designs and cheap rates. Silver jewelry has a good number of jewelry made from it, like sterling silver bracelet, sterling silver necklaces or sterling silver rings. People like them since they can be worn on special occasion or casually.

If you have bought the sterling silver necklaces, here are some of the tips to keep it clean and flawless for long. As the time progresses the necklaces may become darker and dirtier, the reason why you have to take care of it, this problem may become worse when you live in the place where the weather is humid or if you live near a beach. The first step to keep your sterling silver necklaces safe is to keep them away from any oxidation process. You have to keep them in a safe and closed box to avoid the air to come in their contact them. You should also make sure that you cleaned the sterling silver necklaces or the sterling silver ring every time you take them off, since this help in keeping them clean by getting rid of the dirt and dust. The sterling silver necklaces need to be polished once in a while.

Women who like jewelry cannot get tired of buying them on daily basis, the sterling silver necklaces give them more opportunity to choose from on affordable prices. You have to keep your jewelry clean since even if they may be old, it does not mean that they are useless, you may need to use them from time to time and some styles are never out of fashion. If you like, the precious look of sterling silver necklaces then you can also consider to add cubic zirconia necklaces to your collection.

In Time for Opening Day, an At Bat 11 With Sweeteners

Resource from: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/07/technology/personaltech/07smart.html?scp=1&sq=smart%20phon&st=Search

By BOB TEDESCHI

The top-grossing app on iTunes last year wasn’t Angry Birds, Cut the Rope or any of the other cheap blockbuster games gobbled up by the masses. Instead, it was a $15 app, MLB.com’s At Bat, aimed at big children who would rather watch a game than play one.

The latest version, At Bat 11, which is also available on Android and BlackBerry, includes a handful of slick new features in time for the opening of the baseball season. The slickest will work only this month, and only for Apple devices, but it’s a biggie: free live video of every out-of-market game. (The feature costs a whopping $100 for the remainder of the season.)

At Bat 11 outdoes the previous versions in various ways, depending on what device you use and where you use it. Android users get the biggest upgrade, in that the app finally displays live video. All season they can watch one free game daily. Meanwhile, At Bat users with Apple and Android phones can create a home page that displays important information about their favorite team.

For fans at the ballpark, At Bat is also much better than last year, thanks to a new set of features meant specifically for them. (More on that later.)

IPad users of the app miss out on the ballpark-related perks, but they’ll see other improvements in At Bat’s appearance and the quality of the information.

Take, for instance, At Bat’s anchor feature, the field view, where you can watch an animated, pitch-by-pitch version of every game as it progresses.

Like last year, the screen shows the action from the home-plate umpire’s point of view. This year, though, MLB.com used images from the Sony PlayStation 3 game, MLB 11 The Show, to display a much more realistic view of the stadium. Later this season, an MLB.com spokesman, Matthew Gould, said, that realism will extend to the batting stances of individual players.

The improvements are not limited to eye candy, though. One of my favorite elements of last year’s At Bat for iPad was the animated pitch-location feature, which gets a boost this year.

Each pitch still arcs toward viewers in the same path, and with the same termination point, of the on-field pitch. Likewise, the ball’s path is color-coded to denote the pitch type, and when the pitch reaches the plate, a label appears. (“91 MPH Four-Seam Fastball,” for instance.)

But this year, if you click on that label, the screen shows a side view of the pitch, along with the pitcher’s release point, where the pitch broke and how many inches it broke. It’s a baseball geek’s dream, and it exemplifies a level of software showboating that At Bat pulls off consistently on the iPad.

Avid baseball fans who own an iPad, and who skip this app, are making a mistake.

That’s especially true this month, since At Bat is giving away live video of every out-of-market game. On Apple devices, the video is bolstered by optional on-screen graphics showing information about every player on the field.

Those who use the app on the phone will notice some shortcomings though.

The fancy pitch-path feature, for instance, is only on the iPad, and the stadium graphics are much more rudimentary on smaller devices.

Still, smartphone users can take solace in the fact that they can still hear game coverage from either team’s broadcast service.

Those who attend live games with an iPhone or iPod Touch or Android phone get a bonus, in the form of the app’s At the Ballpark feature. Apple users receive detailed maps of the site, video highlights and, depending on the ballpark, discounts on concessions. (Android users will see the interactive maps later this season, Mr. Gould said. As is the case with live video, BlackBerry users do not receive the At the Ballpark feature.)

If such amenities aren’t worth $15 to you, MLB.com also offers At Bat Lite free. Unfortunately, unlike other free, advertising-supported versions of paid apps, this one includes few features from the paid version.

Users see a league scoreboard, video highlights and team-specific information, for instance, but not much more. A better choice might be a popular all-purpose app like ESPN ScoreCenter (free on Android and Apple). Unlike MLB.com’s At Bat Lite, ScoreCenter will notify you of your favorite team’s results, and that includes sports other than baseball.

Fantasy-baseball participants may buy At Bat as an accessory to their league contests, but the app won’t do much for fans who are following a long list of players from various teams. Good, and free, alternatives are Fantasy News Center and ESPN Fantasy Baseball 2011, both on Android and Apple, while Apple users should also consider Fantasy Baseball Monster ’11 ($3 on iPhone and $5 on iPad $5).

Fantasy baseball contestants are accustomed to spending much bigger sums to support their habit. Many casual fans will have a hard time spending $15 on an app like At Bat. If they do, though, they should consider one last impulse buy — Pennant.

This iPad-only app offers a batter-by-batter recap of every Major League Baseball game played from 1952 to 2010, along with great graphics. If you vaguely recall a game you attended in your youth, in which your hero homered, you can scan through the season and recount the circumstances surrounding his big hit.

Pennant’s developer said an iPhone version of the app would most likely appear before the all-star break, followed by an Android version.

So if your favorite team is out of the running by then and you can’t bear to follow their late-summer demise, Pennant will offer some retrospective solace.

Quick Calls

The newest version of Zillow now lets BlackBerry users deepen their real estate voyeurism activities, with quick property value lookups. Previously available only to iPhone and Android users, Zillow is free. ... Room 77, free for iPhone, offers information on specific hotel rooms in 18 cities, so you can find a spot suited to your preferences. ... A new mobile version of the Firefox browser is available for Android. It’s faster than many standard Android browsers, and includes tabbed browsing, among other features.

Mobile Applications & Smart phones

The world knows that BlackBerry smart phones are some of the most reliable phones available, due to a robust network and service that was set up as part of the original pager system found in the Blackberry pager. Many people do not know that Blackberry was actually the first company to create a pager system that was remotely connected to many smaller devices and could manage a schedule of events. If you choose to buy a smartphone, there are many factors that will affect your decision of which phone to buy, including the choice of which mobile applications each phone is able to use. Many smart phones today support one of several main line mobile application stores, though Blackberry phones don’t have as many applications as the iPhone or Android smart phones have. When selecting a phone that downloads mobile applications, you will have to take into account the price of the applications you will be are downloading. While many applications are cross platform based and can be found on the various applications stores, there are some exclusive applications may mean you have to choose which applications are most valued.

It is a well-known fact that mobile applications are big business and while BlackBerry has one of the oldest mobile application stores, it has not experienced as much growth as rival application stores such as the iPhone and Android Markets which have well over 100,000 mobile applications combined, compared to Blackberry’s market which has less than 10,000 applications. However, there is room for this to grow, should Blackberry decide to increase the developer tools that it releases and build its brand across the market again.

Many people still rely on Blackberry phones in their daily lives and though there are many different touch screen phone handsets available for sale, BlackBerry still controls at least 53% of the corporate smart phone market, though it has never been a leader in the consumer market. Essentially, Blackberry phones are dealing with two different challenges, the first is to cater more to the consumer market and the second is avoid losing ground in the corporate market.

Once you have decided on which smart phone is best for you, you should bear in mind that you are going to have to pay some additional charges for downloading applications on to your phone, especially if you do it over the air. This should be something to be considered, so that you are not caught by surprise when your monthly bill comes.

What You Need To Know Before You Pick Your Next Smart Phone

Picking the right phone for you depends on your desired features. If you are the kind of person who regularly interacts with the internet, a smartphone would be the best option for you. If you are someone who communicates regularly via text messaging and phone calls, a normal phone with a few smartphone features may be your thing. If you are someone who is looking for a phone that has a long battery life and the ability to run for a long time without charge, a smart phone may not be the smart choice for you. While other industry giants such as Palm and Windows have focused on creating PDAs, Blackberry have combined the three different devices, a cell phone, a pager and a PDA into one device to create a smart phone.

Manufacturers have also coupled the smartphone with the power to get email ‘on-the-go’, which has made a new level of interaction available. As the cell phone market evolved, many manufacturers focused on building cell phones which were essentially mobile phones without the PDA or email capabilities. Blackberry continued to grow in the market, eventually controlling a huge 81% of the market, shadowed only by Windows Mobile. In 2007, all this began to change when Apple introduced the smart phone of the ‘future’, the iPhone. Up until this point, the only company that were making touch screen phones that were close to the experience that the iPhone promised to deliver was HTC, an Asian cell phone company.

Since the introduction of the iPhone, the market for smart phones has changed dramatically. BlackBerry smartphones still control a large portion of the market but have lost about 30% of the market to the iPhone and other touch screen phones from Android manufacturers such as HTC, Samsung and now Nokia. The big question is where does this leave the average person who is looking for a new phone? As phone industry continues to grow and as smart phones continue to be the most dominant type of mobile phone available, this means that all phones in the future will have some kind f smartphone features installed as standard. With the growth of internet social networking and messaging, sites like Facebook are pushing for more people to be on-line regularly. With the power of a smartphone to connect to the internet at all times, this will become a common feature on many mobile phones in the future.

Pros and cons of Touch phones

From the moment of their debut on the market, touch phones earned their place as a favorite device for millions of users. Touch phones made their way in to our hearts starting with IBM’s Simon, which was launched back in 1992. It has taken some time for the technology to catch on and to be perfected for use not to mention affordable. A long with the software and hardware advances it also often takes a while for consumers to get comfortable using this type of input. For those still on the fence about jumping on the cell phone bandwagon, there are some simple pros and cons to consider.

One of the first aspects that make Touch Phones different from other phones is their design. By having the ability to use touch as an input they were able to eliminate the need for a physical keypad and thus have more room for a larger screen. That makes them ideal for watching videos, or looking at photos, reading text, or even playing games. Also having fewer to no physical buttons means fewer pieces to break or wear down. With a virtual key pad you can change the alignment, enlarge the characters or adjust them for a particular international alphabet.

Unfortunately, there are also a few downsides to using a touch phones. As a newer technology there still is a slightly higher cost for the benefit to owning one. Also for many people adapting to this type of input without a physical key pad can take time to master. Those with larger fingers might find it awkward and clumsy to use? With a bigger glass surface there is also the added vulnerability factor that makes them more fragile. Those who work outside or in not so clean environments might have a problem with smudging?

Luckily there are numerous models on the market to satisfy all user groups. For those still not ready to lose the key pad completely there are touch phone products from manufactures like Nokia and Blackberry that continue to over a range of great cell phones with key pads as well as having a touch screen. Blackberry and Nokia have remained popular especially among the business crowd for this reason. Their products are simple, elegant and most importantly durable. And now that they offer many of the same features as the other manufactures that have already abandoned the physical key pad like the Apple iPhone, selecting a touch phone comes down to your personal style and usage. Fortunately for all there are many great models to choose from.