Egypt Cracks Down on Mobile Networks as Protests Grow

By Peter Ferenczi | Fri Jan 28, 2011 11:09 am

Egypt has ordered the shutdown of mobile networks in "select areas," in an effort to quell widespread protests against the government.

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British-based Vodafone, one of Egypt's largest mobile operators, revealed that the government had ordered all carriers to selectively suspend service, and that it would comply because it was a legal request under Egyptian law.
Reports also suggest that BlackBerry Internet browsing had been specifically blocked. Egypt's four primary Internet service providers were also reportedly shut down at 12:34 this morning. On Tuesday, authorities blocked access to Facebook and Twitter.
The measures did not prevent over 10,000 protesters from taking to the streets in Cairo today, as they demanded government reforms and the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak, who has been in power for 30 years. The crackdown on mobile technology has also prompted the international diplomatic community to speak out.
“One of the ground principles of democracy is to protect the freedom of speech,” said Ban Ki-moon, UN Secretary General.
Mobile and Internet services have played a key role in the protests against autocratic regimes -- including the ousting of Tunisia's unpopular president -- and have roiled the Arab world since late December. Demonstrators have used Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, coupled with cell phones, to coordinate activities and spread news, including images and videos.
Egypt's crackdown underscores both the importance of mobile communications in fostering open democracy and their vulnerability to suppression by the state.

Unlocked smartphones – things that you need to know

You might have heard a lot about unlocked smartphones being sold in the market. There are lots of people who don’t know what it means. In this article I will tell you all about it. Unlocked handset is a phone which is not tied to any carrier’s network. You can use it with more than 1 service provider. A lot of phones sold in the US are tied to a particular carrier like Sprint, AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon Wireless. Also, the phone might be already tied to a carrier even if you haven’t purchased it from the service provider. For instance, devices bought from Best Buy stores.

Unlocked smartphones need SIM cards to get started. SIM is short for subscriber identity module and the slot for it is usually located beneath the battery cover. It gives a phone number to your cell phone and also data and voice service. A lot of people are buying unlocked smartphones and it is because these gadgets give you more freedom. But there are plethora of cell phones and service providers out there so there are chances that you might get confused.

Locked phones can be unlocked but not always. You may some need help to get it done. Carriers don’t recommend unlocking because it is in their best interest if the handset is locked to their network. You can ask for the carrier to get the phone unlocked but they might not do it especially if you are still under a contract. Another alternative is to get the phone unlocked from a third party but this will void all warranties.

Instead, I would recommend you to get purchase unlocked smartphones instead of buying a locked one and then unlocking it. This way, it is more reliable too. You will have to pay hundreds of dollars more but you won’t be tied to any network. Also, you won’t have to rely on anybody for getting the phone unlocked.

A lot of phones come only in locked version but there are plenty of devices that are sold in only unlocked versions – for instance – the Nokia N series ones. Such phones can be bought directly from the manufacturer or third party resellers. You will also find unlocked smartphones from cellular carriers

Spam Text Blows Up Moscow Terrorist

A suicide bomber planning an attack in Moscow on New Year's Eve was killed in her apartment when her bomb was prematurely detonated by an unexpected text message.

According to Russian security sources, the text message -- a remote trigger for a cell phone belt bomb -- wished her a happy new year, accidentally setting off the blast. The accident may have saved hundreds of lives, these officials believe, as the woman intended to use the bomb in a suicide attack near Red Square later that night.
The woman is believed to be part of the same group that struck Moscow's Domodedovo airport on Monday, killing at least 35 people and wounding another 100. Officials haven't directly said who they believe is behind the terrorist attacks, but anonymous sources have pointed to Islamic North Caucasus rebels, which have been in conflict with the Russian state for over a decade.
Cell phones have become a remote detonator of choice for terrorist groups the world over. Explosions can be triggered from a distance by calling or texting the number of the phone used in the bomb. Roadside bombs, many set off by cell phones, have been responsible for 619 U.S. fatalities in Afghanistan and 5,764 injuries since the 2001 invasion began.
Pentagon efforts to combat the threat, including cellular jammers, did not prevent a 60 percent increase in deaths in 2010 over the year before.

Polymer Phones : Latest Mobile Phone Technology

How do you know your phone is brand or refurbished

Have you ever purchased a cell phone online that was advertised as "Brand New"' and wondered whether the phone is actually refurbished? Or have you received a phone under your cell phone insurance company that looks like new, but are still left wondering whether the phone was previously used?

We have compiled some tips for the consumer to look for to determine whether a device you've recently purchased or are thinking about purchasing is new or refurbished.

In the case of Blackberrys, every Blackberry comes equipped with an ESN number which is unique to that specific phone.

Before purchasing any phone, especially Blackberry mobile devices, be sure to ask the seller for the phone's ESN number. This will be a string of digits which you can then take to a cell phone provider (e.g. Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, etc) and make sure the ESN has not been previously used.

If the ESN is currently in use, your mobile device is most likely refurbished. This isn't a bad thing, however. Refurbished phones save you money and save natural resources. They are generally in a condition that is indistinguishable from New.

From the Refurbished device provider, you can also check up on the Mobile's Warranty. Refurbished Cell Phones are typically sold with a standard 90-day warranty.

Inside the phone, you will find a battery. It is common knowledge that a red striped mark on the side of the battery indicates "water damage." However, this is not necessarily true. The red striped sticker is only indicative of "use." Any type of natural moisture will turn this sticker red--and is usually nothing to worry about.

Having said this, a red stripe on the battery is an almost definitive sign of a Refurbished Cell Phone.

Naturally, if your device has been sold to you as New, but exhibits minor scratches and indentations on the surface, it is usually a sure sign of a Refurbished device. This sign, however, could be hidden by new housing around the skeleton of the phone itself. Scratches and markings on the device are a clear indication of previous ownership, but many Refurbished providers have taken initiatives to make sure their phones appear as "new" and presentable as possible.

Lastly, check if the device comes in a brand new, sealed box or has been repackaged in a similar or used Blackberry box.

Again, refurbished mobiles are nothing to be wary of--but if you are indeed in the market for a NEW device, these are some important precautions to take.

Alex Gross currently works Sales and Marketing for The Blue Dot, a company that would like to bring awareness about the impacts of cell phones and the environment. Their website offers great deals on new, used, and refurbished cell phones as well as other brand name electronics. A great place to buy a Unlocked Blackberry phones and save money?

Top 10 selling cell phones in USA

RIM Curve

No. 1
13%

Introduced mid-2007, the Curve continues to outperform other devices, in part due to its low price of $79.99 with a two-year service plan. The Curve is the best-selling device through Sprint Nextel.

Apple iPhone

No. 2
8.3%

Apple's second-edition iPhone remains the clear winner through AT&T, the only authorized U.S. seller of the device. But according to Avian, the Apple phone is getting some competition from cheaper touchscreen devices including LG's Incite and Samsung's Eternity.

RIM Storm

No. 3
7.6%

Though the Storm has met with mixed reviews, and RIM has yet to release official sales figures, published reports say half a million units were sold in the device's first month on the market.

LG Voyageur

No. 4
7.0%

Price cuts on LG's Voyageur, like the EnV2, helped LG achieve share gains in January.

LG Dare

No. 5
6.7%

Sold through Verizon Wireless, the LG Dare has held one of the top spots since July.

Research In Motion Bold

No. 6
6.5%

Launched in November, the Bold is the second-best seller through AT&T, after the Apple iPhone.

Samsung Instinct

No. 7
4.5%

Another Samsung phone sold via Sprint, the Instinct has held one of the top 10 spots in Avian's survey since June 2008.

Samsung Rant

No. 8
4.3%

Samsung's share of sales held steady in January, thanks in part to demand for the Rant, sold through Sprint Nextel.

LG EnV2

No. 9
4.1%

Sold through Verizon Wireless, the joint venture of Verizon Communications (VZ) and Vodafone Group (VOD), LG's EnV2 got a boost after price reductions, Avian says.

HTC G1

No. 10
4%

HTC benefited from popularity of the G1, the first phone boasting the Google (GOOG)-backed Android operating system, on sale through Deutsche Telekom's (DT) T-Mobile USA.

Comming 5 cool phones for 2011

1.The new iPhone 5 is expected to arrive by July 2011. This is slimmer than the earlier versions; 9.3 mm thick, with a shiny glass back piece. It will be accessible on 3G as well as on 4G. Other features include custom SMS tones, custom e-mail alerts with the capability to assign different tones for each e-mail id, OLED scratchproof and shatterproof screen, built-in GPS, and HD audio, to name a few.

2.Qualcomm has announced that they will be launching the 1.5 GHz Snapdragon Processor in the first quarter of 2011. This new processor is expected to double the speed with additional improvements such as HQ multimedia with 3D graphics, built-in GPS, and HD video.
 

3. Verizon Wireless will release 5 new LTE handsets by May 2011. These will be 4G-capable handsets, with competition from LG, Motorola, and RIM. Verizon Wireless is already testing these LTE (long-term evolution) handsets.
 

4. Believe it or not, even Facebook has jumped into the fray with two net smart phones in collaboration with INQ Mobile Ltd. These phones will be available in the U.S. in the second half of 2011. As for the features, these phones are expected to include most of the famous social websites.
 

5.Microsoft is also coming out with Windows Mobile 7 (WinMo 7) phones, which could be out as early as the end of this year. The winMo 7 will integrate a number of platforms from Microsoft such as Xbox Live and the Zune platform.

Read more on Newsmax.com: 5 Cool New Cell Phones for 2011
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Top 5 Cell Phones of 2010

1). Apple iPhone

The Cell Phone market is as always still dominated by Apple with its creation of iPhone.

It is still the king of all the domain ruling and setting new trends for the cellular community. The latest treat is in the shape of iPhone 3GS which has the following Specs and Pros

• Is available in two colors black and white
• Comes in 16GB and 32GB model
• It supports sports multimedia messaging, video recording, voice dialing
• iPhone has up to 5 hours of 3G talk time or 12 hours on 2G and a built-in digital compass
• The iPhone 3GS is available for approximately $199 USD (16GB model) or $299 USD (32GB model)

Cons:

• The only problem with iPhone 3GS is its 3 megapixel camera that snaps fuzzy photos and videos

________________________________________________________________________________________________

2). BlackBerry Bold 9700

A practical deal now takes a new face. Customers can get their hands on the latest trendy and stylish BlackBerry collection.

This business-chic handset has a

• High resolution 480×360 pixel color display
• Integrated GPS with A-GPS
• A 35 key backlit QWERTY keyboard and 35 key backlit QWERTY keyboard,
• 3.2 megapixel camera, video recording and a touch-sensitive trackpad
• It enables full HTML Web browsing, calendar and contact management, and integration systems like Microsoft Exchange
• For the music lovers the BlackBerry Bold 9700 can play up to 38 hours of music on a single battery charge. Isn’t that great!!
• The BlackBerry Bold 9700 is available from AT&T for approximately $199 USD

Cons:

• Keyboard is too small for larger fingers
• It has a slow browser

________________________________________________________________________________________________

3). Motorola Droid

‘Hello Motto’ sounds familiar to every Motorola fan. Well Motorola Droid is the latest for you guys. The iPhone killer as some call it has the following characteristics:

• It is fast due to Verizon’s superior EV-DO Rev A network
• The Droid has 400,000-pixel 16×9 3.7-inch LCD touch screen
• A speedy Android 2.0 operating system
• IT has a voice-prompted Google Maps Navigation, Bluetooth v2.1+EDR, a 5 megapixel camera, 480p HD camcorder, and a 1400 mAh battery that provides up to 6.4 hours of talk time
• The Motorola Droid is currently available from Motorola for approximately $599.99 USD

Cons:

• The camera is slow
• Music doesn’t stay paused in background

________________________________________________________________________________________________

4). HTC Nexus One by Google

What next? Google is now coming up with a Cell phone. Yes, the new HTC Nexus One. What is this baby offering? The Nexus One has

• A large 3.7-inch and 800 by 480-pixel AMOLED display
• 5 megapixel video-capable camera with an LED flash
• 512 MB of flash storage
• It has built in GPS and mapping navigation
• The new Google phone is super speedy
• And offers full support for services like Gmail and ties in with social networking services like Facebook and Twitter.
• The Google Store is offering the Nexus One for approximately $529 USD

Con

• Battery time is too short
• The hardware buttons are out of focus
• Te reception is not good

________________________________________________________________________________________________

5). Motorola Backflip

Motorola lovers may go crazy as Motorola has so much to offer. The Motorola Backflip makes it easier to enjoy videos, music and photography.

• The Backflips’ QWERTY keyboard helps to explode through e-mails, texts, news feeds and social network messages and what not.
• It supports Bluetooth A2DP
• Has a high-res 3.1” HVGA screen
• It’s equipped with a 5 megapixel camera

The rest is yet to come as it has not been launched in the market yet. So keep your fingers crossed for the new Motorola Backflip.

Facebook is going to make cell phone????

A Facebook-branded phone from HTC Ltd. is not on the way, contrary to rumours, the social media company says.
Citing unnamed sources, London-based financial newspaper City A.M. reported earlier this week that two Facebook phones will be unveiled at the influential Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month.
But on Thursday morning, Dan Rose, head of business development at Facebook, denied the rumours to journalists at an event in London, Reuters reported.
Rose acknowledged that new models were expected from the Taiwanese smartphone maker, but said they were nothing more than devices that integrate Facebook's public application programming interfaces in an "interesting way" and would not be Facebook-branded.
Rumours of a Facebook phone first surfaced last fall, but the company has repeatedly denied plans to enter the smartphone market.

How to unlock iPhone 4

Note: This guide is for iPhone 4 running iOS 3.1.3 to 4.0. If you are running iOS version later than 4.0. This guide is not recommended for you.
The credit for this unlock solution for iPhone 4 goes to iPhone Dev Team. Without engaging you in more details, I’d guide you through 10 steps to unlock your iPhone 4. It shouldn’t take you more than 5 minutes.
Let’s start:
1. Connect your iPhone 4 to a wi-fi network. No 3G please.
2. Open the Safari browser on your iPhone 4.
3. Go to Jailbreakme.com and jailbreak your iPhone 4. Make sure you have the iPhone firmware 3.1.3 to 4.0. No less than 3.1.3, no 4.x.
4.  Now go to Settings>General>Network and turn off 3G. That’s why I asked to used a wi-fi connections in the first step.
5. Now that you have jailbroken, you have ‘cydia’ installed on your iPhone 4. Press the home button and find ‘cydia’ in your apps in the springboard.
6. In cydia go to search and type ‘ultrasn0w‘. If you are presented with version 1.0.1 or higher skip to step 10 below. If the ultrasn0w version is less than 1.0.1, follow all the steps below.
7. You can’t unlock your iPhone 4 with an ultrasn0w version less than 1.0.1. You’d then need to bring over 1.0.1. For that purpose, press the ‘Manage‘ button at the bottom, select Sources>Edit>add. Then type ‘repo666.ultrasn0w.com’ in the text field without qouts.
8. Reboot your iPhone 4.
9. Go to cydia again, search for ultrasn0w. It must be on version 1.0.1 or higher now.
10. Now press the install button to install ultrasn0w.
11. Your iPhone 4 is now unlocked! Cheers!

Apple new line: iPhone 5, iPad 2, Apple TV

We've been hearing a ton of rumors about what direction Apple's next set of products will take and when they'll be available -- but now we've got some concrete information from reliable sources which should make the path a little clearer. And that includes info on the next iPad, the iPhone 5, the second iteration of the new Apple TV, and a big change coming for all of the company's mobile products. Want to know the scoop? Read along after the break to get the goods.

Right now, everyone is obviously buzzing about the Verizon iPhone 4. What people aren't talking about (yet) is the fact the device will be using a Qualcomm chipset for its CDMA radio (with no GSM capabilities) as opposed to the Infineon versions seen in the GSM iPhone 4. This isn't much of a surprise by itself, but it paves the way for a major shift from Apple. But first, a little bit of a timeline.

Just before the Verizon iPhone 4 launch, we'd heard from multiple sources -- sources like the ones which gave us all that extremely accurate Apple TV info last time around -- that the iPad 2 isn't nearly as close to launch as some have speculated. Apparently, those case and hardware mockups we've seen are rather early versions, which means we're still months out from a proper introduction. It seems likely that the device will land around April (perfectly timed with the 12-month product cycle Apple enjoys). And what about that device? From what we've been told, the thinner, sleeker tablet will sport a new screen technology that is akin to (though not the same as) the iPhone 4's Retina Display and will be "super high resolution" (unlike reports to the contrary). The device will remain at 10 inches but will now feature both front and rear cameras (not a huge surprise), and... there's an SD slot. That's right -- our sources say with near certainty that the device will have a dedicated SD slot built in (with no traditional USB slot). In fact, see that weird notch in the photo below? That's where the SD part will be located. What's most interesting, however, is what's happening under the hood.
The new iPad will feature a dual GSM / CDMA chipset produced by Qualcomm and will mark Apple's shift away from Infineon as its chipset maker to Qualcomm for all of its mobile devices. It's not clear if the chipset being used will be based on the company's EV-DO / HSPA Gobi variety or an entirely new design. Presumably, the strength of the new dual-mode chipset is that it will allow both Verizon and AT&T to offer the iPad simultaneously.

But all of these moves are leading up to the iPhone 5 -- a completely redesigned handset -- which our sources say is on track for a summer launch. Right now, the device is being tested discreetly by senior staff at Apple (strictly on campus only). We don't have much info on the phone at this point, but our understanding is that the new device will be a total rethink from a design standpoint and will be running atop Apple's new A5 CPU (a Cortex A9-based, multi-core chip). This device, like the iPad 2, will feature a Qualcomm chipset that does triple duty as the CDMA / GSM / UMTS baseband processor -- from what we hear there's no LTE in the mix at this point.

One other interesting tidbit: Apple is at work on the second generation of its redesigned Apple TV, which will include that new A5 processor. The CPU is said to be blazingly fast, cranking out 1080p video "like running water." It's likely that the A5 will make it into the iPad 2 as well, but we have yet to confirm that.

So what does this all mean? Besides the surprise of an SD slot on the iPad, it all sounds fairly routine. It's the complete move away from Infineon to Qualcomm that's truly notable -- marking one of the biggest shifts in suppliers and technology since the advent of the original iPhone. We're working on getting more detail on all of these devices, and as soon as we do, you guys will be the first to know!

IPhone to Diagnose Skin Disease

The iPhone has already revolutionized the lives of millions of users, now it can look after your health by turning into a digital dermascope, allowing doctors to treat patients for skin diseases.

It Costs $700 to Return iPhone 4!!!!!!!

The following  is based on a true story. Names and locations have been changed to protect the identity of the parties involved.
Jane was one of the hundreds of people who lined up in front of the XYZ store on the launch date of the iPhone 4. She had waited months for this phone, and had been on the waiting list weeks before it was released in Canada. She was also very determined, and stood in the scorching summer heat before finally getting in the store. Fifteen minutes later, she was out of the store with a brand new iPhone.
Two weeks after she got the phone, she started having problems. The phone would frequently power off on its own, even while plugged into a charger. So she visited XYZ store again.
There was a different sales representative in the store that day.  After hearing her problem, he went to the back room for a few minutes, and came out with a brand new iPhone 4.
“This is the only iPhone we have left,” the sales representative said. “Because this is a brand new iPhone, my system won’t let me just exchange the phones. But I can activate it on the new number, and give you the same plan you had before. Don’t worry, you’re still within the return policy, and once you return the phone, your previous contract will be canceled, and you won’t have to pay anything.”
Jane was hesitant, but reluctantly accepted.
About a month later, Jane came home to find two bills from her cell phone provider. One was for her current phone, and the other for the phone that she had returned. Confused, she called customer service. After some investigation, the customer service representative told her that there is over an hour of usage on the original phone, and therefore the phone was not returnable.
Panicking, Jane quickly visited XYZ store again. This time, she had the store manager look into the matter, and discovered that the employee that had activated the new line no longer worked for the company. Worse, the phone Jane returned is nowhere to be found.
Now frustrated, Jane calls the customer service line again, demanding that the company stop billing her for the phone she returned or she will cancel all her services with the company. She was then told that it would cost her around $700 to cancel each cell phone line.  After battling with the representative on the phone for half an hour, the representative finally relented, and reduced the charges on the non-existent cell phone line to $20 per month to ride out the contract.

what's the difference between 3G and 4G wireless network

Representing the third and fourth generations of mobile technology respectively, 3G and 4G networks have many differences. Most notably, their rates of data transfer and signal quality are highly divergent. However, the implementation of 4G networks has faced many hurdles. Unlike 3G, 4G technology is not fully defined by governing bodies in charge of wireless technology.

Misconceptions

1. In reality, 4G networks do not exist as of the end of 2009. The system often referred to as "4G" is simply an advanced form of 3G, called 3.9G by the ITU. The official name designated by the organization for the technology is "3G Long-Term Evolution."

Function

2. 3G and 4G networks offer divergent levels of data transfer from sources to a device. According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), 3G provides 14 megabits per second (Mbit/s) download and 5.8 Mbit/s upload. This is compared to the projected minimum 100 Mbit/s transfer speed of 4G.

Features

3. According to the ITU, 3.9G networks use a form of antenna system known as spatial multiplexing. Using the smart antenna features from 3G technology, 3.9G deploys a number of these antenna both to transmit and to receive, allowing for a better signal.

History

4. The first major milestone in the development of the 4G network occurred in February 2007. A Japanese company known as NTT DoCoMo achieved transmission rates of 5 gigabytes a second. Comparatively, 3G networks were launched in 2001 with little advancement beyond expanded service areas.

Significance

5. The ITU standardized 3G networks for use with both circuit- and packet-based networks, meaning the data is transferred both through wired and wireless networks. 4G is set up to use the packet technology only, being the first generation of technology to be completely wireless.