Value your mind » Mobile http://rangit.com Interesting. Informative. Mon, 24 Sep 2012 05:02:34 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 9 Things Everyone Should Consider First Before Buying A Mobile Phone http://rangit.com/mobile/smart-phone-consider/ http://rangit.com/mobile/smart-phone-consider/#comments Mon, 02 Apr 2012 10:49:15 +0000 Chris http://rangit.com/?p=348 Many people, my Dad included, base their decisions on getting a mobile phone from advertisements, be it from the media or friends. Just because it says $199 for a mobile phone in the newspaper does not mean that’s all you’re paying for. Just because it has an Blackberry, Android or an Apple symbol does not mean you are getting what you’re looking for. Actually, what’s most important are the 9 items below which will help you to decide the phone that best suits you.

  1. Budget

    2. The single most important deciding factor in purchasing your next mobile phone. Whether if it is a high end, mid range or lower range mobile phone, it all depends on your spending power. I assume that most have the budget for a mid range phone, at least. Now, I’m telling you DON’T. If you have the cash for a mid range phone, you should spend it instead on an older model high end mobile phone. For example, if you can’t afford a Samsung Galaxy S2, get the Samsung Galaxy S instead. It’s half the price and it will stay relevant longer than if you were to spend it on a Samsung Galaxy Ace.

  2. Screen

    3. One of the most looked at feature when buying a phone. Most people like it big but then they have to realize that the bigger the screen size, the more power it is going to consume. Also, nothing beats LED as they are lowest in power consumption, thinner than LCDs because they do not need to be back lit, really bright screens, truer blacks, wider viewing angle and have better heat dissipation that LEDs. The best screen you can get at the moment is from Samsung called the HD Super AMOLED.

  3. Battery Life

    4. A very, very important feature to look out for, especially if you are on the road a lot! The lower the battery capacity, the faster it dies out on you. When browsing through specifications of phones on the internet, always look out for talk time. Anything less than 12 hours (half a day) on 2G, forget it. HTC has a really bad reputation when it comes to battery life.

  4. Contract

    5. It may look good on paper, but in actual fact, it isn’t. The savings for going contract-less is enormous. For example, an AT&T customer with an Apple iPhone on a traditional plan pays at least $130 a month, excluding taxes and fees, for unlimited calls and web use. Compared with the $50 a month, all-inclusive prepaid plans, the iPhone owner pays nearly $1,000 more over the course of a year!

  5. Keyboard

    6. On slide out fairly big screens, a physical keyboard thickens the mobile phone. Blackberries like the Bold series are slimmer with the keyboard on the surface but the screen is much smaller. The only reason you would want to consider buying a mobile phone with a physical keyboard is if you email a lot. Most mobile phone keyboards are the QWERTY type that resembles the computer keyboard for familiarity and faster typing.

  6. Network

    7. The most popular network band in the world is GSM, used by 80% of the world’s population. The other 20% belongs to the CDMA network band. Which means that when buying your next phone, check that it accepts both network bands for convenience purposes especially if you travel a lot.

  7. Durability

    8. The only way to find out if the phone survives a fall is to search youtube for “drop tests” of your phone model. For example, the youtube video above is the most popular drop test of 2011.

  8. Camera Quality

    9. Of course, a real proper camera’s picture quality will always be better than one from a mobile phone but the thing is, the point and shoot or DSLR with isn’t always with you. Whereas, your phone is. So it is an important feature to consider as well. Don’t be too caught up on megapixels. It has little impact in producing a higher quality photo. The easiest is to find and compare photos taken by different mobile phones by users that uploaded them to the internet. A really good site for comparing every detail from colour to shapes to text is GSM Arena’s Photo Compare Tool.

  9. Radioactive Level

    10. Specific Absorption Rate (SAR) is a measure of the rate at which energy is absorbed by the body when exposed to a mobile phone’s radio frequency electromagnetic field, defined as the power absorbed per mass of tissue and has units of watts per kilogram (W/kg). SAR levels for mobile phones sold in the US must not exceed 1.6 W/kg while Europe’s must not exceed 2W/kg over 10g of tissue. Motorola has a really bad record for having high SAR levels while Samsung’s record is the best. Check out the complete list of SAR levels of mobile phones here.

      What other important thing do you think one should look out for when buying a mobile phone?

      ]]> http://rangit.com/mobile/smart-phone-consider/feed/ 0 Top 10 Coolest Mobile Phones of 2008 http://rangit.com/mobile/top-10-coolest-mobile-phones-of-2008/ http://rangit.com/mobile/top-10-coolest-mobile-phones-of-2008/#comments Wed, 14 May 2008 09:28:51 +0000 Chris http://rangit.com/mobile-computing/top-10-coolest-mobile-phones-of-2008/ A mobile phone, a.k.a mobile, wireless, cellular phone, cell phone or hand phone, has been evolving rapidly since its conception by Martin Cooper who made the first call on a handheld mobile phone on April 3, 1973. Every year mobile phone manufacturers will compete against each other to bring out the best in features and looks to capture the ever growing market of consumers. Anyways, below are 10 of the coolest mobile phones, in my opinion, available in 2008 that are worth your attention and maybe, your money too. They are arranged in no particular order.

      1. Samsung Instinct

        2. Screen Resolution: 240 x 432 pixels
        Weight: 125 g
        Connectivity: 3G, GPS
        Talk Time: 5.75 hours
        Phonebook: 600
        Camera / Video: 2 MP

      2. Samsung Glyde

        3. Screen Resolution: 240 x 440 pixels
        Weight: 139 g
        Connectivity: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 / WCDMA 850 / 1900
        Talk Time: 3.5 hours
        Phonebook: 500
        Camera / Video: 2 MP / Flash / Auto-Focus

      3. LG enV2

        4. Screen Resolution: 320 x 240 pixels (main)
        Weight: 120 g
        Connectivity: 3G, GPS
        Talk Time: 5.33
        Phonebook: 1000
        Camera / Video: 2 MP / Flash / Image Editor

      4. LG Glimmer

        5. Screen Resolution: 240 x 400 pixels
        Weight: 127 g
        Connectivity: 3G, GPS
        Talk Time: 3.5 hours
        Phonebook: 500
        Camera / Video: 2 MP / Flash

      5. LG Secret

        6. Screen Resolution: 240 x 320 pixels
        Weight: 139 g
        Connectivity: 3G
        Talk Time: 3.81 hours
        Phonebook: 1000
        Camera / Video: 5 MP / Flash / 120 fps video

      6. RIM BlackBerry Bold 9000

        7. Screen Resolution: 480 x 320 pixels
        Weight: 133 g
        Connectivity: 3G, GPS, Wi-Fi
        Talk Time: 5 hours
        Phonebook: Depends on available memory
        Camera / Video: 2 MP / Flash

      7. HTC Touch Diamond

        8. Screen Resolution: 480 x 640 pixels
        Weight: 110 g
        Connectivity: 3G, GPS, Wi-Fi
        Talk Time: 5.5 hours
        Phonebook: Depends on available memory
        Camera / Video: 3.2 MP / Auto-Focus

      8. Nokia N96

        9. Screen Resolution: 240 x 320 pixels
        Weight: 125 g
        Connectivity: 3G, GPS, Wi-Fi
        Standby Time: 3.67 hours
        Phonebook: Depends on available memory
        Camera / Video: 5.0 MP / Flash / Auto-Focus

      9. Sony Ericsson Xperia X1

        10. Screen Resolution: 480 x 800 pixels
        Weight: 145 g
        Connectivity: 3G, GPS, Wi-Fi
        Talk Time: 8.5 hours
        Phonebook: Depends on available memory
        Camera / Video: 3.2 MP / Flash / Auto-Focus

      10. Sony Ericsson W980i

        11. Screen Resolution: 240 x 320 pixels (main)
        Weight: 100 g
        Connectivity: 3G
        Talk Time: 9 hours
        Phonebook: 1000
        Camera / Video: 3.2 MP
      ]]>       http://rangit.com/mobile/top-10-coolest-mobile-phones-of-2008/feed/ 1       Why You Shouldn’t Buy A New Laptop Battery http://rangit.com/mobile/why-you-shouldnt-buy-a-new-laptop-battery/ http://rangit.com/mobile/why-you-shouldnt-buy-a-new-laptop-battery/#comments Fri, 29 Jun 2007 12:26:44 +0000 Chris http://rangit.com/mobile-computing/why-you-shouldnt-buy-a-new-laptop-battery/ Here’s an excellent video description on why you shouldn’t buy a new laptop battery. If I didn’t come across this video, I would’ve bought myself a new battery. Now that I know, I can save myself some of that cash for a new handphone. =P

      ]]>       http://rangit.com/mobile/why-you-shouldnt-buy-a-new-laptop-battery/feed/ 0       10 Easy Tweaks For Laptop / Notebook Users http://rangit.com/mobile/10-easy-tweaks-for-laptop-notebook-users/ http://rangit.com/mobile/10-easy-tweaks-for-laptop-notebook-users/#comments Thu, 17 May 2007 05:03:01 +0000 Chris http://rangit.com/mobile-computing/10-easy-tweaks-for-laptop-notebook-users/ Notebooks are pretty common nowadays. As the years go by, laptop prices have gone to about $600 per piece. If the job requires traveling, you’d most probably have a laptop too. But no matter what brand the notebook may be, everyone faces the same issues. It may not be as efficient as a desktop and there is a limit to usage when there is no power plug nearby. Relax, cause here are 10 tips and tricks that you can easily follow to make it faster, save more battery and be more useful than you ever thought it would.

      1. Make notebook batteries last longer

        2. A notebook battery has to handle the OS, hard drive, accessories, cooling system, sound, screen and external devices. It’s a huge load and it can’t go more than 1 or 2 hours. If you wanna stretch it for another extra 30 min or so, you can.

        • Set brightness as low as you can tolerate. Most notebooks have a shortcut key to adjust the brightness, which you can easily switch back and forth when you are plugged in.
        • Use the touchpad when the notebook is not plugged in. External devices will consume additional power. Don’t leave anything that you do not require, plugged in.

      2. Power schemes

        3. Windows XP users get to create several different power profiles to fully optimize the power for every condition. Just right click on the battery icon at the lower right of the LCD. Set schemes for maximum battery life, watching movies, playing games, etc. For example, this is what your ‘Max Battery’ scheme should have. Know that a notebook performs the fastest and is coolest when plugged in.

        • Turn off monitor after 1 minute
        • Hard disks after 3 minutes
        • Standby after 10 minutes
        • Hibernate after 20 minutes

        You can easily pull off 2 1/2 hours with these 4 settings. Who knows, you may even hit 3.

      3. More power saving techniques

        4. Newer notebooks include a program that is able to adjust CPU clock speeds, so that you can save even more power. For example, you don’t need 3GHz to play Minesweeper or write a Word document. Use it, if it’s available. You can further push your laptop’s battery life.

        Just so you should know, 3 common activities that take up a lot of juice are

        • Burning cd’s
        • Watching dvds
        • Playing 3D games
      4. Sweep up the dust

        5. Remove all unwanted programs from the ‘Add / Remove Programs’ application window in the Control Panel.

      5. Driver

        6. Set Windows Update to automatically check for updates. You can find it in the Security Center applet in the Control Panel. Visit your notebook’s manufacturer and check for updates for your model. Ensuring that your notebook has the latest software and drivers installed guarantees system stability and efficiency.

      6. Upgrade memory

        7. The most obvious performance increase is in the RAM department. Just right click at the ‘My Computer’ icon and check. If your Ram is 256MB double it to 512MB. 512MB is the minimum for any PC or laptop using Windows XP. If it is at 512MB and you still have horrible load times, laggy programs and a lot of disk swapping, push it to 1024MB. This is the most obvious notebook tweak of all. You will feel the significance when the RAM is added.

      7. Cleaning

        • LCD

          • Use an eyeglass cleaner with a microfiber cloth, if you can’t get hold of a proper anti-static cleaner.

        • Touchpad & Keyboard

          • Use compressed air to blow out the dust and debris lying below the keys. Then use the same method as cleaning the LCD.

        • Case

          • Use the same method as the LCD

        • Innards

          • Blast every grill and port that you can find with compressed air. You can wipe the outer parts with any clean towel.

      8. Burning laps

        9. Notebooks are hottest when unplugged. The reason is because the fans don’t run as often. Even with the fans at full throttle, the underside will still be the hottest side. The solution lies in slipping in a layer of something in between. You can very well find laptop cooling pads in PC accessories shop that are USB powered. They will help, but they also do drain power. The best choice is to grab something nearby like :

        • a towel
        • a thick shirt
        • a small pillow
        • a cardboard

      9. Wireless Networking

        10. Newer computers come with in built networking. Get a wireless network adapter if you don’t have on. Some of the great stuff that you can do includes checking out recipes from the kitchen or sip on pina colada by the pool while chatting with buddies on your days off. Wireless gives the laptop a whole new useful perspective.

      10. Video/Audio Output

        11. Newer computers come with in built video-out and audio-out. These 2 jacks can be used to bring home entertainment up a notch. Watch movies on the TV or play music through the stereo system.

      ]]>       http://rangit.com/mobile/10-easy-tweaks-for-laptop-notebook-users/feed/ 7       The Future Is Now http://rangit.com/mobile/the-future-is-now/ http://rangit.com/mobile/the-future-is-now/#comments Fri, 20 Apr 2007 03:54:16 +0000 Chris http://rangit.com/mobile-computing/the-future-is-now/

      ]]>       http://rangit.com/mobile/the-future-is-now/feed/ 0       Bluetooth Pocket Printer For Your Camera Phone http://rangit.com/mobile/bluetooth-pocket-printer-for-your-camera-phone/ http://rangit.com/mobile/bluetooth-pocket-printer-for-your-camera-phone/#comments Thu, 05 Apr 2007 05:48:38 +0000 Chris http://rangit.com/mobile-computing/bluetooth-pocket-printer-for-your-camera-phone/

      Zink Bluetooth Camphone Printer
      Neat stuff for parties

      ]]>       http://rangit.com/mobile/bluetooth-pocket-printer-for-your-camera-phone/feed/ 0       Unlock Your Mobile Phone http://rangit.com/mobile/unlock-your-mobile-phone/ http://rangit.com/mobile/unlock-your-mobile-phone/#comments Wed, 14 Mar 2007 07:22:00 +0000 Chris http://rangit.com/mobile-computing/unlock-your-mobile-phone/ unlock

      Sim Lock is the capability built into GSM mobile phones for service providers to restrict the use of these phones to specific countries and network providers. Mobile phones can be locked to only accept SIM cards from specific :

      • Countries (your phone will work in Singapore, but not Thailand)
      • Network providers (T-Mobile, Maxis, Vodafone, Singtel, etc)
      • Service providers (another name for network providers)
      • SIM types (only specific SIM cards can be used with the phone).

      Virtually all mobile phones are shipped with country and network provider locks, firmware installed on them which is specific to the network provider. If you have a Cingular phone, it displays the Cingular logo and supports only Cingular features. This firmware is installed by the service provider and is separate from the locking mechanism.

      In UK, network providers are permitted to charge a fee for releasing the unlock code. You can also unlock a mobile phone to work with a different network, but you might need to have the master key or even upload a different firmware version, a procedure recommended for advanced users only.

      UniquePhones

      Get help if you are not sure how to deal unlocking mobile phones. UniquePhones has been around for 5 years and has delivered over 2.9 million unlock codes to customers worldwide in 165 different countries. Because of their experience, you can now find unlock procedures for over 1,500 handsets from all of the leading manufacturers like Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and Sony Ericsson to name a few. Moreover, UniquePhones’ unlocking services are amongst the lowest available on the Internet, with prices starting from just $3.99 per handset.

      Prices

      Users will enjoy all 4 benefits of unlocked mobile phones.

      1. increase the resale value of the mobile phone by up to 300% when you wanna sell it off
      2. use any SIM card on any network in your phone to get cheaper tariffs from rival networks.
      3. use local service providers while traveling to cut down the cost of calls and text messages.
      4. enable dual, tri or quad band functionality to use the phone in more countries around the globe.

      Perhaps the most common concern about phone unlocking is the legal aspect. As long as you own your handset, unlocking it is perfectly legal. The very fact that mobile phone manufacturers are required to supply unlocking information should be enough to convince you. So long as your handset does not remain property of your service provider (if you are on a contract, for instance), you are free to do as you wish with your phone.

      * Sponsored Review *

      UniquePhones
      Mobile phone unlocking specialists

      ]]>       http://rangit.com/mobile/unlock-your-mobile-phone/feed/ 1       oh, don’t forget… http://rangit.com/mobile/oh-dont-forget/ http://rangit.com/mobile/oh-dont-forget/#comments Wed, 07 Mar 2007 08:20:55 +0000 Chris http://rangit.com/mobile-computing/oh-dont-forget/ Schedule text messages to yourself, your husband or mother to remind them about your birthday, buy something or to make that call. All you have to do is insert a cellphone number, a specified date & time and a message. OhDontForget is free and doesn’t have any strings attached.

      odontforget

      Currently, OhDontForget only works with US and selected Canadian cell providers. Anyways, the author is working on a global domination plan, so perhaps he’ll include bringing OhDontForget to the rest of the world! Give the author your opinion if you have one at ohdontforget@gmail.com

      Oh, Don’t Forget
      Remind anyone / send items to your cell

      ]]>       http://rangit.com/mobile/oh-dont-forget/feed/ 0       4 Must Have Slider Phones of 2007 http://rangit.com/mobile/4-must-have-slider-phones-of-2007/ http://rangit.com/mobile/4-must-have-slider-phones-of-2007/#comments Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 Chris Back when I was still in high school, I used to borrow my mum’s phone when I went out with my buddies. It was cool at that time to hang on to a Motorola MicroTAC mobile phone. Here’s a picture of it.

      microtac

      Seeing it again tickled me. The weight of the thing feels like having a dictionary in your pockets. Unimaginable but hey, things change. Now we can watch videos, listen to songs, record videos, snap pictures and even read our emails from our mobile. The weight gets lighter as the shape gets slimmer and the features just keeps coming in.

      Below are 4 slide mobile phones that I consider a must-have for me (that is if I had the money). The pictures alone are tempting enough to make my mouth water.


      LG KE970 Shine

      shine
      Look at that beauty. It’s so attractive. This piece will make anyone look sexy with no effort needed. The LG Shine was both announced and launched in January 2007. I believe it stunned mobile enthusiasts world wide when the first pictures of it were published. Anyway, here are some of Shine’s specifications.

      Size : 99.8 x 50.6 x 13.8 mm
      Phonebook : 1000 contacts + Photo call
      Call Records : 50 dialed, 50 received, 50 missed calls
      Internal Memory : 50 MB
      Data Transfer : GPRS, EDGE, Bluetooth, USB
      Camera : 2MP + Video + Flash
      Add. Features :

      • Mirror effect screen
      • Full Metal Body


      Samsung U600

      samsungu600

      Another cool slim phone. This beauty is supposedly the slimmest slider in the world. What more, it even has a 3 megapixel camera on its back. Cool stuff. really. This piece will look absolutely gorgeous on a girl. Imagine sitting down in starbucks and having this beauty in front of you.

      Size ：103.5 x 49.3 x 10.9 mm
      Phonebook ：1000 entries, Photo call
      Call Records ：30 dialed, 30 received, 30 missed calls
      Internal Memory ：60 MB
      Data Transfer ：GPRS, EDGE, Bluetooth, USB 2.0
      Camera ：3MP + Video
      Add. Features ：

      • Slimmest slider
      • Business card recognition
      • Built in hands free


      MotoRizr Z6

      motorizrz6

      Here’s another cool slider by Motorola. The Rizr Z6 has a Linux OS built into it that enables you to do instant messaging with your friends on Yahoo! and MSN. The special thing about the Rizr Z6 is the long life battery stand by time of 400 hours. That is like more than 2 weeks! Amazing stuff! Made for people who talk a lot.

      Size : 105 x 45 x 16.2 mm
      Phonebook : 1000 entries, Photo call
      Call Records : 10 dialed, 10 received, 10 missed calls
      Internal Memory : 64 MB
      Data Transfer : GPRS, EDGE, Bluetooth, USB 2.0
      Camera : 2mp + video + flash
      Add. Features :

      • Voice dial
      • Built in hands free
      • Linux operating system
      • Instant messaging (Eg: Yahoo, MSN)
      • Talk time of 7hrs (avg phones = 3hrs)


      Nokia 6110 Navigator

      nokianavigator2

      This cool piece is more suitable for guys. Why? Cause it’s the heaviest and it has the most useful features among the 3 slider phones. It has a Symbian v9 OS, PIM applications like calendar, to do list and printing, integrated hands free and a stereo FM radio.

      Size : 101 x 49 x 20 mm
      Phonebook : Yes
      Call Records : Yes
      Internal Memory : 60MB shared
      Data Transfer : GPRS, HSCSD, EDGE, 3G, Bluetooth 2.0, Infrared, USB 2.0
      Camera : 2mp +video + QVGA video call
      Add. Features :

      • Downloadable themes
      • Symbian v9 operating system
      • GPS Receiver (built-in maps)
      • Push to talk
      • Stereo FM radio
      • PIM (personal information management) softwares
      • Built in hands free
      ]]>       http://rangit.com/mobile/4-must-have-slider-phones-of-2007/feed/ 1       Useful Software For USB http://rangit.com/mobile/useful-software-for-usb/ http://rangit.com/mobile/useful-software-for-usb/#comments Wed, 30 Nov -0001 00:00:00 +0000 Chris Great stuff for travellers. Carry all the essential cannot-live-without programs with us anywhere we go. Recently, the guys at portableapps.com have just released their new “Portable Apps Suite”, a collection of necessary applications configured to work portably. It includes a PortableApps Menu abd PortableApps Directory for including / excluding other Portable Applications. Neat! Here are the programs recommended by portableapps.com for a 512MB thumb drive.

      512 MB

      256 MB

      Download Useful Applications
      For your USB device’s size

      ]]>       http://rangit.com/mobile/useful-software-for-usb/feed/ 0