Are you also tired of paying heavily to operators for international calling. Try some VoIP service on a WiFi enabled handset and you will just feel so relieved.

Read this article where technology has made things not only covenient but alot cheaper too.

BOSTON: The cost of talking on the go is coming down, thanks to an increasing number of options for using Internet calling services on cellphones as an alternative to traditional cellular service plans.

Nokia is one of the biggest makers of cellphones that include chips for using Wi-Fi, the short-range wireless technology. Some high-profile devices are equipped with the technology, including Apple’s iPhone and some BlackBerry models from Research In Motion. The soon-to-be-released G1 Google phone from HTC and T-Mobile also sports a Wi-Fi chip.

For Mark Laris, a Dallas-based nuclear engineer who travels the world running his consulting business, the technology saves him thousands of dollars a year on international phone bills.

Wi-Fi chips and Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, let him do most of his business and personal calls over cut-rate phone services that work over the Web. His only cellphone bill is a 1,400-minute-per-month family plan from AT&T that he shares with a business partner.

“I always make VoIP calls,” he said, adding that the call quality was as good as with a traditional mobile phone service.He has access to the VoIP services by using a Nokia phone that has a Wi-Fi chip similar to the ones that allow laptops to connect to the Web in smaller venues like coffee shops.

The new phones are capable of operating exclusively with Wi-Fi - they do not need to use a cellphone network at all - and when the user is not in a Wi-Fi “hot spot,” calls are routed to the Wi-Fi carrier’s voice mail service.

Still, mobile VoIP is a fledgling field.

In the United States, T-Mobile sells Wi-Fi phones and Internet calling plans that cost $10 a month, on top of regular fees. It is the only U.S. carrier with such a package. The market is also filled with small, privately held companies hoping to make a name for themselves. They include DeFi Mobile, Fring, Gizmo5, Sipgate and Truphone.

One advantage that these new companies have in competing with established VoIP services like Skype and Vonage is that old-style Internet calling required users to be sitting in front of a computer or hooked up to a laptop to make calls. Mobile phones with Wi-Fi chips free them from their PCs.

Ivan Domaniewicz, a commercial airline pilot with homes in Miami and Barcelona, recently switched to DeFi Mobile from Skype. His $40-a-month DeFi plan gives him unlimited Internet calls, voice mail and phone numbers in Argentina and Spain that are automatically transferred to his Nokia phone.

“It’s really helped me keep in touch with my family and friends in Argentina and Spain,” said Domaniewicz, who shuttles between the United States, Japan, Europe and the South Pacific.

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Now this news seems to be quite an interesting and neccessary news for present times. With so much traffic, accidents, blockades, the £1.8million project is the first in Europe to use high-security WiMax radio frequencies from the Ministry of Defence to share travel information.

A website and mobile phone service have been set up to display maps of the town, with constantly updated news about accidents and delays. They will be providing the users with real time information about travelling. It will be able to help you in lots of ways like

Marc Allen, ITS manager for Reading Borough Council, said: “It will help people get the information they want. If you wanted to go into town to pick someone up from the station, you could register to get an email or text to let you know if the train was delayed.”

The system also provides up-to-date information on which car parks have spaces, what’s on at the cinema, where the nearest cashpoints, post offices and bus stops are and details of local attractions.

Ron McDonald, from consulting engineers Peter Brett Associates, said: “You can find out how to get from your origin to your destination with real time information, so if something changes and there is a problem, you can be told the next best solution to get to your destination. What we’ve tried to demonstrate is the benefit of the application of the latest communication technology to local authority provided services. This is about using RBC’s data to enable more efficient delivery of goods and services in Reading.”

The £1.8million project is the first in Europe to use high-security WiMax radio frequencies from the Ministry of Defence to share travel information.

A website and mobile phone service have been set up to display maps of the town, with constantly updated news about accidents and delays.

Marc Allen, ITS manager for Reading Borough Council, said: “It will help people get the information they want. If you wanted to go into town to pick someone up from the station, you could register to get an email or text to let you know if the train was delayed.”

The system also provides up-to-date information on which car parks have spaces, what’s on at the cinema, where the nearest cashpoints, post offices and bus stops are and details of local attractions.

Ron McDonald, from consulting engineers Peter Brett Associates, said: “You can find out how to get from your origin to your destination with real time information, so if something changes and there is a problem, you can be told the next best solution to get to your destination. What we’ve tried to demonstrate is the benefit of the application of the latest communication technology to local authority provided services. This is about using RBC’s data to enable more efficient delivery of goods and services in Reading.”

How to get it

Seems cool right? The trial started last year and combined the short-wave WiMAX frequency with Wi-Fi and mobile phone 3G communications services.

To see the information maps visit www.reading-travelinfo.co.uk or get it on most Java-enabled phones by texting “metro” to 60070 for the cost of a text.

Source: The Reading Chronicle

Are you again dreading your long car journey? Well we bring you a nice game that can keep you busy and involved in one of the most popular title of 3D MiniGolf.

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The game is compatible with the below devices.

Reading an article on “Business Daily” describes how people still find it unbelievable that mobile phone is the upcoming companion which will now be avialable during your air plane trip.

“When Grace Maina embarked on a three-day trip through Europe, she expected to be exhausted after adhering to her hectic schedule. She did not count on encountering a new inconvenience – having to endure an upsurge in mobile phone use while on board.

“I just couldn’t believe it,” said the 65-year- old housewife, “Everyone was on their mobile phone before the plane took off and right when it landed.  It was  scary – I thought mobile phones were banned on planes due to safety reasons. I felt my space had been invaded,” she said.

In coming months, Mrs Maina and several other passengers on flights around the world will have to accommodate a new companion on their flights - the mobile phone.

After years of research into the safety of mobile phones on planes, use of the gadgets has finally been approved in one of the last frontiers of ‘unconnectedness’ – the aeroplane.

Earlier this year, airlines plying European routes launched full mobile services for passengers through a collaboration with Aeromobile, a company that provides solutions for the mobile sector.

In April this year, Emirates and Air France introduced mobile services on their flights, signalling the growing acceptance of the trend by the industry’s leading lights.

Research has revealed that the practice is not dangerous as previously thought, and up to 52 per cent of passengers are said to be happy with the concept of talking while enroute to their destination.

We believe that the ability to communicate efficiently and safely when on board will become an every-day feature for business and leisure travellers soon,” said Aeromobile’s Chief Executive Bjorn-Taale Sandberg.

Mr Sandberg’s company, Aeromobile, developed the technology that allows mobiles on planes to successfully communicate with ground base stations allowing for seamless conversation time while en route. Rather than being welcomed with open arms, the gadget may find a new obstacle in fliers like Mrs Maina, who prefer to keep their flights communication-free.

Twenty-nine per cent of consumers would be happy to play games found on their mobile phones, indicating that users might be satisfied with just being able to use mobile phones for entertainment rather than conversational purposes.

However, for many fliers and indeed airlines, confusion still reigns on what mobile connectivity in the air means.  Differing standards for airlines means the rules are still unclear on mobile use in the air.

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This is a holy month for all muslims where they observe fast of Ramadan.Observing it with full sincerity from sun up-to-sun down, muslims practise self discipline in keeping themselves away from food, drink and other pleasures.

Ramadan encourages people to think about those who remain hungry every day. It’s the month when people pay zakkat to needy around them.It is a great time to obstain from all bad deeds you do, and live life in a way that God will like. At the end of this month, muslims celebrate Eid, one of the most important festivities for muslims

Found an interesting post for you all on NewYork Times..so couldnt wait and post it for you. See how the search engine giant has dominated the world in just 10 years…Me shocked…R u tooo?

Google applied for incorporation as a business 10 years ago Thursday, according to a timeline supplied by the company. The application was accepted on Sept. 7, which is Sunday.

In that decade, the search engine company has quickly emerged as the most successful business on the Web, and many expect it to dominate the next era of computing as thoroughly as Microsoft dominated the era of personal computers.

Here’s a quick snapshot of Google by the numbers along with some comparisons to Microsoft. The sources of the data are the companies, Yahoo Finance and comScore.

Google’s age: 10
Microsoft’s age: 33

Google’s revenue in the last 4 quarters: $19.6 billion
Microsoft’s revenue in the last 4 quarters: $60.4 billion

Microsoft’s revenue at age 10: $140 million
($279 million in today’s dollars)

Google’s revenue per hour in the last 4 quarters: $2.2 million
Microsoft’s revenue per hour in the last 4 quarters: $6.9 million

Google net income in the last 4 quarters: $4.85 billion
Microsoft’s net income in the last 4 quarters: $17.6 billion

Google employees, as of June 30th: 19,604
Microsoft employees, as of May 31st: 89,809

Google’s revenue per employee: $1 million
Microsoft revenue per employee: $672,000

Market value of Google: $142 billion
Market value of Microsoft: $241 billion

Number of tech companies with a market value larger than Google’s: 3 (Microsoft, IBM and Apple, in that order)

Worldwide searches on Google in July: 48.7 billion
Worldwide searches on Microsoft in July: 2.3 billion

Worldwide searches per hour on Google in July: 65 million
Worldwide searches per hour on Microsoft in July: 3.1 million

Whenever we go into a new country where we have not been before, finding places is an important issue. Efficasoft GPS is the best and mobile GPS solution for your Symbian handset! Get free map navigation, digital compass, speedometer and alot more.

Features

• Designed GPS information overview.
• Free image map real-time navigation. (Advanced caching technology supports fast map operation & ULTRA LARGE map image)
• “Go To” function - define your destinations and be guided all the way with distance, TTA, direction guider, proximity alert…
• World map view navigation with free-scale zooming.
• Digital speedometer & customizable speed alarms.
• Two-mode digital compass with dest. information display.
• Customizable track logger & trip statistics.
• Waypoint & POI Manager + 30+ pre-defined POI icons.
• Night view mode, fast 0~7 view switch.
• Advanced smooth animation effects.
• Advanced “5 Sec. Average” and “Kalman Filter” processors for high precision navigation.
• Supports all Bluetooth NMEA0183 GPS receivers. Auto detects Bluetooth GPS receivers.

Olympics has given a boost to lots of things like economic & technological development. Watching an exciting race on mobile, is i bet a great experience for all. You can catch the updates, whenever and wherever you are.

Mobile TV Olympics is the first time to apply mobile TV in the Olympic history. Reporters was informed from the China Mobile Group that by August 19, more than 1 million people watch Olympic video through China’s mobile network, the programmes clicks were nearly 7 million, a total of more than 0.3 million hours, and with substantial concessions on the Mobile Charges of mobile TV in Chongqing, the cost of watching one hour TV mobile phone was only about 0.18 yuan, many people have begun to try this new audio-visual form.

A universal opportunity for mobile multimedia

According to data announced by China Mobile, the opening day on August 8, nearly 200,000 mobile phone users in China TV Olympic zones, than the day before suddenly grew by more than doubled. China Mobile also launched a dedicated mobile TV software, as at present, the software has been downloaded 30 million times.

“China Mobile joint Chongqing SVA Group provided a mobile TV Olympic Zone, and the Olympic cities in the domestic TD-SCDMA standard 3 G can also offer mobile TV service, these are the Olympic Games through the machine for the phone to prepare for all audiovisual services.” Chongqing Mobile, a person in charge said that as the service is the initial stage, the specific number of users has not yet statistics, but the use of the increasing trend will continue.

30% Internet users to use mobile phones

CNNIC and the Research Department of the development of the Internet, analysts said the current 253 million Internet users, the use of the Internet phone number of Internet users has reached 73.05 million, accounting for all of the 28.9 percent of Internet users.

” The Internet users who used a mobile phone, the age groups bellow 30 accounted for 86 percent.” The person said, cell phone standard, the rich level of media content, accessing speed and charges all affect the number of mobile Internet users. For example, the decreased charge during the Olympic Games have significantly promoted the increase of clients, but he thought it needed time to realize the real popularity of mobile Internet.

Found this useful post titled as “FAMILY TRAVEL: Surviving a road trip - with kids” on Newsday.com where the writer has suggested some tips to make the road trip less boring and dull for kids.

Whatever we may say, but driving on wheels is still the cheapest way to travel. Although it’s difficult to convince your family but when you do so, make sure you make it interesting for them.

As the writer proceeds, keep these tips in mind.

*Maybe the kids’ groaning can be kept to a minimum if you let them help plan the route - and fun stops along the way.
*Visit the official Web site for the state you will be touring (or driving through) and see their top picks for the kids.
*Just don’t expect the kids to check out the scenery along the way. You’ll be lucky if they look up from their video games and DVDs to notice, much less talk to, you.(interesting right and we never think of that)
*For younger ones, you’ll want a grab bag of inexpensive little toys (hand one out when you pass each state line or the going will get really rough).
*Invite older kids to help you check out the car before you get on the road - the fluid levels, the wipers and the tire pressure. Do you have road maps? The kids may prove to be the best navigators in the bunch.

*Picnics are more fun, healthier and less stressful than corralling kids to sit in a restaurant after being in a car for hours

The main point is get the children involved, make them enjoy every bit of the trip, so that they create less trouble for you.

If you are crazy about mobile industry like me, then i introduce you to one of the most greatest event of Future of Mobile. Scheduled to take place on 17-18Nov 08 in London, Kensington Town Hall, featuring all best speakers of the industry.

This year, the event will focus on some important below points like

*How will the threats and opportunities of increased openness affect you?
*What is the future of mobile operating systems?
*How to gain adoption of your apps in emerging markets
*How you’ll be affected by Google’s latest moves in mobile
*Expert analysis of new mobile services worldwide
*Ideas and tactics for breaking down the barriers inhibiting mobile start-ups

Check out more details on the event now

http://future-of-mobile.com/2008/london/

Get your tickets now because there is a very attractive early bird offer of £100 discount on conference and conference/workshop tickets. And student tickets are just £45 for bona fide full-time students.

The site is represented in a lively blue and green theme, making the event details refreshing for its readers.