Symbian Mobile Phone Blog

Thinking outside the search box

I remember when the idea of a search engine was a novelty. Maybe 12-15 years ago, when a new search engine (like dogpile or ask jeeves) came out it would generate a pretty substantial buzz, maybe even making it onto mainstream news sources. Now your website is basically trash if it doesn't include at least an internal search engine. The technology has just exploded to encompass multiple world wide web search engines, some with a specific focus or features that others don't have.

One thing that's missing from most of the engines I've checked out, however, is a graphical interface. Digg Labs has some great visualizations but they're not really a search engine and, although the visualizations provide much-needed respite from the monotony of text-only listings (that's one reason I dis prefer reddit as a news source) they don't really add functionality to your search options.

What about a fresh approach, something new?  Check out the Your Ergo! It's actually a download-able program. Mostly I prefer to keep my bits and bytes on the web, with the notable exception of Google Earth. But Ergo's search engine is worth installing an extra program. It's a perfect match between eye candy and functional efficiency. The download is free, but if you need support you'll most likely have to fork over some cash. But it's so easy to use, unless you confuse a laptop with a waffle maker you probably won't have any difficulty.

This is truly a revolutionary program and if you use it to its full potential it has the potential to enhance the way you interact with the world wide web and your home PC. Unfortunately, no Mac or Linux version seems to be available, but perhaps that will change in the future. Happy searching!

1989 - Centel - first cell phone ad!

Want to go on a time travel back to the days when having a mobile phone instantly gave you an elite status and they cost an arm and a leg (oh yeah, big hair and polyester hadn't yet really worked its way out of the mainstream either)? JUST HIT PLAY!

Building a Cell-Phone Interceptor

Every once in a while, a do-it-yourself comes along that seems intriguing enough that you just might have to try to build it and see if it works as advertised.  The eves-dropping device in this video is once such project!  Kudos for creativity on that one, and oh, if you're a person who has sensual phone calls with your significant other, you might want to keep this video in mind before your next telecom-enabled rendezvous!

Cellular Ringtones

We've come a long way since Tupac Shakur wrote the prophetic line: "They get jealous when they see you witcha mobile phone." Back then he was probably talking about a car phone, and I doubt he had any cool ringtones to sample in his rap. Now, the traditional ringtones that come bundled with your phone are just not sufficient- you'll want to personalize, right down to the point where if someone calls you they'll be able to listen to a song instead of hearing digital bleeps.

What's all the hype, you might ask?  There's a good article on wikipedia if you need to answer the question "What is a ringtone?". It has basic information and goes into a bit of depth in the technical aspects. The line is blurring between ringtones and music as phones such as the iPhone gain stake in the market and more people feel the need to express their personalities through their cellular phones.

Did you know that you can download a ringtone that some people can't hear?  It's called a mosquito ringtone, I suppose because mosquitos emit very high-pitched sounds that are sometimes difficult to hear. The best application I can think of for mosquito ringtones is to send and receive text messages in class, although the vibrate function works for the most part. If you frequently miss calls and/or text messages because you don't pay attention to the vibrations, you can get a free ringtone that other people can't hear!

There are various categories of mosquito ringtones based on your age group. Younger people can most always hear sounds that are higher than older people, so if your cell phone is equipped to handle a mosquito ringtone you should check it out- there's no reason not to. It will make your life a lot easier when you get a call you've been waiting for and, instead of disturbing a meeting or classroom, you can stealthily sneak to the bathroom and answer the call.

How to pick the right cell phone

There's a few reasons you might want a new cell phone. Maybe you've had yours for 3 years, it's as big as a banana and most of the buttons don't work. Perchance you just dropped it in the toilet and your insurance policy doesn't cover water damage. Or maybe it's just too simple and you have a little extra money lying around- you want an upgrade.

Assuming you don't work for a cell phone retailer and you're not looking for a hand-me-down (which can be very hard to find, especially since cell phone carriers are in the business of making sure you can't do that, so that you'll have to belly up to the bar) you'll probably need some guidance since there are so many phone models available right now with a range of options and features.

Some of the different things you might want to think about before you even go to the store: How much am I willing to spend on a phone? Do I need a camera on it? If so, do I need a video camera? Am I going to be sending many text messages? If so, do I want to look for a model with a more expansive keyboard than the traditional 9 keys?

Once you've answered these basic questions, it might be time to narrow down your options based on brand names. Different manufacturers are based in various countries and a quick search will tell you more than enough about their professional ethics. Alternatively, you could just check out a website including cell phone news and reviews, it'll give you a list of phones to consider.

Make your decision wisely, because you'll probably have to stick with it. No one wants to buy a used cell phone, and once you've used it for a while it will be difficult to return it to the place you bought it. My advice is to take someone else's word for it. There is plenty of information out there if you look hard enough.

Nokia Morph Concept Phone

Can your fancy n95 or iPhone be scruntched up into a compact, portable sphere or stretch flat into the shape of a keyboard?

Nokia has unveiled a "concept phone" bearing about as much practicality as you might find with your average concept car!  The truth is that with advances being brought about with nano-technology, a science-fiction device such as this could really come to exist in the near-term future.

Overall it definitely looks like it would be an uber-cool piece of gagetry.  A survey was recently done of the American public that concluded that in terms of morality & ethics most people bundle nanotechnology with the likes of stem cell research and human cloning.  This is obviously a misperception that will have to be corrected if nanotech is to take off and make its way to our beloved cell phones.

The long version of the Morph concept video is on the detail page for this post.

Rapid News on the Wii Console

A hack has just been announced that takes advantage of a game state save feature found in Zelda Twilight Princess that allows for the execution of "arbitrary code" - this is a jackpot security vulnerability in any computer system or application.

Since this exploit has been discovered, a USB-stick distribution of Linux is now circulating around on the net that can be fired up using the Twilight Princess update -- this is a major leap in the Wii on Linux movement which has been gaining ground as a new hobbiest community (and akin to groups in the past that have brought linux to the other major gaming consoles in the months-and-years past).

In addition to this "poc" linux distribution, an mp3-player application and a myriad of emulators for various Nintendo consoles are also working on the Wii (namely, Snes9x).

Also just released, is a firmware update for the Wii from Nintendo!  While the details of this firmware have not yet been fully disclosed (or analyzed by the hobbiest community to see what the implications of these exploits are on this firmware update), it reportedly does not interfere with these new-found exploits.  It does beaconing users to perform the upgrade by illuminating the optical disc slot lit with its blue glow.

My Trip To Israel - Thinking About Telecommunications

Lately I've realized that I need to go off the grid. I had this really bad cell phone that doesn't work half the time, and I needed to charge it up pretty frequently. I lost it at the worst time possible- I was away from home, visiting friends I needed to contact. Luckily I remembered their numbers but I had to use a payphone.

Looking back on the experience and looking forward to a trip to Israel this summer, I am considering my options: I could buy another cell phone, pay the exorbidant full price or extend my contract another two years to get a discount. What a disaster, the cell phone company has me hostage. I could try to find a used phone but to find one with a simcard would be hard.

My only other options for telephone use are to get a prepaid phone or to get a phone card. The trouble with a prepaid is that I have no idea what the fine print of contracts says (I don't have time for such details) and I suspect that my minutes might wear down quickly.

If I had had a calling card when I lost my phone I would not have been under such duress as to need to withdraw cash from an ATM just to get change to use the phone. I would have felt a lot better knowing I have some way to make a phone call without asking to borrow someone else's.

I am planning a trip to Israel this summer and I will probably want to make at least a couple of phone calls while I'm there, although I usually don't make calls when I'm on vacation. Another problem with a prepaid phone is that I don't know whether it will work overseas. So I'm probably just gonna check out some international calling cards to see how expensive they would be. Probably not difficult to use and rather cheap in today's world of high connectivity and infrastructure.

Japan launches high bandwidth sattelite

The Japanese have launched a rocket carrying a test technology that promises to deliver "super high-speed Internet" around the world.

The rocket carryed the WINDS satellite -- a joint project of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.

The technology is used with small dishes would connect to the Internet similar to other satellite options.

Satellite could offer speeds of up to 1.2 gigabytes per second, if this is true, it would be remarkable.  There are many factors related to using satellites as a connection technology problematic.  The most pronounced (depending on the network application of course) would be latency in sending & receiving packets.  This would make using voice over ip difficult.

Another major challenge in the use of satellites is air coverage.  Because a bird is constantly in high speed motion over the earth, they aren't able to receive signals from transponders which are on the opposite side of the globe.  Generally, this problem has been solved by launching a network of satellites and configuring their orbital path to ensure there is always at least a single satellite able to "see" the service coverage area the system is targeting.

Apparently, this system is said to be usable world-wide which could mean the Japanese will need to make a huge capital investment to build the birds necessary to ensure complete service area coverage.

Free Spyware and Virus Protection

Lots of times our problems in life are linked to one another.  Maybe one night you were feeling lonely and you decided to sign up for a free online Texas Hold ‘em Dating Service.  Trust me, there are plenty of those out there.  So you downloaded a program that had a nasty virus on it. The dating service mined all your personal data from your computer and now your arch-nemesis knows where your girlfriend lives.  He is planning to send her a box of wilted roses with your forged signature on the card for Valentine’s Day.  He has frozen your credit cards from an offshore location, and there’s also a flaming bag of dog poo on your front porch. 

Have you ever wondered where to download free Norton anti-virus programs?  If you had wondered that a little sooner your life would be in much better shape.  One thing leads to another, and if you don’t have your technological ducks in a row you can go from a bright, sunshiny day to a dismal day in the medieval Balkans very quickly.  Don’t let your skepticism or self-reliance stop you from downloading free Norton anti-virus software.  It will make your browser perform faster and your brow can take a break from its furrows. 

Alternatively, you could put your faith in open source firewalls or anti-virus protection.  Some of the programs even update their software from time to time, although there is no guarantee that you’ll be abreast of all the latest booby traps that hackers have cooked up. Our recommendation: if you use Windows or Macintosh, you’ll definitely want some commercially distributed security software.