MagicBricks.com Launches Mobile Site

Times Business Solutions owned realty classifieds website MagicBricks.com has launched a mobile website MagicBricks Mobile.

The website is now customised for mobile screens and GPRS-enabled mobile users can now search for properties to buy or rent based on property type, budget, city, locality, bedrooms and property ownership. They can also view details of interesting property listings from their cell phones.

The website offers a tabbed browsing interface so users can refine the results with a single click. It also has a locality-based price-trends feature “QonQ” that is now accessible on the mobile. Users can instantly connect with brokers and owners by text messaging or calling the numbers listed by the classifieds site.

“Now with enhanced UI and Navigation, intuitive refine and search options, property seekers can now find their dream home and contact the seller, within seconds from their cell phone,” said Sudhir Pai, Business Head, MagicBricks.com in a statement.

The site is free of heavy images and animations so mobile users can browse faster and will not require a smart phone.

Users can also opt for free SMS alerts and send free SMSs to any property owner from the mobile site.

MagicBricks Mobile will serve up results for 3000 commercial and residential projects across India.

The HTC HD Mini Offers With a Wealth of Technology

The HTC HD Mini is a compact unit that manages to incorporate a wide range of useful technology into a small casing. The handset is only 103 mm x 57 mm wide and is 11 mm thick. It offers effective functionality by virtue of its Qualcomm 7227 600 MHz processor and Microsoft Windows mobile 6.5.3 professional operating system.

The handset comes with an impressively vibrant 3.2 inch TFT touch screen that displays 65,000 colours and their variants within a screen which is 320 x 480 pixels in size. Thehandset also includes accelerometer and proximity sensors which automate certain tasks including automatic shutdown, to save battery power and image aspect orientation. As its primary means of navigation, the touch screen utilises the sense user interface which is aneffective multi-touch input method that is both responsive and efficient.

The phones 384 MB of internal memory is supplemented by the fact that the integrated microSD card slot can be utilised to increase memory storage capacity up to 16 GB. Thehandset provides a myriad of connectivity options which include GPRS and EDGE, both of which are class 10 in addition to the integrated blue tooth and micro USB connections. For those who require internet access, this is available by virtue of the Wi Fi and HSDPA connections with speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps available. The GPS function which comes with A-GPS support offers satellite navigation as standard.

Audio and visual entertainment is offered by virtue of the included stereo FM radio and MP4/MP3 media player. The radio comes with RDS capabilities whilst the media player supports all major audio and video file formats. In addition several games are also included, providing additional entertainment options. Thishandset also provides social media integration in the form of Facebook, Flickr and twitter applications.

The HTC HD Mini, is an effective handset, that bears similarities to its sister handset the HTC HD2. The premise behind this mini version of the popular handset is the fact that it squeezes into a small and compact body, a wide array of useful technology that provides the means to perform numerous tasks whilst on the move.

Nokia launches five new Ultimate mobile phones

Nokia Life Tools, the service which gives consumers in small towns and rural areas the ability to get a range of livelihood and life-improvement services on their mobile phones, will launch in Indonesia in early December 2009. Nokia also announced five new affordable and easy-to-use phones which will support Nokia Life Tools, and these phones will also be available globally.

“Following the successful launch of Nokia Life Tools in India, where people are getting the benefits of vital information sent directly to their mobile phones, we are pleased to bring this service toconsumers in Indonesia,” said Dieter May, Vice President, Emerging Markets, Nokia. “Inform, Involve, Empower -- the vision of Nokia Life Tools -- applies no matter where it’s implemented. With the number of devices that Nokia Life Tools supports, including the five new phones we are announcing today, we are giving people the solution that suits them the most.”




 

Five new mobile phones designed for consumers in emerging markets

With affordability and ease of use as the cornerstones of solutions for emerging markets, the five new Nokia phones -- Nokia 1280, Nokia 1616, Nokia 1800, Nokia 2220 slide and Nokia 2690 -- support Nokia Life Tools, and bring with them all the features that consumers around the world have come to expect.

Priced at EUR 20, EUR 24 and EUR 26 respectively (before taxes and subsidies), the Nokia 1280, Nokia 1616 and Nokia 1800 support FM radio, prepaid tracker, flashlight, anti-scratch cover and dust-resistant keymat, among other features. The long battery life, with up to 22 days of standby time, is vital for people in areas where access to electricity is limited.
Nokia launches five new affordable mobile phones Nokia launches five new affordable mobile phones Nokia launches five new affordable mobile phones

The Nokia 2220 slide and the Nokia 2690, priced at EUR 45 and EUR 54 (before taxes and subsidies), also support email on the device through Ovi Mail, giving people in developing markets their first digital identity directly from their handsets. Ovi Mail accounts can be created on the device and people can start sending and receiving emails without ever needing a PC. Other device features include FM radio, VGA camera, GPRS and MMS support, phone books for up to 1,000 contacts, and Bluetooth. Standby times for theNokia 2220 slide and Nokia 2690 are about 20 days and 13 days respectively.
Nokia launches five new affordable mobile phones Nokia launches five new affordable mobile phones

The first of the five new mobile phones will begin shipping before the end of 2009, with others expected to start shipping in the first half of 2010.

Nokia Life Tools in Indonesia

Nokia Life Tools will be available across Indonesia from early December 2009, with the Agriculture service available for Java and Sumatra at the first stage, and Education and Entertainment services available nation-wide.

Consumers will be able to subscribe to Agriculture, Education and Entertainment information and content. Nokia is collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture (Departemen Pertanian Republik Indonesia), the Center of Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics (BMKG), Synovate and other industry partners to bring valuable agriculture information, prices, news and tips directly toconsumers.

The Agriculture service will be available for commodities beginning with crops, livestock, horticulture and fisheries. Consumers will be able to subscribe to three of the most commonly grown commodities in their region. Also included in the Agriculture component are weather services, price services, and frequent agriculture news and tips.

The Education service features Learn English, General Knowledge and Test Preparation. Learn English has three levels of expertise with focus on English language fundamentals. General Knowledge will be primarily related to the province where one lives, as well as containing information at the national and international levels. Test Preparation will offer services at the Junior High School and Senior High School levels.

The Entertainment service features a range of mobile entertainment content, including news, music, comics, jokes, astrology, movie news and reviews. The content will be available toconsumers via subscription and/or on-demand.

At launch, customers of Telkomsel, Indosat, XL and Hutch (3) will be able to subscribe to Nokia Life Tools services. Nokia Life Tools will first be available on the Nokia 2323 classic, Nokia 2330 classic and Nokia 2700 classic in Indonesia. Aside from the 11 handsets which will come pre-loaded with Nokia Life Tools, the service will become downloadable on more phones later.

Nokia Life Tools services use an icon-based, graphically rich user interface that comes complete with tables and which displays information simultaneously in two languages. Behind this rich interface that comes out of the box on all Life Tools-enabled handsets, SMS is used to deliver the critical information to ensure that this service works wherever a mobile phone works, without the hassles of additional settings or the need for GPRS coverage.

Top 10 Cell Phones

Need a break from your laptop? These productivity phones offer a lot more than the ability to make calls. Here are the 10 best smart phones available today, according to PC World Test Center reviews.

1. RIM BlackBerry Pearl 8120 (T-Mobile)
Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, OS Supported: OS:Proprietary, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 10:00,

Bottom Line: Sleek Pearl lets consumers use Wi-Fi to boost call quality where cell signals falter.
Price When Reviewed: $200

2. Motorola Motozine ZN5
Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, OS Supported: OS:Proprietary, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 10:00,

Bottom Line: Inexpensive phone has a high-quality camera, but speed and design are compromised.
Price When Reviewed: $200

3. Samsung Omnia
Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:Verizon, OS Supported: OS:Windows Mobile, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 10:00,

Bottom Line: A versatile and stylish phone that is hindered by a sluggish interface.
Price When Reviewed: $200

4. RIM BlackBerry 8320
Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, OS Supported: OS:Proprietary, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 10:00,

Bottom Line: Voice-over-Wi-Fi feature makes an excellent phone even better.
Price When Reviewed: $200

5. T-Mobile G1
Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, OS Supported: OS:Proprietary, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 5:51,

Bottom Line: The G1 has great call quality and does a good job of melding hardware with the Android operating system.
Price When Reviewed: $180

6. Palm Pre
Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:Sprint, OS Supported: OS:Proprietary, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 5:17,

Bottom Line: The Pre's webOS software is touch-friendly and fun, but the cramped QWERTY keyboard detracts from the phone's usability.
Price When Reviewed: $200

7. Apple iPhone 3G
Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:AT&T, OS Supported: OS:Mac OS, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 5:38,

Bottom Line: With a lower price, 3G radio, and GPS, this smart phone is in a class by itself.
Price When Reviewed: $200

8. RIM Blackberry Bold
Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:AT&T, OS Supported: OS:Proprietary, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 7:56,

Bottom Line: The BlackBerry Bold almost lives up to its name with a stunning design, but its mediocre call quality and camera hold it back.
Price When Reviewed: $400

9. T-Mobile Dash (Windows Mobile 6)
Design: Candy bar, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, OS Supported: OS:Windows Mobile, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 8:40,

Bottom Line: The upgrade to Windows Mobile 6 adds support for Microsoft's productivity applications.
Price When Reviewed: $150

10. T-Mobile Sidekick 2008
Design: Swivel, Carrier: Carrier:T-Mobile, OS Supported: OS:DangerOS, Battery Life Average (hh:mm): 8:57,

Bottom Line: A slimmer, sexier take on the Sidekick, but it's so narrowly-focused that it's only meant for kids.
Price When Reviewed: $150

PocketSurfer2: World's fastest handheld Internet device

If simplicity is what you’re looking for when doing internet on the go, then PocketSurfer2 from DataWind could be your solution. The bonus is that the product, launched by DataWind — a company set up by Indo-Canadian entrepreneur Suneet Singh Tuli — comes at a competitive cost and is bundled with free net usage of 35 hours per month for a whole year.
Dubbed as the world’s fastest handheld Internet device offering free mobile Internet access, the product addresses the common problems of slow bandwidth, small screens, insufficient memory and low processing power. The screen size is comfortable. The gadget is somewhat low on looks, but the functional advantages to some extent make up for the lack of it.
The 640-pixel full-colour wide screen is definitely better than most mobile phones when it comes to surfing on the move. There’s full HTML, graphics, Java-Script, Ajax, Frames and other web functional support. Moreover, the keyboard is bigger than most other handhelds that are used for surfing.
Besides the 35 hours of free usage per month for a full year that is bundled into the product, an unlimited usage plan is also available at just Rs 99 extra. The second year of service comes for Rs 999 with 35 hours per month for the year. While the free high speed Internet access is valid anywhere in India, the company can also upgrade the device with an international service at extra global roaming costs.
Priced at Rs 11,990 including taxes, the product definitely comes at a competitive cost. And while the device does not have multifunctionality, it’s simplicity could become an advantage for people who need to use the internet often on the move. It offers freedom from complex multifunctional mobile phones, which are very expensive and come with lots of bells and whistles.
And even for people who travel with their laptops, the PocketSurfer2 could come in handy in small spaces such as restaurants and counters. The fact that the connectivity is through a GPRS network also makes the device ubiquitous since WiFi networks are still very limited in India. The backend technology of the device is robust and the web experience is fast.
In fact, one of the features that it offers is location-based information on graphics rich maps with directions through its GPS support. The battery life of this gadget is four hours on active usage and four days on standby. It takes three hours to recharge completely. At 174 gm, the weight is just about manageable in a coat or jacket pocket.

Is Samsung Omnia Better than The iPhone for Indians?

The Indian market has been inundated with touchscreen mobile devices ever since Apple launched its iconic iPhone here in late August. South Korean electronics giant Samsung Group has launched the Omnia - a high-end entertainment phone targeted at consumers who do not mind spending excessively to get their hands on premium handsets.

The Samsung Omnia is priced at Rs 37,999 for the 24 GB version, while the 32 GB version costs Rs 39,999. Both pricing models are well above the standard iPhone cost as well as that of Nokia's N96. However Samsung remains confident of making a splash in the increasingly fashion-conscious Indian market.

The Omnia has a five mega pixel camera and is powered by Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional. The phone is completely touchscreen and also sports an optical mouse that allows easy navigation.

Other features in the Samsung Omnia include MS Office, which allows consumers access to documents in the Word and PowerPoint formats. Measuring 112 x 56.9 x 12.5 mm and weighing just 122 g, the Omnia has a high style factor and looks to target the youth segment in India.

Connectivity options include 3G, HSDPA, GPS, Bluetooth, WI-Fi, GPRS/GSM, USB, and EDGE. The phone also boasts of a battery life of 5.8 hours.

One area where the Omnia scores over the iPhone is the presence of a slew of options when it comes to sending and receiving text messages. For the text crazy Indians, the iPhone offers nothing. Sure, it is a great corporate gadget and may be even a great personal gadget, but the absence of multiple contacts for SMS and the facility to forward a text message make it a liability for Indians who are SMS obsessed.

The Samsung Omnia has all text messaging facilities including SMS, MMS, Email and Instant message. This feature may just tilt the balance in Samsung's favor as the holiday season rapidly approaches in India.

When will the iPhone 3G hit the Indian streets?

The much-awaited news about iPhone 3G’s availability in India is out: Bharti Airtel announced that it will launch the iPhone 3G in India on August 22.

iPhone 3G combines all the features of iPhone plus offers 3G networking. It has built-in GPS for expanded location-based mobile services, and iPhone 2.0 software which includes support for Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, and runs hundreds of third-party applications.

“iPhone has been the iconic technology revelation of this year," said Sanjay Kapoor, president of Mobile Services at Bharti Airtel. “Airtel has been at the forefront of innovation and customer delight in the Indian telecom sector. Introducing iPhone 3G to India underscores our commitment to enrich the communication experience of all Airtel users.”

Customers will be able to purchase iPhone 3G at Airtel Relationship Centers. Details of pricing will be announced soon; for now, it seems Airtel wants to retain some sense of mystery, and speculation, that's been built up around the iPhone 3G's launch in India. And what better way to do it than by keeping the consumers guessing about the price!

3G services to enhance Indian mobile industry

3G service to provide wide range of applications along with faster communication.

Communications Minister A. Raja Friday announced the much awaited guidelines for the auction of spectrum, or airwaves, to launch third-generation (3G) mobile phone services in the country.

The 3G service will not only allow much faster communications but also a wide range of applications such as high-speed net access, video calls, fast music and video downloads, interactive gaming and global positioning over internet.

"Spectrum in 2.1 GHz band will be allocated for 3G telecom services throughout the country," Raja told a press conference here, adding some 60 MHz of spectrum was available for wireless telephony in the country.

"We may give licenses to up to 10 operators. It depends on the availability of spectrum. Initially, we will have five players. In Delhi and Mumbai, there will be two operators only. The validity of the license will be 20 years."

He said a reserve price of Rs.1.6 billion ($40 million) had been fixed for Delhi, Mumbai and all 'A' category circles, half that for Kolkata and 'B' category circles and Rs.300 million ($7.5 million) for category 'C' circles.

The base price would add up to Rs.28 billion for an all-India licence and the government expects to earn more than Rs.300 billion ($7.5 billion) from the auction of spectrum for 3G services.

State-run Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Ltd (MTNL) that provides telecom services in Delhi and Mumbai, and Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL), which caters to the rest of the country, need not bid for spectrum but have to pay the highest price.

Raja said his ministry was also in talks with National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan, who has been entrusted with the task of finding out how much of the spectrum available with the defense forces can be used for civilian purposes.

"Once the armed forces release spectrum, we may accommodate more operators for 3G services."

Global telecom companies and new entrants in the industry can also bid but they will have to pay an entry fee for the cost of a telecom license over and above their bid price for the spectrum auction.

"We welcome the government's announcement of its 3G policy and believe this will benefit the entire wireless communications ecosystem," said Kanwalinder Singh, president for India operations of Qualcomm - a major player in 3G industry.

"3G will bring efficient voice and rich data services to Indian consumers."

The first 3G networks were rolled out in Japan in 2001 and since then, over 71 countries have adopted some form of the technology. Many mobile phone subscribers in India - who number 286.86 million today - have been keenly awaiting the launch of 3G services.