Phone New Update: July 2009

Lenovo IdeaPad S12

Unfortunately, there's nothing game changing about Lenovo IdeaPad S12's looks. While the design made up of glossy plastics and embedded circular patterns is tastefully done, it's been done before by the likes of the HP Mini 110 and Mini 1000. Its hues white and black aren't as varied as the colorful offerings of the Dell Mini 12, although it's not as plain looking as the Samsung NC20.

Lenovo IdeaPad S12 is now officially the heaviest netbook on the block, tipping the scales at 3.5 pounds (the dv2-1030us weighs 3.8 pounds, but HP refuses to call it a netbook). The extended 52 Wh battery is a major reason why it's heavier than your average netbook the rest has to do with its dimensions, as the S12 measures 11.5 by 9.2 by 1.2 inches (HWD). The NC20 is a bit smaller (11.5 by 8.5 by 1.2 inches), while the Dell Mini 12 (11.8 by 9 by 0.75 inches) is the thinnest among this 12 inch group.

Picky netbook users will be drawn to its 12 inch widescreen, questioning whether it's a netbook. The size of the screen and its 1.280 by 800 resolution don't suffer the same limitations as a 10 inch screen with a 1,024 by 600 resolution (scrolling, for instance, is minimized with long web pages and Adobe's Photoshop CS series has a 1.024 by 768 resolution requirement). It's not unusual, though, as all of its 12 inch peers possess the same screen characteristics.

The typing experience, however, does stand out. Its full size keyboard eclipses the 92% ones of the Dell Mini 12 and the HP dv2. It's on a par with the NC20's full size keyboard, with the slight edge going to the former's noise free mouse buttons. A bigger than normal netbook frame has its advantages, especially with cramming in features. The S12's three USB ports, Ethernet, VGA, an integrated Webcam, and a 4 in 1 memory card reader are standard netbook parts.

What makes it stand out among its 12 inch counterparts is the ExpressCard 34 slot. This slot, which can enable luxuries such as 3G wireless, extra USB ports, FireWire, and Serial port, can be a handy commodity for road warriors. The Lenovo IdeaPad S10 (Red) and HP Mini 2140 are the only other netbooks that carry this slot, but they're miniature frames causes them to lose a third USB port.

Alienware M17x

The 17 inch widescreen, which is usually a sight to behold on a gaming laptop, is one of the M17x's weaker points. While the intense brightness levels (backed by two CCFL lamps) and awe inspiring 1.920 by 1.200 resolution are top notch, the screen itself has the characteristics of a mirror. The glare is magnified because the entire screen including the surrounding black borders is covered in glass. Half the time I was trying not to take notice of my reflection.

Changing the black Alienware background and minimizing surrounding light sources should help reduce glare. It's a departure from the boxy look of gaming laptops like the Falcon Northwest Fragbook DRX and Gateway P-7808u FX Edition, as the M17x's front side slopes downward at 45 degrees. Likewise, the back of the unit has a reverse slope, giving the entire frame a weird rhomboid look. The shape of the system is accentuated by an all metallic ensemble.

Gaming systems like the Sager NP8662 use a brushed aluminum lid, with plastics making up its base the M17x is completely covered in metals, and is more elegant than any other gaming laptop I've reviewed, though not impervious to the scratches and smudges that are all too common on plastic frames. You'd be hard pressed to find any exposed screws on its underside (Alienware M17x has them tucked away neatly). It's a heavy system, too, because of the heavy metals.

Alienware M17x tips the scales at 12.5 pounds, about half a pound heavier than the monstrous Fragbook DRX (12 lbs). In fact, it's one of the heaviest gaming laptops, outweighing even the P-7808u (8.9 lbs) and the Asus G71G-Q1 (9.1 lbs). Every vent, button, and key is implanted with LED lighting. The illuminated keyboard and the LED lining around the touch-pad are in plain sight and leap out at you. Upon closer inspection, you'll notice that the power button, the feather touch keys, and its signature alien head logo are also illuminated.

Even more brilliant is that each of these pieces can be coordinated with up to 20 different colors. The keyboard and adjacent numeric keypad themselves are separated into four quadrants, each of which can be infused with a different color. All of this is done through Alienware's Command Center a software interface that lets you control the lighting effects, among other system settings. The full size keyboard and the textured touch-pad are engineered to perfection, though the mouse buttons should've been less resistant.

HP Pavilion dv7

At 10.9 by 16.2 by 1.4 inches (HWD) and weighing 8.4 pounds with and 7.3 pounds without its AC adapter, HP Pavilion dv7 (2173cl) is wide enough for a full sized keyboard with separate numeric keypad, although the former's Insert and Delete keys and cursor arrows are on the small side compared with their counterparts on the keypad. The keyboard has a smooth, firm typing feel and the touch-pad is precise and responsive.

The most impressive part is MediaSmart, a handsome house brand alternative to Windows Media Center for browsing photos, music, and videos, with features such as the ability to view CD covers and image folders in either a plain grid or fancy fan or arc copied from HP's TouchSmart desktop suite. HP Pavilion dv7 doesn't have a touch screen, but comes with a cute miniature remote control for MediaSmart and Windows Media Center that tucks into the system's ExpressCard slot for storage.

The least impressive part of the Pavilion dv7's software library is HP's usual assortment of crapware, including games, online service offers, and the 60-day versions of Norton Internet Security 2009 and Microsoft Office 2007 Home & Student. HP Pavilion dv7 (2173cl) has two main differences from its near twin, the HP Pavilion dv7 (2170us) available at Staples. The first tilts in the 2173cl's favor a Blu-ray player instead of a plain vanilla DVD+/-RW drive.

Combined with a capable ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4650 graphics adapter, the BD-ROM drive (which is also a LightScribe enabled CD and DVD burner) makes the 2173cl a solid high definition video platform. Above average Altec Lansing speakers with a downward firing subwoofer no thunder rumbler, but definitely fuller and less tinny than your usual notebook audio help enhance the movie viewing experience.

So does the 17.3 inch screen a brightly LED backlit panel with 1,600 by 900 resolution (HD's 16:9 aspect ratio, not the 16:10 of older 17 inch wide screens like the Dell Studio 1737's). Price presumably forbade a full 1080p resolution display, but the dv3's is crisp and colorful enough to satisfy film buffs, with an HDMI port at the ready for those seeking external HDTV playback and a FireWire 400 port for home video editors' digital camcorders. One of the system's four USB 2.0 ports doubles as an eSATA connector if additional storage is your craving.

How to call USA phone to Phone : Viatalkfree

Someone mailed me up asking some ways to call USA (phone to phone), that is he wanted to call from his mobile phone to other mobile phone.

If you wanna call USA or Canada from any part of world, I would suggest you to always use Voip and it won't cost you a penny. Yes calling this part of world is absolutely free and service is offered by many voip providers.

Today we talk about Viatalk powered website named Viatalkfree Connect. What is offers is free phone to phone calls in USA. It is a web initiated type of calling where you first have to enter your phone number then the number you want to make call.

Viatalkfree service will first call you up then it will call your destination and connect you to. You can make 10 minutes of call each time you call. You can redial the same number again and again. So, effective its a unlimited free calling service to USA. Now suppose you don't belong to USA but still wanna make use of this free service. Simple get yourself a free USA phone number and then you can use Viatalkfree.

Guys, if you also have your questions or queries, then do let me know. We can discuss them on this blog. You can post it as a comment or mail me up. I will try to find a solution for you asap.

Tuitalk free calling to India option : Minutes officially declared

Tuitalk was one of the very first voip service which started offering free calls to India. At the time it India was included in the free calling country list, we informed our blog readers. I was a big hit with large number of people all over world making free calls to India.

For those who are unaware of this service, Tuitalk offers free voip calls to about 55 countries (India included) in return of watching advertisement. You need to register with Tuitalk, fill your extended profile, download their softphone. Using the Pc application, you could make free pc to phone calls.

After few months, Tuitalk stopped offering its service from India (people can't use Tuitalk in India to make free voip calls), however still free calls to India can be made. Many people reported that Tuitalk offers the free minutes depending on the country you call. For India it was earlier 10 min per call, then it got reduced to 2 min per call.

Now Tuitalk have officially declared the free minutes call duration it offers to different countries. To India, each call will last for just 2 min with a max of just 3 calls per day. (that makes 6 minutes per day)...lol.

Well I guess this makes Tuitalk not worth for making free calls to India (2 min is too less man..). But yeah you can use Tuitalk for making calls to other countries like Sweden, USA, Turkey etc where your call would lasts for 6 min (18 min a day).

PS: You can use Tuitalk for making free calls to Australian landlines then forward your calls to India uing Freedomcalls. Check out this post on Freedomcalls to make free calls to India.

Future of Voip (Skype) in Russia

Russia is one of the countries where Voip is very popular. A large number of Russian voip pvoriders are there in this voip market. However as we all know that Voip tend to lower the calling rates, it leads to hamper the sales/profits of other telecom provider.

The Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs proposed Thursday to crack down or ban phone calls through Internet-based services like Skype and Zebra Telecom. What may be the possible reason is simple that Skype is very popluar in Russia and people prefer it over local telecom provider. So, now the officials from Russia have come to picture and trying to limit the use of Voip in Russia (The cellular giant MegaFon and Transtelecom are losing money because of Voip..).

“Most IP telephony market brands, such as Skype and ICQ, are foreign, and that is why we have to protect the domestic producer in this sphere,” RSPP said in a statement. Well the statement says it all.

So, now the future of Russian voip is in dark area now. Many people are using Russian voip provider like Flaphone (what about its future..). We will keep you updated about it.

PS: Hey guys I posted about using Flaphone for making voip calls from UAE. A similar service is offered by Myonlinecall. So you can also try that voip service.

AirtelCallhome one cent offer is back : Longer Validity

AirtelCallhome one cent offer came into market some months back (actually the call rate ain't exactly one cent but still..). The offer was not able to attract that many customers as it was expected. This was all because of the better deals other voip providers were offering.

Soon the offer expired but now the Airtel One cent offer has revived and this time with longer validity. This time too the call rate ain't effectively one cent but its about 1.67cent/min. You can call India at just effective rate of 1.67 cent/min with extended validity, superior connectivity.

First lets talk about the plans which AirtelCallhome is offering at this point of time.

India One plan : The $9.99 pack of IndiaOne has a rental of $ 3.99, on the balance $ 6 you get the rate of 1 cent /min on Local Access. Effective rate of 1.67 cent/min. This is applicable on calls terminating on any phone in India. i.e. you get an amazing 600 mins in just $ 9.99 on local access. With the extended validity , you can enjoy the talktime for 45 days. Any talk time value left after expiry of validity will be automatically forfeited.

AirtelCallhome also offers some other plans named "India Magic", "India one Max, India one Neo", "Aapno Gujrat Plan", "Airtel to Airtel Plan". Well these plan aint that attractive and I won't suggest you these plans.

Though the calling rate offerd by India one plan is not cheapest in the market, but if you like to go with a known provider then the reputation of Airtel is good. Some advantages with Airtel is that you are using a calling card so no problems of sticking with Pc while making calls. (Airtel gives local access numbers).

Are you using AirtelCallhome..? Are you satisfied with Airtel..or would like to switch..? Would you suggest AirtelCallhome to others..? Do share your views with us.

Make Voip Calls from UAE using Flaphone

UAE is one of the countries where voip is very popular. Many NRI's are living in UAE and regularly make calls to India, offcourse they understand the importance of Voip and thus use it for saving on their phone bills.

But the point is almost all voip providers are blocked in UAE. A lot many people from UAE have asked me about some way to make voip calls from UAE. In the past too, we have covered post on using Voip in UAE. Today we will discuss a similar thing.

I know betamax companies are very popular in UAE because of cheap rates. Similarly many other SIP providers are offering cheap calls to India and other destinations but all these SIP calls are blocked in UAE. So how to make it work. Well you can use Flaphone (it was earlier Flashphone)

Flaphone is a free web-based softphone which allows you to make calls from the Internet page. You don't need to download, install or configure anything. Flaphone users can call each other, to SIP phones and to any phone numbers, using SIP providers. I hope this clears the point. Since it is Flash based phone, this Flaphone website aint blocked in UAE.

So since you can access Flaphone website, you can access Flaphone softphone (on their website itself). Now you can configure your SIP settings in Flaphone interface. If you are having say a betamax account may be with Smartvoip, webcalldirect etc then they offer you with SIP settings. Just configure these SIP settings into Flaphone and this enables you to make voip calls.

A few points to be considered here are : Firstly your betamax (SIP) providers credit is consumed. I would suggest you to buy minimum credit from betamax as they don't have any good reputation. Secondly you need to have a Adobe Flash Player version 9 or higher to use flaphone.

It is very easy to setup SIP on Flaphone. But if you still face any problems then better see the Flaphone help.

If you check the Flaphone blog then you will see that second most hits of Flaphone is from UAE only. So that means already large number of people from UAE are using Flaphone. Are you..? Do share your views.

Philips GoGear SA6185

One of the latest Philips products is Philips GoGear SA6185 multimedia player. This media player is capable of playing videos, music, radio and voice recording. Also pictures can be viewed on it. The version we tested has been equipped with an 8GB internal memory, has a weight of 153 grams and is black. Philips GoGear media player is packed in a plastic package that nicely shows the device.

Included in the package, besides Philips GoGear SA6185, we found a software CD, a quick guide in eight languages, earplugs and a USB cable for recharging the media player and for transferring files. The GoGear media player has been equipped with a 3.5 inch LCD monitor with QVGA resolution of 320 x 240 pixels in 65.000 colors. Philips GoGear is just over one centimeter thick and a tad bigger than a hand sized media player.

Next to the large monitor on the front of the media player, some buttons are positioned. The menu button that lets you return to the main menu at all times, and the navigation buttons with the on and off button in the center that also serves as play and pause button. Furthermore we find two integrated speakers on the front. The bottom side carries a button to lock the GoGear. On the topside the volume button is placed for adjusting the volume and the button on the right side of the device lets you go directly to the playlist.

LG Touch DVB T80

The "Digital Media" department deals with "Mobile Entertainment Devices" or in other words portable media players. LG has been rewarded many times with an EISA Award for the best product, like their first MP3 player featuring a touch screen. The LG T80 is one of its siblings. LG T80 PMP was designed by the same designer that designed the Prada cell phones. Although LG T80 looks slightly better than previous portable media players of the LG stable, the design still remains somewhat on the boring side.

The front has a shiny coating with few buttons. One side contains the on/off/pause slide bar, the top side carries a 3mm head jack connection, and the large 3 inch WQVGA (400 x 240) Touch Screen TFT color LCD takes care of the remaining operation possibilities. With its dimensions of 3.87 x 2.18 x 0.5 inches the T80 closely resembles the Apple iPhone, however; the LG T80's weight is a lot less.

What makes this LG so special is the DVB-T support that allows you to watch television, providing there is a signal close by. The LG T80 portable media player offers 4GB of storage capacity (also available with 8GB) which translates into approximately 1000 songs. Standard included with the T80 are a headset, USB data cable, manual and LG Media Centre software. LG T80 media player features DVB-T enabling you to watch television whenever a digital TV signal is available.

Watching television on the screen is a joy to the eye. It feels like watching television on a screen that is clearer than your analogue TV, or even clearer than some computer screens. Since the signal is digital, there is no annoying noise or delay in transmission the image stands, or is not there at all. This is extremely pleasant to watch, whilst once there is a picture it comes undisturbed, which lets you watch television without interruptions.

Creative Zen X-Fi MP3

Creative keeps on surprising again with the new Zen X-Fi, the first media player with integrated X-Fi technologies. According to Creative, listening to music on the Zen X-Fi becomes a genuine experience. Whether that is true will become clear from the test. And as if X-Fi isn�t already enough, also Wi-Fi is available on the Zen. From the moment the Zen X-Fi MP3 player was placed in the market, it already won several Awards.

The appearance of Creative Zen X-Fi MP3 player is almost similar to that of previous Zen models, although the current model is somewhat thicker and has a solid grey back made of plastic. The front of the X-Fi Zen features 12 buttons on the right side and a large 2.5 inch monitor with 16.7 million colors. All of this is nicely surrounded by a shiny silver colored line. The micro-SD card slot is found on the topside of the device, and the external speaker on the bottom.

On the right side we find, from top to bottom the 3mm head jack, the USB connector and the reset button. The latter is easier to access than the one on previous Creative media players. Dimensions of the Creative Zen X-Fi MP3 player are: 2.1 x 3.2 x 0.5 inches and its weight counts 70 grams. The main menu can be completely configured, ensuring your favorite menu is always available from the main menu.

Secondly, you can adjust the sub menu, making your own sub menus accessible for every category. For example; the main menu consists of a number of items such as photo, video, music and settings. You can click the box to make them invisible. And also a submenu such as music can be changed currently playing, album, artist etcetera can also be made invisible. In short, it is possible in many ways to adjust the menu and reproduction of it to your own preference.

HTC Magic

HTC Magic Google Android smartphone is introduced with a Vodafone simlock. The modest yet colorful Vodafone package displays a small picture of the smartphone itself, including the phone's main features. The Magic Android does not really look like an actual HTC Smartphone. It has an elegant design and feels extremely solid. The phone also provides a perfect hand fit, and the weight is not bothersome.

In addition to several buttons below the touchscreen, we also come across a trackball here, as we have seen before on other phones, for example the Blackberry mobile phones. Standard included with the HTC Magic are a neat leather pouch, a USB lead, a headset, a charger, an 8GB memory card and a quick start guide. As mentioned earlier, the HTC Magic runs on the Android platform, which is why this phone is also called the second Google phone, or the HTC G2.

You can simply drag up the menu from the bottom, instead of via the menu button below the touchscreen, as you would expect at first. This menu button opens a new menu for every application, for example; the browser allows you to either open or refresh an Internet page, and Google Maps lets you change the map mode or search for a location. The menu's structure is quite easy, although the combination with the menu button does require some practice.

It seems not everything is stored in the same way, however it would not call it complicated. It's just a little bit different than what we are used to luckily enough, however, it is stable and fast. Everything runs smoothly and upon opening the menu, you will find a large number of icons. In addition to the standard functions, such as settings and gallery, also Google applications such as Google Maps, Google Talk, Gmail and YouTube can be found.

FreedomCalls : Win a Prize Offer

So apart from making free international voip calls, what else does these voip providers offer to you. Hey some of them are offering lot others offers. Some offer gifts, some offer social networking, and some offer prizes.

Freedomcalls is offering a chance to all its users to win a Prize. Firstly for all those who don't know about Freedomcalls, its a Australian voip provider, offering "Free calls to India and other countries" by just dailin thier access numbers. The best part is that these access numbers are local Australian landlines numbers and can also be reached from other Pc to Phone calling services. Somedays back, we posted a method to make use of FreedomCalls for making unlimited free calls to India.

Lets talking about the chance to win a prize. You have to take part in the monthly competition to be in the running for a Gift. The prize is valued up to $100 AUD or a personalised Access Number. If you make lots and lots of calls then you have a good chance as the user with the highest minutes each month gets the prize.

What you have to do is just fill the form on Freedomcalls website to enter into the competition. It asks for some simple details and it takes no more than a minute.

Nokia 3720 Classic

New Nokia 3720 classic, an IP-54 certified mobile phone designed to resist water, dust and shock. Following the footsteps of Nokia's highly popular 'rugged' cell phones of the past, Nokia 3720 classic handset is encased in durable materials and is entirely sealed to protect the inner electronics. The Nokia 3720 cell phone is expected to retail for approximately 125 Euro before subsidies or taxes and is expected to begin shipping this summer.

Nokia 3720 classic cell phone features a sealed, leak proof design and durable materials in a range of great colors. Nokia 3720 battery cover, which protects both the battery and the internal circuitry of the cell phone, is locked with a screw, making for worry free usage in wet, dusty or muddy environments. The rugged Nokia cell phone is easy to use in all weather conditions.

As to be expected, Nokia 3720 classic rugged cell phone also offers exceptional battery performance as well as an LED flashlight, to complement its rugged cell phone design. Additional add ons include Nokia Maps, which comes pre-loaded on the 1GB microSD flash memory card, and the large and bright 2.2" cell phone display is perfect for following the route even in unfamiliar terrain. Nokia 3720 rugged mobile phone will be available for sale in August for around 125 Euro.

Nokia Surge

Nokia Surge smartphone is an ideal device for active consumers who like to stay connected whether using instant messenger, text or e-mail, sending multimedia messages, AT&T Video Share, or updating and connecting via their favorite social networks. With a full slide out QWERTY keyboard in a slim, stylish design and Symbian S60 multi tasking capabilities, Nokia Surge is the ideal smartphone for today's customer who is always in touch with their social circle.

A recent survey commissioned by Nokia revealed that people are so hooked on staying in touch that they would rather give up coffee and sweets than live without their mobile for two weeks. In addition to an impressive suite of messaging capabilities, the Nokia Surge offers a powerful browsing experience, including Flash support to view most sites in full HTML or watch YouTube videos. The Nokia Surge smart phone allows users to post messages, images, videos, and comments to web sites like Facebook on the go with the pre-installed JuiceCaster application.

Google Voice for Blackberry and Android Powered phnes

What's the next big thing in the voip world. Everyones talking about Google Voice, it not only because that its a voip service by the intenet gaint Google but also because of the nice features Google Voice voip service is offering.

This post is to inform you about the latest development on Google Voice. Google Voice has launhed its mobile voip service application for Blackberry and Android-powered phones. This mobile application for your phones makes use of Google voice service by placing your calls and sms messages directly from your Google voice number.

The best part is you can display the caller ID as your Google voice number. You can make calls directly from your address book. Check out the Video below to know more about it.

Hey check out the official Google Voice blog fo latest updates on voip service, though we will always keep you updates. Cheers to Google Voice.

Download Skype for Windows mobile : version 3.0

A large number of people all over the globe use Skype for making national and international calls. Specially, Skype has been very popular in USA and Canada. Skype is widely known for making cheap Pc to Phone calls using the Skype (skype softphone).

Skype offers wide range of plans for various destinations. It offers unlimited calling plans, cheap international voip calling rates. It also offers free calls to USA Toll free number. That means you can use Skype for making free calls to USA toll free numbers.

Now the question arises that you always need to remain connected to their PC. Is there any mobile option. Yes Skype is offering its Windows version 3.0 for free download. That means you can use the latest version of Skype mobile in your windows phone.

You can Send files. Also send texts (SMS). For the best call quality, we recommend you sign in to Skype from a WiFi connection. You can also sign in from a 3G connection, but your operator's data charges will apply.

You can download it directly on to your phone and install it straight away, or you can save it to your PC and transfer it on to your Windows® Phone device.

Cheers to mobile voip...!

MyonlineCall offering free calling credit

Yesterday we posted about Zenofon offering free calling credit. It was a big hit with large number of people using the service. However the only restriction is that people can use this service from USA only. What about people from rest parts to world who wanna make free international calls.

Actually there are many other services offering such free credit deal, we just need to explore them up. Myonlinecall is a german voip provider which is offering similar deal, that is free calling credit. Myonlinecall is offering 50 eurocents of free credit to try its service.

In order to get the free credit, you just need to register with them. Just provide a valid email address so that you can receive a confirmation email. You also need to verify your email address. Once through you will get free calling credit to make free international calls.

Myonlinecall service can be used via softphone that means you can make free pc to phone calls. Yes you can make free calls to India. The calling rate to India is also cheap, so if you like the service then you may buy some credit. But for now, its atleast better to test the service for free. (hey you are getting free voip calls).

Zenofon back with offering free $2 trial credit

Few days back, Zenofone (a voip provider) came into the voip market with a bang. Within few days of its launch more than 5000 people joined Zenofon calling service. All this was due to the free credit Zenofon was offering to all its new users.

At the time of launch, Zenofon offered $2 trial credit, then after few days decreased this credit amount to $1. But good news for all, Zenofon has again started offering Free $2 trial credit.

You can join Zenofon using referal link, then only you will get free calling credit. This offer is valid for only new users, so if you have not yet tried the Zenofon service then its high time to do so. It may be possible that Zenofon once again lower the free credit amount, so its better to join asap (now you will get $2 free credit).

You can use Zenofon for making calls to anywhere in world. I read somewhere that most of Zenofon users are Indians (NRI). A lot of NRI are using Zenofon for making calls to India. Because of free trial offer and cheap rates to India, Zenofon is a good choice.

Enough said, its now time to join Zenofon.

Sony Ericsson T715

Sony Ericsson T715 mobile phone allows consumers to stay connected without any compromise on communication features or design. An ultra compact slider mobile phone, Sony Ericsson T715 still offers a large keypad and font size allowing you to get the most out of your SMS, MMS or email management. Keep yourself organized in an intuitive way with Sony Ericsson T715 smart desktop feature, direct reminders of appointments, notes and special animation to remind you of birthdays and global events.

Messaging is quick and easy with the ability to review the history of your conversation as you go along. Sony Ericsson T715 handset comes complete with Google Maps including local search and directions and with access to the AccuWeather website giving you free three day weather forecasts so you'll never be caught short without an umbrella or your sunglasses.

At the size of a credit card and with a high class finish, the Sony Ericsson T715 phone adds a touch of sophistication to your life. Whip it out and snap high quality digital pictures even in a dark environment with the 3.2 megapixel digital camera with Photo light function. The sophisticated Sony Ericsson design means the T715 mobile phone will look at home wherever you are, whether it's at an important business meeting or if you are joining your friends for lunch.

Sony Ericsson T715 communication features :

Elegant compact slider ; looks sophisticated no matter what the setting
Large keypad and font size ; get the most out of your SMS or E-mail
3G network connection ; quick and easy internet browsing
Large 2.2" screen even in direct sunlight
Smart desktop and birthday reminders organized your life
3.2 megapixel digital camera ; perfect photos during all light conditions

Motorola Karma

Motorola Karma QA1 cell phone curvy and compact handset helps you slide your way up the social ladder with an effortless social networking experience and conversational messaging capabilities over 3G speed. Keep your favorite social networks close with one click, home screen access over amazing 3G speed. Use Facebook to connect and share with features that allow you to update your status, comment on activities, or post pictures and video.

Or click onto MySpace to keep your page updated with what you�re doing so your social circle is always looped in. Instant message friends and read texts on the front screen while the phone is closed. Join multiple chats across your favorite IM communities including AIM, Yahoo! and Windows Live Messenger. Locate your friends or that hot new restaurant using on board a GPS that speaks turn by turn directions.

A high speed connection brings you the info fast, so you can make your fashionably late entrance on time. Multimedia is clearly seen and heard with a vibrant 2.5" display and high quality speakers. Motorola Karma phone is designed to be propped on its edge when watching TV shows or movies, so you can easily see the screen and hear crisp audio.

Motorola Karma features and specifications :

Weight : 141g / 4.97 oz
Cell phone battery : 1170 mAh
Connectivity : Bluetooth / A2DP, USB 2.0, 3.5mm Headset Jack
Dimensions 64 x 88 x 17.9 (mm) / 2.52 x 3.46 x .7 (in)
Phone display : 2.5" QVGA 240x320 262k
Messaging : SMS, MMS, IM, Email (POP3, IMAP4, SMTP)
Audio : MIDI, MP3, AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, RealAudio, XMF
Video : Capture / Playback / Streaming, 15 FPS, H.263, MPEG4
Digital camera : 2.0 megapixel with 8x digital zoom
Phone memory : 100MB user available memory, MicroSD up to 16 GB
Handset form factor : Full QWERTY Slider

HTC Hero

HTC Mobile, a global designer and manufacturer of mobile phones, debuted HTC Sense, an intuitive and seamless experience that will be introduced across a portfolio of cell phones beginning with the new HTC Hero Android smartphone. With its distinct design and powerful capabilities fully integrated with HTC Sense, HTC Hero smartphone introduces a unique blend of form and function that takes Android to new heights.

HTC Sense is focused on putting people at the centre by making your phone work in a more simple and natural way. This experience revolves around three fundamental principles that were designed by quietly listening and observing how people live and communicate. HTC Hero smartphone continues HTC leadership in cutting edge design that focuses on introducing a variety of distinct devices to represent your own individuality.

Boasting beveled edges and an angled bottom, the HTC Hero handset is contoured to fit comfortably in your hand and against your face while you're on a call. HTC Hero cell phone is built to last beginning with an anti fingerprint screen coating for improved smudge resistance and a longer lasting, clearer display. The white HTC Hero phone includes an industry first, Teflon coating, resulting in an improved, durable white surface that is soft to the touch.

With its 3.2 inch HVGA display, the HTC Hero is optimized for Web, multimedia and other content while maintaining a small size and weight that fits comfortably in your hand. It also boasts a broad variety of hardware features including a GPS, digital compass, gravity sensor, 3.5mm stereo headset jack, a 5 mega pixel auto focus camera and expandable MicroSD memory.

HTC Hero multimedia handset also includes a dedicated Search button that goes beyond basic search, providing you with a more natural, contextual search experience that enables you to search through Twitter, locate people in your contact list, find emails in your inbox or search in any other area in Hero. HTC Hero android will be available to people across Europe in July and in Asia later in the summer. A distinct North American version will be available later in 2009.

Mig33 : Free calls from South Africa to India, Pakistan and USA

Mig33 is a very old mobile voip provider. I remember using mig33 a year back (they offer some free credit when you join them). Alongwith that it also offers free credit to you when you refer a friend and he/she joins mig33.

Now mig33 has another very interesting offer for the people of South Africa. Mig33 is effectively offering free calls to India, Pakistan and USA for whole month of july. Yes you heard it right, you can make free calls from South africa in the month of july to these three destinations.

Where's the catch..? Yes the offer aint that straight forward (still the offer aint bad either).

The cost of calls in July, from South Africa calling India, US and Pakistan only will be refunded back in credits, on 1 August 2009.
Rates are for calling landline destinations. Calls are completed by dialing a local number. A connection fee to this local number may apply.

What does that mean now, it means that you have to pay initially for making these phone calls. But you will be refunded this amount as mig33 credit on Aug 1. I guess its a nice way to attract new paying users.

Joining mig33 is very simple, you can use mig33 in your mobile (it being a well known mobile Voip provider).

How to make a call?
On your phone, go to m.mig33.com
Create a username, password, mobile phone number and register
Download the recommended application
Open the application on your phone
Enter the authentication code, which you will have received by SMS
Click menu on the home screen, and then select call

You can use the Callback feature from your mobile phone.
Then you can call via a local access number.
You can also use the Web connect from mig33 Website.

In my opinion, if you are from South Africa then the offer by Mig33 is worth trying.

LocalPhone to reduce voip calling rates

Few days back we posted about LocalPhone, it being one of the widely trusted and used voip provider to call India. Actually the post was a review of LocalPhone by its satisfied customer Mr. Hitesh. I am sure many more people must have joined the localphone service after we published the review.

Our last post on making free calls to India was also a big hit, with lots and lots of people making use of Freedomcalls to make free voip calls.

Well now to inform you all that there is one more reason for you to join localphone. Hitesh mentioned in his review that LocalPhone keeps on revising their calling rates time to time. One more time they have reduced their calling rates to many countries.

At 12:00 GMT (noon) on Monday 13th July localphone will be updating their calling rates and you can start to save even more when calling with LocalPhone.

Just a few of their more popular destinations that will be cheaper from Monday include:
Destination New Rate
Bangladesh 3.5¢ /min
India 2.5¢ /min
Malaysia 1.4¢ /min
New Zealand -Mobile 16.0¢ /min
Pakistan 7.9¢ /min
South Africa - Mobile 10.9¢ /min
Thailand 1.0¢ /min

Please check their call rates section on the LocalPhone website after 12:00 GMT on Monday to see their new rates. Time to make some cheap voip calls and save some bucks...!!

Update : Localphone is running a promotional offer. When you sigh up with $1 credit, you will get $2.5 credit. That's additional $1.5 credit as bonus.
$1.5 credit is worth 100 minutes to India. This makes cheapest voip provider to India with effective rate of just 0.6 cents per minute. This offer can be used to call other countries as well. What are you waiting for. Just try Localphone.
(No expiry of credit, good voice quality, and sign up with as low as $1).

Free calls to India by calling Australian landline

A lot of Australian and UK voip provider offers free voip calls by dialing their access number. What you have to do is call their access number (local phone number) and then dial your destination international number, they will route your call to your destination for free.

This way free calls can be made to all over world, to even countries like India and Pakistan. But the catch here is that you have to dial those phone numbers (access numbers) which itself are costly. Many people use mobile cap minutes to make calls to these numbers. Anyways Freedomcall was offering such a deal but you were asked to make calls to Australian mobile numbers.

But now Freedomcalls has included Australian landline numbers in their access number list.
The access number list is as below:

1. Melbourne – 03 9095 7222
2. Sydney – 02 9086 9222
3. Brisbane – 07 3166 8111
4. Perth – 08 6363 5111
5. Adelaide - 08 7221 2444
6. Canberra - 02 6223 2622

Now the best part is since a lot of voip providers offer free calls to Australian landlines, so you can first make free calls to these landline numbers using any voip software (guess mediaringtalk is offering free calls to Australia). Now once you are connected to these landlines, then you can call your destination number: 011 + Country Code + Destination number .

This was free calls to India, free calls to Pakistan and other 70 countries can be made easily.
Do let us know if you were able to place free voip calls. Do share your experience with us..!!

Cheers..

Samsung MyShot II

It will also be the first Cricket phone to offer MyHomeScreen, which provides customers with a fully personalized home screen with widgets to quickly access their account information, favorite Internet content including news, weather, sports, social networking, and shop for downloads. "Samsung MyShot 2 provides Cricket customers with high end features at a value price," said Jeff Toig, vice president of product marketing for Cricket.

"This device provides an all in one solution with customized quick access to Internet content, a camera and music player. It is ideal for a customer who wants all of the features and functionality of a more expensive phone, without the high price tag." Cricket MyHomeScreen will be available on select future handsets.

Samsung Omnia LITE

The new Omnia smartphone line up follows the success of the very first flagship �Omnia� phone, Samsung�s milestone Open OS model which was launched at CommunicAsia last year. With the introduction of the new Samsung Omnia smartphone series, featuring diverse functions for a wide range of user needs, Samsung truly offers a variety of smartphones for everyone from those seeking entertainment to business users to light users.

Samsung OmniaLITE B7300 is designed for users who demand an easy smartphone interface with full support of multimedia, internet, and business features. TouchWiz 2.0 User Interface and downloadable online widgets make it highly user friendly, while its 3D multimedia player interface provides and enhanced entertainment experiences. Samsung OmniaLITE comes packed with a host of powerful business tools and multimedia features.

Users have multi push email access and the Microsoft Office Suite lets users edit and view their office documents on the move. Opera Browser and HSDPA & Wi-Fi connectivity let users access the net with ease and speed. Additional features like multi codec supported high quality video experience, 3MP camera, and A-GPS deliver the complete all in one mobile experience.

LocalPhone Review : LocalPhone User Review

Yesterday we posted about LocalPhone offering free International calls to USA and Canada from anywhere in the world. I am sure many of you must have made use of the offer to make free calls on 4th July, the Independance Day. LocalPhone is one of the most trusted and most widely used voip provider.

Many of our blog readers may already be using LocalPhone for their international and national calling needs. Specially, many NRI use LocalPhone for calling India. There are lots of reasons for that. I am myself using Localphone.com for quite a long time now and have been quite satisfied with LocalPhone Voip service.

Update (Feb 2011): Now you can also use the following Localphone voucher code and get free bonus credit. When you join Localphone, you will get first call free and some bonus credit.
Your first call is free and you’ll get a $10 bonus when you top up by $15 using the voucher code NEWUSER11. New Call rate to India is just 1.59 cent per min. After bonus it will cost you effective rate of just 1 cent per min.

Mr Hitesh, one of the regular readers of Free Pc to Phone calls, shares his experience of using LocalPhone. He regularly uses localphone for calling India from USA. Below is his review about LocalPhone.

"I am using localphone for like last 18 months. It's a Uk based VOIP provider which offer phone calls to various destinations.

First thing which I like about LocalPhone is its quality. The call quality (voice quality) is really excellent. There is no busy signal, no call drop or any voice drop sort of problem, indeed a complete peace of mind.

Second thing is its easy to use service. Only one time set up is required. I am using it to call India form USA. For each Indian number they give me one local USA number. So I just dial that number and my call get forwarded to my Indian destination number. They also have local access number, so I can even call any unregistered number. Another great thing about LocalPhone is that it also give local number from other 45 countries.

Third thing is that their rates are very reasonable. For e.g. to call India it is just 2.9 cent per minute. And they also reduce it periodically, when I was calling 18 months back, the rate was 6 cent per minute. Now it is just 2.9 cent per minute. So we do not have to find another cheap and better service provider.

Last but not least is there are no confusing plans and fees like monthly fees, service fees, expiration date of credit, so I do not have to worry about expiring minutes or unused credit.

In my opinion those who really looking for quality service at reasonable rate LocalPhone is the answer for you. "

Cheers to Hitesh for such a nice review..!!

PS: If you also want to share your calling experiences with us, then you are most welcomed to do so. Write me at madhur.dce@gmail.com .

Update : Localphone is running a promotional offer. When you sigh up with $1 credit, you will get $2.5 credit. That's additional $1.5 credit as bonus.
$1.5 credit is worth 100 minutes to India. This makes cheapest voip provider to India with effective rate of just 0.6 cents per minute. This offer can be used to call other countries as well. What are you waiting for. Just try Localphone.
(No expiry of credit, good voice quality, and sign up with as low as $1).

LocalPhone : Free Calls to USA and Canada on Independence day

To celebrate the Independence day on 4th of July, Localphone is offering all completely free international calls to USA and Canada from anywhere in the world.

All the new and existing customers of Localphone won't be charged anything for making phone calls to USA and Canada on both landlines and mobile phones. This offers starts from midnight on Saturday morning on the east cost of Canada and lasts until the end of Sunday in Alaska.

When there is financial crises in the market, Localphone don't want people to spend money on phone calls by offering them such a nice deal at this important time of the year.

The best part about localphone is that it offers local access numbers in about 45 countries. Even if you aren’t in one of those 45 Direct Dial countries, you can still call from anywhere in the world with an Internet connection and a Localphone VoIP account.

So, if you have still have not joined Localphone then its time to do so.

Update : Localphone is running a promotional offer. When you sigh up with $1 credit, you will get $2.5 credit. That's additional $1.5 credit as bonus.
$1.5 credit is worth 100 minutes to India. This makes cheapest voip provider to India with effective rate of just 0.6 cents per minute. This offer can be used to call other countries as well. What are you waiting for. Just try Localphone.
(No expiry of credit, good voice quality, and sign up with as low as $1).

LG LX370

LG LX370 has a far more traditional slider style, and not in an unattractive way either. We liked the new Sprint One Click interface, as well as features like a 2.0 megapixel camera, GPS, and EV-DO Rev. 0. That combined with great performance and call quality, and the LG LX370 is a pretty good midtier handset for Sprint customers. The LG LX370 is available for $99.99 after a two year contract. Measuring 4.06 inches long by 1.89 inches wide by 0.63 inch thick, LG LX370 has a fairly standard slider design.

It is smooth and sleek, with curved corners and an all silver color scheme. The front surface is very reflective and can be used as a mirror, while the back surface is covered in tiny dotted bumps for texture and extra grip. The slider mechanism feels sturdy, and it's quite lightweight at 3.7 ounces. It has a really nice 2 inch display with 262,000 colors and a 240x320 pixel QVGA resolution. The screen is rich and vibrant with color, and we like how it shows off the menu's animated icons.

You can adjust the screen's backlight time, plus the font size for messages, the browser, and the notepad. Along the bottom row of the home screen is a special screen navigation interface called One Click, a custom interface found only on Sprint phones. It consists of eight shortcut tiles, which can be customized with any of 14 applications or functions. As you flip through the tiles, a menu of each application's options will pop up.

You can have shortcuts to the messaging menu, the Web browser, e-mail, Sprint Navigation, Sprint TV, plus a menu for even more shortcuts. There's even a Google shortcut that gives you instant access to Search, Google Maps, Gmail, and YouTube. You can also add a "bubble" to the home screen with special ticker information like financial updates, brief news headlines, or your latest horoscope.

Underneath the display is the navigation array, which consists of two soft keys, a circular navigation toggle with a middle Menu and OK key, the Talk key, the Back key, and the End or Power key. The volume rocker and charger jack are on the left spine, while the camera key, a voice command key, the microSD card slot, and the headset jack are on the right. The voice command key also brings up the recent calls list with a short press. Turn the phone around and you'll find the camera lens and external speaker on the back.

DialSimple calling plan to India review

There are plenty of voip providers in this market, each one of them boasting about its calling plan. You really be careful while choosing your voip provider and the calling plan. You might end up paying high or to the wrong one. One example is with betamax, some people just buy too much credit from betamax and when beamax increases their call rates (or they face any other problems), their money effectively is wasted.

Today, we talk about the voip provider named Dialsimple. It has launched its new calling plan for India. Depending upon the credit you buy from them, your call rate will vary. Dialsimple is offering lowest call rate to India at 1.9 cents per minute.

But your call rate to India will be 1.9 cent/min only when you buy credit worth $30. If you buy for $20, you get 800minutes with effective calling rate of 2.5c/min. The call rate further rises if you buy less credit.

The only good point about the offer is that credit never expires. But there is a catch. These call rates are only for a month. Suppose, you buy credit worth $30 on 1st july, during one month that is till 1st August, your call rate to India will be 1.9 cents per minute. Now durin this month say you used only $10 credit, then remaining $20 credit will carry forward but now your call rate to India will not be 1.9 cents per minute but 4.9 cents per minute.

Firstly, their is nothing great about Dialsimple that people should go for it. Secondly the plan aint exciting at all. Who will buy $30 credit in a month, people tend to buy credit in small chunks and it should be so. It aint worth buying so much credit at one go, suppose you don't like the service then all your credit gets wasted. Neither it is offering such cheap calls. We have already discussed cheaper plans to India.

I guess, Dialsimple needs to rethink about the plan it is offering to India. In my opinion calling plans to India offered by voip providers like YupeePhone are better...!!

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