Determining Broadband Speed

March 15th, 2011 | Broadband, Wireless Devices

Broadband Speed

Broadband relies on a high data rate connection to give its users faster internet access than is possible with dialup.  Broadband allows for faster browsing, reducing the time it takes for webpages to load or the navigation between different webpages/sites.  Downloading and uploading data is also faster.

Broadband speed varies between different countries as well as between different internet service providers (ISPs).  The internet as a whole is largely unregulated, and this extends to the area of what is considered optimal broadband speed.

If you are deciding to buy a broadband package for the first time, you are advised to check the speed promised by several different providers.  Also, be sure to check that the advertised broadband speed applies throughout the day, and not just at optimal use times (such as early mornings or late evenings).

Broadband Speed Tests

There are various broadband speed tests you can download for free.  These tests can function as desktop applications that measure your broadband speed at various times of the day.  Broadband speed test applications can also be offered as part of your software package.

Background Information

Your broadband speed can be significantly affected by your point of access (i.e. where you live), the distance between your house and the local telephone exchange and the number of users on the broadband network at the time of usage.  Generally speaking, rural broadband users have a slower broadband speed.  City broadband users can enjoy a faster service, with an increased number of telephone exchanges and a greater level of investment in the infrastructure on the part of the ISPs.

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Nokia C3 Touch and Type Review

March 13th, 2011 | Mobile Phone Reviews, Mobile Phones, Nokia

Mobile phone news now tends to highlight how the mobile phone companies are developing additional features for their smart phones, and the Nokia C3 Touch and Type has been developed to be a combination of the touch screen smartphone and a keypad smartphone.  This is the second phone in this range, and it is a smaller phone than the previous model.  The casing has a metallic design, which looks very smart.

The design means that those who preferred texting and typing emails from the old style keypad can still do so.  The handset fits neatly into the hand and is easily operated.  The phone has a solid feel to it that means that it could take a little wear and tear. 

The home screen is easily customised and users can add their own shortcuts with no difficulties.  The 5 megapixel camera is easy to operate with its own shutter button on the side of the handset and a virtual one on the touch screen, if you prefer.  There are on-screen controls which give a good range of effects and functions for the camera. 

There is a volume adjustment on the phone that helps if you are in a noisy environment.  The phone has a micro SD slot that can give you a memory capacity of up to 32 GB.  The music player is an app that has been used on other Nokia phones, and users can easily create their own playlists.  The Nokia C3 Touch and Type should fare well in mobile phone news and reviews.

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Motorola Defy Smartphone Review

March 10th, 2011 | Camera Phones, Mobile Phone Reviews, Mobile Phones, Motorola Mobile Phones, Touchscreen

If you are looking for a new phone then it may be worth looking at Motorola mobile phones.  The Motorola Defy is being marketed as ‘life-proof’ with a rubberised coating and a screen that is scratch resistant.  The back of the phone also has a sliding catch that locks the battery cover in place, so even if the phone is dropped it will not fall to pieces.  Parts of the phone such as the 3.5mm headphone jack and the micro USB cover also have protective rubber plugs that will prevent the unit from taking in moisture or dust. 

The phone has a 3.7 inch screen that is very responsive.  The phone is also equipped with a 5 megapixel camera that takes good quality images and has a wealth of features.  Users can take a photo and have it applied straight to the background of the phone.  There is a standard keyboard and as with some other Motorola mobile phones, the Swype app is pre-installed. 

There are also several widgets that are connected to the home screens of the phone.  The contacts widgets are customisable and you can set those to specific names in your contacts list, so you can call or text specific people from your home page.  Users can set up a Motoblur account so that the phone can be tracked if it is lost or stolen.  The features of this phone are similar to several which fall into a higher price bracket. 

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The Future of the Android Phone

March 5th, 2011 | Google Android, Mobile Phones

The year 2010 was very much the time of the Android phone.  By the end of the year, analysts were saying that 30,000,000 Android phones were being activated per day.  They predict that twice as many people would have an Android phone by the end of 2011.  Motorola mobile phones with Android technology are predicted to be the most popular of the mobile phones.  Android 2.3 technology will become mainstream.

Why is 2011 so Important for the Android Phone?

The incredible increase in the operating speed of Android smartphones has shown that they are much more than simply toys for geeks.  The Android phone offers a large screen with great touch screen functionality.  Android phones also offer strong network coverage with great stability of reception.

Since January 2011, the Android phone has had a 24.5% share of the global mobile phone market, and for the first time sales of the Android surpassed those of the iPhone.  The year 2011 looks like it will be Android’s year as it breaks into the emerging middle class of India and China.  Its great range of open-source and freely available software applications will help as well.

The Android phone is available in a range of models from various mobile networks, unlike the iPhone.  The simplicity of buying and downloading apps for the Android phone online through the phone is likely to encourage more new fans, particularly people buying their first smartphone who want something that has great features, but is not too complex to use.  The Android phone has all of these characteristics at a lower cost than the more restrictive iPhone.

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HTC Google Nexus One Smartphone Review

March 3rd, 2011 | Google Android, HTC, Mobile Phone Reviews, Touchscreen

If you are considering mobile phone deals, then it is worth looking at the HTC Google Nexus One.  This has been branded Google’s ‘Superphone’ and runs on Google’s Android operating system.  This version of Android will easily run Flash 10.1, which is ideal for those who like to watch videos and movie trailers on their phones.  The operating system will also allow you to install apps on an SD card if you need to.   

When you are looking at the different mobile phone deals that are available, you need consider if the phone will allow multi-tasking.  Not many people want to simply have a phone for making calls on, so you need to know if you can run more than one app at a time.  The HTC Google Nexus One has this ability and there is no noticeable slowdown of the phone. 

The phone also features a roller ball rather than a trackpad and this makes it easier for editing messages and documents.  Setting up email accounts is easy as is social networking.  Home screens can be quickly customised and there is a power manager feature that can be used to turn down the brightness and turn off other features when you do not need them, in order to save battery life.

The touch screen measures 3.7 inches and is very responsive and users will find that making calls in noisier environments is much easier with the Active Noise Cancellation feature.

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Nokia C6-00 Smartphone Review

February 26th, 2011 | Mobile Phone Reviews, Mobile Phones, Nokia Mobile Phone

Nokia mobile phones are some of the most popular on the market and one of the latest is the Nokia C6-00.  This phone comes equipped with a 5-megapixel camera, a touchscreen that measures 3.2 inches and a slide-out QWERTY keypad for those who prefer manual typing.  The handset has a very solid feel to it so users will not be afraid that it is going to be damaged if it is dropped accidentally.  

The keypad has good spacing and users have the option of using a virtual keypad if they prefer.  The operating system for the phone is Symbian S60 and the menu layouts are similar to the N97.  The home screen can be customised so that you can add the widgets and apps that you use the most. 

The touchscreen is resistive but not to the point where it makes use difficult and using the camera is a very straightforward operation.  There is a flash, which is ideal for taking photos in poorer light, and there is a wide range of settings for different circumstances.  Users can choose between the manual button and a virtual shutter key for taking images.   

Nokia mobile phones are known for their quality and this is a mid-range phone that is ideal for smartphone users who need their phone for email, although if you have a number of apps open you may find that internet usage is a little slow.

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Samsung Omnia 7 Smartphone Overview

February 24th, 2011 | Mobile Phone Reviews, Mobile Phones, Samsung, Touchscreen

If you are looking at mobile phones then the Samsung Omnia 7 is worth a look.  This is a strong handset that can withstand daily wear and tear and makes use of the Windows operating system.  It has a 4-inch touch screen.  There are a number of features that are used on other Windows Phone 7 mobile phones such as the 5-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi internet access, and GPS.  

The touch screen is very responsive and icons are clear and sharp.  A virtual QWERTY keypad makes writing and sending emails very easy.  The colour of the key changes when it is struck so that you can easily avoid typing errors.
 
The interface is easy to use and can be customised to suit your needs.  Apps are easily added so that you can make your home screen show the features that you use the most often.  Those who use their phone for email will find it easy to set up email accounts and using apps for social networking such as Facebook is very straightforward.

The camera takes very good quality images and there are a number of settings that are easily adjusted.  Switching from camera to camcorder modes can be performed at the touch of a button and the quality of video recording is excellent.  The manual button for the camera is on the top of the phone and is responsive to the touch, avoiding the delays experienced on some other phones.

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Motorola Dext Review

February 23rd, 2011 | Mobile Phone Reviews, Mobile Phones, Motorola Mobile Phones, Touchscreen

As Motorola mobile phones are some of the most popular on the market, the Motorola Dext is one that has established itself firmly in the marketplace.  This phone makes use of the Android operating system, which is becoming increasingly popular and is shaping up to be a massive rival to the iPhone.  This particular handset has a touchscreen but also offers users a physical keyboard that has well-spaced keys for ease of use. 

As with all Android phones, there are many apps that can be downloaded and there is a wider range than for many other operating systems.  The interface is one used on most Motorola mobile phones and is known as MotoBlur.  All your information can be gathered in one place from sources such as Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites.  You can then receive updates from these automatically. 

MotoBlur has added more home screens to the basic Android package so that users now have five.  You can add an app to track the phone if it is lost or stolen and if need be you can wipe all data from the phone even if it is not near you.  The screen is considered a reasonable size and those who enjoy listening to music on their mobiles will appreciate the 3.5mm headphone jack.  The icons used are sharp and clear but one of the downsides is the lack of a flash on the camera.

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Blackberry Bold 9780 Overview

February 20th, 2011 | Blackberry, Mobile Phone Reviews, Mobile Phones

Blackberry mobile phones are becoming increasingly popular with users from all walks of life – not just business users.  The Blackberry Bold 9780 is no exception.  Available on deals from all providers, there will undoubtedly be a package that suits your needs.  The design of the handset is popular and easy to use, offering a QWERTY keyboard and a handset that fits neatly into the hand for easy messaging, so is perfect for texting and emails. 

The operating system is Blackberry OS 6 that offers a refined media player and an easy to use home screen.  Browsing the web is easy and speedier than on previous handset models, although the screen is very small, so it is not the ideal handset for those who want to spend a lot of time on the internet.  The camera has been improved and is now a 5 megapixel unit, which takes good quality images and works faster than previous models.

There is an app that allows you to easily access all your social networking accounts, from Facebook to Twitter.  There are not as many apps available as for the iPhone or Android phones, but Blackberry mobile phones still have enough to keep most users happy, although you may find that some apps are more expensive than apps for other types of phones.  The phone has a good solid design that is ideal for regular use and is perfect for those who mainly use their phone for messaging.

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Using an Android Phone

February 15th, 2011 | Google Android, Mobile Phones

When you compare mobile phones, you might want to consider an Android phone, but if you are new to Android usage then you may find it difficult to know where to start.  The desktop of an Android phone is very different to other smartphones so making the time to compare mobile phones is important.  There is a lot more scope for customisation and you can design it to suit yourself.  There are different home screen panels; some phones have 7+, so this could be confusing at first. 

When you first switch the phone on you will be met with the main home screen.  This is a centred panel and there are others on either side.  The version of Android that your phone has will determine the type of icons that you see.  You can simply tap on the icon to get to the app or the panel that you want. 

If you want to add a shortcut, you just tap a space on the page and hold your finger down until the menu pops up.  Choose ‘shortcuts’ and add the shortcut to the application that you want.  This can be a game, an internet page or simply making a call or sending a text.  You may want to add a widget.  This is a program that works on your home screen.  These can be the latest weather reports, music playlists, or practically anything else that you want.

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