Karthik R

@Supernova BB 8530 comes with a trackpad. Go for BB 9630 - more juice in battery, better cam, higher resolution display, faster data transmission (EVDO Rev.A v/s Rev.0 for BB 8530) and as Aalok pointed out -It is a world phone and can be unlocked to be used with GSM.

GPS will be hard to find on a CDMA handset officially released in India, excluding overpriced BB. I can only think of Samsung Galaxy Pop that meets all your demands but it suffers from flaws like poor battery, inadequate processor/RAM, sh*ty cam and low screen resolution so wont recommend it either. Do you mind imported ones?

Like the revamped lock screen and the way it handles notifications

I had deleted the post to avoid confusion, before you posted the reply! I doubted whether the deal came through - did a wiki search.

Amazon and Best Buy have started taking advance orders for Chromebooks, lightweight laptops running Google's Chrome OS. The Chromebooks are set to start shipping June 15, and orders are limited to the U.S. right now, but Google promises to release them in other countries this year.

Govt raises concerns about multi-platform Tiger Text app The application allows sender to control the life span of the sent message and can get it deleted from the recipient's mobile phone. The Government of India has raised concerns about a cross-platform application and service, Tiger Text, that allows setting lifespan of a text message. That means the sender can get a message deleted from recipient's mobile. Home Ministry has warned the Department of Telecom to make it mandatory for all cellular operators for procuring clearance from the Law Enforcement Agencies (LEA) if the service is deployed by any of them. Brent Bamberger, head of marketing for Tiger Text said, "TigerText is surprised by the comments by the Indian government as it has consumers using its application in 119 countries with no issues whatsoever." Tiger Text is a cross-platform messaging app that allows a sender to set a life span of the message (text, image or video). So the sender has the control of wiping off the message from the recipient's handset but a copy of to the same message lies on the Telecom operator's server of unlimited amount of time. Just like number of other cross-platform messengers, Tiger Text utilises phone's data connection for messaging. That has alarmed the India Home Ministry assuming the application's potential usage by the terrorists. A telecom department official familiar with the matter said, "Use of the (Tiger Text) application by Indian telecom service providers can create operational problems for national security agencies. The telecoms department should ask all telcos to proper lawful interception arrangements and secure approvals from the security agencies before availing of the service from Tiger Text." Apparently the Home Ministry believes that the Tiger Text's function of destroying the text and video messages may hinder the operations of the law enforcement agencies. Security concerns have become a high priority for the Indian Home Ministry and we have seen government's recent squabble with the Canadian cellphone maker - Research In Motion. The issue between RIM and government still remains unsolved. As of now, Tiger Text doesn't seem to have heard from DoT officially but is ready to co-operate at any level. Bamberger said,"TigerText welcome the opportunity to talk with the Indian security agencies or telecommunications companies to help them understand the product as the company does not want Indian consumers to suffer from not being allowed to receive the benefits of its service." Home Ministry's concern about country's security is quite understandable. However, a specific approach or set of pre-defined guidelines might ease off any hiccups in the process. via : themobileindian

Happy birthday Parin Have a wonderful day and fabulous year.

Now, word going around that Google is working hard on their very own messaging application to challenge BBM and iMessage.

Good initiative Amit

Like the case with iphone's tethering, the operators may stall this feature or charge a premium from users.

Not exactly, Atrix has a 5 megapixel camera versus 8 megapixel, runs an older version of Android 2.2 and also features a bit larger 1930 mAh battery.

@ Ajay Have you tried placing a request with CC to activate EVDO data in your OMH R-UIM? Update: Please check:

What are we to gather from the happenings over past few days - the constituent members of the UPA will be most tainted if the black money stashed abroad comes out, nothing else explains the why UPA is shying away from taking solid action against corruption. The gruesome attack on Baba Ramdev and other protesters is like they say, a blot on democracy and liberty. P.S Digvijay Singh is a moron.

on Reliance, Tata or Mts? Whichever it is, yup you need to upgrade to OMH card.

WHO : Cell phone use can increase possible cancer risk (CNN) - Radiation from cell phones can possibly cause cancer, according to the World Health Organization. The agency now lists mobile phone use in the same "carcinogenic hazard" category as lead, engine exhaust and chloroform. Before its announcement on Tuesday, WHO had assured consumers that no adverse health effects had been established. A team of 31 scientists from 14 countries, including the United States, made the decision after reviewing peer-reviewed studies on cell phone safety. The team found enough evidence to categorize personal exposure as "possibly carcinogenic to humans." What that means is they found some evidence of increase in glioma and acoustic neuroma brain cancer for mobile phone users, but have not been able to draw conclusions for other types of cancers. "The biggest problem we have is that we know most environmental factors take several decades of exposure before we really see the consequences," said Dr. Keith Black, chairman of neurology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. The type of radiation coming out of a cell phone is called non-ionizing. It is not like an X-ray, but more like a very low-powered microwave oven. "What microwave radiation does in most simplistic terms is similar to what happens to food in microwaves, essentially cooking the brain," Black said. "So in addition to leading to a development of cancer and tumors, there could be a whole host of other effects like cognitive memory function, since the memory temporal lobes are where we hold our cell phones." Wireless industry responded to Tuesday's announcement saying it "does not mean cell phones cause cancer." CTIA-The Wireless Association added that WHO researchers "did not conduct any new research, but rather reviewed published studies." The European Environmental Agency has pushed for more studies, saying cell phones could be as big a public health risk as smoking, asbestos and leaded gasoline. The head of a prominent cancer-research institute at the University of Pittsburgh sent a memo to all employees urging them to limit cell phone use because of a possible risk of cancer. "When you look at cancer development -- particularly brain cancer -- it takes a long time to develop. I think it is a good idea to give the public some sort of warning that long-term exposure to radiation from your cell phone could possibly cause cancer," said Dr. Henry Lai, research professor in bioengineering at University of Washington who has studied radiation for more than 30 years. Results from the largest international study on cell phones and cancer was released in 2010. It showed participants in the study who used a cell phone for 10 years or more had doubled the rate of brain glioma, a type of tumor. To date, there have been no long-term studies on the effects of cell phone usage among children. "Children's skulls and scalps are thinner. So the radiation can penetrate deeper into the brain of children and young adults. Their cells are at a dividing faster rate, so the impact of radiation can be much larger." said Black of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. In February, a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health, revealed radiation emitted after just 50 minutes on a mobile phone increases the activity in brain cells. The effects of brain activity being artificially stimulated are still unknown. Neurosurgeon and CNN chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta says Tuesday's announcement, "dealt a blow to those who have long said, 'There is no possible mechanism for cell phones to cause cancer.' By classifying cell phones as a possible carcinogen, they also seem to be tacitly admitting a mechanism could exist." Manufacturers of many popular cell phones already warn consumers to keep their device away from their body and medical experts say there other ways to minimize cell phone radiation. The Apple iPhone 4 safety manual says users' radiation exposure should not exceed FCC guidelines: "When using iPhone near your body for voice calls or for wireless data transmission over a cellular network, keep iPhone at least 15 millimeters (5/8 inch) away from the body." BlackBerry Bold advises users to "keep the BlackBerry device at least 0.98 inch (25 millimeters) from your body when the BlackBerry device is transmitting." The logic behind such recommendations is that the further the phone is from the body, the less radiation is absorbed. Users can also use the speakerphone function or a wired earpiece to gain some distance. Users can text instead of talk if they want to keep the phone away from their faces. Finally, cell phones emit the most radiation when they are attempting to connect to cellular towers. A moving phone, or a phone in an area with a weak signal, has to work harder, giving of more radiation. So users can avoid using their cell phones in elevators, buildings and rural areas if they want to reduce their exposure, experts say. Courtesy : CNN

2G scam: Maran bent rules to give his friend licence Even as Dayanidhi Maran denies allegations of favouring any company when he was telecom minister in 2004-07, more evidence has surfaced that points to the contrary. Hindustan Times is in possession of documents that show that Maran scrapped the rules he used to block telecom licences to enterpreuner C Sivasankaran, the Indian promoter of Aircel, till he sold the company to Maxis. Maxis is owned by Malaysia-based billionaire Ananda Krishnan, who has a decade-old business relationship with Sun TV, promoted by the Maran family. As soon as Sivasankaran exited, Maran changed the rules and helped Aircel get licences. First reported by HT on February 14, Astro, a group company of Maxis, got the nod of the cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) to invest Rs 675 crore in Sun TV. This was within four months of Dishnet Wireless (now merged into Aircel) being issued licences. The approval came on February 22, 2007, when Maran was minister for communications and IT. Maran on Wednesday denied he was minister in the cabinet when Astro finally invested in Sun Direct in December 2007, though it is the CCEA approval that’s the most critical step in a transborder investment like this. Dishnet applied for licences in April 2004 (in two circles) and in March 2005 (in five circles). The licences weren’t issued so long as the company was owned by Sivasankaran. One of the reasons for the delay was that Maran got department of telecommunications (DoT) officials to seek a series of clarifications through showcause notices from the firm. A March 30, 2005 note on grant of licences to Dishnet, signed by the telecom secretary, said: “Discussed with MOC&IT (minister). These files are returned with the direction that the director should ascertain all showcause notices/ advisory letters issued to the above company or companies belonging to the group and the nature of default before any view is taken.” In other words, until Dishnet satisfied DoT officials about the notices, it would not be given a licence. This, according to Justice Shivraj V Patil --- the one-man committee looking into the procedures of allotting 2G spectrum --- in his January 31 report, “was not warranted in terms of the laid down procedure”. Once Sivasankaran exited the company in March 2006, Maran did an about turn and changed the rules --- in less than two months. In a note that he signed on May 16, 2006, Maran said: "…it was felt that processing of application for grant of new licences should be de-linked from show cause notices or explanation call for or any other advisory issued to that company or any other sister/group company in respect of any other licences.” In other words, Dishnet could now get the licences. Maran did not reply to emails sent to him on this story. He also did not answer SMS messages sent to him. "The practice followed then for grant of UASL licence to any applicant was that the applicant company had to satisfy all prescribed conditions in respect of networth, funding pattern, business plan, debt-equity ratio etc,” Maran said in a press statement on Wednesday. "The applicant company should also not have a history of default in payment/violation of licence conditions in any service area.” This, too, according to Patil committee report “was not warranted”. Via : Hindustantimes

CBI court turns down pleas against Tata, Ambani A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court on Thursday rejected a plea seeking a probe against Reliance ADA Group Chairman Anil Ambani and the Tata group related to the 2008 sale of mobile phone licences. Judge OP Saini dismissed the applications filed by public interest litigators to investigate Ambani, Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata, Niira Radia, a public relations executive, and a state politician. The litigators were fined for filing “frivolous” petitions. The court decision came after CBI said the cut-off date for 2G licences did not apply to existing operators such as Tata Teleservices and Reliance Communications. “He (the petitioner) is misconceived in what he is saying. Tata was an existing licensee and not a new operator. The cut-off date (criteria) was not applicable in case of Tata and even Reliance as they were not new operators,” CBI said in response to an application by a Ghaziabad-based scrap dealer. CBI said it had made everything clear in the two charge sheets filed in the case and had nothing more to say as the investigation was on. The scrap dealer alleged that Tata Teleservices was granted licences despite the fact that it applied after the cut-off date. “Tata Tele has been granted licence in violation of policy and procedure. Ratan Tata has also not been properly investigated,” said his lawyer. Separately, the court dismissed pleas for a direction to CBI to make Reliance ADAG Chairman Anil Ambani, Tata group Chief Ratan Tata, corporate lobbyist Niira Radia and DMK chief M Karunanidhi's wife, Dayalu Ammal, accused in the scam. The special court is hearing charges that Raja “entered into a conspiracy” with government and private company officials to award phone permits to ineligible companies. Tony Jesudasan, a spokesman for the Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group, declined to comment when contacted by phone. Rajeev Narayan, a spokesman for Tata Teleservices, declined to comment in an email. Via : Business Standard

good find

I think this error occurs when authentication fails. Check that you are using the username and password of Tata Indicom itself or of the original locked operator.

Yesterday, a bird in the sky dropped poop over my shoulder and I remember being happy and thankful that cows don't fly.

2G accused Balwa wants to depose before JPC New Delhi: In a new twist which could have repercussions on the UPA, 2G accused Swan telecom promoter Shahid Balwa has written to the Joint Parliamentary Committee saying that he should be called to depose before Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). "In the interest of the investigation, I should be called to depose before the JPC," Balwa wrote in a letter to the JPC on Tuesday. Balwa, in fact, is the first 2G accused who wants to depose before the JPC. Balwa's testimony could become a headache for the UPA as it could put some of its leaders in the dock. Who is Shahid Balwa? Shahid Balwa is the director of DB Realty. DB Realty had floated Swan Telecom, which was a beneficiary of 2G spectrum allocation. Swan Telecom had won 13 of the 22 2G licences across India. Balwa is known to be close to former telecom minister A Raja. Via : ibnlive

Upgrade present RUIM to OMH card and contact CC to get EVDO activated from backend. The plan you mentioned is for R-GSM alone.

MTS 1/2 p per second plan is now available in all the telecom circles

We're in for long haul and not for quick buck : Mikhail Shamolin Read the interview here.