KumaarShah

It is not possible to eliminate it. The best you can do is to set the Silent or Vibrate profile and avoid this irritating sound. The same problem is also there in 350R FWP.

^^^ I fully agree with you. Thats why our Indian govt. research may be spread over five years or more. Till then maybe we will all have brain tumours and what not. But we cannot remain incommunicado also, right? So we will use cells and wait for 5 years or more. As a rule however, I always avoid the cell when I am around LLs in my office or in my home. By the way, does a wired LL also emit radiation? What about FWPs? I use more of FWP than BSNL LLs because the voice clarity is louder/better in my FWPs. This is my experience. Of course a little bit of crackling is always there in FWPs.

^^^ you are indeed lucky as you are a good negotiator.

It is really strange that a big company like Idea indulges in such blatant disregard for basic business ethics. Serves them well. Hope it an eye-opener for all other telcos.

BSNL/MTNL call centre staff are always just like that - nincompoops. Atleast in this area, RCL comes out tops. hehehe

IMHO, It will be difficult for Videocon to compete with RCL/Tata on pricing.

At long last, LG has come out with a real stunner. Good Looks, Performance to be reviewed. Hope it is as good as the looks. Good SMS store of 300 in inbox, 50 in outbox and 20 in drafts. No T9, though compensated by EziAbc. Hope it is WAP enabled as well. All in all, a fairly good looking handset. The price may be around 8k.

'Popularity of SMS going down due to lower call rates' 7 Oct, 2007, 1833 hrs IST, PTI ALLAHABAD: The popularity of Short Message Service (SMS) among mobile phone users seems to be on the decline thanks to the drastic reduction in call rates by various telecom service providers, says an official estimate. "According to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, (TRAI), the popularity of SMS as a favoured mode of communication among mobile phone users seems to be on the decline," Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited General Manager (Telephones), Allahabad, P K Srivastava said here. The TRAI, in its quarterly report for the period ending June 30, has stated that the number of outgoing SMSes per customer per month has shown a decline of 10 per cent. "This is prima facie due to lowering of call rates, which now encourages people to make a call without straining their pockets. Though it does not necessarily mean that SMSes would become extinct, the trend certainly signifies the growing affordability of mobile phone call rates," Srivastava said. Quoting the TRAI report, he also claimed that despite a number of private sector competitors having entered the fray, BSNL continues to be the numero uno telecom service provider in the country. "Having completed seven years of its establishment on October 1st this year, the BSNL caters to over 60 million subscribers, the largest number for any telecom service provider, through its various services like landline, mobile and broadband," he said. Link: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Popula...how/2437253.cms Another Story on the same TRAI: SMSs losing their flavour 8 Oct, 2007, 0311 hrs IST,Joji Thomas Philip, TNN NEW DELHI: Are text messages slowly losing their flavor with India’s growing cellular base? Even as operators say it’s too early to take a call and make such a ‘sweeping statement’, the figures, however, suggest so. Data compiled by telecom regulator TRAI reveal that SMS use has steadily fallen from September 2006. Consider this: GSM operators have witnessed close to 9% drop in the outgoing SMSs during the April – June quarter, as per the latest performance indicator report by TRAI. This implies, an average GSM user now sends about 35 SMSs per month as compared to 39 during the previous quarter. Little wonder that GSM operators’ total revenue from SMS has now fallen below the 5% mark. Ditto on the CDMA front — the number of outgoing SMSs by customers using this technology platform has declined to 20 during the quarter-ended June against 24 SMSs during the January – March, 2007 quarter. If one were to consider the earlier quarter (January – March, 2007), the fall in SMS usage is more dramatic – GSM operators saw a 19% decline in outgoing text messages during this period. Outgoing SMS per subscriber (for GSM) had declined by 18.75% from 48 in December 2006 to 39 in March 2007. “This decline in usage could perhaps be linked to revision in SMS tariffs by several GSM service providers. During the quarter, there have been tariff reports indicating reduction in the number of free and discounted SMS under various packs and plans, increase in the rate for SMS, restriction on the usage of free/discounted SMS on festival/customary days. Thus, this could be a case of higher prices pushing down the usage,” TRAI had said. In this same period (Jan-March), the revenue from SMS for CDMA operators declined to 2% from 3% in December 2006. Disputing TRAI’s figure of higher SMS tariffs, an executive with a leading GSM operator pointed that a possible explanation for the fall in text messages could be due to the steady increase in the minutes of cellular usage. “For GSM players, the average increase in outgoing minutes of usage (MOU) was 2.2% during the last quarter. The actual figure can be much higher if one were to consider the fact that most of the new users are coming from semi-urban and rural India – a factor that can drag the MOU downwards,” the executive said. The executive also added that the average SMS usage was bound to fall as operators went rural as customers in non-urban areas were comparably less text savvy. Another service provider pointed out that rationalization of tariff plans, where many players discontinued non-profitable SMS packages could have led to the small decline. The executive also said that despite the fractional dip in SMS usage, the overall revenues of all operators from value added services was increasing every quarter. “There is a substantial increase in revenues from VAS. SMS is no longer the single driving force behind VAS revenues — music, gaming and other applications contribute significantly,” he added. Link: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/TRAI_S...how/2437987.cms

All new BSNL landlines to come with broadband 8 Oct, 2007, 0145 hrs IST,Joji Thomas Philip, TNN NEW DELHI: BSNL will no longer offer stand-alone landlines. The PSU has decided to offer a bundled broadband connection with every new landline that it installs across the country. Customers will not be charged extra for these broadband activated landlines. The users can activate the high-speed internet connection at any time, a senior executive with the company told ET. The move is in line with BSNL’s plans to increase its broadband users base. “This will be extended to the landlines being installed even in rural areas – 99.9% of all new landlines will come with this facility,” the executive added. In the next round, the PSU will make all its existing landline connections internet enabled. “The process is expected to be completed by the month-end, after which any landline subscriber of BSNL can log on to the internet without taking a Sancharnet connection and thereby avoiding the hassle of registration or taking a separate subscription package for the internet. However, the speeds here will be that of dial-up connection – at 56 Mbps – and not at 256 Mbps as provided through a broadband connection, the BSNL executive said. This comes even as the PSU has deactivated about 0.4 million of its internet connections during the last couple of months for failing to use the Net. The company had to resort to this move due to lack of usage to save resources. “We did not have server and storage space to accommodate these customers,” a company executive said. This had also resulted in BSNL witnessing a 2.93% decline in its subscriber base to 2.42 million during the April–June quarter as per the latest performance indicator report by telecom regulator Trai. BSNL also feels broadband-enabled fixedline connections will help revive the falling subscriber base in the wireline segment. Trai’s latest report states that the PSUs’ wireline base is decreasing and after a 2.46% decline in the April–June quarter, BSNL had 33.58 million wireline subscribers as of April-end, 2007. BSNL is also set to launch IPTV services in all major cities and is confident that its broadband base will witness a significant increase on offering this service. Link: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/N...how/2437863.cms So, now will Airtel, TATA and RCL follow suit by offering the same or will they remain different?

^^^ I have installer for 3.08, please send me links by email of ver 3.09 with crake also.

Can someone here please send me the latest Diego version with the cra**? And also how to use it? I always had some problem or the other while installing it. Then I gave up.

just as i thought

^^^ I second that

I fully agree with Honest and even I have had some freebies extended to me but all that was in the past when MDA was in charge and not after ADA took over. I guess the party is over now and no freebies are extended nowadays. Anyway, be very patient with RCL. all your wrong/over charging etc will be refunded back to you in full. However it will take time and you need to follow up with RCL on a regular basis. Send emails to them regularly. RCL in this respect is like the sarkari company which works very very slow but it works surely, unlike Airtel or Idea or Hutch (now Vodafone) All the Best, friend.

CDMA 3G trials by May-end Thomas K. Thomas ZTE will provide equipment on Tata Tele's network New Delhi April 22 CDMA-based mobile operators are set to conduct their first third generation (3G) trials in the country by the end of May. While Chinese equipment manufacturer ZTE is importing the hardware required to carry out the tests, Tata Teleservices is seeking an operating licence for the purpose. The move comes after the CDMA industry got the approval from the Department of Telecom (DoT) to carry out trials using the 1900 Mhz frequency band to check if it interferes with the mobile services offered by GSM-based cellular operators. The DoT has directed the CDMA operators to stop the trials immediately in case it causes any interference. The Government has given the operators three months to commence the trials. The Wireless Planning and Co-ordination (WPC) wing and the Telecom Engineering Centre will monitor the trials. "The process to set up the network will take 2-3 weeks, after which we will begin trials by May-end or latest by first week of June," said a CDMA industry source. "We are confident of offering services in the 1900Mhz band without causing any interference to GSM operators." The DoT has said that the purpose of the trials is to study the use of mixed band in the 1900Mhz band along with WCDMA system in the 2Ghz band. "Trials should be conducted with reasonable number of base stations of both the systems, with proper placement to form a cluster along with large number of users (similar to the situation in a dense traffic area)," said a DoT directive to CDMA operators. GSM operators have claimed that spectrum in the 1900 Mhz should not be used for cellular services as it will interfere with their service. 3G services will enable mobile users to access high-speed data services on their handsets. The technology will also allow the spectrum-starved operators to offer better quality of service. The Government is expected to announce its policy on 3G services by the end of the month. Courtesy: The Hindu Business Line What about our RCL? they will not be testing 3G or what?

Wow, whats the price?

^^^ First of all, I always reproduce the report from ET in toto. Now Vodafone, Chennai had indeed stopped 100 free local SMS per day but modified the offer to unltd local SMS at Re 0.05 per SMS at Re 1 daily rental. Some time later, they brought out another variant for SMS freaks at Rs 3 daily rental and 500 free local SMSs. So the cost of SMS'ing has actually gone down and not up. It did not at any time go up to Rs 1 per local SMS. I also agree with you that the statement "people have stopped/reduced SMS'ing and instead use Voice as the call rates have gone down" is absurd and totally wrong. Can any one imagine reading out a joke/shairi/philosophy/sentimental etc or maybe tens of these to say 40 or 50 people daily? Just because call rates have gone down? Absurdity is what I would say. Typically this is the amount of SMS I used to do everyday some 3-5 months ago. I have stopped SMS'ing only because of the poor battery life of any RCL/CDMA handset. Invariably, the battery used to go down by 2PM everyday and then I decided to stop SMS'ing. Now my battery lasts till atleast 7 to 8 PM.

Like I said in my earlier post, "Hope for the best, pray to all gods, do anything but wait forever."

Friday, October 5, 2007 How to Buy a Mobile Phone Work doesn't stop just because you've left the office. If anything, you just multitask more. So it's critical to get a mobile phone that can work as hard as you do. Today's business handsets have made a massive evolutionary leap from the simple pocket talkers of yore, offering surprisingly effective solutions for managing your calendar, your contacts, and even your business data, no matter where you are. There is no single greatest handset for all users, but with a little bit of forethought, you can easily choose the best phone and service plan for your own business needs. Smart Phones Built explicitly for business users, these intelligent mobiles make quick work of e-mail, Web surfing, and business data. BlackBerry: The standard bearers of business phones, RIM BlackBerry handsets are defined by their intuitive keypads and smart, stable software. Because of their wide adoption among large corporations, BlackBerrys integrate easily into business networks of all sizes. Every major cellular provider offers at least a few BlackBerry options, complete with e-mail and data services that let you easily synchronize the handset with PCs and servers back at the office. Traditional BlackBerrys, such as the 8700 series, sport spacious QWERTY keypads for quick thumb typing, while the smaller Pearl models use a technology called SureType to allow fast typing with multiple letters assigned to each key. Windows Mobile: Rapidly gaining ground among business users, Windows Mobile devices such as the Motorola Q are designed to offer a familiar Windows-style appearance for business users, along with simple data syncing with Microsoft Outlook. Like BlackBerry, Windows Mobile offers a variety of network-side connectivity options so a small company with just a few handsets can grow into a large company with a fleet of handsets without having to throw away all the phones in the process. Palm: Palm Treo smart phones maintain a prominent place among business handsets, thanks in large part to their simple interface. In recent years, Palm has extended its offerings to include Windows Mobile as an option, and also offers BlackBerry Connect service, which makes it a viable choice for larger business networks. Symbian: Less known in North America than in Europe, Symbian is the primary operating system used on Nokia smart phones. It is powerful and versatile, with a variety of options for integration with business networks, although North American small business users will find it more challenging to implement than either BlackBerry or Windows Mobile, because it simply enjoys a smaller market share here--and therefore, fewer support options--than its competitors. iPhone: In June, Apple made its first foray into the world of mobile phones with the iPhone, a svelte smart phone that integrates e-mail, a Web browser, and an iPod into one device. It remains to be seen whether the entertainment-centric iPhone will make the jump into the business world, but it's certainly a promising platform. Linux: The open source Linux operating system is enjoying rapid growth on cell phones, although it has yet to break into the world of business smart phones. Currently a number of initiatives are in the works to create phones as powerful and versatile as the BlackBerry, but they have yet to materialize in the marketplace. It will, however, be interesting to watch as companies like Motorola apply more effort to Linux development on phones. A Note About Camera Phones: Nearly every cell phone on the market today includes a small camera, usually of fairly low quality, built into its chassis. This can spell trouble for businesses that place a premium on protecting their trade secrets, and it's worth considering this problem if you're planning to hand smart phones to your workforce. Fortunately, many of the premium handsets mentioned above are available in both camera-equipped and cameraless models. Technologies Your phone's performance in the field will depend largely on the technology it uses to connect. Here's a look at the leading technologies. GSM/EDGE/UMTS: The Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) is the leading cellular technology worldwide. In North America, it is used by AT&T and T-Mobile. GSM phones use small data cards, called SIM cards, to store information about the user's account, which makes it easy to upgrade to a new phone. Just pop your SIM card out of your old phone and into your new phone, and you can start talking right away. For high-speed data services, GSM phones commonly use a technology called EDGE (Enhanced Data Rates for GSM Evolution). EDGE phones typically offer a maximum data rate of around 236Kbps, which is slow by 3G (third-generation) cellular standards. For this reason, EDGE is not generally considered a 3G technology. In addition to EDGE, GSM networks also sometimes use a faster technology called UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) for genuine 3G data rates of up to 3.6Mbps, which is quite fast. To reach the higher UMTS data rates, you must have a newer device that uses the HDSPA (High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) protocol. Unfortunately, UMTS deployment has been slow in many parts of North America, so it's still not available in all areas. CDMA/EV-DO: The other major cellular technology is Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), which is used by Sprint and Verizon Wireless. Unlike GSM phones, CDMA handsets are hard-coded with a unique ID number that is recognized by the network to allow connections, so there is no SIM card. The 3G data technology for CDMA phones in North America is called Evolution-Data Optimized (EV-DO). EV-DO offers data rates of up to 3.1Mbps. Unlike UMTS, EV-DO data service is nearly ubiquitous throughout all major American metro areas. Carriers Choosing the right cellular carrier will is critical to ensure quality connectivity for your business travels. Here's what you can expect from the major U.S. carriers. AT&T Formerly known as Cingular, AT&T is one of the two largest carriers in the U.S. Its GSM-based network uses predominantly EDGE data service, which is generally slower than the EV-DO service offered by Sprint and Verizon Wireless. However, the company has been rolling out a faster UMTS for a couple of years now. Only two AT&T phones feature the faster UMTS data service. In general, AT&T's EDGE data plans tend to cost significantly more than the EV-DO plans offered by Verizon Wireless and Sprint. International roaming agreements make it easy to take your AT&T GSM phone abroad without missing important calls. Verizon Wireless Matching AT&T in size and coverage, the Verizon Wireless network is based on CDMA and EV-DO technology. Verizon's EV-DO handset selection is impressive, and includes about ten offerings for BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and Palm OS. Because CDMA is less broadly adopted in Europe and Asia than in the U.S., traveling abroad can be more problematic with Verizon handsets, although the company does offer some handsets that work on both CDMA and GSM networks. Sprint Following its merger with Nextel, Sprint has arisen as a major force in the cellular world, and now offers a large 3G EV-DO data network with about nine smart phone offerings for BlackBerry, Windows Mobile, and Palm users. Like Verizon, Sprint's phones can pose problems for international travelers, but the company does offer special phone loans for overseas trips. Of the three leading companies, Sprint has the most confusing billing plans, although service costs for voice and data are roughly comparable to Verizon. T-Mobile More focused on home users than businesses, T-Mobile's GSM offers EDGE data services over roughly 75 percent of the company's service area. While T-Mobile does boast a few good business smart phones, including BlackBerry and Windows Mobile handsets, it remains less focused on the needs of business users than its three major competitors. The company does not offer any true 3G data service. Mobile E-Mail Whether you have five employees or 50,000, you have several options for getting your e-mail on your mobile phone. POP3 The most common type of mail server is the POP3 server. If your small business hosts its Internet services through a third-party provider, chances are this is the type of server you use. All true smart phones feature a POP3 mail client, which you can easily configure by entering the address of your server, your username, and your password. POP3 clients connect to the server at regular intervals (or manually, when you tap the Send/Receive button) to check for new mail and send out your messages. Exchange Medium-size to large businesses often use Microsoft Exchange to manage e-mail and calendars together. This powerful server application makes it easy for workers to share calendars, automatically schedule appointments, and manage shared company resources such as conference rooms. Many smart phones support Exchange servers, which lets them automatically sync all of your calendar, contact, and mail data through one connection. As you might expect, Exchange support tends to be particularly good on Windows Mobile devices. BlackBerry Known for innovating "push" technology, BlackBerry e-mail uses a specialized server (either on the Internet or on your business network) to push incoming e-mail straight to your handset when it comes in, rather than make you wait until your phone syncs up with the server. BlackBerry Internet Service is most commonly managed through your wireless carrier, although some larger companies manage their own BlackBerry enterprise servers. Proprietary Sync Systems In addition to the technologies described above, some wireless carriers also offer their own services to sync e-mail and other data to your mobile device. Verizon Wireless offers Wireless Sync, AT&T offers XPress Mail, and various other options are also available. These services often involve installing an application on your desktop PC, which then relays information over the Internet to your handset, keeping your Outlook schedule, contacts, and e-mail in sync between the PC and the phone. Data Services Business handsets offer a variety of data connections to keep you in touch with the Internet and your office. Internet All phones today, from the most feature-laden smart phones on down to the simplest slim handsets, offer Internet access for the Web and messaging. The quality of that Internet experience will depend entirely on the size and resolution of the screen, the quality of the keypad and controls, and the speed of the data connection. If you select a handset with a fast UMTS/HDSPA or EV-DO connection, your mobile Web surfing will likely be just as fast as what you're accustomed to at the office. VPN If you have a Virtual Private Network (VPN) set up at your office, you can access it through a smart phone. Many devices come with a VPN client application pre-installed, making it easy to configure your device for secure access to your network's servers. This is particularly useful when you need to grab an important file while you're away from the office, and you don't have time to boot a laptop. Wi-Fi Increasingly, mobile handsets are beginning to offer Wi-Fi connections for data services. This lets you surf at high speed without having to go through your cellular carrier's network. It also means you can access any servers on your network as if you were at your desk. Link Courtesy: http://how2buy-guide.blogspot.com/2007/10/...bile-phone.html I have just reproduced from the internet the above post. Nothing in the above post should be attributed to me. If this post is in the wrong topic, admins / mods may please move it to the correct place.

Call restriction feature is available only on Nokia mobiles, while it is also available for LG FWP phones. Even the latest LG mobiles do not support this feature AFAIK. However the call restriction feature on Nokia is a bit confusing. If we restrict calls from a particular number, it does not operate properly. Calls are still received from that particular number which has been blocked. Can some techie expert on this forum throw more light on how to use this call restriction feature optimally? Nokia CC/ASC and RCL CC as usual do not extend much help. The best call restriction logic goes to LG FWPs. It is flawless and very very simple to use. The call blocking feature offered by Vodafone at Rs 99 per month for 10 to 15 numbers is expensive, though the necessity of it is debatable. AFAIK, all Symbian phones and most of the PDAs have this feature on the handset itself. Even S40 GSM phones may have this pre-loaded, I am not too sure though.

Spectrum demand may usher in new tech Vavasi to bring in Chinese technology in a band not in use at the moment Thomas K Thomas New Delhi, Oct 4 With the demand for GSM spectrum hitting a new high, some of the new applicants for telecom licence are finding innovative ways to break into the Indian mobile segment. One such company called Vavasi Telegence is planning to bring a better version of the recently developed Chinese technology — Time Division-Synchronous Code Division Multiple Access (TD-SCDMA) which will offer high speed wireless connectivity in a spectrum band that is not in use at the moment. Pan- India access licenCe Vavasi has applied for a pan-Indian unified telecom access licence and holds proprietary rights over the new technology. The company is conducting trials of this next-generation technology called NG1 in Madhya Pradesh and has already partnered with Bangalore-based Measurements And Controls India Ltd for the manufacturing equipment. Speaking to Business Line Mr Farid Arifuddin, Managing Director, Vavasi Telegence Pvt Ltd, said that the company plans to build a network that will support 100 million subscribers over the next five years. Vavasi has also partnered with Mr Sam Pitroda, as an advisor to the project and roped in the founder director of Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), Dr M. V. Pitke, as Technology Advisor. The company has set up a research and development centre to work on various applications and services that can be deployed using the new technology. “We want to make India the hub for this technology, which we are calling as NG1. Our plan is to go beyond India and make inroads into other countries around the world. For this we are in the process of putting in place partnerships, alliances and a manufacturing base,” Mr Arifuddin said. The company has already got a licence to offer services in Mongolia and plans to bid for the 700 Mhz band being auctioned in the US. Vavasi also plans to strike partnerships for manufacturing handsets suited to NG1, which will be priced between $30- $1500 depending on the features. Since the company is seeking the guard band in the 1800 Mhz for offering next-generation wireless services in India, it may be able to acquire the licence ahead of other 30 new applicants. Vavasi may get a headstart into high bandwidth telecom services ahead of GSM operators such as Airtel and Vodafone since NG1 is touted to be more efficient than existing third generation (3G) technologies. Link Courtesy: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/1...00553090100.htm

^^^ I agree with you totally. We Indians are being taken for a jolly good ride. How come double SAR is allowed in India? Is there no one to protest? Or has ADA greased the babus even for this? hehe

The future looks bleak as far as high end handsets for CDMA are concerned. Nobody is willing to budge from their stated positions and we subscribers only will suffer eventually.

All GSM subscriber data are over inflated always. The same applies to CDMA also, but on a very very miniscule scale because of the handset issues.

AFAIK, not possible at all. Can a petrol car run on diesel? Similarly, a S40 phone cannot run applications made for S60 phones and vice versa. Maybe in future, there may be convergence. But I doubt it very much.