Blog

Why Nokia N900 is ground breaking?

I have been an all time Nokia fan when it comes to mobile phones. I’ve always been carrying one and it’s been a decade now that I’m doing so. The launch of Nokia N900 is for sure ground breaking, and this ground has been broken after a long time.

I bought my first ground breaking Nokia phone back in year 2000. This amazing phone had many new features like a higher resolution monochrome screen, a ring-tone editor, exchangeable covers and most of all, it had no visible stick-antenna on top of the phone. How exciting that was for all of us back then.


Then things moved on and the second ground breaking Nokia I planned to buy was a Symbian smart phone. The first of its kind, Nokia 7650. By the time I collected the money, made up my mind and reached the market, the phone was not available anymore. So I ended up with the good-old Nokia 6600.

Nokia 7650

Nokia 6600

Nokia 6600 was my dream come true with multitasking applications, java installables, colored screen, camera, Bleutooth, GPRS internet connectivity and another long list that I’m not posting here 🙂

Fast forward to present date! … Nokia has announced its Nokia N-900 smart phone that happens to be the first Nokia to feature a Linux based OS.


Though all of us have been reading about the acquisition of Symbian by Nokia, upcoming Symbian ^2, Symbian ^3 and Symbain ^4 but this is an interesting turn that Nokia has taken. Nokia N900 comes with a Linux based Maemo 5 operating system which Nokia has been working on for quite some time now.

Following videos give you a preview of the look and feel of Maemo 5 OS:

Following are a few more reasons, why we are speaking so high of Nokia N-900.

Nokia N-900 has:

  • Linux based Maemo 5 OS
  • ARM Cortex-A8 processor running at 600 Mhz. One of the fastest for Nokias
  • PowerVR SGX graphics processor with OpenGL ES 2.0 support
  • Mozilla web-browser
  • 3.5″ tourch screen display with 800 x 480 resolution.
  • Amazing camera that can take photos at 2584 x 1938 resolution and videos at 848 x 480 resolution with 25 fps. Is that a wide-screen DVR or what?
  • Other stuff like 32GB memory, A-GPS, FM Transmitter, TV Out, 3.5mm Audio jack, slide keyboard, Bluetooth 2.1 and a long list again, that I cant mention here 🙂

While I’m waiting desperately for one of these gadgets to be out in the market I must inform you too that Nokia has announced the availability of N900 starting October 2009 with an estimated price of around EUR 500.

Lets all wait for the gadget and hope it comes up to the expectations of the Nokia enthusiasts like me.

PTA to launch 3G in Pakistan to boost telecom further

PTA has recently announced that it plans to launch 3G services in Pakistan very soon. Though no dates or time frame has been given and the word soon remains undefined. According to this news-release, launching 3G services is one of the steps it is taking to keep the upward trends in telecom growth, a sector that is already contributing 2% of the GDP and it is expected that it will grow up to 3% in the coming years.

My question is, that a country with a tele-density of 62%, mobile penetration of 94 million subscribers with a population of around 180 million, can we still expect more subscribers to sign up?

I believe we are already reaching a kind of saturation point. Please consider the following facts before answering my question:

  • There is a big number of subscribers who carry more than one active sims
  • Pakistani population between ages 15 and 64 is less than 60%

Have you tried the new Google Image search?

Google has recently improved their Image search service. Using this amazing service you can not only search for images on the Internet but now you have much more control over the search results. All of us have been searching for images on Google’s image search using different keywords resulting in very impressive results. Now you can search images using following criteria.

Image sizes
You can select an image size that you are searching for. The size can go from smallest to as high as more than 70 mega pixels. Following are the options for filtering:

  • Icon
  • Medium
  • Large
  • Larger than (select custom size from a list of 14 options up to 70 mega pixels)
  • Exactly (give exact resolution width x height in pixels)

Image Types
You can choose from following image types and it works like a charm. You can search for a person’s photo, or a line-drawing or a clip art. Very helpful when you need a specific type of image.

  • Face
  • Photo
  • Clip art
  • Line drawing

Color
This one is my favorite. You can select a color from a predefined list of twelve colors. The colors include red, orange, yellow, green, sky-blue, blue, purple, pink, white, gray, black and brown. The item you search for, specify it’s color and the results are awesome. The items that cannot be of a specific color, images with the selected background are shown or images with that color in dominance show up in the results. I tried a few interesting searches and you can see the results below.

Pink Tractor

Orange Moon

Purple Lightening


Please do share your experience with us and let us know how useful you find the new Google Image Search.

Get ready for Google Code Jam 2009


All you coders, computer scientists and software engineers out there. Google Code Jam 2009 is here. Google code jam is an annual coding competition held by Google online. The competition allows the coders around the world solve complex problems in a limited amount of time using the programming language and development environment of their choice. This will result in a few rounds of competitions deciding 25 finalists who will travel to Google’s Headquarters, Mountain View California in November.

The competition is starting early September, so don’t wait, simply head to code-jam website and register your slot for the event.

Microsoft Word banned in US


Microsoft has been in trouble in Europe as reported earlier due to the law suites forcing them to ship Microsoft Windows 7 without their well known Internet Explorer browser. Later, they had to ship new copies of Windows XP without it as well.

Now Microsoft is facing a situation in US where a judge in Texas rules that Microsoft cannot sell Microsoft Word. Yes, Microsoft Word from the Microsoft Office Suite. This is very interesting. The opposing party is a Toronto based company named i4i inc. that holds some XML patents and we all know that the latest Word and Office products use XML format to store their files.

Microsoft plans to appeal against the decision. Whatever is the outcome, Microsoft has always been in the line of fire when it comes to law-suites against its products and services.


MSN Messenger is 10 years old


I did not realize the time passed so quickly. One of the most commonly used instant messaging software, MSN messenger which got renamed to Windows Live messenger a few years ago is celebrating its 10th anniversary. Though it was not the first IM software out there in the market back in late 90s, it surely has been one of the most used ones.

The software’s tight binding with Microsoft Windows and Hotmail has given it necessary accelerated growth. And now this Messenger is being used to promote MSN’s social networking services.

As a result of the 10th anniversary celebrations, MSN is giving you a messenger theme that will surely tell your friends that you are very happy about this anniversary. You can simply go to the anniversary site and download the theme. This theme’s setup runs and almost forces you to select Bing as the default search engine, MSN as your browser’s default home page and also gives you a link to download Internet Explorer 8.


Once the theme is installed your chat window and display picture will look like this:

Ufone Launches UConnect

Today, Ufone has announced the launch of a very interesting service named UConnect. The service allows you to use your cellphone to control several activities on your PC. In addition to remote PC access the service combos Push-Email-over-SMS as well. It may sound a bit complex but in my initial experience I find the service very easy-to-use. No downloads and installation required on phone, no complex configurations, no issue of proxies and firewalls on your pc, in short, if you have data enabled phone, it’ll work just fine. Following is the list of main features of UConnect:

  • Remote file access: You can access the files on your PC remotely. No download required on your phone and it all works on the mobile-browser.
  • Remote access to your Outlook emails: Access your MS-Outlook emails on the go using the mobile-browser
  • PC control: Allows you to restart, shutdown, hibernate, sleep and log off your machine.
  • Multiple PC remote access: Above three features can be used on more than one PCs
  • Push Email: Sends you SMS and Wap-Push notifications for every incoming email and you can configure up to 5 email accounts with it. You can even use it on a non-smart phone.
  • 512 MB web-space: Each user will be allocated 512 MB space on the server.


How to subscribe?

Simply SMS SUB to 292 to sign up for the service.

How it works

  • You can access the service on the phone by visiting http://uconnect.ufone.com on their mobile browser. Once signed up you can login and configure push email from here.
  • You can download UConnect client software to be installed on your PC from http://uconnect.ufone.com that allows remote access on your phone.

Please download the user manual for further details.

Anticipation

I’ll come back on this blog with a detailed review of the product, its features and price later, but right now I’m really excited about this product. File sharing, remote file and PC access is something that has not been available earlier, at least as a VAS in Pakistan. Moreover, Push Email over SMS is a service that targets a big number of users and will help bring Email access to masses.

Please wait for the detailed review to follow.

Ufone SMS Hoax!

An sms hoax has been floating all around especially on Ufone numbers. Different versions of the message have been forwarded but basically all of these messages ask users to exploit a bug in ufone system by forwarding the message to several people to get some free balance. Now i dont know if its an effort of chocking ufone network or an attempt to give an sms revenue boost to the network. Following are the two of several versions of the message.

Version 1:
“UFONE SSTEM TRICEKD BY STUDENT OF QUAID_E_AWAM UNIVERSITY .
Ye sms without editing ufone k kisi b 6 numbers pe send kro aur os k baad *146# dial kren 15 mints me 1000 sms ka pkg free me ho jae ga aur 5 hour k lie aap sirf ufone numbers pe free cal kr skte ho .it works because of these codes.
htp.\\trace\15m5-333s.3[ra-ga-5]+47.locate7\\09 .?ufone.htt.p.web.a.s [eco]%uni@hdnis. URL-4YR.K26.”

Version 2:
“Ufone Bug, Ufone ki Service main aik bug mila ha, jis ki wajha sy ufone ko lakhun ka nuksaan horaha ha. Is sms ko edit keay bghair 8 logon ko send krain, isk end par maujood code ki wajha sy apko 200 free minutes milain gy. Sirf 2 hr baad *706# mila kr check kegeyay ga.
Parse=xMl.serverlang(0).num(current)&center=0005150&c0de=33*+200.airTime(&num=true)print(#24726);
=endPARSER”

Michael Schumacher is back in the red car

This is certainly the News-Of-The-Year for me and a big number of Formula 1 fans out there. Ferrari has announced that Michael Schumacher will replace injured Felipa Massa for next few races, and you can see the star back in action as early as weekend starting on 20th August. For this to materialize, Schumacher will have to go through some special training program and he will be racing till Massa will be fit enough to take back the racing wheel in his hands.

This all started as a result of an unfortunate accident during Hungarian grand prix-qualifying round. Ferrari’s driver, Felipa Massa’s car went out of control and hit deep into the tyre barrier in Q2 of his qualifying lap. Massa is out of danger but still hospitalized.

Michael Schumacher has been seven-time world champion. He retired at the end of 2006 season but his association with Ferrari team has continued. For many people including me, F1 season has been a bit of a put-off so far, but the return of this guy in the red-car will not only bring back millions of fans back to following F1, but I’m sure they’ll all be cheering for one of the red cars on the track.

This German driver has not only been 7 times world champion, but he got poll position 68 times, and has won 91 out of his total 250 career races.

Get Google-Voice app for your Phone-Now!


Google has recently started giving Google Voice accounts through invites. Google voice allows you to have one Google-Voice-Number and associate all your other phone numbers to this global number. Then you can receive and make calls using this number without letting your callers worry, where you are calling from. You have more control over your number, you get a big bundle of other features including conference calling, call forwarding, conference call and the list is never ending. You can check out the list of fetures at Google Voice Website.


Now Google has also released a mobile-app for BlackBerry and Android handsets that allows you to make and receive calls, check your voice mail and do a lot more. You can download the mobile app from http://m.google.com/voice.

You can watch the intro video for the mobile app below: