mobile phones

Virgin Media today announced it has reached one million mobile contract customers. Virgin Media has increased the number of customers signing up to a mobile contract by more than 40% in the past 12 months, thanks to a range of competitive tariffs, high-end handsets and some exclusive benefits for Virgin Media customers.

Graeme Oxby, executive director of mobile and home phone at Virgin Media said: “We’re delighted to have reached the one million milestone as we continue to build on our unique ‘quad-play’ line-up of mobile, broadband, TV and home phone. With market-leading mobile tariffs, built on simplicity and flexibility, exciting new handsets and outstanding value for money across all of our bundles, more of our customers are choosing to take more services with Virgin Media and are making the most of the digital world.”

Virgin Media recently launched a range of new, high-end handsets, including the LG InTouch Max, HTC Desire, BlackBerry Bold 9700 and Nokia X6. Alongside a relaunched mobile portal with instant access to Twitter, Facebook, Google Talk, Yahoo! Messenger and virginmedia.com, this range of high-end data-enabled smartphones, has helped the company drive mobile data usage as more Virgin Media customers enjoy the best of the mobile web.

Mobile from Virgin Media has built on its pre-pay, value-for-money heritage to offer a range of compelling contract tariffs, including unlimited texts and unlimited web access from just £20 per month. To support the company’s quad-play strategy, customers who also take broadband, TV or home phone services with Virgin Media can take advantage of exclusive benefits and savings, such as a choice of high-end handsets for less, additional minutes to other Virgin Mobile phones or even unlimited Virgin Mobile to Virgin Mobile calls, all available on selected tariffs*.

Recognising the growing number of customers taking all four services, Virgin Media has introduced free calls from Virgin home phones to Virgin Mobiles, a first in the UK. In the first fortnight of this innovative new offer, Virgin Media customers made over 70,000 hours of calls, collectively saving in excess of £100,000 each week.

I’m sure you’ve all been in that situation….sat in the phone store trying to decide on a new mobile phone while the salesperson is blabbing away at you about the amazing specifications on some phone…when all you care about is…that it lets you make and receive calls…and of course how pretty it is! Naturally, you don’t want to come across like a bimbo though…so you nod and smile along with whatever they’re saying…3G, GPRS, etc….well…don’t worry, you no longer need to just go along with it! And do you know what? It’s actually not that bad

We’ve put together a quick and easy to read list to help you out with all that jargon that means nothing to you when it comes to mobile phones. Take a look at the list below, and you’ll no longer find yourself just nodding and smiling, but actually understanding what’s going on!

3G- 3G is the current generation of mobile technology, it supports a higher data rates, full motion video, and allows mobile users to access the internet.

Bluetooth - Technology that allows a wire-free connections between devices.
Dual band – All new UK mobiles are dual band, this term refers to mobiles that can switch between two frequencies.

EMS – Enhanced message service, is an evolution of SMS. An EMS-enabled phone can send and receive messages that include formatted text, pixel pictures, animations, sound effects and ring signals.

Fascias – Interchangeable covers for mobile phones.

GPRS – General Packet Radio Service – This is a way to enhance 2G phones so they can send and receive data more rapidly. A GPRS connection means the phone is “always on” and can transfer data immediately. This is the standard digital service used throughout Europe.

Infrared – Wireless data transfer via an infrared port. For example, between two mobile phones or via other devices such as PC with IrDa port.

IVR – Interactive voice response.

MMS – Multimedia messaging service. With a MMS compatible handset, you can send and receive a combination of text, images, sound and video. It’s a more advanced feature than SMS and EMS.

Pay As You Go (PAYG) – This is a pre-pay mobile phone service. It works by allowing customers to purchase credit in advance to give you talk time on your phone.

PC card – This device allows you to connect your mobile phone to your computer.

Tri-Band – Tri band or Triple band phones can operate across three GSM bands, which means they can work in more than 100 countries.

Voice activated dialing – This is a way of controlling the call function on your mobile phone. You say the name of a contact and it will automatically dial their number. This is a function most commonly used with hands free sets by drivers.

WAP – This means Wireless Application Protocol, WAP enables mobile phones to activate the services that mean we can access the internet on our mobile phone.

The ubiquitous ringtone – another one of those omnipresent features of modern life. And how far you’ve come, young ringtone. What started out as a collection of monophonic squeaks and squeals became a multi-billion dollar industry, almost overnight.  Believe it or not mobile phone ringtones have been around for over a decade now, with the first commercial ringtone services said to have emerged with the Nokia mobile phones of early 1997.  Gradually, they have become an established part of modern life with some of them becoming headline news over the years.

So as we look back over the history of ringtones, a few stand out as the “big hits” or “classics”. Though there are very few established lists of the top-selling ringtones of all time, we’ve tried to put together a list of the 10 most ‘influential’ (ie. Everywhere!) – of all time.

10. Crazy Frog

It was always going to be on here somewhere, so let’s get it out of the way first. The “Crazy Frog” ringtone was based on an animation called “The Annoying Thing” by Erik Wernquist, and made famous by the mobile content company Jamba who heavily promoted “The Crazy Frog” on TV and the internet. The ringtone spawned a chart hit based on a remix of “Alex F” which went to No.1 in the UK, Japan, Australia and a number of European countries.

9. Ridin’

Ridin’, Chamillioniare’s hit single of 2006 rocked the ringtone world. It sold the most ringtones ever to that point topping out at over 2.3 million sold, which actually eclipsed the amount of singles sold from the same single. “Ridin’” was awarded “Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group” at the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. It was also nominated for Best Rap Song. Number 91 on VH1’s 100 Greatest Songs of Hip Hop.

8. Sir Mix-a-lot

In 1992, Sir Mix-a-Lot, a rapper had a huge hit with “Baby Got Back” which was re-recorded as a ringtone with the lyrics “Pick up the phone! Pick up the phone! ‘Cause you don’t wanna miss this call and I cannot lie!.” This was one of the first “ringtone remixes” of popular songs to achieve success after being marketed by Jamba, the same company that produced the Crazy Frog ringtone.

7. iPhone ringtone

When Steve Jobs announced the launch of the iPhone in early 2007, his demonstration included a ringtone, which was quickly made available as a recording by a number of websites. The ringtone has been described as like “holy angels tinkling” and was eventually included within the standard ringtone set on the iPhone.

6.  Eminem – Lose Yourself

Eminem’s Oscar winning song from the soundtrack of 8 Mile. As millions knew instinctually, the instrumental at the beginning made for the ideal ringtone buildup before the epic head-nodding audio explosion began. When this played you didn’t want to answer the phone. That was my excuse, anyway.

5. Classic telephone ring

With the rise of personalised tones a lot of people have decided to avoid them in favour of the classic “bell ringing” sound of a normal telephone. A number of surveys over the years have shown this to be one of the most popular tones.

4.  CTU Ringtone

The popular TV show “24” features a highly recognisable ringtone on the phones in the CTU office complex. The same sound is now being marketed as a ringtone for mobile phones and is rapidly becoming a big hit.

3.  Super Mario Brothers Theme

Created by Koji Kondo, the Japanese composer and musician best known for his scores for various video games produced by Nintendo. This is the number one selling ringtone ever in Japan, and set the benchmark that all annoying video game based ringtones aspire to.

2.  Mr T. (Pick Up Yo’ Phone, Fooo)

Many things in life defy explanation. This is one of them. Do yourself a favor and find it. Truly, hours of fun.

1.  Nokia Tune

The Nokia Tune, based on a 13 note rendering of “Gran Vals” by Francisco Tarrega, a 19th-century Spanish musician, is typically included within all Nokia handsets as the default ringtone and has therefore become famous or infamous due to its popularity. It is the typical ringtone of the middle-aged business man who hasn’t got the time or inclination to work out how to change it.

With the integration of wireless Internet on such devices as the iPhone, Blackberry and Google’s Android phone, the past few years have seen an emerging phenomenon of 24/7 connectivity. However, research suggests those who choose to correspond via email, text messages or social networks are prone to health problems and diminished professionalism, as a rush to get a message across supersedes the need for human interaction. The key is to decipher in what circumstances technological advances are necessary and in which we’re better off without them.

Short Text, Long History:

Though the phrase ‘text me’ is now part of the lexicon of modern life, Short Message Service (SMS) actually languished in technological obscurity for more than a decade after the concept was initially developed in the early 1980’s. It was not until 1992 that the first SMS was sent over a UK network and only by the end of 2000 did SMS texts become a regular commercial feature for the majority of contracted users. As SMS quickly became an ever more relevant method of communication with the average Joe, entrepreneurs and professionals were presented with a toy of their own, the Blackberry. Combining the latest mobile phone with a hand held computer, the blackberry gave workaholics access to their emails, office networks and documents, and made it possible to conduct business from anywhere.

Health Risk:

A disturbing side effect of this increasing connectivity has been its effect on face-to-face interaction. It has now become possible to complete your commute without looking at another human being, or attend a dinner party having had fifteen simultaneous conversations with friends who were not actually there. Professor Gayle Porter of Rutgers University led research that signified the health risks of such behaviour, outlining that ‘addiction to technology can be as equally damaging [as chemical or substance addictions] to a worker’s mental health’.

Talkers vs. Texters:

Brand new mobile phones that include a plethora of socially interactive technologies may also be contributing to the higher levels of anxiety and depression amongst teenagers and young adults. In research conducted at the University of Plymouth, Reid & Reid (2004) split an experimental group into ‘talkers’ or ‘texters’ based on a qualitative analysis. They discovered that although the majority of both texters and talkers preferred face-to-face communication, over a quarter of the texters preferred texting – 4 times the number of talkers who preferred texting. Texters were also found to be more socially anxious and lonely than the talkers.

Embellish vs. Displace:

“Social networking sites should allow us to embellish our social lives, but what we find is very different. The tail is wagging the dog. These are not tools that enhance, they are tools that displace.” Dr. Aric Sigman, a biologist, has warned that a lack of human interaction paralleled with innovations in technology could result in a range of health problems, such as upset immune responses, altered hormone levels, malfunction of arteries and a decrease in mental performance.

In the BBC article, Dr. Sigman also cited research in which face-to-face interaction has fallen dramatically since 1987, signifying that modern technologies are hindering the way we interact with other human beings. Advancements in technology should enhance rather than diminish our social lives.

Ease of access vs. Professionalism:

The appeal of email and instant messaging still boasts an obvious answer – It’s free and it’s instant. To avoid busy signals and high phone bills, the internet provides a more cost-effective way to interact with workmates, clients and within a personal context. However, these mediums simply cannot replace real phone conversations or face-to-face meetings in the workplace. A poll on Edutopia has also expressed the concern of social media within an educational environment: “As more and more students immerse themselves in Textspeak over their cell phones and computers, educators worry that their writing skills are suffering. [...] There is concern that students who frequently express themselves in abbreviations and smiley faces may lose the capacity for more nuanced, grammatically correct writing.”

Put simply, a level of formality is needed to gain trust in all three businesses, educational establishments and in individuals. Where businesses cut corners on formal conversations, carelessness in quick correspondence could hinder progress in both our social and professional lives.

Along with popular Nokia mobile phones such as the N95 and E71, the Nokia 5800 Xpress Music has been hailed by consumers as the best handset launched by the Finnish phone giants. Here are three reasons why:

The 5800 became an instant icon, selling 1 million handsets across the globe in the first two months of going on sale.

Blog posts and tweets have also been plentiful, where approximately 11 million articles, reviews and photos have been indexed by Google in the past 3 months. This is almost a third of what the N95 produced in over 2 years, demonstrating just how much of a talking point this phone is.

Finally, a recent poll by the good folks at Nokia asking ‘which new Nokia music phone is your favourite?’ the 5800 captured 56% of the vote, more than double the vote of other new music phones in Nokia’s Xpress Music range, such as the 5730 Xpress Music.

So, is it the best? Have your say here…

1. best christmas commercial
a little american pie-esque, but fun none the less:

2. best mp3 source commercial
“dah dum dah… another one bites the dust…”

3. best tv commercial
…because Jose Gonzalez is just, awesome. and colours! they’re awesome too:

4. best mobile device provider commercial
omg, it’s like, totally funny:

5. best game console commercial
double dutch to a whole new level:

6. best online business commercial
the best cute-baby-older-guy-voice-combination so far:

7. best online jobsite commercial
because we’ve all felt like this guy at some point in our lives:

8. best mobile phone commercial
clever, and Nokia will forever be responsible for upcoming cheesy proposals:

9. best airline commercial
what it has to do with airline booking i have no idea, but it’s still really, really funny:

10: best computer commercial
because Macbook Air really is just… thin.

The Nokia N97 will be the first Nokia mobile phone to fully integrate Skype into a Nokia device. Current Skype users will find their address book to be fully integrated into their mobile phones’ address books, allowing users to see when contacts are online via 3G and WIFI and to make free Skype to Skype calls.

Skype will be pre-installed in the N97 phones launched in Q3 of this year, while owners of earlier versions will be able to upgrade their software to include the feature.

Skype’s COO, Scott Durchslag, said “Collaborating closely with Nokia to preload and integrate our software onto their devices will benefit the many Nokia customers who already use Skype, as it makes Skype easily accessible and simple to use on the go. It will also bring Skype new users who love Nokia’s Symbian Series 60 experience.”

Nokia N Series’ Vice President, Jose-Luis Martinez, said, “With more than 400 million Skype users worldwide, the integration of Skype on Nokia Nseries mobile computers is a significant step in bringing converged Internet experiences from the desktop to the world’s most advanced mobile computer.”

… Not to mention, challenging mobile phone companies to rethink how much of a ‘deal’ we are really getting on long distance calls and SMS!

5 Barack Obama gifts..

4 digital photo frames..

3 Flip video cameras..

2 Boston Acoustic Speakers..

and a Nokia N73.

4 digital photo frames..

3 Flip video cameras..

2 Boston Acoustic Speakers..

and a Nokia N73.