India Gadget Reviews

Finally, a phone made in the year 2013 that Zack Morris can approve of. All kidding aside, Spot's aptly titled Global Phone isn't the most -- shall we say, svelte -- of handsets, but it's capable of communicating in places that your iPhone could only dream of. Spot is actually a subsidiary of satellite communications giant Globalstar, who is no stranger to providing satellite-based service to argonauts the world over. The Global Phone is one of the company's first consumer-facing phones, taking the intrigue and mystery out of procuring one of those fancy sat phones -- you know, the ones that can seemingly only be acquired by James Bond's nemeses.

The target market for this handset is obvious: if you're an avid hiker, explorer, boater or adventurer, there's a high likelihood that you'll end up in a locale where traditional cell networks provide no coverage. In fact, it's shockingly easy to find dead zones these days -- just head to your nearest national park and stroll up a marked trail for a bit. At $499 for the device itself and month-to-month plans starting at $25, it's actually a reasonably priced addition to one's off-the-grid arsenal. (Have you seen the prices on subzero sleeping bags these days?)

But, is it a worthwhile addition? I recently traversed 1,600 miles of mostly desolate territory in the US Southwest in order to find out, and the answer lies just after the break.

Let's face it: satellite phones have never been sexy. But in reality, the Global Phone is a heck of a lot more attractive than those that have come before it. It measures 5.3 x 2.2 x 1.5 inches, weighs just 7.1 ounces and can withstand just about any temperature that the user can. The token extendable antenna is here in full force, and when fully erect, the length of the phone nearly triples. The device itself is barely a burden in the grand scheme of things; in fact, it's easy to misplace in larger packs. The four-line display is remarkably spartan, but it provides the essential information that you need -- remember, this thing is built to talk to someone in a pinch. It's not a phone designed for leisure or pleasure use.

The keys are solid enough, and beyond that, there's not much to say in regard to hardware. In my testing, it proved fairly rugged, but I'd be careful about dropping the (predominantly plastic) shell from too high a perch. On the rear, there's a compartment for a battery that's good for four hours of talking or 36 hours on standby. During my week in the wilderness, I actually squeezed out closer to 50 hours on standby, but obviously, those heading into the wild won't want to press their luck.

Speaking of that, there are only two ways to charge this unit: an optional car kit, and the included AC adapter -- one of those inline brick contraptions. To me, this is the most puzzling part of the equation. Why design a (comparatively) bantam sat phone without also designing a slim charger? I look at it this way: 36 hours of standby is decent, but if I were going on a fortnight-long excursion, it'd be great if the phone could be recharged via USB. Or, via a less bulky charger. I realize that many who purchase this will also be traveling with solar-powered battery packs to keep their accessories juiced, but seriously, the charger takes almost as much room in one's pack as the phone. That's just... awkward.

Spot (and by extension, Globalstar) has gone to great lengths in order to make the calling experience as normal as possible. Each Global Phone includes a standard US phone number, but any outbound calls will display as "Unknown" to those on the receiving end. That's an unfortunate byproduct, for sure, as an increasing amount of folks ignore anything coming from a number that isn't in their address book. I'd recommend giving any relatives that you may end up calling a heads-up; if they're expecting emergency calls from you as "Unknown," you're more likely to get through.

Dialing out is a pretty simple process. Just turn the phone on, spin the rear antenna around and extend it out.

Dialing out is a pretty simple process. Just turn the phone on, spin the rear antenna around and extend it out -- trying to latch onto a signal without it fully extended will lead to plenty of tears... particularly if you're being chased by some sort of venomous creature. From there, you dial a number and press the call button. (Tough stuff, we know.) The display will show signal strength and a message onscreen informing you if the call is going through. Once it does, the process is just like talking on any other phone. It's important to note, however, that you won't be receiving any calls if the antenna isn't rotated and extended. In other words, if you've got the handset folded up, you might as well turn it off to conserve battery power.

I placed and received calls from a variety of remote locales: deep within the San Bernardino National Forest, Joshua Tree National Park, Mohave National Preserve, Zion National Park, uninhabited canyons outside of Page, Ariz. and Mesa Verde National Park. It's worth noting that each call I made was in a spot where neither AT&T nor Verizon Wireless provided any service whatsoever.

It's worth noting that each call I made was in a spot where neither AT&T nor Verizon Wireless provided any service whatsoever.

Each time, I was able to connect to someone on the other end within around 20 seconds -- oftentimes much more quickly. I called folks on a variety of cellular networks as well as conventional landlines, and by and large, no one had any issues hearing me. Indeed, it sounded as if I were on a typical cellphone call most of the time.

Still, the handset doesn't do a good job masking wind noise, as told to me on numerous occasions while attempting to have a conversation atop some sort of mountain or mesa, and performance seemed to suffer when moving or when used between canyon walls. I started a call with a clear view of the sky in Zion National Park, and attempted to walk down a trail that placed me between mountainsides; the deeper I went, the harder it was to hear the person on the other side. Unfortunately, the Global Phone -- much like a DirecTV satellite -- really needs a clear view of the sky to operate properly. This means that I wasn't able to make a call while standing 128 feet below the surface in Upper Antelope Canyon, and perhaps more seriously, it means that you couldn't either if you happened to fall down there while canyoneering. (127 Hours, anyone?)

I did drop several calls after the three-minute mark, though one held on closer to five minutes. In practice, I highly doubt users of the Global Phone would ever need to make a call that lasted any longer than that. Again, you aren't buying this phone to chitchat while toasting marshmallows at the base of Mt. Fuji. You're buying this phone as a safety net -- as a means to communicate a status change or emergency in an area where typical cell networks are of no use.

In an interesting twist, Spot has discontinued the support of two-way SMS (texting) as of June 2013.

In an interesting twist, Spot has discontinued the support of two-way SMS (texting) as of June 2013. Previously, these phones could send and receive 35-character messages like any other mobile phone, but I was told by a company representative that the cost for these transmissions was so high that support was abandoned. I'm also guessing it simply wasn't used very often. As it stands, you can alert your loved ones prior to leaving that they can visit this website in order to send a text to your number. That's a free service that anyone can use, but be aware that this is a one-way communication platform. Even if you receive a text through this method, you can't text back. For what it's worth, I tested a web-based text transmission, and the handset received it within a few seconds.

As for data? For those who absolutely can't stand to be without email while in the bush, an optional data kit is available for around $20. Essentially, this enables you to tether the Global Phone to your laptop, where you can then access the internet. You'll only see speeds of up to 28 kbps, though, so you'll need to be exceedingly desperate to even think about trying it. Though, to be fair, we've considered even more extreme measures to ensure we're online to secure a pre-order of Tickle Me Elmo.

Here's something that'll probably surprise you: the Global Phone won't work everywhere. One of the most widely misunderstood components of using a satellite phone is that it supports calling on every square inch of our planet. In truth, there's a huge portion of it where even this handset won't help you connect. The entirety of the United States and Central America, as well as a huge portion of the oceans surrounding 'em, are covered. But travel too far north in Canada or Greenland, and you'll be out of range. There are also substantial portions of Africa, India and Asia that have no coverage, as well as the oceans surrounding them. The map here does an excellent job of explaining where the Global Phone works, so be sure to ogle it with discretion before assuming it'll function where you're headed.

Considering that a proper mountaineering outfit, backpack, sleeping bag, stove and water purification system are apt to run you well north of a grand, budgeting $499 for a device that could very well save your life isn't all that outrageous. Best of all, Spot offers month-to-month plans with no strings attached; just pay the $50 activation fee and select the one that best suits your needs before you head out on your next escapade. For $40, you can get 80 minutes (each additional minute is $0.99), free data compression and the peace of mind that can only be acquired by having something like this within reach.

For those looking to cut costs further, there's a $25 plan that offers 10 calling minutes, with each additional minute priced at $1.99. Frankly, those rates are completely understandable from the perspective of someone who has suddenly found themselves injured or hopelessly lost in the wilderness. In fact, I'm guessing that someone fearing imminent death in the wild would pay a whole lot more for just 60 seconds of talk time with 911. Naturally, those who need coverage on an annual basis have options as well, with a $300 / year plan providing 120 minutes. (The full rate schedule can be found here.)

My only major gripes with the Global Phone are these: the charging situation is unfortunate, as the sheer size of the charging brick makes it a hassle to carry around. An option for USB charging really should've been included. Secondly, the recent disappearance of SMS support is a real bummer. Sure, you can still phone your significant other once a night for a bit to tell them you've hit your next waypoint, but being able to shoot off a succinct text to accomplish the same would've been preferred. Particularly for those leading up group hikes -- Philmont, I'm looking at you -- having one of these around is a no-brainer. The $499 price tag will feel completely insubstantial the very first time you actually need to use it.

The trend in the Unified Communications industry is to charge a "per seat" license for access to VoIP Business Phone Solutions. In large part a legacy "flat tax" from the old TDM world, phone system suppliers continue to license based on the number of users that the system supports. Microsoft, ShoreTel, Avaya and CISCO all seem to have software licensing based on the number of users. Some licensing strategies become more complex as features and services are added. ShoreTel has by the simplest licensing strategy of the major suppliers, but they do count the number of users as the base software license cost. Additional license fees are assessed for "Professional" Communicators or Communicators that access Workgroup functionality for Agents and Supervisors. It is all rooted, however, in the number of users the system will be hosting.

If we consider a simple 100 extension solution, ShoreTel will have a $20K software license fee before you purchase any of the required VoIP hardware. Basically, you are paying $200 per user for an Extension and Voice Mailbox. After you purchase your software license, you will still need to purchase handsets, gateways and servers! Microsoft, CISCO and Avaya, though significantly more complex in their licensing strategies, start from the same basic "per seat" model. In fact, if you look across the business communications landscape all suppliers have to offer basically the same set of components Yes, all automobiles are different, but they generally have four wheels, a steering, seats, dashboards and a power source!

Clearly this has a significant impact on your ongoing cost of support. For reasons that I have yet to figure out, "technical support" is somehow a function of your system acquisition cost? The industry trend is in the range of 10-20% of your total system cost, including software licenses, will then be used to calculate your ongoing cost for software insurance and technical support. I know there are smarter people than I that have been working this out, but I just cant see the relationship between the cost of equipment and the cost to service that equipment? I get "making money", but I don't' see the value relationship in punishing customers for buying more equipment?

Is there another model out there? Are we forever bound to the "per seat" license model? In fact there is another model out there! Enter low profile, high performance, global provider of Unified Communications, 3CX! These guys amaze me and I think they are harbingers of how the communications industry will work as we move deeper into the 21st century. Now hear this, they do NOT charge a "per seat" license! Contrary to the industry trend, they also include most functionality that the other players generally "option". Full chat or IM services, presence, fax server, call center and mobility services, soft-phones, iPhone and Android applications are included with no "per seat" cost! Then how do they bill for their software? Simple. They license based on "simultaneous connections". Clearly, if you have a 100 user system and a PRI for PSTN connectivity, all your users are not on the phone at the same time. Why not pay only for the maximum number of live phone conversations that you project for your business? 3CX pricing ranges from 4 to 1024 simultaneous connections and that can cover both large and small deployments. Lets assume that same 100 extension system and instead of $20K or $200 a user, you paid $5K to support 64 simultaneous phone calls?

This is not some small upstart trying to buy market share. This company 3CX, a certified Microsoft Developer, has been deploying on a global basis since 2006. They have a fully formed, Unified Communications solution that can match the established players, feature for feature. They will not compete with ShoreTel and CISCO in the 1000 seat market, but in the larger 25-250 seat multi site segment, they are a serious contender. Technical support is offered on a global basis, is astonishingly effective and uses a combination of traditional TAC center live remote support but leverages alternatives like video wiki, community, email and chat support.

I know I am alone in the belief that you can not be both a hardware company and a software company! I think you have to pick one side of the street and really do it well to create a defensible market share and posture for growth! My son argues that is a ridiculous position, "just look at Apple they do both and have the best products on the market"? Not withstanding Microsoft, I think that the issue of comparative size plays a key role in enabling a company to pursue both. If you are a comparatively smaller player (SHOR market cap $247M, APPL $611B, CSCO 110B) I would argue that it is more important that you figure out if you are a hardware company or a software company!

I would identify 3CX as a company that you need to pay very close attention to!

That's what makes the Samsung A187 phone an interesting point sideshow in the continuing smartphone wars that are being carried on the major manufacturers such as Apple and HTC or Sony and Sanyo. The A187 is basically a GSM (quad-band) phone that was released a couple of years ago by Samsung to fill a need.

The need was for the user who wanted Bluetooth, texting capability and phone capability without all of the other features that you find on Apple iPhones. Yes, the two phones do have something in common, they both operate on the GSM frequencies (800, 850, 1900, 2100 MHz) and they are incompatible with any form of CDMA technology, but, other than that the fact is that they work.

For example, if you drop your iPhone you hold your breath and hope that it lands just the right way or you may end up with an interesting crease in the expensive aluminum body or scratch on the screen. The A187, on the other hand, handles the drop with easy and its protective clamshell design the phone is protected from damage.

That said, the A187 offers you a 1.3 MP camera, which was, at the time of its release, state of the art for small, reasonably priced phones. Of course, the 1.3 MP barrier was passed long ago, but so was the small cellphone, but that doesn't mean the 4.3-inch by 05 inch by 2.3 inch, 3.2 ounce phone doesn't have a regular following because it does.

For example, the Samsung with which we are familiar is very similar to the A187 and has the same style camera. This camera was never meant to replace a 16 to 30 MP digital SLR. No, it was meant to take a quick snap that you could then email to a friend or family member.

At 1.3 MP, the camera's range may not be up to the standards of those whose smartphones have 8 MP rearward facing cameras for serious photography, while also including forward-facing 3 MP cameras for videoconferencing or chatting, but the range of the A187's camera is good enough for the casual snap-shooter who just wants to mail a picture of a child's first step or a pet's cute pose. (Most people also don't realize that no matter how good the camera, the average LCD is meant to display cameras in the 3.2 MP range, or roughly VGA.)

Which brings us back to the A187. It offers good, not Dolby 5.1 surround sound and you can stream it, if you'd like. It also has a huge standby time and reasonable talk time so it is a good camera for that.

The A187 never pretends to be anything it isn't. It's a basic, low-cost phone that will get the job done and that's exactly what you want to happen when you text a person or call for a real voice-to-voice conversation. Unless you are trying to compete with the big guns in the business, that's pretty much all you need, including an effective Bluetooth connection and decent speakerphone, both of which the A187 offers.

Roberto Sedycias works as an IT consultant for ecommUS

When a new phone is released in the market today, both hardware and the software parts are considered apart from just the aesthetic factors. This is not only applicable in case of the manufacturers, but also in case of customers, as well. With the tremendous progression of technology, different companies are working the best to bring out their latest launch in the market, and thereby attract the customers with advanced features in these phones. Till date, only computer operating systems were available in windows, but now phones are also available that operates in windows.

Nokia has currently launched a phone from windows the Lumia 900. In the currently dominating market of the smartphones, a great question arises whether the phone with windows would be able to survive. However, Nokia proved it with its immense features because there are large numbers of people that are increasingly purchasing these phones. There is of course a long list when it comes to the features, and this list is indeed too huge to mention. However, there are of course some primary features that definitely make it different from the rest of the other phones.

The height of Nokia Lumia is 5.03 inches, while the width is 2.7 inches. The thickness on the other hand is 0.45 inches and the weight is about 5.6 ounces. The display size of the screen is also about 4.3 inch and the resolution is about 800 x 480 and 800 x 480 pixels super AMOLED plus. Apart from that, Nokia has also taken special measures to protect the display with corning gorilla glass.

As the name indicates, Nokia Lumia is the latest windows phone from Nokia. It is available in a capacitive touchscreen with pinch zooming features. There is a snapdragon processor with 1.4 GHz, and it is also accompanied with a memory capacity of 16 gb. The capacity of the sdram, on the other hand is 512 MB. Customers can also avail the facility to use the cloud storage for enhanced capacity of storage. It features Carl Zeiss Optics with an 8mp shutter. The resolution of the camera is at about 720 pixels with 30 frames per second.

With a battery life of at least 7 hours, it also offers the facility of local connectivity like Wi Fi, Bluetooth stereo audio, USB 2.0 high speed, micro USB, 3.5mm AHJ connector etc. Apart from that, this windows phone from Nokia has about 1.4 GHz scorpion processor, Adreno 205 GPU, Qualcomm APQ 8055 + mdm9200. However, there is no option for micro sd card like any other smart phone. Irrespective of that, it can always be said that the features of this phone with windows operating system is certainly brilliant, and Nokia plans to release several other new phones of the same category.

Sudhir is a journalist, who covers the world mobile phone related topics.he writes columns and articles for various websites and internet journals. In the domain of Windows Phone and Smartphone

Nokia handsets have always been the top choice of people belonging to the elite class of the society. In terms of advancement, Nokia has always ranked higher than the other cell phone manufacturers. In this article, we will discuss about Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold, an innovative phone by the leading cell phone manufacturer. Before we move ahead let us first find out why it is worthy to purchase Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold.

Owners will surely love to have this sophisticated communication device. Nokia has designed this mobile splendidly, with some top quality materials. It is a perfect blend of contemporary flair and cool design, depicting high luxury and elegance. This luxury phone is studded with 18 carat gold plating, scratch resistant and a sapphire coated glass screen and other impeccable features. All these features make this mobile highly impressive. From its slide body to laser cut edges, all the features of this handset are vigilantly engineered. This luxury gadget comprises of SVGA camera, data synchronizing features, video recording, 3D image feature for improved graphics and in-built music player. The proud owner of Nokia Sirocco 8800 Gold can enjoy intrusion free and seamless connectivity on the go with the help of tri-band GSM network with different advanced technologies including Bluetooth, Edge and GPRS.

Besides, its connectivity and design, this phone comprises of some advanced features like web browsing, e-mailing and much more. The beauty of this amazing handset is enhanced by its ergonomic keypad and high resolution camera. The entertainment needs of the users are well addressed by this cell phone. This mobile device elevates the mobile experience with its high end features. Multimedia messaging, text messaging, FM radio, digital in-built music player and java games make this handset stand apart from others. Its melodious music will surely touch the inner core of your heart and mind.

Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold is typically designed to maintain the strong legacy of Nokia in offering luxurious and exclusive cell phones. With the help of an xHTML browser, the users will be able to receive and send mails. The storage capacity of this cell phone is enough for storing user files and data. But, Nokia 8800 Sirocco Gold is very expensive phone and everyone cannot afford this luxury gadget. However, with different discounted and cheap deals available online, everyone can fulfill their desire of becoming a proud owner of this luxury phone.

Overall, this mobile device is the perfect blend of natural beauty and technological innovation. This sophisticated cell phone is capable of exemplifying the level of your luxury and style.

Trend seekers are most welcome to explore the website of luxury cell phones. Here they will find Nokia 8800 sirocco edition along with loads of other luxury cell phones.

While reading a brief note in one of the tech briefings today, it was announced that Apple was trying to squeeze its iPad into the iPad mini and after looking at and using Samsung's Galaxy NT-7000 Unlocked Quad Band smartphone, we can easily see why.

First we'll give you a look at the basics you'll find with the Samsung and the first is a dual core 1.4 GHz processor whose Android 2.3.0 (Gingerbread version) software gives you access to somewhere around 200,000 apps that do not lock you into a proprietary operating system such as Apple has done with its 300,000 or so apps and the latest version of its iPad.

In this case, though, you will find that the competition that Apple rightly fears comes from Samsung which is clearly aiming at the market leader by delivering a high-resolution device (the superAMOLED 1280 by 800 resolution display) that easily delivers bright colors and good contrast so that you can not only use the NT-7000 as a tablet, but you can also take advantage of its dual-camera capability -- an 8 MP rearward facing autofocus camera and 2 MP forward-facing camera that allows you to use your NT-7000 for real videoconferencing where you see more than just little outlines and squiggles. You can actually see a Project slide easily and interact with other folks in your group.

Not only that, you have the ability to either use a standard texting keyboard, if you want to go that way or, if you prefer, you can use the display and a stylus that will not only allow you to circle areas of your screen and have them show up on the other end, but you can use it to tap out your messages, which does prevent the aching thumbs that come with too much texting.

Plus, the superAMOLED touchscreen does allow you to expand and contract thumbnails and other images so you can either show your friends the photos you have received or you can let others involved in your project see exactly what you want.

The NT-7000 is an unlocked multi-band device that allows you to work with the ISP of your choice. For example, if you are content using the 800, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz band favored by GSM-serving ISPs then you can use this device which offers all of the WiFi standards a/b/g/n. This means that you can not only have high-speed WiFi because the n standard allows the pairing of upstream and downstream channels, but you can also use the other bands offered by the ISPs offering HSPDA/EDGE 850, 1900 and 2100 MHz so you have another way of obtaining your data.

Best of all, the voice reception is clear and with the right app, you can even set up your phone for any of the online music services as the Android operating systems seems to be daily offering more and more streaming video and audio capability.

Apple had better be watching over its shoulder closely when folks like Samsung offer devices that are not only tablets, but also smartphones and superfast cameras in a package that is about 6 inches by 7 inches by 0.38 inches and that weight only 6 ounces because this is the heart of Apple's market.

And, best of all, this allows you the ability to run at native 1080p high definition video native mode so that with the right adapter cable this can be part of the heart of your home/business entertainment system.

It can easily shoot videos as it offers 16 GB of built in video and you can add another 32 GB with an SDHC card. This gives you the ability to shoot at least eight or more hours or video, if you would like and you can then share it which is great if you are at a conference where the information you are receiving is important not only to you but your whole company.

Roberto Sedycias works as an IT consultant for ecommUS