DZVOZD! The Mobile Communication Portal

The mobile phone is a short-range, portable electronic device used for mobile voice or data communication over a network of specialised base stations known as cell sites. It is popularly called a mobile, wireless, cellular phone, cell phone, or hand phone.

The first commercial mobile phone service was launched in Japan by NTT in 1979, and by November 2007, the total number of mobile phone subscriptions in the world had reached 3.3 billion, or half of the human population, which also makes the mobile phone the most widely spread technology and the most common gadget in the world.

Mobile phones are more than three times as popular as PCs. The worldwide number of personal computers is currently estimated to be only around 900 million.

Most current mobile phones connect to a cellular network of base stations, which in turn interconnect to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). More expensive satellite phones, though, connect directly to a global satellite communications network.

The first mobile phone to enable Internet connectivity and wireless email use, was the Nokia Communicator released in 1996 and created a new category of expensive phones called "smartphones". In 1999 the first mobile Internet service was launched by NTT DoCoMo in Japan under the i-Mode service. By 2007 over 798 million people around the world accessed the internet or equivalent mobile internet services such as WAP and i-Mode at least occasionally using a mobile phone rather than a personal computer.

Mobile communication, mobile Internet, SMS and MMS Messaging has never been SO much fun! The mobile handset has become almost as powerful as the personal computer was. These little devices that get carried around by almost all adults in the developed world can serve a lot of functions that go far beyond the simple voice communication device that is the telephone.

The video below demonstrates uses of the iPhone:

Voice calls | SMS | MMS | Mobile internet | GPS

The mobile telecommunication industry is worth billions of dollars worldwide. Revenue benefits from the industry are not limited to manufacturers and operators alone. Retailers, support service providers, virtual network operators, additional service providers, directory assistance services, local information services and even repair and resale services can be great sources of revenue. Consumers can buy Samsung Mobile phones with 12 or 18 Month Contracts including models like the G600 or Armani with Special Offers at etailers such as Mobilerainbow

Voice Calls

Making phonecalls to and receiving calls from other people while on the go was the reason cellular phones were invented. While this continues to be the main functionality of all mobile devices, the new generation of mobile handsets bring with them a vast range of functions that overshadow the idea of the basic phonecall / conversation.

To use the mobile phone to make voice calls: Turn the phone on (press the PWR button on some phones). Make sure the batteries are charged or that the phone is plugged into the charger. Dial the number as you would on a normal phone. Press the Send / Call key (usually a green key marked). Wait for ringing. Let the person on the other end say hello. Speak normally. Press the End key (it's usually red) to hang up. Answer a ringing cellular phone by pressing the Send key as well. On some models, just flip open the phone cover to answer.

Mobile Headsets

When Bluetooth (short range, radio frequency communication standard for wireless connectivity) first became available, one of the first devices to take advantage of this new protocol was the cellular phone. The protocol was perfect for short range use such as synchronizing the phone to your computer, using the phone as a modem, or wireless, hands-free headsets.

Choosing the right headset is important. Here are some questions to ask when selecting a headset for a mobile device:

• Will this add on to my cell phone bill any more than the cost to buy the device?
• Ask yourself how much can you afford to spend on this?

Make sure your handset will work with and supports the mobile headset before making a purchase. Mobile headset choice can affect the quality of your conversations as well as cell phone reception. Using the wrong headset can damage your phone and void the warranty.

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SMS - Short Messaging Service

All mobile phones can be used for simple messaging services, also known as SMS, text messages, texts or txt (if you're really cool!).

Steps to send a text message:

1. Go to menu on your cell phone.
2. Find Messages and click ok or enter to confirm your selection
3. Find New Text (might be abreviated as txt) messages and click that
4. Type in the cell phone number of the person or people you want to send the message to. Text messages can only be sent to cell phones or email addresses. You cannot text to a landline
5. After typing in the cell phone number click ok/enter to confirm that the cell phone number you typed in is correct
6. There are 3 letters on each key. You'll need to click the button to rotate through the letters. For example, if you want the c, click the number 1 button 3 times (A, B, C). If you have T9, type each button once for each letter and the phone will create the word. To scroll through the word options for T9, use the up and down keys to select the right word
7. Continue typing in your message. When the blinking cursor moves past the letter you have just typed, type the next one. (In T9, type continuously)
8. Press send
9. Your text message has been sent.

If you plan on texting a lot, consider adding a texting option to your monthly phone plan. Instead of paying per text message, you could save money by purchasing a certain number of text messages (400, 500, unlimited) per month.

Text Faster

Memorize where the numbers / letters are. Look at the key-pad, not the screen. Memorise how many hits it takes to get to a certain letter. Practice texting. It may sound wierd, but it works. Take advantage of the abilities your phone has with texting, especially any word suggestion software built into the phone. If you are typing the word "food", and your handset does not support dynamic word suggestion, you have to do a double 'o'. So, type in: 333-666-(and when you get to this point, don't wait for the device to automatically go over to the next space. Hit the 'Right' soft key to move over)-666-3.

How to Send Text Messages For Free?

If your service provider supplies a free SMS service online, like some do (Orange, O2 etc.) Then visit the corresponding website. You will probably have to enter your mobile number to recieve a code by text to your own phone. Enter the code on the website and you are on your way! Most of these websites allow you a certain number of messages per month, after that, you will have to pay.

However, if your service provider does not offer a free SMS service, or you have used up your monthly limit, then try visiting www.cbfsms.com you will be able to send a free text messages for as long as you like, providing that the network isn't busy. If you get a message saying 'try again' then take note of the alotted time period and try again then. Do not use www.cbfsms.com for spam. They can prosecute you by tracking you with your IP address.

How to Send SMS Messages From a Computer

Skype is a great program that you can use to send an SMS from a computer. To download it visit the Skype homepage, and create an account on it. When you create an account you may get 5 minutes of talking. Then it will add up in Skype credits. Add a phone number you would like to SMS to your contact list. Right click on them in your contacts, and it will say 'Send SMS Message'. Click it. Start writing your SMS.

Free online texting services like sneakytext.com (US only) or CardBoardFish SMS (UK only) allow you to send SMS or text messages from your PC for free. This method does not require any setup or downloading on your part. The site is already ready to go, just type in your text and choose the carrier and put in the phone number to send it to. PHP web developers can create online apps to send SMS messages from any website to a mobile handset by using a SIM modem card.

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MMS - Multimedia Messaging Service

Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is a standard for telephone messaging systems that allows sending messages that include multimedia objects including images, audio, video, rich text and not just text as in Short Message Services (SMS). It is mainly deployed in mobile networks along with other messaging systems like SMS, Mobile Instant Messaging and Mobile E-mail.

Most modern handsets and mobile operators provide multimedia messaging services. Picture messaging has become more and more popular now that cellphones have built in or attachable cameras on them enabling people to send picture messaging back and forth.

MMS-enabled mobile phones enable subscribers to compose and send messages with one or more multimedia parts. Multimedia parts may include text, images, audio and video. These content types should conform to the MMS Standards. For example your phone can send an MPEG-4 video in AVI format, but the other party who is receiving the MMS may not be able to interpret it. To avoid this, all mobiles should follow the standards defined by the Open Mobile Alliance. Mobile phones with built-in or attached cameras, or with built-in MP3 players are very likely to also have an MMS messaging client - a software program that interacts with the mobile subscriber to compose, address, send, receive, and view MMS messages. MMS Technology is tapped by various companies to suit different solutions. CNN-IBN, India's biggest English news channel has Mobile Citizen Journalism where citizen can MMS photos directly to the studio.

Currently 88% of the market of SMS users are under the age of 22 years old. Text message usage in 2002 was at approximently 300 million messages per month in the United States and today has risen to over 2.5 billion messages per month. Verizon Wireless and Cingular Wireless, two of the largest cellphone companies, have been compatable with each other since March 18th, 2005 which made Verizon's amount of text messages almost triple. Without getting a package deal, on average Verizon and Cingular charge $0.25 per photo message. You can Browse and download safe and best communication software in a secure and friendly environment. It is said that by 2004, SMS was the favorite method of business communication over emails, voice mail or even voice calls. Norwegians and Irish send or receive 2 messages a day. Malaysians send or receive 4 messages a day, Koreans get 10 messages, Singaporeans get 12 messages, and people in the Philippines get 15 messages per day.

The video below shows a funny ad for mobile MMS services from a European network operator:

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Mobile Internet

The Internet can be accessed on mobile handsets or on laptops via mobile network operators. The Mobile Web refers to the access to wireless data services using a mobile device such as as cell phones, PDAs, and other portable gadgets connected to a mobile telecoms network. Access does not require a desktop computer, nor a fixed landline connection. The service can be to the traditional World Wide Web or to any one of more limited service platforms such as WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), i-Mode and Blackberry services.

While many think that mobile web or mobile internet means access to the traditional internet using a mobile phone or device, this is not the case. The access can be to the traditional internet, but it can be to less than the internet, as typically is with WAP services, or it can be to more than the internet, to data services that do not even exist on the traditional internet, such as SMS text messaging and ringtones. The mobile web is similar to, but not identical to the traditional internet and World Wide Web.

However, Mobile Web access today still suffers from interoperability and usability problems. This is partly due to the small physical size of the screens of mobile devices and partly due to the incompatibility of many mobile devices with not only computer operating systems, but also the format of much of the information available on the Internet.

Typically these services are availble through mobile phone operators and while most are widely available on a country basis it is worth checking with your operator on International availability and use of equipment across geographic boarders. (Source: Net4Now)

GPRS Mobile Internet

With GPRS you are able to access email and the Internet from a phone or from a laptop or PDA using your phone, while maintaining a constant connection. The peak data transfer speeds range from 26kbps - 52kbps depending on the hardware used. Examples of applications that require or are suited to GPRS include:

• Sending and receiving email. Large attachments may download more slowly than text-only email
• Internet browsing

As you will be connected with GPRS for long periods of time, you are generally only charged for the information transferred. You can add a GPRS bundle to your existing Service Plan. One megabyte = 500 wap pages = 20 web pages = 25 emails with a one page document attached = one emailwith a powerpoint presentation attached.

3G Mobile Internet

UMTS, or 3G services will require a completely new communications technology to be deployed by GSM operators. To allow for this new technology, also labelled W-CDMA, the 2GHz frequency band has been allocated, which will provide sufficient spectrum for the services to be fully exploited.

For example, one 5MHz UMTS carrier will be able to handle mixed services, ranging in speed from 8kbps to 384kbps or faster, while UMTS terminals will be able to access several different services simultaneously. Orange won its UMTS licence in April 2000.

Prior to the arrival of 3G, it is expected that a growing number of GSM operators in Western Europe will deploy high speed data services based upon HSCSD and/or GPRS over the next three years. The remainder, who probably have low penetration rates, are unlikely to invest in either technology and will await the arrival of 3G in around 2003.

For the majority of operators, 3G must be considered as a strategic option, assuming they have been granted a licence by their national regulator, to offer comprehensive multimedia services to mobile customers.

When 3G becomes available, operators and users will experience a radically enhanced experience:

• Support for both packet and circuit switched services at enhanced data rates
• Variable and high-speed data rates up to 384kbps and faster
• Multiple simultaneous services in each mobile terminal
• Up to eight times more traffic per carrier compared to existing systems
• Enhanced international roaming

Latest Mobile Phones with 3G technology will also introduce other improvements to the functionality of the overall system, primarily aimed at increasing capacity. These include support for adaptive antenna arrays, which will optimise the antenna pattern for each individual mobile device and support for multi-user detection, which will eliminate interference within a cell and improve quality.

If 3G is initially only deployed in high usage 'hot spots', then it will need to co-exist with other mobile technologies to provide users with a good experience. 3G has been designed to support environments that employ a new handover method to allow 3G to inter operate within existing 2G networks. This particular feature will provide users with an identical or similar user experience when they are roaming compared to when they are in their home network. There are handover mechanisms inherently available within the 3G specification which support handover between 2G and 3G networks.

Bluetooth Mobile Internet

Bluetooth is not to be confused with the technology used to connect a mobile phone to the phone network, instead, bluetooth is a technology that enables your phone to communicate with other devices, such as laptop computers and printers.

When Bluetooth is activated on your phone, it emits radio waves around the phone which sense any other Bluetooth devices in the vicinity. Because Bluetooth acts in all directions, unlike infrared, the devices don't need to be in alignment. The radio connection acts like an invisible wire.

Bluetooth eliminates the need for troublesome cable attachments. Your office peripherals can be connected without wires, including computers with printers, scanners and fax machines. Information stored in handheld devices is also accessible from other Bluetooth-enabled devices without connecting them by cable.

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GPS - Global Positioning Systems

Mobile mapping services are provided through satellite-powered GPS systems. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is the only fully functional Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). Utilizing a constellation of at least 24 Medium Earth Orbit satellites that transmit precise microwave signals, the system enables a GPS receiver to determine its location, speed, direction, and time.

Developed by the United States Department of Defense, GPS is officially named NAVSTAR GPS (Contrary to popular belief, NAVSTAR is not an acronym, but simply a name given by John Walsh, a key decision maker when it came to the budget for the GPS program). The satellite constellation is managed by the United States Air Force 50th Space Wing. The cost of maintaining the system is approximately US$750 million per year, including the replacement of aging satellites, and research and development.

Following the shooting down of Korean Air Lines Flight 007 in 1983, President Ronald Reagan issued a directive making the system available for free for civilian use as a common good. Since then, GPS has become a widely used aid to navigation worldwide, and a useful tool for map-making, land surveying, commerce, scientific uses, and hobbies such as geocaching. GPS also provides a precise time reference used in many applications including scientific study of earthquakes, and synchronization of telecommunications networks.

Using GPS In Mobile Phones

Contact your cellular service provider or your cell phone manufacturer to see if your particular phone can download the GPS application or is already GPS enabled. If it isn't, consider ordering a new phone. Many providers will let you download the service to your phone. Downloading must be enabled on your cell phone for you to use this option.

Once downloaded on your phone, you should find the GPS in one of your menus. This is often labeled "Navigation." Under this screen, there will be choices, such as "Find an Address," "Favorites," "Find a Business," "Get Going" and "Local Search."

If you are looking for a place of business or an exact address, start with the street address or street name. It is best if you know the address, city and state. You do not always need the zip code. It will take some practice entering text into the various screens if you have not done so already. Take note of the "ABC" keys, caps and 123 for a numeric address.

Once you have entered all the information in the various screens, this service will give you speaking driving directions and a small on-screen map. You generally are only charged air time for accessing the service but not while it is running. Check with your service provider for exact terms and conditions.

Listen carefully. The system will give you speaking directions from your GPS location. If you make a wrong turn, it will revise the directions. Ensure your phone has enough memory to store your favorite addresses, including home and office addresses. You can change the options, such as whether you want the shortest route to a destination. You can also change the voice and display.

f you want to look up a restaurant or business, choose "local search" and it will bring up all the places within a 10-mile radius of your current GPS location.

The video below demonstrates the use of GPS systems on the Nokia N95 handset:

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