Choosing a Mobile Email Device

Just a few years ago, there were very few options when it came to mobile email. Now there are many choices. However, not every mobile email device and service is equal. Here are some things to consider when choosing a mobile email device.

Service Expense - Plans can range from $4 per month to $70 per month to $15 per megabyte. Make sure you understand how you will be charged and choose a plan that meets your needs. International Usage - Many plans only work in the US. If you travel a lot internationally, make sure you choose a plan that works where you need to be. Also make sure you understand the charges for international roaming. Many plans will work, but charge a premium fee of up to $15 per megabyte. You can easily go through 50 megabytes in a month traveling abroad, so these charges can really add up. If you travel a lot you will probably want a provider that offers a flat fee for international usage. Included Services - Some plans offer unlimited basic email, but charge you extra for web browsing. Others include web browsing and other types of data transfer as long as you are in a certain service area. Once again make sure you understand exactly how you will be billed to avoid unexpected charges. It is not unheard of for someone to get a $750 bill for data usage that they thought was included in their service plan. Existing Email Accounts - For a device to be useful to you, it needs to work with your existing email accounts. If you have to create a new email account, the result is yet another way for people to get a hold of you. Choosing a device a plan that works with your current email accounts means it will be transparent to the people who normally contact you through email. Test Your Account - Once your device is setup, you should test it by sending yourself an email to another account and replying to an email that came to your mobile device. This testing is important to make sure you understand exactly what your emails will look like to others. Sometimes mobile email services will automatically add in a signature line or otherwise change the emails being sent and you need to test it so you understand what to expect. Email Reconciliation - Part of the reason for having a mobile email device is so you can deal with emails out of the office. If your system is setup so you get mobile emails, but then have to deal with each one again, once you get back to your desktop, you may be wasting more time that you are gaining. Look for a system that at a minimum allows you to delete an email off of your mobile device and have it removed from your desktop client automatically. Input Method - There are various kinds of input methods for mobile devices. Some use a pen based input. Others require typing letters on a numeric keyboard. Others have a mini QWERTY style keyboard embedded in the device. Take the time to choose a device that you are comfortable using. There are few things worse than spending several hundred dollars on a device meant to increase your productivity only to discover that you cannot stand to use it

Enterprise Wireless Gateways (EWG)

EWG's have two jobs one is to keep the roaming wireless user connected and second authentication. Use will use a Enterprise wireless gateway in medium to enterprise level work place. Wireless gateways reduce administrative over head my managing wireless access points from a central location. They also reduce security risks by the use of thin wireless access points instead of Fat wireless access points.

Administrator of a wireless network with FAT wireless access points can be a huge cost and high security risk. Each wireless access point carries your wireless network key and can end up being used against you. When deploying a wireless network with FAT wireless access points you need to configure each wireless access point individually. Also if you need to change the form of encryption or authentication you will need to configure each access point one by one. A wireless enterprise gateways will let you configure all or some access points to your needs. This makes your company more dynamic and can adjust its security needs to each situation. If you are having a company meeting and have guest who will need wireless access then you will be able to adjust quickly. Or if you have a perceived wireless attack you can disable wireless access points quickly and efficiently...

When a user roams between two Fat access points there is usually a battle between AP on who is now going to handle this user. With a wireless enterprise gate the third party switch will now act as a traffic cop and tell the AP what to do. This is important because if the user needs a constant connection the slowness of a FAT wireless access point hand off can limit the user ability to work.

Wireless enterprise gateways utilize many security features such as VPN's which further encrypt wireless traffic. They also use NAPT or Network Address Port Translation which hides the interior clients from everyone else. Wireless encryption gateways like any switch can utilize VLANS or virtual lans which segment the wireless users form the wired users.

Wireless enterprise gateways will reduce security risks and administration. The reduced administration cost combined with flexibility to react to your changing business environment makes the benefits out weigh the cost of the gateway.

What Is Mobile Marketing, And How Can It Help Your Business Grow?

The age of mobile phones is upon us. Wherever we go, all we see is a sea of people wrapped up in their own private world as they talk unendingly into their little gadget. A gadget most people would find impossible to live without today. A gadget that has become an extension of our very bodies. It stands to reason that this is where every marketer wants to be. This is as close to the customer as you can get. The year 2007 is considered to be the year when mobile marketing will really get going and this prediction has been made by analysts all over the world. They feel that soon companies will exploit the potential of marketing in this area quite similar to the way they did with the Internet when it came into being.

Mobile marketing has many advantages and benefits in the sense that this is one piece of electronic equipment that is with the user practically all the time. Most people are totally dependent on their mobiles and every message or SMS sent is guaranteed to be read unlike in an email or with direct mailing. This will allow companies to keep track of a particular customer's preferences and they can target their marketing accordingly. On the flip side, a badly executed campaign or propaganda could cause the sender to lose clients as it could be misinterpreted as an intrusion into the user's private space.

One wonders then as to which companies would ideally qualify for this type of marketing, big companies or small ones. Basically this technique can be adopted by companies of any size. But there are several points that need to be kept in mind before jumping into the fray. Firstly the technology involved is that of wireless application protocol or WAP and short messaging service or SMS. Basically it means that this is a smaller version of a web browser and phones that are WAP enabled can access basic versions of web pages.

To get customers to disclose their mobile numbers they must opt for receiving messages for you to be able to comply with distance selling regulations and privacy regulations. The easiest or simplest way to get the numbers is to ask for the numbers whenever possible in your daily business dealings. Run up a competition to attract customers to disclose their numbers or have some other option which will tempt the customer. Your messages should be targeted properly and it can be used to let customers know about new products, offers, events that you feel may be of some interest to them.

Your phone company will give you an idea of the expenses involved in using this kind of marketing. The cost of each text message would vary from network to network. Your message should have a call to action option in each message like 'come over today' or 'call now' as well as an option to opt out of it and all this must be contained within 160 characters which is what is available to you.

Wireless Access To Networking Via EDGE

WiFi has captured the imagination of road warriors; young urbanites who need to have access to networking and internet while on the move. You see them hanging out at high-end coffee outlets like Starbucks and San Francisco Coffee House.

However, not all places have WiFi internet access. Then, there is also the problem of different WiFi plans. Let's say you are in a place where there is WiFi access, but access is not free. You can't just buy a cup of coffee and WiFi access over the counter. So, you must be subscribed to a plan with the service provider.

Clearly, WiFi is inadequate if you want true wireless access to networking and internet wherever you go. Fortunately, there is a solution, it's called EDGE. EDGE stands for Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution. It boosts data transfer rates on existing GPRS networks significantly (it is three times the speed of GPRS).

GPRS, which stands for General Packet Radio Service, is a wireless technology for mobile networks that offers data transmission rates up to 20kbps or 30kbps as well as continuous connection to the network.

To use EDGE, you will need to buy an EDGE-capable phone. Next, you need to subscribe to the service provider. This gives you unlimited access to networking and the internet. Finally, you will need to buy a Bluetooth dongle to attach to your laptop via the USB port. It is advisable that you get a dealer to configure your cell phone and laptop for you. It is actually quite complicated to set up.

Once everything is set up, you can surf the net literally anywhere and when you are outside the WiFi area, you can still surf the net provided you are in an area where there is GPRS. It is a bit slower but with the EDGE subscription, you get unlimited access via GPRS at no additional cost.

Surfing is easy. Just stick the Bluetooth dongle into your laptop's USB port. Then click on the dial-up icon. Within a few seconds, you will be connected to networking and the internet and can start surfing.

Unlike infrared technology, Bluetooth does not need to be within line-of- sight for the connection to work. So, your cell phone can stay in your pocket or your bag. You don't have to take it out at all.

Bear in mind that when you are connected to the net via EDGE, the power consumption is quite high, so don't expect to be able to surf continuously all day long on one battery. After several hours online, your cell phone will need a new charge. Still, you are looking at least four or five hours of continuous connection before the battery drains. That's quite a lot of surfing time.

With EDGE, users can download videos, send big files, take picture at higher resolutions and even attach voice or text to these; all on their mobile phones, while on the move. Users also able to upload multimedia content from their mobile phone to a website page via MMS. The multimedia content can then be shared with an unlimited number of people.

However, the most practical use for EDGE is to allow people to access the net on their laptops via their EDGE-capable phone (which effectively acts as a modem). With this set up in place, users can at last be truly mobile and connected, anywhere, anytime.

How to Find the Best Deal on a Used Laptop

When searching for a used laptop computer, one must balance the obvious desire to save money with the practical necessity of finding a functional machine.

The first step in your search should always involve a degree of comparison shopping, weighing out options from a variety of different sources, never just one.

On of the most obvious places to search is on the internet, at online marketplaces like eBay, Amazon, and Half.com. Searching for a phrase like "used laptops" at any of these venues will yield a huge diversity of devices from sellers around the world, ranging greatly in terms of both price and quality.

Using these websites is the best way to compare your options, as well as establish fair price points and decide how much your are willing to pay in relation to the features you need.

It's not wise to limit your search exclusively to the internet, however, as the newspaper classifieds section can occasionally turn up a few gems. Try scanning the listings for several days, paying special attention to the Sunday paper, which often features a larger-than-average classified section.

Overall, the key to balancing price and quality to find a deal you're comfortable with is comparison, comparison, and more comparison. To find the best deal, you should be willing to browse a vast array of options. After all, it can't hurt to try, and you never know what kind of treasure might turn up right were you least expect to find it.

Laptop Industry Gets Ready to Woo With Cheap Laptops

This is the latest news given by technology times. Apple is planning to slash its rates down for the couple of new models of laptops that are scheduled to be in the market very soon. It would be in competition to all of its rival players like Sony, Dell, Hewlett Packard and others. What really is meant by such news item is the kind of revolution which is brought in by these cheap laptops.

The trend is not new. Ever since its inception, the rates of laptops have gone down heavily. It was launched as a more mobile version of our own personal computer but now it is more a necessity than a luxury. Laptops are everywhere. There is even a plan of a cheap laptops which would be as cheap as £54 for every individual in the developing countries of Asia as India. However, India has rejected the offer. Laptops price have come down heavily in the UK market as well. Keeping in view the working class, laptops are meant to facilitate their working wherever they go in terms of storage and access the relevant information anywhere.

The modern UK market is going quite fast in terms of Laptop markets. starting from anywhere between £299 they can range as high as possible. The price can also go high by add the extra charges as VAT.

It should also be considered that the rate of laptops varies keeping in view the various functions and features. The features as RAM, portability, weight of the machine, sleekness and even style is also considered while selecting one.

The online purchase of laptops is always suggested as that ways you are able to find the best buy with thorough research completely online. There are a lot of comparison sites that are able to provide you the best buy considering your budget and a suitable laptop in that range consisting of the desired features. Plus there are lots of additional benefits that are given along with the whole deal.

Laptops industry seems to really allure you with its technology. Are you ready to be wooed?

Did You Know That - Laptop Skin Facts

1. Laptop skin is a decorative piece of vinyl with an adhesive layer on the underside. The adhesive layer ensures that the skin stays fastened onto the laptop cover. Usually, a good adhesive layer will allow for easy and clean removal from the surface.

2. It is also otherwise known as laptop decal and laptop sticker.

3. Laptop decals come in a wide variety of designs - from simple logos, patterns, abstract art to even digital pictures from your favorite Walt Disney animation.

4. They can be used to personalize your laptop. By choosing a design which you can identify with, you can let the world know the kind of person that you are.

5. Due to the injection of certain chemicals, some high quality skins can even withstand extreme heat and cold, radiation and chemical corrosion. They are resistant to tear, water and sunlight-fade.

6. High resolution image technology is typically used to render photo-realistic image quality and exceptional color density in good quality laptop skins.

7. Laptop decals are usually applied only on dry surfaces. However, some laptop decal producers are able to produce a vinyl that can be applied onto the surface without water.

8. Laptop stickers can be purchased singly or in bulk. There are certain laptop skin producers who specialize only in bulk orders. However, for most people, they are only interested in getting the single or few pieces of laptop skin designs which they like - there is no obligation or the need to buy things in bulk!

9. Laptop decals generally have good scratch resistance and robust handling qualities making them ideal for protecting your laptop from fresh scratches.

10. They come in different finishes, with lamination and varnish being most common finishes. The lamination layer in some inferior quality laptop skins may come off in 6 months. Hence, it pays to invest in a good quality laptop skin.

The SOHO as an Online Business Model for the Small Business Entrepreneur of the Future

Sometimes to understand the future we have to have some historical perspective.

We often forgot that before the 19th century, and prior to the industrial revolution, nearly all offices were small offices and/or home offices, with very few exceptions. Now that small business and the self-employed represent the backbone of the current economy, it seems that history does indeed repeat itself.

The US economy no longer is dominated by giant corporations. The US Small Business Administration (SBA) reports that fully 99% of all independent enterprises employ fewer than 500 people. This accounts for 52% of the US workforce according to the SBA.

Additionally by the end of 1999, the service sector had grown to 104.3 million jobs, representing 81% of non-farm employment, and the goods-producing sector, which includes manufacturing, construction, and mining represented 25.2 million jobs, or only 19% of non-farm employment.

I do not know how many farm related jobs there are, but I do know that 81% and 19% add up to 100%.

This tells me that since at least the year 2000 probably over 80% of jobs are now service related and less than 20% of us are now employed in manufacturing. That means as a nation we do not really manufacture much any more. Can you say trade deficit?

We no longer have an industrial economy, just like we will never again have an economy based on agriculture.

The advent of the personal computer in the mid 1990s, along with breakthroughs in voice and data communication, created opportunities for businesses to decentralize and allowed for a return to the trend of the small office concept.

Since the end of the 20th century the term "SOHO", an acronym for "Small Office/Home Office" has come to be used to define this important business niche.

New technologies will continue to create a demand for individuals who work from home or in a virtual office. Many people are now employed as consultants, independent contractors, or organized as small business entities with very specialized services designed for the project outsourcing of larger companies, often not even industry or country specific.

The SOHO or online virtual office is not just for consultants and independent contractors any longer. The members of many other occupational ranks, and especially online business owners now help comprise this diverse sector.

A large array of products and services also are designed specifically for the "SOHO" market. Many books are published specifically targeted to this business model, everything from general business advice to guides on setting up fairly sophisticated computer systems, telecom systems, and Internet and Intranet systems.

The small business entrepreneur generally has demanded and usually has always benefited from high technology, allowing small business to be competitive.

So, if you do not own a farm, chances are that in the future you will be working in the service sector and quite possibly from your home office. This probably holds true in most other developed countries as well, due to an increasingly underemployed labor force and shrinking job markets.

The online virtual office is here to stay and is for anyone that seldom needs an office. If you own a laptop with wireless connectivity you may be lucky enough to work pretty much anywhere, if you have access to the Internet.

But let's take it one step further for those who would dream of living where they wish, and working online from wherever they are. Work is no longer necessarily site specific.

Is it really just a dream? Not any more.

More and more people are finding that with increasingly more affordable technology, VoIP services, videoconferencing, and reliable worldwide courier services, they at one time or another may find themselves working from a beach, or a mountain top...and in some cases may rarely have to make an appearance at the traditional office again.

How to Select the Best Student Laptops

Laptops are the perfect educational tool for students. They can handle an innumerable amount of tasks and serve many different functions that allow students to consolidate all of their class assignments and home studies into one convenient location, which simplifies workflow and increases productivity.

The two most important things to look for in a student laptop are portability and battery life. This laptop will likely be carried in a backpack or shoulder bag from class to class, so you will definitely want a system that is light and easy to transport. There is also no guarantee that you will have access to an auxiliary power supply in your classroom or on campus, so you will most likely want a battery that lasts up to several hours per charge.

Desktop real estate can be limited in your class, so you want to make sure your laptop is compact and economical in size, preferably around 14" X 10" in general dimensions.

As far as individual specifications, you can get by with most base configurations. A 1.66GHz processor, 512MB of RAM, a 40GB hard drive, and a standard DVD/CDRW drive should suffice, but you may wish to upgrade certain components depending on whether or not you want to use your notebook for any extra curricular activities, such as gaming or multimedia production.

Unless you intend to do higher-level networking, or unless your school requires domain-based authentication to access the school network (check with your IT department), Windows XP Home Edition should more than meet your needs for an Operating System.

Lastly, you will need some office suite software to process and edit your reports and class assignments. Microsoft Office Basic will be able to handle most of your needs, however, if you plan on doing any slide-show presentations or website creation, you will want to go with Office Pro.

These are the main things you need to know and consider before purchasing a student laptop. This is just a general outline. Feel free to make additional customizations if you have specific requirements for school.

What to Do (and NOT Do) if You Spill a Drink on Your Laptop

Spilling a drink on your laptop can be a very serious problem. But, depending on what you do, and how fast you react, you can potentially save a lot by minimizing the damage a spill can have on your laptop.

What to do in the event of a spill:

Turn off your laptop. If you have your laptop powered on when the spill happens, shut it down as fast as possible. Usually holding the power button down for 10 seconds will be your fastest option to turning off your laptop

Remove the battery. After your laptop has been shut down, remove the battery pack. This will keep your laptop from accidentally being powered back up and removes any way that power can still be going to the motherboard (example hibernation or standby mode)

Leave it opened and turned upside down to dry out. Let gravity be your friend and try to keep the liquid from drying on your components.

Get it repaired and cleaned quickly. Depending on what was spilled on your laptop, the liquid may be corrosive, like cola and can still be doing damage to your laptop. The best defense is sending your laptop in for repair as soon as you can. The quicker you get you laptop into the hands of a professional, the better chance you have of minimizing the damage.

What NOT to do:

Do not turn your laptop back on. A lot of people will make at least one attempt to see if their laptop still works after the spill. This is the worst thing you can do. I can not stress how important it is to keep your laptop turned off, with no power available to it, until it is fixed.

As you can see, your reaction to a spill can minimize the damage that spill can do to your laptop. I have seen laptop repairs from spills range from simple cleaning and diagnostics, to replacing motherboards, and it is easy to tell when the owner handled the spill correctly and when they didn't.

Thin And Light - Ultraportable Laptops

In recent years, the big players in the laptop arena (Sony, Toshiba, HP, IBM, etc.) have begun producing ever more portable laptop computers, weighing in as little as 2.8 pounds and offering as much as 9 hours playback. Often portability would come at the cost of sacrificing functionality in favour of a smaller footprint or longer batterylife.

Thanks to advancements such as Intel's new low voltage processors, and some ingenious design, for the most part this is no longer the case (though there are some notable exceptions). You can now purchase an ultraportable laptop computer weighing in at a little over 3 pounds (or less) and still maintain enormous functionality, such as running Microsoft Windows Vista, and perhaps more importantly, maintain extra long batterylife - as long 9hrs in some cases.

There are an increasingly diverse range of ultraportable computers, so some caveats are in order. For instance, we will only look at laptops with a screen between 11 and 13.5 inches - smaller and we're in the realm of handheld computers. Also we will want to impose a maximum weight of 2.5 kilograms or 5.5 pounds - theres no point in an ultraportable if you need a back brace to carry it.

The following is far from an exhaustive list, but it should prove as a good cross-section of the market.

Apple Macbook starting at EUR1,119 / £749

Ever since Apple computers' switch from PowerPC to Intel processors in 2006, they have been increasly nudging their way into the traditional PC market; and nevermoreso since the release of Bootcamptm - a free program from Apple that gives you the ability to install and run Microsoft Windows operating systems on Apple hardware.

The recently upgraded Intel Core 2 Duo powered Macbooks offer quite a lot for their pricepoint. Starting from EUR1,119/£749 the ultrathin, ultrabright widescreen wonder (as Apple put it) packs in many high spec components not often seen even in high specification laptops such as the built-in iSight webcam, remote control, gigabit ethernet. and firewire-400.

Unspurprisingly the cheapest model on offer leaves you wanting, at EUR200 cheaper than the next best model, you miss out on a supermultidrive - the fancy jack of all trades of CD/DVD writers, an additional 512MB RAM and 20GB Hard Disk space amongst others.

Although the graphics processor of the MacBook is far from the ideal, it is sufficient for most purposes including video playback, and even Windows Vista's Aero glass interface, remembering of course that ultraportable computers aren't designed to meet the needs of modern gamers, and probably never will be.

Pros:

Can play host to either MacOS X or Windows XP / Vista Starting at only EUR1,119/£749 you get a lot of bang-for-your-buck Considerably more stylish than your average brick

Cons:

Can only purchased online or at an Apple Retailer, which are few and far between. Though in recent months, more and more highstreet stores are selling Apple computers. If your a windows user, you may find the one-button mouse thing irretating. At 2.3 KG it's at the very upper limit of ultraportability Poor integrated graphics sharing 64MB of main memory

Score: 3/5

Sony VAIO TX starting at EUR1,999

Wild claims and high prices abound the Sony VAIO TX series of ultraportable laptops. With a screen size of 11.1 inches and with such high-end features as a carbon fibre chassis, weighing in at a nearly undetectectably 2.7 pounds and a battery life of upto 7.5hr per charge, its no surprise that the VAIO TX series comes in at the most expensive of all, with prices starting at EUR1,999.

If there was an ultimate portable laptop, it would be the Sony VAIO TX. With battery life alone at upto 7.5hr it should receive such a title, but add to that its deminutive size, its more than ample memory of 1GB RAM and 80GB Hard Disk, the Sony VAIO TX is truly the most portable of the ultraportables.

That being said, not all is sunshine and lollypops. The TX series, in its effort to cut down on space has lost a little of usability in the process. Although by definition an ultraportable computer should be small, In this reviewers opinion, the TX series perhaps went a little too far, at least with the screen. With a widescreen screen size of only 11.1 inches diagonally, and a resolution as insanely high as 1366 x 768, one gets the feeling that to even use this tiny display on a regular basis would require either a magnifying glass or some prescription spectacles. In addition to the resolution being dispraportionate to screen size, I also feel that perhaps the trackpad could do with a little more in the way of size. For such a small display, controlling the cursor can be a nightmare at times.

Pros:

Truly in a class of its own Carbon Fibre chassis High spec in a small package Integrated supermulti-drive

Cons:

Native resolution of the display is insanely high for such a small screen Trackpad is too small or inaccurate for the native screen resolution Expensive

Score: 4/5

Dell XPS M1210 starting at EUR1,299

Certainly not the prettiest of the ultramobiles, far from it infact, the Dell XPS M1210 series makes up for the chunky looks by packing in lots of functionality. With 1GB RAM, 120GB Hard Disk, 1.6 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo and integrated DVD +/- RW by default, the Dell XPS M1210 is arguably the best value for money of all the ultraportable computers.

It has its failings however, apart from looking like a plastic brick and a weight starting at 1.93KG. Thats most definitely with minimal offerings, its far from being the best contender in the ultraportable field. However if price is an issue, this machine packs a lot into a very small space at a very reasonable price.

Pros:

Possibly the best value for money

Cons:

Truly the ugliest of the bunch

Score: 4.5/5

Samsung Q35 starting at EUR1,450

By far my favourite of all the ultraportables, the Samsung Q35 offers not only great functionality at a reasonable price but also does so in a very stylish manner - both in silver and red. Unlike some other contenders to the ultraportable throne, the Q35 not only offers decent battery life (over 5hrs), a high performance processor (1.8 Ghz Intel Core2 Duo), bags of memory (1.25 GB RAM, 100GB Hard Disk), but also packs in an internal supermultidrive and a 6-in-1 memory card reader whilst still staying ultralight at only 1.89 KG and still at a very reasonable price point. It even includes a splash/water proof keyboard, which anyone who has experienced the dread of desperately wiping up a spilled beverage before their laptop dies, will apreciate.

The Samsung Q35 is the successor to the Q30; an older and slightly lighter model that was lacking some vital features such as an integrated optical drive and whose memory lay at a now-meagre 512 MB and 40GB respectively.

Available in both red and silver, the Q35 is a very stylish laptop indeed; especially when compared to the rather chunky and uninspired design of the Dell XPS M1210, also sporting the now defacto standard of wireless communications protocols: 802.11a/b/g and Bluetooth 2.0 with EDR.

Pros:

Stylish in silver and red models Decent battery life Integrated supermulti-drive Reasonable price point 6-in-1 media card reader Wireless 802.11a/b/g and Bluetooth 2.0 +EDR

Cons:

Hard to find replacement or increased capacity battery Windows XP (free upgrade to Vista Home Premium)

Score: 5/5

Comments? Discuss it here

The 5 Reasons For The LG Chocolate's Success

The Name

Marketing

Design

The Envy Factor

Multimedia Phone



The Name

Let’s face it, from a marketing stand point; LG’s decision to name the phone Chocolate was sheer genius. The name alone evokes instant appeal, as so many relate chocolate with a nice, happy and sweet feeling. That’s exactly what the LG chocolate achieves. The name makes for something that is desired and wanted and this resulted in people desiring the phone even before it was released.

Marketing

The marketing of the LG chocolate was one of the major reasons the phone became some popular. Madison Avenue made sure that every person knew about the LG Chocolate mobile phone. They also did a great job in creating the perception that consumers needed to have the phone. This was done with a tremendous marketing campaign. The backdrop was nothing else but advertising the Chocolate mobile phone with chocolate. People love chocolate and by pairing the two it was a win win situation. There was a subconscious attraction to the phone due to peoples overwhelming love for the dark piece of heaven. The marketing was stepped up in December 2006 when pop artist Christina Aguilera’s catchy song ‘Candy Man’ was used to promote the new chocolate phone colors white, mint green and cherry red. Using a pop artist with such a huge fan base along with a song that matched the phones overall selling point was a match made in heaven.

The Design

When the LG Chocolate mobile phone was released its design was that of a black chocolate candy bar. Its shape, color and overall look represented its name. Throw in the red touch sensitive buttons that contrasted the shiny piano black finish and you ladies and gentlemen got yourself a winner. Seeing the phone evoked the words sexy, sleek and seductive. That was a hit especially with consumers who love to feel trendy and those who oozed sophistication.

The Envy Factor

“Wow, what phone is that?” “Where did you get that phone?” “I want one like that”. Those were sure fire phrases that LG Chocolate owners heard the first time someone saw their phone. This would inevitably lead to what is known as the envy factor. You see the phone, you like it and you have to have it.

Multimedia Phone

As lame as it sounds, the fact that the phone could double as an mp3 player was a big selling point of the LG Chocolate for many people. In this day and age everyone wants a device that serves more than one function and the LG Chocolate mobile phone [http://www.iluvmychocolate.com] does just that. You are able to listen to your music once you have finished your phone call and this is all incorporated into one device. There is no need to carry a separate mp3 player or phone; everything is right there in one little minute sexy looking device.

Cheap Laptops - Things You Should Know Before Buying

Laptops are in vogue, whether they are bought for work, leisure or style, they are being purchased by people from every age group. Needless to add, this generation has seen an evident upsurge in the popularity of laptop PC. Everyone amongst us has heard about the $100 laptop, or that Utopian concept of one per child for the third world. There is so much hue and cry that has been raised regarding cheap laptops, but so far nothing substantial has come out of this apparent hullabaloo.

It is true that the price of laptops have heavily fallen down in the recent times that has become much easier for everyone to afford it. However, with the slashing down in the rates of laptops, the manufactures are also playing smart by including or excluding features according to the price of a particular model. So it becomes all the more important for a user to realise the importance of comparison and analysis while buying one for himself considering that there are all sorts of models available in the market!

When you plan to buy a laptop online or off it, you must consider a few points. First, it is imperative for you to compare different ones, their prices and their specifications before selecting one. There are numerous online comparison shops that offer you the laptop of your choice and that fits in your budget as well. However you need a detailed analysis of the market in order to zero in on a product. Relax it's not that hard while you are planning to buy one from an e-tailer. It requires a little effort to choose a cheap one with the latest upgrades.

Buying technology looks great, but with a little effort, you can find the same in a cheaper price. This phenomenon applies to laptops as well. After all, it's your money and you need to spend it judiciously.

Laptops - Is a Laptop Right for You - Choosing the Right Laptop - Laptop Choices

Laptop computers vary in size, weight, and battery life. How do you plan on using your laptop pc is important to choosing the right laptop for you personally. If you know how you plan to use it in your daily routine, you can get a better match for choosing what fits your lifestyle.

Laptop pcs are built with different usages in mind. If you are a laptop user that needs the freedom to access constantly, you want a laptop that has a long battery life between recharging. Iff you will be in a location where you can access an external power source, then maybe screen size is more important.

Laptop pcs vary according to processor, screen size, and memory capacity. Battery life is dependent on screen size, storage space, multiple disc drives, and the more you recharge the batteries the output will deteriorate and can increase your upkeep costs.

The way you plan to use the laptop can help determine what options you need in choosing a laptop that fits your budget and it's lifespan. If you simply need a laptop to store data and you don't use it for games or multimedia applications a lower cost laptop could be the right fit without over purchasing. If you only want to access your e-mail, browse the Web and do word processing, then you can consider shopping for a less expensive laptop.

Laptops with higher power, full blown graphics capability, DVD burner, widescreen and wireless connectivity can have you shopping for a more expensive laptop.

Once you have determined use and mobility, you will need to consider the differences between display, graphics controller, memory (RAM), hard disk, removable storage, networking options, peripheral connectivity, sound and battery.

Laptop graphics performance is still inferior to that of desktop machines, don't expect a direct comparison. The application of graphics is expected less from the laptops due to their widely used portable data storage capacity and referencing.

Laptop memory and storage is another key component to choosing the right laptop for you. If you will be using your laptop to be your primary memory and data base, upgrade to the more capacity models. Choosing a laptop becomes much easier once you've decided on these basic requirements.

Replace Your Desktop With A Laptop

Gone are the days when a businessperson needed a desktop at work, a desktop at home, and a large, cumbersome laptop for travel. With the steady march of technology come lighter, more portable laptops with higher performance than ever before. Processors are advanced enough on almost any laptop to consider completely doing away with your desktop PC altogether.

For the gamers out there, laptops have always been too slow and too far behind the technological bandwagon to consider replacing your gaming computer with one. Now, however, laptops are being designed with the gamer in mind with faster processors, bigger screens, and high end graphics.

For the student going off to school, a small, lightweight laptop means that you can take your laptop to class with you to take notes as fast as you can type (which is often a lot faster than you can write), and be sure that they will always be legible. Additionally, laptops can have planner features to help you remember when that next assignment is due, and you will never lose your notes or keep them in a disorganized pile. Even if the rest of your life is a little hectic, keeping a laptop as your new PC can help your grades considerably.

If you decide that it is worth the investment to be able to bring your laptop to work and home with you, technology is allowing for easy set-up of your laptop with a docking station that makes time-consuming plugs a thing of the past.

There are so many benefits to consider to using a laptop as your new desktop computer. These include:

1) having your work with you at all times

2) creating far more desk and floor space now that your huge tower and monitor are gone

3) the ability to work from any location with a wireless network set up

With the only negative aspects being: if you feel the need to have the most modern technology available, you will find it difficult to upgrade many laptops, and laptops are more expensive than a desktop because of the size and convenience.

Laptops for the Businessperson:

o Dell Latitude D820

o Acer TravelMate 4650

o HP Compaq nx9420 (2.16GHz, 1GB RAM)

o Apple PowerBook G4 (17-inch)

The Dell laptop is an excellent business portable, and is priced around fifteen hundred dollars. It is one of the highest rated laptops for replacement of a PC, and the reviews call it perfect for the modern businessperson.

The Acer TravelMate is a great value for the price. It has a good battery life and nice processing power with all the features a home-office user will need. The Acer costs around twelve hundred dollars, making it the least expensive laptop on this list.

The third laptop, the HP Compaq, offers corporate caliber security according to the reviews, and has a nicely sized seventeen-inch screen for ease of use for those of us who stare at computer screens all day. This model is a lot more expensive, though, running between two thousand and twenty-two hundred dollars.

Last on our list, the Apple PowerBook delivers the features and power that most users require, but at two thousand dollars is more expensive than comparable Windows laptop. Still, it is a good option for replacing your bulky desktop PC.

Laptops for the Gamer:

o Dell XPS M1710

o Toshiba Satellite P105-S921

o Toshiba Qosmio G25-AV513

o HP Pavilion zd8000

Hard core gamers will appreciate the Dell XPS, which will play the newest games at the highest settings. Running at thirty-four hundred dollars, though, this laptop does not come cheap. With all the technology packed into this case, it will at least be a long time before you need an upgrade.

The Toshiba Satellite offers lots of features for an affordable price, but will not play the most intensive games at their highest performance levels. This is still a wonderful machine, and will cost about two thousand dollars.

The Toshiba Qosmio is designed to deliver the most high-quality multimedia experience available in a laptop. The Qosmio combines TV, DVR, stereo, DVD player, and high-performance PC in one big laptop. Replace your entire entertainment system (except maybe the speakers) for anywhere from fourteen hundred to twenty-four hundred. It seems like shopping around for this model might be well in your best interests.

The HP Pavilion's price is a relief at only twelve hundred dollars, is powerful and can play many of the newer games, if not quite the newest according to reviews.

Accessories to Consider

These laptops are all wonderful replacements for the bulky desktop computer sitting in your home office right now. There are just a few more things you need to make your laptop absolutely perfect for your office or game room.

When you go on the road all you need is your laptop and power cable, but when you bring your computer back home, you might feel more comfortable using an external keyboard, mouse, and monitor. The hook-ups for these can be painful if you have to do it frequently, but a docking port takes away the stress by mirroring all the ports, plugs, and slots on your laptop.

The first accessory that everyone should consider is a docking port. Especially wonderful for business users, these ports hook up to your printer, scanner, keyboard, monitor, mouse, network cables, power source, and any other gadgets you need them to. Instead of connecting a dozen or more wires and cables every time you move your laptop, push the laptop into the docking port and one little connection brings you back online with everything you need.

The rest of the accessories suggested here are just options, so we'll be brief. An external mouse, keyboard, and monitor might make you more comfortable at your desk, and a joystick or controller of another sort might be essential to the hardcore gamers.

No matter what you are considering your new laptop for, replacing your space-eating desktop PC is a move that you will never regret. Your new laptop will be portable, powerful, and just more fun because of all the things you can do with it. Save yourself some time and effort and consider replacing your PC with a laptop.

Laptop Categories - The Differences

Mainstream laptops

Your mainstream laptop category is made up of your average do it all system with a 15.4 inch widescreen display, weighing in at around the 3-4 kilo mark. It'll have a wifi card a few usb ports and about 512mb ram.

Designed primarily for the average home user, doing a little internet surfing, a little homework, and a bit of msn'ing. But still portable enough to lug it around with you.

Replace that desktop

The desktop replacement is a heavy old beastie, managing to do most things the desktop system it replaces can, albeit not quite as well, but still capable of holding it's head above water on 90% of tasks. It'll probably weigh in at around 7-8 kilos, and you probably wouldn't want to lug it to work every day, but moving it around the house shouldn't be a problem.

Ultraportables

The smallest of the laptop designs, these babies rarely have an internal CD rom, it's all about small form factor and ultra lightweight, If your on the road a lot and don't want to be bogged down with a 17″ screen monster, then these little babies are your best friend. They typically have a 10-12″ widescreen display, enough battery life to last between hotel rooms, and plenty of computing power for today's mobile professional.

Business Notebooks

More of a general category in that it encompasses everything, from ultraportables to monster systems, but with the emphasis on extra durability, longer battery life, and increased security features than that found in mainstream consumer laptops.

Targeted securely at mobile professionals they usually come with a professional price to match.

Gaming monsters

Usually having the fastest processors and the greatest memory, with ultra powerful graphics cards, these babies aren't usually too hot on batttery life. But for 3D gaming you won't get a better notebook. They work pretty well as media centre's too.

Be warned tho' don't expect them to outperform a desktop of similar price, it's just not going to happen, and their shelf life if you just must have the latest games, will be around 1 year before you find it struggling to keep up.

Tale of Two Phones

By now, the whole world knows about the iPhone, Apple's first stab at the mobile phone business.

Not even on sale yet, the phone has stirred up a feeding frenzy in the press on the strength of Apple's remarkable success with the iPod and Steve Jobs' legendary marketing skills. Jobs, Apple's chief executive, has promised a revolutionary product that will shake the industry, and most of us are willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Of course, there are niggling details.

Like the iPod, the iPhone will have no replaceable battery. This may be acceptable on an MP3 player but less so on a cellphone. Also like the iPod, the iPhone is designed to be a closed system. At least in the beginning, there will be no third-party applications on the iPhone.

Almost the exact opposite is the Neo1973, a phone you've probably never even heard of, from a Taiwanese company called FIC, better known for making computers and PC motherboards.

Relative obscurity isn't the only thing that sets the Neo1973 apart, however.

Unlike the iPhone and most other mobile handsets in the market, the Neo1973 smart phone uses open source software developed on a platform called OpenMoko. In this sense, it is even more revolutionary than the iPhone.

"For the first time, the mobile ecosystem will be as open as the PC, and mobile applications equally as diverse and more easily accessible," said Sean Moss-Pultz, architect of OpenMoko and a product manager at FIC. "Ringtones are already a multi-billion dollar market. We think downloading mobile applications on an open platform will be even bigger."

These expectations are by no means a sure thing. Service providers, long accustomed to subsidizing phones that can be set to lock out their competitors, may not welcome an open source phone that anyone can hack.

The first fully supported OpenMoko phone, the Linux-based Neo1973 is expected to start shipping in March. Based on information available on the OpenMoko Web site (http://www.openmoko.com), the Neo1973 will be a touch-screen, quad-band GSM/GPRS phone with a Global Positioning System chip and Bluetooth built in, and sell for about $350. It will have no camera, but it will have a replaceable battery and a micro-SD slot for extra memory.

Pictures of prototypes show a sleek, modern phone.

In the beginning, the Neo1973 is more likely to appeal to hackers and geeks, but the OpenMoko Team doesn't want to stop there.

In a post on the OpenMoko list, Moss-Pultz expounds on the philosophy behind going open in a proprietary industry.

"Mobile phones are closed environments created with a mobile context in mind," he writes. "But this concept is limiting; a mobile phone has the potential to be a platform that can do anything that a small computer with broadband access can do. If mobile phones were based on open platforms, they would have the potential to bring computing to people in a ways traditional computers cannot. Mobile phones can become ubiquitous computers."

He also explains that the Neo1973 got its name from the year that Dr. Marty Cooper, the inventor of the mobile phone, made the first call.

"We believe that an open source mobile phone can revolutionize, once again, the world of communication," Moss-Pultz concludes. "This will be the New 1973. Join us. 'Free Your Phone.'"

Nobody knows if OpenMoko will succeed, but right out of the gate, it sounds more revolutionary than yet another closed-system phone, even if it has the letter "i" in front of it.

Handheld Ultramobile Gizmos

Bearing an uncanny resemblance the Dish Network's PocketDISH, Microsoft recently revealed their new hand held, ultra portable device, with a 7-inch video screen. While not direct competitors in the strictest sense, both the PocketDISH from Dish Network and the Origami from Microsoft share an overlapping functionality in a number of areas. For example, both can store and play photos (400,000 photos with the PocketDISH), both devices can show video content, and both can play video games. The PocketDISH is primarily designed as a take anywhere solution, to enable the viewer to watch television content downloaded from Dishnetwork onto its 40 GB hard-drive. It can also record content from a number of devices, including a DVD player. The industry reaction has been varied since Microsoft released the details of its new gizmo. Until its debut, there was much mystery and speculation surrounding what functions the device would actually perform. The details and product were finally revealed at the CeBit electronics show in Hannover, Germany.

For someone in the geek crowd, living the digital lifestyle, it is fairly easy and perhaps a bit comical, to envision someone with a mobile phone in one hand, toting a laptop in the other, a PDA sticking out of a pocket, listening to a MP3 player. Now we add to this scene an Origami that is poised to insinuate itself into the nether regions between the functions of the PDA and the laptop computer. It has a celeron processor, runs windows XP--the tablet version, and has a 60 GB hard-drive. There is no keyboard, and it won't fit your pocket, although it is ultra light weighing round two-and-one-half pounds.

Experts think, and Microsoft is aware, that this device could take a couple of years to gain mainstream acceptance. A number of other manufacturers are planning improvements, such as the addition of a keyboard, longer battery life, and a method of docking with other computers. GPS capability is seen as a potential add on as well.

For someone primarily interested in storing and sharing photos, listening to music files, and watching video content, the PocketDISH from Dishnetwork seems like a more logical choice. The cost of the Origami will likely be twice that of the PocketDISH, and they both come in a seven-inch display screen. Origami can play videos, and video games, but the battery life is suspected to be too short for some users--less than hours approximately. As portability issues become increasingly important in our changing world, devices like this will find their way into the fabric of our lives. There are other devices already on the market that consumers will likely purchase first, if only because of price. The Origami will also be competing with devices such as the Blackberry, the Treo from Palm, the PlayStation portable and the ubiquitous iPod. As the competition between these devices heats up, it should make for an interesting battle, and the Origami may take its place alongside the PocketDISH as an everyday appliance.

OEM - The Hidden Laptop

What do you know about the notebook industry? Do you know the Original Equipment Manufacturer?

But what is a laptop Original Equipment Manufacturer(OEM)?

Nowadays, the manufacturers who conceive and assemble themselves their machines are very rare. Acer, Compaq, Toshiba, Apple, Dell, Sony and others entrust at least the production to thirds.

People as Acer sell models directly drawn from the ranges of the "true" manufacturers of notebooks after some aesthetic final improvements.

True manufacturers like Quanta and Compal (which is not Compaq) alone produce almost 50% of all the portables run out in the world. The remainder is divided between Wistron, Asus, Uniwill, Clevo, FIC, Aopen, ECS, etc.

The Research and Development part is done mainly in Taiwan, but roughly 50% of the world production are ensured in China!

It should be noted that certain cases are very amusing, like that of Asus, the manufacturer produces laptops for thirds (Sony and Apple for example), for his own brand but also his own models "without brand".

The series TravelMate 29x of Acer comes directly from the line CL5x of Compal. But the machines like TravelMate 800 and 8000 profit of specific design from Acer (but we do not know who produces them).

Notebooks OEM are sold directly by the manufacturers to wholesalers or retailers. A little like barebones PC, part of the equipment is already included in "the case". In the case of the laptops, they include all except: processor, memory, hard disk, optical reader and wifi.

Laptop Repair (Power Sockets)

Power Jacks/DC sockets Ever moved the laptop and forgot you had it plugged in to the mains? Had it on your lap an the dogs tripped on the cable stretched across the room? Or the kids been tugging on it to get a go of the latest game?

Every time the power cable is pulled against the socket on the laptop it stresses the solder joins that connect the socket to the mainboard inside, if these break at any time, even a fine crack will case problems your laptop will stop charging and eventually switch off when the battery power runs down. Usually if your lucky and the break isn't too bad you can move the plug into a certain position and hey presto the power is back on (I'll come back to this later). Other times no amount of wiggling around of the plug will help and you'll have to get it repaired. Worse still the centre pin of the socket breaks and the whole socket needs replacing. If any of the above happen to you, forget phoning the manufacturer to have it repaired under warranty, they won't cover it, they class it as misuse, and they'll probably quote you for a new motherboard, in a lot of cases costing nearly as much as the laptop itself. Still there's always accidental damage cover on your home insurance. You've got some haven't you? Worst comes to the worst just search for "power socket repairs" on your favourite search engine, there are plenty of independent laptop repair companies that will glady resolder a new socket for a lot less.

Going back to the slightly loose socket that when you wiggle the plug you can make it work scenario, let's take a moment to have a look at what's happening here. The fact that it works when the socket is in a specific position tells us that the break in the solder connection is now connected, and when in another position it's disconnected, so what happens when we move it around, well each time we make the connection by wiggling, we cause a spark to arc across the break, which in turn causes heat to build up and a certain amount of burning to occur. Eventually what will happen is that the arcing will cause a hole to be burnt in the systemboard where the solder join is and one day it just won't turn on anymore and the likelihood is that it will then need the systemboard replacing. The moral here is get it looked at and put right sooner rather than later.

Technological Challenges With The Bluetooth Headset

When it comes to communicating in short range wirelessly, the blue tooth headset makes cell phone use a breeze. Technologically, the blue tooth headset is one of the most complicated and challenging of designs. They promote lightweight communication methods, with a battery and receiver built right into the ear piece. As complicated as they are to create, they are extremely popular for cell phone users everywhere.

Today, when you think of headset, you typically think of those that are extremely small and light to carry. What is great about blue tooth headsets is that they are wireless an, but not so small. What is happening is that there is so much to fit into the ear piece, such as receiver and transmitter, that they are having a difficult time trying to fit that much equipment into a tiny space.

Never fear technology advances each day and blue tooth is working around their obstacles. Consumers demand small and lightweight, blue tooth is working heavily to produce just that. To some people, even though blue tooth headsets are wireless, they tend to weigh slightly more which is considered to be a disadvantage to the technology and the headset.

Battery Charge with Blue Tooth

Traditional headsets, with wires, when combined with cell phones did not present much of a problem when it comes to batteries, because they are wired. However, the problem with the blue tooth headset is that it is wireless and contains a battery within the headset. The problem is that the headset only lasts about twenty six hours when not in use and only 2 to 3 hours when talking. Manufacturers are developing ideas to keep the headsets usable for the maximum amount of time. This might mean turning off the headset after calls or having to connect the headset with each call.

Yet another disadvantage of the blue tooth headset is the range of calls. With blue tooth technology even though wireless, you cannot be far from the cell phone, not much further than the backset of your car, and still communicate. Therefore, it is still necessary to keep the phone with you at all times, even though it is meant to be wireless and hands free.

Some Tips About Notebook Repairing

Your laptop is dead and the guarantee passed, you have several options but they depend much on at which price you bought your laptop.

To give you an idea if you have buy your laptop between 800 and 900 dollars that will cost you approximately 80 to 120 dollars to change the battery, 250 to 300$ for the motherboard, 250$ for DVD±R/RW doublelayer multi recorder combo drive.

Well if you know the current prices for a new laptop it is really necessary to reflect before launching out in an expensive repairing. Firstly, well diagnose the source of the problem and if possible (but strongly recommended) get the service manual of your notebook and if you think that it's possible do it yourself. The service manual will be useful for you to have the reference of the bad part. Once you identified the part, seek on the Net in the various shop of spare parts to see whether you find your happiness...

Certain parts like the hard disks, the memories, the keyboard and the dvd are in general very easily accessible and replaceable at a reasonable price, but for the other parts you have to evaluate and think well, about time, price, and risks as sometime repairing is not absolutely the best choice.

How To Recover The Hard Disk's Data From A Dead Laptop

1 To unmount the hard disk

The first stage is to unmount the hard disk (seek on the site of the manufacturer or on the net for the service manual of your notebook). Generally it is an easy and simple operation.

2 To recover the data

There is much way of recovering the data of a laptop hard disk, the simplest way is to connect your hard disk to another PC.

With this intention you must use either a 2.5' ' usb or firewire drive enclosure or a laptop hard drive adaptor kit 2.5 to 3.5 inch IDE hdd. Once connected simply copy the data of your laptop hard disk towards your PC.

You must avoid at all costs the spiral of purchasing expensive parts finalizing itself by the purchase of a new laptop.

How To Protect And Beautify Your Laptop

Getting a laptop can be a rather big investment and after

sinking your money to invest in a laptop, I am sure you will

want to protect it from scratches and other forms of damages.

Fortunately, there is a cheap and great way to invest in the

protection of your new and old laptop:

By investing in a good laptop skin.

A laptop skin is a decorative piece of vinyl with an underlying

adhesive layer. The adhesive layer ensures that the laptop

skin stays fastened onto the laptop cover. A good adhesive

layer will usually allow for easy and clean removal of the laptop skin

from the surface of your laptop.

In general, laptop skins have good scratch resistance qualities making

them ideal for protecting your laptop from fresh scratches. They come in

different finishes, with lamination and varnish being the most common finishes.

Also, because of the injection of certain chemicals, some high quality laptop

skins can even withstand extreme heat and cold, radiation and chemical

corrosion. They are even resistant to tear, water and sunlight-fade.

Good quality laptop skins typically employ the latest in high resolution

image technology to render photo-realistic image quality and exceptional

color density, therefore you can not only protect your laptop but also beautify

it. Imagine being the envy of all the on-lookers when you are using your

chic-looking laptop with a great-looking laptop skin on your laptop.

Laptop skins sold in the market typically only cover the laptop cover while

protective keyboard covers are sold separately. Also, do note that the

lamination layer in some lousy quality laptop skins may come off

within 6 months. Therefore, it always pays to invest in a good

quality laptop skins such as garskins.

If you are looking to protect your laptop or give it a new look, http://www.GarSkins.com

provides great laptop skins for both your laptop exterior and your internal keyboard

for only one affordable price.

Laptops - Compare And Buy Is The Way To Go

Laptop is one invention that has changed forever the way people work. The bulky and stationery desktops gave way to the sleek and trendy laptops that created a new concept of working while on the move. The trend continued, palmtops tried to challenge its predecessor in the same way that laptops did, but failed. Laptops have made such a stronghold and created such an invincible space for themselves that they are not likely to be replaced by any new invention in the coming years.

Buying a laptop is not difficult, but deciding on which one to buy is a cumbersome task. This is the very reason why Dell laptops, one of the largest manufacturers of cheap laptops in the world has also come up with one of the largest varieties, sizes and models of laptops. Before going for a Dell laptops, first decide on the factors that might determine your choice of a laptop. The weight and size of the piece should be your foremost consideration as it has to be carried around and shouldn't be considered a burden!

Dell offers to you a plethora of choices in the shape and sizes of laptops that are made available in the market. From tablet PCs to ultra portables and from thin and light to desktop replacements, dell has been catering to the requirements of almost all. Similarly, from cheap laptops to the higher end ones, Dell can boast of the best in all categories. Still, even amongst the Dell, one needs to compare cheap laptops belonging to different verticals to arrive on the one that suits your requirement the best. This is where the comparison sites prove useful and handy. Visit one today and make easier your decision to buy a laptop!

Mobile Powered by Windows Mobile - A Review of XDA - Neo

XDA - an acronym for Mobile Phone and PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) together.

The Xda Neo with its compatibility with Microsoft windows brings this model a step forward. The technological advancements in the theme "All-in-one" gave generation to this model. Neo has certain appealing features for the person who needs

Data Storage: Secure Digital (SD) Memory card and internal RAM provides a user enough working space. The exchangeable SD Memory card with 1GB or more space can store somehow 3000 photos with 2 mega Pixels or document files...

Display - Portrait and landscape: User definable display is also an interesting feather of this mobile. You can easily play with the photos; the text or PDF files in landscape mode can be read easier than in portrait mode.

Microsoft Office package: It is a Mobile version package of The Microsoft Office which consists of MS word, Excel and the Power point for presentation. One can work with MS mobile Word and Mobile Excel. Synchronize with the PC and also work there! Neo's compatibility with PC is encouraging but the Mobile Power Point in neo is only for the presentation. One can only view but not work!

Microsoft outlook compatibility: significantly, the data and contacts can be back up on PC. Microsoft outlook provides you the synchronization between the both, PC and XDA. The transfer of new contacts from Xda to PC or vice versa

Furthermore PDF Viewer is a good addition which provides you a facility to read the PDF files, E-book and user manuals etc.

Keyboard: The QWERT keyboard with numbers and without number can also be defined by the user. The setting depends on the size of the fonts. If you use large fonts then the number keypad appears in a separate key board.

Camera - 2 Mega Pixel with audio recording - although the resolution and the quality of the photos depends on the light and size of the photo taken but over all quality is not that compared to the Nokia or Sony mobiles.

Good reception even the signal quality is low!

Flight mode: personally this feature is very special to me. In flight mode one can switch off all the radio functions which interferes the performance of the Global positioning system in the aeroplane or could disturb sensitive instruments in the hospitals. Flight mode is, sometimes, referred as off-line mode too. One can freely work with the 195 MHz processor for document files or presentation. One can also play games etc.. as all the radio features have been switched off.

The home zone control: it is additional software, applicable in Germany only! Because the facility to receive the calls on your home number which is actually a-short-range mobile number, you can check if your home-zone number is activated or you can deactivate no mater if you are in the home zone.

Personally experienced is shock proof style. The cover and somehow the hard diffusive nature of the side frame of the Xda made me fascinated. Dropped accidentally 4 times gave only some scratches but the LCD and the remaining functions are still working property.

Wireless LAN gives an easy access to internet with 11Mb/sec. Messaging by Messenger (already installed MSN messenger or user installed Skype) can be a good alternatives to instant connection round the world. Being a Quad band mobile it can be used anywhere in the world if it is SIM free.

PDA and VPN Treo Troubleshooting Guide

SIM Cards hold programming information for the GSM network along with all personal settings and data.

Palm Desktop Software

The software included with the Treo installs the drivers that enables synchronization with Palm Desktop software or Microsoft Outlook for Windows or the Microsoft Outlook Exchange server via Goodlink Service

Goodlink gives you

Full Outlook like functionality

Secure Over The Air Management

Expanded handheld security with Goodlink Compliance Manager

Available in English, French, Italian, German and Spanish

World-wide coverage with Global Connect

Adjusting the Screen Contrast

Depending on the lighting conditions where the Treo is being used, the screen contrast and brightness may need to be adjusted

Press Applications Launcher

Choose the pick list in the upper-right corner, select All

Choose the Prefrences icon

Choose the pick list in the upper-right corner, select Display

Choose the brightness slider, and use Left and Right to adjust brightness

Choose the contrast slider, and use Left and Right to adjust contrast

If the Screen Appears Blank and/or Locked up

Look closely at the screen

If there is a dim image, try adjusting the screen contrast and brightness

If that doesn't work, perform a soft reset

If that doesn't work, connect the Treo to the AC charger and perform a soft reset again

If that doesn't work, perform a hard reset

Performing a Soft Reset

A soft reset is similar to restarting a computer

If the Treo is not responding or having trouble synchronizing with the computer, a soft reset may help

Unless the battery is extremely low, a soft reset should not affect data

Unscrew the stylus tip to access the reset tool

Use the reset tool to gently press the reset button on the back of the Treo

System Reset

A system reset, also called a safe or warm reset, tells the Treo to stop what it's doing and start over again without loading any system extras

If the Treo loops or freezes during a soft reset, a system reset may help

Performing a system reset allows getting out of an endless loop in order to uninstall a third-party application causing the looping

Unless the battery is extremely low, a system reset should not affect data

If performing a system reset and disable conflicting applications is needed, always end the process with a soft reset

This returns the Treo to normal operation

Performing a System, Warm, or Safe Reset

To perform the System Reset (AKA Warm Reset, or Safe Reset)

Unscrew the stylus tip to access the reset tool

While holding Up , use the reset tool to gently press the reset button on the back of the Treo

When the Palm Powered logo appears, release Up

Perform a soft reset

Some features, such as Wireless Mode, are not available until this step is completed

Performing a Hard Reset

A hard reset erases all data and third party software on the Treo

Never perform a hard reset without first trying a soft and system reset

Previously synchronized data can be restored with the next HotSync operation

A hard reset can show if a problem stems from the Treo or an application installed on it

Hard Reset Steps

Unscrew the stylus tip to access the reset tool

While holding the Wireless Mode button, use the reset tool to gently press the reset button on the back of the Treo

When the Palm Powered logo appears, release the Wireless Mode button

When the warning appears, press Up to confirm the hard reset

Turning Wireless Mode ON

Wireless Mode connects the Treo to the service provider network so that phone calls can be made and received, and use other wireless services can be completed

Press and hold the Wireless Mode button to turn on Wireless Mode

At this point, Wireless Mode is on and the user is ready to begin making and receiving calls and using the Internet features (if supported by the local network)

Turning Wireless Mode OFF

When Wireless Mode is off, the Treo is not connected to the service provider network

Other Palm OS features can still be used

This is ideal for airplane flights and for maximizing battery life

Press and hold the Wireless Mode button again to turn off Wireless Mode

There will be a series of descending tones and a Goodbye message appears on the screen

Discover New Uses For Your Sony PSP System With The New Update

Your Sony PSP system can be used for much more than just playing games. The PlayStation can be used to play video clips, download and play music, store and view photos, and more. Now Sony has announced that the PS3 will include support for your bluetooth and

an optional onscreen keyboard for text entry and other jaw dropping features. This amazing device has become even more amazing.

The PSP is most widely used as a gaming platform. You can play online games that range from sports such as major league baseball to professional wrestling. You can imagine you are skateboarding like Tony Hawk or invading the beaches of Normandy in World War II.

With a few simple steps you can transform your PSP into a music center. You can download and enjoy a wide range of tunes via your Playstation. From Hip-Hop to Gospel, it is all available for you to enjoy on your ingenuous PSP.

You can enjoy movie clips and even full feature movies on your PSP. It seems that all the latest movies and television shows are readily available for you online. The functionality of this little machine is truly breathtaking.

And now Sony is making the Playstation3 even more functional. With the new software update, users will be able to connect to the Folding@home project from Stanford. What is the Folding@home project? It is a program aimed at understanding diseases such as Alzheimer's and many cancers. The project uses the computing power of your PlayStation to help perform computer simulations which help researchers better understand various diseases. Interestingly, the PS3 is able to perform these calculations many times faster than the typical home computer.

The new software download features enhanced downloading. There will be an option to use a full onscreen keyboard so that you can enter text more easily. The built-in browser on the PS3 will now be enabled to let you zoom in on the section of the web page you are interested in viewing.

This multifaceted little tool just got even more convertible with the latest update. You will need to connect your PS3 to a personal computer to get this latest update. It is not only gamers that will benefit from the latest upgrade.

About Notebooks Graphics Cards

There are two type of graphics chipsets for notebook:

- the Integrated Graphics Processing Units: it's the cheaper one

- the Dedicated GPU whish is powerful but expensive.

Basically, it is well know that integrated cards stand no chance against real graphics chips, but for example Mobility Radeon x1100 (the new x200M) IGP is one of the only integrated chip that can deliver acceptable frame rates with full DirectX 9 support.

Integrated Graphics Processing Units:

Integrated Graphics Processing Units are suffering from the necessity to share memory with the main system, and this result in slower performance all around, second problem is that most integrated GPU lack true support for actual 3D extensions such as Pixel Shader 2, Vertex Shader, and Hardware Transform and Lighting.The positive is that integrated GPU are producing no heat of their own and they are almost using very little power, and this allows to more comfortable use and longer battery life.

What game will run on my integrated GPU?

there is a lot of questions about what can be played on integrated GPU, particularly the Intel GMA900/950 and the ATI x1100 (the new x200M) honestly, rather than list all of the games that will run, here are the ones that won't:

-Doom 3

-Quake 4

-Prey

-Anything else on the Doom 3 Engine

-Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion

-Neverwinter Nights 2

-F.E.A.R.

-Condemned: Criminal Origins

Finally if we look at an S3 Unichrome (or any other AGP integrated part) the list becomes much, much larger - so much so that you should just suppose it won't run, no matter what it is. But many people can attest that a lot of games that are high-requirement (such as; NFS: Most Wanted, Half-Life 2, and Painkiller) run just fine on an X200M. The Doom 3 engine falters just because ATi's OpenGL support is nonexistent. Otherwise you can not explain why HL2 is running fine at 1280x768 high detail while Doom 3 can not stay above 30 fps no matter what. Doom 3 might well be playable on nVidia's IGP, the Go6150, given nVidia's traditionally great support on OpenGL drivers.

Dedicated GPU:

Only two companies are currently manufacturing dedicated graphics chips: ATi and nVidia.

These card feature more hardware support for advanced DirectX 9 and OpenGL 1.5 functions. Most importantly, they get that name of dedicated graphics cards from the fact that they use exclusively dedicated Video Ram, ensuring smooth and snappy performance. The problem is that dedicated video cards use much more power than integrated chips, resulting in more heat and shorter battery life.