What would you outsource to your mobile operator

The mobile landscape is growing larger and more strategic to business. Users' phones are supporting a blend of personal and business use. Such an environment is complex to plan, build, manage and secure, so how would you feel about outsourcing it? How about outsourcing it to a mobile network operator?

Slowly but surely, the cellular carriers are likely to approach enterprises with managed wireless service packages. Such packages, for example, might include a mix of service usage plans plus the installation and management of in-building cellular equipment that possibly supports Wi-Fi services, as well.

Managed fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) CPE services to enable roaming between the two network types, indoors and out, might be still another option. FMC equipment maker Agito Networks, for example, last week said it has appointed a former AT&T sales exec as its vice president of strategic accounts.

"There is work in the carrier channel, we have signed deals, and this new executive is going to help sling shot that effort," an Agito spokesman told me by e-mail.

Emerging enterprise-grade femtocells and enterprise radio-access networks (E-RAN) will theoretically boost indoor cellular coverage at more affordable rates than distributed antenna systems (DAS). It's a natural fit to partner with one or more wireless carriers for any of these products, because as the license holders of cellular spectrum, carriers must be the ultimate signal source of the indoor equipment. Still, incumbent operators don't exactly have a reputation for flexibility and customer service.

Turning your Wi-Fi network over to your mobile carrier is an even murkier decision, particularly if you are already well into your Wi-Fi implementation.

Some DASs support Wi-Fi already, and new E-RANs (which use the existing Ethernet to distribute cellular signals) may support Wi-Fi, as well. How well Wi-Fi equipment from such companies competes with the mature enterprise-class vendors' products in large companies is at this point unclear.

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MyMobiler View your mobile screen on your desktop

MyMobiler v1.2 has been released! This is must have for all you Windows Mobile phone lovers out there. Now you can take total control of your windows mobile device by using your computer to do it faster. MyMobiler works with all Windows Mobile 2003 phones and up. All you need is a data cable or some other means of connection with your desktop/laptop computer (i.e. USB Cable, Bluetooth).




Feature list:

My Mobiler v1.2 Released: 02/02/2008

• View your mobile screen on your desktop.
• Control your mobile by using desktop keyboard and mouse.
• Copy/Paste text between mobile and desktop.
• Capture mobile screen.
• Drag and drop files to your mobile.
• Support ActiveSync / IP Connection
• Support Mobile Explorer (File Browse)
•
Pretty badass huh?

Get it for free

Here is a screenshot of it “docked” in my lower right hand corner of my screen. My Windows Mobile device is currently running Palringo chat software.

Download Here

Link 1(Rapidshare)
Link 2(Ziddu)
Link 3(Virtual)

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Experts Break Mobile Phone Security

The algorithm used to protect the security of communications on 80 percent of cell phones in the world can be relatively easily cracked to intercept calls, according to cryptographers at the 26th Chaos Communication Congress, a computer conference in Berlin. A German researcher presented an attack on the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM)--showing it's possible to eavesdrop on cell phone calls and intercept SMS messages. Mobile phones worldwide use GSM, though in the United States many carriers, including Verizon and Sprint PCS, use a competing standard.



Karsten Nohl, who has a PhD in computer science from the University of Virginia, says he demonstrated the GSM attack to encourage people to develop a more sophisticated means of protection. GSM encryption was introduced in 1987, and first showed cracks in the 1990s. Nohl points to a series of academic papers illustrating problems with A5/1, which is used to protect GSM calls.

Nohl says that despite these concerns, people trust GSM with ever more sensitive data. In particular, there have been recent moves to use the standard for mobile banking, payments, and authentication.

Working with a group of hackers, Nohl generated and published a "rainbow table" for A5/1. This table is an optimized set of codes that would allow an attacker to quickly find the key protecting a given phone conversation. The group also cracked another algorithm that protects conversations by shifting communications between mobile phones and base stations to a variety of different frequencies during a call.

"It would be a good time to start transitioning GSM systems to more advanced cryptographic algorithms," says David Wagner, a professor at the University of California at Berkeley who was involved in work in the early 2000s that proved it was possible to break A5/1. "We should be grateful. We don't always get advance warning that it's time to upgrade a security system before the bad guys start taking advantage of it."

Wagner says the research brings no surprises. It simply demonstrates that attacking GSM's encryption is more feasible than previously realized. "The bottom line for cell phone users is about the same," he says. "Interception of GSM calls is possible, but takes serious technical sophistication." Intelligence agencies, however, are probably following this closely, Wagner adds, since they're in a position to use these techniques to decrypt GSM calls en masse, and may already be doing so.

The GSM Association, a London-based organization that "represents the interest of the worldwide mobile communications industry," begs to differ. "All in all, we consider this research, which appears to be motivated in part by commercial considerations, to be a long way from being a practical attack on GSM," the organization said in a statement. "Before a practical attack could be attempted, the GSM call has to be identified and recorded from the radio interface. So far, this aspect of the methodology has not been explained in any detail, and we strongly suspect that the teams attempting to develop an intercept capability have underestimated its practical complexity."


Do comment on it....

Enjoy....

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Apple's Green Glow

Until recently, Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) was a little too ripe for the green scale. Environmentalists raised a stink over the company's use of toxic chemicals, its refusal to publicly release its carbon emissions, and its overall sorry showing in industry green rankings.





"Steve Jobs admitted they needed to do more when we pressured them in '06 but he also said he was hurt that we didn't give him credit for what they were doing," Casey Harrell, coordinator of Greenpeace's global electronics campaign, told MacNewsWorld. "Well, it's important we give Apple credit for the data they just released, because it has definitely raised the bar."

"Apple's disclosure of environmental impact is a really good story to tell and the closest to a full narrative that we've ever seen," he added.

Fully Bared
The most remarkable aspect of Apple's recent environmental impact disclosure was its comprehensive nature. Unlike most companies, Apple calculated and disclosed the environmental impact associated with its products throughout the entire lifecycle, including periods when Apple has no control and no responsibility, such as during subcontracted part manufacturing and assembly, and actual consumer use of the product.

"For Apple to step up and account for indirect aspects too is astonishing and equates to total transparency," said Harrell.

By contrast, most companies want to focus the discussion solely on their products' energy ratings, transportation issues (such as smaller packaging and lighter fuel use) and recycling efforts. Very few want to talk about environmental impact from manufacturing processes, and none outside of Apple have owned up to indirect impact -- such as through the use of contracted manufacturing.

"Most American companies don't actually make anything," explained Harrell. "They contract part manufacturing and assembly [somewhere] in Korea or China or India. They also contract a good part of the supply chain -- and while they all carry that on their financials, none save Apple carries this on their carbon footprint balance sheet."
It's All Relative

Interestingly, Greenpeace was quick to praise Apple for its transparency and comprehensive disclosures, but Apple itself didn't want to talk about it. Apple spokesperson Kristin Huguet was quick to provide the URL for the newly disclosed data but was equally quick to say there would be no further comment as "anything and everything is spelled out on the Web site."

Questions regarding measurement accuracy and other fine points in Apple's disclosures are still hanging in the air.

"This info should be verifiable," said Harrell. "I have a call in to them now to ask a few more questions, but you would have to be insane to provide this much granular data and it be fake."

The measurements and accounting Apple released are "well within the range Greenpeace expected Apple to be," he noted.

Much of "green" accounting relies on self-disclosed information. Take the esteemed PriceWaterHouseCoopers Carbon Disclosure Project, for example. It contains green rankings of the Fortune 500 but is based exclusively on self-reporting, resulting in a relative, rather than an absolute, score. This year's average score for all respondents was 53.2 compared with an average score of 81.7 for the top 10 percent in the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index. In that report, Apple scored 73, HP (NYSE: HPQ) 86, and Dell (Nasdaq: DELL) 66 -- all above average.

Numbers Count
Green ratings do count -- and in more ways than one.
"The 'greening' of an organization is more than a public relations initiative," Matt Arnold, principal of sustainability and climate change practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers told MacnewsWorld. "Instead, companies in a range of industries -- including technology -- are developing thoughtful strategies that produce environmental benefits while also creating competitive business advantages."

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Hands-on with the Sony Ericsson Vivaz

Daniel Rosendahl and Albin Olofsson from Developer World are showing some interesting features on the Sony Ericsson Vivaz. The Sony Ericsson Vivaz is an Entertainment Unlimited smartphone running on the Symbian S60 operating system. What’s interesting about it is that it’s capable of recording HD videos. Other cool features that seem to be part of it are a 3.2-inch screen and an 8.1-megapixel camera. The device also has the possibility to use flash applications/animations as panels on the home screen

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Gadgets to Watch Out For in 2010

We have said it a million and one or so times: there is nowhere else for technology to go but forward, so can we help it if we look at the rest of 2010 and think, okay, so what’s next? We witnessed the stuff that became successes in 2009, and PC World what may end up big in 2010. We are, in turn, sharing some of them with you – at least the ones that may end up – or already are – on our wish list.

Motorola Backflip. This being the text messaging and Facebook-using generation, having a good messaging phone is practically a must. The Motorola Backflip will appeal to the younger generation, equipped with a full QWERTY keyboard that can be flipped out; this allows the keyboard and the touch screen to face the user at the same time. And estimates indicate that it may hit $100 – subsidized – before the year bids adieu.



Apple Tablet. We can’t help but include this one – even if it is still strictly more wishful thinking than anything else, at least until January 27 when Apple is expected to finally put rumors to rest.

Lenovo IdeaPad U1. Why settle for just a tablet when you can have so much more than just – well – a tablet? The Lenovo IdeaPad U1 is a laptop that runs on Windows 7, but the 11.6-inch screen also doubles as a multi-touch tablet PC with 16GB of flash memory that runs on Linux.

iPhone 4G. There is nothing final about the name yet, but speculations point to the release of yet another iPhone towards the end of spring or early summer.

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MyMobiler

MyMobiler: View your mobile screen on your desktop

MyMobiler v1.2 has been released! This is must have for all you Windows Mobile phone lovers out there. Now you can take total control of your windows mobile device by using your computer to do it faster. MyMobiler works with all Windows Mobile 2003 phones and up. All you need is a data cable or some other means of connection with your desktop/laptop computer (i.e. USB Cable, Bluetooth).
Feature list:
My Mobiler v1.2 Released: 02/02/2008
•View your mobile screen on your desktop.
•Control your mobile by using desktop keyboard and mouse.
•Copy/Paste text between mobile and desktop.
•Capture mobile screen.
•Drag and drop files to your mobile.
•Support ActiveSync / IP Connection
•Support Mobile Explorer (File Browse)
Pretty badass huh? Get it for free here.
Here is a screenshot of it “docked” in my lower right hand corner of my screen. My Windows Mobile device is currently running Palringo chat software.

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Display Technology

Displays constrain many characteristics of both mobile devices and applications. During 2009 and 2010, several new display technologies will impact the marketplace, including active pixel displays, passive displays and Pico projectors.

Pico projectors enable new mobile use cases (for example, instant presentations projected on a desktop to display information in a brief, face-to-face sales meeting). Battery life improvements are welcome for any user. Good off-axis viewing enables images and information to be shared more easily. Passive displays in devices, such as e-book readers, offer new ways to distribute and consume documents. Display technology will also become an important differentiator and a user selection criterion.

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Cellular broadband

Wireless broadband exploded in 2008, driven by the availability of technologies such as high-speed downlink packet access and high-speed uplink packet access, combined with attractive pricing from cellular operators.

The performance of high-speed packet access (HSPA) provides a megabit or two of bandwidth in uplink and downlink directions, and often more. In many regions, HSPA provides adequate connectivity to replace Wi-Fi "hot spots," and the availability of mature chipsets enables organizations to purchase laptops with built-in cellular modules that provide superior performance to add-on cards or dongles.

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Bluetooth

Bluetooth 3.0 specification will be released in 2009 (at which point its feature set will be frozen), with devices starting to arrive around 2010. Bluetooth 3.0 will likely include features such as ultra-low-power mode that will enable new devices, such as peripherals and sensors, and new applications, such as health monitoring.

Bluetooth originated as a set of protocols operating over a single wireless bearer technology. Bluetooth 3.0 is intended to support three bearers: ‘classic’ Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and ultra wideband (UWB). It's possible that more bearers will be supported in the future. Wi-Fi is likely to be a more important supplementary bearer than UWB in the short term, because of its broad availability. Wi-Fi will allow high-end phones to rapidly transfer large volumes of data.

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10 must have Mobile Applications

If you travel long distances and in heavy crowds then using your laptop is not a feasible option; your smart phone can come to ypur rescue. Listed below are 10 types of applications for your cell phone to reduce accessibility issues while on the go.


1. PAYING BILLS

If you hate standing in the long traditional queues to book movie tickets and pay your bills, you can turn to your smart phone to answer your distress calls. Ngpay is one such application which keeps you ahead in the line. With over 100 services listed under 30 utilities, you will find everything you need right from paying bills, ordering movie tickets, to sending flowers. For more details about the application, compatible handset or to download a copy of the application on to your cell phone, visit www.ngpay.com/site/index.html


2. CHECKING EMAIL

If you are addicted to Gmail, then you need to have the Gmail application on your smart phone. The application enables you to set multiple accounts. You can archive emails, keep them as unread, add a star, mark emails as spam or even delete them. You can set and navigate through various labels found by default on the online email services too. If you save drafts, they are saved as, mobile drafts on the application, visit www.google.com/mobile/products/mail.html


3. GPS APPLICATIONS

If you love to travel and explore sights and sounds of the world, you need a good mapping application to help you find your way. One good about Google maps is that you don’t need GPS tp pinpoint your current location. The ‘my-location’ feature identifies your location and provides you near-accurate directions to reach your destination safely. If you don’t have GPRS and rely on the WI-FI instead, try the Google latitude. Apart from providing directions, the application also allows you to locate your friends and send them SMSes accordingly. For more details on the application,
Visit www.google.com/mobile/products/maps.html

Or

http://www.google.com/mobile/products/latitude.html

For Google Maps and Google Latitude respectively.


4. VOIP FOR ECONOMICAL CALLING

If you have a lot of friends and family staying in different countries, then you would be well aware of the high cost that international calls attract. However, if you are already connected to them via various VOIP applications on your PC, you can use the similar applications on your phone too. If your handset supports WI-FI connections skype Lite is best suited as it offers economical rates and good sound clarity. If you are however using a GPRS connection, you can use the chat features but not the VOIP functionally of skype. There are several other options available, one such application is known as Talkonaut which lets you connect to VOIP on your Google Talk and jabber accounts. For more information on skype Lite and Talkonaut visit www.skype.com/intl/en/mobile and www.talkonaut.com respectively.


5. DICTIONARY APPLICATIONS

If you use your cell phone quite extensively for work and find yourself stuck to decode sentence meanings, then a dictionary application is a must. There are several java applications give you word meanings and also translate words from certain languages. There are both free and paid applications available as downloads and are available at any website those host mobile applications. One of the best applications is the ‘MSDict Pocket Oxford English’. You can use the demo version of the application and purchase a copy if you like it.


6. OFFICE APPICATIONS

Some high-end business phones come with a built-in office viewer application. However if your phone does not have such a feature in it, you might struggle to do any productive work while in transit. And thus this application is a must have if you need to work on the go. One such application is the ‘Quick office’ which is available especially for phones with a symbian OS. Besides that, there are also applications created especially for iPhones and smart phones using the Windows Mobile platform. You can get these applications as downloads from websites hastinfg mobile applications.


7. PDF READERS

If you can’t find an office application compatible with your handset, you can ask your clients to send files as PDF and use a portable PDF reader to reader to read then when on the go. While some smart phones come equipped with PDF readers, you can download applications online if your phone doesn’t have one. One such popular application is the ‘YongReader’. You can read your PDF, Word, HTML text with ease using this application. For more information, on the application, visit http://yongreader.homeip.net/reader


8. NEWS YOU CAN USE

With disasters happening around every corner, it is essential for you to be connected to the world at large. You can subscribe to RSS and ATOM feeds from international news websites but it is always useful to have local news too. You can download a ‘Network18’ application which gives you an assortment of news sites including ‘IBN Live’, ‘Cricket Next’, and ‘moneycontrol.com’. Click on the links to go to the WAP site. To download the bookmark on to your cell phone, visit ‘m.ibnlive.com’ on your phone browser and click the ‘Download IBN Live Bookmark’ link. Save the file to use for future use.


9. NETWORKING ON THE MOVE

If you are a social networking addict then you must have your favorite social networking application or widget on your phone. A popular cell phone widget is the ‘Facebook bookmark’. All you have to do is login to your Facebook account through your cell phone browser via ‘m.facebook.com’ and navigate to the bottom of the page. Click the ‘Download’ link and save the bookmark for future use. Other social networks providing mobile widgets include ‘Twitter’, ‘Orkut’ and ‘MySpace’ to name a few.


10. INTERNET RADIO

If you prefer music on the go and don’t have too many songs loaded. While most smart phones have built-in-radios, there are certain business phone models that hardly lack the feature. So if your phone has radio fret, there are plenty of options available online. One such option is the iRadio application. The application enables you to enjoy internet digital radio from your mobile phone. The application server has around 700 valid radio stations on their server and the application come with a built-in volume control.



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