BT Business Broadband

January 12th, 2011 | Broadband

BT now offers three excellent business broadband packages. Firstly there you can select ‘Office Broadband’.  From £11 per month (excluding VAT) for a 24-month contract your office can receive up to 20Mb broadband, 1OGB usage allowance, no broadband connection charge and an optional wireless router (£59 excluding VAT). Online technical support, the option to pay by direct debit and online billing and account management keeps you in control of your payments. For only an extra £4 per month you can also upgrade to Office Unlimited Broadband.

The second package, ‘Advance Broadband’ provides the above but with up to 50MB usage allowance.  Prices start from £18 per month and you can pay either by direct debit or invoice.  For only £7 extra a month you can upgrade to ‘Advance Support Broadband’ which will provide you with unlimited usage, IT support and 250 extra Wi-Fi minutes.  The final package is ‘eSaver Broadband’. A phone line comes with this package and prices start from £8.88 per month.  Line rental costs £11.11 per month (excluding VAT). 500 free UK landline minutes come with this package and a 10GB usage allowance.  An upgrade is available to ‘Office Unlimited Broadband with Phone line’ from £10 extra per month.  This will provide you with unlimited access to Broadband.  From only £44.99 per month you can get unlimited calls, broadband usage and a business phone line.

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Apple iPhone 3GS Overview

January 5th, 2011 | Apple, iPhone, Mobile Phone Reviews, Touchscreen

The latest mobile phone in the Apple 3G network is the iPhone 3GS, released in June 2010.  This updated version of Apple 3G features an improved camera, a source of complaints on the older 3G model.  Despite having 3 megapixels, the picture quality is less than Nokia, Samsung, or LG.  However, the camera does have autofocus and a very good video.  Call quality is considered only average.

The touch screen display has a QWERTY keyboard, access to Apple’s many OS X applications, and a compact handset at 6.21 cm with a 3.5-inch screen.  The addition of a compass works well with the maps application and the new cut-and-paste option is very impressive.  With voice control features; text, instant, and picture messaging; and mobile email functions, this handheld device is convenient for conducting business from any location.  The phone also comes with a USB cable for transferring data to a PC or MAC.

Apple boasts up to 30 hours of play time on the built-in iPod, with excellent play options.  Compared with other mobile phones such as the Samsung Monte and Sony Ericsson, this phone is somewhat pricier.  It is an attractive and very functional phone, and is a good 3-in-1 replacement for the camera phone, mobile internet, and iPod.

Deals:

Three.co.uk; mobiles.co.uk; and dialaphone.co.uk offer deals on the iPhone with 8 GB, averaging 35-40 pounds for contracts 18 months and up.

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Blackberry Storm 2 Overview

January 3rd, 2011 | Blackberry, Mobile Phone Reviews

The Blackberry Storm 2 is Research in Motion’s (the company that created the Blackberry) revamped touch screen mobile phone.  The upgraded Surepress touch screen technology is more responsive and improved from the original Storm.  The phone uses the 5.0 Blackberry browser.  While many like this option, most prefer the Webkit that comes with other later versions of Blackberries for internet access.

The Blackberry Storm 2 offers Wi-Fi compatibility and connectivity with LAN, USB, or Bluetooth.  The handset is 11.22 cm tall and 6.22 cm wide, with a 3.2-inch touch screen.  The screen has very good resolution and the touch screen technology is good on this newer model of the Storm.  Users have the option of using the QWERTY keyboard or the touch screen keyboard.  There is also GPS, a good organizer, and office tools.  Being able to scroll through email on the touch screen is a customer favourite.  This phone is compatible with 3G networks.  There is good amount of memory, with 256 MB flash and 2 GB of embedded memory.

There is a 3.2-megapixel camera with video recording, flash, media player, and auto focus.  
The music player has high sound quality and allows for several music playback formats.  This Smartphone also has an integrated microphone for voice recordings, plus speakerphone and conference call options.
 
Deals:

Several companies are offering this handset free with plan options starting at 35 pounds per month, with most requiring a 24-month contract.

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HTC Desire HD Phone Review

December 30th, 2010 | HTC, Mobile Phone Reviews, Touchscreen

If you think bigger is better, the HTC Desire HD phone is one phone you will be interested in.  That is because the HTC Desire HD phone is a geek lover’s dream; unless you have small hands or small pockets, that is.

While not quite as big as the Dell Streak, and without the clear resolution display of an iPhone 4, the HTC Desire HD’s 4.5-inch screen is brilliant.  The phone runs on the latest Android operating system and is very responsive.  The metal casing is an added plus and can take a bashing or a dropping, unlike other model’s casings.

The 8-megapixel camera is quite impressive and pictures came out quite crisp and sharp. 
Even pictures taken in low lighting or indoors came out well.  Videos also came out with high quality and the interface is easy to use.

This also comes with HTC Sense, an overlay that makes using the Android system a lot easier.  It includes access to different information such as Twitter or weather.  One cool feature of HTC Sense is that it can track your HTC Desire HD phone if it gets lost or stolen.  HTC Sense can easily help you track it down, or wipe it clean remotely.

The HTC Desire HD phone is one of the best phones for running mobile applications on.
 
Deals start at 24 months, at 30 pounds a month; including 600 minutes, unlimited texts, and 1000 Tesco club card points.

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Sony Ericsson Cedar Overview

December 27th, 2010 | Mobile Phone Reviews, Sony Ericsson

This swanky new handset is one of the latest from the Sony Ericsson GreenHeart range.  As an addition to the GreenHeart range, this phone is thought to be eco-friendly like the other members of the range: Elm and Hazel.

What it Offers
This handset is small with a curved back, fitting nicely into the palm of your hand.  The style of the buttons and the shape of the phone make for comfortable texting.  An mp3 player and 2-megapixel camera also come with this phone.  The menu is extremely easy to use, as is putting music into the phone.  This phone also offers methods of reducing your carbon footprint.  For example, when you unplug your phone from charging, a message will appear reminding you to unplug the mains charger.

Drawbacks
There is no Wi-Fi on this phone.  This is particularly irritating because there is now a huge amount of Wi-Fi hotspots in the UK.  You will therefore have to pay for your internet usage.  Reviews suggest that the internet on this phone is particularly slow, so it is not worth bothering with.  The camera is abysmal and does not have a flash.

Summary
Although there are quite a few major drawbacks to this phone, such as the lack of Wi-Fi and the slow internet, it might be good for some people.  For example, if you just want basic text messaging and phone calls, and you are interested in reducing your carbon footprint, then this might be the one for you.  If you are on the go all the time, and interested in social networking sights, then this particular handset is no good.

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Samsung Galaxy Apollo Deals

December 20th, 2010 | Google Android, Mobile Phone Reviews, Samsung Mobile Phones, Touchscreen

In one of their latest handsets, Samsung offer a stylish phone running on the latest Android technology.  Read on to find out about this phone’s features, as well as some of its drawbacks.

What It Offers
The Samsung Galaxy Apollo offers a 3.2 inch touchscreen which is extremely responsive to the touch.  This makes for a great experience when browsing the internet, sending a text message or using other features in the phone.  Also there is a 3.2 megapixel camera with a decent focus and great picture taking facilities.  What’s more, you can post pictures straight to Facebook and twitter to show off to all your friends and contacts.  Android 2.1 is the operating system of this phone, making for fast web browsing and the usage of multitouch.  The standard Android music player is also run on this phone.

Drawbacks
The main drawback is that this phone tends to switch spontaneously from portrait to landscape mode, and vice versa.  This can be frustrating when trying to send a text or search the internet.  It causes the uses to do a fair amount of phone-shaking to return it to its previous setting.

Deals
This handset is available on a huge number of contract deals which cost as little as £20 per month, giving you unlimited text messages and around 100 minutes.  The amount of text messages and minutes increases with the price of the contract.  This phone is not available to buy pay as you go or sim-card free.

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Three INQ Chat 3G Review

December 17th, 2010 | Mobile Phone Reviews

The Three INQ Chat 3G handset looks very similar to a Blackberry.  However, it is thought that the button shape and red detail on the buttons have been added to make this handset stand out to a younger teenage market.  This phone offers a 3.2 megapixel camera, a QWERTY keyboard and is available on both contract deals and to buy on pay as you go.

What If Offers
The three INQ Chat 3G phones are clearly aimed towards the younger market, with its advanced ability to social network via Facebook, Skype and windows live messenger.  People can be added to your phonebook via their social networking name or address.   Another great feature is that this phone has a built-in HSDPA modem, which means you can plug it into your computer to make that wireless too.

Drawbacks
A somewhat minor drawback is that if you have one person on different social networking sites then they will have to be added to your phonebook more than one time.  You will then have to be careful when sending a message to check that it’s going to the right place.  A further drawback is that although this phone offers a music player, the quality is not as good as on some other phones or if you were to buy a separate mp3 player.

Deals Available
Contract deals are available from as little as £15 a month for 18 months.  The handset comes free with such deals.  If you want this phone on pay as you go the handset costs £99.99. 

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Three Ways to Safeguard Your Mobile Broadband Connection

December 13th, 2010 | Broadband, Mobile Broadband, Wireless Technology

Wireless-enabled devices that can access the internet are becoming more and more common and it is just as important, if not more important, for these devices to be protected against intrusions.  To protect yourself from potential attacks, there are several things that can be done to safeguard your mobile broadband connection.

Centrally Position Your Wireless Hub

The wireless base unit should be placed as close to the centre of the workspace or home as possible.  This will ensure even coverage throughout the building, equal connection speeds, and less exterior leaking of the signal.  Masonry and metal will affect the signal, so place the base in a position where the signal will travel through as few walls as possible.  Placing the hub in the right position will limit the ability of someone else to leech your internet connection.

Encrypt Your Network

The best way to secure your wireless network is to run some form of encryption program.  This encodes all information that runs between the wireless hub and the networked computers, making it impossible for people outside of the network to understand the data.  Most Wi-Fi devices come with WPA2 or other encryption protocols already installed.

Secure Your SSID

SSID is short for Service Set Identifier and is similar to a password.  It is very important that your SSID is hidden to everyone except those in your home or office.  Anyone trying to access your network will have to enter the SSID first, preventing people from gaining access to your computer unless they are authorized.  Just like all other passwords, it is important to make sure this one isn’t easily guessed.

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Nokia C6-00 Review

December 9th, 2010 | Mobile Phone Reviews, Nokia, Touchscreen

The Nokia C6-00 has a 5-megapixel camera, slide out Qwerty keyboard and 3.2inch touchscreen.  When looking for mobile phone deals for the Nokia C6-00, check out the T-Mobile 18-month contract.  For £20 per month you get a free handset, 100 minutes and unlimited texts.

The Nokia C6-00 is a solid handset, with a Qwerty keyboard that snaps open and clicks solidly back into place.  It has pleasant feel and feels safe in the hand.  It is easy to type on the keypad and the keys are well spaced.  You also have the option of using a virtual numerical pad on the touchscreen.  The Nokia C6-00 runs on Symbian S60 and shortcuts to Facebook, the camera app and menus can be added to the homepage.  The 5-megapixel camera has a simple LED flash and a range of settings, with a grid for aligning shots.  Ovi maps and a sat nav app are both free.

Taking a look at the mobile phone news, Nokia C6-00 reviews report that the phone can be sluggish at times, with menus and screens not loading quickly enough.  There is no way of closing apps remotely; they have to be shut down individually.  This can be quite annoying when you want to move MP3s from a PC and you need to close all the apps down first.

Other negative points are that the touchscreen is resistive, the user interface is dated and unintuitive, the app store is poor and connectivity is unreliable.  Web pages take a long time to load and there is no zoom capability on the camera.

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Samsung Monte Slider Review

December 5th, 2010 | Mobile Phone Reviews, Samsung Mobile Phones

If you are currently looking at mobile phone reviews with a view to buying a new handset then the Samsung Monte Slider has a lot to offer.  It follows the style of other phones in the Samsung Monte range and has many great features, including a 2” TFT display screen.

Today, just about every new mobile phone owner expects a range of different features and the Samsung Monte has plenty to offer.  Music lovers will enjoy the music player, which can play MP3, WAV and WMA, as well as its FM radio.  With a built in 1.3-megapixel camera, video recording and video player, owners looking for visual messaging features will be pleased too.

The slider feature allows you to access the phone book and messaging services with the slider closed or you can flip it up to gain access to the numeric keyboard pad.  Bluetooth technology, downloadable games, social network capability, live updates and internet access all go to creating a great experience for anyone comparing the latest mobile phones.

There are a number of great Samsung Monte deals on offer if you are looking for cheap mobile phones.  Orange will give you one for free with their Orange Dolphin 15 contract, which lasts for 24-months, at £15.00 per month.  For £10.00 per month, O2 will give you a free Monte with their 24-months O2 50 contract.  T Mobile have two 24-months contracts with a free Samsung Monte for £15.00 monthly; the Web 300 and Text 300 accounts, while a number of 24-month contracts with Vodafone will get you a free Monte for £15.00 per month.

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