A smartphone is a mobile phone with a considerably greater amount of functionality than an ordinary mobile phone or a feature phone. Smartphones can be considered a blend between a mobile phone and a full featured mobile computer, similar to the PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) of the past, but even more capable. They typically include a complete operating system, the ability to add or remove applications at will, significant amount of data storage, mobile and Wi-Fi internet connectivity, a multitouch capable touch screen, GPS navigation, and of course, standard mobile Read More

As more and more people switch to cell phones for communication, many people are opting to use prepaid phone cards rather than signing up for a contract with a service provider. Prepaid phone cards allow users to purchase temporary plans ahead of time and use their minutes from wherever they are without having to worry about overdraft charges and hidden fees. Aside from cell phones, prepaid phone cards also work with pay phones and allow those users to access minutes from their phone card rather than paying a fee on Read More

Tethering means using a mobile phone (or any other Internet-capable device) as a modem for a laptop or other Internet capable units. A phone that can access the Internet is connected to the other device with a USB cable or Bluetooth connection. If a mobile plan allows the phone to be tethered, you can save money, because you don’t have to pay for multiple Internet data plans. What Are the Benefits of Tethering? Internet tethering connects a 3G or 4G enabled phone with a laptop or other devices (that don’t Read More

3GP is the standard used today on the 3G mobile phones. It is distinguished in two different standards; the 3GPP, which is used on GSM-based phones and have the file extension, .3gp. There is also the 3GPP2, which is for CDMA-based phones, and have the file extension .3g2. These two standards are MPEG-4 and H.263 based while having an AAC and an AMR audio. This multimedia container format was defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), a group of telecommunications partners, the ETSI from Europe, ARIB/TTC from Japan, TTA Read More

An IDEN, or Integrated Dispatch Enhanced Network, is a radio service provided by some mobile telephones that allows subscribers to talk to nearby subscribers who have similar phones without dialing their individual numbers. IDENs are often provided as a free service on modern mobile phones, such as Nextel, or as a premium service that can be activated, such as on SouthernLINC phones. IDENs are technically able to support communications up to 6 miles in all directions, but have a practical limit of 1-2 miles due to interference from buildings and Read More

The term polyphonic has several related, but different, meanings. Merriam-Webster defines polyphony as "a style of musical composition employing two or more simultaneous but relatively independent melodic lines." Wikipeda defines polyphony as "a musical texture consisting of two or more independent melodic voices, as opposed to music with just one voice (monophony) or music with one dominant melodic voice accompanied by chords (homophony)." A second meaning was added to the term polyphony with the introduction of music synthesizers. Early synthesizers were only able to sound one note at a time. Read More

MP3 or MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3 is a patented audio technology benchmark and compressing format. It compresses audio files to about one-twelfth of the original size, based on lossy data compression, and also maintains the same quality of audio playback. It was created by the Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) as a component of its MPEG-1 standard. MP3 files first gained popularity because of its free availability on the internet. The small file size and the ease of conversion of CD audio files into MP3 files helped peer to peer Read More

With practically everyone owning a mobile phone and spending a considerable amount of time on them each day, it is wise to ask the question: Are mobile phones dangerous to one’s health? While there are no conclusive answers at the moment, there are conflicting studies. Some show that mobile phones are safe and others show that mobile phones may pose a health risk. Mobile phones may be considered potentially dangerous in a few ways. First, they send and receive high frequency radio waves. Second, these devices have batteries in them Read More

Mobile Frequency Range Rx: 869-894; Tx 824-849 Multiple Access Method FDM Duplex Method FDD Number of Channels 832 Channel Spacing 30kHz Modulation FM AMPS AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone Service) was the first cellular mobile system in the United States. AMPS operates as an analog system using 30 kHz wide channels. NAMPS AMPS was later enhanced to NAMPS (Narrowband Advanced Mobile Phone Service), a version of AMPS that uses 10 kHz channels and by doing so triples cellular capacity. AMPS by Any Other Name Europeans often refer to AMPS as "American Read More

TracFone is the 6th largest mobile network operator in the United States. It allows its customers to purchase airtime usage when they purchase phones that companies like Nokia, LG, and Motorola make. A TracFone customer has to activate the cell phone before using it. It can be activated via the TracFone website or TracFone customer care. It is also possible to download the programming codes from the website directly to the cell phone. Customers can also utilize the OTA (Over The Air) feature to activate a TracFone. The TracFone’s OTA Read More