Deliver A Song

In 2006, the cell phone rage included more than the telephone-with-little-more style of just five years earlier. Not only are phones of 2006 full of great looks, they are packed with musical features to make them more like Walkman’s than a way to phone home.

The Nokia N91 has everything except the kitchen sink, much more than most users would ever need. Nokia answered the call of the casual user that wanted integrated music features without being able to beam satalites in space when they introduced the 5300 Xpress Music phone.

When you first set your eyes upon the Nokia 5300, you won’t necessarily say “WOW!” The outer design is a little more boxy and bulky than the average top-of-the-line mobile phone. The 5300 measures 3.6 by 1.9 by 0.8 inches thick, but it is lighter than it looks, weighing in at just over 3.5 ounces.

While the closed device is not terribly remarkable, try to open up the little gem and you’ll find it’s not the clamshell design of last year. This is a slider phone, one of the first put out by Nokia, though you wouldn’t know it when you feel the ease of the slide. You won’t get that baby-in-your-hand cradle feel of the clamshell but that’s the nature of a slider phone.

The display is a full 2 inches and supports over 250K colors. Graphics and texts pop off the 320 x 240 pixel screen. You can adjust the font size and backlight time, though you can’t adjust the brightness. Not to worry, the screen is plenty bright in the dark and shaded areas outside. Nokia took advantage of the color perfection with their eye catching, but not gaudy, menus.

Speaking of menus, Nokia really got it right on this phone. They provided clear, concise descriptions of new applications users of yesteryear aren’t familiar with when you place the cursor over the menu icon.

The navigation controls are covered in a rubber film that provides some traction for fingertips. There is a five-way button that makes navigating the menus a breeze in addition to providing a shortcut to any four functions you program. Additional shortcuts are available on the standby screen, too. The two familiar soft keys are programmable and the standard Talk and End buttons are in the same place as other Nokia phones.

Looks aren’t everything, however, and at some point you’ll probably do much more than stare at your new mobile phone. This is where this cell really shines. To the left of the display are dedicated music buttons for playing your favorite tunes. You’ll pause, play, fast-forward and rewind your tracks effortlessly. Adjust the volume with the dedicated rocker on the right side of the phone.

The music player is far superior to other mid-range priced devices. The stereo Bluetooth makes for easy music file transfer from computer to phone. The speakers are much better than other Nokia models and most other music phones. Support for MP3, AAC, AAC+, and WMA files are all included.

While you’re playing music tracks, the display will present to you the name of the song, artist, album and song length. It will additionally show you how to use the musical navigation buttons that are along the side of the screen. Play modes include shuffle and repeat. If you like to personalize your listening experience, you’ll love the Nokia 5300. The equalizer has five preset modes and two that are customizable. You can effortlessly save your tracks to ringtones as well.

Sound quality is second to none. The speakers will please you at any volume level. The headphone volume is just as clear and crisp as your home stereo.

More than a phone and a music device, the 5300 has a lot of additional applications to offer. The phone book is large capacity, allowing for up to one thousand contacts, complete with information like email addresses, web URLs, up to five numbers each, birth date, company, job title, notes and address. The SIM card is capable of storing an additional 250 contacts. Organize contacts by groups or add a photo to the caller ID so you can keep everyone straight. You can also assign a ringtone to each and every contact or a group.

The text and multimedia messaging features meet and exceed the expectations of most users. With T9 data recognition, this Nokia will complete your words for you. Other integrated standard features included in this phone are the timer, alarm clock, calendar, to-do list, notepad and calculator.

If you need even more space for music, photos or contacts, the SD card will expand your storage by 2 GB. Nokia didn’t consider that some users would be swapping SD cards, apparently, because it’s located beneath the battery. If you don’t take your cards in and out often, you won’t find this to be problematic. If you are change cards often, though, you might want to keep a thin screwdriver handy.

I can’t tell you about the Nokia 5300 without spending a few words on the Bluetooth feature. The infrared port is convienantly located on the side of the phone, making synching simple. Check and send email, surf the net and download tunes whenever you like.

Snapping pictures with the camera feature won’t leave you disappointed. The 1.3 megapixels will capture shots in one of six resolutions. Ranging from 1290 x 960 to 160 x 120, you’ll find the jpg pictures will be crisp and colorful. There are three camera modes, color effects, the ability to add notes to the pictures, a 10-second timer, sequence shooting for taking three pictures in rapid-fire, an 8x digital zoom and the ability to adjust contrast. You can’t adjust the brightness and there is no flash but those are the only real places this camera comes up short.

Shoot video in 3GPP in one of two resolutions 176 x 144 or 129 x 96. The quality is nothing worth writing home about but is pretty standard for a 1.3 megapixel camera.

With the price tag hovering around $300 when it was released in early 2006, this phone is music to your ears without blowing out your wallet.

Jawahn Thompson
http://www.articlesbase.com/cell-phones-articles/nokia-5300-music-to-your-ears-74852.html

Ringtone have changed the soundscape of modern communication. Presently many ringtones such as sing tones, voice tones, caller tunes, monophonic tones, polyphonic tones, true tones etc are available freely and on payment basis on the internet.

Cellular phones are available with preinstalled tones. If the user is not satisfied with them he can download ringtones from the internet or from other phones. The usual formats for ringtones are either MP3 or MIDI. Vibration ringtones are used in noisy places, while traveling, by hearing impaired, places where silence is mandatory like movie theaters libraries, hospitals, meetings etc. With vibra ringtones the cell phone vibrates to get the attention of the user. Online sites even help one to create your own free ringtone.

Rintone can be set according to ones mood or choice. One can find thousand of rightone online from classic mood to club mood. Now, however, classical tunes are being turned into ring tones with an eye on both increasing the choices available and turning senior cell phone users into regular down loaders.

Boosey & Hawkes, a British publisher of classical music for example, Mozart and Prokofieff, and other Internet ringtone companies have been quick to add classical tunes to their libraries. Many cell phone companies offers classical music by more than 40 different composers and performers, including Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Robert Schumann, Giuseppe Verdi, Johannes Brahms, Frederic Chopin, Giacomo Puccini, Franz Schubert, Richard Strauss, Richard Wagner, Gustav Mahler, George Gershwin, Hector Berlioz, Georges Bizet, Claude Debussy and Antonio Vivaldi
Ringtones help to make your cell phone appear more lively, unique and attractive.

That’s why many of us always want to have some different and unique ringtone and thus reflect on the personality of the user. That’s why many of us always keep on downloading new ringtones.

Anna Josephs
http://www.articlesbase.com/music-articles/get-free-ringtone-online-61417.html

Ring…ring… Are you getting fed up with the typical tones that you hear over your phone? Perhaps your caller also complains hearing the toot-toot sound of your mobile. Today, the use of cellular phone is even more than a need but of a trend.

From the housing or the casing of your cellular phones to the mini accessories that you attached into it, your mobile appears funkier. Ringtone is another major thing that you will really love about your cell phones.

This is the sound that you will hear every time you receive an incoming call. Now, you also have the ring back. When you are trying to call a person on the other line, you will hear music rather than the usual ring.

When it deals about ringtone, you have varieties to choose from. You can have sounds from the grooving Ricky Martin to the cool sound effects of Avril. Pick your choice and it will be granted to you by the Hotlink Caller Ringtone.

Probably it is the first time that you heard about Hotlink Caller Ringtone. For you to know more about it, check the following information.

Hotlink Caller Ringtone gives you variety of choices of tones. You can choose what your friends and your family members want to hear when they call you. It can be their favorite music as being sung by their most wanted singer. This is the sound that they will hear while they wait for you to pick up your phone.

It’s really hip and cool! Isn’t it?

Now, how are you going to sign up for hotlink? Don’t worry because it is just easy, you only need to purchase Hotlink Prepaid Starter Kit to enjoy using the services such as the caller ring tone. It is better because you will not be required to register. You will know if you are already activated once you made your initial outgoing call to a particular number.

If you will ask about the centers or stores on where you are suppose to buy the Hotlink kit, it is available in any of the authorized mobile dealer outlets. You just locate for the billboard stating “Hotlink Sold Here” because you can surely purchase hotlink kit on said store.

Do not be bothered about the usage of Hotlink kit because you will just insert the card in your mobile phone just like a prepaid card. Besides that, it is also applicable in all types of GSM phones provided that it is dual band. You will determine the type of phone you are currently using by reading the manual that is found in the box of your phone. There you will see whether it is dual band or GSM phone.

When buying Hotlink, it is not a necessity for you to carry on your mobile phone with you to the outlet however if possible you can still bring it along with you to test the hotlink immediately. The outlet personnel will be there to guide you.

After Hotlink is being activated in your phone you can start using the Hotlink Caller Ringtone. This will surely be fun for you and the rest of the family members and friends who are trying to reach out for you.

Monotonous and plain ringtones are boring. Try to make a difference this time…

Low Jeremy
http://www.articlesbase.com/advertising-articles/say-goodbye-to-the-boring-tones-with-hotlink-caller-ringtone-73732.html

Sony Ericsson P1i appears similar to a calculator having a huge keypad as well as an outsized display which is touch featured. This mobile is outfitted with fashionable icons which are located on the display of the handset. The magnitude of this handset is 55 x 17 mm. the weight of the mobile is 125 grams. This phone has a 2G plus 3G networks and it has became simple for users to admission each capacity of these networks. In addition, the handset has an inbuilt GSM which helps the people to get assess to the internet any where they want.

The device also has Bluetooth connectivity through which the mobile user can send and receive files from other mobile phones. Moreover the phone has a USB connectivity through which one can transfer files from mobile to his computer. It has a TFT wide display screen of this gadget which is around 2.5 inches. This wide screen display gives a resolution of 240 pixels. This display can hold up to around 256 K colors as well as screen has a natural colors through which the users obtain display of the best quality. This phone comes filled with a number of ringtones which consists of MP3 and polyatomic both attributes.
 
One of the most efficient features associated with the Sony Ericsson P1i is the internet browser. The internet through this handset can be assessed from any place and any time as the requirements of the user. One can easily download the songs and videos using the internet through the WAP browser which is present in this cell phone. Sony Ericsson P1i phone has an inbulit150 MB collective memory, which can be easily be enhanced through the use of memory cards. The mobile can accumulate countless amounts of music plus the video together with the games. 

Amusement in this mobile phone is made potential due to the occurrence of necessities like an effective camera, a music player along with the FM radio. So, amusement in the shape of taking pictures as well as listening to melody is made achievable in the phone.

Rahul Bhadaurya
http://www.articlesbase.com/cell-phones-articles/sony-ericsson-p1i-a-phone-with-many-exceptional-attributes-670348.html

The year 2008 has come to an end and most movie channels are busy with their yearend content. Countdowns of the best and worst movies of 2008, top rated stars of 2008 and so on. Interestingly, many sites have a list of the best movie trailers of 2008. Considering that movie trailers are the ones that provide the first glimpse of how the movie would be, it’s only fitting that there should be a rating on movie trailers.

To lure the audience to the theatres, a movie trailer is one of the most effective ways apart from other promotional activities like wallpapers, cell phone ringtones, interviews of cast and crew members. Factors like positive reviews and even the cast of the movie come in much later. Movie trailers need to have quick cuts, slick editing, interesting narration and fast paced music, for the challenge is to give a glimpse of the 120 minute long movie in just 2 minutes.

A huge advantage with a movie trailer is that it can be used to promote movies through television as well as on the internet, unlike other forms of movie promotions. With a huge population of movie goers constantly on the internet, movie makers ensure that high resolution videos of the movie trailers make it to the internet almost as simultaneously as their release on television.

Sometimes, special scenes including the stars of the movie are shot only to be used in a trailer to promote the movie and are never a part of the actual movie. The next big thing to look out for is mobile movie trailers. Though it has not taken off in a big way, considering the increasing popularity of iPhones and other smart phones, mobile movie trailers may soon prove to be a big hit.

ajax
http://www.articlesbase.com/movies-articles/movie-trailers-are-just-as-important-as-the-actual-movie-720866.html

Do you even know what M-Commerce is?

Well you better learn fast. Predictions in Europe for
M-Commerce, the second largest market behind Asia, are for a
spend of €7.4 Billion in 2006 that’s over $8 Billion. That’s
twice the predicted spend of traditional web services!

So what is M-Commerce? It’s very simple, mobile / cell phone
based sales. Usually relating to content such as games,
wallpaper, ringtones etc. But there’s much more to it than that.
Keep reading.

What’s the big deal? More people own a mobile phone than a PC,
they’re better integrated in to daily life. People are very
comfortable using them. They are now in fact heavily relied
upon, as the phone feature is only a small part of what can be
perceived as a miniature multi-purpose multi-capable portable
computer.

Mobile Growth Mobile growth already outstrips all other
communication channels. Half of all Americans are mobile phone
subscribers. In the UK the ownership of a mobile phone is
equivalent to 1.5 phones per head of population. According to
research, mobile content services will be worth $121 Billion
worldwide by 2008. White label distribution of ringtones,
images, games and other promotions will drive up to 1/5th of the
revenue generated. It’s estimated 1.5 Billion people worldwide
own a mobile phone.

With more and more technology add-ons to tempt the consumer
these devices are now Cameras, MP3 players, game consoles, voice
notepads, picture albums, diary organiser, PDF readers etc etc.

In fact I’m writing this article on my PDA / Phone whilst sat in
the sunshine in the garden. With two taps on the screen I can
hook up to my home wireless network and check my emails, browse
the net, update my Blog or edit and publish article submissions
on one of my sites all via broadband.

We are not that far away from always on Net connections. Once
this arrives it will allow anyone to do this almost wherever
they are. Certainly in the major cities around the world. When
this happens there will be a third Internet boom as Joe public
try’s out the Net connection again that was always too shoddy to
use in the past.

And what will they want? Content! ringtones, wallpaper, games,
MP3’s etc

But I’m getting ahead of myself. The real money isn’t even going
to be made via a Net sale. The real money will be made via
SMS(Short Message Service), MMS(Multimedia Messaging System) and
this ones a goldmine…Micro payments.

Recent research has shown a doubling of worldwide revenue from
streaming TV and sports bulletin subscriptions. 380 million
people worldwide are expected to subscribe to similar services
in 2005. Including TV show bulletins particularly from ‘reality
TV’ shows, News bulletins or Soap updates.

Big deal you’re not a TV network how can you make some money out
of this boom? I’ll go into that in a second but first I want to
go back to those Micro payments I mentioned earlier. The real
gold dust.

Micro Payment Profits Micro payments have been around for a
while here in the UK. A smaller land mass has allowed for a
quicker rollout of mobile technologies here. Nationwide Network
coverage is easier to achieve. I believe the first example in
the US to take it mainstream was by the ‘American Idol’ show.
Viewers voted for the acts on the show via their mobile phone.
They where then charged a small premium for their vote on top of
their networks regular SMS charge. Think of the millions of
votes that the show attracted and the revenue generated.

That’s micro payments in action.

The beauty of this is that people don’t feel like they’re
spending money because they don’t need to whip out their credit
card, it’s an easier payment method, usually involving a simple
text to a small number and the payment is small. They also trust
their mobile for making payments unlike an online transaction.

Any payments made will appear on their next phone bill. People
are already used to paying in this way, they’re comfortable with
it. Whether it’s to vote for an act on a TV show, for a game
download or to grab the latest ringtone.

What have you got that you could take micro payments for? You
should be considering how you can utilise your current website
network to tap into this market. Do you offer subscriptions? Is
there a service you offer that you could convert to
subscriptions.

How Can You Make Some Money? Here’s a quick example. Your
newsletter. Would your subscribers be willing to pay a small
premium to have your newsletter delivered directly to their
mobile? Wherever they are, without the need to be sat in front
of a PC. Thus bypassing the SPAM filter problem and guaranteeing
they receive your valuable content. You could sell it as
valuable service for your customers with added content not
available on your site or via your regular newsletter.

Or offer them up to the minute breaking news in their industry,
which they receive as it breaks and not when they check their
email five hours later when it’s to late to take action.

Digital artists sell your wallpaper designs direct to the
consumer via the mobile phone. New bands forget the record
company contract sell your music via MP3’s direct to the
consumer. Investment advisors get subscribers to your ‘Hot Tips’
bulletins. Store owners offer a sale bulletin service etc etc

The Future The omnipresent Google are moving forward with major
mobile initiatives. Spending vast amounts of money to stake a
claim in this fledgling market. There’s the mobile version of
Froogle for one and they’ve also developed mobile business
listings specifically for the potentially huge ‘local search’
market. They also offer a free SMS based information service
http://www.google.com/sms/ and http://www.google.co.uk/sms/

Another major company Real Networks, creators of Real media
Player, recently bought Finnish mobile phone game developers Mr
Goodliving for $15M. Essentially buying a back catalogue of high
profile mobile games.

NTL a cable TV company here in the UK recently streamed the
Grand National, the biggest race horse meet here in the UK, live
to Nokia owning subscribers.

This is early days and that’s a small glimpse of the future.

The M-Commerce Market is very different from the online market
in terms of what content consumers are currently paying for. The
biggest revenue generators online, 70%, are porn and dating
sites. A similar percentage via mobile is for games, music and
video. Films, that’s another one, Nokia are now distributing
Hollywood movies via memory card!

The technology specifically 3G, an always on network with
transfer rates of 384kbs a second, is here and trickling into
mainstream culture. These devices are in fact capable of
1920kbs. Compare that to GPRS at 56kbs. You don’t need these
speeds to take advantage of this market but you should keep them
in mind to realise the full potential of where mobile
communication is going.

Here’s a brief, eye opening, wish list from consumers for future
mobile phone payment abilities:-

10 Use your mobile as a key 9 Marketing communications 8 Retail
checkout payments 7 Vending machine payments 6 Flight check in 5
Credit / debit cards 4 Season tickets 3 Loyalty cards 2 Parking
Meter payments 1 Mobile Coupon redemption

Getting Started How do you Accept Payments? Reverse SMS is very
popular at the moment. It provides the ability for you to direct
consumers to secret download links on your site whilst taking
payment through a premium SMS message. Another method known as
‘WAP Push’ sends a link via SMS that automatically launches when
the message is opened. You will need to set up your own WAP /
SMS Gateway on your server which will require server
administrator access to use both these solutions.

But there are other easier solutions a number of websites are
springing up that allow you to upload your content available for
download, games, video, wallpaper, MP3’s etc . A small fee is
taken from each paid download by the SMS Gateway company.

I’ve compiled a list of useful links to a number of the above
solutions and I’ve also thrown in a couple of links to
‘mobaphile’ websites were you will find some interesting
predictions for the future development of mobile phones along
with some real off the wall ideas for making money with mobiles.
http://www.how-to-make-money-online.info/m-commerce-resources.php

To paraphrase a strap line ‘The future’s bright the future’s
mobile’

Darren Yates
http://www.articlesbase.com/ecommerce-articles/mcommerce-twice-the-cash-value-of-ecommerce-1093.html

A part of the much celebrated L’ Amour collection, the new Nokia 7373 has been specially designed to add a dash of glamour to your everyday life. The phone comes in a fascinating physical attributes that lure the keen sensibilities of beauty lovers. Thus, in Nokia 7373, we find elaborate tribal markings, finely tooled surfaces, exquisite detail and embossed finishing, all integrated to seamlessly marry form and decoration. The motifs are rare and consists of swirls and waves. Nokia 7373 comes in two colours – in bronzed black coloured casing and powder pink colour casing.

A real tribute to style and rich functionalities, the Nokia 7373 comes in a compact swivel design (that rotates 180 degrees) to display a beautifully designed keypad. This provide a fresh look and perfect grip to the users of Nokia 7373. Moreover, the contours of the cell are smooth and neatly designed buttons makes Nokia 7373 a user’s delight. The screen of Nokia 7373 is crystal clear, offering high resolution display. While the keypad is neatly etched for hassle free typing and operation.

So far entertainment goes, Nokia 7373 is empowered with 2 Megapixels camera with digital zoom, video recorder, digital music player, FM radio, visual radio, soduku games and a host of polyphonic ringtones.

You can also customize the Nokia 7373 with your choice of wallpapers and screen savers.

But Nokia 7373 is not only design and entertainment, it is also a serious phone that enables you to keep your personal and professional commitments at par. Nokia 7373 is endowed with advance features such as tri-band network, Bluetooth, GPRS, EDGE, integrated browser, email options and possesses great messaging capability. Moreover, the Push-to-talk button helps you to transform Nokia 7373 into a walkie – talkie. Nokia 7373 has a good battery back up, offering a talktime of 2.5 hours, with 250 hours standby. Further, it has an internal memory of 128 MB to download and store quite a large number of musical track, images and valuable data. The internal memory can be further expanded with the help of micro SD memory card.

All in all, Nokia 7373 is a designer excellence that has aptly imbibed the latest lifestyle features, to make its users realise that a thing of beauty is a joy forever.

Mobile phones

Nokia 7373

Keith Rickwood
http://www.articlesbase.com/cell-phones-articles/nokia-7373-surrender-to-beauty-124318.html

Black Berry is a premier brand of smartphones, mobile camera phones, high performance cell phones and MP3 enabled other communication devices.  For almost every need there is a smart phone. These smart phones can handle text, voice and images plus provide unparalleled mobile communication systems. The Black Berry smart phones are integrated with software that allows access to a score of data and communication services.   The mobile users can stay in touch with all that matters while being on the go by means of phone, email, maps, organizer, applications, games, Internet and much more.
BlackBerry solution being able to support leading email platforms can be customized to meet the needs of a single person or a whole enterprise to any extent in any industry. 

The Specialty

The Ring tones are free with all mobile phones along with the free software. The ringtones can be downloaded in many websties and software. The themes are available free of charge with the affiliates also. Free Java games are available in plenty with these mobile phones and more games can be purchased from vendors who also provide downloads and software free.  Accessories like faceplates, Theatre and many other accessories that do not come with the mobile phone can be bought from the market.  A wide variety of enabled devices are available from leading manufacturers. They use the BlackBerry Connect technology that facilitates third party devices to utilize the proven technology for better efficiency and value addition.

The advantage

This mobile phone not only offers excellent voice capabilities, but also is data-centric. Business consumers and professionals from various fields prefer it more. Being a wireless handheld device that is easy to use, it is the popular choice of young professionals.  Businesses prefer it as it is a simple and secure way for communication.  The security offered by BlackBerry for emails has and edge and due to this it is in higher demand. 

The Technical Support

The manufacturer of BlackBerry Research in Motion offers a comprehensive suit as an annual technical support and software maintnance through their Technical Support Services through experts. It is a single point contact that allows customers to adapt and scale the support according their needs and budget.

Dharmendra Chaudhary

M- COMMERCE AND ITS APPLICATIONS

Dr. (Mrs).R. RAJESWARI, Reader in Commerce,

Sri Sarada College for Women (Autonomous), Salem -16.

 INTRODUCTION    

                “Mobile Commerce is any transaction, involving the transfer of ownership or rights to use goods and services, which is initiated and/or completed by using mobile access to computer-mediated networks with the help of an electronic device.”

DEFINITION

 “Mobile Commerce is the use of information technologies and communication technologies for the purpose of mobile integration of different value chains an business processes, and for the purpose of management of business relationships.”

– Webagency, 2001

MOBILE DEVICES

M-commerce is not just about using mobile phones as end user devices. The following list gives an overview of different kinds of mobile devices.

• Mobile phone
• PDA (Personal Digital Assistant)
• Smart phone-the smart phone combines mobile phone and PDA technology into one device.
• Laptop
• Earpiece (as part of a personal area network)

M-COMMERCE VERSUS E-COMMERCE

In comparison to e-commerce, m-commerce offers both advantages and disadvantages.  The following list summarises the advantages of m-commerce:

¨      Ubiquity: The use of wireless device enables the user to receive information and conduct transactions anywhere, at anytime.

¨      Accessibility: Mobile device enables the user to be contacted at virtually anytime and place. The user also has the choice to limit their accessibility to particular persons or times.

¨      Convenience: The portability of the wireless device and its functions from storing data to access to information or persons.

¨      Localization: The emergence of location-specific based applications will enable the user to receive relevant information on which to act.

¨      Instant Connectivity (2.5G): Instant connectivity or “always on” is becoming more prevalent will the emergence of 2.5 G networks, GPRS or EDGE. Users of 2.5 G services will benefit from easier and faster access to the Internet. 

¨      Personalization: The combination of localization and personalization will create a new channel/business opportunity for reaching and attracting customers. Personalization will take the form of customized information, meeting the users’ preferences, followed by payment mechanisms that allow for personal information to be stored, eliminating the need to enter credit card information for each transaction.

¨      Time Sensitivity – Access to real-time information such as a stock quote that can be acted upon immediately or a sale at a local boutique.

¨      Security – depending on the specific end user device, the device offers a certain level of inherent security.

The following list summarises the disadvantages of m-commerce:

1. Mobile devices offer limited capabilities (such as limited display).  Between mobile devices these capabilities vary so much that end user services will need to be customized accordingly.
2. The heterogeneity of devices, operating systems and network technologies is a challenge for a uniform end user platform.  For this reason, standardization bodies consisting of telecommunication companies, device manufacturers and value added service providers integrate their work.
3. Mobile devices are more prone to theft and destruction.
4. The communication over the air interface between mobile device and network introduces additional security threats.

AREAS / USES OF M-COMMERCE

In the current commerce industry, mobile commerce or M-Commerce has been entered in finance, services, retails, tele-communication and information technology services. In these sectors, M-Commerce is not only being widely accepted but also it is being more used as a popular way of business/ commerce.

• Finance Sectors
• Telecommunication Sectors
• Service / Retail sectors
• Information Sector

M-COMMERCE APPLICATIONS

The general m-commerce applications are:

1. Mobile ticketing

Tickets can be sent to mobile phones using a variety of technologies. Users are then able to use their tickets immediately by presenting their phones at the venue.

Tickets can be booked and cancelled on the mobile with the help of simple application downloads or by accessing WAP portals of various Travel agents or direct service providers.  Mobile ticketing for airports, ballparks, and train stations, for example, will not only streamline unexpected metropolitan traffic surges, but also help users remotely secure parking spots (even while in their vehicles) and greatly facilitate mass surveillance at transport hubs.

2. Mobile vouchers, coupons and loyalty cards

Mobile ticketing technology can also be used for the distribution of vouchers, coupons and loyalty cards. The voucher, coupon, or loyalty card is represented by a virtual token that is sent to the mobile phone. Presenting a mobile phone with one of these tokens at the point of sale allows the customer to receive the same benefits as another customer who has a loyalty card or other paper coupon/voucher. Mobile delivery enables:

• economy of scale
• quicker and easier delivery
• effective target marketing
• privacy-friendly data mining on consumer behaviour
• environment-friendly and resources-saving efficacy

3. Content purchase and delivery

Currently, mobile content purchase and delivery mainly consists of the sale of ring-tones, wallpapers, and games for mobile phones. The convergence of mobile phones, mp3 players and video players into a single device will result in an increase in the purchase and delivery of full-length music tracks and video. Download speeds, if increased to 4G levels, will make it possible to buy a movie on a mobile device in a couple of seconds, while on the go.

4. Location-based services

Unlike a home PC, the location of the mobile phone user is an important piece of information used during mobile commerce transactions. Knowing the location of the user allows for location based services such as:

• local maps
• local offers
• local weather
• people tracking and monitoring

5. Information services

A wide variety of information services can be delivered to mobile phone users in much the same way as it is delivered to PCs. These services include:

• news services
• stock data
• sports results
• financial records
• traffic data and information

Particularly, more customized traffic information, based on users’ travel patterns, will be multicast on a differentiated basis, instead of broadcasting the same news and data to all Users. This type of multicasting will be suited for more bandwidth-intensive mobile equipment.

6. Mobile Banking

Banks and other financial institutions are exploring the use of mobile commerce to allow their customers to not only access account information, but also make transactions, e.g. purchasing stocks, remitting money, via mobile phones and other mobile equipment. This service is often referred to as Mobile Banking or M-Banking. More negative issues like ID theft, phishing and pharming are lurking when it comes to mobile banking, particularly done on the mobile web. Net security technology free from redundancy and paradigm shifts away from mobile web-based banking will be an optimal solution to mobile banking in the near future.

7. Mobile brokerage

Stock market services offered via mobile devices have also become more popular and are known as Mobile Brokerage. They allow the subscriber to react to market developments in a timely fashion and irrespective of their physical location.

8. Auctions

Over the past three years Mobile reverse action solutions have grown in popularity. Unlike traditional auctions, the reverse auction (or low-bid auction) bills the consumer’s phone each time they place a bid. Many mobile PSMS commerce solutions rely on a one-time purchase or one-time subscription; however, reverse auctions are high return applications as they allow the consumer to transact over a long period of time.

9. Mobile purchase

Mobile purchase allows customers to shop online at any time in any location. Customers can browse and order products while using a cheap, secure payment method. Instead of using paper catalogues, retailers can send customers a list of products that the customer would be interested in, directly to their mobile device or consumers can visit a mobile version of a retailer’s ecommerce site. Additionally, retailers will also be able to track customers at all times and notify them of discounts at local stores that the customer would be interested in.

10. Mobile marketing and advertising

Mobile marketing is an emerging concept, but the speed with which it’s growing its roots is remarkable. Mobile marketing is highly responsive sort of marketing campaign, especially from brands’ experience point of view. And almost all brands are getting higher campaign response rates.  Corporations are now using m-commerce to expand everything from services to marketing and advertisement. Although there are currently very few regulations on the use and abuses of mobile commerce, this will change in the next few years. With the increased use of m-commerce comes increased security. Cell phone companies are now spending more money to protect their customers and their information from online intrusions and hackers.

PAYMENT METHODS

The main payment methods used to enable mobile commerce are:

• premium-rate calling numbers,
• charging to the mobile telephone user’s bill or
• Deducting from their calling credit.
• Registration of a credit card that is linked to a Sim Card.

CATEGORISATION OF M-PAYMENT SYSTEMS

Most e-payment systems are not suitable for use in a mobile context that is, using a mobile device and communicating over a mobile telecommunication network.  This is due to the special characteristics of mobile devices and mobile telecommunications.  In the following, we categorise m-payment systems according to the whereabouts of the customer’s money:

1. Software electronic coins – electronic money stored on the mobile in file format.
2. Hardware electronic coins – electronic money stored on the mobile device on a smart card.
3. Background account – electronic money stored in a remote account at a trusted third party.

Software Electronic Coins

            In this case, monetary value is stored on the mobile device and the customer has full control of his/her money wherever he/she goes and whatever he/she does.  An electronic coin is represented as a file containing, among other information, a value, a serial number, a validity period and the signature of the issuing bank.  Since software electronic coins are easy to copy, the validity of an electronic coin depends on its uniqueness in terms of its serial number.  The customer transfers electronic coins to the merchant, who forwards them to the issuing bank for the “double spending test.” 

Hardware Electronic Coins

            In this case, monetary value is stored on a secure hardware token, typically a smart card, in the mobile device.  The presentation of electronic money is not important, as long as it is stored securely on the smart card.  Electronic money could be represented as a simple numeric counter.  In order to get to the money, the customer’s smart card and the merchant’s payment server authenticate each other and a secure channel is set up between them.  Then, electronic money can be transferred from one to the other.  This approach is quite attractive because smart cards provide an additional level of mobility.  That means the payment smart card can also be used in POS transactions.  E.g., Geldkarte, Mondex and Barclay card.

Background Account

            Here, the money is stored remotely on an account at a trusted third party.  Depending on the specific payment system, the account could be a credit card account, a bank account, or an account held at the network operator.  For example, in some cases this data is sent in the clear (e.g. a credit card authorisation) not providing any security against eavesdropping and in some cases this information is encrypted and digitally signed, providing anonymity to the customer (e.g. SET – Secure Electronic Transactions).

KEY ISSUES OF M-COMMERCE

            The success of M-Commerce depends on:

• Evolution: Technology and Business models are constantly evolving which will demand flexibility and patience on part of all players.

• Customer loyalty: Who will ‘own’ the customer? Partnerships among players from various industries will be necessary for most, if not all, m-commerce initiatives, and, in turn, will alter the nature of any one company to own their own customers.

• Cross-sector knowledge gulf, where the different parties will need to learn about the functions and limitations of the services provided by the other players, for example, operators will need to know about content and applications.

• Moving up the value chain: To respond to market opportunities some companies have develop subsidiaries in order to react more rapidly to market challenges. For example, Sonera has developed Sonera Zed, to provide portal and application management services such as location based mobile yellow pages as well Smart Trust, to develop secure solution for m-commerce transactions. And Citicorp has established e-Citi to develop a wireless access gateway strategy for financial service providers.

CONCLUSION

As m-commerce applications and wireless devices are evolving rapidly, one will take forward the other one towards empowering innovation, versatility and power in them. There are a number of business opportunities and grand challenges of bringing forth viable and robust wireless technologies ahead for fully realizing the enormous strength of m-commerce in this Internet era and thereby meeting both the basic requirements and advanced expectations of mobile users and providers.

There are news articles and pictures displaying people, who are ordering things over the Internet while waiting for a bus, downloading merchant coupons on their PDAs as they enter a store or bidding for the last table at a hot restaurant by digital phone in a spur-of-the-moment auction. Actually this process represents a tip of a very big iceberg. The advent of m-commerce, as widely referred to among the users, has far-reaching implications. But there are many limitations in the technologies that Once its relevant technologies get matured, widely available and competent, the host of portable devices will be ready to handle the bigger transactional activities not envisioned so far successfully apart from these minor activities. One of the main feature challenges will be to unify payment solutions, providing the highest possible level of security.

Dr. R. Rajeswari

With the proliferation of all sorts of ringtones on the market today, many of us are tempted to do something wild and crazy with the way our phones let us know that someone is calling. While it is true that having a distinctive jingle to your phone can be a lot of fun, you do need to work within a reasonable perimeter. Make sure you walk that fine line between something that is fun, quirky, and an indication of your personality, and something that makes people look at you as if you just sprouted an extra head. Here are a few guidelines to help you avoid drawing attention to yourself for all the wrong reasons.

Most of have an image of ourselves that we like to project. Our image tells others a little about ourselves, our value systems, our preferences, and where our priorities lie. Often, we will choose to dress a certain way in order to promote that image to others. When it comes to your ringtone, think of that as one more accessory in your wardrobe.

It may be a simple thing, but stop and consider this example. You are involved in a serious conversation with a business colleague. You have just made a critical statement to your colleague, one that you hope he or she will consider with all due respect. Just at that instant, your cell phone begins to chirp the theme song from the old Mickey Mouse show. Sure that is quirky and it is fun, but did it really do anything to bolster your image as a serious businessperson?

By the same token, there is no need to be serious if you mainly use your cell phone outside work hours. If you truly fun loving, don’t be stuck with a ringtone that is so ordinary that even the dog yawns when your cell rings. Do some digging and find a tune that will bring a smile to your lips. You can choose from all sorts of fun ringtones these days, everything from music to animal sounds to cartoon characters. Download a few that you can shuffle around from time to time, just to keep those around you guessing about what your phone will sound like today.

Perhaps you are one of those people who are somewhere in the middle. You have your serious side and like to keep things businesslike during working hours. At the same time, you like to have a little fun after the work is done. That is no problem. You can easily find music that provides the ambiance of someone who is focused and still playful at the same time. Perhaps something with chimes would be a good ring for you. There are also some fun piano ringtones out there as well that might be the right mix of conservative and whimsical for you.

With so many ringtones around today, have a little fun checking out different ones until you find a few that seem to be just the right fit for your lifestyle. Be sure to check with your service provider on how to download and install the ringtones. It won’t take long and chances are you will be happy the next time your phone rings.

Craig Thornburrow
http://www.articlesbase.com/cell-phones-articles/is-your-ringtone-appropriate-for-your-lifestyle-88668.html