Readers' Choice Awards 2012: Smartphones and Mobile Carriers

MOBILE OPERATING SYSTEMS

In the ongoing battle for mobile OS supremacy, the two major players remain Google's Android and Apple's iOS, but Microsoft Windows Phone is doing its best to crash the party. (Pardon the mixed metaphors.) Android may be winning the popularity contest— as previously mentioned, it has significantly more smartphone market share—but Apple wins when it comes to customer satisfaction and by a wide margin. However, Microsoft's Windows Phone platform is neck and neck with Apple in our survey results. Android's popularity doesn't translate directly into being as well liked, thus Microsoft and Apple share the 2012 Readers' Choice Award for smartphone platforms, or mobile OSes.

When we asked our readers how satisfied they were with their smartphones overall, Apple and Microsoft customers both rated their phones an impressive 8.7 on our 0 (extremely dissatisfied) to 10 (extremely satisfied) scale. Android, on the other hand, only received a 7.9, the same rating it received in 2011. Apple's score improved from 8.4 last year; Windows Phone, which earned an Honorable Mention in 2011, improved 0.6 points. That's up from an 8.1, which is a big jump in satisfaction.

While Apple and Microsoft rated the same for overall satisfaction, Windows Phone actually received slightly higher satisfaction ratings than iOS in several key areas, including reliability, text messaging, Web browsing, and gaming. Apple's iOS, however, rates substantially better than Windows Phone for satisfaction with the quality and availability of apps and its music player.

Android's satisfaction ratings in several drill-down areas were higher than its overall satisfaction rating. The platform received its best marks for availability of apps (8.7) though that still trailed Apple iOS's score of 9.1. Android's lowest marks came for satisfaction as a music player (7.9 compared to a 9.0 for iOS and an 8.5 for Windows Phone) and as a gaming device (7.4 compared to an 8.3 for iOS and an 8.4 for Windows Phone). Substantially more Android users also reported needing technical support with their phones (32 percent) compared to Windows Phone (20 percent) and iOS (25 percent) users.

Despite Windows Phone's success at delivering a very satisfying smartphone experience to its customers, it seems that these users aren't committed to the Microsoft platform in the same way that Android and Apple users are. When we asked how likely you were to recommend your phone to someone looking to purchase a smartphone, Apple received a rating of 9.2, which was half a point better than its overall satisfaction rating. Android's 8.2 was 0.3 points better than its overall satisfaction rating. Windows Phone's likelihood to recommend rating was only 0.1 points higher, which may indicate that users still question whether the platform can gain traction.

One platform that has no traction among PCMag readers is RIM's BlackBerry. Overall satisfaction was down to 6.8 this year, slightly below 2011's 6.9. BlackBerry's likelihood to recommend rating dropped 1.1 points from 7.2 in 2011 to 6.1. It continued to garner respectable ratings in its traditional areas of strength, specifically email (8.5) and text messaging (8.2), but these were far from the highest satisfaction ratings among all the platforms in these areas. BlackBerry had the lowest reliability score (7.5, which was tied with Microsoft) and abysmal satisfaction ratings for gaming (4.6), availability of apps (5.4), and Web browsing (5.5). These are all key areas where a smartphone platform needs to do well in order to succeed.

CATEGORY: MOBILE OPERATING SYSTEMS

Apple iOS
Apple continues to define what an all-around excellent smartphone experience should be like, with excellent satisfaction ratings for its wide selection of top-notch apps and for its effectiveness as both a productivity tool and an entertainment device.

Microsoft Windows Phone
You may not see many people using Windows Phone handsets yet, but those who chose this route are very happy. Clearly, Microsoft needs to get more app developers on board to gain traction, but in every other aspect we measured, it's providing a winning experience.

Resistive vs Capacitive touch screens, Pros and Cons of each!

Are you confused with all this fuss on resistive and capacitive touch screens coming with the smart phones these days? Let me try to help you out in choosing which may work best for you.

First of all, let me try to explain what a Capacitive touch screen and a Resistive touch screen is, in scientific terms.

Capacitive touch screen: The capacitive touch screen is made up of a glass panel that is coated with a material.
The property of this material is that it can store electrical charge. So the capacitive touchscreens basically stores electrical charge.
But for good, Human body can also store charge. So, when you touch this screen with your finger, some of these charges on the screen gets transferred to your finger. The oscillator circuits located at the corner of your system will then sense this decrease in the charge on screen and the spot the exact location where touch occurred, and then transfers this specified information to the touchscreen driver software.


Resistive touch screen: Resistive touch screen, on the other hand is again made up of normal glass panel. However, this glass panel in this case is coated with three layers.


Two of these layers being conductive and resistive are kept apart using spacers while the third scratch-resistant layer covers the whole setup

When the resistive touch screen system is running, current flows through these layers. On a finger touch, the two layers get connected and change in electrical field occurs. The system calculates the coordinates of point of contact and passes them to touch screen driver software.

Now that you understand how Capacitive touch screen and Resistive touch screens work, lets figure out Pros and Cons of each of these touch screens.



Capacitive touch screen:

Pros:

• Multi touch support available
• Visibility good even in sunlight
• Highly sensitive to finger touch leading to ease of use
• Not prone to dust particles
• Glossy look and feel

Cons:

• Need to have atleast 5% humidity to achieve capacitive effect
• More expensive than Resistive touch screen
• Doesn't work with inanimate objects/fingernails/gloved fingers
• Latest technology, may need to evolve a bit more!

Resistive touch screen:

Pros:

• Relatively cheaper
• Can operate with any pointing devices like stylus, pen, nail etc
• Can operate at any level of humidity
• Ease of use, as it could be used even with your winter gloves on!
• Very useful for people using handwriting recongition system, due to ease of use with a stylus!
• More accurate than capacitive touch screen!
• Old technology and hence more reliable!

Cons:

• Multi touch support not available. Though technology did evolve after some modifications with the existing resistive touch screen circuitry, its still not 100% developed yet!
• Highly sensitive. As it can operate with almost any sort of pointing devices, can be more vulnerable with dust particles!
• Poor visibility in sunlight, mostly due to multiple layers reflecting light!
• Screen, being sensitive at the upper layer, can be more vulnerable to scratches!

So, now that you know the difference between Capacitive touch screen and a resistive touch screen, along with some of its associated pros and cons of each of them, you should now be in a better position to judge which touch screen might be suitable for you!

International Mobile Equipment Identity - IMEI

he International Mobile Equipment Identity or IMEI ( /aɪˈmiː/) is a number, usually unique,^[1][2] to identify GSM, WCDMA, and iDEN mobile phones, as well as some satellite phones. It is usually found printed inside the battery compartment of the phone. It can also be displayed on the screen of the phone by entering *#06# into the keypad on most phones.

[edit]Structure of the IMEI and IMEISV (IMEI Software Version)

The IMEI (14 decimal digits plus a check digit) or IMEISV (16 digits) includes information on the origin, model, and serial number of the device. The structure of the IMEI/SV are specified in 3GPP TS 23.003. The model and origin comprise the initial 8-digit portion of the IMEI/SV, known as the Type Allocation Code (TAC). The remainder of the IMEI is manufacturer-defined, with a Luhn check digit at the end. For the IMEI format prior to 2003, the GSMA guideline was to have this Check Digit always transmitted to the network as zero. This guideline seems to have disappeared for the format valid from 2003 and onwards.^[7]

As of 2004, the format of the IMEI is AA-BBBBBB-CCCCCC-D, although it may not always be displayed this way. The IMEISV drops the Luhn check digit in favour of an additional two digits for the Software Version Number (SVN), making the format AA-BBBBBB-CCCCCC-EE

	AA	-	BB	BB	BB	-	CC	CC	CC	D or EE
Old IMEI	TAC				FAC	Serial number				(Optional) Luhn checksum
New IMEI	TAC
Old IMEISV	TAC				FAC					Software Version Number (SVN).
New IMEISV	TAC

Prior to 2002, the TAC was six digits long and was followed by a two-digit Final Assembly Code (FAC), which was a manufacturer-specific code indicating the location of the device's construction. From January 1, 2003 until that April 1, 2004, the FAC for all phones was 00. After April 1, 2004, the Final Assembly Code ceased to exist and the Type Allocation Code increased to eight digits in length.

In any of the above cases, the first two digits of the TAC are the Reporting Body Identifier, which identifies the GSMA-approved group that allocated the TAC. The RBI numbers are allocated by the Global Decimal Administrator. The first two digits are always decimal (i.e., less than 0xA0), allowing IMEI numbers to be distinguished from an MEID, which will always have 0xA0 or larger as its first two digits.

For example, the old style IMEI code 35-209900-176148-1 or IMEISV code 35-209900-176148-23 tells us the following:

TAC: 35-2099 - issued by the BABT (code 35) with the allocation number 2099
FAC: 00 - indicating the phone was made during the transition period when FACs were being removed.
SNR: 176148 - uniquely identifying a unit of this model
CD: 1 so it is a GSM Phase 2 or higher
SVN: 23 - The "software version number" identifying the revision of the software installed on the phone. 99 is reserved.

By contrast, the new style IMEI code 49-015420-323751 has a 8-digit TAC of 49-015420.

The new CDMA Mobile Equipment Identifier (MEID) uses the same basic format as the IMEI.

[edit]Check digit computation

The last number of the IMEI is a check digit calculated using the Luhn algorithm.

According to the IMEI Allocation and Approval Guidelines,

The Check Digit shall be calculated according to Luhn formula (ISO/IEC 7812). (See GSM 02.16 / 3GPP 22.016). The Check Digit is a function of all other digits in the IMEI. The Software Version Number (SVN) of a mobile is not included in the calculation. The purpose of the Check Digit is to help guard against the possibility of incorrect entries to the CEIR and EIR equipment. The presentation of the Check Digit both electronically and in printed form on the label and packaging is very important. Logistics (using bar-code reader) and EIR/CEIR administration cannot use the Check Digit unless it is printed outside of the packaging, and on the ME IMEI/Type Accreditation label. The check digit is not transmitted over the radio interface, nor is it stored in the EIR database at any point. Therefore, all references to the last three or six digits of an IMEI refer to the actual IMEI number, to which the check digit does not belong.

The check digit is validated in three steps:

1. Starting from the right, double a digit every two digits (e.g., 7 → 14).
2. Sum the digits (e.g., 14 → 1 + 4).
3. Check if the sum is divisible by 10.

Conversely, one can calculate the IMEI by choosing the check digit that would give a sum divisible by 10. For the example IMEI 49015420323751?,

IMEI	4	9	0	1	5	4	2	0	3	2	3	7	5	1	?
Double every other	4	18	0	2	5	8	2	0	3	4	3	14	5	2	?
Sum digits	4 + (1 + 8) + 0 + 2 + 5 + 8 + 2 + 0 + 3 + 4 + 3 + (1 + 4) + 5 + 2 + ? = 52 + ?

To make the sum divisible by 10, we set ? = 8, so the IMEI is 490154203237518.

[edit]

3 top smartphones priced under Rs 5,000

Next

There was a time when smartphones were accessories for chief executives, business leaders and people who wanted to remain connected. But, in the age of social networking and WiFi connectivity, these devices have moved beyond the elite realm.A mobile survey conducted by IPSOS and Google in 2011 revealed that 36 per cent of smartphone users were in the 18-29 age group. That most of them were students meant they couldn't afford to spend too much on phone. There are a host of inexpensive smartphones available in the market, depending on the purpose for which one wants the device.
In most cases, the purpose is social networking, watching videos and staying connected 24x7. We look at three such devices that are priced under Rs 5,000:
Text: Business Standard
Image Courtesy: AP

Next

Samsung Galaxy S III uses Wolfson’s WM1811 audio chip

The Samsung Galaxy S III uses Wolfson Microelectronics’ WM1811 Audio Hub – the chip device that converts digital sound into analog, bringing users crystal clear HD sound during calls and during audio playback. This information was confirmed by Wolfson itself on the company’s website.

For those unfamiliar with Wolfson and Samsung’s partnership the Wave and Galaxy S both used the WM8994 Audio Hub and have been regarded as stellar performers.

In comparison the Galaxy S II used a Yamaha digital-to-analog converter (DAC). The WM1811 features a 24-bit dual-channel hi-fi DAC, active noise reduction circuits, etc.

Samsung Galaxy S III gets the teardown treatment by iFixit and Chipworks

Well, it was only going to be a matter of time before the inquisitive minds at iFixit or Chipworks got their hands on the new Galaxy S III and skillfully take it apart bit by bit and so finally they have.

This has lead to some rather interesting discoveries as mentioned below.

• The battery has a built-in NFC chip, just like the one on the Galaxy Nexus. If you are getting a replacement, make sure it is the same model with the NFC chip built-in.
• The audio processor on the Galaxy S III is a Wolfson WM1811, unlike the infamous Yamaha YMU823 on the Galaxy S II and the popular Wolfson WM8994 on the Galaxy S.
• The front protective glass has been fused to the display, which can lead to significant costs in case it cracks.
• The 8 megapixel camera on the back uses basically the same Sony BSI sensor used on the iPhone 4S. As such, any difference in image quality would be due to the use of different lens system and differently tuned image processing. You can use our Photo Comparison Tool to compare the image quality between the two smartphones.

That’s it for now. This teardown was performed by Chipworks and we may get some more details and pictures when iFixit does one of their own. You can find some more information from the source link below.

Source

An introduction to BSNL tablets

Click here for details

BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited) on collaboration with Noida-based company Pantel Technologies, has launched three tablets which  includes one 7-inch screen tablet with resistive screen and it runs on Android 2.3 operating system, while the second comes with 7-inch screen and the third tablet comes with an 8-inch screen, both of which are capacitive but with a higher price.

These tablets are designed keeping in mind the students need, the tablet come with a promotional offer of 3 month free data download. BSNL is also giving 2G SIM along with all the tablets.Developed by the Noida based company – Pantel technologies. The tablet will be sold at data plans from BSNL at reduced cost. The cost of these tablet will be Rs 3250, Rs 10,999 and Rs 13,500.

Three tablets are:

• Penta TPAD IS701R
• Penta TPAD WS704C
• Penta TPAD WS804C

The cheapest of all three  is Penta T-pad IS 701R  which will cost  Rs 3250, giving a tough competition to Aakash which is priced at just Rs 2500. However, T-pad has better specifications of the tablet, than the DataWind low cost tablet Aakash. We think that this BSNL tablet will appeal a lot students as the technical specification out-weight both the Aakash tablets.

Penta T-Pad IS 701R is a tablet with Wi-Fi only (no SIM card slot, but you can attach 2G/3G USB modem via the USB port) and Android 2.3 (Ginger Bread) operating system. It has a 1 GHz processor (ARM11 IMAP210) combined with 256 MB of DDR2 RAM. This entry level tablet from Pantel is 3-times as fast than the first Aakash and 300MHz faster than Aakash2 (Ubislate7), theoretically.

The tablet also offers HDMI port through which it can be connected to an HDTV. Its 7-inch resistive touchscreen comes with a 800×600 resolution (which looks great on 7-inch screens) and 16:9 ratio wide-screen display.

The tablet also comes with gravity sensor (G-sensor) which can orient the display in portrait and landscape when turned and also aids in motion gaming, something that was missing in Aakash.

Penta T-pad IS 701R has a battery rating of 3000mAh, which is expected to last for about 5-5:30 hours of video watching, which is certainly not bad considering laptops too give that much of battery life.

The internal memory is 2GB, but it can be extended via microSD cards upto 32GB.

It also has a front-facing 0.3MP camera for video chat and one standard USB port to accommodate pen-drives or other USB devices along with support for USB modems/net dongle, so that you can surf the internet, talk on Skype, watch YouTube videos, read e-books and open PDF files too.

The tablet is up for pre-orders now. Pre-book yours.

For more details, call Pantel Customer Service at 1800 103 7739 (Mon to Sat, 9 am to 6 pm).

Reimagining education in the age of tablets

Tabtor, which is on trial, promises to bring personalised tutoring to masses

         One of the key areas where tablet PCs are expected to make an impact in the coming decade is school education.

Click here to download the PDF version of the graphic

          PrazAs, a start-up founded by IIT-Madras graduate Rajesh Elayavalli and incorporated in New Jersey with a research and development centre in Chennai, hopes that its patent-pending technology will help to transform school education in India, as it does in the West. The company is now running trials of its upcoming product Tabtor (short for tablet tutor) among students of two schools — at Santhome in Chennai, and in Bangalore.

Sharp monitoring

          Sundi Natarajan, the company's chief of strategy and India head, shared with The Hindu the excitement on the road ahead for Tabtor, which promises to bring personalised tutoring to the masses. “We surely are not talking about replacing teachers with tablet PCs. We know that is impossible. But the technology we have can help teachers and parents monitor the children's skill-set more acutely than ever before.”

In an email interaction, Rajesh said the idea of developing a technology intervention in education had been brewing for long. “In 1996, I started out as a volunteer with Asha for Education in the U.S., a non-profit organisation that provides basic education for underprivileged children in India. I wanted to make a change,” he says.

      

     “There was a project in the late 1990s, ECTAL (Education Content Through Technology Assisted Learning) that was started as part of Asha. The project was simple. Get a few teachers in Chennai to create PowerPoint lectures that could be burned onto CDs and distributed to rural and government schools free of charge. The voice-over could be changed to any language, making the project scalable.” The mission statement for PrazAs is, in a similar way but on a grander scale, to make good education scalable. When the company was formed 18 months ago, the timing seemed right because in the U.S., school students had already been gaining access to tablet PCs, thanks mostly to Apple's successful iPads.

          “We developed a patent-pending real-paper technology that makes virtual learning possible from anywhere, anytime and anyplace, and can replace the schoolbook bag. That's the goal — just go to school, eventually with just the tablet computer. The technology allows sharing and review of handwritten work, automatic grading, video tutorials and adaptive analytics”

            In its trials, Tabtor is focussing on math-tutoring based on skill-based learning. Students are allowed to create their subscriptions and log in to learn math skills on K-7 grade. And the learning of such skills on Tabtor comes with advantages for teachers. For example, if a student makes a mistake while solving an equation, through real-time analytics teachers will know where he is going wrong. This kind of analysis is simply not possible in a traditional marksheet environment. And this is just one of the many advantages of the system, says Sundi Natarajan.

       Tabtor also allows real-time learning collaborations. Since the application is expected to be available across proprietary and even open-source operating systems, there is a good chance that students will be able to access it easily. Sundi Natarajan says the PrazAs team is keen not on making the application network-dependant: students will be able to download assignments for days — or even weeks — through the servers, and access to networks will not be required all the time.

        PrazAs is expected to officially launch the application on the iOS and Windows in the next few months in the U.S. and will bring it to India next year with an Android app. The service will be offered through subscription.

         To learn more, visit www.prazas.com.