The Motorola Milestone gets reviewed by the folks at Techradar. Head over to this post to read the review. The GSM variant of the Motorola DROID sports a dual-band 3G support for Europe and Asia. It runs on Google’s open-source Android OS 2.0 and packs a large 3.7-inch touchscreen, 5MP camera, microSDHC slot, Wi-Fi and GPS. It has a side-sliding design that allows for a four-row QWERTY keyboard.

The slick interface, the QWERTY keyboard, the premium build quality – all these things go into making the Milestone a decent phone. But it lets itself down at times by lacking any real differentiating features (apart from the cool phone portal) and that lip – well, the less said about it the better now.

We’d give the Milestone a B+, as it could try harder but the effort we’ve seen is hard to fault and if you picked this up and kept it in your pocket (providing its your phone) you wouldn’t be disappointed

What could be better than the original BlackBerry Tour? Well, the BlackBerry Tour2 obviously. We’ve just got a hold of one and will be putting it through our normal thorough review processes, but in the meantime, here are some first impressions:

• Physical size is nearly, if not identical to the original BlackBerry Tour
• The trackpad works great, just as you’d expect
• We guessed the original Tour was slightly underpowered, and we were right. Fortunately the Tour2 seems to use the processor found in the Storm2, and that’s a welcome improvement. In the short time we’ve been using it, there aren’t many slowdowns that we’d normally get on the Tour, and the device feels much more snappy
• The keyboard remains at greatness status
• Wi-Fi works like any other BlackBerry

All in all a much-needed upgrade to keep Verizon and Sprint’s BlackBerry lineup current, and it might even be the device that sways me from my BlackBerry 9700… Photos in the gallery!

Read more:

Already available from O2, Orange and even Tesco Mobile, the UK’s third largest carrier, Vodafone, finally announced this morning that it will begin selling the ubiquitous Apple smartphone on January 14th. Vodafone subs will be able to snag either the iPhone 3G or the iPhone 3GS for free on all tariffs over £35 and £45 respectively. Both of these prices assume a 24-month contract, but an extra £5 will shave off 6 months. Anyone interested in tethering should pencil an extra £5 into their monthly budget as that’s what Vodafone says will buy you the right to 500MB of data for tethering. One must pay to play, we suppose.

When we say we have specifications, boy, do we mean it. One of our connects has sent us the full rundown on Motorla’s Opus One (their first iDEN Android handset) that we revealed a little while back. The features on the device are actually pretty reasonable, and we’d imagine it to sell for a reasonable attractive price-point at release. The Motorola Opus One will run Android 1.5 with iDEN service enhancements, make use of a “Zeus” CPU, and will feature a 3 megapixel autofocus camera.

Detailed list of full specs after the breakage!

* 3.1″ hVGA 320×480 capacitative touchscreen display
* 3 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash
* Accelerometer
* Proximity sensor
* Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
* Bluetooth
* microSD card slot
* 2.5mm headset jack
* Home, Menu, Back, Speaker buttons are capacitive buttons with haptic feedback
* iDEN PTT & PTX
* Android LBS which is integrated into the iDEN GPS engine
* “Enterprise email”
* Plastic-molded housing with some rubberized texture finishes
* 58mm in width, 118mm in length
* 100g weight
* 512MB Flash / 256MB of RAM
* 64k and 128k iDEN SIM card support
* A-GPS
* Motorola dual-mic technology noise-canceling for noisy enviroments
* Flash Lite v3.1.x
* Some of the preloaded apps include: corporate email client with ActiveSync support, MOTONAV navigation app, barcode scanner, and document viewer.

That’s what we have for you on the Motorola Opus One at this time. Not the most mind-blowing Android device, but with it being an iDEN device and all, we’ll cut it some slack and even say that it could do reasonably well at launch.

Nowadays technologies have evolved. When was the last time your doorbell rang with nobody behind the door? A long time ago I am sure. But when did you receive a prank call on your home phone line or cell phone line? It is so easy to make prank calls. There are more and more of them. It is often difficult to know the real risk when you receive a prank call. You never know if it is a joke made by a bored teenager or by an insane person potentially dangerous for you and your family.

So your best move is to take action and show the prankster that you will not tolerate his behavior. The way to react is to run a reverse phone number lookup to identify the caller. Obviously you need the phone number of the caller. You get it by looking at the call display on your phone. If you can not get access to the number because it is displayed as a “confidential number” or “private number” you may ask help from your phone service provider by providing him with the date and the hour of the prank call.

Once you have got the number you need to run a reverse phone lookup on it. It is the easy part. You may try to use any free service available on the net but chances are you will not get any result because unlisted phone number land line and cell phones line ownership is private data. You have to use a service provided by a private company which has access to such data. So you will end paying a reasonable fee to perform a phone number reverse lookup: it is as easy as typing a ten-digit number. In exchange you will quickly receive the name, address of the prank caller along with various household information.

Then you can call the prankster, tell him you know his name, address and ask him to stop harassing you. Once discovered he will usually stop calling. If not you can give all the information to the police and officially file a complaint.

So do not take chances. Protect yourself and your family. Act now. Learning How to Reverse Phone will enable you to discover the identity of any phone line owner.

A recent Ofcom report identified that International roaming charges were reduced on average by 13.6% in the year 2008/2009. This is indeed encouraging news on the face of it but when you consider that international roaming charges start from a very high level then perhaps it less encouraging. Most notably international roaming data charges are the most expensive.

International roaming charges have always been a bone of contention for business and personal users of mobile handsets. No network is immune from what can only be described as legalised extortion.

There is a technology now available that can reduce these charges by up to 90% (100% if you are simply dialling back to the office). This technology is undoubtedly used by the network operators themselves to transit calls and this is now available to small and large companies alike.

This cost saving feature is Dynamic Mobile Least Cost Routing (Dynamic Mobile LCR). If you are a business traveler, it will save you money by choosing the least costly route according to tariffs and roaming charges.

The LCR feature minimizes mobile roaming expenses by having call setups routed through the least costly path. The LCR logic is based on current call tariffs managed in the server. Using call tariffs, the server determines the most cost-efficient break-out for each call. The server also generates dial plans, which are distributed to mobile devices running the mobile client.

The LCR feature is transparent for end-users and works from any mobile network. There is also support for WiFi and Dual Mode terminals.

This technology is great for global manufacturers, international law firms, shipping brokers, etc.

Key Benefits

Mobilizing your workforce increases business visibility and capabilities. Ensure that everyone is connected wherever your business takes them with the following benefits:

1. • Mobility without loss of functionality
2. • Over the Air Configuration (OTA) provisioning for easy deployment and administration
3. • Easy-to-use GUI
4. • Makes business-class telephony features visible to users
5. • WiFi and GSM handover (bidirectional)
6. • Least cost routing of calls
7. • Corporate directory search
8. • Presence setting and viewing
9. • Shared call logs between devices
10. • Shared contact lists between devices

GUI

The interface is streamlined for mobile use with a search and dial field and a large area for your contact list/buddy list. When a directory search is performed, this area is updated with the results. When a call is made, the display area is divided into two sections. The left side displays a name or phone number and the call duration, and the right side is for call buttons for business-class telephony features, such as hold, retrieve, transfer, conference, record call, etc.

Noel Liverton is Marketing Director for www.intelesis.co.uk

For instance, you may want to add a dedicated phone line to your home for your new business. Or you may, at the very least, just change the way you answer your phone. The simple “Hello” is now changed to “Gonzales Enterprises” or “Williams Landscaping, may I help you?”

Once you have made your decision on the best way to handle how you answer the phone, the real work begins. A professional tone on the phone is essential, and proper, business-like etiquette is key. Here are a few basic tips:

Incoming Calls

Tip 1- All incoming calls should be answered in a timely manner––by the second ring if at all possible.

Tip 2- Business telephones should be answered with a consistent, friendly phrase like, “Good morning, ABC Movers, Ernesto speaking.” The business’ name should be stated as soon as the phone is answered along with the person’s name. This allows the caller to know that they have reached the right business, and to whom they are speaking.

Tip 3- Avoid putting your caller on hold, but if you have to, be sure to check back with them every minute or so and ask if they would like to continue to hold. This lets them know that they have not been forgotten, and that you are attending to their call.

Tip 4- Speak clearly and slowly when you answer a business telephone in your best English. Do not slur or mumble your words. Speak with confidence so the person on the other end has the feeling that you know what you are doing.

Tip 5- Never be rude to a caller, no matter how rude they are to you. Always remember to handle yourself in a professional, business-like manner. This is the best way to calm down an agitated customer.

Outgoing Calls

Tip 1- Speak clearly and slowly when you make a business call. Time may be money, but if the other party cannot understand what you are saying, then you might as well have not made the call.

Tip 2- All customers expect to work with a professional organization. How they are treated over the phone is their first measurement of your new company.

Tip 3- When calling another business, it is proper etiquette to give your name and the company’s name to whomever answers the phone. Do not make them have to guess.

Tip 4- If you get the wrong number, apologize to the person who answers the phone­­––do not just hang up. This is especially important nowadays when people have Caller ID on their phone lines. All they have to do is to check their device to find out who just rudely hung up on them.

Tip 5- When leaving a phone message, always state your name, company, phone number and reason for calling.

Starting a new business is always a challenge. It is a series of small decisions and tiny choices. But as little a thing as phone manners may seem, good etiquette can pay big dividends to your new enterprise’s success.

Visit us at www.dpiteleconnect.com

Not all of these calls are scams. Some are on the up-and-up. But both varieties can easily be eliminated and your dinnertime can be family time once again. Just head over to https://www.donotcall.gov, register your phone number and most of these cold-call solicitations will magically go away. Another smart thing is to upgrade your phone package to include features like Caller I.D.

However, some of these nuisance calls may persist. The more unethical the culprit behind the scheme, the more likely they will find your number and dial it. And there goes your dinnertime.
Spotting the bait

These scam artists will often bait their hooks with tantalizing prizes. Of course, you usually have to do something to get your “free” prize, like attend a sales presenta­tion, buy something, pay a fee or give out a credit card number. But the prizes are either worthless or overpriced.

* Travel Packages. “Free” or “low cost” vacations can end up cost­ing a bundle in hidden costs. You may pay a high price for some part of the package—like hotel or airfare. The total cost may run two to three times more than what you’d expect to pay, or what you were led to believe. Some “bargain” vacations may never happen at all.
* Investments. People lose millions of dollars each year to “get rich quick” schemes that promise high returns with little or no risk. These can include movies or cable television production deals, Internet gambling, rare coins, art or other “investment opportunities.”
* Charities. Con artists often push you for an immediate gift, but won’t send written information so you can check them out. They also may try to confuse you by using names that sound like well-known charitable organizations or even law enforcement agencies.
* Medical Discounts. If you’re considering signing up for a medical discount plan, be aware of scam artists who are reportedly contacting seniors claiming to represent providers. All they really want is your personal information so they can commit financial fraud.

A few rules to protect your family from fraud

* Never be pressured to make an immediate decision.
* Upgrade your phone plan to include features like Caller I.D. to help screen your calls.
* Never give your credit card, checking account or Social Security number to unknown callers.
* Don’t pay for something merely because you’ll get a “free gift.”
* Get all information in writing before you agree to buy.
* Check out a charity before you give.
* Don’t confirm your account information over the phone.
* Check out unsolicited offers with the Better Business Bureau, local consumer protection agency or state Attorney General’s office before you agree to send money.
* Don’t be afraid to say “no thanks” and hang up the phone. After all, that is one of the best features that come with every single home phone––the ability to hang it up.

Visit dPi Teleconnect for your home telephone needs.

1. How many incoming telephone lines will your business need?
2. How many telephone stations will there be at the business?
3. Do you need voice mail?

How many telephone lines do I need?

Let’s take one step back before we answer this question. First of all what is a telephone line? A telephone line allows your business to make and receive telephone calls. Each telephone line has an assigned phone number(s) (e.g. 555-555-5555) that allows other people to call your business. Telephone lines are provided by your service provider and are connected directly to a telephone or business telephone system at your place of business. Types of telephone lines that you will encounter include analog, digital, and VoIP (see blog post “What kinds of lines can I add to a phone system?).

The number of lines you need at your business is based on call volume. Most small business start at 2 or 3 lines. If customers start complaining that your lines are always busy, then it might be time to add another. Since most business phone systems start with configurations of 3 or 4 phone lines for every 8 phone stations, you can also make your decision based on this ratio. Regardless of the decision, rest assured that you can add or subtract lines easily.

How many telephone stations do I need?

A telephone station is a physical telephone that is connected to a business phone system. Telephone stations typically have assigned extension numbers. This allows you to call other people in the office by dialing their extension number. This is called in ‘intercom’ call. For instance if Bob’s telephone station had an extension number of 10, then I could dial 10 on my telephone station and Bob’s phone would ring.

Determining how many telephone stations you will need at your business is easy. All you need to know is how many people in the office will need consistent access to a physical telephone. Office or cubicle workers usually need a phone right on their desk, but common areas like break rooms or lobbies may only need one phone for common use. Other types of phone stations can include a conference speakerphone in a conference room, a credit card machine that has a modem, or a fax machine.

Do I need voice mail integrated with my business phone system?

Your telephone line service provider may offer voice mail service on each telephone line, but this means that everyone has to share a mailbox. For instance, if you have 3 telephone lines, then you only receive 3 voice mailboxes, one for each line. This isn’t the best scenario if you have 8 people in the office each with their own messages. Each person would have to listen to all of the messages to figure out which one is his. Not only would this be time consuming, but it’s also not very private. If you integrate a voice mail system with your phone system, then each person can have a mailbox assigned to their extension. They can record personal greetings and receive individualized messages.

Now, let’s get back to the original question. Do I need voice mail integrated with my business phone system. The answer to question is ‘Yes’ if everyone needs their own mailbox, and the answer is ‘No’ if the entire business can share a mailbox. The ‘No’ situation would be similar to using an answering machine.

Which business phone system should I choose?

1. Then again, if you don’t trust your salesperson, it might be time for a new salesperson.

Here are some of the small business systems out there right now:

The 2 major players in the U.S.

* Avaya – Partner ACS, IP Office
* Nortel – Norstar Integrated Communication System (Norstar CICS and MICS), Nortel Business Communication Manager (BCM 50 and BCM450)

Other manufacturers include Toshiba, Panasonic, NEC, Mitel, and Samsung.

Metroline Direct is an independent distributor of technology and telecommunications equipment. Metroline Direct does not represent Avaya Communication, Lucent Technologies, Nortel Networks, Cisco, Toshiba, Mitel, NEC, Dell or their affiliates in any way. Merlin, Merlin Legend, Merlin Magix, Partner, Partner Plus, Partner II, Partner ACS, Spirit, Definity, IP Office, and Avaya Communication Manager are registered trademarks of Avaya Communication. Norstar, Meridian, and Business Communication Manager are registered trademarks of Nortel Networks. For more information, please visit: http://www.metrolinedirect.com

A web conferencing tool is very simple to use. Moreover, the high end technologies applied makes it more convenient and easily accessible from any platform (supports all Operating System). All you require is a computer with Internet connection to establish the setup of a web conferencing tool. In some rare case, you might have to install a software to run the web conferencing tool.

A person initiating a teleconferencing process first organizes a meeting in the tool and then forwards the meeting information that contains the meeting time, date, url, login password, login instructions etc. to the participants. For web based conferencing services, you just require Internet connection to log in and sometimes few web conferencing tools might ask you to install a small software to be able to log in. A web conferencing tool offers multiple conferencing services with various useful and helpful inbuilt features.

First Level Preparation:

Before you send an invitation to others, whom you want to be in your meeting, check the software installation requirement and share the information with the attendees to match the compatibility factor.

Conferencing services – Features:

Sharing Screen – Conferencing over the internet is just like being there. You can share your screen with all the attendees to demonstrate or show a document. What ever task you perform on your screen can be seen by the rest and vice versa.

More Than One Presenter – It can happen that there are many presenters of a single project, in such cases you can easily handover the presentation responsibility to the respective person. In order to get multiple presenter facility contact conference call providers for details.

Voice Over Internet Protocol – Apart from the general teleconferencing services over the Internet, you can also avail the audio conferencing services in the form of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). This feature allows you to make telephone calls at a cheaper rate than general teleconferencing services.

Conference Video – A conference with video fosters the in-person-meeting-environment that adds on a flavor of a closed room meeting. Through web cams you can reach a person anywhere in the world.

Text Chatting – You are already familiar with Instant Messaging. It is a form of text communication. During the teleconferencing process you can also communicate through text chat with individual attendees or with the entire group.

White Board Facility – Generally during in-person-meeting a white board plays a vital role in outlining the ideas and describing them. In web conferencing tool you can also get the white board feature included. But contact your conference call providers to access the feature.

Besides the above mentioned web conferencing tool features, you can also avail many more that will enrich your teleconferencing process.