Sunday, January 10, 2010

A Useful Gadget - Mobile Phones

By Veronica Carrillo

Mobile phones have changed the whole process of communication, making it lot easier and hassle free. Now with these smart devices, one can perform variety of other features as well such as imaging, web browsing and gaming. These smart products are no less than digital cameras or MP3 players, thanks to amazing imaging and music features which they offer and ensure loads of entertainment all the time.

In India, the mobile phone has revolutionized communication and India is now one of the fastest growing markets for mobile phone services, with growing usage and increasing penetration. According to TRAI, there are 286 million wireless subscribers in India, June 2008, of which 76 million were capable of accessing data services. The increasing ubiquity of the mobile phone begs for it to be used as a learning tool. It would be a shame if we were unable to leverage it to improve socio-economic conditions in our vast population.

Now with the advent of 3G mobile phone, connectivity features have undergone a sea change. On one hand, you can enjoy easy hassle free Internet access all the time with Wi-Fi and can stay connected to outer world with much ease. Then, users also get to enjoy fast speed data transfers as devices are designed to support advanced technologies of EDGE, GPRS, HSDPA, HSUPA etc., which means that large packets of data can be transferred within seconds. Apart from this, market boasts of camera phones which capture impressive photos equivalent to that of digital like quality having vibrant colours. One can opt for handset equipped with built-in camera of high resolution up to 12MP.

To begin with, Contract phone deals are the ones which most of the people go for. Going by the name, if a user opts for such deals, he/she needs to sign a contract. Of course, the contract is only for a specified time frame that may vary from 12-24 months. Seldom, some contracts may be of a lesser duration, say 6 months. Free texts and minutes accompany these deals.

Viewed simply; phones are capable of: 1. Voice - These are the most basic phones, are still prevalent though being rapidly replaced. Such phones with voice only technology can be used to learn languages, literature, public speaking, writing, storytelling, and history amongst a whole range of topics. We've known that voice based learning works for millennia now. 2. SMS - Widely used in India, literally billions of short text messages are sent over the phone networks. These messages can be written quickly and offer enormous learning opportunities. SMS can be used to provide just in time information of almost any type, like reminders. (e.g., someone undergoing a formal mentoring process) SMS can be used for informational quizzes. There are also innovative games based around SMS that have strong learning potential. 3. Graphic Displays - Almost every mobile phone has a graphic display, even if it just shows signal and battery strength. Most phones today have far more graphic power and are able to display words, pictures and animation. Such screens also allow for meaningful amounts of text to be displayed, supporting rapid serial presentation of context-appropriate information. You can use this type of displays for almost any sort of learning. Eventually these displays will render content that is today rendered on personal computers. 4. Downloadable programs - With mobile phones that have memories, and can accept and install downloaded programs an entire new learning space is opened up on the phone. Almost any sort of learning content and interaction technology can be delivered to the phone using this method. 5. Mobile Internet Browsers - Internet browsers are now built into an increasing number of phones, especially those that take advantage of 3G or enhanced data networks such as GPRS. Having a browser on the phone opens up all the learning resources available on the web, including Google, LMS applications, typical eLearning courseware and other tools/applications.

Last, but not the least, the SIM free phones come without a SIM card and bestow upon the users the freedom to switch over. They are most suitable for frequent travelers. The best part is that handsets of manufacturers like Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson and LG are available as part of these deals and the users for opt for any of the network service providers. - 16970

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