top 10 mobile websites in India

Opera has come up with the latest state of the mobile web report. It lists the top 10 websites visited by Indians from their mobile phones. As expected google properties rule the list with google.com and orkut.com at the no.1 and no.2 positions respectively. Youtube is at the no.6 position!!! I was really surprised to find that people use youtube from mobile. I mean the internet connections in India hardly support youtube even on the laptop.

Top 10 sites in India (# of unique users)

1. google.com (Search)
2. orkut.com (social networking)
3. yahoo.com ( search + portal)
4. gamejump.com (games)
5. rediff.com (portal)
6. youtube.com (Video)
7. wikipedia.org (information)
8. my.opera.com (simply because the study is based on opera users)
9. songs.pk (music)
10. peperonity.com (mobile social networking)

I am surprised that no email or instant messenger has made to the top 10 list. I would have expected to see some classified sites in the list as well. Simply because these are the applications that I frequently use on my mobile.

There are quite a good number of new entries there. We shall be covering these sites on this blog. Subscribe to our rss feed to stay updated.

Topics: Mobile

Email This

Local search with mobile in India

You are driving back home and think of getting some flower for your wife. Now how do you find out a good florist at that goddamned place? Well a number of local search providers on the mobile are trying to solve the problem for you.

Local search can be accessed in 3 different formats: over the phone, through your mobile browser and through sms.

Voice based local search: Basically you call up a number and the service provider gives you the required information. This method is really helpful when you need the information right now. However you might have to wait for sometime to get to the operator. 

The players

sms based local search

Those times when you do not want to stand in a queue to talk to an operator, you should try local search through sms. You send the search string to a short code as sms and get back the results as sms. To use the service effectively, you need to know the short code and the format for sending the search string.

The Players

Topics: Mobile, Tips and Tricks

Email This

create a mobile version of your blog

More and more people are using their mobile device to access the internet. However most of the blogs including binaryday are designed for the desktop users. So it is a good idea to get a mobile version of the blog.

wirenode.com allows you to create a mobile version of your blog in less than 1 minute. Your blog needs to have a rss though.

Simply enter the url of your blog and hit “mobilze blog” (see image above). Wirenode finds out the url of your rss automatically and creates the mobile version of your blog. See the mobile version of binaryday below.

You can then register yourself and customize the look of your mobile blog. (I faced issues with the login process)

Topics: Mobile, Tips and Tricks, Tools

Email This

Gmail Notifier and Orkut notifier - Fring ..

Wanna know what is there in your gmail inbox or need to read the new scrap in ur orkut without login ..Just activate the orkut and gmail notifier addons on ur fring application.

As per my promise here , i am using this add ons and i must say i am extremely satisfied with the results..

Gmail Notifier:

 It is one of the addons available on fring application. By enabling this addons
you will get nofification as soon as new email is recieved in ur inbox.

Steps to activate this gmail notifier:

   1. Install fring as mentioned here
   2. Go to Options > Settings >  Manage Add-ons
   3. Subscribe the Gmail notifier by clicking on Subscribe
   4. Enter the login id and password of ur gmail account

And then u can enjoy this ulti cool feature.. It beeps whenever u get a new message

Orkut Notifer:

this is another ulti cool addons available on fring application. From this application u can view and reply to the scraps in ur orkut account..

Best way to keep in touch with ur buddies on orkut while on move

Steps to activate this gmail notifier:

   1. Install fring as mentioned here
   2. Go to Options > Settings >  Manage Add-ons
   3. Subscribe the Orkut notifier by clicking on Subscribe
   4. Enter the login id and password of ur orkutaccount

And there u go …Reply to the scraps freely without bothering abt ur network admin or anyone else..

The only problem is orkut notifier is slow … But I feel it is better than nothing…

Topics: Instant Messenger, Mobile, Mobile Softwares, Nokia Mobiles

Email This

Gmail Client for Symbian Mobile:

       
Well gmail has become synanamonous to our daily life… and Life without gmail access horible especially if  u work in IT industry as most of the companies have banned gmail.

But if u own a mobile especially symbian like what i have ( ) and have a unlimited data access , then there is no way ur network admin can keep u away from gmail.

Gmail client can be dowloaded by accessing m.google.com/mail  from ur phone browser.

It will download a small SIS file and u are all set to access gmail.

Apart from basic functionalities like composing , viewing and searching emails , following are the features in this client

View attachments.
Open message attachments, including photos, Microsoft Word™ documents, and PDF files.
Spam filtering, search, labels, filters, stars - and lots of storage space.
 

Well what i do is I have personalized my google homepage ( Igoogle) with gmail gadzet. So as soon as new emails comes
I can see it there and then i simply log on to my mobile and access the email..

Hain naa funduuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu? Simple but smart wwork…

Topics: Mobile, Mobile Softwares

Email This

Make Free mobile calls, IM with Skype , MSN Messenger , ICQ , gtalk SIP from mobile

I have been using Nokia E61i since Nov 2007. No wonder it is one of my fav gadzet and best buddy. Reason behind this is it allows me to be online on gtalk thru fringe.. check my mywalkin emails thru Profimail and access gmail thru gmail client.

So here are my two cents on how to use ur phone more smartly..

1. Fring:- Fring is one chat messenger which can help u to be online on all 4 people messengers at one go.
U can very well connect to yahoo /gtalk/skype/MSN and SIP.

Steps to download Fring on ur mobile are simple.

1.Go to www.fring.com
2.Enter ur number
3.wait for the sms
4.Click on the link provided in the sms.
5. Download and install Fring
and Enjoy happy chatting..

Voice clarity is too good . In fact I prefer to speak from E61i then to do the same from my machine

For more details visit www.fring.com.

Ps: Just now I came to know that they do have add ons like Orkut which will allow us to reply to the scraps immediately.
I will use it for a while and blog abt my experience..

Topics: Instant Messenger, Mobile, Nokia Mobiles

Email This

Nokia N96 prebooking started in India

Nokia has started accepting pre-bookings for the N96 phone. You can prebook a Nokia N96 by paying Rs4,000 here

You can read our views on comparison of N96 with iphone to help you choose the right mobile phone.

Topics: Mobile, Nokia Mobiles

Email This

nokia camera phones available in India

`I had previously discussed about the 8 megapixel camera phones on this blog. However none of those mobiles are available in the market, yet. This time I shall be discussing the camera phones available from nokia in the Indian market.

Topics: Mobile, Nokia Mobiles

Email This

Nokia N96 vs iPhone

We have seen 2 exciting launches in India last week. Apple iPhone and Nokia N96. While Apple iPhone is priced at Rs. 31,000 for 8GB version and Rs. 36,000 for 16GB version, N96 is priced at Rs. 36,000. So for now price wise both are evenly matched. Now the big question, if I have to put up my 36K, which one will it be.

I have used the iPhone for few months (non 3G version) earlier so I have experienced its revolutionaly user interface and I can talk about its ownership experience. I have not got a chance to explore N96 so far. So I can only compare it with iPhone based on it features and not on its ownership experience.

WOW Factor:
iPhone, iPhone and iPhone. N96 simply doesn’t stand a chance here. I remember the day when I just took my iPhone out in Kamat restaurant, here in Hyderabad, to attend a call and then just put it on my table. Every single passer by including the waiter, asked me what phone it was, and how much it costed. Simply amazing. Even more amazing was their reaction when I told them that it costed me just Rs. 18,ooo (that’s $399).
N96 I am sure, anyone would ever notice it. It just looks a slightly polished version of N95.

User Interface:
Again iPhone with its revolutionary multi-touch technology is far ahead of Nokia N96. I have used N95 and I believe, N96 user interface should be more or less the same. While its definitely good but it not comparable to iPhone, which is in a different league altogether. When your start using iPhone, this multitouch will really excite your, but over the time, it simply doesn’t matter. For me after a couple of months of use, I really found my blackberry better to use. It was faster and easier. But this is valid if you are using a lot of email on phone.

Storage:
N96 is clear winner here. Apart from 16GB memory it also supports micro SD card. This definitely gives it an edge over iPhone. We can use this microSD card easily copy data from N96 to other phones or PC, just like a pen drive, which is very convenient.

Camera:
N96 is a clear winner here. 5 mega pixel. iPhone has just 2. N96 as has a LED flash. With 5 mega pixel, it literally eliminates the need to carry a digital camera. More over copying photos to PC, its not dependent on iTunes. Just copy the photos to you PC and you are done. This comes in handy if you have to copy your photos to say your friend’s machine which does not have itunes.

Size/Weight:
While N96 is lighter than iPhone by 8 gms, it looks bulkier. iPhone is thinner compared to N96. So I believe iPhone is a winner here.

Multimedia/Media playback:
N96 is a clear winner here. It can play MP3s, AACs WMAs. Just drag and drop MP3s from your system and your are ready to listen. For iPhone everything goes via iTunes which can be frustrating many times especially for Linux users like me. For video also, N96 can play more formats than iPhone including MPEG-4 and Flash. Flash is a big limitation in iPhone. Sound and picture quality should be comparable in both the devices, though with larger screen, iPhone scores over N96, while watching videos.

Connectivity/Network:
iPhone comes locked with provider, which I hate. Other than that both are 3G phones and have wi fi and are equally matched. N96 supports Stereo Bluetooth with A2DP, iPhone doesn’t. Both have Assisted GPS, but N96 comes with bundled maps and 3 months subscription (in India), which gives it an edge over iPhone.

Battery:
iPhone is a winner here. For Audio playback, its 14 hours (N96) vs. 24 (iPhone) and for video its 5 hours (N96) vs. 7. Standby time is 220 hours (N96) vs. 300 for the iPhone. Though we cannot change the battery of iPhone ourselves, but that’s hardly an issue. iPhone hugely scores over N96 in battery life. But then again you will definitely find many people with Nokia chargers around (at least in India) when you need one :-).

WebApps:
The iPhone has the App Store for third-party applications, while the N96 has the huge collection of apps made for the Symbian S60. Right now N96 wins here, but we are seeing some really cool and useful apps for iPhone coming up.

Some limitations in iPhone:
- Can’t forward the SMS.
- Can’t send phone numbers via SMS text message.
- When receiving phone numbers/contacts, e.g. VCARD, I can’t save them to contacts.
- No Text Selection, Copy, Cut and Paste.
- No Memory Card Support
- No Video Recording, No MMS

Conclusion:
iPhone is a great phone with a revolutionary multi touch interface. It has a tremendous WOW factor and sets you apart. But then that’s about it. When it comes to features and utility, N96 scores over iPhone. It may not draw crowds but it will definitely get the work done.

I can sum it up as follows:
iPhone is like a gorgeous girlfriend and N96 is like a faithful loving wife. Choice is yours to make.

Topics: Mobile

Email This

Find location of anyone from his/her mobile number

Find out where a phone freind of your stays through www.tp2location.com. It seems to work really well with indian numbers.  You need not even register. Just punch in the mobile number along with coutry code (91 for india) and you will get the location of the users

Topics: Mobile, Tips and Tricks

Email This

Create your own mobile theme

Bored of the same mobile themes that everyone else uses?? Create your own mobile themes at http://www30.ownskin.com/index?&r=1

Topics: Mobile, Tools

Email This

Lukewarm response to iphone in India

Not by the media or bloggers for sure. The media and bloggers (including binaryday) had made the launch of iphone a grand event. I think both Airtel and Vodafone were expecting a grand response to the device. That would explain the launch at midnight.

However when it came to voting with the wallet, the Indian customers proved their value consciousness by showing a lukewarm response to the device. In many places number of journalists out-numbered the number of customers.

However if number of searches on google is anything to go by, there is no shorage of interest in iPhone in India. The problem is the price-tag which stands really high. I think there are 2 ways in which airtel and vodafone can respond. Either decrease the price of the gizmo or offer some sort of exchange offer for ipod and mobile handsets. Because owners of these devices will not need either of the 2 after buying an iPhone.

Topics: Mobile

Email This

mobile phones with 8 megapixel camera

A couple of years back, the important question to ask was whether the mobile phone has a camera or not. Now a days even 5 mega pixel cameras are taken for granted. If you want the best camera available in the market then you should go for a 8 megapixel one.

The latest 8 megapixel phone to be released is the Samsung innov8 i8510. Apart from the 8 megapixel camera it comes with a surround-sound cinematic video experience, mobile Internet browsing experience and mobile gaming capabilities.

The 8 megapixel camera mobile phone from LG is LG KC910. It features auto focus and has a Xenon flash module as well.

Sony Ericsson C905 has a 8.1 megapixel camera with Xenon flash. It comes with a 2GB memory card to take care of all those bulky images. The phone is expected to be available in the markets from Q4 2008.

I could not find any mention about a 8 mega pixel camera phone from Nokia? May be Nokia thinks that a 8 mega pixel camera phone is an overkill or they have simply not announced their plans yet.

There are couple of 8 megapixel camera phones from chinese manufacturers as well. Look out for K-Touch C800 and K-Touch C280 from Beijing Tianyu Communication Equipment and the X908 phone.

Topics: Mobile

Email This

iPhone in India: Bloody Expensive but that was expected

Apple iPhone goes on sale in India from today (Aug 22, 2008) onwards by Airtel (link) and Vodafone (link).

Price in INR: 8GB iPhone: 31,000 and 16GB iPhone: 36,100.

This is definitely more expensive than the ‘no commitment’ 8GB iPhone sold by AT&T in US for $599, which is roughly Rs 25,000, which is a valid amount for the product we are getting. The only problem is the hype, media created and Apple created around the world by stating it as a $199 device. $199 is AT&T price and not Apple price. AT&T subsidizes the initial price of the phone so that anyone can afford it and then charge them with call and data rates which are higher than most of the world. Simple. I wonder how much would have Apple sold it for in their stores for an unlocked, free to use with any GSM operator, iPhone.

Anyways, price apart, its a great phone and has an amazing WOW factor for the first time your will use it.

One more thing. Whats the point of selling a 3G iPhone in India when our mobile networks are still 2G.  I have used a 2G iPhone and it is equally good to use as 3G iPhone. Earlier version has almost all the features the new 3G iPhone has. Apple could have launched the 2G phone at a much lesser price in India and other countries where we have 2G networks.

Apple as always make great products for people with good taste and good money. For rest of us there are very decent phones available from Nokia (on Symbian) and HTC (on Windows) which offer all the features (and much more) that are being offered by iPhone at a much reasonable price. The only thing missing is the taste or the WOW factor that iPhone has.

In the end I would say, don’t lose heart. Find someone going to US. Ask them to get a $199 iPhone (Thank you AT&T) and then get it unlocked and use it at will. This is similar to Windows XP or Vista. If you can pay, then pay, else there’s always a pirated version available if you can find it.  Apple is also learning the tricks of the trade from Microsoft. In long term the money you make depends more on how many people use it rather than how WOW your product is. Thats how Microsoft did it and that’s how Apple is now doing it. Apple doesn’t mind it so far as the bill ( subsidized price for the unlocked or pirated $199 iPhones) is getting footed by someone else (Read: AT&T and their subscribers!!).

Topics: Mobile

Email This

Find lost mobile phone with Airtel Lost Mobile Tracking System (LMTS)

A loss of mobile handset is a nightmare for many mobile users. You loose all your contacts, sms messages, pictures and videos.

Airtel provides a really useful solution to find lost mobile phone in the form of Lost Mobile Tracking System. The service costs you Rs30 per month. However you will need a GPRS eneabled handset and Airtel Live must be enabled on your mobile phone. After that download the software at http://airtel.in/wps/wcm/connect/Airtel.in/airtel.in/home/foryou/mobile/prepaid/services/lmts/download/ and activate the service through “Services for You” link.

The software acts in the background. Once the new owner of the mobile changes the SIM card, it will send a sms with the new number to pre selected numbers.

However looks like the software will be useless if the new owner formats the mobile before changing the SIM. For these scenarios a more usefu solution will be to use the mobile tracer to find your lost mobile

Topics: Airtel, Mobile, Tips and Tricks

Email This