Techies Den

Gmail Now Allows Phone Calls in US

Google, Inc. has long been expanding its array of web based services, usually offered at no cost to users, for the past several years. Experts say that the company is looking to get beyond being simply a search engine and also wants to diversify the way that it obtains income from its powerful ad network. In keeping with this, Gmail was Google’s offering of free email over the web similar to Yahoo Mail and Hotmail, but now Gmail has gone further to include a new feature which allows users to do more than just voice and video chats similar to what Yahoo offers via its Yahoo Messenger software. Gmail now allows for the making of phone calls, at least for users in the United States and Canada at this time. Using the Google Voice account which users must sign up for separately, Gmail users can place free local phone calls, meaning to US and Canadian phone numbers that can be mobile phones or land lines, not just other Gmail users or Google Voice numbers. Outside the these 2 countries, international calls are possible and cost 2 cents per minute at this time.

The Google Voice technology also allows users to receive incoming phone calls from land lines or mobile phones, allows those calls to be screened prior to answering, allows users to listen in as voice mails are left and also sends users transcripts to their email of voice mails left for them. In the first 24 hours of the new phone feature, Gmail users made over 1 million calls.

Finding the iPhone 4 is the Dream of Many

It is not always easy to find the latest hi tech devices and this is especially true when ti comes to the iPhone series of smart phones that have come out from Apple over the past few years. Why is this so? Well, for starters the fact that the latest iPhone 4 is such a tremendous upgrade from the previous versions means it sold out nearly as soon as it hit the market despite the fact that many critics had accused Apple of making far more phones than would be needed. They cited a greater level of competition as being the main reason why many would not be buying the iPhone 4 but despite those calls, the phone has done incredibly well in the market so far.

This, coupled with the fact that the new iPhone 4 has such a host of great improvements means that the phone is being sought out by many who might have otherwise opted for the other styles of digital devices that have come onto the market recently like the iPad. Instead, the 5 MP camera has been a major selling point for the phone and the scratch proof glass case has definitely made sure the screen would be strong enough to win over many new fans. And how about HD video? The iPhone 4 has that, as well. All of these traits have combined to create a smart phone so attractive it is often hard to get a hold of. For those who dream of getting there own, one solid shop in the UK just may hold the answer.

Checking out Phones4u has proved to be a winning strategy for many iPhone fans who were not about to get a hold of the 4th generation model and now that it’s out there, many are getting a very good price from this online store, too.

Retailers Getting Better at Marketing Smart Phones to Women

According to stats that have been coming in from a number of retailers around the market these days, many stores have just started to determine ways that they can market more effectively to the female gender. It turns out that some stores have been having trouble trying to woo a female audience. While online retailers with excellent bargains, such as Dialaphone, have long appealed to savvy female shoppers, the brick and mortar stores that specialize in electronics have not been able to win over the female customers who tend to go with smaller shops in the boutique style that are popular at local malls. In fact, the media and blogosphere has gone so far as to compare some of the larger electronics shops as being the geeky guy that just can’t get the girls. All humor aside, analysts believe retailers are going to have to try very hard to pull in the core female audience that use these products or risk serious problems in the future as they attempt to expand their presence.

Smart phone makers have not had near the struggle that the offline giant retailers are experiencing. In fact, new models such as the HTC Desire available now over the web are really pulling a very strong female audience. The core user base remains male for most smart phones in general, but the level of females opting for the Desire is definitely outpacing many other makes and models. This bodes well for the market and should help the technology evolve that much faster say analysts.

Laws Getting Harsher on Mobile Phone Use While Driving

Authorities have long been none too impressed quite a few drivers being able to both talk and drive, claiming that such a situation can lead to increased accidents and citing study after study that they claim proves the facts. While experts may never know precisely how these situations affect us, the laws themselves are getting much harsher in many parts of the world, in particular, areas where the iPhone is especially popular. This has proven to be a problem for many who rely on the mobile device as much more than a mere phone. For many of these users, the phone is a life line that keeps them in touch with their business or family in case of emergencies. The new digital family is deeply connected through such technology and it is not terribly pleasant for them to abandon the devices simply because they are operating a motor vehicle.

So the industry is beginning to fight back against the laws and releasing a myriad of hands free devices that allow for drivers to make even more use of their phones. Sites like Phones4u offer not only smart phones, but a range of specialized accessories that allow for the iPhone to be much more versatile in a driving situation while remaining both hands free and totally legal. Some of these devices will enable the phone to be heard through the car’s sound system and others are similar to Bluetooth headsets that have become all the rage in the tech crowd these days.

HP Slate Looks to Challenge Apple’s iPad According to New Info

The Apple iPad has recently come out to quite a bit of fan fare after a rather short cycle of hype building, compared with other Apple products, but already it looks as if the mobile device giant may have some serious competition on their hands. Word has recently been leaked that some inside the industry have seen details that Hewlett Packard had intended to keep private for a while longer regarding their upcoming Slate pad device. Sources that wish to remain anonymous have come forward to various high ranking online tech sites to say that the HP Slate looks as if it will have a major set of advantages in terms of processing power, camera quality, connectivity and graphics superiority. On the other hand, Apple’s iPad retains its advantages of a larger screen size, a longer battery life span and wireless connectivity that the HP Slate will not be able to offer. The HP marketing campaign for the Slate has already been in motion with the company releasing teaser videos over the web that are going viral at a rapid pace thanks to the number of people who do want a slate device but do not choose to patronize Apple for various reasons. The Slate will offer a camera on the front and back of the device, plus the capability to plug in USB and SD storage units – things the iPad does not yet offer.

Still, many analysts say that the early bird gets the worm and Apple holds a very strong advantage due to the success of its launch and its history of solid products such as the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Google Could Face Challenge in Advertising Venture

Search engine and digital corporate power house Google, Inc has recently been warned by the United States government that it may face regulation if it goes ahead with the proposed purchase of a mobile ads serving firm known as Ad Mob. The reports in the media recently have stated an unnamed person associated with the federal lawyers and say that the Federal Trade Commission of the US may get involved and attempt to file an anti trust law suit in response to the acquisition if Google continues to pursue it. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the pairing would be a real problem because it would cut deeply into online competition in the mobile ad serving sector since Ad Mob is currently a prime competitor for Google’s Adsense for Mobile program.

Since the ad industry juggernaut already places 96 per cent of its overall 2009 earnings of $23.7 to ad sales, this could cause some severe issues for the digital behemoth. This is not the first time that competitiveness issues have surfaced around the California based company, investigations in both the US and the European Union have sought to weigh whether or not they are acting in the best interest of the public, despite being a privately owned company. The FTC lawyers are reported to have already let the US Congress know of their intentions to challenge the merger and given full details of their concerns. The smart phone industry has been fueling rapid growth for advertisers who want to reach this emerging market and if the deal is some how broken up, Google would need to innovate in a new way to try and maintain its hold on the industry.

T Mobile to Give Users $350 to Trade in iPhone

In a move that has stunned many in the mobile device crowd, mobile service provider T Mobile recently announced a plan to offer users of the Apple iPhone up to $350 of trade in value for their old device. The iPhone will need to be in working order for the person to be able to receive the full value, but it does give users of mobile devices the choice of owning an HTC HD2, one of the competing smart phones on the market today. Normally, T Mobile sells the HTC HD2 for around $200 if the user opts for a two year contract or $450 if they choose not to opt into a contract for the phone. This means that if the user opted for the two year contract they would have $250 in their pocket, but even if they chose not to go with T Mobile for their service provider, they would be able to walk away with $100 HTC HD2 phone which has majorly impressed many sources disseminating this story across the United States where T Mobile is a major provider.

Reviewers have noted that the Windows Phone 6.5 operating system is not quite as powerful or attractive as the competing OS such as those from Android or Apple, but the HTC HD2 is the only device currently officially sanctioned by Microsoft to receive Windows Phone 7, an upcoming release that has many eagerly awaiting it. The HTC offers a large, impressive screen and its own GUI known as Sense which many have expressed favor for. This aggressive promotion appears to be designed to increase usage of the Windows Phone OS, according to experts in the industry.