Universal Mobile Chargers by 2012?

Looks like the cell phone industry is finally talking sense. The GSMA and leading manufacturers have announced the plans to implement a universal charging solution by 2012. I’ve always been stumped by the fact that all different companies have different charging pins despite all of them requiring almost the same voltage-current characteristics. I have even cut the wire and changed the pins whenever my chargers were dysfunctional. Similarly, some companies have more than one charging pins for different models.

But now finally there is some good news. We may be able to get rid of numberous chargers soon. I hope the digital camera industry also takes a similar step and develop a common charging solution for all manufacturers.

Here is the news story from Symbian Freak which gives the detail about universal charging solution for mobile. I still think this doesn’t need 3 years!!!

Black is Back

How dearly I missed this black gem of mine which succumbed to the desert heat of Abu Dhabi some two months ago. The feeling of envy whenever I saw the same piece in someone else’s hand (and the feeling to grab it by force!) is now placated for sure.

The good guys at Nokia have replaced my faulty N95 8GB with a brand new one In this interim period, I used an N95 (borrowed from my dad) which is almost identical in functionalities, looks, size and weight but there is something about the black color which makes the latter version much more attractive.

I hope to stick with this handset for a much longer time than the previous one.

N95 Goes in ICU !!

Just when I was blabbering about the lack of temperature sensor in cell phones, my N95 8gb succumbed to extreme heat, high humidity and started malfunctioning. The handheld device began to restart abruptly and most of the keys were performing all other functions than those which they were supposed to perform. Basically, it got screwed up.

Ironically, while riding outside earlier in the day I, along with my dad, spotted a new Nokia Care Center in Abu Dhabi. My dad immediately commented that now it’ll be easier to get the phone fixed if anything happens to it (never happened before!).

Anyway, knowing that my warranty card was lying comfortably in my closet in Karachi, I went to the new Nokia Care Center and to my utter surprise they verified that my phone is still under warranty using the IMEI number There were two phone doctors (the engineers, who were wearing lab coats) who gave the reasons for the phone’s malfunctioning. However, the phone will remain under doctor’s observation for the next weeks.

Luckily, I do have an older N95 to fall back on. It’s not black though

Temperature Sensor in Cell Phones

In this age of rapid cell phone advancement, the users are struggling to keep apace with the burgeoning mobile technology. Yet it often surprises me when I’m walking out in this Middle Eastern heat dumbfounded; trying to guess the temperature with which the sun is burning my face. I’m unable to comprehend why the mobile phones which are packed with features such as accelerometer (motion sensor), GPS receiver, FM receiver and transmitter, high-end camera, xenon flash, WLAN, etc. lack a simple sensor which can detect the atmospheric temperature. I’m aware that some mobile phones do show the battery temperature by using external programs but I haven’t come across anything, merely known as a thermometer. With my phone capable of counting my steps with accuracy and pinpointing my exact location, I don’t see any reason why a device as simple as a thermometer is not made a part of its package. Perhaps, is it too simple?

Aisi Taisi by Azal – Ringtone

A couple of ringtones, as promised, extracted from the song Aisi Taisi by Azal have been added on the ringtones page. The catchy tune does sound extremely nice on my phone! The link to the Ringtones page is now located in the main navigation menu on the top.

Automatic Screen Rotation on N95 8gb

With the release of the latest firmware (v20.0.016), the good guys at Nokia have officially added the Automatic Screen Rotation (ASR) feature to N95 8gb phone. It is located in Tools->Settings->Personalisation->Display->Rotate Screen. This feature uses the built-in accelerometer on the phone, which Samir used earlier in his software RotateMe for the same functionality. The update is available for all unlocked phones via NSU.

Other updates include bug fixes and stability issues, but frankly I never experienced any bugs before. So for me highlight of the update is the ASR and it works very neatly.