Email Texts & SMS: The New Marketing Tools

Times are changing and businesses are devising new marketing strategies to become more reachable and accessible. The fact, that more people send SMS to communicate quickly and effectively with each other on a routine basis, makes SMS marketing a much in demand marketing tool. Email texts and SMS marketing are relatively new methods to market products and services in a fashion to suit the existing marketing conditions. In this fast moving world, where people are busier than ever, sending text from email and SMS are the new-age methods for faster, efficient and effective communication in business.

Use of SMS Marketing Software to Disseminate Information.

Text messaging service enables information to be sent to groups of people quickly and in a convenient manner, making it a popular platform to reach out to your customers in a reliable manner, share confidential information and keep the customers updated about brands. With the help of SMS marketing software, companies can send SMS in bulk and in a cost-effective manner. The SMS marketing software will facilitate businesses to stay connected with the clients by sending SMS regarding new products, special offers and discounts, price updates and event reminders. Moreover, you can send text from email with no requirement of software. Marketing through SMS and email text is not only the demand of time but also one of the most practical and economical ways to communicate and increase sales. Because SMS is personal, the response ratio is much higher than other marketing methodologies.

Points to Keep in Mind While Using Email and SMS Marketing

• Text needs to be concise.

• As per e-commerce regulations, you must make it clear who the message is from and that it is a commercial communication.

• Choose short code word to send SMS and text from email, which relates to your company, instead of an entire phone number.

• Choose a reputable mobile agency or software program to manage SMS marketing and email texts.

• Send SMS and texts only to the people who have opted in to receive your messages. Sending texts to random cell phone numbers is a bad idea and may fail the purpose of it all.

• Build a cordial relationship with your customers by sending exciting offers, discounts and other promotional messages.

• Do not overdo it. You do not need to annoy your customer base by sending email text and SMS frequently.

• Privacy of consumer details is to be taken care of. Because SMS marketing is personal, businesses get access to many personal details of the customers and it is their responsibility to abide by the privacy norms.

What makes Email texting and SMS Marketing Stand Out from Other Forms of Marketing Communication?

SMS marketing is the tool to suit the requirements of today's generation. It differs from the conventional marketing platforms because it is a user-controlled media. Here, the consumer initiates the message by expressing consent to receive future communications from the company concerned. This ensures that the customer is interested in its products/services and is keen to establish an association with them.

by Deepak

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GPS Accessories Make your Unit More Pleasurable

Have you recently obtained a GPS device but still find it missing something? You're not only. There may be a little extra features that you want to take advantage of, but aren't available with the device that you've got purchased. Fear not! There are many GPS accessories on the market that will help to liven up your mapping, tracking, and navigating experience rapidly. Let's look at some of the additional pieces to see which ones might work well on your own. GPS Accessories for Garmin DevicesGarmin offers some of additions to piece using their units. The hardest choice you'll need to make is in deciding the ones not to place of your shopping cart (virtual or actual life). Below are a little bit of GPS accessories available to boost your Garmin device: 128 MB Data Card - These records card is a terrific way to make your personal web and device work collectively to provide you the maps you ask for. By using this take note, you can download street-level determine information, and get additional sights (POI), business addresses and non published numbers, additional topographic information, and a lot more. It stands at a price tag of $90, but is worth it for the additional information you can use to update your Garmin pushes. MapSource City Navigator United states of america - This DVD gives customers obtain full coverage for the usa, Puerto Rico and Canada permitting them to get through the avenue with absolute confidence. It also gives customers access to point of interest directories, which then connect them to business listings such as food and drink, lodging, entertainment, attractions, grocery shopping, post offices, emergency web sites, movie theaters, campgrounds and so forth. And if a route that you'd normally take to a location is under construction, or you experience a few other issue, the DVD information will prepare you by giving an alternative way to travel. GTM 12 FM TMC Traffic Receiver - By investing in this receiver, you are able to add traffic services in your favor Garmin device. The receiver plugs into digital information on design, traffic and weather-related road conditions that could adversely affect the girl travel. The receiver helps communicate these facts to your device so that it knows to offer you an alternative strategy to use on the road. It is relatively simple user-friendly due to its compact design and easy-to-install aerial. Also, it is compatible with most Garmin products, turning it into a great purchase for many all device owners. If you live in america, you have the benefit of a 15-month free subscription to clear Channel TMC that can be later renewed at a charge of $60 for a minumum of one year. GPS Accessories for Magellan DevicesMagellan is the one other company that offers great devices for mapping in which navigation. There are tons of each and every GPS accessories available to improve your Magellan-using experience. There are a few: MapSend's Topo 3D AMERICAN CD-Rom - This disk come specifically to improve obtaining a usability of Magellan portable devices. It allows you to see topographic information, gives you detailed streets, trails and thousands of destinations, creates vertical profile and building plots of routes and tracks that permit you to see the terrain if you're venture outdoors with personal computer device, and gives you use of a true 3-D database useful in conjunction with pc or laptop to inquiry information. Also, if you go further when compared to a few miles from an automobile, this CD will allow you to gather maps of operating, backwood, and 4-wheel pistes, as well as mountain peaks, caves and dams - fantastic! MapSend BlueNav CD - If you need getting out on the ocean blue instead of the dusty trail, and already have a Magellan Marine device to your benefit navigate on the waters then you have to consider an upgrade on this CD. It is said to provide probably the most advance marine cartography charts this is exactly what, and gives you access to highly detailed coverage features, as well as fantastic marine navigation information, in addition updates on marine tides, power, port services and reduced. This is an ideal way to spend mariners who want access to several charts at one min's, as well as a chance to create and over-write new charts of each new trip that it requires. GPS Accessories for TomTomThose who may have TomTom devices are typically happy about their accuracy, as well in whose features. If you already own this sort of devices, here are a few GPS accessories to acheive it that much more fulfilling: RDS/TMC Traffic Receiver - A lot like those receivers offered by itself Garmin, the TomTom version gives access to ongoing traffic issues in the us and Canada automatically. Additionally, they give you

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The Nook is Portable With Every thing On It

There have currently been Nook vs Kindle comparisons within the past year, but given that so considerably has transformed with both gadgets, it truly is time for 1 more round, this time comparing the most recent versions in the two well-known ebook readers. It can't be denied that in earlier match-ups, especially with those that used the main edition inside the Nook, the comparison was clearly lopsided, in favor certainly, making use of the Amazon Kindle. When the Barnes & Noble Nook very very first came out, reviews weren't too kind, citing the device as "buggy" among other things. This time around however, things have looked up for the B & N ebook reader. It now sports a twice-upgraded firmware, addressing the original issues of performance. On the other hand, Amazon has also unveiled a smaller, lighter, and generally, better Kindle. So which ereader takes the cake? Utilizing the Kindle losing 21% of its body size and shedding off a few ounces, the Amazon ereader is now much more compact. Its dimensions of 7.5 inches by 4.8 inches by 0.335 inch make for a device that's noticeably smaller than the Nook which measures 7.7 inches by 4.9 inches by 0.5 inch. The Kindle is lighter too, tipping the scales at just 8.7 ounces, while the Barnes & Noble ereader weighs 12.1 ounces. E-ink technology, which reads like real paper, is deemed to become the best type of display for dedicated ebook readers, and each the Kindle and Nook use this technology. The two even have the same e-ink display size - 6-inch diagonal. Despite these similarities though, Amazon has some edge here as it has utilized the most current e-ink Pearl technology within the newest Kindle, which is said to provide 50% better contrast.

When it comes to navigation, the Kindle keeps it simple and easy, while the Nook goes for a hi-tech interface. Navigating through the Kindle requires the user to deal with push buttons, a physical keyboard, and a 5-way controller. The Nook employs more advanced technology as it offers touch technology via its small color LCD. The Kindle takes the upper hand when it comes to battery performance. The K3 battery is said to last a whopping 30 days utilizing the wireless turned off. The best Nook can do is a third of that time or 10 days. Still, the Nook's battery is replaceable (unlike the Kindle which has to become sent back to Amazon for battery replacement) so that has to count for some points in its favor. The Kindle has a larger internal memory and can store up to 3,500 books. The B & N device can only store up to 1,500 books in its internal memory but then again, it has a microSD slot for added memory if needed. The NookBookstore boasts of over 2 million titles to choose from while Amazon's Kindle Store currently has over 700,000. While the Nook obviously offers more options, it truly is pretty safe to say that each ebook readers would have probably the most current and most well-liked titles on their respective listings.

Author Resource: The value of the kindle and nook is like no other! As you have study my write-up on kindle vs nook 2010, you should now get a superb notion on what makes them so wonderful and what does not. But there hasn't been anyone out there or personally that I know of that is certainly not satisfied together with the kindle vs nook. They are both really awesome gadgets that truly are meant for people in this era to have. Needless to say that is what the producers were almost certainly going for but regardless, it's one thing amazing to have and men and women can truly take a glance at it and see for themselves. Don't trust it? Try going to a nearby shop or utilizing your friend's.

By:-Fred Roilters

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Enjoy The Convenience Of Internet Telephone - You Should Learn

Are you interested in using the Internet Telephone? There are more and more people who find that this kind of phone is something brilliant indeed. In fact, there are a lot of companies who would like to use this kind of system to establish their connections to the external parties as well. If you do not want to miss it, you should try to learn the benefits that you can gain from using Internet Telephone indeed.

There are plenty of benefits that you can enjoy when you try to use this kind of service indeed. One of the obvious advantages is that there would be a lot of money that you can save from using this kind of system. The service provider of the Internet Telephone service would not charge you a large amount of money even when you are using the system to make long distance call. One of the reasons is that there are a lot of people operating this kind of Internet Telephone service online so those companies cannot try to charge you high. On the other hand, the cost of production of this kind of service is low in their eyes so you would easily find that they would not mind providing you different kinds of cheaper plans so as to attract you to use their products.

Secondly, it would not be difficult for you to discover that there are plenty of people using similar programs as yours. If this occurs, you can even enjoy free calls! Yes, if you and your friends are using the same program for Internet Telephone, you would find that you do not need to pay anything in order to chat with them. Compared with the need to purchase suitable plans for cell phones, Internet Telephone is just something perfect to you.

However, there are drawbacks of using this kind of phone certainly. For instance, you would find that there might be failure of connection in your office or home. In that case, you would be like isolated from the world because the use of Internet Telephone would be possible only when the internet is available for you to use. If you do not pay attention to the use of this kind of issue, you might suddenly realize that you cannot contact your friends when the internet network is not functioning well.

You should therefore try to make sure that the quality of the internet service is good as well. Some people blame the service provider of Internet Telephone when there is a downtime issue. However, the fact is that some of the responsibilities should go to the broadband service provider indeed. They are responsible for providing you with a quality network. If there is anything happened to the connection, you should try to first study whether it is the problem of those service providers before you try to blame the designers of those programs. Otherwise, you might not have the confidence to try the Internet Telephone system which might really enhance your overall living standard and pleasant feeling.

By: Jade Amy Acosta

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Short Code - The interactive mobile advertising platform

To know the importance of bulk SMS service one has to understand its purpose. So what is it anyway? What is the reason for its growing popularity? Finally, why do mobile marketing entities look up to it as if it was some kind of a genie or God himself?

The answer is simple. Bulk SMS services are one of the hottest communication systems today.

Few years ago, email was the preferred choice of many advertising companies to market various goods and services. But now it is bulk SMS marketing. It has its set of advantages. You don’t have to worry about spam issues and unopened mails. When potential customers are sent an SMS marketing campaign the likely hood of it getting opened and read is extremely high. Mobile phone subscribers are not averse to receiving text based advertising campaigns. In fact SMS is fast becoming the preferred mode of communicating with friends, colleagues and also for utilizing services based on this feature.

Once upon a time SMS was used by subscribers to remain in touch with their loved ones. Later, organizations and institutions encouraged their employees to interact discreetly using the SMS facility. Still later, marketing companies exploited this feature by sending SMS text campaign to thousands of recipients using SMS gateway server in collaboration with network operators.

Mobile marketing in general and SMS mobile advertising in particular offers a powerful opportunity for businesses to sell their products and services to a large audience quickly and at a fraction of the cost of traditional method.

This platform offers many advantages, such as.

1. SMS advertising is considered as a professional way to establish products and services.

2. SMS adverting has a better chance of getting read than emails. The reason is because subscribers love these short messages which provide them useful information.

3. The response is immediate unlike other platforms. SMS is received on a mobile phone and other hand held devices which always remains close to its owner.

Mobile advertising platform has become an integral part of marketing companies. Today, it is extremely rare to find businesses who do not utilize this avenue, which is powerful, responsive and cost effective.

Short codes are mainly used for special services such as television reality program voting, ordering pizza or a ring tone and other miscellaneous mobile services. Messages sent to these numbers, which are typically 5 to 6 digits long, are generally billed at a higher rate than a standard SMS.

As with other technologies and services, even mobile marketing is entering a new phase with the introduction of these numbers. Short codes take SMS advertising and marketing to the next level, making it extremely interactive and functional. Simply put, it allows prospective customers to contact you via their cell phones anytime, from anywhere by sending keyword based SMS to your five digit number.

In the coming years short code marketing will grow phenomenally as more and more people exploit its benefits; such as information on demand or request for discount coupons.

By: Srinivas Sakhare

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There exists a Guide to Buying Very first Sat Nav

If you're forced to drive to an response or place and you do not know exactly where it is, how do you believe it is? You can get directions from someone, look up and plan the road using the map or you are able to the latest technology - sat nav, or sat nav for so few. If you're reading this then the probability is you're already interesting in acquiring a sat nav. Unless you're lessons in geek - or know a translator! - then you're probably trouble wading through the range of makes, models and styles. To help you, a list of four essential features the sort of consider before buying your first sat nav: 1. Decide on a decent brand such like TomTom or Garmin. There will be much easier to get help. Sure, there are no-name brands which have been cheaper but after that it will be an incorrect economy. 2. Observe planning. The more advanced sat navs have different amazing technology that can learn if you have road works or site visitors along your route; they will often automatically re-calculate the solution to avoid the delays. Sadly, these features come at a price. I would suggest choose a simpler model with the more basic: "I'm here, Allow me to go here" kind of utilizing route planning. Even in the bridal party models you usually have a number of ways to select your whole destination, such as deciding on a postcode or address. This is enough for a first routing. 3. You don't need to have the latest prototype. Manufacturers are always acquiring newer models with slightly better features. But more recent models will usually are more costly. If you buy last years model, you can get it for your big discount and this will have all the essentials. If you want just to save even more, check out the classifieds or eBay: people that are thinking about upgrade to the latest model are sometimes selling their old one in a very cheap price. 4. Roadmaps. If you plan for sale in driving internationally, eg you're the uk and sometimes drive within Europe, then get a sample that includes the international maps. It will cost a little more, however you will find out more use from it and you don't need to buy a new model for that international maps. You can even use it if you hire a car, just don't are not able to take it with about to catch! If you pay in order to these options then you can get your hands continuously great sat nav that will last you ten years and ensure you never get out of hand again! .

Author Resource: Visit GPS Purchase Guide - Choosing the perfect Smart and Save Payments., PRODUCT Purchase Guide - Choosing the perfect.

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Stop Privacy Invasion Using Reverse Lookup Phone Service

All people want their privacy to be respected, because it is indeed paramount to everyone's life. We have to deal with various forms of privacy in their homes, especially getting prank phone calls at any time in the day. There is no time to these prank calls have stretched our patience, we can do nothing but think to change the phone number, or hang up the phone to notify police. But I must say that it is difficult to succeed if they will pay attention to your appeal, as there is heaps more important things they must do and when a prank caller has not been done in any realistic threat, they can just leave it in the air.

You may be thinking about using the popular caller ID reverse cell phone or land line number, but the sad truth is that most of these systems can not identify the phone numbers if you call a person using a mobile phone. Even worse, if the phone number is unlisted number, you'll never be able to change the prank caller's number. Quite frustrating, eh?

You might want to bug down your telephone company to help you do a reverse search to find a prank caller, which is completely impossible, because the local phone company can trace cell phone number. And if it is unlisted, they can not give you anything to solve your problem.

But this very early stage of our lives with the latest Internet computers, gadgets and sophisticated technology, almost everything is possible. If you know how to use computers and the Internet, you're bound to get your annoying problems.

There are many reverse lookup phone number can be found on the Internet. This reverse lookup service is a smart way that you can follow and get all the information you will ever need about your prank caller assuming you have your cell phone or land line number. Of course, you can use it to find a person on the phone.

Using this amazing reverse lookup phone number service, you will get all the reverse records at your finger tips. Find someone's e-mail address, street address, city / zip code, telephone number, fax number, even unlisted phone number and carrier information. You do not have to worry about running around town just to collect all the information. It can be done from the comfort of your own home without risk to your privacy, because they never let go, or share your personal information to third parties. There's even a paper trail to trace you back.

One of the best thing to use a reverse phone number lookup service is that it will also give you where the prankster has acquired a mobile phone or a mobile plan. Prankster even get a list of friends, former names and alias, and an exhaustive list of all persons over the past twenty years, known addresses. So it really will help you decide if you want to pursue a criminal background check. But then, when you examined all the information prankster, and learned that his cousin's friend, he can just deal with the family. This does not mean that a real breakthrough?

Now you can also learn more about the prank caller, should the need arise. When you could identify the caller's name, you can search all available public records about that person. These records search includes access to the records arrest warrant records, Vital Records, and full criminal background check. This will allow you to take appropriate steps to protect themselves.

It is our right as a citizen to defend and fight for our privacy policy. We should not allow anyone to invade our privacy and take it away from us. With the latest discoveries and progress in these times, in fact nothing more impossible.

by John Peterson 

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The Advantages of Owning an iPad for Business Purposest

The iPad is one of one of the most popular Apple products. Actually, an astonishing 25 million units were sold within the first 14 months following its release. A substantial percentage of the iPad's early purchasers had been businesspeople who wanted to make use of the highly-regarded tablet pc to assist them with their work-related tasks and day-to-day activities. Though skeptics question the require for an iPad in the workplace, a a lot more thorough examination shows that the iPad's versatility, portability and usability make it a wise purchase for a businessperson who is attempting to be more productive and flexible in today's company world.The multitude of distinct functions supplied by the iPad is one of the main reasons it has turn out to be so popular. The Apple App Store presently offers more than 425,000 applications for the iPad, and businesspeople will surely discover at the very least one that can assist with their daily activities. The affordable AirDisplay app is a excellent example. AirDisplay enables iPad users to let their devices serve as a second pc monitor, a function which eliminates the need to acquire, set up and discover desk space for an extra full-sized monitor. This alone may well seem like a minor benefit, but the iPad provides a lot of functions that will streamline work operations, and over time they are able to boost worker productivity substantially.The iPad interface also features a extremely short learning curve, making the device usable almost right out of the box. In reality, a user can master the tablet's core functions extremely swiftly. Though understanding the best way to use complex programs on a PC can call for a considerable investment of time, the iPad and its applications have been produced to operate in a easy yet effective fashion. For instance, the iWork application lets users generate expert, Excel-style spreadsheets in a matter of minutes. Eliminating the time-consuming learning curves of difficult programs leaves much more time obtainable for crucial tasks that call for the user's attention.The iPad is really portable, so users can work from nearly anyplace. When iPad users aren't in the office, applications such as GoToMyPC permit them to stay in touch with the workplace by enabling them to access their work computers from their iPads. If a user suddenly remembers that an important file needs to be emailed to a client or coworker, that user can access his or her work pc by means of their iPad after which send the email. The ability to take an iPad nearly anyplace can save its owner a trip into the office on the weekend by letting them perform any job that would be feasible on a function computer, all from the comfort of home.Owning an iPad for business purposes isn't however a necessity, but it can certainly simplify a businessperson's life. The sheer quantity of applications that an iPad can run indicates that apps that appeal to each user will be obtainable, and simply because the applications are so straightforward to make use of, they do not need significantly time to understand how to run. Lastly, the high degree of portability means iPad users can work from basically anywhere, including outside the office. Its combination of usability, versatility and portability indicates the iPad is an extremely effective tool for businesspeople.

Author Resource: iPad application development may be just what you're looking for to drive your small business to a higher level. So, why wait? Get the custom solution now and keep moving ahead with today's evolving technology while creating better connections with your potential buyers.

By Benjamin Thurman    

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As a VoIP call plans may allow you to make unlimited free international calls

Having friends, family or even business contacts abroad can mean expensive phone bills every quarter. Long distance international calls from traditional landline system quality can be poor, with crackly line and long-distance "delay" problem. But there is an answer that can save you money on your international phone calls - VoIP.

VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, and international calls using your broadband Internet connection instead of your landline system. Breaking data into small packets, the conversation does not suffer from the time delay that can be seen in the fixed-line calls. But the most important for families and small businesses in SoHo, VoIP allows you to unlimited free international calls and a call plan that suits your needs perfectly.

Plans calls - international calls answered

With a VoIP service provider offers you the opportunity to create a call plan that reflects your call habits. Therefore, if you have family or friends in India, for example, your call plan could be based around your regular calls to them and give you the opportunity to incorporate the region into your plan. In this way, you will be able to submit unlimited free calls to India cheap calls to other regions designated by your plan. In addition, it will give you the ability to "bundle" their calls to one monthly payment that allows you to make international calls as often as you want at no extra cost.

VoIP was initially thwarted by the sound card, speakers, microphones, computer software included in the quality of technology. However, due to progress in the last 15 years now, VoIP can be used for simple hand-phone just by adding a small adapter. This means that VoIP is now as easy as picking up the phone, so domestic customers, as well as business users affordable and practical option.

SOHO and small business VoIP option

Because the Internet has also changed the way people do business, many small businesses and businesses run from home now spend more time and money to communicate with contacts abroad. Although the letter is rapidly becoming the communication method of choice, there are times when you need to talk to your suppliers, customers or business contacts directly. Traditional landline phone systems, it is expensive to use. However, the IP telephony service providers call plan option, the SME and SOHO businesses can now take advantage of the same advantages as VoIP for domestic customers.

Call plan option allows you to select particular regions of the world where you have the most business, and dramatically reduce your international call costs. Clarity and to use a standard telephone hand set to call in the U.S. or Pakistan can be as simple and as cheap as calling a local number. This is particularly useful for small companies with satellite offices abroad, with whom they regularly interact with the phone.

VoIP offers both business and domestic customers to save money on your international phone calls, telephone and a future.

by john peterson

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Fun things to do with your smartphone

Sure, your smartphone is good for checking the news and checking your mail and even checking out your friend's new Relationship Status. We've heard it all before. But what else can you be getting out of your mobile broadband coverage and speedy processing power? It turns out that you can have more fun with your smartphone or tablet PC than just playing Angry Birds on the bus. Here are some left-of-centre ideas for things to do when you're bored:

Go treasure-hunting: Ever gone on a scavenger hunt? That's the idea behind geocaching, a tech-friendly sport which is quietly sweeping the world. Geocaching involves using your smartphone's GPS or 3G system to track down "caches", or packages of trinkets hidden somewhere in the real world. Once you've been given the co-ordinates of a cache, you'll have to figure out where it is exactly and how to get to it - which is easy enough in the city, but harder if someone's stashed it away on a mountain-face some hundred metres up. Geocaching communities frequently hold competitions and events for this quirky sport, which they say encourages us to better appreciate the world around us. Fair claim, we think - search for geocaching communities in your area and join the hunt.

Be snap-happy: We often forget the in-built cameras which most smartphones now carry, as well as just how far they've come in the past few years. Your smartphone's camera probably has more Megapixels than your first digital camera or camcorder, for example. Not only that, but a whole range of apps now exist for sprucing up your images with after-effects like sepia, motion blur, and fish-eye, as well as letting you adjust the more technical aspects of your shots from within your phone. Sharing your photos is also part of the fun (nothing provokes more envy than a shot of the new car, for example), and most smartphones now let you upload directly to Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites if you've got a 3G connection. This also works for iPads and other tablet PCs on wireless broadband plans, as long as you've got reception.

Learn something new: You may be killing time with your games on the way to work, but why not actually do something productive with your mobile broadband coverage? Download a language-learning application and start practising for your next business trip or holiday abroad. Or grab some e-books and train yourself in anything from photography (see above) to baking or even fly-fishing. Most learning apps are easy to follow and usually involve a lot of pretty pictures as examples. And everyone loves pretty pictures.

Don't get bored with your smartphone. Chances are, it has a whole lot more to offer than you realise. And the great thing is that most of these ideas are free. Get moving!

by Lilly Anne

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Internet Telephone - The Perfect Invention For You!

The telecommunication technology of the world is changing rapidly in recent years and Internet Telephone is the new product. In the past, the invention of cell phone was something wonderful. But now, cell phone might not be the only product that you can use to communicate with your friends when you are not at home. With the advancement of internet technology, more and more people would like to seize the opportunity to study things like the various kinds of information related to the use of the internet indeed.

You will easily find that some companies would recognize the benefits of Internet Telephone and they would try to provide the relevant programs to help. Yes, you would easily find that there are hundreds of programs related to this kind of Internet Telephone idea. Internet Telephone is in fact currently the product that is undergoing wonderful revolution. The quality, the convenience and also the ability to afford the product are attracting the users to use the service indeed.

There are a lot of people who are interested in using the Internet Telephone to enhance the quality of their life. However, you would easily find that there are some requirements for you to fulfill before you can enjoy the wonderful conversations with your friends online indeed. First of all, you should try to get a computer equipped with the basic connection to the internet. Of course, if the connection speed is greater the quality of the service of Internet Telephone that you can enjoy would be greater.

Secondly, you should try to find the people who would receive you call. Those people would also need to have a computer indeed. If they would not use computer to connect themselves to the other, other devices like the mobile phones which can connect to the internet can also help. After that, you should try to find information related to the real usage of the Internet Telephone. You should try to install some kinds of programs in the computer in order to use the service. Just the same, the other end of the conversation, probably your friends, should also be able to do that as well.

The reason why the Internet Telephone has a great flexibility is that there would be people who can conveniently use their currently existing infrastructure all over the world. They would be able to get the voice analog signals very conveniently like getting the digital signals. Then, they can try to transmit the stuff and let others hear their words.

If you make the right settings, you would not find it difficult to get yourself connected with your friends indeed. This is also the reason why a lot of people would like to give this kind of internet invention a trial. They would also be able to spend a small amount of money to make connection with their friends over the world. This is definitely something that plenty of people would like to enjoy and you would certainly find this kind of Internet Telephone wonderful.

By: Jade Amy Acosta

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How to use a search engine as a Reverse Cell Phone Directory

Of the largest databases of phone numbers for free ... and you use them all the time ... they are - simply - a search engine, that probably brought you to this page!

While many think of using a search engine for finding information, not to think to do when they're looking person. Do not miss this source of information, if you are trying to find a person or a phone number owner.

Search is often the only way to have access to almost anything online that you would not find otherwise. You have to make sure that you know, how to look before you start, you must be willing to put some time in your endeavor.

You probably know the major search engines like Google, MSN and Yahoo, but there are many more out there. You should try as many as you can find the time, sometimes, each comes with different information, even if using the same search terms.

Some less known but very useful to try, engine AltaVista, and Ask.com. Do not forget to use all the opportunities each offers. News, videos, blog and video search can each be useful as well.

Only to find a phone number, you need to know a few things to get the best results. If you want to do and search the Google search engine, you must be sure to properly format the results if there are any. You should always enter the "books" and how to add a search box.

"If you want to add a number, you should leave the hyphens. Use spaces, not for better results. This formula will give you all the results they have your phone book page.

A major problem with search is that many thousands of different search terms or click results. When only one thing to go, it may mean that you must sift through those. If you have any other type of information, be sure to use it to help narrow your search that comes as the.

For example, if you know the name, but you also have a good idea of ??their country of residence, the name with a comma and then the state. If you know the town or city name, add the mixture as well. You have fewer and more relevant results.

There are times when using a search engine, the results do not seem to be relevant to what you're looking for. When this happens, there are some tricks you can use that you do not get junk hits, has nothing to do with what you are looking for. When you find the name of the first and last quotation marks around names. In this way, only the results of these two names are in addition to the show.

You can use the same approach when looking for words that you want to appear together in the text. It often helps to get more relevant links, and find information much easier.

by John Peterson

READ MORE - How to use a search engine as a Reverse Cell Phone Directory

The HTC 7 Mozart Smart Phone Is A Terrific Phone But Will It Fit Your Needs?

A lot of the smartphones today have been taking advantage of the Android operating system, and HTC is jumping in with everyone else with the HTC 7 Mozart; still, it has decided to go with the Windows operating system. HTC has also gone a little bit further because most of its current smartphones are really a little bit bigger than the iPhone. The new Windows operating system is rapidly gaining attention and HTC has made this the main platform for its current smartphone. Along with the newer OS, the new HTC 7 Mozart features a rather impressive 3.7 inch screen and they have also added many great features.

Positive Aspects

Since the HTC 7 Mozart smart phone is now using the latest operating system by Windows, this phone is rapidly becoming increasingly popular, and the platform itself is excited about the ever growing creation of apps. In order to prove how serious they are about their new phone, HTC has raised their standards when it comes to the hardware of the the new HTC smart phone. One of the first improvements is the application of the Snapdragon CPU, which boasts of a rather impressive 576 MB of RAM. This will be useful when Microsoft releases its first major update to the operating system which adds performance improvements and even more useful with the later second update which will add multitasking. In order to define themselves as a different kind of smartphone, HTC has taken the initiative to include other software not available with the basic operating system.

HTC has distinctly focused more on the design than other previous HTC devices. The HTC 7 Mozart Smart-Phone has that stylish design with some non-symmetrical elements on the back and rounded corners to make the device look appealing from all angles. The unibody is surprisingly tough as well and the battery life is right up there with the other smartphones in the pack boasting about 6 to 8 hours on regular usage. The HTC 7 Mozart smart phone also has a rather impressive 8 GB of memory, fantastic for saving all those videos you can record directly from your new smartphone. Of course, the company has taken care of the audio, by providing SRS and Dolby Mobile enhancements. One of the features I'm very happy about is the inclusion of the Office document editor.

The Negative Stuff

Several of the cameras in other smart phones have a 8 megapixel sensor; however, this camera comes in a little short in this aspect, however it does come with the Xenon flash and geotagging. Also, it is not possible to expand on the 8 GB of storage although it should be enough especially if you won't record video. Lastly, it will take some time for Windows Phone 7 to achieve its full potential since Microsoft continues to work on updates.

Conclusion

The fact that updates will be put out for this phone means that your phone will keep getting better as time passes instead of becoming outdated. In short, this is a fantastic buy, especially with the Windows OS and the new hardware configurations.

Author Resource: linxboss will reveal a few potent approaches to linxboss. Here is how to overcome the hardships caused by linxboss review, today.

By Tim Edmonds

READ MORE - The HTC 7 Mozart Smart Phone Is A Terrific Phone But Will It Fit Your Needs?

Information about iPhone Cases In 2011

The best and easiest way to protect your new Apple iPhone, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 3G is to use iPhone cases. There are many high quality iPhone cases are out in the market with variety of colors and styles since iPhone was released. Those who purchase an iPhone will surely want to protect his device with one of the popular iPhone cases to assure that their favorite gadget is safe and will be able to serve them for years to come.

OtterBox Defender Case iPhone 3G

OtterBox brings a new OtterBox defender case for iPhone 3G in the market. This is case is pretty much similar with the first Defender. It is a polycarbonate hard shell which wraps round the iPhone to protect screen. The silicon skin of the shell is designed to absorb the impacts. OtterBox gives three layers of protection to the iPhone. This case is covered with the new iPhone's ring/ silent switch. There is another cover on the top to protect the headphone jack. There is flap on the bottom for the docking port. Two areas on the back are open for the camera and for the iPhone logo. The new holster from OtterBox has the slide in/out variety. This new OtterBox Defender looks much better than its previous one. The price is only $49.99.

CaseCrown iPhone 3G/3GS soft Polycarbonate slim Fit Case

This CaseCrown Slim fit case will protect your iPhone from the unusual drop on the sidewalk. The price is only $12. It is designed especially for the iPhone 3G/ 3GS. It is available in 3 colors, red, black and blue.

Aircraft Aluminum Metal Case

Aircraft Metal case is complete padded with neoprene interior and encloses the iPhone with high grade aluminum shell. This case is available in five colors, revolting magenta, puke green, sensible silver, sickly sky blue and plain old black. The price of this Aircraft case is $39.95.

Speck techStyle

Speck TechStyle is a classic leather iPhone case. This case is well stitched with a plaid interior. Good quality leather is used to design this case. Speck TechStyle allows the full access to all controls. This case is available in pink, brown and black colors. The price is only $20.

Scosche Full Cover Clear Case

Scosche Clear case is designed with rubber corners. This rubber corner helps to protect the corners of your iPhone from after effects of falling down. It is a nice, practical and simple iPhone case which keeps iPhone's look intact. The price of Scosche Cover case is only $24.99.

DLO Jam Jacket in Pink

DLO Jam Jacket case is available in bright colors. This is a grip able, soft silicon case. You can charge your iPhone when it is still in the case. This DLO case has a built in cable management system. The price of this case is only $25.

Speck Black Gel Skin Holster

Speck black gives your iPhone screen more protection. It has an option for removing the belt clip from the case. This looks like little clunky but it is more effective than any other iPhone cases. The price of this iPhone case is $17.

by Joe Anderson

READ MORE - Information about iPhone Cases In 2011

New and Improved Google PC Tablet: The 10 Inch Flytouch 3 Superpad 2 Android 2.2 PC Tablet

The 10 inch Flytouch 3 SuperPad 2 Android 2.2 Tablet PC is technology at its best. Super efficient, easy to use, and affordable, this device is a tech-junkie's delight.

The Flytouch 3 has several upgrades over its predecessor, the Flytouch 2. These improvements include an upgraded Android system, increased Nandflash, and screen improvements. The RAM has been doubled from the previous version, and at 512 MB the information delivery is fast and efficient. In addition to the speed, the system is powerful and has capabilities that far outreach the previous model.

Not everybody is in the know on their technology, and one may be wondering what is Android tablet anyway? An Android tablet is simply an easy to tote personal computer with a touch screen, and features the Android operating system. This system is very popular and has been widely embraced by users for being user-friendly and highly functional.

The Android operating system included on this device is Android 2.2 which is an upgrade from the previous version of 2.1. The Android 2.2 has several bug fixes, many additional functions, improved new user features, and more.

In addition to all of these great features, the newest Android tablet has increased internal memory, at 4 GB. This allows for massive storage, and powerful application installation.

The Google Android Market is just another reason why Android products are such a hit. The Android Market is a super-store that works like a digital download bonanza. The market is jam-packed with games and other useful applications. The vast selection will appeal to anyone, and it varies from simple playtime apps to important business apps. The sky is the limit in the market. Android users not only have incredible access to a vast selection of applications, but the Android Market is also organized and easy to shop.

The market Android offers is just another detail that adds up this being a great product. Other great features include a built-in GPS system and a mega-power battery that has six full hours of browsing power juice.

The efficient Flytouch 3 is great for supporting word programs, flash video and internet browsing. The WiFi connection is reliable, and the ports include two USB ports, HDMI output, TF card-slot, DV plug, RJ45 interface, and an earphone jack.

The Google Android improvements prove that the developers have been listening to the users. Even minor details have been plucked. One of these details is the improved ease after upgrade, bypassing the previously needed registration code. This small detail has been met with great user appreciation.

This go-anywhere tablet is small enough to be conveniently portable, but don't let the size fool you. The power far outreaches the size. With great online flash video capabilities, access to the Google Android market, mega memory, long-lasting battery power, amazing support capabilities and many more relevant features, the Flytouch 3 is an incredible multi-tasker.

The 10 inch Flytouch 3 SuperPad 2 Android 2.2 Tablet PC provides a mega-dose of efficiency and function. In addition, the price-tag is budget-friendly. This is the tablet for anyone looking for a digital workhorse that doesn't cost a fortune.

To get your own 10 inch Flytouch 3 SuperPad 2 Android 2.2 Tablet PC, visit this site. For a short time, they are marked down to a great price. But hurry, before supplies sell out or the sale ends.

READ MORE - New and Improved Google PC Tablet: The 10 Inch Flytouch 3 Superpad 2 Android 2.2 PC Tablet

Mobile Apps Are Gaining in Popularity - Should I Get One?

Many business owners remains skeptical on new marketing technologies until they see their competitors utilizing it. However, almost all restaurants that utilize custom mobile apps, not only see an increase in business, but in customer loyalty as well.

Before purchasing a mobile app, ask yourself these 5 questions:

Do I need to expand my business' reach?

When it comes to marketing your business, it's all about customer reach and smartphones are quickly becoming an integral element in customer planning. The smartphone is quickly on its way to becoming the next big technology craze in America with an estimated 35% of US adults now owning a smartphone.

Do I need a more engaged customer base?

These devices can also be used as a popular and easy doorway for customers to quickly connect with a business or learn more about it. Restaurants in particular are joining in on this new exciting marketing strategy in order to build their customer base and attract more visitors. With potentially endless ways to connect and engage mobile users, mobile apps for iPhone and Android platforms are effectively changing the way businesses market their services.

Will owning a mobile app take up a lot of my time?

No, owning a custom mobile app should be easy and should not require any computer experience. The app developer you find should supply business owners with a friendly, simply and quick way of branding your restaurant or business through access to a web based back-end interface.

Will owning a mobile app be more cost effective to me than other marketing modes?

Yes! With the cost of placing an ad in your weekly newspaper or local magazine, you could purchase a customizable app for your business and begin marketing straight to your customer base right away. Text message are opened at extremely high rates of over 95% compared to 10%-20% via the conventional email method. AppSuite, LLC provides the best pricing options for business owners interested in purchasing their own customized smartphone app. The cost of an app with them is less than the price of one dinner per month.

Will ROI exceed the total cost of a smartphone app?

This tends to be one of the most commonly asked question from business owners before purchasing a mobile app. Unlike traditional forms, mobile app marketing keeps you up-to-date on analytics of your app users while also allowing for customer feedback. Many features offered by a reputable mobile app developer allow for increased customer engagement which facilitates a better overall experience and more return visits.

AppSuite is a leading provider of iPhone and Android application development for the Food and Beverage industry. AppSuite develops low-cost restaurant apps for fine dining restaurants, casual restaurants, coffee shops, bars and clubs. AppSuite's restaurant app and content management system (CMS) allows restaurateurs to rapidly deploy an iPhone or an Android App without the high cost of developing their own app. It requires no special skills or software. CMS platform allows the restaurateur to conveniently build, brand and expand their business to the growing population of mobile users.

To find out more on AppSuite's mobile apps for restaurants, visit http: http://www.mobileappsuite.com or email info@appsuite.co

By Rachel McCray

READ MORE - Mobile Apps Are Gaining in Popularity - Should I Get One?

Google's Android Platform

Software platforms are being increasingly focused on and worked around in order to develop newer and more innovative means of reaching more and more people across networks. The Android is one of these platforms that has been extensively worked upon and developed in order to have robust and unique operation method.

The Android is generally described as an operating system and a software platform that Google developed in order to facilitate improved development of mobile devices. This allows developers to work in their code on JAVA based language that make use of Google-based JAVA libraries. The Android mobile platform encompasses a software stack for mobile devices. It comprises operating systems and key applications. The Android SDK has APIs and tools such as other development software; these are important for initiating for development of applications that use J2ME, JAVA programming language.

Android software development companies offer top-of-the-line Android Mobile Application Development. With experienced and highly trained mobile application developers, these application development companies will give you the best and nothing less than that. Your access to complete mobile device functionality as well as an enhanced development environment gives you the power to create robust applications that are Linux-based.

The Android is meant for better speed in terms of collecting information and delivering precise information requested by a user. With an open distribution system such as the Android market allows publishers to project their applications to relevant users.

An advantage with Android applications is that they are used by organizations and individuals too from a variety of industries. This provides you room for branding your products in the face of unique opportunities.

With Android Custom Application Development, the possibilities are limitless as you will have countless opportunities as well as possibilities when it comes to enhancing functionality of smart phones and also personal productivity. There are many application development companies that offer a wide range of Android development services in the shape of solutions of multimedia mobile and mobile business software. Additionally, you can develop web-based applications for mobile devices as well as design and implementation of utility applications and Java mobile applications. Apart from these services, there are many, many more that are offered.

With each passing day almost, there are more and more ideas coming to life thanks to the Android platform, and developers are indeed a breed of professionals who are most creative. While they can create exactly what you desire, you can also trust them to come up with ideas that would most likely suit your fundamental plan.

Roses Mark is a successful internet marketing professional, Facebook and iPhone Application Developer. Until now he has written numerous articles on the internet.

By Roses Mark

READ MORE - Google's Android Platform

Top Reasons Why Google Agreed to Buy Motorola Mobility

In a significant development for the mobile technology industry, Google (NASDAQ:GOOG) has agreed to buy Motorola Mobility (NYSE:MMI) for $12.5 billion, or $40 a share, in cash to defend its Android ecosystem.

The price tag of $40 a share represents a premium of 63 percent to the closing price of Motorola Mobility shares on Aug.12, 2011.

Motorola Mobility is a leading developer of communications systems used in the wireless and cable television markets. The company has undertaken a complete turnaround over the past 2 years with a focus on Android-based smartphones. Motorola represents about 11 percent of Android phones.

Meanwhile, Google did emphasize that Android will remain open and that Motorola Mobility will be run as a separate business. Google also stated that its top five OEM partners were all supportive of the deal.

The deal is expected to close at the end of 2011/early 2012, subject to customary closing conditions, including the receipt of regulatory approvals in the US, the European Union.

Excluding amortization of intangible assets, Google expects the acquisition to be mildly accretive to earnings.

Google is paying 15x 2011E EBITDA and 9x 2012E EBITDA, adjusted for the Motorola's cash balance of $3.3 billion and a net operating loss (NOL) balance of $2.5 billion.

Here are the top reasons why Google is buying Motorola and that too at a hefty price tag:

At first glance, the deal seems large and expensive, and Google likely could have opted to license rather than buy. But market analysts view an ownership of the 17,000-plus patents as a long-term offensive bet for the company in the wireless segment.

"On a pure deal multiple, we view the 8.6x multiple as slightly higher than average, especially as its current comp group trades at 6-9x NOPAT (net operating profit after taxes). However, on a per-patent value, Google paid $735K per patent, which is in line with the $750K paid per patent for the Nortel patents - much lower if we include cash and NOLs - at about $513K per patent," Susquehanna analyst Herman Leung wrote in a note to clients.

This price does not seem unreasonable, especially given about estimated $3 billion plus in annual hidden patent fee costs to the Android ecosystem and the $4.5 billion spent on the Nortel patents.

While Android is open and free from Google, there can be a hidden patent fee. According to media sources, HTC is currently paying Microsoft a $5 per handset royalty, and Microsoft is apparently seeking a $15 per handset royalty from Samsung for use of Android.

"Assuming 200 million annualized Android devices at a patent royalty of $5-15 per device, the patent fees could have potentially cost the Android ecosystem $1-3+ billion per year," Raymond James analyst Shyam Patil said in a note to clients.

"It is unclear what drove Google to purchase MMI versus solely MMI's patents. We believe there could have been complex cross-licensing agreements between MMI and other handset OEMs, making it legally complicated to only buy the MMI patents," Patil said.

* Motorola and Google have a strong working relationship as Motorola was one of the first companies to adopt Android and is using it as its sole operating system within its smartphone portfolio.

* Google's Nexus S handsets have not been big hits within the industry. By leveraging Motorola's handset expertise in design, manufacturing, distribution and supply chain management should benefit any future versions of devices.

"A closer collaboration between the software and hardware teams could lead to increased functionality on future Motorola/Google devices," Rodman & Renshaw analyst Blaine Carroll wrote in a note to clients.

* The key rationale of the deal is to defend the Android ecosystem from patent attacks from Microsoft, Apple and Oracle. The Motorola patents will aid Google in any potential litigation. Motorola Mobility has more than 17,000 issued patents and 7,500 pending patent applications. Though many of the patents are older, they are core fundamental wireless patents.

* With Motorola's portfolio of patents, Google should be in a better position to protect its handset partners that have invested heavily in the Android platform over the years and also deflect some competitive pressure from Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) looking to expand its Windows Phone 7 ecosystem.

* A large part of the reasoning for this deal is not only to preserve its Android ecosystem but to go on the offense now with this portfolio of patents that covers technologies such as 2G, 3G, 4G, H.264, MPEG-4, 802.11, open mobile alliance (OMA), and near field communications (NFC), to name a few of the 17K+ patents.

"Its 39 OEMs should be more comfortable licensing Android and offer some additional protection from other companies seeking additional royalties. We believe a strong defense could be the best offense, especially if it is still early in the wireless game," said Leung, who expects the deal could add about $1.68 in EPS for 2012.

* Finally, the acquisition could boost Google's efforts to push in to the digital living room.

"We note that the addition of MMI's Home (set-top box) business could help to catalyze Google's push into the digital living room, where we see the company eventually facing a sizable market opportunity in targeted video advertising (we believe that much of Google's estimate of a $200 billion display advertising TAM relates to IP-addressable television/video advertising)," ThinkEquity analyst Aaron Kessler said.

By Manikandan Raman

READ MORE - Top Reasons Why Google Agreed to Buy Motorola Mobility

How to Copy a Text Block From Web Page in Android Web Browser

Androids provide a lot of convenience to their users. Many users have reported that they find it difficult to Copy Text Block from Web Page in Android Web Browsers.

They help you to download or copy different types of audio, video or images from the internet by the use of android phones. Such like you can also make a copy of a text block by the use of android browser. But in the past time it is so difficult because it needs to maintain different rules. In the present situation there is not any problem found to copy the text folder from the android browser. Anybody can do it easily if he sees the procedure only one time.

In this section we are about to deal with this problem and discuss about the required procedure. All you need is a bit of awareness regarding small tips and tricks that can make your work a lot easier.

To Copy a Text Block from Web Page in Android web browser

Follow the simple instructions stated below:

• Visit the webpage having content that you desire to copy.

• After the page has been completely loaded, you will need to zoom-in the particular section that you desire to copy. It must be noted that without sufficient zoom it might prove a bit difficult to select the content.

• After zooming to appropriate level, you will require to press along on the section from where you wish to copy the text. Continue pressing and move until the end of content that you wish to copy.

• Now release and a small menu will pop up on the screen. In that menu, u will find option to copy the selected text. The copied text will be saved temporally in phone's memory and you can paste that wherever you desire.

Many web browsers for android phones support the discussed procedure to copy text. It is possible that few browsers will show a bit variation regarding procedure to copy text from web pages.

A user must know that HTTP pages do not support cutting of text on any device (androids, laptop, PC included) i.e. you can only copy the content. We also have some sites that put special restriction regarding copying of content.

We must understand that an android is an android and not a personal computer. On some web pages, you will find text in the form of an image and in that case copying of text will not be possible.

If you are copying text for publishing over internet then ensure that you have permission to do i.e. content is not protected by copyright law. Happy copying!

To get the Android Rooting Tips, please refer to AndroidGyan.Com

By Anurag Kumar

READ MORE - How to Copy a Text Block From Web Page in Android Web Browser

Building A Mobile App Using Flash Builder 4.5

Executive Summary

Adobe have recently released Flash Builder 4.5. This release enables developers to build "Mobile Apps" for a number of mobile device platforms, in addition to developing web applications and desktop applications using MXML and Actionscript 3.

This release seems squarely targeted at dealing with the recent comments from Steve Jobs and others, and the ensuing debate over whether Flash is dead, given the capabilities of HTML 5 and other technological developments.

Since this is quite a major release for Adobe and an important new capability for us Flex developers we thought we would go through the process of developing a smallish App and implementing it on a number of devices. The concept of being able to develop Mobile Apps for a wide range of mobile devices using a single code base is definitely an appealing one.

Overall, the developer experience that Adobe have delivered with Flash Builder 4.5 is pretty impressive, although there are one or two quite fundamental omissions. Given the differences in Operating System, screen size, screen resolution and handset functionality, deploying a Mobile App for a range of devices is a daunting task. Whilst it doesn't solve all problems, Flash Builder 4.5 is definitely an excellent start.

Target Market

Flash Builder 4.5 doesn't target every mobile device on the market. It targets mobile devices running Android 2.2 and upwards, iOS (iPhone 3G, iPhone 4 and iPad) and QNX (Blackberry Playbook Tablet). These are basically the high functionality modern Operating Systems for Smartphones and Tablet PCs. That covers around 50% of the existing mobile device installed base and quite possibly a much higher percentage of recent mobile device sales. The important omissions to the target platforms available are Symbian, Blackberry Smartphones and Windows Mobile 7.

Development Environment and Experience

Overall, using Flash Builder 4.5 to develop Mobile Apps is broadly similar to using it to develop desktop applications for Adobe Air or web applications running in the Flash Player. The Flash Builder development environment is nicely integrated with the rest of Adobe's offerings such as Creative Suite 5.5 and Flash Catalyst so you can develop assets in those programs and import them into Flash Builder easily. Developers use MXML and Actionscript to develop the App, however there is a more restricted range of user controls. Importantly there is the same connectivity to data services using Web Services, AMF, http and similar.

Differences to Developing an Air or Web Application

The ViewNavigatorApplication Tag

The first difference you notice with developing Mobile Apps is that instead of an Application tag which is used for developing Air and web applications, you have a ViewNavigatorApplication tag. With the Application tag you usually place a navigation control and then place child components (effectively the different views) within the navigator control. This gives developers the ability to know what components are being used no matter how deep they are buried within the document hierarchy. With ViewNavigator however when you navigate to a different View you "pop" a different View onto the screen by name. You can then pop other views later in response to events and user actions. You must go back to the home screen via the same view order, but in reverse.

With the Application tag since you are aware of what components constitute your child screens you can configure the application to pass any required data from the main application to the child components. Since properties are usually strongly typed, Flash Builder will give build time errors if you are trying to access or pass a property that doesn't exist. With Mobile Apps and the ViewNavigator tag, the compiler doesn't actually see the other Views that are part of the application until runtime thus the developer loses an important level of error checking before runtime. In addition, Views only have a single "Data" property. The Data property can be any object, so you can pass a collection of all the data you require but build time error checking is lost on whether properties within the data being passed actually exist.

No Drop Down List

There isn't a drop down list in Flash Builder Mobile. No, there really isn't. To me this seems the biggest oversight and I expect in Flash Builder 5, or hopefully before that, they will fix it. However, for now the workaround is to have a button that looks like a drop down list (has a skin with a drop down list icon) and then when the user clicks the button, to pop up a component based around the "SkinnablePopUpContainer" with a list of your items inside it. So you can end up with something that looks to the user like a drop down list but is actually a button that calls a pop up with a list of items.

No MX Components Except Charts

No MX components will work except charts. The MX namespace is not available in Mobile Apps so most of the MX components are not available in the drop down menu in the intellisense editor. In addition, some of the Spark components (eg dropdownlist) are "Not Mobile Optimized" which is Adobe's way of saying they probably won't work. In general however, there are enough controls to create the screen you need.

Styling and Sizing for Different Devices

When developing a Mobile App there are several issues that make styling for a range of devices difficult. In no particular order they are:

• Different screen sizes;
• Different screen density. This is measured in dpi. Since an iPhone 4 has double the dpi of the iPad, any button of the same pixel measurements will be half the size in the iPhone 4;
• Different device specific gestures and built-in features For instance in the iPhone email client a swipe gesture results in a delete button popping up, and some devices have a back button always available as part of the machine.

From the look of it then, being able to come up with something that will look good on each screen seems like mission impossible. However, Flash Builder comes with built-in features that help considerably. Firstly, you can say what screen density you are targeting and then when the App loads if the device being used has a different screen density, the App will shrink and expand buttons and other components as required. Flash Builder categorises each device as having one of three screen densities, either 160, 240 or 320 dpi.

Bitmap images however shrink and grow very poorly so the above method is not suitable. To handle this, Adobe have provided the "MultiDpiBitmapSource". This is where if you are using a bitmap as the icon for a button, you can provide 3 different versions of the same bitmap to the button, each sized to target screen density 160, 240 or 320. Flash Builder will then detect what the device is and use the appropriate bitmap as the icon.

Finally you can also provide different settings in your css file that enable you to change settings for different screen densities, and also different Operating System.

The result is that you can code once and then and then after spending some effort making sure it looks as good as possible in various situations, it will look pretty good in most devices. If you are targeting the full spectrum of devices you will have to have some sort of trade-off of time spent on styling v the payback for each device. Some research into the audience size for each device and then prioritization will enable you to make appropriate decisions on what the main device should be and then how much time should be spent styling for the other devices.

Testing the App in Flash Builder

Flash Builder comes with a good method of being able to see what your screen will look like on different devices. Firstly at design time you can choose from a drop down list of devices and see the results. Then by choosing different run configurations by Operating System and device, you can run the application and see the results on each device.

Other than styling issues there didn't seem to be any differences in how the App behaved on each device in terms of runtime errors.

Testing Your App on A Device

Once you have developed and styled your App using Flash Builder you will probably want to test it on the actual machines themselves prior to deploying it to the market place. The simulator within Flash Builder gives a reasonable approximation of how the App will look on each device but it's not the same as using it on the actual device.

There are a large number of smart phones available so rather than buying each individual device and testing it on each, you will probably prefer to test on one of each of the three operating systems which are Android, iOS (iPhone and iPad) and QNX (Blackberry Tablet). With Android devices the process is quite simple. Essentially you create a dummy certificate using Flash Builder and then you can connect and download your App to your device.

Apple devices are considerably more difficult to test on. You have to apply to Apple to get a developer licence which provides you with a developer key, then get a key for your device and use the two keys to deploy it to iTunes and then use iTunes to install it on your device.

The Blackberry Playbook is still quite new and has not had demonstrably rave reviews so the number of your users that will actually install your App on a Blackberry Playbook is probably at this point quite small. A practical alternative to buying the actual machine is to test it on the Blackberry Playbook Simulator which runs through VMWare. This gives a more advanced representation of what the App will look and feel like compared to the simulator in Flash Builder.

Deploying the App

Once your App is ready for deployment you must go to the various App stores and go through their individual processes of deployment.

Summary

Adobe have recognised the challenge and opportunity that mobile devices represent and have devoted a considerable amount of marketing, development and promotional muscle to getting the release into the market. For experienced Flash Builder developers, creating a working version of an Mobile App is a very similar process to what they are used to in creating a web or desktop application since the development environment is very similar.

Styling the App for all devices however can take up a lot of time and development effort should be prioritized according to the devices expected for each project. However, the task that Adobe have set themselves in being able to build mobile Apps for a multitude of devices using Flash Builder is an ambitious one that they have largely achieved.

By Alistair D Robson

READ MORE - Building A Mobile App Using Flash Builder 4.5