Answering the phone... and your questions
Want to find the hottest handsets hitting the market? Looking for a new mobile phone or provider? Send in your questions and we'll get the answers.
Many people I speak to have no idea of the mobile technologies available that would suit their lives. Phones aren't just phones these days; some are MP3 players, organisers, e-mailers, Internet browsers, walkie talkies and video cameras amongst other things.
Wish your iPod was a phone too? Well, to our knowledge Apple hasn't designed such a device yet but recently, the company announced that it is creating a version of iTunes that will be used on next-generation mobile phones from Motorola. Currently, there are a couple of phones out there that will play MP3 digital music files. We recently reviewed Sony Ericsson's K700i which can play MP3s but is limited by 32MB of internal memory and the absence of an external memory slot.
We've also heard a lot of mixed reports about the quality of 3G services and would like to gather any grumblings or praises you might have about the service. Have you found a 'killer' app that you can't live without?
If you are in the market for a new phone or want to get a better plan to suit your lifestyle then we'd love to hear what your situation is. There's the question of whether to use a pre-paid or post-paid mobile phone account which seem to change more often than public transport schedules. Just let us know what you are currently using and what you'd like to get out of your mobile device and we'll endeavour to track down the best combination for you.
Need a wireless connection for your laptop but are unsure of your options? Well if you want to stick with your mobile phone provider perhaps Vodafone's Mobile Connect or Telstra's CDMA 1xRTT service will meet your needs. Alternatively, wireless ISPs such as iBurst, Unwired or Alphalink might be options for you, depending on where you live.
Bluetooth devices are being sold in droves and many people are interested in what benefits they offer. Perhaps you're curious about, or would like to share your experiences with, viruses that target mobile phones, hacker-like tools for Bluesnarfing, or this recent craze called toothing? If you're interested in any of these just shoot us an e-mail and let us know.
Technology breeds a plethora of acronyms and it can be tricky not only to keep up with what they mean, but how they can assist you in everyday life. From standards to protocols here a couple that often crop up: 1xRTT, 2G, 3G, 802.11a/b/g, CDMA, GPRS, GSM, PTT, WAP... perhaps a glossary would help.
As editor for product reviews I feel it is my duty to introduce some of the features of CNET.com.au and how to get the most out of our site. If you are reading this column, you're probably interested in mobile technology so I'll use a mobile phone as an example. Firstly, You can go to our mobile phones area to find features, round ups, DIYs, and of course product reviews. Take the Nokia 7200 for example (aka The ugliest phone that ever there was). As well as an in-a-nutshell overview you'll find tabs showing reader opinion's ( be the first to rate it here), review, images and specs.
We'll also bring you updates on the latest releases, like Samsung's announcement of its E800 last week.
Whatever your question, comment or concern, if you'd just like to know more about a feature or need some advice, we'll offer our insight into these matters every week. Send them along to cnet@cnet.com.au.