Facebook on Basic Phone : Possible@YESS!!!

1.  The penetration of smartphones in the market is rapidly setting new benchmark verticals.Smartphones have changed our basic routine access exercise of switching on laptops or workstations to access our facebook,gmail and other accounts...but somehow this access to facebook and other accounts has been limited to smartphones only...and thus the basic mobile user still has the traditional method of accessing the mails and social networking sites....but thankfully this is not likely to go on for long...

 

2. One Mr Sumesh Menon, co-founder and CEO of U2opia Mobile,has fine-tuned USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) technology and is using it to allow anyone with a mobile phone to connect to Facebook. Unstructured Supplementary Service Data (USSD) is a protocol used by GSM cellular telephones to communicate with the service provider's computers. USSD can be used for WAP browsing, prepaid callback service, mobile-money services, location-based content services, menu-based information services, and as part of configuring the phone on the network. Thus even if a user has a very basic phone and no data connection, he can use USSD to connect to Facebook.

3.  Offcourse the concept of USSD is not new per se as a technology..users have all been using it in some way or the other in routine.For example, when you check your remaining pre-paid balance in the phone using a code, you use the USSD technology.So basically it is a kind of 1G solution that works in a 3G world.For those who wish to know about the 'G' family...please click here to find the 'G' Generation.

HOW TO USE THIS SERVICE :

-  In India, it is available to almost all mobile phone users, except those who are using network of BSNL.

-  To access Facebook from a basic (or from a smartphone that has no data connection) a user has to first subscribe to the service by dialling *325#.

-  Once the service is active, which happens within a few minutes, users can utilize the USSD menu to go through their timeline, check status updates, post status updates and check likes or comments on their posts. The service also allows access to Facebook Messenger and users can exchange messages with their friends.

-  There is no limit on how many times you can access Facebook or how many messages you can send to your friends on Facebook messenger. While different operators charge different price for the service, usually the price is around Re 1 per day, making it a cost-effective way to keep in touch with friends.

Few interesting points about this :

-  The underlying technology is called FoneTwish.

-  Any operator can use FoneTwish to enable access to Facebook through USSD for its users.

-  Service is used by over 40 operators in 30 countries.

-  Currently, there are over 10 million users across the world who access Facebook through USSD.

LIMITATIONS :

-  Facebook will be limited to a text-based service when used through USSD.

-  A user cannot access photographs on his phone through FoneTwish.

-  Offcourse there will be limitations w.r.t the proper web based experience that we see on a smartphone...but still..kudos to the effort and congrats to basic phone users.

4.   Well there may be one good news that as on date such phones will be more secure than smartphones.Too early to say before they get broken  too...lets wait and watch...

5.   Thanks http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

4G drives to Indore in Cars and Motors via BSNL

1.   Indore is keeping its surfing grounds ready to welcome the 4G speed @ courtesy BSNL.Likely to be launched in some time May 2013......this will also be the first time some thing known as WiFi based "Internet on wheels" will be launched...but that is scheduled slightly later.

2.   Key features about the same :

 - 8 Mbps speed

-  Wi-Fi-based internet facility to motorists on move

-  Rough payment plans :
   
-   "BSNL's internet-activated car kit would be available in three ranges of one time payment plans that include : 
      - Rs 6500, 
      - Rs 27,500 
      - Rs 29,500

-  This will come along with a standard dial-up plan of Rs 250 per month.

3.  Here you go Indore'ites....all the best....but at the same time what props up is how will the gadgets handle this 4G speed....will the already held 3G mobiles and Tabs be able to take on the new G or are we awaiting new advertisements to lure us buying 4G devices!!!!

THE 'G' Family : 0G to 4G

1. The ‘G’ (0G,1G,2G,2.5G,2.75G,3G,4G) family that has now become, originally started with mobile telephone service MTS in the US in 1946 (ie 0G) followed by Analog Communication standards in 1980s(ie 1G). One of the largely used 1G based service in earlier 80s was NMT (Nordic Mobile Telephone) that was used in Nordic countries, Switzerland, Netherlands, Eastern Europe and Russia.

2. 2G (or 2-G) is short for second-generation wireless telephone technology and these were commercially launched on the GSM standard in Finland in early 90s. Three elemental benefits of 2G networks were :

(a) Phone conversations were digitally encrypted.

(b) More efficient on the spectrum allowing for far greater mobile phone penetration levels

(c) 2G introduced data services for mobile, starting with SMS text messages.

The main 2G standards are:

• GSM (TDMA-based)
• IS-95 aka cdmaOne , (CDMA-based, commonly referred as simply CDMA in the US
• PDC (TDMA-based), used exclusively in Japan
• iDEN (TDMA-based), proprietary network used by Nextel in the United States and Telus Mobility in Canada
• IS-136 aka D-AMPS, (TDMA-based, commonly referred as simply TDMA in the US

3. 2.5G is considered to be a way between 2G & 3G cellular wireless technologies. The term "second and a half generation" is used to describe 2G-systems that have implemented a packet switched domain (Packet switching is a network communications method that groups all transmitted data, irrespective of content, type, or structure into suitably-sized blocks, called packets.) in addition to the circuit switched domain(a circuit switching network is one that establishes a circuit between nodes and terminals before the users may communicate, as if the nodes were physically connected with an electrical circuit.) This got famously known as GPRS and was able to provide data rates from 56 kbit/s up to 114 kbit/s.

4. 2.75G actually meant to refer the EDGE technology ie Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution, as the name suggests allows improved data transmission rates as an extension on top of standard GSM. EDGE can carry data speeds up to 236.8 kbit/s. There is also something known as evolved EDGE which is a further extension over EDGE wherein Peak bit-rates of up to 1Mbit/s and typical bit-rates of 400kbit/s are supported.

5. 3G is the third generation of telecommunication hardware standards and general technology for mobile networking, superseding 2.75G. This would be able to provide even higher transmission rates that would range from a minimum speed of 2Mbit/s to a maximum of 14.4Mbit/s for stationary users, and 348 kbit/s in a moving vehicle.

6. 4G is the short term for fourth-generation wireless, the stage of broadband mobile communications that will supplant the third generation (3G). While neither standards bodies nor carriers have concretely defined or agreed upon what exactly 4G will be, it is expected that end-to-end IP and high-quality streaming video will be among 4G's distinguishing features. Fourth generation networks are likely to use a combination of WiMAX and WiFi.

7. I was curious to know about all the G’s and have written in brief of what I have understood very clearly and read from Wiki and other good sources.Thanks Wiki again!