There are certain applications that connect you to the
global positioning system commonly known as GPS so that
you can not get lost and you can easily find your destinations
all around the world. The WAP facility is available over
GPRS, EDGE and 3G.
3. Wi-Fi
A mobile phone which is Wi-Fi enabled can access Internet
through a nearby router which is wired to the web. A Wi-Fi
enabled mobile can connect to wireless router at your home,
office or any other place where an active wireless router
is available. These places are usually called as hotspots.
Some hotspots are free and some costs you money. To establish
a connection between a Wi-Fi enabled mobile and wireless
router login credentials are required.Wi-Fi is a global
standard which means a Wi-Fi enabled mobile will work anywhere
in the world unlike other technologies such as GSM and CDMA.
Wi-Fi requires high power consumption when used with mobile
devices. Also, Wi-Fi networks have a limited range. A traditional
wireless router using the 802.11b or 802.11g standard with
a regular antenna can work within a range of 120 feet indoors
to 300 feet outdoors.
4.3. VoIP (Voice over Internet
Protocol)
VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. It is also
referred to as IP Telephony or Internet Telephony. It is another
way of making phone calls, with the difference of making the
calls cheaper or completely free. VoIP has a lot of advantages
over the traditional phone system. The main reason for which
people are so massively turning to VoIP technology is the cost.
VoIP is said to be cheap, but most people use it for free. Yes,
if you have a computer with a microphone and speakers, and a
good Internet connection, you can communicate using VoIP for
free. This can also be possible with your mobile and home phone.
To make VoIP calls a Dual Mode phone is required. Dual-mode
cell phones contain both a regular cellular radio and a Wi-Fi
(802.11 b/g) radio. The Wi-Fi radio enables the cell phone to
connect to a wireless Internet network through a wireless router.
You can use your cell phone to make VoIP calls. Here's how
it works:
- When the cell phone is in range of a wireless Internet
network, the phone automatically recognizes and connects
to the network.
- Any calls you initiate on the wireless network are routed
through the Internet as VoIP calls. If you are present at
a free HotSpot all VoIP calls are free.
- If the phone is out of range of a wireless Internet
signal, it automatically switches over to the regular cellular
network and calls are charged as normal.
- Dual-mode phones can hand off seamlessly from Wi-Fi
to cellular (and vice versa) in the middle of a call as
you enter and exit Wi-Fi networks.
You could call through VoIP on your mobile phone just like
you would on a PC, but through a wireless network. So, basically
it can be as free as with software based VoIP service, as long
as you call people using the same service on their PC or mobile
phone. But your cost will not always be nil since you need connection
through a wireless service - a data plan (which is not free,
in most places). Wi-Fi can be free in hotspots or at home -
if you have a wireless router showering your house with Internet
connection from your ADSL line. But then still, you need to
have a mobile phone that has Wi-Fi connectivity.
Advantages of using VoIP:
- Free
- Available worldwide
- Portability
Disadvantages of using VoIP:
- The need of a data plan or a wireless network, to connect
your mobile device to the Internet
- Mobile VoIP services are not compatible with all mobile
models.
- Call quality is not always very good, due to the wireless
carriers.
Some VoIP services are:
- Yeigo is here to end paid-for mobile communication,
as you know it. It is a free software application that can
be installed on mobile phones for calls and messages to
any mobile or landline anywhere in the world. Calls are
free to other mobiles using Yeigo, anywhere they can be
in the world. Yeigo works on most recent mobile phones on
the market. To use Yeigo, just like many of the applications
of its like in this list, you need to have a data connection
like Wi-Fi, 3G, GPRS, etc.
- Fring is also a free application to be installed on
a mobile phone for calls and messages. Calls to other Fring
others are free, and are paid at cheap rates to landline
and mobile networks. The cell phone models on which Fring
works is more limited than for Yeigo. However, Fring users
can communicate with users of other instant messaging service
like Skype, MSN Messenger, ICQ, Google Talk, SIP, Twitter,
AIM, and Yahoo etc. Fring also requires a data service plan
like Wi-Fi, 3G, GPRS etc.
- Skype is a software application that allows users to
make voice and video calls and chats over the Internet.
Calls to other users within the Skype service are free,
while calls to both traditional landline telephones and
mobile phones can be made for a fee using a debit-based
user account system. Skype has also become popular for its
additional features, which include instant messaging, file
transfer, and video conferencing.
- Vopium is a mobile VoIP service that offers cheap international
calls through GSM and VoIP, without necessarily having a
data plan (GPRS, 3G etc.) or Wi-Fi connection. If you do
have any of the latter, you can make free calls to other
users using the same networks.