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Which Mobile Should
I Get Now ?
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The mobile phone market is a veritable minefield, with
customers bombarded with features, tariffs and extras. How
do you cut through it all to find the right phone for you?
What Do I Want From a Mobile Phone?
The modern mobile phone is a camera, a picture messenger,
fashion accessory, status symbol, music and video player,
Internet surfer and games platform. One the main reasons why
choosing a mobile phone is such a nightmare is because it is
not a device for just communicating anymore.
The key to deciding which mobile phone is for you is to ask
yourself what you want from it. Do you want look super
sophisticated - or like you have more money than sense -
with a super flash miniature entertainment centre with all
the latest features or do you just want a basic model that
does the job of telephoning and texting without any fuss?
There are three broad types of user, and phones are
available that cater to each:
Basic
– those users who just want a phone to make and receive
calls and whose feature needs only extend to basics like
text messaging, voicemail and an alarm clock.
Cutting Edge
– users who want to take advantage of the latest
technological features, such as camera, colour screen,
Internet access, touch screen and who want their phone to
look stylish.
Business
– users who need their phone to act like a miniature laptop
or electronic filofax, such as by including computer
connections and Internet access.
Monthly Contract or Pay as you Go Tariff?
One of the most important questions to ask yourself if how
often are you likely to use the phone. This will first help
you decide whether you want a ‘pay as you go’ or monthly
contract phone.
Pay as you go is usually the best bet for the more basic
phone user who doesn’t plan to make too many calls. Users
just pay for what they use and they’re not tied down to a
contract and monthly line rental, and won’t be lumbered with
a bill every month. The downside is that you have to pay for
your own phone – which wouldn’t be expensive if you stick to
basic – and the call charges are generally higher.
For those that plan to use their phone frequently and crave
the latest technology then a monthly is the best option. In
return for committing to a fixed-term contract – the
shortest is 12 months - with monthly line-rental, you get
lots of cheap calls offers and are able to pick up the
latest phone equipment at a fraction of the price. Generally
speaking, the higher line rental you commit to the cheaper
your calls and the better the handset.
Negotiating ‘Free’ Offers
Many first time buyers are lured by all the ‘free’ offers
that accompany contract phones, but it’s important to
remember that the money saved is just offset by other
expenses.
The handset may seem free but the mobile phone operator just
takes the money from you by alternative means, such as the
revenue they receive from the monthly bill. Don’t be blinded
by offers, but instead work out how much you will pay over a
contract period. Remember contract phone costs soon mount
up.
Choosing a Network
Whether it’s Vodafone, O2, Orange or T-Mobile, a network is
a key component in your experience as a mobile phone user -
it is responsible for quality of signal coverage and
customer service you receive for example - and so choosing
the best and most appropriate is crucial. When choosing a
network it is worth considering their coverage in your area
and what networks your contacts are on, because same network
users are entitled to cheaper calls.
Choosing
a Model
Choosing a mobile phone involves a lot of considerations
before you even get to thinking about the handset itself.
Once you do and are faced with an array that is suited to
your tariff, price and network demands, it is worth
considering several factors to help single a good mobile
that has the features you want:
Battery life
– the battery power should be able to keep the phone running
for between 40 and 100 hours between charges.
Call screening
– this facility enables users to know who’s calling before
they decide to answer.
Camera
– the ability to take photographs is a hugely popular
feature of modern phones.
Colour screen
–a colour screen is unnecessary unless you plan to view
pictures or video or just want a bit more clarity in your
display.
Hands-free
– useful equipment if you need to use your mobile while
driving or another activity that requires two hands.
Internet access
– are you planning on using your mobile to access the
Internet? |
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Readers Questions
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Q1: Which printer should I get?
I am thinking about getting a printer to connect to
my computer, but I have no idea which type to buy.
Should I get a laser printer? I am wondering if this
would be the most economical option as I only want
black and white prints. What do you recommend?
Jackie P
Hi Jackie,
If you only want to print in black, white and grey
then a mono laser printer although more expensive in
the purchase price will offer the lowest running
costs over time, and be much cheaper than an inkjet
printer. The initial costs of the printer and
replacement toner cartridge will be more expensive
than an inkjet, but the toner will need replacing a
lot less frequently. Most manufacturers quote around
1,500 pages per laser cartridge which costs around
£50, while you would be lucky to get 300 pages out
of a £20 inkjet cartridge. And I would recommend the
HP P1102w laser printer for you to purchase.
Q2: Why isn’t Caps Lock shortcut working?
I have read that when you have typed in a row with
Caps Lock turned on accidentally, you can reverse
this by highlighting the text and pressing F3. But
when I try this on my computer it does not work. Is
there a setting that I need to enable or switch on
somewhere that I have missed?
Jamie L.
Hi Jamie,
If you are using Microsoft Word, then the shortcut
is Shift+F3 to change the case of the characters.
Q3:What is the difference between Wi-Fi and LAN?
I have been looking at USB Wi-FI adapters. What is
the difference between a LAN port adapter and a
Wi-Fi transmitter aerial? And which is better?
Michael R
Hi Michael,
A USB port adapter is designed to put an Ethernet
port on a computer that does not already have one.
This would be useful if your Ethernet port is broken
or you are using an old PC that doesn’t have one.
You can buy higher-gain aerials to increase the
range of your wireless signal, normally in one
direction. Not all wireless network adapters and
routers have an external aerial connection. Those
that do often have the aerials built in to the box,
which is inefficient. In this case, a Wi-Fi
transmitter could well prove useful.
Q4: Should I be worried about cookies?
I have been using McAfee anti-virus software for a
long time now. And once a week I do a full scan and
there are never any problems reported. But three
weeks ago, at the end of the scan, it showed a
tracking cookie had been fixed. And the following
week, the same thing happened again. On the most
recent scan, it found four tracking cookies and
reported four fixes.
I have gone a number of years with nothing found, so
the fact that these are appearing now is a concern
to me. Do I have anything to worry about or are
these tracking cookies harmless?
Jim A.
Hi Jim,
A cookie is a small piece of computer code that
has been dropped into your PC by a website that you
have visited. Most cookies are harmless and they are
there to save your basic settings, preferences and
your shopping basket as you move around the website.
But tracking cookies are a little different. They
are also picked up from a website you have visited,
but they reside on your computer and report back
details of your visits to other sites as well.
They are not in themselves harmful – they will not
damage your computer and you won’t be at risk from
viruses. But it is a matter of privacy. If you
feel that the privacy of your computer has been
compromised then you can allow McAfee to do exactly
what it has done, which is to delete them.
Q5: Where has the sound gone from my PC?
I have an old Windows XP computer and until recently
has been working fine. But last week, my login
sounds disappeared and now it will not play music at
all. I have checked the speakers on another computer
and they are fine.
How can I fix this problem?
Roberta F.
Hi Roberta,
Go to Services by opening the Start menu, then click
Run and type ‘services msc’. Check that Windows
Audio is set to Auto and is being shown as
‘Started’.
Q6: Can I share my broadband?
My son has just been given a laptop and he connects
to the internet using Wi-Fi. I also have a laptop,
but I used a wired connection because my laptop
doesn’t have a built-in Wi-Fi. If we are
simultaneously streaming video, there are times when
one of us has to stop soothe other one can watch. Is
there any way of splitting the Bandwidth in two to
stop this happening?
Sydney R.
Hi Sydney,
The router is already splitting your broadband
connection. You get a finite amount of bandwidth
from your ISP and this has to be shared between the
computers on your network. If there is a conflict
between the two machines, it means that the total
bandwidth is not enough to cope with the load.
There are a few things you can try. Consider asking
your ISP for more bandwidth. This would mean putting
you on a faster package,which would cost you more
money.
Otherwise, see if either you or your son can reduce
the quality of your stream. This will reduce the
bandwidth that each of you take up.
You could also try increasing the length of the
buffer. BBC iPlayer will let you switch between
‘Lower’ and ‘Normal’ bandwidth. Simply click on the
option under each programme.
Q7: Why is my touchpad not working?
I have an Acer Aspire One netbook running Windows7.
Recently the touchpad stopped working after I
downloaded an update. I have tried reverting to the
factory settings, and I have also checked the Acer
website for a solution, but it still does not work.
So what do you suggest I do about the problem?
Gina L.
Hi Gina,
Looking at the keyboard of an Acer Aspire One, I
found that the key combination of Fn+F1 opened a
Help menu. This then listed several other hot-key
combinations. One was Fn+F7, which enables or
disables the touchpad.
Try this combination to see if it enables it again.
You could also try opening the Mouse Settings in
Control Panel, to see if any of those have been
changed or could be responsible.
If you have a question then send me an email to:
murraysixty@hotmail.co.uk
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Sixtyplusurfers Competition
Win Kaspersky ONE
Security
Software
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Sixtyplusurfers has teamed up with Kaspersky to
offer one lucky reader the chance to win
Kaspersky ONE to ensure you stay safe online.
With cyber criminals devising more ways to steal
people’s data, it’s getting harder to protect
yourself online. The best way to counteract these
threats is to invest in a top security solution,
which is why we are offering Kaspersky Lab’s top
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Kaspersky ONE is a universal security system to fit
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one package and retails at £79.99.
Top tips
for staying safe online from David Emm, senior
security researcher at Kaspersky Lab:
1.
Got protection?
This may seem obvious, but security software is the
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theft. And don’t forget to perform regular updates
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2.
Password strength matters.
Use secure passwords – a different one for each
Internet service. Set passwords to include 8-14
upper & lower case characters and numbers. Don’t use
any words that are in the dictionary—they’re too
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3.
Protect your family.
You stop your children from talking to strangers on
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4.
Click with care.
If you’re checking your email or talking over
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5.
Practise safe online shopping.
When you’re going to buy those new killer shoes or
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6.
Socialise safely.
By now, we’ve all had a bad link or two sent to us
over our favourite social network. Utilise your
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about your life? And perhaps more importantly – do
your children?
7.
Keep your privates, private.
A good rule of thumb: Don’t post anything online
that you wouldn’t want to see on the front page of
your local newspaper! This includes your personal
phone number, email address and street address, your
holiday plans– and maybe also your
bikini-clad, beach holiday pics.
8.
Stomp out spam.
Most Internet Service Providers & security software
programs have anti-spam technologies. The spam
blocker will help prevent fraudulent emails from
showing up in your Inbox tempting you with fake
lottery wins or promising certain body-part
enlargements.
9.
Be careful how you surf.
Open wireless networks are called ‘open’ for a
reason: anyone can connect, including hackers. If
you do have to use one, use a password manager to
store passwords and enter them for you
automatically. This will prevent data being captured
by cybercriminals using a keylogger. And only
enter personal information on secure sites – look
for the “https”.
10.
Handle personal information with care.
Beware of online sites that ask you to enter too
much personal data. Read the small print – they may
be selling on your personal details to third parties
resulting in even more email spam and cold calls.
For more information:
Visit
www.kaspersky.co.uk
To
Enter the Competition
Simply
answer the following
question:
What is the name of the software that provides
protection against internet threats?
a) Blog
b) Casper
c) Kaspersky
d) Internet Security
For
Your Chance to Win
Tell us the name of the security software. Then send
in your answer, together with your full name, postal
address and telephone number by clicking on
the special red email
address as shown below:
sixtypluscomp@hotmail.co.uk
Please fill in the subject box
of your email with the title:
Software Competition (Sixtyplusurfers)
Competition Terms & Conditions
1. Please
let us know if you do not wish to receive any
further correspondence from Kaspersky.
2. We
do not accept automated entries. |
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February
2012 