Category Archives: -vodafone Sim Cards

Calling Cards – Easing International Calling

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Keeping alive the trend of calling cards as is available with traditional phone lines, it has become possible for people to access connectivity with calling cards in VoIP networks too. So, it has become possible for people to make calls at less cost price than ever before. Now, people can easily be in touch with friends and relatives living abroad. These cards are brought easily from different online portals and also from retail shops.

The calling cards are available in forms such as international calling cards. These cards are also known as long distance calling cards. These cards are a very cost effective way to make calls to others. It has a simple pricing structure and there are no hidden costs involved in it. Payment for these cards can be made in advance. One can also opt for post payment options. As it is based on Voice over IP so it is possible to make much cheaper and effective calls to people worldwide. the voice quality in this system of calling also remains good.

With the introduction of calling cards, it is possible to have hassle-free and cost-effective communication over various IP networks. These cards are known to work on the basis of VoIP technology and they can be used to make calls to different countries. the long distance calling cards have the same features as is available with any VoIP network. Here, people can see the person at the other end to whom one is taking. the user can also send and receive files in the form of attachments. Now, customers just have to order for phone cards after choosing the varied ranges that are available online. There may be different rates offered by different service providers. So, the users can easily save money by comparing the various tariff plans. after availing the calling cards service, the users can easily enjoy its features such as ID caller, voice mails and 3 way conferencing.

Then there are also offers of cheap calling cards. These cards can be used for weeks by customers. the users can also add more minutes depending on their needs on a time to time basis. These cards are available for both mobile connection and modem based PC connections. A very interesting feature of VoIP network is that internet connection is mandatory. So, with the calling cards one can easily access internet on one’s phone.

-vodafone Sim Cards - Samsung Wave SIM Free & Unlocked - (5/17/2012)

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The new Samsung S8500 Wave has now been made available as a SIM Free phone, this means that this latest Samsung handset is unlocked to all mobile networks allowing the user to insert a SIM card of their choice.

This can be either on the Pay As You Go scheme or pay monthly contract payment system dependent on which is the favoured by the consumer, the SIM Free Samsung Wave will also be great news for those people who struggle to get past the strict network credit checks when buying a contract phone as there are no such checks when purchasing the Samsung Wave as a SIM Free handset.

This latest release for the S8500 Wave comes off the back of two recent network launches, both Vodafone and T-Mobile networks now have a range of third party pay monthly contract deals for this latest Samsung phone which means with the network subsidy the handset can already be picked up free of charge on some tariffs.

The Samsung S8500 Wave offers many ‘firsts’ both for the manufacturer as well as the mobile phones industry, this new phone introduces the first ever Super AMOLED touch screen which is an upgrade to the current AMOLED screens used in top end handsets.

Nicknamed SAMOLED by the manufacturer, the Samsung Wave’s screen is 20% brighter than that of the previous technology and makes for clear and crisp imaging. this is further complimented with the incorporation of HD video support at 720p with recorded video clips looking amazing on the large 3.3 inch touch screen.

Another two ‘firsts’ for this new handset is the introduction of the new Bada operating software and the latest TouchWiz 3.0 user interface, these both help with the organisation and smooth running of the phones menu system as well as offering up multiple home screen for customization.

One of these home screens can actually be used as a media player negating the need to navigate the menu system to view videos and listen to music. Users can personalise their screens with widgets and shortcuts to their favourite programs and there is also access to the Samsung App store where they can find hundreds of new applications to download.

Downloading is fast thanks to HSDPA support as is web surfing with built-in WiFi. The Samsung Wave also offers a 5.0 mega pixel camera with a host of imaging features including face, smile and blink detection as well as LED flash and autofocus.

In terms of competition, the new S8500 Wave is pretty much in a league of its own with only 5.0 mega pixel and above camera phones featuring an AMOLED screen able to get close. These include the new HTC Desire which has a slightly bigger screen at 3.7 inches and the Sony Ericsson Vivaz which takes the camera up to an 8.1 mega pixel unit with a similar 3.2 inch display.

-vodafone Sim Cards - International SIM Cards and 4 Other Tips to Reduce Roaming Charges - (5/17/2012)

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I’ve been working in the telecommunications industry for over 7 years now and every year, without fail, there is someone who heads off overseas without heading our advice. they head off overseas and use their Australian mobile. they aren’t particularly heavy on the usage but they still get a bill totaling thousands of dollars. in this article I would like to share with you the 5 tips that I always share with our clients travelling overseas. I do hope that you will head this advice as it will save you money. (The most important tip is to make sure that you get yourself an International Roaming SIM card.)

Buy an International Roaming SIM Card- These cards are usually (99% of the time anyway) prepaid so you can track your spending. they may also be referred to as Travel SIM cards, global SIM cards and world SIM cards. they work in most countries and save you a fortune- sometimes as much as 90%. The greatest saving is with incoming calls. If you use your home mobile you will pay to receive calls but if you use an International Roaming SIM card you will not incur any incoming costs in many countries.

Make sure you get a smartphone with WiFI- Most major metropolitan cities worldwide are littered with free WIFI networks (or at least cafes with cheap WiFI.) Duck into a cafe, put your legs up and make a Skype call from your phone or check your emails.

Get the right Apps for your phone- Like I mentioned above, download Skype to your smartphone. If your run a fleet of business phones, get BlackBerry handsets so you can run BBM.

Use the landline in your hotel- At least twice a day you will be in your hotel room. most outgoing calls will not need to be too urgent so get yourself an international calling card and use the landline. you will pay a fraction of the cost of what you would spend with your home mobile and even an international SIM (these are still great for emergency outgoing calls and for ensuring you don’t pay to receive calls.)

DONT USE YOUR HOME MOBILE PHONE- This point is so important I felt the need to put it in capital letters. there are ways that you can keep in touch without your home mobile. Roaming charges should not be considered a necessary evil and you can save money. Don’t use your home mobile phone. you will regret it especially now that you know there are ways that you can spend less money.

It is more expensive to call overseas than it is to use your home mobile phone in your home country. however, you can keep your costs to a minimum with the right strategy. I’ve outlined 5 tips above that you need to follow.

-vodafone Sim Cards - Why Are Some Phones Locked And Unlocked - (5/16/2012)

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The term GSM means – Global system for Mobile Communications. It is the most popular standard for mobile phones in the world. GSM differs significantly from its predecessors in that both signaling and speech channels are Digital call quality, which means that it is considered a second generation (2G) mobile phone system. GSM is an open standard which is currently developed by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP).

From the point of view of the consumer, the key advantage of GSM systems has been higher digital voice quality and low cost alternatives to making calls such as text messaging. The advantage for network operators has been the ability to deploy equipment from different vendors because the open standard allows easy inter-operability. like other cellular standards GSM allows network operators to offer roaming services which mean subscribers can use their phones all over the world.

To help you further understand, GSM is simply a standard used by phones to communicate with each other. It is a new standard that has been adopted to all new models of phones and is now so prevailant that it has become the ‘norm’ in the phone world.

Now to answer your other question, with respect to locked and unlocked phones. a phone is locked when it is attached to network. For example if you go to AT&T and purchase a phone from them then that phone is said to be locked unto the AT&T network and as such it cannot work on another network such as SPRINT or NEXTEL. thus an unlocked phone is a phone that is bought, that is not locked to any network. And as such it can work on any network.

The network it will lock unto will depend on the SIM card you put into the phone. For example if you put a AT&T sim in an unlocked phone then it will work on the AT&T network. In the same way if you put a NEXTEL SIM card in an unlocked phone then it will work on the NEXTEL network.

However if the phone is locked to a particular network, like say for example AT&T then changing the SIM card in the phone to another SIM card from another network such as NEXTEL will not work. This is because the phone is locked unto to AT&T network and as such will not work on any other network.

Yes, you can use the prepaid SIM card on the phone once the phone is either unlocked or on the same network as the SIM card you are going to put into it. It should work just fine.

-vodafone Sim Cards - Digital Wallet War Heats Up Again - (5/15/2012)

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by Tony Daltorio – May 1, 2012 | Tickers: EBAY, GOOG, TEF, VOD | 0 Comments

Tony is a member of The Motley Fool Blog Network — entries represent the personal opinions of our bloggers and are not formally edited.

As with SIM cards cards, the future of the new digital wallet industry may hang on decisions made in Europe. The decision revolves around the so-called Project Oscar in the United Kingdom. this is a proposed mobile payments system put together by Britain’s leading mobile phone operators – Vodafone PLC ADR (NASDAQ: VOD), O2 owned by Spain’s Telefonica S.A. ADR (NYSE: TEF) and everything Everywhere, the merged UK business of Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom. 

Warnings about Project Oscar to European Commission regulators in Brussels have been sounded by two US companies, Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) and eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY), which owns PayPal. both companies, of course, have a lot to lose in the fast-developing mobile payments market if the new system proposed by the European telecom companies becomes the dominant system throughout Europe. The telecom companies have a lot at stake too since they see this sector as the most promising area in their hunt for streams of revenue. 

The worry for Google and PayPal is that Project Oscar may make a reality that the payments chip could be built into mobile SIM cards. this would ensure that the mobile operators like Vodafone would have full control over the digital wallet, raising at least the possibility that Google and PayPal would be cut out completely. 

Even if the payment chip was built into the phone itself instead of the SIM card, there is a problem for the American companies. A quarter of the mobile phones in the UK are being subsidized by the partners in Project Oscar, meaning that on those phones Google and PayPal could still be shut out if the telecom operators refuse to sell or subsidize those phones. 

Paypal may have the most to lose if Project Oscar comes to fruition. it would like to be seen as the leader in the industry as it moves to “define the future of money.” CEO John Donahoe recently said, “PayPal mobile payment volumes continue to be on fire.” A rapidly growing part of PayPal’s $1.3 billion in revenues is coming from two areas – overseas markets and through many of its recently-launched mobile payment initiatives. 

This tussle is just the latest as players jockey for position in a very profitable market. According to Juniper Research, the global mobile payments sector had already grown to a $240 billion market in 2011 and is forecast to at least triple in size over the next five years. A key part of that global market will be Europe.

Google is launching their Google Wallet service in Europe in the first half of this year in the race to become the most commonly used digital payment method for consumers. Google has said that it has actually been easier to find companies in Europe willing to partner with them on the Google Wallet than it has been in the United States. so it obviously does not want to be behind the eight ball in a key European market like Great Britain. 

PayPal spoke for all parties looking to break into the European mobile payment sector when it said “We believe that consumers should be able to choose from a wide range of payment methods [in Europe].” for their part, the European telecom companies stated that Project Oscar “will make it easy for companies of all sizes to create brand-new services that will sit in the mobile wallet.” it remains to be seen who the European Commission sides with and what the decision on the matter will be. 

-vodafone Sim Cards - What is a SIM Card and How Does it Affect My Cell Phone? - (5/10/2012)

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Cell phone technology can be confusing to people who aren’t terribly well-versed in modern electronic devices.After all, many people may be unsure about just how cell phones work in the first place.one of the things that many users cite as being particularly confusing to them is the SIM card.most people have heard the term and may have even installed one in their cell phone.by and large, thought, most people think SIM cards are a bit mysterious.

SIM cards are the identifying factor in your cell phone.SIM cards are the way that your cell phone can be identified on the cellular network.SIM cards carry lots of important information that can essentially be considered vital to your phone.when you switch SIM cards with a similar phone, your calls will be received by the phone that has your SIM card, even if that’s no longer the phone you originally purchased.plus, SIM cards can contain lots of other valuable data such as contacts and phone numbers.

But one thing SIM cards don’t do is tell you who’s behind unwanted calls you might receive on your cell phone.For that, you’ll need to use a reverse phone lookup.For those who aren’t familiar, reverse phone lookups are a new kind of website with an uncanny ability to recover data about strange or unrecognized phone numbers.to get the name and address of almost any phone owner, all you need to do is enter that phone number into a reverse phone lookup and click search.This amazing service is even effective for most unlisted numbers, including cell phones.

So if you need to search a phone number, use a reverse phone lookup to get the answers you need fast.if, on the other hand, you’d like to learn more about SIM cards, check the internet for more facts and usages for these interesting devices.

-vodafone Sim Cards - Mobile Data a Growing Threat to Corporate Expense Controls - (5/7/2012)

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A recent story in Wall Street Journal highlighted the risk of a “bill shock” to both individuals and companies. Growing mobile data usage presents a particular threat for traveling individuals and employees – roaming charges can boost the cost of one week’s trip by hundreds of dollars. North America is not the only region where mobile data growth is posing challenges to corporate cost control efforts – new data from the European customers of Alekstra demonstrates how strongly the mobile data usage among employees of European corporations surged in 2H11. Alekstra specializes in lowering mobile data spending of companies and it tracks spending trends across Europe, as well as selected Asian markets, Canada and United States.

The mobile data growth between 2H10 and 1H11 was modest, edging up from roughly 52 MB per month to 55 MB per month. But over the following six-month period, the monthly data usage soared by 20 MB, hitting 75 MB. it is possible that part of the 2H11 surge can be attributed to the strong showing of the iPhone 4S among European company employees. Many European corporations held up upgrading smartphones until the new iPhone arrived. a popular new model can trigger a wave of application downloads as new owners of the device experiment with its functionality.

My conversations with several major corporations indicate that Europe may also be going through a phase of switching feature phones and/or Blackberries of lower-level employees to cheap smartphones. One to two years ago, executive employees generated the fastest mobile data growth in many corporations. But the balance is shifting now that employees who used to be limited to very basic devices are granted access to smartphones that can tap into the massive iPhone and Android application stores.

Corporate mobile data usage level of 75 MB may seem low compared to what many households are used to. But this is an average number that is impacted by a substantial number of employees with zero or very low level mobile data usage. the strong uptick evident in 2H11 reflected truly prodigal mobile data consumption levels of a small group of employees. It’s not unusual to see monthly usage reports where several individual employees rack up more than $700 in monthly mobile data billing. Companies can get flatfooted when a period of relatively modest mobile date usage segues into a period of rapid data growth. this is why monthly tracking of billing patterns is becoming increasingly important. often a response to spikes in mobile billing are self-evident when you start drilling down into details. Roaming mobile data charges can be battled by enforcing WiFi access whenever possible. when a company’s roaming spending is focused on one or two countries (as often is the case), it can make sense to buy local SIM cards in the hot spots.

Now that smartphone market penetration is topping 50% in so many technologically advanced countries, many corporations face a sea change in the composition of their installed device base. Cheap smartphones are becoming a default choice for employees who were automatically assigned feature phones just one year ago. the possibility of accelerating corporate mobile data usage in 2012 is definitely something worth keeping an eye on.

Apple Saving Liquidmetal for ‘Breakthrough Product’

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One of the inventors of Liquidmetal, Atakan Peker, has said that Apple is “unlikely” to use the alloy in its next MacBook range, but he does expect the company to use the technology in a ‘breakthrough product’.

Rumors of the use of Liquidmetal in Apple products have been gaining momentum in the past month, with reports that Apple would be using the technology in the next-generation iPhone and MacBook Pro.

Liquidmetal in SIM ejector tool.”Given the size of MacBook and scale of Apple products, I think it’s unlikely that Liquidmetal casing will be used in MacBooks in the near term,” said Peker in an interview with Business Insider. “A MacBook casing, such as a unibody, will take two to four more years to implement.”

Peker added that rumors that Liquidmetal would be used in the next MacBooks might not be completely untrue, but it would be on a much smaller scale: “It’s more likely in the form of a small components such as a hinge or bracket.” Apple has used Liquidmetal in its products already, but just in the SIM card ejector pin, rather than in the body of the iPhone itself.

One of the reasons behind Peker’s belief that it will be a few more years before we see Liquidmetal as a main feature in Apple products is because it is still a new technology that is in the process of being developed. “I estimate that Apple will likely spend on the order of $300 million to $500 million — and three to five years — to mature the technology before it can be used in a large scale,” he said.

Peker thinks that Liquidmetal will be used to replace current materials used in Apple’s devices, and also believes that it will be used to make a breakthrough product. “Apple’s exclusively licensing a new material technology (specifically for casing and enclosures) is a first in the industry,” he said. “Therefore, I expect Apple to use this technology in a breakthrough product. Such product will likely bring an innovative user interface and industrial design together, and will also be very difficult to copy or duplicate with other material technologies.”

Apple has exclusively licensed Liquidmetal’s technology, but Peker expects that other companies will find a way to use the technology when it becomes more mature.

Peker explained what benefits Liquidmetal could bring to Apple’s devices: “Liquidmetal is super strong, scratch and corrosion resistant, resilient and can be precision cast into complex shapes. the benefits will be in the form of strong and aesthetic structural components, such as casing and frames.”

“At first look, it looks like a typical metal, more like stainless steel,” Peker explained. “Its silvery grey metallic colour has a bit different tone and hue than stainless steel. Depending on the specific alloy formulation, its hue may vary slightly. its surface can be prepared in various cosmetic finishes, such as bright shiny, satin or brush metallic. it feels like a solid strong metal like stainless steel and comes a bit warmer to hand when touching compared to other metals.”

-vodafone Sim Cards - AT&T Finally Allows Unlocked iPhones for Out-of-Contract Users - (5/4/2012)

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AT&T’s longstanding policy against unlocking iPhones comes to an end this Sunday, allowing users to take advantage of cheaper service when traveling abroad.

To unlock an AT&T iPhone, subscribers must have completed their service contracts — most contracts last two years from the purchase of the phone — and their accounts must be in good standing, AppleInsider reports. Users who are in the middle of an iPhone service contract must pay an early termination fee in order to unlock the device.

An unlocked iPhone is ideal for users who are traveling overseas, because instead of paying for expensive service from AT&T, they can pop in a cheaper SIM card from a local GSM wireless carrier. Unlocked AT&T phones also work on T-Mobile’s network, but data speeds are slower than 3G. AT&T’s unlocked phones not work on Sprint or Verizon, due to their use of CDMA networks that don’t rely on SIM cards.

On Sunday morning, AT&T’s site still said iPhones were not eligible for unlocking, although some news reports indicate the service is available at AT&T stores.

Previously, AT&T refused to unlock subscribers’ iPhones, though the company had no problem unlocking other phones. Jailbreaking was the only way to free the iPhone for use with other carriers.

AT&T didn’t say why it had a change of heart, but Verizon Wireless and Sprint both allow users to unlock their iPhones for international use, even while still in contract. their only condition is that users’ accounts must be in good standing for a short period of time.

AT&T’s out-of-contract policy is less favorable, but it could still come in handy for users who’ve hung onto their older iPhones and don’t want to pay a fortune for service abroad.

For new iPhone buyers, Apple has sold unlocked iPhones at full price since mid-2011.

Follow Jared on Twitter, Facebook, or Google+ as well as Today @ PCWorld for even more tech news and commentary.

-vodafone Sim Cards - 2011 Global Credit Card Transactions Rose 12.1% over 2010 - (5/4/2012)

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CARPINTERIA, Calif., Apr 26, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) –Transactions at merchants on general purpose payment cards carrying the American Express, Diners Club, JCB, MasterCard, UnionPay and Visa brands totaled 135.33 billion for 2011, up 14.56 billion or 12.1% over 2010(1), according to the annual special report on Global Credit Card Brands published by the Nilson Report, a respected trade newsletter on the payments industry.

“These results reflect a continuation of the worldwide movement from cash and checks to payment cards, both debit and credit,” said David Robertson, publisher of the Nilson Report.

the number of credit, debit, and prepaid cards in circulation reached 6.54 billion at the end of 2011, up 12.4% or 718.7 million. UnionPay added the most cards (534.0 million) for a 22.1% increase. Visa followed with an increase of 88.5 million cards, up 3.9%. MasterCard added 86.4 million cards, up 8.9%, JCB added 3.3 million cards, up 4.6, American Express added 6.4 million cards, up 7.0%, and Diners Club added 0.2 million cards, up 3.1%.

Of total payment cards in circulation carrying these global brands, 68.80% were debit, up from 66.60%. Total volume of consumer and commercial purchases and cash on these global card brands, credit and debit cards combined, increased by $2.295 trillion in 2011. Purchase volume for goods and services, which excludes cash advances on credit cards and cash withdrawals on debit cards, increased by 18.5%. Visa and MasterCard purchases accounted for $70 of every $100 in purchase volume, compared with $73 in 2010.

Credit cards issued to U.S. cardholders with the Visa, MasterCard, and American Express brands generated 36.78% of their total credit card purchase volume worldwide, down from 37.65% in 2010.

the Nilson Report is a highly respected source of global news and analysis of the credit, debit, and prepaid card industry. the subscription newsletter provides in-depth rankings and statistics on the current status of the industry, as well as company, personnel and product updates. David Robertson, publisher of the Nilson Report, is a recognized expert in the field, and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences. over 18,000 readers in 90 countries value the Nilson Report to track industry trends and market information.

(1)These purchase transactions include commercial and consumer credit, debit, and prepaid cards. Prepaid cards are included in debit figures. Visa figures include both Visa inc. and Visa Europe.

SOURCE: the Nilson Report

the Nilson Report Brande Balanger, Manager, 805-684-8800

Copyright Business Wire 2012