Google Search App Comes To Windows Phone 7

A few days back Google released a dedicated search  application for Windows Phone 7. The app lets you search images , web , news and even perform local searches. The phone makes local suggestions on the basis of entered text. The location is used to improve results.

The app is a free download and works on all Windows Phone 7 devices.

Wynncom Launches Entry Level Y23 Phone In India

Wyncom Mobiles , makers of low cost feature packed devices have just launched the entry-level Y23 phone. The device has been  locally designed for the Indian masses by Longcheer India, a mobile phone design house. Longcheer India has been responsible for the entire mechanical, industrial design and user interface of the phone

A very interesting article by The Telegraph on the future of mobile share trading was published on 26th September. The article has been reposted in its entirety below.

Share trading on cellphones will boost the mobile security market as service providers gear up to provide data protection from hackers and viruses.

“The challenge in mobile trading will be to ensure data protection at the device level, server level and during a trading session,” Vishak Raman, regional director (India) of network security firm Fortinet, told The Telegraph.

Experts say the use of the digital signature will also be necessary to authenticate each transaction. A digital signature is the only legally valid certificate approved by the information technology act.

“Apart from antivirus and antispyware, data encryption levels over 128-bits will be required to ensure secure trading,” Raman said.

Facebook Collaborating With INQ Mobile

The Mobile-Tech world was recently flooded with rumors that Facebook was working on manufacturing its own cellphone which would bring a low level tie-in with the Facebook ecosystem. Although those rumors were debunked by Facebook , it has admitted that it is working with London based INQ Mobile to come up with a social networking phone. Facebook had the following to say when contacted.

"While we can't speak for their future product development plans, we can say that our view is that almost all experiences would be better if they were social," the spokesperson said.

"Mobile integrations that we are currently working on include everything from an HTML version of the site to full Connect support with SDKs to deeper integrations with some manufacturers, like INQ. "

97% Indians To Own A Mobile By 2014

This should hardly come as a surprise but market research firm iSuppli has recently published a report where it predicts that by 2014 , 97 percent of Indians would own a cellphone. "Such high mobile teledensity means that almost everyone - except children and the abjectly poor - will have a cell phone in India, with those having multiple mobiles boosting total subscription rates and compensating for those without," said Jagdish Rebello, Ph.D., Senior Director and Principal Analyst for Wireless Research at iSuppli.

Despite having a majority of the population below the poverty line, this does not come as a surprise because the mobile phone has seen a phenomenal adoption rate in India. Viewed both as a status symbol and ever increasingly  an item of necessity , brands like Nokia are dependent on India for a large part of their sales. iSuppli has used current market growth rates to arrive at its prediction.

SEBI Gives Thumbs Up To Mobile Trading

Market regulator SEBI has recently cleared a move which will allow investors to buy or sell shares using mobile phones. The move aims to encourage more people to trade while widening the investor base. SEBI stated that it would allow stock brokers to trade using wireless technology including laptops with data cards via the internet. Secure access , Encryption and security are prerequisites for providing this service. 

The regulator said that brokers would also have to take adequate measures for user identification, authentication and access control using means such as user-ID, passwords, smart cards and biometric devices to prevent misuse of facility by unauthorised persons. The unique identification number used in the case of internet based trading will be applicable for securities trading using wireless technology.

Lava Mobile Launches B2 With 'Alpha' Keyboard

Indian mobile manufacturer , Lava Mobiles , has launched a new dual SIM device. Now this alone is not worth much news but the device does have another trick up its sleeve. The device ships with a new type of keyboard called the 'Alpha' keyboard. Apparently , the keyboard which sets the keys in alphabetical order instead of the world wide standard 'qwerty' orientation , is easier to type on for users new to the full keyboard form factor. Read through for full specifications.

Samsung Galaxy i899 launched by Reliance Mobile for Rs. 19,900

India's premier CDMA Network Provider , Reliance Mobile , has just announced the availability of the first Android based CDMA device in India. The Samsung Galaxy i899 is now available at Reliance Stores all over India at a cost of Rs. 19,999. The feature set of the device is fairly decent as it packs in a 3.2" HVGA AMOLED Screen. The camera unit is 3.2 MP along with LED Flash for night time and low light shots. Connectivity options include WiFi and Bluetooth. Sadly GPS seems to be missing from the specifications of the device. Inbuilt memory can be expanded with the help of the micro SD card slot. The device comes with the Android Marketplace so that you can download and install thousands of new applications for your device.

Dell Bringing Mobiles To India

Dell , one of the largest computer manufacturers in the world , has recently entered into the smartphone manufacturing business. After creating a lot of hype all over the globe, the manufacturer has decided to come to India as well. The smartphone manufacturer currently has only has the Dell Streak in its device portfolio though a Windows Mobile 7 based Dell Lightening has also been rumored.

Amit over at Labnol has spotted an advertisement by Dell. The company has launched a major ad campaign in all major newspapers inviting “distributors” for their mobile phones though the timeframe is not exactly clear nor do we know the kind of phones that they are planning to sell in India.