Basics of Mobile Marketing – yooarticles.com
This will ensure you stay connected with a large number of clients who use cell phones regularly. As per many business analysts, use … Compare their quality of services and rates before you make a selection. Make full use of mobile platforms …  read more…

How to Correctly Utilize Your Cellphone to Its Full Promise
When these accessories are used, they will enhance the services and the appearance for the mobile phones. It is at the same time important in focusing at the appearance of the … The plastic cases for these cell phones are specifically designed to fit them perfectly. The cases have the ability to protect any part of the mobile phone which … The price of this cases are different depending on the quality of the leather. However, it is important to note that all these cases are durable in nature …  read more…

From Google Blog Search

From GoArticles.com

Powered by Revver

Refurbished Blackberry Storm 9530 Cell Phones Now on Sale at CellularCountry.com
Used and refurbished Blackberry Storm 9530 phones are on sale at a steep discount at Cellular CountryChicago, IL (PRWEB) April 14, 2012 Cellular Country’s Blackberry Storm 9530 sale is allowing customers to acquire a smartphone at a much lower price point then usual. “There is no better way for a customer to upgrade old Blackberries then with one of the most coveted smartphone in the market …  read more…

Slim Lock Closure from 3M Weatherproofs Crowded Connections on FTTA Installations
Wireless communications service providers now have a better way to protect their advanced 3G and 4G-LTE networks from signal integrity issues and service interruptions due to weath  read more…

Camera megapixels: Why more isn't always better (Smartphones Unlocked)
Samsung Galaxy S III (Credit: CNET) Just days ago, Samsung announced the Samsung Galaxy S III , the global, quad-core, Android Ice Cream Sandwich successor to its best-selling smartphone ever, the Galaxy S II . CNET readers' reactions were mixed, with several comments that the 8-megapixel camera didn't seem too hot. Rumors of a 12-megapixel camera leading up to the announcement were partly to …  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! News

Resolved Question: What should I use to film with?
Hi guys! I’m trying to make a film. But I need to know what the best stuff would be to record with.

So currently I have couple of calculators to record the video with. They record in 240p mode which is really nice since that is high quality. I figured I could record the audio with a cell phone. And then I can do the lighting with a flashlight.

Any other suggestions on what I should use?

(Sorry for the goofiness… I was just making fun of peoples videos on youtube that are so horrid that look like they were recorded with a calculator, used a cheap cell phone to record the audio with, and use a flashlight for lighting.)

Have a great day guys!

  read more…

Resolved Question: What is this symbol/color arrangement ?
I attached some pictures. I’m sorry for the low quality, but I don not have the good camera with me, so I used a crappy VGA cell phone.

http://s16.postimage.org/smkehcbdx/Photo_0001.jpg
http://s17.postimage.org/3u1hocksf/Photo_0002.jpg
http://s8.postimage.org/il8kuphkl/Photo_0003.jpg

Thank you,

  read more…

Voting Question: What does it seem like is going on between me and my male friend? *Long but interesting!*?
Hi there,

I have a friend of mine that I met years ago through working at my job at the airlines. Well come to find out we share the same two good friends. A few years ago he was married, now he’s divorced and single for the past 2 years. Everyone knows that I am going away within the next month to study abroad in Italy for 6 weeks and I’ll be doing a little bit of traveling afterwards (2.5 months in total). This friend of mine is excited for me, a little more than others, which I appreciate the support. Also at the same time he has now offered his cell phone and SIM cards for me to use abroad (he says he has spares). I did mention that I would like to learn how to drive a stick shift vehicle before going abroad, but I don’t know where to go for it since no one seems to have any other vehicle than an automatic. He immediately offered to teach me how to drive, I just had to choose the date and time. Here we are a couple weeks after mentioning learning to drive a stick and he taught me last Saturday. I was totally embarrassed but he gave me a hug several times afterwards and said it was okay and later that he was impressed.

After he visited his son this past week in the central valley, he came by my house and we snuggled up on my couch and watched some t.v from 10:30pm-1am. He told me that I was a really great snuggler. Right before he left, he went in for a kiss on the lips and we kissed a few times after that. He texted me when he got home to let me know he made it safe and that he had a really great time.

Tuesday evening I went into work for 2 hours (from 1600-1800) and he was at the ticket counter within 25 minutes of my shift working. He works on the computers for all the airlines at the airport. He touched my lower waist when he walked by and said hello to my other co-workers. As I was getting off I texted him to hold the fort down while I went out to dinner and going home afterwards. He offered me a ride, then he was came up one floor and was in the same elevator that I was going into. He gave me a ride to my car instead of walking it.

Other conversations have continued on since then. Yesterday we hung out at his place, cuddled up on the couch, kissed, then a little tongue action, and talked more about life and what are likes and dislikes are. He also mentioned that he sent out an email to everyone at work to try to get a couple days covered in early May so he could go with me to Maui. He suggested that I go to Portland, Oregon with him, I was shocked when he asked me. I told him that I wanted to go to Maui before I lose my flight benefits, then he said he could always go to Portland another time. We went to dinner and I dropped him back off at his place, but he didn’t get out of the car until he would get a kiss or two from me.

He texted me about 30-45 minutes later to see how I was doing and hope I had a good day with him and more quality time with my pillow continues (I consider him as my pillow), but also we talk about pillows in general of how lucky they are to have each of us on them. I told him that I gave my 3 week notice to my boss and he said “I don’t know if I should cheer for you or not- but no matter what I’m happy if you’re happy.”

What does all this mean? Is he really a good guy? Is he trying to build something more? Are we past the friend zone and “dating” without officially saying anything? He also loves to kiss me on the forehead multiple times and gives me giant hugs ALL THE TIME.

  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

 HTC One X is the best HTC device I have ever used (review & gallery)
Posted by sklauminzer via Resources | ZDNet  

 HTC One X is the best HTC device I have ever used (review & gallery): HTC is focusing on quality instead of quan… http://t.co/nQCwzb3i
Posted by calllet via Twitter  

 HTC One X is the best HTC device I have ever used (review & gallery): HTC is focusing on quality instead of quan… http://t.co/qMFlSHeT
Posted by rajneekant via Twitter  

 ASUS G75VW-AS71 17.3-Inch Laptop (Black) #ASUS #G75VWAS71 #173Inch #Laptop #Black
Posted by buybestprice via FriendFeed  

 Native Union MM03i Moshi Moshi Curve Bluetooth Wireless Handset and iPhone Dock (High-Gloss Black)
Posted by buybestprice via FriendFeed  

 http://www.cellularcountry.com/used-cell-phones/samsung
Cheap samsung phones
Posted by sinojesi via FriendFeed  

 Sanyo Katana DLX Review
Posted by ryu77 via Internet Marketing Articles  

 Samsung LN32D550 32-Inch 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Black) – http://astore.amazon.com/buybestpricehdledtv-20/detail/B004N85YEW
Posted by buybestprice via FriendFeed  

Recently Being Discussed on FriendFeed

Some Interesting Details about Telephone Headsets
But there are designs of cell phones who make use of both HFP and HSP. One of several common requirements when selecting Bluetooth headset is to measure its level of quality. Typically, the model of Bluetooth headset with rob is regarded …  read more…

Ways To Use A Wireless Headset | Chillaxn Spare Tyre Covers
It is used for transmitting information at a short distant, usually within 10 meters, between wireless data transmit equipment, such as cell phones, wireless headsets, laptop computers and many others. As you see, electronic products can …  read more…

From Google Blog Search

From GoArticles.com

Powered by Revver

Refurbished Blackberry Storm 9530 Cell Phones Now on Sale at CellularCountry.com
Used and refurbished Blackberry Storm 9530 phones are on sale at a steep discount at Cellular CountryChicago, IL (PRWEB) April 14, 2012 Cellular Country’s Blackberry Storm 9530 sale is allowing customers to acquire a smartphone at a much lower price point then usual. “There is no better way for a customer to upgrade old Blackberries then with one of the most coveted smartphone in the market …  read more…

Mindspeed Powers the World’s First LTE + Wi-Fi Femtocell for SK Telesys
Mindspeed Technologies, Inc.  , the industry leader in technology for small cell base stations, today announced that the company’s Transcede® wireless baseband process  read more…

New Cell Phone Company Announces All Verizon Phones Now 30% off Retail
CellularCountry.com is the fastest growing online retailer of new, used, and refurbished cell phones. Verizon models are now being sold at 30% off retail store cost.Chicago, IL (PRWEB) April 05, 2012 The latest buzz developing in the used cell phone industry is the sale of phones from Verizon from fast-rising Cellular Country. This up-and-coming company is poised to take the used cell phone …  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! News

Open Question: Is there a good alternative to the Beats by Dre Beatbox?
I need a replacement for the current set of (portable) speakers that I have, that I primarily use with my laptop and Cell Phone (not an apple product). The Beats by Dr. Dre Beatbox looks cool and does sound very good, but they are way too expensive. Is there a replacement that can match in in sound quality and possibly in looks? I would prefer if it was connected via a 3.5MM speaker jack, not USB. It would also be a nice bonus if the set itself had a volume dial.

What would you recommend?

  read more…

Voting Question: What should I use to film with?
Hi guys! I’m trying to make a film. But I need to know what the best stuff would be to record with.

So currently I have couple of calculators to record the video with. They record in 240p mode which is really nice since that is high quality. I figured I could record the audio with a cell phone. And then I can do the lighting with a flashlight.

Any other suggestions on what I should use?

(Sorry for the goofiness… I was just making fun of peoples videos on youtube that are so horrid that look like they were recorded with a calculator, used a cheap cell phone to record the audio with, and use a flashlight for lighting.)

Have a great day guys!

  read more…

Resolved Question: What is this symbol/color arrangement ?
I attached some pictures. I’m sorry for the low quality, but I don not have the good camera with me, so I used a crappy VGA cell phone.

http://s16.postimage.org/smkehcbdx/Photo_0001.jpg
http://s17.postimage.org/3u1hocksf/Photo_0002.jpg
http://s8.postimage.org/il8kuphkl/Photo_0003.jpg

Thank you,

  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

 ASUS G75VW-AS71 17.3-Inch Laptop (Black) #ASUS #G75VWAS71 #173Inch #Laptop #Black
Posted by buybestprice via FriendFeed  

 Native Union MM03i Moshi Moshi Curve Bluetooth Wireless Handset and iPhone Dock (High-Gloss Black)
Posted by buybestprice via FriendFeed  

 http://www.cellularcountry.com/used-cell-phones/samsung
Cheap samsung phones
Posted by sinojesi via FriendFeed  

 Sanyo Katana DLX Review
Posted by ryu77 via Internet Marketing Articles  

 Samsung LN32D550 32-Inch 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Black) – http://astore.amazon.com/buybestpricehdledtv-20/detail/B004N85YEW
Posted by buybestprice via FriendFeed  

 Samsung Series 9 NP900X3B-A01US 13.3-Inch Laptop (Titan Silver) – http://astore.amazon.com/buybestpricehdledtv-20/detail/B006KYY15A
Posted by buybestprice via FriendFeed  

 Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brew Central 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Black/Brushed Metal – http://astore.amazon.com/buybestpricehdledtv-20/detail/B00005IBX9
Posted by buybestprice via FriendFeed  

 Dragon Naturally Speaking Premium 11.0 US English – http://astore.amazon.com/buybestpricehdledtv-20/detail/B003VNCROU
Posted by buybestprice via FriendFeed  

Recently Being Discussed on FriendFeed

3G and 4G Wireless Speed Showdown: Which Networks Are Fastest …
HTC One S Review: Ultramodern Design, Awesome Camera The HTC One S is the ultimate multimedia phone, from gaming to music to snapping high-quality photos. Share: 2012: The Year LTE Becomes … She asked the Cell Phones, Mobile Devices forum for advice. Share: Mobile Malware Incidents …. PCWorld is a registered trademark of International Data Group, Inc. All other trademarks used on PCWorld are the property of their respective owners. PCWorld Communications, Inc.  read more…

WhatThaBLOG: HackTabs
If that is the case then you may decide to sell used cell phones online, But again there is the hassle of searching for a good deal and prevent getting cheated on the bargains etc. I found this site which clears all the hassle out of finding a good …  read more…

From Google Blog Search

From GoArticles.com

Powered by Revver

Refurbished Blackberry Storm 9530 Cell Phones Now on Sale at CellularCountry.com
Used and refurbished Blackberry Storm 9530 phones are on sale at a steep discount at Cellular CountryChicago, IL (PRWEB) April 14, 2012 Cellular Country’s Blackberry Storm 9530 sale is allowing customers to acquire a smartphone at a much lower price point then usual. “There is no better way for a customer to upgrade old Blackberries then with one of the most coveted smartphone in the market …  read more…

New Cell Phone Company Announces All Verizon Phones Now 30% off Retail
CellularCountry.com is the fastest growing online retailer of new, used, and refurbished cell phones. Verizon models are now being sold at 30% off retail store cost.Chicago, IL (PRWEB) April 05, 2012 The latest buzz developing in the used cell phone industry is the sale of phones from Verizon from fast-rising Cellular Country. This up-and-coming company is poised to take the used cell phone …  read more…

How we test cell phones
Learn how we test cell phones, from rigorous benchmarks and speed tests to the around-town use that ensures the phone works that way you’ll actually use it.  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! News

Open Question: What is this symbol/color arrangement ?
I attached some pictures. I’m sorry for the low quality, but I don not have the good camera with me, so I used a crappy VGA cell phone.

http://s16.postimage.org/smkehcbdx/Photo_0001.jpg
http://s17.postimage.org/3u1hocksf/Photo_0002.jpg
http://s8.postimage.org/il8kuphkl/Photo_0003.jpg

Thank you,

  read more…

Voting Question: What does it seem like is going on between me and my male friend? *Long but interesting!*?
Hi there,

I have a friend of mine that I met years ago through working at my job at the airlines. Well come to find out we share the same two good friends. A few years ago he was married, now he’s divorced and single for the past 2 years. Everyone knows that I am going away within the next month to study abroad in Italy for 6 weeks and I’ll be doing a little bit of traveling afterwards (2.5 months in total). This friend of mine is excited for me, a little more than others, which I appreciate the support. Also at the same time he has now offered his cell phone and SIM cards for me to use abroad (he says he has spares). I did mention that I would like to learn how to drive a stick shift vehicle before going abroad, but I don’t know where to go for it since no one seems to have any other vehicle than an automatic. He immediately offered to teach me how to drive, I just had to choose the date and time. Here we are a couple weeks after mentioning learning to drive a stick and he taught me last Saturday. I was totally embarrassed but he gave me a hug several times afterwards and said it was okay and later that he was impressed.

After he visited his son this past week in the central valley, he came by my house and we snuggled up on my couch and watched some t.v from 10:30pm-1am. He told me that I was a really great snuggler. Right before he left, he went in for a kiss on the lips and we kissed a few times after that. He texted me when he got home to let me know he made it safe and that he had a really great time.

Tuesday evening I went into work for 2 hours (from 1600-1800) and he was at the ticket counter within 25 minutes of my shift working. He works on the computers for all the airlines at the airport. He touched my lower waist when he walked by and said hello to my other co-workers. As I was getting off I texted him to hold the fort down while I went out to dinner and going home afterwards. He offered me a ride, then he was came up one floor and was in the same elevator that I was going into. He gave me a ride to my car instead of walking it.

Other conversations have continued on since then. Yesterday we hung out at his place, cuddled up on the couch, kissed, then a little tongue action, and talked more about life and what are likes and dislikes are. He also mentioned that he sent out an email to everyone at work to try to get a couple days covered in early May so he could go with me to Maui. He suggested that I go to Portland, Oregon with him, I was shocked when he asked me. I told him that I wanted to go to Maui before I lose my flight benefits, then he said he could always go to Portland another time. We went to dinner and I dropped him back off at his place, but he didn’t get out of the car until he would get a kiss or two from me.

He texted me about 30-45 minutes later to see how I was doing and hope I had a good day with him and more quality time with my pillow continues (I consider him as my pillow), but also we talk about pillows in general of how lucky they are to have each of us on them. I told him that I gave my 3 week notice to my boss and he said “I don’t know if I should cheer for you or not- but no matter what I’m happy if you’re happy.”

What does all this mean? Is he really a good guy? Is he trying to build something more? Are we past the friend zone and “dating” without officially saying anything? He also loves to kiss me on the forehead multiple times and gives me giant hugs ALL THE TIME.

  read more…

Resolved Question: Which cell phone is better between nokia c5-05 and samsung wave 525?
not look wise but application and other quality wise.. i use net and other applications and listen music and play video clips, need such a phone which will support these applications,u tube should be accessed..thanks in advance …

  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

 http://www.cellularcountry.com/used-cell-phones/samsung
Cheap samsung phones
Posted by sinojesi via FriendFeed  

 Sanyo Katana DLX Review
Posted by ryu77 via Internet Marketing Articles  

 Samsung LN32D550 32-Inch 1080p 60Hz LCD HDTV (Black) – http://astore.amazon.com/buybestpricehdledtv-20/detail/B004N85YEW
Posted by buybestprice via FriendFeed  

 Samsung Series 9 NP900X3B-A01US 13.3-Inch Laptop (Titan Silver) – http://astore.amazon.com/buybestpricehdledtv-20/detail/B006KYY15A
Posted by buybestprice via FriendFeed  

 Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brew Central 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker, Black/Brushed Metal – http://astore.amazon.com/buybestpricehdledtv-20/detail/B00005IBX9
Posted by buybestprice via FriendFeed  

 Dragon Naturally Speaking Premium 11.0 US English – http://astore.amazon.com/buybestpricehdledtv-20/detail/B003VNCROU
Posted by buybestprice via FriendFeed  

 Motorola Oasis Bluetooth Headset (Black and Silver) [Motorola Retail Packaging] – http://astore.amazon.com/buybestpricehdledtv-20/detail/B0041D81WQ
Posted by buybestprice via FriendFeed  

 Dell Inspiron i14Z-2877BK 14-Inch Laptop (Espresso Black) – http://astore.amazon.com/reviewbuybestpricelaptop-20/detail/B006LX2NPK
Posted by buybestprice via FriendFeed  

Recently Being Discussed on FriendFeed

car accident . Teens Driving And Tips to Avoid Car Accidents …
As we individual as drivers, we originate top-quality judges of speed, distance, traffic patterns, piracy while driving, in addition burning up phone phone.Teenager's … If a romance arises where they need misuse their reflexes, teenager automotive drivers should hardly ever continue have the ability in the direction of phase good acceptable on the way to bear separate by means of an used car accident.Teens … Teenagers have to avoid texting ahead cell phones even if vehicle driving.  read more…

Bio-battery based on enzyme charge, Cellphones that can see …
Some of the potential applications include finding studs in walls, quality control in manufacturing. There are great potential in communications exploiting channels available in terahertz currently not in use by current cell phones or broadcasting …  read more…

From Google Blog Search

From GoArticles.com

Powered by Revver

Refurbished Blackberry Storm 9530 Cell Phones Now on Sale at CellularCountry.com
Used and refurbished Blackberry Storm 9530 phones are on sale at a steep discount at Cellular CountryChicago, IL (PRWEB) April 14, 2012 Cellular Country’s Blackberry Storm 9530 sale is allowing customers to acquire a smartphone at a much lower price point then usual. “There is no better way for a customer to upgrade old Blackberries then with one of the most coveted smartphone in the market …  read more…

VTech® Unveils 2012 Product Line Featuring Unique Design Styles And Easy-to-use Connect to Cell™ Systems
BEAVERTON, Ore., April 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – VTech® Communications, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of VTech Holdings Ltd. (HKSE: 303) and the largest U.S. cordless phone manufacturer, today announced …  read more…

New Cell Phone Company Announces All Verizon Phones Now 30% off Retail
CellularCountry.com is the fastest growing online retailer of new, used, and refurbished cell phones. Verizon models are now being sold at 30% off retail store cost. (PRWeb April 05, 2012) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/usedcellphones/verizon/prweb9373286.htm  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! News

Open Question: Which cell phone is better between nokia c5-05 and samsung wave 525?
not look wise but application and other quality wise.. i use net and other applications and listen music and play video clips, need such a phone which will support these applications,u tube should be accessed..thanks in advance …

  read more…

Resolved Question: hello guys, I live in dallas Ftworth. area and buying a new cell phone,?
I do go out to lubbock for a delivery once a week, if I was getting untld data on both the carriers which has a better coverage and call quality…SPRINT or TMOBILE… PLS HELP .. lemme know if you have used both…

  read more…

Voting Question: Best unlimited cell phone plan?
It has to have everything and I mean everything unlimited talk text web international text and calling. I want it to be fast enough to actually do stuff ( watch YouTube vids surf the internet fast and with good quality. I also don’t want a contract . I’m willing to spend about 100 bucks. And they have to have a phone with at least a 4 inch screen. I don’t want an iPhone. I was thinking sprint but I don’t know also can any one tell me how to add additional info to a question on mobile. Thanks.

Btw I have metro pcs now I want something bigger better and faster and something I could actually use in Minnesota since I’m moving up there for college

  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

 Robert Brandon Distributors http://buydiscountedcellphones.com Welcome to Buy Discounted Cell Phones! The safe, online store where you can buy quality, new, used and refurbished cell phones and cell phone accessories – all at wholesale, discounted prices.
Posted by oliviayoung1 via FriendFeed  

 Cellular Wholesale USA http://buydiscountedcellphones.com Welcome to Buy Discounted Cell Phones! The safe, online store where you can buy quality, new, used and refurbished cell phones and cell phone accessories – all at wholesale, discounted prices.
Posted by oliviayoung1 via FriendFeed  

 RBE ENTERPRISES http://buydiscountedcellphones.com Welcome to Buy Discounted Cell Phones! The safe, online store where you can buy quality, new, used and refurbished cell phones and cell phone accessories – all at wholesale, discounted prices.
Posted by oliviayoung1 via FriendFeed  

 Purchasing A Bluetooth Headset – A Manual
Posted by jcdmp01 via FriendFeed  

 Pristine Travel Clean Cloth- High Quality Microfiber for Devices Like; iPhone, iPad, iPod, Droid, iMac, MacBook Pro, Cell Phones, Smartphones, Laptops, LCD’s, Computer Screens. Offering FREE SHIPPING within the US!! (Electronics) newly tagged “tablet”
Posted by besttrend via tablet: Newly tagged products at Amazon.com  

 Pristine Travel Clean Cloth: High Quality Microfiber for Devices like; iPhone, iPad, iPod, Droid, iMac, MacBook Pro, Cell Phones, Smartphones, Laptops, LCD’s, Computer Screens (Electronics) newly tagged “ipod”
Posted by ipodmp3players via ipod: Newly tagged products at Amazon.com  

 Pristine Travel Clean Cloth: High Quality Microfiber for Devices like; iPhone, iPad, iPod, Droid, iMac, MacBook Pro, Cell Phones, Smartphones, Laptops, LCD’s, Computer Screens (Electronics) newly tagged “laptops”
Posted by giftforhim via laptops: Newly tagged products at Amazon.com  

 Pristine Travel Clean Cloth: High Quality Microfiber for Devices like; iPhone, iPad, iPod, Droid, iMac, MacBook Pro, Cell Phones, Smartphones, Laptops, LCD’s, Computer Screens (Electronics) newly tagged “laptops”
Posted by netbooksprices via laptops: Newly tagged products at Amazon.com  

Recently Being Discussed on FriendFeed

Generac 6179 400-Watt Portable Power Inverter, 800-Watt | 800 …
With an AC power output of 400-watts with 800-watts of peak power, this power inverter can provide high level, compact, portable power that will easily handle tablet computers such as iPads, in addition to cell phones, most laptops, DVD players , … usb port to handle technologies from cell phones, laptops and tablet computers; Keep track of how much power is being used with the innovative powerbar, an led meter to provide instant feedback; Provides over-temperature and overload …  read more…

Some Handy Tips About Samsung Mobiles – Mobile Phones …
These mobiles are offered at a cost that suit all class of folks as they are highly cost effective cell-phones. Samsung brand … Used samsung cellphones are also highly superior by the users for their high-technology features. Some of the important features in the samsung telephones are Quad-band GSM/CDMA boasting connectivity with GPRS and EDGE, MP3 player with fantastic sound quality, Bluetooth, FM radio, camera with smashing clarity, and a good battery backup. One can …  read more…

From Google Blog Search

From GoArticles.com

Powered by Revver

CellularCountry.com Now Expanding Samsung Cell Phone Product Selection
Strong reliability of Samsung cell phones has encouraged Cellular Country to add more Samsung models to inventory (PRWeb April 13, 2012) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/cheapsamsungphones/04/prweb9391416.htm  read more…

New Cell Phone Company Announces All Verizon Phones Now 30% off Retail
CellularCountry.com is the fastest growing online retailer of new, used, and refurbished cell phones. Verizon models are now being sold at 30% off retail store cost. (PRWeb April 05, 2012) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/usedcellphones/verizon/prweb9373286.htm  read more…

How we test cell phones
Learn how we test cell phones, from rigorous benchmarks and speed tests to the around-town use that ensures the phone works that way you’ll actually use it.  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! News

Open Question: hello guys, I live in dallas Ftworth. area and buying a new cell phone,?
I do go out to lubbock for a delivery once a week, if I was getting untld data on both the carriers which has a better coverage and call quality…SPRINT or TMOBILE… PLS HELP .. lemme know if you have used both…

  read more…

Voting Question: Best unlimited cell phone plan?
It has to have everything and I mean everything unlimited talk text web international text and calling. I want it to be fast enough to actually do stuff ( watch YouTube vids surf the internet fast and with good quality. I also don’t want a contract . I’m willing to spend about 100 bucks. And they have to have a phone with at least a 4 inch screen. I don’t want an iPhone. I was thinking sprint but I don’t know also can any one tell me how to add additional info to a question on mobile. Thanks.

Btw I have metro pcs now I want something bigger better and faster and something I could actually use in Minnesota since I’m moving up there for college

  read more…

Voting Question: Tablet Vs Android Phone for Video Chat in India?
Hello,
I am debating about sending either a Android 2.3 tablet with camera or Android 2.3 unlocked phone with camera to India for Video Chat with my family.

Currently I am in US, I am willing to spend upto 150$ for either. Thats not a problem.

The only thing I would have to worry about is Data speed on In-Home high speed internet or Cellphone data plans.

Skype and Yahoo Video chat has free android App, and I have noticed very good quality on Video on those apps.

On scale of 1-10 for Technical IQ of my family, I will put them 0.5. They can be trained to use it, thats it. They cant troubleshoot any issues with WiFi and stuff.

With that in mind, My main goal for this solution is Least techincal support issues & good quality Video. The other secondary issue is Price, a In-home high speed internet cost about 400Rs with WIFI for Android Tablet Vs Wireless Cell phone Data plan may be a cheaper option for Android Phone. HighSpeed Internet with WIFI vs Wireless Data plan ?

I would like to get your opinion about it and see if I am missing any point.

Your Opinion would be appreciated, Please comment,

Thank you!

  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

 Dell Inspiron i14Z-2877BK 14-Inch Laptop (Espresso Black) – http://astore.amazon.com/reviewbuybestpricelaptop-20/detail/B006LX2NPK
Posted by buybestprice via FriendFeed  

 Robert Brandon Distributors http://buydiscountedcellphones.com Welcome to Buy Discounted Cell Phones! The safe, online store where you can buy quality, new, used and refurbished cell phones and cell phone accessories – all at wholesale, discounted prices.
Posted by oliviayoung1 via FriendFeed  

 Cellular Wholesale USA http://buydiscountedcellphones.com Welcome to Buy Discounted Cell Phones! The safe, online store where you can buy quality, new, used and refurbished cell phones and cell phone accessories – all at wholesale, discounted prices.
Posted by oliviayoung1 via FriendFeed  

 RBE ENTERPRISES http://buydiscountedcellphones.com Welcome to Buy Discounted Cell Phones! The safe, online store where you can buy quality, new, used and refurbished cell phones and cell phone accessories – all at wholesale, discounted prices.
Posted by oliviayoung1 via FriendFeed  

 Purchasing A Bluetooth Headset – A Manual
Posted by jcdmp01 via FriendFeed  

 Pristine Travel Clean Cloth- High Quality Microfiber for Devices Like; iPhone, iPad, iPod, Droid, iMac, MacBook Pro, Cell Phones, Smartphones, Laptops, LCD’s, Computer Screens. Offering FREE SHIPPING within the US!! (Electronics) newly tagged “tablet”
Posted by besttrend via tablet: Newly tagged products at Amazon.com  

 Pristine Travel Clean Cloth: High Quality Microfiber for Devices like; iPhone, iPad, iPod, Droid, iMac, MacBook Pro, Cell Phones, Smartphones, Laptops, LCD’s, Computer Screens (Electronics) newly tagged “ipod”
Posted by ipodmp3players via ipod: Newly tagged products at Amazon.com  

 Pristine Travel Clean Cloth: High Quality Microfiber for Devices like; iPhone, iPad, iPod, Droid, iMac, MacBook Pro, Cell Phones, Smartphones, Laptops, LCD’s, Computer Screens (Electronics) newly tagged “laptops”
Posted by giftforhim via laptops: Newly tagged products at Amazon.com  

Recently Being Discussed on FriendFeed

PowerGen External Battery Pack 5200mAh High Capacity Power …
Nokia 6070 Phone AA battery Powered Emergency Cell. … Specs: – Average Charging Hours for Phones 1.5 hrs – Input Charging Time 5 – 6 hrs – Life Cycle > 500 Times – Input: DC 5V / 1000mA – Output: DC 5.3V / 1000mA – Dimension: 93*43* 22mm Compatible with: HTC Sensation / Thunderbolt / Flyer / EVO 3D 4G / Surround / Arrive / Inspire / HD7 / EVO 4G / Incredible S / Evo … Leave it plugged in to your phone Grade A LG Cell Used to assure you a highest quality and reliability.  read more…

Jose Wejebe, 'Spanish Fly' Fishing Show Host Killed In Small Plane …
I wrote photoshop price comparison up a network, be it traditional or cellular phones that you may have to keep its lead in waxing eloquent about the caller. As we windows 7 professional full download can use the scheduling of training.  read more…

From Google Blog Search

From GoArticles.com

Powered by Revver

New Cell Phone Company Announces All Verizon Phones Now 30% off Retail
CellularCountry.com is the fastest growing online retailer of new, used, and refurbished cell phones. Verizon models are now being sold at 30% off retail store cost. (PRWeb April 05, 2012) Read the full story at http://www.prweb.com/releases/usedcellphones/verizon/prweb9373286.htm  read more…

Sprint Set to Offer Cure for Poor Wireless Voice Quality
Sprint this week said that its new HTC Evo 4G LTE smartphone, along with future phones, will support HD voice.  read more…

How we test cell phones
Learn how we test cell phones, from rigorous benchmarks and speed tests to the around-town use that ensures the phone works that way you’ll actually use it.  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! News

Open Question: What do you think of this beginning?
I started writing a story yesterday… It’s 1000 words so far, but the concept is kind of weird and I’m not sure I’m a good enough writer to “pull it off”. This is only part of what I have… But what do you think of it? Just ignore the asterisks. The words inside them are all another word for a female dog. Do you guys think I should make the main character stop calling the girl “Little FEMALE DOG”. ? Is it too jarrring or stupid or unnecessary, or okay?

——————

The sound of the garage door opening startles me out of an uneasy sleep. Though I never dream, it’s always a relief to just go away for a while, but now the Little Bitch is here at this ungodly hour to interrupt my rest. I can tell it’s her by the sound of sandaled feet on garage steps, flip-flopping downward in the dark until she reaches the concrete floor. No one else in the family would be up this late, and the girl has used me to sneak out of the house before.

She turns on the light and I see her: dyed blond hair and caked-on makeup and all. She thinks she’s being quiet, sneaking around the garage in her noisy shoes while smacking on a piece of gum. She comes toward me, keys in hand, but then a cell phone vibrates in her pocket.

“Yeah,” she stage-whispers, still chewing. “I’m coming. Just gotta get this junk heap out of the house and I’m there.”

I bristle silently at her “junk heap” comment, knowing it’s directed to me. Have half a mind to just turn on and growl at her, but her gum-stretched mouth is more than wide enough to cause some serious trouble. Instead I sit silently while she wrenches open my jammed driver’s-side door and shoves a key into the ignition.

Now I can growl without arousing suspicion, and I do just that under the pretense of starting my engine. The Little Bitch gives me a wary glance, scanning my insides for any obvious problems, then decides she was just imagining the malicious quality of my voice.

Her nose wrinkles as she sits down, taking in the faint-but-still-nasty scent that I store up just for her. She’s mentioned it once, to her mother, wearing the same disgusted expression as she does when she actually smells it.

“I’m sorry,” the mother had said, shrugging. “That’s just what you get for wrecking the last one.”

The mother can’t smell it, at least not very strongly. The cleaners did a good job on me, and her old nose isn’t as sensitive as her daughter’s. Also I don’t try to make her smell it, gathering the vapors in the trunk instead of wafting them through the whole passenger compartment like I do for the Bitch.

  read more…

Open Question: Is this a good beginning to a story?
Sorry this question sounds so brainless, but I just started writing a story today with a really random concept and was wondering what people think and if I should continue. This is only part of what I have so far. I’ve written like a thousand words total today. Oh and sorry for the swear words… All the asterisks are “*B*I*T*C*H*”
———————-

The sound of the garage door opening startles me out of an uneasy sleep. Though I never dream, it’s always a relief to just go away for a while, but now the Little Bitch is here at this ungodly hour to interrupt my rest. I can tell it’s her by the sound of sandaled feet on garage steps, flip-flopping downward in the dark until she reaches the concrete floor. No one else in the family would be up this late, and the girl has used me to sneak out of the house before.

She turns on the yellow-toned light and I see her: dyed blond hair and caked-on makeup and all. She thinks she’s being quiet, sneaking around the garage in her noisy shoes while smacking on a chewy piece of gum. She comes toward me, keys in hand, but then a cell phone vibrates in her pocket.

“Yeah,” she stage-whispers, still chewing. “I’m coming. Just gotta get this junk heap out of the house and I’m there.”

I bristle silently at her “junk heap” comment, knowing it’s directed to me. Have half a mind to just turn on and growl at her, but her gum-stretched mouth is more than wide enough to cause some serious trouble. Instead I sit silently while she wrenches open my jammed driver’s-side door and shoves a key into the ignition.

Now I can growl at her without arousing suspicion, and I do just that under the pretense of starting my engine. The Little Bitch gives me a wary glance, scanning my insides for any obvious problems, then decides she was just imagining the malicious quality of my voice.

Her nose wrinkles as she sits down, taking in the faint-but-still-nasty scent that I store up just for her. She’s mentioned it once, to her mother, wearing the same disgusted expression as she does when she actually smells it.

“I’m sorry,” the mother had said, shrugging. “That’s just what you get for wrecking the last one.”

The mother can’t smell it, at least not very strongly. The cleaners did a good job on me, and her old nose isn’t as sensitive as her daughter’s. Also I don’t try to make her smell it, gathering the vapors in the trunk instead of wafting them through the whole passenger compartment like I do for the Bitch.
The swear word thing makes sense if it’s not in asterisks Basically, the car really hates her.

  read more…

Resolved Question: Walmart Cell Phones purchase?
So I’m do for a new upgrade on my cell phone.
The phone I’m set with is the droid RAZR.
I have a walmart gift card for 150 dollars and I want to use that to buy the phone with a renewed 2 year contract with verizon.
But knowing walmart… Will the the phone be made cheaper in china making it lower quality than buying it at verizon?

  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

 Unlocked GSM Cell Phones
Posted by socialbookmarkingseo via Social Bookmarking Net | Published News  

 Robert Brandon Distributors http://buydiscountedcellphones.com Welcome to Buy Discounted Cell Phones! The safe, online store where you can buy quality, new, used and refurbished cell phones and cell phone accessories – all at wholesale, discounted prices.
Posted by oliviayoung1 via FriendFeed  

 Cellular Wholesale USA http://buydiscountedcellphones.com Welcome to Buy Discounted Cell Phones! The safe, online store where you can buy quality, new, used and refurbished cell phones and cell phone accessories – all at wholesale, discounted prices.
Posted by oliviayoung1 via FriendFeed  

 RBE ENTERPRISES http://buydiscountedcellphones.com Welcome to Buy Discounted Cell Phones! The safe, online store where you can buy quality, new, used and refurbished cell phones and cell phone accessories – all at wholesale, discounted prices.
Posted by oliviayoung1 via FriendFeed  

 Purchasing A Bluetooth Headset – A Manual
Posted by jcdmp01 via FriendFeed  

 Pristine Travel Clean Cloth- High Quality Microfiber for Devices Like; iPhone, iPad, iPod, Droid, iMac, MacBook Pro, Cell Phones, Smartphones, Laptops, LCD’s, Computer Screens. Offering FREE SHIPPING within the US!! (Electronics) newly tagged “tablet”
Posted by besttrend via tablet: Newly tagged products at Amazon.com  

 Pristine Travel Clean Cloth: High Quality Microfiber for Devices like; iPhone, iPad, iPod, Droid, iMac, MacBook Pro, Cell Phones, Smartphones, Laptops, LCD’s, Computer Screens (Electronics) newly tagged “ipod”
Posted by ipodmp3players via ipod: Newly tagged products at Amazon.com  

 Pristine Travel Clean Cloth: High Quality Microfiber for Devices like; iPhone, iPad, iPod, Droid, iMac, MacBook Pro, Cell Phones, Smartphones, Laptops, LCD’s, Computer Screens (Electronics) newly tagged “laptops”
Posted by giftforhim via laptops: Newly tagged products at Amazon.com  

Recently Being Discussed on FriendFeed

The Steps on How to Unlock Blackberry Phone | Premium Articles
Blackberry phones are one of the frequently used cell phones for company or for private make use of. Blackberry mobile phones are incredibly versatile as well as commonly used cell phones of varied individuals lately . This powerful small …  read more…

Motorola Photon 4G Screen Protector Premium Crystal Clear (2 …
Our screen protectors are manufactured with premium grade PET material, carefully inspected for quality assurance. Crystal Clear Invisibility … Advanced optical PET material is used to ensure you get the highest visibility on your screen.  read more…

From Google Blog Search

From GoArticles.com

Powered by Revver

Totem Helps Customers Protect Personal Information By Offering Data Wipe Service
Totem Helps Customers Protect Personal Information By Offering Data Wipe Service Device owners looking to re-sell their cell phone or tablet are often reluctant to do so because of privacy concerns. A customer hoping to sell an iPhone 4, for example, might have apps installed that store e-mail, bank account information, and website passwords. Totem is committed to providing the highest quality …  read more…

Short-Cunningham Funeral Homes kicks off Cell Phones for Soldiers collection drive
Larry Hodgson, owner of Short-Cunningham Funeral Homes, announced today that his firm has been selected to become an exclusive, Certified Veterans & Family Memorial Care Provider for Wabash County. VFMC Providers are family owned and operated. They are selected for upholding the highest level of ethical business standards and integrity while providing outstanding, affordable professional service.  read more…

The Disposable Society: An Expensive Place To Live
Resisting the trend toward consumption will boost your bottom line and bolster the environment.  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! News

Open Question: Walmart Cell Phones purchase?
So I’m do for a new upgrade on my cell phone.
The phone I’m set with is the droid RAZR.
I have a walmart gift card for 150 dollars and I want to use that to buy the phone with a renewed 2 year contract with verizon.
But knowing walmart… Will the the phone be made cheaper in china making it lower quality than buying it at verizon?

  read more…

Open Question: Is this a decent quality DSLR?
I’ll be honest, I know very little about cameras (gotta start somewhere, right?)

I was wondering if this would be a good camera:

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-XS-Digital-18-55mm-Black/dp/B001CBKJGG/ref=sr_1_22?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1333188892&sr=1-22

I work as a body piercer and I’m trying to get better at documenting my work.
I’d also like to use it to take pictures of myself, but I would need a tripod for that, right?
I’ve been using my cell phone camera and it sucks. I don’t like point and shoot cameras so I figured a DSLR would be a good choice. I know it depends on the person using the camera, but I’m willing to learn everything about it.

  read more…

Open Question: What is a Good replacement Cell Phone for a Cybershot?
For work related reasons I need to take pictures sometimes in low light conditions. Therefore a Flash is critical.

I’ve had my current phone for over 3 years and it is about to die (battery no longer holds charges, flash does nto work anymore, etc etc) I need to replace my current Phone which is a Sony ericsson Cybershot C905, the main reason that I use this phone is for the quality of the camera and the fact that it has a real photography flash.

when answering this question please take into account that my main requirements for the cell phone are.

1.- Picture Quality
2.- Photo Flash (Preferrably xenon, not only LED)

Why not an Iphone? Picture Quality is not super good and for work related reasons I ned to take pictures in low light conditions requiring flash. and for Music and gaming I already carry an Ipod touch.

Why not carry a camera? becasue I already have three gadgets to carry the nextel radio (work), ipod for music and My personal cell phone/camera. One more gadget and I will need a Batman utility belt.

  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

 - HIGH QUALITY GATOR CRUNCH – 2-Port USB Car Charger (Can be used with a wide variety of MP3 Players, Cell Phones, and other devices that use USB ports for power) – BULK PACKAGING
Posted by amazonme via Car Accessories  

 Robert Brandon Distributors http://buydiscountedcellphones.com Welcome to Buy Discounted Cell Phones! The safe, online store where you can buy quality, new, used and refurbished cell phones and cell phone accessories – all at wholesale, discounted prices.
Posted by oliviayoung1 via FriendFeed  

 Cellular Wholesale USA http://buydiscountedcellphones.com Welcome to Buy Discounted Cell Phones! The safe, online store where you can buy quality, new, used and refurbished cell phones and cell phone accessories – all at wholesale, discounted prices.
Posted by oliviayoung1 via FriendFeed  

 RBE ENTERPRISES http://buydiscountedcellphones.com Welcome to Buy Discounted Cell Phones! The safe, online store where you can buy quality, new, used and refurbished cell phones and cell phone accessories – all at wholesale, discounted prices.
Posted by oliviayoung1 via FriendFeed  

 Purchasing A Bluetooth Headset – A Manual
Posted by jcdmp01 via FriendFeed  

 Pristine Travel Clean Cloth- High Quality Microfiber for Devices Like; iPhone, iPad, iPod, Droid, iMac, MacBook Pro, Cell Phones, Smartphones, Laptops, LCD’s, Computer Screens. Offering FREE SHIPPING within the US!! (Electronics) newly tagged “tablet”
Posted by besttrend via tablet: Newly tagged products at Amazon.com  

 Pristine Travel Clean Cloth: High Quality Microfiber for Devices like; iPhone, iPad, iPod, Droid, iMac, MacBook Pro, Cell Phones, Smartphones, Laptops, LCD’s, Computer Screens (Electronics) newly tagged “ipod”
Posted by ipodmp3players via ipod: Newly tagged products at Amazon.com  

 Pristine Travel Clean Cloth: High Quality Microfiber for Devices like; iPhone, iPad, iPod, Droid, iMac, MacBook Pro, Cell Phones, Smartphones, Laptops, LCD’s, Computer Screens (Electronics) newly tagged “laptops”
Posted by giftforhim via laptops: Newly tagged products at Amazon.com  

Recently Being Discussed on FriendFeed

How to Unlock Straight talk samsung Mobile Phones » Simple …
Although cellphones frequently have most of these locks, it is not banned for someone who purchases the phone to remove the particular lock. Doing so will assist you to use other cpa affiliate networks and possibly extend a person's calling …  read more…

Blackberry Curve 9380 Is A Great Device | Internet Millionaire Articles
Blackberry is a traditional company and it remains to make all types of cellphones that use only high-quality components. Their brand new line of phones which is called Curve simply cannot be very easily compared to windows mobile phones …  read more…

From Google Blog Search

From GoArticles.com

Powered by Revver

Short-Cunningham Funeral Homes kicks off Cell Phones for Soldiers collection drive
Larry Hodgson, owner of Short-Cunningham Funeral Homes, announced today that his firm has been selected to become an exclusive, Certified Veterans & Family Memorial Care Provider for Wabash County. VFMC Providers are family owned and operated. They are selected for upholding the highest level of ethical business standards and integrity while providing outstanding, affordable professional service.  read more…

Understanding Touch Screen – Technology and Hardware
As the years go by, the level of technology is advancing continuously. Inventions started many decades ago and it never failed to amaze us.  read more…

Audience Redefines the Voice Experience of Feature Phones
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Feb. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Feature phone users can now enjoy the same voice quality as high end smartphones, thanks to new technology introduced today by Audience®, the leader …  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! News

Open Question: Why are my Lady Gaga Heartbeats not able to use the mic in with my cell (LG Marquee) they work with music?
They currently work with other cell phones as I speak into them and people hear me….but on the LG marquee noone can hear me… Yes I can listen to music and the quality is awesome…help me please!

  read more…

Resolved Question: Paid to have a cell phone tower?
I have heard that if you build a cell phone tower on your property you will get paid by a carrier for them to use it. For example, in an area in the country where there isn’t quality cell phone service and the internet is not an option, a cell phone carrier will pay you money to use your tower. Is this true? Is it a scam? If so how do you do this and where can I find out some more information on this subject? Thank you.

  read more…

Voting Question: Cell phone newbie! Help me pick a smart phone!?
Currently I have a Samsung…it’s this phone…
http://www.tphones.ca/images/assets/koodo-samsung-slyde-pink.jpg

I love it. It’s relatively light, small and after 4 years, I’ve gotten used to and like the slide out keyboard. But, it’s starting to shut down repeatedly at random times, the battery is fading…And I want a phone that I can play with when I’m on the train/bus! This one has nothing extra…A camera/video camera and that’s about it.

I don’t want to pay for an iphone…and Blackberries seem like pretty bad phones. So, I’m wondering if there are any smart phones that are like the slide phone I have now, but that have apps and a touch screen (I don’t care about music or the quality of the camera…or even if there is a camera) If so, would I be able to play the same games as iphone users (draw something, words with friends…etc) and/or play those games with iphone users?

Also, my cousin has been a loyal Rogers customer for years…When she bought her latest phone (from bestbuy), she asked is she could have one of the fees waved because she’s been with them for so long. They said they would and she got a discount. Is it common for them to do that? And, what’s the difference between Telus and Rogers? My family has been with Telus from the beginning, but I keep hearing that Rogers is cheaper.

Thanks in advance for your help.

  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

 OliviaYoung: RBE ENTERPRISES OF NY http://buydiscountedcellphones.com Welcome to Buy Discounted Cell Phones! The safe, online store where you can buy quality, new, used and refurbished cell phones and cell phone accessories – all at wholesale, discounted prices.
Posted by followall via FriendFeed – public  

 RBE ENTERPRISES OF NY http://buydiscountedcellphones.com Welcome to Buy Discounted Cell Phones! The safe, online store where you can buy quality, new, used and refurbished cell phones and cell phone accessories – all at wholesale, discounted prices.
Posted by oliviayoung1 via FriendFeed  

 RBE ENTERPRISES http://buydiscountedcellphones.com Welcome to Buy Discounted Cell Phones! The safe, online store where you can buy quality, new, used and refurbished cell phones and cell phone accessories – all at wholesale, discounted prices.
Posted by oliviayoung1 via FriendFeed  

 Robert Brandon Distributors http://buydiscountedcellphones.com Welcome to Buy Discounted Cell Phones! The safe, online store where you can buy quality, new, used and refurbished cell phones and cell phone accessories – all at wholesale, discounted prices.
Posted by oliviayoung1 via FriendFeed  

 Cellular Wholesale USA http://buydiscountedcellphones.com Welcome to Buy Discounted Cell Phones! The safe, online store where you can buy quality, new, used and refurbished cell phones and cell phone accessories – all at wholesale, discounted prices.
Posted by oliviayoung1 via FriendFeed  

 RBE ENTERPRISES OF NEW YORK http://buydiscountedcellphones.com Welcome to Buy Discounted Cell Phones! The safe, online store where you can buy quality, new, used and refurbished cell phones and cell phone accessories – all at wholesale, discounted prices.
Posted by oliviayoung1 via FriendFeed  

 RBE ENTERPRISES http://buydiscountedcellphones.com Welcome to Buy Discounted Cell Phones! The safe, online store where you can buy quality, new, used and refurbished cell phones and cell phone accessories – all at wholesale, discounted prices.
Posted by oliviayoung1 via FriendFeed  

 Purchasing A Bluetooth Headset – A Manual
Posted by jcdmp01 via FriendFeed  

Recently Being Discussed on FriendFeed

Bluetooth Earphone for iPhone | new-york-times.tk
You should use the Bluetooth connectivity of the iPhone allowing you to connect your iPhone having a computer or any other cell phones. … Aside from the convenience, the quality of sound which these headsets deliver is unmatchable.  read more…

Jailbreak iPhone 3Gs Finding the optimum i phone Deal
You can simply search the regular retail merchants and find a brand name spanking completely new new iphone4 or use the internet here and also search completely from a state Iphone 4(TM) shop, Supermarkets, Focus on and quite a few some other internet and retail merchants. However, might … to use. Any databases search which has a move on the little finger and is also merely a lot more pleasurable to utilize, which is something can't be said pertaining to nearly all cell phones.  read more…

From Google Blog Search

From GoArticles.com

Powered by Revver

Short-Cunningham Funeral Homes kicks off Cell Phones for Soldiers collection drive
Larry Hodgson, owner of Short-Cunningham Funeral Homes, announced today that his firm has been selected to become an exclusive, Certified Veterans & Family Memorial Care Provider for Wabash County. VFMC Providers are family owned and operated. They are selected for upholding the highest level of ethical business standards and integrity while providing outstanding, affordable professional service.  read more…

Silver Inks, Adhesives offer reduced-conductivity alternative.
Featuring greater than 85% silver content and volume resistance of 0.0005 ohm-cm upon cure, 125-43A/B119-44 solvent-resistant, 2-component electrically conductive ink is intended for touchscreens and shielding applications. Used for making attachments on electrical and mechanical devices, 125-46A/B,C, electrically conductive epoxy adhesive exhibits volume resistivity of less than 0.01 ohm-cm …  read more…

Acorn International Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2011 Unaudited Financial Results
SHANGHAI, China — Acorn International, Inc. ("Acorn" or the "Company"), a media and branding company in China engaged in developing, promoting and selling products through extensive …  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! News

Open Question: Paid to have a cell phone tower?
I have heard that if you build a cell phone tower on your property you will get paid by a carrier for them to use it. For example, in an area in the country where there isn’t quality cell phone service and the internet is not an option, a cell phone carrier will pay you money to use your tower. Is this true? Is it a scam? If so how do you do this and where can I find out some more information on this subject? Thank you.

  read more…

Open Question: Cell phone newbie! Help me pick a smart phone!?
Currently I have a Samsung…it’s this phone…
http://www.tphones.ca/images/assets/koodo-samsung-slyde-pink.jpg

I love it. It’s relatively light, small and after 4 years, I’ve gotten used to and like the slide out keyboard. But, it’s starting to shut down repeatedly at random times, the battery is fading…And I want a phone that I can play with when I’m on the train/bus! This one has nothing extra…A camera/video camera and that’s about it.

I don’t want to pay for an iphone…and Blackberries seem like pretty bad phones. So, I’m wondering if there are any smart phones that are like the slide phone I have now, but that have apps and a touch screen (I don’t care about music or the quality of the camera…or even if there is a camera) If so, would I be able to play the same games as iphone users (draw something, words with friends…etc) and/or play those games with iphone users?

Also, my cousin has been a loyal Rogers customer for years…When she bought her latest phone (from bestbuy), she asked is she could have one of the fees waved because she’s been with them for so long. They said they would and she got a discount. Is it common for them to do that? And, what’s the difference between Telus and Rogers? My family has been with Telus from the beginning, but I keep hearing that Rogers is cheaper.

Thanks in advance for your help.

  read more…

Resolved Question: Why do young males blast music on their phones when using public transportation (e.g. busses, trains)?
Specifically, why do many insist on NOT using headphones, instead blasting the audio through the tinny, buzzy, 1/4″ speaker ON THE PHONE?

I don’t need to know why people like to listen to music – I get that. The question is, why do these young men feel the need (or desire) to inflict their music upon total strangers? I have never seen a portable music device of any description – cell phones included – that does NOT come with a FREE set of earbud headphones, so it follows that anyone who owns such a device COULD enjoy his music*without* making a public nuisance of himself.

Also, it cannot be that the audio quality of the wafer-thin, monaural speaker wedged inside any cell phone sounds better than even a modestly-priced set of earbuds placed directly in the ears.

I suppose it’s possible that SOME have either lost their earbuds or find them uncomfortable – AND are oblivious to their effect on the people around them – but I’d hate to think this accounts for most of them.

The only answer I can see is that for some reason, these young men WANT to force random strangers to hear their music. But why?

My Theories:
1 – They assume everyone will find the music as enjoyable as they do, and they imagine the bus or train erupting into a spontaneous dance party.
2 – Broadcasting their music of choice in public is a misguided attempt at making some kind of statement, perhaps expressing individuality. (It’s misguided because [a] music played in this way becomes an indecipherable, insect-like buzz after about 3 feet [b] kids who do this invariably make extremely predictable music choices, so it ends up expressing NOT individuality, but rather lemming-like conformity and [c] when the bus/train is full of, primarily, adults, the only statement that comes through is “I’m an irritating little kid”)
3 – It’s plain old trolling — a way to cravenly ignore the conventions of civilized society while at the same time relying on those same conventions to protect them from retaliation.

I suspect that, if confronted, many perpetrators would offer some innocuous reason, but personally I think #3 is the answer.

Any other ideas? Am I missing something?

  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

 The Computer Revolution/Networks/Global Positioning System (GPS) Applications
Posted by essayontime via “essaysontime11″ via Essay in Google Reader  

 The Computer Revolution/Networks/Global Positioning System (GPS) Applications
Posted by essayontime via “essaysontime11″ via Essay in Google Reader  

 The Computer Revolution/Networks/Global Positioning System (GPS) Applications
Posted by essayontime via “essaysontime11″ via Essay in Google Reader  

 The Computer Revolution/Networks/Global Positioning System (GPS) Applications
Posted by essayontime via “essaysontime11″ via Essay in Google Reader  

 Cellular Country discount coupons
Posted by mindblaster via Latest Discount Coupons for online stores  

 Versatile Bluetooth Receiver (stereo music and voice receiver). Can be used as wireless stereo headset or receiver for home-theatre system. Ideal for iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch, Blackberries, Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, LG, HTC, Sony-Ericsson etc cell-phones.
Posted by maasr via Buy Best Ipad Reviews  

 Versatile Bluetooth Receiver (stereo music and voice receiver). Can be used as wireless stereo headset or receiver for home-theatre system. Ideal for iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch, Blackberries, Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, LG, HTC, Sony-Ericsson etc cell-phones.
Posted by maasr via Buy Best Ipad Reviews  

 Editorial This one show that gained such notoriety in recent days offered us an opportunity to look at us. This is one thing we have kept putting off. Eight to ten years in the field and our claims of infancy remain. introspection TV in black & white Should media owners, producers, journalists and concerned citizens hammer out a mutually agreed upon code of ethics that can be periodically reviewed? By Alefia T. Hussain Day after day, minute by minute, TV takes us places in pursuit of ‘drama’ — to private quarters of private people, to crime scenes, to studios where heads meet to create noise; a lot of noise. TV looks for drama at all the odd places — in hospitals, police stations, court rooms, public offices, just about everywhere — and to the centre of controversies and judgments. Why ‘M’ is not really a word Television is about intelligence; it’s a game of chess, not right or wrong By Ali Sultan Whenever some controversy about the media erupts, everyone gathers around and bulldozes social networking, print and television with “what actually is the media’s role.” My personal favourite is “we need to actually define things.” debate Privacy and media ethics Privacy that never sat easy with freedom of expression is now at absolute variance with it By Farah Zia Kelvin Mackenzie, a former editor of the Murdoch-owned The Sun spoke about the “tremendous amount of snobbery involved in journalism” while talking to the media ethics inquiry about tabloids, in January this year. He gave a hypothetical example of hacking into Tony Blair’s cell phone to discover that Blair had bypassed his cabinet in order to go to war. “If you publish it in The Sun, you get six months in jail. If you publish it in The Guardian, you get a Pulitzer.” A tale of three Khans From the dumb, bubbly heroine of Hasina Moin’s plays to the dumb, bubbly and conservative morning show host — it’s one sad evolutionary tale Years ago, in a television programme, I heard Bollywood’s popular cabaret dancer Helen remark about how the heroines in Hindi films had started dressing up in a vulgar way. “Look, who’s talking!” was my obvious retort. Just then, she added, “You see, in our times, it was only the vamps who wore revealing clothes. That job is taken up by the heroines now.” As serious as a critic? With the coming into being of the blogosphere, and the world of web becoming increasingly interactive, every man jack with a computer and internet access has become a sort of a ‘critic’ By Usman Ghafoor It used to be the professionals’ domain. There were well-educated and well-informed culture columnists in Pakistan, such as Safdar Mir (alias Zeno), I.A. Rehman, Hameed Sheikh and Zafar Samdani, whose word was law for the common film and TV enthusiast and it also influenced the product makers. Their reviews were carried in noted journals — with the exception of Hameed Sheikh, who was a broadcast critic — and, overtime, they developed a loyal base of readers who, it is not hard to assume, took to their style of commenting (each had his own particular style, for that matter) and also trusted them to give the right opinion. Today, the situation is unfunnily different. Editorial This one show that gained such notoriety in recent days offered us an opportunity to look at us. This is one thing we have kept putting off. Eight to ten years in the field and our claims of infancy remain. We the fourth pillar of the state, the watchdog, could not commit a wrong. We stand on a high pedestal and claim to be representing all of the 180 million people each time we have talked down to the corrupt political elite. The people committed a blunder in electing the corrupt NRO-ridden, fake-degree holding, stupid politicians. We will not let them do this again. We opened up the Memogate that closed sooner than we thought. We shall not budge. Now we shall not allow the Senate elections under the flawed voters’ lists. Somewhere in between our exalted goals came this show and we could not put off looking at our mirror image one more time. To some, it appeared ghastly. So, what to do? We jump in to distance ourselves from this one. Activists that we were, we joined hands with the ones operating on the social media to have this erring anchor fired from job. There is a sense of dĂŠjĂ  vu. But that’s how we work — depending on fleeting memory span. At this point in time, we try to make the distinction between us and the entertainment tv sharp and clear. Deep down we know it’s a systemic issue and there’s nothing we can do about it; our claims about the flaws being due to infancy notwithstanding. Our counterpart on television, the drama, has made a comeback. From its heydays it took a nosedive and it has reemerged with a bang; because a relatively small channel kept getting strong, building itself on the yardstick of excellence. Others had to follow. With us newsmen, the competition is cut-throat. So together we all keep lowering the standards. We are accused of distorting tastes; of sensationalising. But we break even. We make profits. Often, on occasions like this, we do raise noises about our collective desire for self-regulation. Nothing but self-regulation. Soon it’s time to go back to our newsrooms and our talk-shows studios. We do realise people need a break from politician-bashing; so on weekends we give them prostitutes and eunuchs. Frankly, we have been overcriticised by some sections. We do after all give people what they want to see. See, this looking within does help. introspection TV in black & white Should media owners, producers, journalists and concerned citizens hammer out a mutually agreed upon code of ethics that can be periodically reviewed? By Alefia T. Hussain Day after day, minute by minute, TV takes us places in pursuit of ‘drama’ — to private quarters of private people, to crime scenes, to studios where heads meet to create noise; a lot of noise. TV looks for drama at all the odd places — in hospitals, police stations, court rooms, public offices, just about everywhere — and to the centre of controversies and judgments. Truthfully, this little ‘idiot box’ of ours has come to become all intrusive and all powerful. Yet, it has not matured to be called an ‘intelligent box’. Today’s television, to activist and journalist Beena Sarwar, is “dynamic and evolving, with boundaries between news and entertainment being blurred for commercial reasons.” And, it is distressing: “I do not spend too much time in front of the TV screen, but whenever I do, it makes me feel very unhappy,” says veteran journalist I. A. Rehman. Or, is it more than this? Dawn News anchor person and journalist Syed Talat Husain believes the electronic media is a game changer; a new evolving profession. One of the follies perhaps, he admits, has been to push the news bulletins aside and allow the current affairs talk shows to take over. “Now that’s what is opinionated and arrogant — and, therefore, hits the viewers on the face.” So, what do we want from our TV? Behind such calls for introspection is an accumulation of grievance about how this medium has acted and expanded over the last decade. For the big critics, the television journalists have begun to tinker with the boundaries of their profession and follow weak professional ethics. To quote Sarwar, “When they mix up entertainment with journalism, it serves the cause of neither.” The more pertinent question, perhaps, would be to ask what the prior good practices in journalism are being replaced by. As Rehman says, “Today, since the viewers are not in a mood to be enlightened and since they no longer find knowledge and information fun, the TV journalists have learnt that sensationalism and shock is the only course available to survive the cutthroat competition and market pressure. And, in the process, the pursuit of fair assessment of truth and values is failing. They have become party to moralising. Their purpose is to make noise and not necessarily initiate quality debate and discourse.” TV professionals have the record of getting carried away with sheer urgency of their 24/7 coverage and make mistakes. Take the Maya Khan show which put the electronic media in immense turmoil, leading to jitteriness to defend the medium at one end and at the other overconfident shrills to take it in the right direction. There was deafening noise emanating from all directions, so much that no one could be heard clearly and effectively. This happens when television channels try to increase ratings and get more commercials, they are fulfilling a commercial and business requirement, and hence allow overshadowing the basic rules of journalism — reporting on all sides of the story, being accurate, getting a two-source-at least-confirmation, etc — when they get into the news reporting business. “For that side of their ‘business’ they need to put aside those commercial interests, and enable and allow the reporters and producers to focus on the requirements of journalism, not trying to increase viewership, popularity and ratings,” stresses Sarwar. ARY News talk show anchor Fahd Husain agrees. For him, the news channels are veering away from information and truth in their race for ratings. “Today’s TV journalist is akin to a salesman, airing content that sells,” he laments. Husain holds the proprietor responsible for the mess, because he hammers the journalist to produce content that sells and which not always meets the basic principles of journalism. “This classic conflict is essentially between the journalist and the marketing executive. The journalist eyes the story, the marketeer eyes the revenue; the journalist looks for social impact, the marketeer at the financial and commercial impact; the journalist has a responsibility to society, the marketeer to his boss’s balance sheet. This differentiation between salesperson and journalist must be addressed. Otherwise the journo will continue to get rot from the owner, and fail to add value and veracity to his work.” Syed Talat Husain, on the contrary, is quite comfortable with the marketing formula adopted by proprietors of TV channels. He equates TRPs to the circulation of newspapers. “Since the very beginning, the success of a newspaper is judged by its circulation; it’s a given. So why can’t we digest the idea of ratings.” In effect, TRPs go against the grain of being a journalist whose ultimate pursuit is the truth not ratings. “Running a news channel is about balancing these two,” reminds Sahar Habib Ghazi, editor-in-chief, Hosh Media, a news website. Also the industry has experienced the massive proliferation of amateur journalists without appropriate institutions and colleges to train its professionals. “Our universities offering journalism courses did not grow with the same ease nor did they adjust their curricula to the needs of 24/7 live news; when the news environment in Pakistan was on fire… Many untrained and inexperienced reporters were pushed into a dizzying environment of breaking news,” adds Ghazi, pressing for news organisations to fill the gap by offering training courses to its employees. Here Fahd Husain draws a distinction: Where the newsroom people are professional in gathering and prioritising news, the production people are inept at using journalistic tools and lack understanding of news per se. “Producers have been reduced merely to technicians. They have world class equipment at hand but no knowledge of world class journalistic expertise”, he says. So, TV is anarchic and shaggy. Because “[Only] some TV channels in Pakistan follow informal editorial guidelines or codes that have developed organically through trial and error. But to the best of my knowledge no one has compiled and documented a formal list. All Pakistani channels and media outlets need to do the same to be considered transparent, accountable and ethical,” says Ghazi. And, it is freewheeling. In this milieu, should media owners, producers, journalists and concerned citizens hammer out a mutually agreed upon code of ethics that can be periodically reviewed? Should they have their own ombudsman that people can turn to for complaints and redress? Should PEMRA take charge? Or, should professionals self-regulate? “Regulation prolongs the illnesses and weaknesses of the system,” thinks I. A. Rehman. “TV journalist should essentially self-regulate,” asserts Beena Sarwar. TV channels have traversed a long, winding path. Its coverage area has increased. It takes viewers close to rights issues, poverty, corruption and issues that are dear to their heart. With reporting, it digs in and comes up with qualitative research. But the fact is that refinement comes only with experience. Clearly, refinement is what we want from our TV. “But the demand for refinement must come from the viewers,” stresses Rehman. Why ‘M’ is not really a word Television is about intelligence; it’s a game of chess, not right or wrong By Ali Sultan Whenever some controversy about the media erupts, everyone gathers around and bulldozes social networking, print and television with “what actually is the media’s role.” My personal favourite is “we need to actually define things.” The thesis is simple, defining anything is sheer bollocks. It means that if the definers had their say, phones would still be attached to wires and no one would actually consider how good the camera is before buying a mobile. Everything is in constant flux and, if intelligence is used generously, then we should understand that we can and do change everything all the time. Another addition to the kitchen sink, what people think of in moral terms and what people actually do are two separate ballparks. Take Facebook, for example. One click on an “add friend” means access, and even if it’s controlled access, its access to parts of one’s life nonetheless. Is snooping around on someone’s pictures, social behaviour, religious beliefs or even cooking habits really a moral thing to do? But we all love to snoop, don’t we? What we think and what we do is almost not the same thing. Before going to the scene of the crime, let’s clear out some of the air. Any enterprise has to survive. The survival is simple. A person or a company offers some sort of product or service to others; if convinced of its benefit, the buyer will compensate, usually in monetary value, to the seller. Television is also a ‘commercial’ enterprise. But television is the trickiest of markets because the transaction is not direct, and here is where Television Rating Points or TRPs come in. TRPs are an audience measurement criterion that indicates the popularity of a television channel or programme. Television may be free, but it actually isn’t. Advertisers pay for programmes and TRPs are the most important tool for them. It shows them a measurement—a guidemap— which might not be 100 percent accurate, but still a measurement of what people are watching, and the more people will watch a programme, it’s a sure bet that it will generate an advertiser’s interest and, if a healthy number of advertisement is found, then it means it’s not only covering the programme’s cost, but also generating profit. The total reverse would be: a TV show is made, generates little or no ad interest and is cancelled (which is not the only reason they are, by the way.) Television is about intelligence; it’s a game of chess, not right or wrong. Maya Khan’s ouster was not an intelligent move, an intelligent ouster would be people having stopped watching her show. Revolting against her and the likes of her doesn’t really mean a thing because intelligent TV executives, bosses and advertisers know that there is a large segment of an audience which believes in what she and many like her preach. In the very opposite end of the spectrum, a TV channel and a particular TV host had a sizeable following because of an adult TV show which started after 12am. Where was the hue and cry there? Television is also one of the most intricate mediums to see what democracy in its truest essence means. Morality, truth, puritan, sleazy or any myriad collection of buzzwords is not what an intelligent television executive (or even an audience) is looking for television to be; they are only boxes to be filled, flavours to be aroused in a 24-hour course dinner. The question, therefore, is only about intelligence and nothing else; opponents sizing each other up before a boxing match. The audience, the “other TV show” the other TV channel is the opponent and always will be. It’s always the hustle, the tricking, of what an audience will watch, can watch, and television is always getting more and more intelligent; a blow or two doesn’t mean it will fall down. It only means that it will be careful not to get the next one. debate Privacy and media ethics Privacy that never sat easy with freedom of expression is now at absolute variance with it By Farah Zia Kelvin Mackenzie, a former editor of the Murdoch-owned The Sun spoke about the “tremendous amount of snobbery involved in journalism” while talking to the media ethics inquiry about tabloids, in January this year. He gave a hypothetical example of hacking into Tony Blair’s cell phone to discover that Blair had bypassed his cabinet in order to go to war. “If you publish it in The Sun, you get six months in jail. If you publish it in The Guardian, you get a Pulitzer.” Having no obvious connection with the Maya Khan TV programme, though the two may somehow be linked regarding issues of individuals’ privacy and journalistic ethics, the quote of Mackenzie does ring a bell about the double standards applied in our own media world where the small fry gets caught and punished; for the rest, it’s business as usual. There used to be a time when things were simple in the world of journalism. It was simple saying that there has to be a delicate balance between rights of privacy and freedom of speech. It was simple saying public figures don’t have privacy rights. It was simple stating that a journalist’s job is to cull out the truth and that journalists do have the good sense to weigh the public good element against privacy. And, it was easy telling the editors that they must exercise their editorial judgment. All of the above was a subject of debate even then. None of it was taken as a given, with hunky-dory consequences. But at least the debate was confined within certain parametres. Somewhere down the line, things started becoming complex, grey, interest-driven and unimaginably big. Being in the public domain, they are still subject to yardsticks of ethics and law. It’s just that the simplistic definitions from yesterday are no more valid. A journalist’s job is now as much about bringing out the truth before people as selling the product he works for. Privacy that never sat easy with freedom of expression is now at absolute variance with it. This conflict is more pronounced on television where the race for ratings and advertising revenues is the primary consideration. Editorial judgment is all about whatever sells. Not that print journalism stands absolved. They both make ludicrous attempts at invading privacy in the name of investigative journalism. On television, the desire for profits has blurred any distinction between one genre and the other (just as the reporters in print write analysis as investigative reports). The political talk shows are designed, or are at least watched, as entertainment. The morning shows that ought to have been designed to entertain and inform, in their bid to venture into investigative journalism, end up as exercises in moral policing. We don’t know where showbiz begins and journalism ends. That is why Maya Khan’s show was a problem. But Maya Khan was not the first one to take a microphone and camera into people’s faces. The news channels did that long before her. They have not even shied away from taking the mikes and cameras into hospital wards seeking comments from injured people who happen to be bomb victims. They have covered funerals like they never should have. The anchorpersons act less like journalists and more like activists. Privacy rights are not their concern because what they handle are public figures. It was nothing short of a miracle watching the ailing president of the country return, breathe and even deliver a speech or give an interview after counting all the diseases these anchorpersons had claimed he had. How this public figure definition is stretched in the corporate media only makes one cringe with fear. What the journalists don’t realise is that as beneficiaries of this market-driven media, they too have become public figures of sorts. This qualifies them to forfeit their own privacy rights. A tale of three Khans From the dumb, bubbly heroine of Hasina Moin’s plays to the dumb, bubbly and conservative morning show host — it’s one sad evolutionary tale Years ago, in a television programme, I heard Bollywood’s popular cabaret dancer Helen remark about how the heroines in Hindi films had started dressing up in a vulgar way. “Look, who’s talking!” was my obvious retort. Just then, she added, “You see, in our times, it was only the vamps who wore revealing clothes. That job is taken up by the heroines now.” Helen might or might not have a point, but it is interesting to locate the exact moment you start criticising your own clones. (Today’s heroines may not strictly be Helen’s clones.) Often you don’t. You bask in your own faded glory or the negative publicity these clones bring to you. When you finally do, it has to be an unusual point in time. So, it was quite a sight watching one Khan, the pioneer of morning shows of a certain variety in Pakistan, appear in a television show and lambast her own clone, with whom she happens to share her surname. In the show that was aimed at making an example of this clone for her intrusions into the privacy of the individual, the former Khan only proved my point — that the clone only took off from where she had left. In her own show, the pioneer Khan had promoted and strengthened conservatism in a subtle but dangerous manner. She would moralise and then she would moralise again. That is why, it was impossible for the liberal progressive social media buffs, who are now up in arms against the Khan clone, to watch the ‘pioneer’ Khan’s show. Yes, she did it intelligently and may not have breached anyone’s privacy in the strictest sense. But she did other things. In a talk show where she had been invited to comment on her clone, she said many things that only proved she was the trailblazer of obscurantism and hypocrisy on television — “These new girls don’t wear dopattas; they shake hands with men, they do this, they do that, while I never didâ€Śâ€ Defenders of the pioneer Khan say she was the original and the clones are but clones. How was she the original, I ask? To me, as a viewer, she didn’t seem original at all. To me, she looked like a clone of Hasina Moin’s dumb, bubbly, chirpy heroines who captured the fancy of Ziaul Haq’s children, the young and old, men and women of this entertainment-starved, Islamised country, in the late 1970s and early ‘80s. In those days of strict political censorship, the heroine of Hasina Moin (another Khan to fit the description), cuddling stuffed teddy bear, was like a breath of fresh air. Add at least fifty lbs, 15 years and a conservative worldview and the pioneer host of the morning shows is born. Must we then blame the clone Khan when the path of populism was laid out by those who came before her? From inanity to conservatism to vigilantism is all but one connected journey. Such is the society that we have created over the years. — Farah Zia As serious as a critic? With the coming into being of the blogosphere, and the world of web becoming increasingly interactive, every man jack with a computer and internet access has become a sort of a ‘critic’ By Usman Ghafoor It used to be the professionals’ domain. There were well-educated and well-informed culture columnists in Pakistan, such as Safdar Mir (alias Zeno), I.A. Rehman, Hameed Sheikh and Zafar Samdani, whose word was law for the common film and TV enthusiast and it also influenced the product makers. Their reviews were carried in noted journals — with the exception of Hameed Sheikh, who was a broadcast critic — and, overtime, they developed a loyal base of readers who, it is not hard to assume, took to their style of commenting (each had his own particular style, for that matter) and also trusted them to give the right opinion. Today, the situation is unfunnily different. With the coming into being of the blogosphere, and the world of web becoming increasingly interactive, every man jack with a computer and internet access — and, let’s say, an opinion(!) — has become a sort of a ‘critic’. What’s more, they are creating an impact. Correspondingly, the good ol’ print newspaper suddenly finds itself without much clout. So, where does that leave the ‘real’ and trustworthy critic? Who should the responsibility to ‘influence’ opinions lie with, when everyone is sitting in moral judgment of things? What will become of the seasoned group of commentators in time? The entire world is debating to find the best answer to the above queries, as the new-age media looks poised to take complete control over the traditional media. Websites such as Metacritic are said to have already replaced printed criticism as it famously rates films based on the opinion of a variety of reviews — readers’ reviews included. At the same time, it is learnt that scores of established critics at Newsweek, Village Voice and Newsday have either retired or been laid off. Pakistan’s case may be worse as it has lost most of its serious critics of film and TV either to death or to other professions. Both our electronic and print media haven’t been able to produce a credible second generation (of critics). And, from the looks of it, they aren’t bothered. Why, because they know their organisation’s name will carry weight where a writer’s byline doesn’t. As film maker, academic and critic, Mira Hashmi puts it, “Our TV is not quite regarded as a medium with a lot of depth. I mean, it’s not serious work; it’s just fluff that you’re watching at the end of the day. “As a society, we don’t take performing arts seriously, so why take critics seriously?” she asks. Again, the web world paints a completely different picture. Here, a TV morning show is smothered to bits and its host forced to apologise — or else face a termination — when she strays into what is popularly derided as ‘vigilantism’, parading the parks of Karachi in order to ‘catch’ dating couples. “The privacy of a person’s choice is most cogent; they’ll ask for help when they ask you,” wrote Lahore-based Mehreen Khasana in her much-quoted blog. “I am mortified as a Pakistani when I see wardens of rectitude making dangerous spectacles of common citizens simply to boost hits on their show or to become shining role models for people of equally disappointing, mediocre thinking. If that young couple gets hurt — which happens inevitably as a result of your irresponsible moral policing — you will be held accountable for reinforcing the sick obsession our society has with prying and needling into privacy.” Mehreen is only 22, but her mature and strongly-worded opinion set everyone thinking when it went viral on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Judging a TV show or a film on its technical or literary merits is a more serious job; it requires “some knowledge of the medium, its technique as well as history”, as noted film critic Aijaz Gul says. Mira seconds him, while also revealing that she “is guilty of the same, because I started writing reviews for The News when I was only 16. But soon I decided to go abroad and study film production, theory and history.” However, she says, she wouldn’t stop anyone who has seen a movie or is interested in films from voicing their opinion, since “it isn’t a job of great responsibility. I mean, you aren’t a public servant or a minister here, you can’t be held ‘accountable’. It’s just an opinion that you are giving. It is up to the readers what they make of it. And, your opinion is only one among millions.” Mira’s viewpoint endorses the fact implicit in art criticism that opinion is what a critic is essentially giving and no two critics — however noted and credited — are expected to have the same opinion on the same piece of art. And, neither of them is wrong. Home Daily Jang The News Sales & Advt Contact Us BACK ISSUES introspection TV in black & white Should media owners, producers, journalists and concerned citizens hammer out a mutually agreed upon code of ethics that can be periodically reviewed? By Alefia T. Hussain Day after day, minute by minute, TV takes us places in pursuit of ‘drama’ — to private quarters of private people, to crime scenes, to studios where heads meet to create noise; a lot of noise. TV looks for drama at all the odd places — in hospitals, police stations, court rooms, public offices, just about everywhere — and to the centre of controversies and judgments. Truthfully, this little ‘idiot box’ of ours has come to become all intrusive and all powerful. Yet, it has not matured to be called an ‘intelligent box’. Today’s television, to activist and journalist Beena Sarwar, is “dynamic and evolving, with boundaries between news and entertainment being blurred for commercial reasons.” And, it is distressing: “I do not spend too much time in front of the TV screen, but whenever I do, it makes me feel very unhappy,” says veteran journalist I. A. Rehman. Or, is it more than this? Dawn News anchor person and journalist Syed Talat Husain believes the electronic media is a game changer; a new evolving profession. One of the follies perhaps, he admits, has been to push the news bulletins aside and allow the current affairs talk shows to take over. “Now that’s what is opinionated and arrogant — and, therefore, hits the viewers on the face.” So, what do we want from our TV? Behind such calls for introspection is an accumulation of grievance about how this medium has acted and expanded over the last decade. For the big critics, the television journalists have begun to tinker with the boundaries of their profession and follow weak professional ethics. To quote Sarwar, “When they mix up entertainment with journalism, it serves the cause of neither.” The more pertinent question, perhaps, would be to ask what the prior good practices in journalism are being replaced by. As Rehman says, “Today, since the viewers are not in a mood to be enlightened and since they no longer find knowledge and information fun, the TV journalists have learnt that sensationalism and shock is the only course available to survive the cutthroat competition and market pressure. And, in the process, the pursuit of fair assessment of truth and values is failing. They have become party to moralising. Their purpose is to make noise and not necessarily initiate quality debate and discourse.” TV professionals have the record of getting carried away with sheer urgency of their 24/7 coverage and make mistakes. Take the Maya Khan show which put the electronic media in immense turmoil, leading to jitteriness to defend the medium at one end and at the other overconfident shrills to take it in the right direction. There was deafening noise emanating from all directions, so much that no one could be heard clearly and effectively. This happens when television channels try to increase ratings and get more commercials, they are fulfilling a commercial and business requirement, and hence allow overshadowing the basic rules of journalism — reporting on all sides of the story, being accurate, getting a two-source-at least-confirmation, etc — when they get into the news reporting business. “For that side of their ‘business’ they need to put aside those commercial interests, and enable and allow the reporters and producers to focus on the requirements of journalism, not trying to increase viewership, popularity and ratings,” stresses Sarwar. ARY News talk show anchor Fahd Husain agrees. For him, the news channels are veering away from information and truth in their race for ratings. “Today’s TV journalist is akin to a salesman, airing content that sells,” he laments. Husain holds the proprietor responsible for the mess, because he hammers the journalist to produce content that sells and which not always meets the basic principles of journalism. “This classic conflict is essentially between the journalist and the marketing executive. The journalist eyes the story, the marketeer eyes the revenue; the journalist looks for social impact, the marketeer at the financial and commercial impact; the journalist has a responsibility to society, the marketeer to his boss’s balance sheet. This differentiation between salesperson and journalist must be addressed. Otherwise the journo will continue to get rot from the owner, and fail to add value and veracity to his work.” Syed Talat Husain, on the contrary, is quite comfortable with the marketing formula adopted by proprietors of TV channels. He equates TRPs to the circulation of newspapers. “Since the very beginning, the success of a newspaper is judged by its circulation; it’s a given. So why can’t we digest the idea of ratings.” In effect, TRPs go against the grain of being a journalist whose ultimate pursuit is the truth not ratings. “Running a news channel is about balancing these two,” reminds Sahar Habib Ghazi, editor-in-chief, Hosh Media, a news website. Also the industry has experienced the massive proliferation of amateur journalists without appropriate institutions and colleges to train its professionals. “Our universities offering journalism courses did not grow with the same ease nor did they adjust their curricula to the needs of 24/7 live news; when the news environment in Pakistan was on fire… Many untrained and inexperienced reporters were pushed into a dizzying environment of breaking news,” adds Ghazi, pressing for news organisations to fill the gap by offering training courses to its employees. Here Fahd Husain draws a distinction: Where the newsroom people are professional in gathering and prioritising news, the production people are inept at using journalistic tools and lack understanding of news per se. “Producers have been reduced merely to technicians. They have world class equipment at hand but no knowledge of world class journalistic expertise”, he says. So, TV is anarchic and shaggy. Because “[Only] some TV channels in Pakistan follow informal editorial guidelines or codes that have developed organically through trial and error. But to the best of my knowledge no one has compiled and documented a formal list. All Pakistani channels and media outlets need to do the same to be considered transparent, accountable and ethical,” says Ghazi. And, it is freewheeling. In this milieu, should media owners, producers, journalists and concerned citizens hammer out a mutually agreed upon code of ethics that can be periodically reviewed? Should they have their own ombudsman that people can turn to for complaints and redress? Should PEMRA take charge? Or, should professionals self-regulate? “Regulation prolongs the illnesses and weaknesses of the system,” thinks I. A. Rehman. “TV journalist should essentially self-regulate,” asserts Beena Sarwar. TV channels have traversed a long, winding path. Its coverage area has increased. It takes viewers close to rights issues, poverty, corruption and issues that are dear to their heart. With reporting, it digs in and comes up with qualitative research. But the fact is that refinement comes only with experience. Clearly, refinement is what we want from our TV. “But the demand for refinement must come from the viewers,” stresses Rehman. Why ‘M’ is not really a word Television is about intelligence; it’s a game of chess, not right or wrong By Ali Sultan Whenever some controversy about the media erupts, everyone gathers around and bulldozes social networking, print and television with “what actually is the media’s role.” My personal favourite is “we need to actually define things.” The thesis is simple, defining anything is sheer bollocks. It means that if the definers had their say, phones would still be attached to wires and no one would actually consider how good the camera is before buying a mobile. Everything is in constant flux and, if intelligence is used generously, then we should understand that we can and do change everything all the time. Another addition to the kitchen sink, what people think of in moral terms and what people actually do are two separate ballparks. Take Facebook, for example. One click on an “add friend” means access, and even if it’s controlled access, its access to parts of one’s life nonetheless. Is snooping around on someone’s pictures, social behaviour, religious beliefs or even cooking habits really a moral thing to do? But we all love to snoop, don’t we? What we think and what we do is almost not the same thing. Before going to the scene of the crime, let’s clear out some of the air. Any enterprise has to survive. The survival is simple. A person or a company offers some sort of product or service to others; if convinced of its benefit, the buyer will compensate, usually in monetary value, to the seller. Television is also a ‘commercial’ enterprise. But television is the trickiest of markets because the transaction is not direct, and here is where Television Rating Points or TRPs come in. TRPs are an audience measurement criterion that indicates the popularity of a television channel or programme. Television may be free, but it actually isn’t. Advertisers pay for programmes and TRPs are the most important tool for them. It shows them a measurement—a guidemap— which might not be 100 percent accurate, but still a measurement of what people are watching, and the more people will watch a programme, it’s a sure bet that it will generate an advertiser’s interest and, if a healthy number of advertisement is found, then it means it’s not only covering the programme’s cost, but also generating profit. The total reverse would be: a TV show is made, generates little or no ad interest and is cancelled (which is not the only reason they are, by the way.) Television is about intelligence; it’s a game of chess, not right or wrong. Maya Khan’s ouster was not an intelligent move, an intelligent ouster would be people having stopped watching her show. Revolting against her and the likes of her doesn’t really mean a thing because intelligent TV executives, bosses and advertisers know that there is a large segment of an audience which believes in what she and many like her preach. In the very opposite end of the spectrum, a TV channel and a particular TV host had a sizeable following because of an adult TV show which started after 12am. Where was the hue and cry there? Television is also one of the most intricate mediums to see what democracy in its truest essence means. Morality, truth, puritan, sleazy or any myriad collection of buzzwords is not what an intelligent television executive (or even an audience) is looking for television to be; they are only boxes to be filled, flavours to be aroused in a 24-hour course dinner. The question, therefore, is only about intelligence and nothing else; opponents sizing each other up before a boxing match. The audience, the “other TV show” the other TV channel is the opponent and always will be. It’s always the hustle, the tricking, of what an audience will watch, can watch, and television is always getting more and more intelligent; a blow or two doesn’t mean it will fall down. It only means that it will be careful not to get the next one. debate Privacy and media ethics Privacy that never sat easy with freedom of expression is now at absolute variance with it By Farah Zia Kelvin Mackenzie, a former editor of the Murdoch-owned The Sun spoke about the “tremendous amount of snobbery involved in journalism” while talking to the media ethics inquiry about tabloids, in January this year. He gave a hypothetical example of hacking into Tony Blair’s cell phone to discover that Blair had bypassed his cabinet in order to go to war. “If you publish it in The Sun, you get six months in jail. If you publish it in The Guardian, you get a Pulitzer.” Having no obvious connection with the Maya Khan TV programme, though the two may somehow be linked regarding issues of individuals’ privacy and journalistic ethics, the quote of Mackenzie does ring a bell about the double standards applied in our own media world where the small fry gets caught and punished; for the rest, it’s business as usual. There used to be a time when things were simple in the world of journalism. It was simple saying that there has to be a delicate balance between rights of privacy and freedom of speech. It was simple saying public figures don’t have privacy rights. It was simple stating that a journalist’s job is to cull out the truth and that journalists do have the good sense to weigh the public good element against privacy. And, it was easy telling the editors that they must exercise their editorial judgment. All of the above was a subject of debate even then. None of it was taken as a given, with hunky-dory consequences. But at least the debate was confined within certain parametres. Somewhere down the line, things started becoming complex, grey, interest-driven and unimaginably big. Being in the public domain, they are still subject to yardsticks of ethics and law. It’s just that the simplistic definitions from yesterday are no more valid. A journalist’s job is now as much about bringing out the truth before people as selling the product he works for. Privacy that never sat easy with freedom of expression is now at absolute variance with it. This conflict is more pronounced on television where the race for ratings and advertising revenues is the primary consideration. Editorial judgment is all about whatever sells. Not that print journalism stands absolved. They both make ludicrous attempts at invading privacy in the name of investigative journalism. On television, the desire for profits has blurred any distinction between one genre and the other (just as the reporters in print write analysis as investigative reports). The political talk shows are designed, or are at least watched, as entertainment. The morning shows that ought to have been designed to entertain and inform, in their bid to venture into investigative journalism, end up as exercises in moral policing. We don’t know where showbiz begins and journalism ends. That is why Maya Khan’s show was a problem. But Maya Khan was not the first one to take a microphone and camera into people’s faces. The news channels did that long before her. They have not even shied away from taking the mikes and cameras into hospital wards seeking comments from injured people who happen to be bomb victims. They have covered funerals like they never should have. The anchorpersons act less like journalists and more like activists. Privacy rights are not their concern because what they handle are public figures. It was nothing short of a miracle watching the ailing president of the country return, breathe and even deliver a speech or give an interview after counting all the diseases these anchorpersons had claimed he had. How this public figure definition is stretched in the corporate media only makes one cringe with fear. What the journalists don’t realise is that as beneficiaries of this market-driven media, they too have become public figures of sorts. This qualifies them to forfeit their own privacy rights. A tale of three Khans From the dumb, bubbly heroine of Hasina Moin’s plays to the dumb, bubbly and conservative morning show host — it’s one sad evolutionary tale Years ago, in a television programme, I heard Bollywood’s popular cabaret dancer Helen remark about how the heroines in Hindi films had started dressing up in a vulgar way. “Look, who’s talking!” was my obvious retort. Just then, she added, “You see, in our times, it was only the vamps who wore revealing clothes. That job is taken up by the heroines now.” Helen might or might not have a point, but it is interesting to locate the exact moment you start criticising your own clones. (Today’s heroines may not strictly be Helen’s clones.) Often you don’t. You bask in your own faded glory or the negative publicity these clones bring to you. When you finally do, it has to be an unusual point in time. So, it was quite a sight watching one Khan, the pioneer of morning shows of a certain variety in Pakistan, appear in a television show and lambast her own clone, with whom she happens to share her surname. In the show that was aimed at making an example of this clone for her intrusions into the privacy of the individual, the former Khan only proved my point — that the clone only took off from where she had left. In her own show, the pioneer Khan had promoted and strengthened conservatism in a subtle but dangerous manner. She would moralise and then she would moralise again. That is why, it was impossible for the liberal progressive social media buffs, who are now up in arms against the Khan clone, to watch the ‘pioneer’ Khan’s show. Yes, she did it intelligently and may not have breached anyone’s privacy in the strictest sense. But she did other things. In a talk show where she had been invited to comment on her clone, she said many things that only proved she was the trailblazer of obscurantism and hypocrisy on television — “These new girls don’t wear dopattas; they shake hands with men, they do this, they do that, while I never didâ€Śâ€ Defenders of the pioneer Khan say she was the original and the clones are but clones. How was she the original, I ask? To me, as a viewer, she didn’t seem original at all. To me, she looked like a clone of Hasina Moin’s dumb, bubbly, chirpy heroines who captured the fancy of Ziaul Haq’s children, the young and old, men and women of this entertainment-starved, Islamised country, in the late 1970s and early ‘80s. In those days of strict political censorship, the heroine of Hasina Moin (another Khan to fit the description), cuddling stuffed teddy bear, was like a breath of fresh air. Add at least fifty lbs, 15 years and a conservative worldview and the pioneer host of the morning shows is born. Must we then blame the clone Khan when the path of populism was laid out by those who came before her? From inanity to conservatism to vigilantism is all but one connected journey. Such is the society that we have created over the years. — Farah Zia As serious as a critic? With the coming into being of the blogosphere, and the world of web becoming increasingly interactive, every man jack with a computer and internet access has become a sort of a ‘critic’ By Usman Ghafoor It used to be the professionals’ domain. There were well-educated and well-informed culture columnists in Pakistan, such as Safdar Mir (alias Zeno), I.A. Rehman, Hameed Sheikh and Zafar Samdani, whose word was law for the common film and TV enthusiast and it also influenced the product makers. Their reviews were carried in noted journals — with the exception of Hameed Sheikh, who was a broadcast critic — and, overtime, they developed a loyal base of readers who, it is not hard to assume, took to their style of commenting (each had his own particular style, for that matter) and also trusted them to give the right opinion. Today, the situation is unfunnily different. With the coming into being of the blogosphere, and the world of web becoming increasingly interactive, every man jack with a computer and internet access — and, let’s say, an opinion(!) — has become a sort of a ‘critic’. What’s more, they are creating an impact. Correspondingly, the good ol’ print newspaper suddenly finds itself without much clout. So, where does that leave the ‘real’ and trustworthy critic? Who should the responsibility to ‘influence’ opinions lie with, when everyone is sitting in moral judgment of things? What will become of the seasoned group of commentators in time? The entire world is debating to find the best answer to the above queries, as the new-age media looks poised to take complete control over the traditional media. Websites such as Metacritic are said to have already replaced printed criticism as it famously rates films based on the opinion of a variety of reviews — readers’ reviews included. At the same time, it is learnt that scores of established critics at Newsweek, Village Voice and Newsday have either retired or been laid off. Pakistan’s case may be worse as it has lost most of its serious critics of film and TV either to death or to other professions. Both our electronic and print media haven’t been able to produce a credible second generation (of critics). And, from the looks of it, they aren’t bothered. Why, because they know their organisation’s name will carry weight where a writer’s byline doesn’t. As film maker, academic and critic, Mira Hashmi puts it, “Our TV is not quite regarded as a medium with a lot of depth. I mean, it’s not serious work; it’s just fluff that you’re watching at the end of the day. “As a society, we don’t take performing arts seriously, so why take critics seriously?” she asks. Again, the web world paints a completely different picture. Here, a TV morning show is smothered to bits and its host forced to apologise — or else face a termination — when she strays into what is popularly derided as ‘vigilantism’, parading the parks of Karachi in order to ‘catch’ dating couples. “The privacy of a person’s choice is most cogent; they’ll ask for help when they ask you,” wrote Lahore-based Mehreen Khasana in her much-quoted blog. “I am mortified as a Pakistani when I see wardens of rectitude making dangerous spectacles of common citizens simply to boost hits on their show or to become shining role models for people of equally disappointing, mediocre thinking. If that young couple gets hurt — which happens inevitably as a result of your irresponsible moral policing — you will be held accountable for reinforcing the sick obsession our society has with prying and needling into privacy.” Mehreen is only 22, but her mature and strongly-worded opinion set everyone thinking when it went viral on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Judging a TV show or a film on its technical or literary merits is a more serious job; it requires “some knowledge of the medium, its technique as well as history”, as noted film critic Aijaz Gul says. Mira seconds him, while also revealing that she “is guilty of the same, because I started writing reviews for The News when I was only 16. But soon I decided to go abroad and study film production, theory and history.” However, she says, she wouldn’t stop anyone who has seen a movie or is interested in films from voicing their opinion, since “it isn’t a job of great responsibility. I mean, you aren’t a public servant or a minister here, you can’t be held ‘accountable’. It’s just an opinion that you are giving. It is up to the readers what they make of it. And, your opinion is only one among millions.” Mira’s viewpoint endorses the fact implicit in art criticism that opinion is what a critic is essentially giving and no two critics — however noted and credited — are expected to have the same opinion on the same piece of art. And, neither of them is wrong.
Posted by odclive via “one degree connected” – Social Mention  

Recently Being Discussed on FriendFeed

Cell Phone Accessories At Cheap Prices | The World of Gadgets
The usage of cell phones has increased tremendously these days. People want to … However, cell phone accessories are not only used for availing the complete utilization of the cell phones. … Most of these products are of very good quality.  read more…

HTC Sense 3.6, HTC Sense 3.6 Review, HTC … – Crazy4cellphones
Plus, the folders can also be used as an option here. HTC has even kept the multitasking setup very accessible by pressing the home button for a long time. You can also kill the tasks by swiping on the listed app either to the right or left.  read more…

From Google Blog Search

From GoArticles.com

Powered by Revver

Short-Cunningham Funeral Homes kicks off Cell Phones for Soldiers collection drive
Larry Hodgson, owner of Short-Cunningham Funeral Homes, announced today that his firm has been selected to become an exclusive, Certified Veterans & Family Memorial Care Provider for Wabash County. VFMC Providers are family owned and operated. They are selected for upholding the highest level of ethical business standards and integrity while providing outstanding, affordable professional service.  read more…

Toshiba Launches SDHC Memory Cards with World's Fastest Transfer Rates
IRVINE, Calif., March 13, 2012 /PRNewswire/ –  Toshiba America Electronic Components, Inc., (TAEC)*, a committed leader that collaborates with technology companies to create breakthrough designs, today …  read more…

Audience Redefines the Voice Experience of Feature Phones
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Feb. 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – Feature phone users can now enjoy the same voice quality as high end smartphones, thanks to new technology introduced today by Audience®, the leader …  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! News

Resolved Question: Why do young males blast music on their phones when using public transportation (e.g. busses, trains)?
Specifically, why do many insist on NOT using headphones, instead blasting the audio through the tinny, buzzy, 1/4″ speaker ON THE PHONE?

I don’t need to know why people like to listen to music – I get that. The question is, why do these young men feel the need (or desire) to inflict their music upon total strangers? I have never seen a portable music device of any description – cell phones included – that does NOT come with a FREE set of earbud headphones, so it follows that anyone who owns such a device COULD enjoy his music*without* making a public nuisance of himself.

Also, it cannot be that the audio quality of the wafer-thin, monaural speaker wedged inside any cell phone sounds better than even a modestly-priced set of earbuds placed directly in the ears.

I suppose it’s possible that SOME have either lost their earbuds or find them uncomfortable – AND are oblivious to their effect on the people around them – but I’d hate to think this accounts for most of them.

The only answer I can see is that for some reason, these young men WANT to force random strangers to hear their music. But why?

My Theories:
1 – They assume everyone will find the music as enjoyable as they do, and they imagine the bus or train erupting into a spontaneous dance party.
2 – Broadcasting their music of choice in public is a misguided attempt at making some kind of statement, perhaps expressing individuality. (It’s misguided because [a] music played in this way becomes an indecipherable, insect-like buzz after about 3 feet [b] kids who do this invariably make extremely predictable music choices, so it ends up expressing NOT individuality, but rather lemming-like conformity and [c] when the bus/train is full of, primarily, adults, the only statement that comes through is “I’m an irritating little kid”)
3 – It’s plain old trolling — a way to cravenly ignore the conventions of civilized society while at the same time relying on those same conventions to protect them from retaliation.

I suspect that, if confronted, many perpetrators would offer some innocuous reason, but personally I think #3 is the answer.

Any other ideas? Am I missing something?

  read more…

Open Question: Business Statiscis Math?
1. In the US legal system, a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Consider the null hypothesis Ho that the defendant is innocent and an alternative hypothesis Ha that the defendant is guilty. A jury has two possible decisions: Convict the defendant (reject the hull hypothesis) or do not convict the defendant (do not reject the null hypothesis). Explain the meaning of the risks of committing either a Type I or Type II error in this example.

2. Children in the United States account directly for $ 36 billion in sales annually. When their indirect influence over product decisions is considered, the total economic spending affected by children in the US is $ 290 billion. It is estimated that by age 10, a child makes an average of more than 5 trips per week to a store. Suppose that you want to prove that children in Los Angeles average more than 5 trips a week to a store. Let represent the population mean number of times children in Los Angeles make trips to a store.
a) State the null and the alternative hypotheses.
b) Explain the meaning of the Type I and Type II errors in the context of this scenario.
c) In Los Angeles, you take a sample of 100 children and find that the mean number of trips to the store is 5.47 and the sample standard deviation of the number of trips to the store is 1.6. At the 0.01 level of significance, is there evidence that the population mean number of trips to the store is greater than 5 per week?

3. According to a recent study, when shopping online for luxury goods, men spend a mean of $ 2401 whereas women spend a mean of $ 1527. The study was based on a sample of 60 men and 70 women, and the standard deviation of the amount spent was $ 1200 for men and $ 1000 for women.
a) State the null and the alternative hypothesis if you want to determine whether the mean amount spent is higher for men than for women.
b) At the 0.05 level of significance, is there evidence that the mean amount spent is higher for men than for women?

4. Do young children use cell phones? Apparently so, according to a recent study which reported that children under 12 averaged 137 calls per month compared to 231 calls per month for children 13 to 17 years of age. The two sample sizes were 12 for children under 12 and 15 for children 13 to 17 years of age. Further, the standard deviation for children under 12 was 51.7, while the standard deviation for children 13 to 17 of age was 67.6.
a) Assuming that the variances in the populations are equal, is there a difference in the mean cell phone usage between the two groups?
b) Is the assumption in the previous question correct?

Part 2 (50 points)

Many variables influence the price of a company’s common stock, including company-specific internal variables such as product quality and financial performance, and external market variables such as interest rates, exchange rates and stock market performance.
The attached table contains quarterly data on three such external variables (x1, x2, and x3) and the price y of Ford Motor Company’s common stock (adjusted for stock splits). The Japanese yen exchange rate, x1, measures the strength of the yen versus the US dollar. The higher the rate, the cheaper are Japanese imports – such as the automobiles of Toyota, Nissan, Honda, and Subaru – to US consumers.
Similarly, the higher the deutsche mark exchange rate, x2, the less expensive are BMW’s and Mercedes Benz’s to US consumers. Finally, the S&P 500 Index, x3, is a general measure of the performance of the market for stocks in US firms.

1) Fit the regression model y = to the data. Report the LS (least squares) equation and all the relevant statistics. Attach your Excel printouts.

2) Find the coefficient of determination and interpret its value.

3) Do the data provide sufficient evidence that the price of Ford stock decreases when the yen increases? Reach your conclusion using .

4) Do the data provide sufficient evidence that the price of Ford stock decreases when the deutsche mark increases? Reach your conclusion using .

5) Do the data provide sufficient evidence that the price of Ford stock respond to general market conditions? Reach your conclusion using .

6) Calculate the Durbin-Watson statistic. Do the data provide sufficient evidence of autocorrelation? Attach your Excel printouts.

7) Examine the results for evidence of heteroskedaticity and multicollinearity. Attach your Excel printouts.

  read more…

Resolved Question: Do we really need feature packed cell phones?
In the last 10 years, phones are not serving their purpose, call quality has not improved and battery life is still fairly poor. Why do manufacturers constantly put cameras on phones which are hardly ever used and touchsceen functions are more complicated than before.

I know that there are apps which can provide us with many different features for our phones, although I rarely use them tbh.
I’m with you on that Daniel, manufacturers create a need for products. I just wonder when phones will stop evolving cause I can’t see them changing much more from what they currently are. Although saying that there are technologies which I would hope evolve much quicker, televisions and cameras and fridges

  read more…

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

 The Computer Revolution/Networks/Global Positioning System (GPS) Applications
Posted by essayontime via “essaysontime11″ via Essay in Google Reader  

 The Computer Revolution/Networks/Global Positioning System (GPS) Applications
Posted by essayontime via “essaysontime11″ via Essay in Google Reader  

 The Computer Revolution/Networks/Global Positioning System (GPS) Applications
Posted by essayontime via “essaysontime11″ via Essay in Google Reader  

 The Computer Revolution/Networks/Global Positioning System (GPS) Applications
Posted by essayontime via “essaysontime11″ via Essay in Google Reader  

 Cellular Country discount coupons
Posted by mindblaster via Latest Discount Coupons for online stores  

 Versatile Bluetooth Receiver (stereo music and voice receiver). Can be used as wireless stereo headset or receiver for home-theatre system. Ideal for iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch, Blackberries, Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, LG, HTC, Sony-Ericsson etc cell-phones.
Posted by maasr via Buy Best Ipad Reviews  

 Versatile Bluetooth Receiver (stereo music and voice receiver). Can be used as wireless stereo headset or receiver for home-theatre system. Ideal for iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch, Blackberries, Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, LG, HTC, Sony-Ericsson etc cell-phones.
Posted by maasr via Buy Best Ipad Reviews  

 Editorial This one show that gained such notoriety in recent days offered us an opportunity to look at us. This is one thing we have kept putting off. Eight to ten years in the field and our claims of infancy remain. introspection TV in black & white Should media owners, producers, journalists and concerned citizens hammer out a mutually agreed upon code of ethics that can be periodically reviewed? By Alefia T. Hussain Day after day, minute by minute, TV takes us places in pursuit of ‘drama’ — to private quarters of private people, to crime scenes, to studios where heads meet to create noise; a lot of noise. TV looks for drama at all the odd places — in hospitals, police stations, court rooms, public offices, just about everywhere — and to the centre of controversies and judgments. Why ‘M’ is not really a word Television is about intelligence; it’s a game of chess, not right or wrong By Ali Sultan Whenever some controversy about the media erupts, everyone gathers around and bulldozes social networking, print and television with “what actually is the media’s role.” My personal favourite is “we need to actually define things.” debate Privacy and media ethics Privacy that never sat easy with freedom of expression is now at absolute variance with it By Farah Zia Kelvin Mackenzie, a former editor of the Murdoch-owned The Sun spoke about the “tremendous amount of snobbery involved in journalism” while talking to the media ethics inquiry about tabloids, in January this year. He gave a hypothetical example of hacking into Tony Blair’s cell phone to discover that Blair had bypassed his cabinet in order to go to war. “If you publish it in The Sun, you get six months in jail. If you publish it in The Guardian, you get a Pulitzer.” A tale of three Khans From the dumb, bubbly heroine of Hasina Moin’s plays to the dumb, bubbly and conservative morning show host — it’s one sad evolutionary tale Years ago, in a television programme, I heard Bollywood’s popular cabaret dancer Helen remark about how the heroines in Hindi films had started dressing up in a vulgar way. “Look, who’s talking!” was my obvious retort. Just then, she added, “You see, in our times, it was only the vamps who wore revealing clothes. That job is taken up by the heroines now.” As serious as a critic? With the coming into being of the blogosphere, and the world of web becoming increasingly interactive, every man jack with a computer and internet access has become a sort of a ‘critic’ By Usman Ghafoor It used to be the professionals’ domain. There were well-educated and well-informed culture columnists in Pakistan, such as Safdar Mir (alias Zeno), I.A. Rehman, Hameed Sheikh and Zafar Samdani, whose word was law for the common film and TV enthusiast and it also influenced the product makers. Their reviews were carried in noted journals — with the exception of Hameed Sheikh, who was a broadcast critic — and, overtime, they developed a loyal base of readers who, it is not hard to assume, took to their style of commenting (each had his own particular style, for that matter) and also trusted them to give the right opinion. Today, the situation is unfunnily different. Editorial This one show that gained such notoriety in recent days offered us an opportunity to look at us. This is one thing we have kept putting off. Eight to ten years in the field and our claims of infancy remain. We the fourth pillar of the state, the watchdog, could not commit a wrong. We stand on a high pedestal and claim to be representing all of the 180 million people each time we have talked down to the corrupt political elite. The people committed a blunder in electing the corrupt NRO-ridden, fake-degree holding, stupid politicians. We will not let them do this again. We opened up the Memogate that closed sooner than we thought. We shall not budge. Now we shall not allow the Senate elections under the flawed voters’ lists. Somewhere in between our exalted goals came this show and we could not put off looking at our mirror image one more time. To some, it appeared ghastly. So, what to do? We jump in to distance ourselves from this one. Activists that we were, we joined hands with the ones operating on the social media to have this erring anchor fired from job. There is a sense of dĂŠjĂ  vu. But that’s how we work — depending on fleeting memory span. At this point in time, we try to make the distinction between us and the entertainment tv sharp and clear. Deep down we know it’s a systemic issue and there’s nothing we can do about it; our claims about the flaws being due to infancy notwithstanding. Our counterpart on television, the drama, has made a comeback. From its heydays it took a nosedive and it has reemerged with a bang; because a relatively small channel kept getting strong, building itself on the yardstick of excellence. Others had to follow. With us newsmen, the competition is cut-throat. So together we all keep lowering the standards. We are accused of distorting tastes; of sensationalising. But we break even. We make profits. Often, on occasions like this, we do raise noises about our collective desire for self-regulation. Nothing but self-regulation. Soon it’s time to go back to our newsrooms and our talk-shows studios. We do realise people need a break from politician-bashing; so on weekends we give them prostitutes and eunuchs. Frankly, we have been overcriticised by some sections. We do after all give people what they want to see. See, this looking within does help. introspection TV in black & white Should media owners, producers, journalists and concerned citizens hammer out a mutually agreed upon code of ethics that can be periodically reviewed? By Alefia T. Hussain Day after day, minute by minute, TV takes us places in pursuit of ‘drama’ — to private quarters of private people, to crime scenes, to studios where heads meet to create noise; a lot of noise. TV looks for drama at all the odd places — in hospitals, police stations, court rooms, public offices, just about everywhere — and to the centre of controversies and judgments. Truthfully, this little ‘idiot box’ of ours has come to become all intrusive and all powerful. Yet, it has not matured to be called an ‘intelligent box’. Today’s television, to activist and journalist Beena Sarwar, is “dynamic and evolving, with boundaries between news and entertainment being blurred for commercial reasons.” And, it is distressing: “I do not spend too much time in front of the TV screen, but whenever I do, it makes me feel very unhappy,” says veteran journalist I. A. Rehman. Or, is it more than this? Dawn News anchor person and journalist Syed Talat Husain believes the electronic media is a game changer; a new evolving profession. One of the follies perhaps, he admits, has been to push the news bulletins aside and allow the current affairs talk shows to take over. “Now that’s what is opinionated and arrogant — and, therefore, hits the viewers on the face.” So, what do we want from our TV? Behind such calls for introspection is an accumulation of grievance about how this medium has acted and expanded over the last decade. For the big critics, the television journalists have begun to tinker with the boundaries of their profession and follow weak professional ethics. To quote Sarwar, “When they mix up entertainment with journalism, it serves the cause of neither.” The more pertinent question, perhaps, would be to ask what the prior good practices in journalism are being replaced by. As Rehman says, “Today, since the viewers are not in a mood to be enlightened and since they no longer find knowledge and information fun, the TV journalists have learnt that sensationalism and shock is the only course available to survive the cutthroat competition and market pressure. And, in the process, the pursuit of fair assessment of truth and values is failing. They have become party to moralising. Their purpose is to make noise and not necessarily initiate quality debate and discourse.” TV professionals have the record of getting carried away with sheer urgency of their 24/7 coverage and make mistakes. Take the Maya Khan show which put the electronic media in immense turmoil, leading to jitteriness to defend the medium at one end and at the other overconfident shrills to take it in the right direction. There was deafening noise emanating from all directions, so much that no one could be heard clearly and effectively. This happens when television channels try to increase ratings and get more commercials, they are fulfilling a commercial and business requirement, and hence allow overshadowing the basic rules of journalism — reporting on all sides of the story, being accurate, getting a two-source-at least-confirmation, etc — when they get into the news reporting business. “For that side of their ‘business’ they need to put aside those commercial interests, and enable and allow the reporters and producers to focus on the requirements of journalism, not trying to increase viewership, popularity and ratings,” stresses Sarwar. ARY News talk show anchor Fahd Husain agrees. For him, the news channels are veering away from information and truth in their race for ratings. “Today’s TV journalist is akin to a salesman, airing content that sells,” he laments. Husain holds the proprietor responsible for the mess, because he hammers the journalist to produce content that sells and which not always meets the basic principles of journalism. “This classic conflict is essentially between the journalist and the marketing executive. The journalist eyes the story, the marketeer eyes the revenue; the journalist looks for social impact, the marketeer at the financial and commercial impact; the journalist has a responsibility to society, the marketeer to his boss’s balance sheet. This differentiation between salesperson and journalist must be addressed. Otherwise the journo will continue to get rot from the owner, and fail to add value and veracity to his work.” Syed Talat Husain, on the contrary, is quite comfortable with the marketing formula adopted by proprietors of TV channels. He equates TRPs to the circulation of newspapers. “Since the very beginning, the success of a newspaper is judged by its circulation; it’s a given. So why can’t we digest the idea of ratings.” In effect, TRPs go against the grain of being a journalist whose ultimate pursuit is the truth not ratings. “Running a news channel is about balancing these two,” reminds Sahar Habib Ghazi, editor-in-chief, Hosh Media, a news website. Also the industry has experienced the massive proliferation of amateur journalists without appropriate institutions and colleges to train its professionals. “Our universities offering journalism courses did not grow with the same ease nor did they adjust their curricula to the needs of 24/7 live news; when the news environment in Pakistan was on fire… Many untrained and inexperienced reporters were pushed into a dizzying environment of breaking news,” adds Ghazi, pressing for news organisations to fill the gap by offering training courses to its employees. Here Fahd Husain draws a distinction: Where the newsroom people are professional in gathering and prioritising news, the production people are inept at using journalistic tools and lack understanding of news per se. “Producers have been reduced merely to technicians. They have world class equipment at hand but no knowledge of world class journalistic expertise”, he says. So, TV is anarchic and shaggy. Because “[Only] some TV channels in Pakistan follow informal editorial guidelines or codes that have developed organically through trial and error. But to the best of my knowledge no one has compiled and documented a formal list. All Pakistani channels and media outlets need to do the same to be considered transparent, accountable and ethical,” says Ghazi. And, it is freewheeling. In this milieu, should media owners, producers, journalists and concerned citizens hammer out a mutually agreed upon code of ethics that can be periodically reviewed? Should they have their own ombudsman that people can turn to for complaints and redress? Should PEMRA take charge? Or, should professionals self-regulate? “Regulation prolongs the illnesses and weaknesses of the system,” thinks I. A. Rehman. “TV journalist should essentially self-regulate,” asserts Beena Sarwar. TV channels have traversed a long, winding path. Its coverage area has increased. It takes viewers close to rights issues, poverty, corruption and issues that are dear to their heart. With reporting, it digs in and comes up with qualitative research. But the fact is that refinement comes only with experience. Clearly, refinement is what we want from our TV. “But the demand for refinement must come from the viewers,” stresses Rehman. Why ‘M’ is not really a word Television is about intelligence; it’s a game of chess, not right or wrong By Ali Sultan Whenever some controversy about the media erupts, everyone gathers around and bulldozes social networking, print and television with “what actually is the media’s role.” My personal favourite is “we need to actually define things.” The thesis is simple, defining anything is sheer bollocks. It means that if the definers had their say, phones would still be attached to wires and no one would actually consider how good the camera is before buying a mobile. Everything is in constant flux and, if intelligence is used generously, then we should understand that we can and do change everything all the time. Another addition to the kitchen sink, what people think of in moral terms and what people actually do are two separate ballparks. Take Facebook, for example. One click on an “add friend” means access, and even if it’s controlled access, its access to parts of one’s life nonetheless. Is snooping around on someone’s pictures, social behaviour, religious beliefs or even cooking habits really a moral thing to do? But we all love to snoop, don’t we? What we think and what we do is almost not the same thing. Before going to the scene of the crime, let’s clear out some of the air. Any enterprise has to survive. The survival is simple. A person or a company offers some sort of product or service to others; if convinced of its benefit, the buyer will compensate, usually in monetary value, to the seller. Television is also a ‘commercial’ enterprise. But television is the trickiest of markets because the transaction is not direct, and here is where Television Rating Points or TRPs come in. TRPs are an audience measurement criterion that indicates the popularity of a television channel or programme. Television may be free, but it actually isn’t. Advertisers pay for programmes and TRPs are the most important tool for them. It shows them a measurement—a guidemap— which might not be 100 percent accurate, but still a measurement of what people are watching, and the more people will watch a programme, it’s a sure bet that it will generate an advertiser’s interest and, if a healthy number of advertisement is found, then it means it’s not only covering the programme’s cost, but also generating profit. The total reverse would be: a TV show is made, generates little or no ad interest and is cancelled (which is not the only reason they are, by the way.) Television is about intelligence; it’s a game of chess, not right or wrong. Maya Khan’s ouster was not an intelligent move, an intelligent ouster would be people having stopped watching her show. Revolting against her and the likes of her doesn’t really mean a thing because intelligent TV executives, bosses and advertisers know that there is a large segment of an audience which believes in what she and many like her preach. In the very opposite end of the spectrum, a TV channel and a particular TV host had a sizeable following because of an adult TV show which started after 12am. Where was the hue and cry there? Television is also one of the most intricate mediums to see what democracy in its truest essence means. Morality, truth, puritan, sleazy or any myriad collection of buzzwords is not what an intelligent television executive (or even an audience) is looking for television to be; they are only boxes to be filled, flavours to be aroused in a 24-hour course dinner. The question, therefore, is only about intelligence and nothing else; opponents sizing each other up before a boxing match. The audience, the “other TV show” the other TV channel is the opponent and always will be. It’s always the hustle, the tricking, of what an audience will watch, can watch, and television is always getting more and more intelligent; a blow or two doesn’t mean it will fall down. It only means that it will be careful not to get the next one. debate Privacy and media ethics Privacy that never sat easy with freedom of expression is now at absolute variance with it By Farah Zia Kelvin Mackenzie, a former editor of the Murdoch-owned The Sun spoke about the “tremendous amount of snobbery involved in journalism” while talking to the media ethics inquiry about tabloids, in January this year. He gave a hypothetical example of hacking into Tony Blair’s cell phone to discover that Blair had bypassed his cabinet in order to go to war. “If you publish it in The Sun, you get six months in jail. If you publish it in The Guardian, you get a Pulitzer.” Having no obvious connection with the Maya Khan TV programme, though the two may somehow be linked regarding issues of individuals’ privacy and journalistic ethics, the quote of Mackenzie does ring a bell about the double standards applied in our own media world where the small fry gets caught and punished; for the rest, it’s business as usual. There used to be a time when things were simple in the world of journalism. It was simple saying that there has to be a delicate balance between rights of privacy and freedom of speech. It was simple saying public figures don’t have privacy rights. It was simple stating that a journalist’s job is to cull out the truth and that journalists do have the good sense to weigh the public good element against privacy. And, it was easy telling the editors that they must exercise their editorial judgment. All of the above was a subject of debate even then. None of it was taken as a given, with hunky-dory consequences. But at least the debate was confined within certain parametres. Somewhere down the line, things started becoming complex, grey, interest-driven and unimaginably big. Being in the public domain, they are still subject to yardsticks of ethics and law. It’s just that the simplistic definitions from yesterday are no more valid. A journalist’s job is now as much about bringing out the truth before people as selling the product he works for. Privacy that never sat easy with freedom of expression is now at absolute variance with it. This conflict is more pronounced on television where the race for ratings and advertising revenues is the primary consideration. Editorial judgment is all about whatever sells. Not that print journalism stands absolved. They both make ludicrous attempts at invading privacy in the name of investigative journalism. On television, the desire for profits has blurred any distinction between one genre and the other (just as the reporters in print write analysis as investigative reports). The political talk shows are designed, or are at least watched, as entertainment. The morning shows that ought to have been designed to entertain and inform, in their bid to venture into investigative journalism, end up as exercises in moral policing. We don’t know where showbiz begins and journalism ends. That is why Maya Khan’s show was a problem. But Maya Khan was not the first one to take a microphone and camera into people’s faces. The news channels did that long before her. They have not even shied away from taking the mikes and cameras into hospital wards seeking comments from injured people who happen to be bomb victims. They have covered funerals like they never should have. The anchorpersons act less like journalists and more like activists. Privacy rights are not their concern because what they handle are public figures. It was nothing short of a miracle watching the ailing president of the country return, breathe and even deliver a speech or give an interview after counting all the diseases these anchorpersons had claimed he had. How this public figure definition is stretched in the corporate media only makes one cringe with fear. What the journalists don’t realise is that as beneficiaries of this market-driven media, they too have become public figures of sorts. This qualifies them to forfeit their own privacy rights. A tale of three Khans From the dumb, bubbly heroine of Hasina Moin’s plays to the dumb, bubbly and conservative morning show host — it’s one sad evolutionary tale Years ago, in a television programme, I heard Bollywood’s popular cabaret dancer Helen remark about how the heroines in Hindi films had started dressing up in a vulgar way. “Look, who’s talking!” was my obvious retort. Just then, she added, “You see, in our times, it was only the vamps who wore revealing clothes. That job is taken up by the heroines now.” Helen might or might not have a point, but it is interesting to locate the exact moment you start criticising your own clones. (Today’s heroines may not strictly be Helen’s clones.) Often you don’t. You bask in your own faded glory or the negative publicity these clones bring to you. When you finally do, it has to be an unusual point in time. So, it was quite a sight watching one Khan, the pioneer of morning shows of a certain variety in Pakistan, appear in a television show and lambast her own clone, with whom she happens to share her surname. In the show that was aimed at making an example of this clone for her intrusions into the privacy of the individual, the former Khan only proved my point — that the clone only took off from where she had left. In her own show, the pioneer Khan had promoted and strengthened conservatism in a subtle but dangerous manner. She would moralise and then she would moralise again. That is why, it was impossible for the liberal progressive social media buffs, who are now up in arms against the Khan clone, to watch the ‘pioneer’ Khan’s show. Yes, she did it intelligently and may not have breached anyone’s privacy in the strictest sense. But she did other things. In a talk show where she had been invited to comment on her clone, she said many things that only proved she was the trailblazer of obscurantism and hypocrisy on television — “These new girls don’t wear dopattas; they shake hands with men, they do this, they do that, while I never didâ€Śâ€ Defenders of the pioneer Khan say she was the original and the clones are but clones. How was she the original, I ask? To me, as a viewer, she didn’t seem original at all. To me, she looked like a clone of Hasina Moin’s dumb, bubbly, chirpy heroines who captured the fancy of Ziaul Haq’s children, the young and old, men and women of this entertainment-starved, Islamised country, in the late 1970s and early ‘80s. In those days of strict political censorship, the heroine of Hasina Moin (another Khan to fit the description), cuddling stuffed teddy bear, was like a breath of fresh air. Add at least fifty lbs, 15 years and a conservative worldview and the pioneer host of the morning shows is born. Must we then blame the clone Khan when the path of populism was laid out by those who came before her? From inanity to conservatism to vigilantism is all but one connected journey. Such is the society that we have created over the years. — Farah Zia As serious as a critic? With the coming into being of the blogosphere, and the world of web becoming increasingly interactive, every man jack with a computer and internet access has become a sort of a ‘critic’ By Usman Ghafoor It used to be the professionals’ domain. There were well-educated and well-informed culture columnists in Pakistan, such as Safdar Mir (alias Zeno), I.A. Rehman, Hameed Sheikh and Zafar Samdani, whose word was law for the common film and TV enthusiast and it also influenced the product makers. Their reviews were carried in noted journals — with the exception of Hameed Sheikh, who was a broadcast critic — and, overtime, they developed a loyal base of readers who, it is not hard to assume, took to their style of commenting (each had his own particular style, for that matter) and also trusted them to give the right opinion. Today, the situation is unfunnily different. With the coming into being of the blogosphere, and the world of web becoming increasingly interactive, every man jack with a computer and internet access — and, let’s say, an opinion(!) — has become a sort of a ‘critic’. What’s more, they are creating an impact. Correspondingly, the good ol’ print newspaper suddenly finds itself without much clout. So, where does that leave the ‘real’ and trustworthy critic? Who should the responsibility to ‘influence’ opinions lie with, when everyone is sitting in moral judgment of things? What will become of the seasoned group of commentators in time? The entire world is debating to find the best answer to the above queries, as the new-age media looks poised to take complete control over the traditional media. Websites such as Metacritic are said to have already replaced printed criticism as it famously rates films based on the opinion of a variety of reviews — readers’ reviews included. At the same time, it is learnt that scores of established critics at Newsweek, Village Voice and Newsday have either retired or been laid off. Pakistan’s case may be worse as it has lost most of its serious critics of film and TV either to death or to other professions. Both our electronic and print media haven’t been able to produce a credible second generation (of critics). And, from the looks of it, they aren’t bothered. Why, because they know their organisation’s name will carry weight where a writer’s byline doesn’t. As film maker, academic and critic, Mira Hashmi puts it, “Our TV is not quite regarded as a medium with a lot of depth. I mean, it’s not serious work; it’s just fluff that you’re watching at the end of the day. “As a society, we don’t take performing arts seriously, so why take critics seriously?” she asks. Again, the web world paints a completely different picture. Here, a TV morning show is smothered to bits and its host forced to apologise — or else face a termination — when she strays into what is popularly derided as ‘vigilantism’, parading the parks of Karachi in order to ‘catch’ dating couples. “The privacy of a person’s choice is most cogent; they’ll ask for help when they ask you,” wrote Lahore-based Mehreen Khasana in her much-quoted blog. “I am mortified as a Pakistani when I see wardens of rectitude making dangerous spectacles of common citizens simply to boost hits on their show or to become shining role models for people of equally disappointing, mediocre thinking. If that young couple gets hurt — which happens inevitably as a result of your irresponsible moral policing — you will be held accountable for reinforcing the sick obsession our society has with prying and needling into privacy.” Mehreen is only 22, but her mature and strongly-worded opinion set everyone thinking when it went viral on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Judging a TV show or a film on its technical or literary merits is a more serious job; it requires “some knowledge of the medium, its technique as well as history”, as noted film critic Aijaz Gul says. Mira seconds him, while also revealing that she “is guilty of the same, because I started writing reviews for The News when I was only 16. But soon I decided to go abroad and study film production, theory and history.” However, she says, she wouldn’t stop anyone who has seen a movie or is interested in films from voicing their opinion, since “it isn’t a job of great responsibility. I mean, you aren’t a public servant or a minister here, you can’t be held ‘accountable’. It’s just an opinion that you are giving. It is up to the readers what they make of it. And, your opinion is only one among millions.” Mira’s viewpoint endorses the fact implicit in art criticism that opinion is what a critic is essentially giving and no two critics — however noted and credited — are expected to have the same opinion on the same piece of art. And, neither of them is wrong. Home Daily Jang The News Sales & Advt Contact Us BACK ISSUES introspection TV in black & white Should media owners, producers, journalists and concerned citizens hammer out a mutually agreed upon code of ethics that can be periodically reviewed? By Alefia T. Hussain Day after day, minute by minute, TV takes us places in pursuit of ‘drama’ — to private quarters of private people, to crime scenes, to studios where heads meet to create noise; a lot of noise. TV looks for drama at all the odd places — in hospitals, police stations, court rooms, public offices, just about everywhere — and to the centre of controversies and judgments. Truthfully, this little ‘idiot box’ of ours has come to become all intrusive and all powerful. Yet, it has not matured to be called an ‘intelligent box’. Today’s television, to activist and journalist Beena Sarwar, is “dynamic and evolving, with boundaries between news and entertainment being blurred for commercial reasons.” And, it is distressing: “I do not spend too much time in front of the TV screen, but whenever I do, it makes me feel very unhappy,” says veteran journalist I. A. Rehman. Or, is it more than this? Dawn News anchor person and journalist Syed Talat Husain believes the electronic media is a game changer; a new evolving profession. One of the follies perhaps, he admits, has been to push the news bulletins aside and allow the current affairs talk shows to take over. “Now that’s what is opinionated and arrogant — and, therefore, hits the viewers on the face.” So, what do we want from our TV? Behind such calls for introspection is an accumulation of grievance about how this medium has acted and expanded over the last decade. For the big critics, the television journalists have begun to tinker with the boundaries of their profession and follow weak professional ethics. To quote Sarwar, “When they mix up entertainment with journalism, it serves the cause of neither.” The more pertinent question, perhaps, would be to ask what the prior good practices in journalism are being replaced by. As Rehman says, “Today, since the viewers are not in a mood to be enlightened and since they no longer find knowledge and information fun, the TV journalists have learnt that sensationalism and shock is the only course available to survive the cutthroat competition and market pressure. And, in the process, the pursuit of fair assessment of truth and values is failing. They have become party to moralising. Their purpose is to make noise and not necessarily initiate quality debate and discourse.” TV professionals have the record of getting carried away with sheer urgency of their 24/7 coverage and make mistakes. Take the Maya Khan show which put the electronic media in immense turmoil, leading to jitteriness to defend the medium at one end and at the other overconfident shrills to take it in the right direction. There was deafening noise emanating from all directions, so much that no one could be heard clearly and effectively. This happens when television channels try to increase ratings and get more commercials, they are fulfilling a commercial and business requirement, and hence allow overshadowing the basic rules of journalism — reporting on all sides of the story, being accurate, getting a two-source-at least-confirmation, etc — when they get into the news reporting business. “For that side of their ‘business’ they need to put aside those commercial interests, and enable and allow the reporters and producers to focus on the requirements of journalism, not trying to increase viewership, popularity and ratings,” stresses Sarwar. ARY News talk show anchor Fahd Husain agrees. For him, the news channels are veering away from information and truth in their race for ratings. “Today’s TV journalist is akin to a salesman, airing content that sells,” he laments. Husain holds the proprietor responsible for the mess, because he hammers the journalist to produce content that sells and which not always meets the basic principles of journalism. “This classic conflict is essentially between the journalist and the marketing executive. The journalist eyes the story, the marketeer eyes the revenue; the journalist looks for social impact, the marketeer at the financial and commercial impact; the journalist has a responsibility to society, the marketeer to his boss’s balance sheet. This differentiation between salesperson and journalist must be addressed. Otherwise the journo will continue to get rot from the owner, and fail to add value and veracity to his work.” Syed Talat Husain, on the contrary, is quite comfortable with the marketing formula adopted by proprietors of TV channels. He equates TRPs to the circulation of newspapers. “Since the very beginning, the success of a newspaper is judged by its circulation; it’s a given. So why can’t we digest the idea of ratings.” In effect, TRPs go against the grain of being a journalist whose ultimate pursuit is the truth not ratings. “Running a news channel is about balancing these two,” reminds Sahar Habib Ghazi, editor-in-chief, Hosh Media, a news website. Also the industry has experienced the massive proliferation of amateur journalists without appropriate institutions and colleges to train its professionals. “Our universities offering journalism courses did not grow with the same ease nor did they adjust their curricula to the needs of 24/7 live news; when the news environment in Pakistan was on fire… Many untrained and inexperienced reporters were pushed into a dizzying environment of breaking news,” adds Ghazi, pressing for news organisations to fill the gap by offering training courses to its employees. Here Fahd Husain draws a distinction: Where the newsroom people are professional in gathering and prioritising news, the production people are inept at using journalistic tools and lack understanding of news per se. “Producers have been reduced merely to technicians. They have world class equipment at hand but no knowledge of world class journalistic expertise”, he says. So, TV is anarchic and shaggy. Because “[Only] some TV channels in Pakistan follow informal editorial guidelines or codes that have developed organically through trial and error. But to the best of my knowledge no one has compiled and documented a formal list. All Pakistani channels and media outlets need to do the same to be considered transparent, accountable and ethical,” says Ghazi. And, it is freewheeling. In this milieu, should media owners, producers, journalists and concerned citizens hammer out a mutually agreed upon code of ethics that can be periodically reviewed? Should they have their own ombudsman that people can turn to for complaints and redress? Should PEMRA take charge? Or, should professionals self-regulate? “Regulation prolongs the illnesses and weaknesses of the system,” thinks I. A. Rehman. “TV journalist should essentially self-regulate,” asserts Beena Sarwar. TV channels have traversed a long, winding path. Its coverage area has increased. It takes viewers close to rights issues, poverty, corruption and issues that are dear to their heart. With reporting, it digs in and comes up with qualitative research. But the fact is that refinement comes only with experience. Clearly, refinement is what we want from our TV. “But the demand for refinement must come from the viewers,” stresses Rehman. Why ‘M’ is not really a word Television is about intelligence; it’s a game of chess, not right or wrong By Ali Sultan Whenever some controversy about the media erupts, everyone gathers around and bulldozes social networking, print and television with “what actually is the media’s role.” My personal favourite is “we need to actually define things.” The thesis is simple, defining anything is sheer bollocks. It means that if the definers had their say, phones would still be attached to wires and no one would actually consider how good the camera is before buying a mobile. Everything is in constant flux and, if intelligence is used generously, then we should understand that we can and do change everything all the time. Another addition to the kitchen sink, what people think of in moral terms and what people actually do are two separate ballparks. Take Facebook, for example. One click on an “add friend” means access, and even if it’s controlled access, its access to parts of one’s life nonetheless. Is snooping around on someone’s pictures, social behaviour, religious beliefs or even cooking habits really a moral thing to do? But we all love to snoop, don’t we? What we think and what we do is almost not the same thing. Before going to the scene of the crime, let’s clear out some of the air. Any enterprise has to survive. The survival is simple. A person or a company offers some sort of product or service to others; if convinced of its benefit, the buyer will compensate, usually in monetary value, to the seller. Television is also a ‘commercial’ enterprise. But television is the trickiest of markets because the transaction is not direct, and here is where Television Rating Points or TRPs come in. TRPs are an audience measurement criterion that indicates the popularity of a television channel or programme. Television may be free, but it actually isn’t. Advertisers pay for programmes and TRPs are the most important tool for them. It shows them a measurement—a guidemap— which might not be 100 percent accurate, but still a measurement of what people are watching, and the more people will watch a programme, it’s a sure bet that it will generate an advertiser’s interest and, if a healthy number of advertisement is found, then it means it’s not only covering the programme’s cost, but also generating profit. The total reverse would be: a TV show is made, generates little or no ad interest and is cancelled (which is not the only reason they are, by the way.) Television is about intelligence; it’s a game of chess, not right or wrong. Maya Khan’s ouster was not an intelligent move, an intelligent ouster would be people having stopped watching her show. Revolting against her and the likes of her doesn’t really mean a thing because intelligent TV executives, bosses and advertisers know that there is a large segment of an audience which believes in what she and many like her preach. In the very opposite end of the spectrum, a TV channel and a particular TV host had a sizeable following because of an adult TV show which started after 12am. Where was the hue and cry there? Television is also one of the most intricate mediums to see what democracy in its truest essence means. Morality, truth, puritan, sleazy or any myriad collection of buzzwords is not what an intelligent television executive (or even an audience) is looking for television to be; they are only boxes to be filled, flavours to be aroused in a 24-hour course dinner. The question, therefore, is only about intelligence and nothing else; opponents sizing each other up before a boxing match. The audience, the “other TV show” the other TV channel is the opponent and always will be. It’s always the hustle, the tricking, of what an audience will watch, can watch, and television is always getting more and more intelligent; a blow or two doesn’t mean it will fall down. It only means that it will be careful not to get the next one. debate Privacy and media ethics Privacy that never sat easy with freedom of expression is now at absolute variance with it By Farah Zia Kelvin Mackenzie, a former editor of the Murdoch-owned The Sun spoke about the “tremendous amount of snobbery involved in journalism” while talking to the media ethics inquiry about tabloids, in January this year. He gave a hypothetical example of hacking into Tony Blair’s cell phone to discover that Blair had bypassed his cabinet in order to go to war. “If you publish it in The Sun, you get six months in jail. If you publish it in The Guardian, you get a Pulitzer.” Having no obvious connection with the Maya Khan TV programme, though the two may somehow be linked regarding issues of individuals’ privacy and journalistic ethics, the quote of Mackenzie does ring a bell about the double standards applied in our own media world where the small fry gets caught and punished; for the rest, it’s business as usual. There used to be a time when things were simple in the world of journalism. It was simple saying that there has to be a delicate balance between rights of privacy and freedom of speech. It was simple saying public figures don’t have privacy rights. It was simple stating that a journalist’s job is to cull out the truth and that journalists do have the good sense to weigh the public good element against privacy. And, it was easy telling the editors that they must exercise their editorial judgment. All of the above was a subject of debate even then. None of it was taken as a given, with hunky-dory consequences. But at least the debate was confined within certain parametres. Somewhere down the line, things started becoming complex, grey, interest-driven and unimaginably big. Being in the public domain, they are still subject to yardsticks of ethics and law. It’s just that the simplistic definitions from yesterday are no more valid. A journalist’s job is now as much about bringing out the truth before people as selling the product he works for. Privacy that never sat easy with freedom of expression is now at absolute variance with it. This conflict is more pronounced on television where the race for ratings and advertising revenues is the primary consideration. Editorial judgment is all about whatever sells. Not that print journalism stands absolved. They both make ludicrous attempts at invading privacy in the name of investigative journalism. On television, the desire for profits has blurred any distinction between one genre and the other (just as the reporters in print write analysis as investigative reports). The political talk shows are designed, or are at least watched, as entertainment. The morning shows that ought to have been designed to entertain and inform, in their bid to venture into investigative journalism, end up as exercises in moral policing. We don’t know where showbiz begins and journalism ends. That is why Maya Khan’s show was a problem. But Maya Khan was not the first one to take a microphone and camera into people’s faces. The news channels did that long before her. They have not even shied away from taking the mikes and cameras into hospital wards seeking comments from injured people who happen to be bomb victims. They have covered funerals like they never should have. The anchorpersons act less like journalists and more like activists. Privacy rights are not their concern because what they handle are public figures. It was nothing short of a miracle watching the ailing president of the country return, breathe and even deliver a speech or give an interview after counting all the diseases these anchorpersons had claimed he had. How this public figure definition is stretched in the corporate media only makes one cringe with fear. What the journalists don’t realise is that as beneficiaries of this market-driven media, they too have become public figures of sorts. This qualifies them to forfeit their own privacy rights. A tale of three Khans From the dumb, bubbly heroine of Hasina Moin’s plays to the dumb, bubbly and conservative morning show host — it’s one sad evolutionary tale Years ago, in a television programme, I heard Bollywood’s popular cabaret dancer Helen remark about how the heroines in Hindi films had started dressing up in a vulgar way. “Look, who’s talking!” was my obvious retort. Just then, she added, “You see, in our times, it was only the vamps who wore revealing clothes. That job is taken up by the heroines now.” Helen might or might not have a point, but it is interesting to locate the exact moment you start criticising your own clones. (Today’s heroines may not strictly be Helen’s clones.) Often you don’t. You bask in your own faded glory or the negative publicity these clones bring to you. When you finally do, it has to be an unusual point in time. So, it was quite a sight watching one Khan, the pioneer of morning shows of a certain variety in Pakistan, appear in a television show and lambast her own clone, with whom she happens to share her surname. In the show that was aimed at making an example of this clone for her intrusions into the privacy of the individual, the former Khan only proved my point — that the clone only took off from where she had left. In her own show, the pioneer Khan had promoted and strengthened conservatism in a subtle but dangerous manner. She would moralise and then she would moralise again. That is why, it was impossible for the liberal progressive social media buffs, who are now up in arms against the Khan clone, to watch the ‘pioneer’ Khan’s show. Yes, she did it intelligently and may not have breached anyone’s privacy in the strictest sense. But she did other things. In a talk show where she had been invited to comment on her clone, she said many things that only proved she was the trailblazer of obscurantism and hypocrisy on television — “These new girls don’t wear dopattas; they shake hands with men, they do this, they do that, while I never didâ€Śâ€ Defenders of the pioneer Khan say she was the original and the clones are but clones. How was she the original, I ask? To me, as a viewer, she didn’t seem original at all. To me, she looked like a clone of Hasina Moin’s dumb, bubbly, chirpy heroines who captured the fancy of Ziaul Haq’s children, the young and old, men and women of this entertainment-starved, Islamised country, in the late 1970s and early ‘80s. In those days of strict political censorship, the heroine of Hasina Moin (another Khan to fit the description), cuddling stuffed teddy bear, was like a breath of fresh air. Add at least fifty lbs, 15 years and a conservative worldview and the pioneer host of the morning shows is born. Must we then blame the clone Khan when the path of populism was laid out by those who came before her? From inanity to conservatism to vigilantism is all but one connected journey. Such is the society that we have created over the years. — Farah Zia As serious as a critic? With the coming into being of the blogosphere, and the world of web becoming increasingly interactive, every man jack with a computer and internet access has become a sort of a ‘critic’ By Usman Ghafoor It used to be the professionals’ domain. There were well-educated and well-informed culture columnists in Pakistan, such as Safdar Mir (alias Zeno), I.A. Rehman, Hameed Sheikh and Zafar Samdani, whose word was law for the common film and TV enthusiast and it also influenced the product makers. Their reviews were carried in noted journals — with the exception of Hameed Sheikh, who was a broadcast critic — and, overtime, they developed a loyal base of readers who, it is not hard to assume, took to their style of commenting (each had his own particular style, for that matter) and also trusted them to give the right opinion. Today, the situation is unfunnily different. With the coming into being of the blogosphere, and the world of web becoming increasingly interactive, every man jack with a computer and internet access — and, let’s say, an opinion(!) — has become a sort of a ‘critic’. What’s more, they are creating an impact. Correspondingly, the good ol’ print newspaper suddenly finds itself without much clout. So, where does that leave the ‘real’ and trustworthy critic? Who should the responsibility to ‘influence’ opinions lie with, when everyone is sitting in moral judgment of things? What will become of the seasoned group of commentators in time? The entire world is debating to find the best answer to the above queries, as the new-age media looks poised to take complete control over the traditional media. Websites such as Metacritic are said to have already replaced printed criticism as it famously rates films based on the opinion of a variety of reviews — readers’ reviews included. At the same time, it is learnt that scores of established critics at Newsweek, Village Voice and Newsday have either retired or been laid off. Pakistan’s case may be worse as it has lost most of its serious critics of film and TV either to death or to other professions. Both our electronic and print media haven’t been able to produce a credible second generation (of critics). And, from the looks of it, they aren’t bothered. Why, because they know their organisation’s name will carry weight where a writer’s byline doesn’t. As film maker, academic and critic, Mira Hashmi puts it, “Our TV is not quite regarded as a medium with a lot of depth. I mean, it’s not serious work; it’s just fluff that you’re watching at the end of the day. “As a society, we don’t take performing arts seriously, so why take critics seriously?” she asks. Again, the web world paints a completely different picture. Here, a TV morning show is smothered to bits and its host forced to apologise — or else face a termination — when she strays into what is popularly derided as ‘vigilantism’, parading the parks of Karachi in order to ‘catch’ dating couples. “The privacy of a person’s choice is most cogent; they’ll ask for help when they ask you,” wrote Lahore-based Mehreen Khasana in her much-quoted blog. “I am mortified as a Pakistani when I see wardens of rectitude making dangerous spectacles of common citizens simply to boost hits on their show or to become shining role models for people of equally disappointing, mediocre thinking. If that young couple gets hurt — which happens inevitably as a result of your irresponsible moral policing — you will be held accountable for reinforcing the sick obsession our society has with prying and needling into privacy.” Mehreen is only 22, but her mature and strongly-worded opinion set everyone thinking when it went viral on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Judging a TV show or a film on its technical or literary merits is a more serious job; it requires “some knowledge of the medium, its technique as well as history”, as noted film critic Aijaz Gul says. Mira seconds him, while also revealing that she “is guilty of the same, because I started writing reviews for The News when I was only 16. But soon I decided to go abroad and study film production, theory and history.” However, she says, she wouldn’t stop anyone who has seen a movie or is interested in films from voicing their opinion, since “it isn’t a job of great responsibility. I mean, you aren’t a public servant or a minister here, you can’t be held ‘accountable’. It’s just an opinion that you are giving. It is up to the readers what they make of it. And, your opinion is only one among millions.” Mira’s viewpoint endorses the fact implicit in art criticism that opinion is what a critic is essentially giving and no two critics — however noted and credited — are expected to have the same opinion on the same piece of art. And, neither of them is wrong.
Posted by odclive via “one degree connected” – Social Mention  

Recently Being Discussed on FriendFeed