Cheap Mobile Phone Selling Scams on Locanto SG

I have been seeing an increasing posts on social networking sites relating how they had been scammed by these so-called online scammers. The reason why these scammers are so successful and convincing is because they are able to provide Singapore account number and emails that is seems like some local Singaporean Chinese due to the dialect names. 

Reading numerous reviews on Hardware Zones, Facebook as well as Blogs sharing experiences on scams, we came to understand that there are three types of people that are being cheated. 

First, they will entice you with free advertisements classified sites like Locanto, Singapore Classified, Hard Ware Zone and so on, to post very lowly priced mobile phones or tablets like Samsung Note 3, iPhone 5S, iPad Mini and so on. One would which would cost very cheap price like $300 to $700. Very unbelievable price. It is almost like they are Apple Inc. 

They will subsequently tell you after 2-3 days that your shipment has been wrongly sent. There were like 6 more iPhones, 4 more iPads and so on packed in the same package. They threatened that if you do not send them more money, your stock would not arrive. 

Then came the custom issue. Sometimes, it would be at Turkey. But most of the times, the custom issues happened at Malaysia. Very strange if you like to import things into Singapore. Its through Cargo Complex Changi or PSA. Who sent items through Malaysia-Singapore Customs. They will demand for more money. Most people stop here, but there were still some that still fall into the scam and paid more. 

If the above happens to you, you have been utterly scammed.

UNSUCCESSFUL BUYER / BECOME AGENT WITH YOUR iBANKING ACCOUNT

When they get unsuccessful buyers, they will give a counter offer stating that they will offer you a job as an agent. All you need to do is to email your account to this usually, American guy. They are likely to be from Nigeria, but there is really no indications on that. Anyway, you will receive 10% from the amount that has been transferred to your account and remitted to Nigeria or U.K, or wherever they stipulated. 

What this means is that, your account is being used for the cheating or scamming of the victim. Think again.

I strongly believe that this scam is orginated from the same people who started the MTECHLTD or EPlanet Ltd. Please see the following links for references. 

iPhone 4S Selling Scam Alert - M-TechLtd.Com is a known Electronic Selling Scam 

Hardware Zone Scam Discussion

Scams - Complaint to Locanto's Facebook page

A Brand New "The New iPad" has been delivered to me!!

Latching on to my earlier posts with regards to my New iPad which went dead after less than a year of purchase, this is an update of what is going on. 

My iPad went dead on 5 Aug 2013

Continue - My iPad went dead (9 Aug 2013)

This will be my final update of the issue. It has been confirmed that my iPad which was purchased nearly a year ago went dead. It was due to hardware component malfunction. This was beyond the service center's ability to repair. 

Therefore, a new one was being delivered. The collection on the 9 Aug 2013 was a bad experience. It was found unable to rotate not matter what. I went to the setting and set the toggle slide for rotational to be unlock. It was unlock and yet it did not rotate. I went back briefing after 10 minutes of collection and I was told that the next time, the iPad which is fully functionally will be sent to me. 

On 12 Aug 2013 at around 10.30 am, the New iPad arrived. I signed for it and I am a happy man. 

I almost forgot to reply to the eServe service survey during the time I am writing this. I guess I will be going to fill it up positively. 

You see, 10 more days, the warranty of one year will be expired. I am so lucky to have component failure in nick of time. This iPad believed to be a refurbished one (That means all the good parts put together to assemble a new one) will enjoy an extended 90-day warranty. 

What do I have to say about Apple product? It is service-oriented and they keep their words. 

I am satisfied even my iPad was a faulty one. It flickers with lighted pixels and went dead after I did a master reset. 

I agree that "Once you go Mac, you never go back!".

Guide to Apple Service Centers in Singapore

Continue - My New iPad is dead (9 Aug 2013)

On 6 Aug 2013, just one day after my iPad was found "dead", a call was received from Apple Service Center. I was informed that they have replaced a brand new iPad. I will have an extended warranty starting from the day I received the call. I asked what actually happened to my trusted iPad. The staff told me that the internal components is defective. I guess this could be a wear and tear issue. But luckily its defective enough to break down within the warranty period for one year. Lucky for me.

Please refer to the following link to find out how the New iPad went blank.

My New iPad went dead on 5 Aug 2013

With further ado, on 7 Aug 2013, I went down to the Service Center at 313 Somerset Basement 3 to collect my New iPad, literally "new".

Being rather excited, I forgot to bring out my SIM from the car when I arrived at 313 Somerset. But I tested the iPad anyway. It was working fine. The packaging is completely new with the transparent plastic cover that is pasted around to protect it. I quickly signed and acknowledged for it and went straight to my car. In my car, I inserted the SIM and test it.

To my horror, the screen was inverted. I tried to tilt it properly, the screen would not rotate. I guess, it could be the setting. So I went to General Setting and then turn the Screen Lock. Toggle the "Mute" to unlock the rotate function. But it was already unlocked. Oh my god, I told myself. Another defective set.

I quickly ran back to eServe and told the staff about the problem. He told me that he will do a master reset and some testing. I patiently waited and after 25 minutes later, I was informed that there is some sensor problem with this iPad. Luckily I did a thorough check.

To make it up to me, the staff told me that the iPad will be delivered to me instead the next time. There is no need for me to proceed to the center to collect it again. That was quite a relief. This because parking in the Central Business District area in Singapore is extremely expensive. Singapore is ranked the 5th City for highest cost of living, if you are wondering.

In conclusion, Apple's customer service is top notch. It honors its warranty and this process is free of charge.

I will provide further update in due course.

My iPad (The New iPad) went dead on 5 Aug 2013!

I have always been a fan of Mac. You know what they say, "Once you go Mac, you never go back!". 

On 5 Aug 2013 about midnight, I was watching some clips on my iPad on the bed, just like any other day, when the screen suddenly flickers. There were like 3 columns of pixel dotes shiny and the screening were flickering like a old TV with poor transmission. 

I quickly did a master reset. 

MASTER RESET

Holding down the HOME and the SLEEP/ON buttons simultaneously for about 10 seconds.

The iPad went off as expected. I pressed the SLEEP/ON button and the Apple logo came up. After awhile Apple Logo disappeared and went straight to the Screen Lock Page. As usual, I slide my hand gracefully across the slider and the iPad should have gone to the main page. It did, but only for a brief 5 seconds. It turned blank.

Alright, I told myself, there is got to be an explaination for this. You see, the battery shows 87% charged. It is not normal for my iPad or any iPad in the world to behave this way. So I did another MASTER RESET. The screen remains blank. 

I quickly rushed to the wall socket and where the 10w charger provided by Apple in the iPad box was plugged in, to charge the iPad. This tablet shows no sign of life. 

INVESTIGATION

My investigation over the Internet after reading the Apple Community Forum (Which was not at all helpful) was that there were people like me. In a thread of more than 6 pages, there more very ignorant people who were not facing with the same problem, battery dead issues. Their issues were caused by overcharging, wear and tear of battery. There were times when the iPad goes blank after you leave it alone. The battery gets drained because of the function Apps with all sorts of push notifications from Sports to News. Their problem can be solved by charging the iPad. 

There were also people facing a similar problem, albeit a minor one. The screen hang showing blank screen. They thought that the iPad was dead, but in fact it was showing a black blank screen instead. There are tell tale signs for this, off the light of your room in complete darkness, you will be able to tell that the screen is actually slighted litted and greyish. This can be resolved by doing MASTER RESET over and over again. 

I found two or three persons with the same problem. But nobody was able to address to their issue directly. They kept saying about the MASTER RESET. This annoys me. One of them, went to the Apple Service Center and have his iPad replaced. This is quite encouraging. 

INTERIM - 313 @ SOMERSET

Upon seeing this, I went in search of the New iPad's box. This is always the problem, you will never find the box when you really need it. Anyway, after an hour of hunting, I found it. It was purchased on 23 Aug 2012. Oh my god, I told myself. It is still within one-year-warranty. 

On 5 Aug 2013 at 11 am, I called the Singtel (Service Provider which I bought this iPad from) after sales hotline which is stated on the invoice. I was asked if there was a warranty card. What the hell!. There was no warranty card to begin with. All my life using Apple's product, I have never seen a warranty card before. I told the staff politely there was any. Because if there was, it would have been in the box. I was then advised to go to Apple Service Center at Somerset 313. This is a shopping center at Orchard Road, Singapore I have never been to since it has been built. I believe its more than 10 years already. 

INFORMATION - SINGTEL AFTER SALES HOTLINE

Anyway, I arrived at the center at 12 pm. It was quick. The staff without much knowledge on Apple products could not answer why and what happened. He told me that he will do some testing and if it cannot be repaired, I will be given a brand new iPad. But the further warranty would last 90 days from the date someone called me to inform it is ready for collection. 

Anyway, the Singtel after sales hotline is incorrect. There are actually other branches of Apple Service Center to choose from. There is actually a branch that is quite near to my place. For individuals whom bought their iPads or Mac Books in Singapore, please refer to the following link which I have prepared for people seeking the correct information. I also found out that they do not repair or deal with iPhones. iPhone users, please refer to the entities that sold the phone to you. LOL!

APPLE SERVICE CENTERS IN SINGAPORE

Another post to update the situation will be made in due course.

Community Discussion on The New iPad went dead!

Apple iPhone 5 sold out within 30 minutes of launch in Singapore

All around Singapore, long queues were seen at telecommunication retailers and electronic retailers. It was 20 Sep 12 (Thursday), the launched of the very much anticipated mobile device, Apple iPhone 5.

 

There are so many Singaporeans trying to get their hands on it. There is even a Singtel first iPhone customers featured in The Straits Times (Singapore leading newspaper).

This is no wonder, Apple Inc can turned itself from a troubled firm into the most valuable company in the whole wide world, surpassing Exxon Mobil.

It will takes probably weeks before the other Apple fans to get their hands on this extremely popular smartphone as they get swept off the shelves the moment they are placed.

>>Full Report

 

iPhone 4S Selling Scam Alert - M-TechLtd.Com is a known Electronic Selling Scam

This is a known scam site that sells popular gadgets like Apple iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and iPad 2 at a very cheap and irresistible rate. It is no wonder why people still falls for this scam. $600 for an iPad 2? $700 for the latest Apple iPhone 4S?

It tries to cover all angles by implementing a purported delivery tracking website. Providing an explanation on your parcel (iPhones or iPad) delay because the parcel are stuck at custom. The person would even tells you that they had sent you more iPhones then you have purchased. In order for you to get the goods, you would need to pay, say maybe $2,000 more.

_____________________________________________________________________

M-Techltd.com or M Tech Limited

Apparantly, this website M-TechLtd.com has been posting numerous advertisements on localized Singapore Classified Sites like Locanto.sg, one2sell.sg and so on selling popular electronic products like Apple iPhone 4S, Apple iPad 2, Samsung Galaxy Note and more at irresistable price.

I understand many are very attracted with these stuffs and most people wanted them. The only deterring factor about all these electronics goodies are their price. The purported seller used this weakness and greed in human to conduct their unlawful acts of cheating. That is inducing someone to part with their monies by dishonestly deceiving that they could delivery something that they had no intention or no capacity to provide in the very first instance.

A classic Example of their Advertisement Format as follows:

Bonanza! Bonanza!! Bonanza!!!

We are currently offering X-MAS special Package bonanza on all our products.. This Special bonus Package includes:

* Slash in all our prices
* Buy 3 and get 1 FREE
* FREE delivery to doorstep.

Product Includes
*Samsung I9100 Galaxy S II Unlocked
*Import Standard batery AC Travel charger
*USB data cable
*Stereo headset
*User manual

Key Product Features
8 Megapixel Camera
microSD, up to 32GB
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, DLNA, Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth v3.0 HS
Android OS, v2.3 (Gingerbread)
Stereo FM radio with RDS
GPS with A-GPS support

The Samsung Galaxy sII cost $700 sgd.

Get yours now at these special prices while offer last!!!!!!!!!

Contact us on orders@m-techltd.com.
Website: www.m-techltd.com

I have heard from a friend that one good friend of his had became a victim of this scam. He transferred some money and only to find that the goods are not delivered. He was given a website that is obviously purportedly created to look like a real delivery tracking site to make things convincing. He was convinced that the parcel was actually on the way. He ordered iPhone 4S. He was contacted subsequently and was told that he needs to pay a few thousands more as his parcel sent was a wrong one which contact more than what he had ordered. Most people stopped at this point suspecting it to be a scam. But there were some that actually went on deeper and made the subsequent payments.

The following is a review that I had found on the Internet to substantiate my claim that this website (M-Techltd.com or M Tech Limited) is nothing but a scam, a cheater.

M Tech Limited Review dated 22 Sep 11

I have found more than one and to my horror, people are getting scam despite reviews were found on the Internet confirming that this website is indeed a fraudulent one. It took me awhile to actually to find these reviews. I then came to an understanding that these reviews or scam alerts are found in page 3 or 4 of the generated search results. Which means, the more advertisement posts made by this website or the scammer himself had took top positions in the search results of major search engines like Google and Yahoo.

It is not wonder why most people were not able to find anything and jumped right in to their trap by making payments to buying the iPhones or iPads that they will never going to get.

Scammers must start somewhere and it is not surprising that during the initial stage, there would be people who will get what they had bought. But that is only a handful out of thousands of people around the world who were utterly scammed and cheated.

If you were to visit this scam website - M-Techltd.com, you will find it to be quite professionally designed. The scammer knows how to capture attention and knows where to post his or her advertisement. The following are the contact details which is likely to be some generic location. The phone number could be even to registered to someone else.

READ ON FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

Apple's Co-Founder, Steve Jobs the Visionary dies at 56 years old

"Probably I will just turn up the volume of it. Because, the last few years have reminded me that life is fragile".

Steve Jobs (1955 - 2011) Co-Founder of Apple Inc (56 years)

It was in the morning of 6 Oct 11, I received a news notification on my iPhone that "Apple's co-founder, Steve Jobs died. One of the greatest person ever lived in our time has passed away peacefully following a long battle with cancer. He died on Wednesday, 5 Oct 11.

The visionary that changed lives by introducing portability with style. In 1976, he started off with his best buddy, Steve Wozniak in a garage. He has transformed that garage into Apple, the most valuable company next to Exxon Mobil.

He was ousted from the Apple Inc's board in 1985. Apple's business declined tremendously since.

It was only until his return in 1997 as CEO brings Apple to a new height that many would not have imagined to be possible at all.

"Today, Apple is going to reinvent... the phone". The exact words he said during the release of Apple iPhone. A smartphone so powerful that changed the lives of many. Bringing convenience and technological brilliance to a level that no one could even imagined. Since iPhone, it was the iPad. "And we called it, the iPad". A tablet PC no one thought would be so widely used and popular.

>>Read on for the full article

The Much Anticipated iPhone 5 Design

It is slimmer, thinner and more powerful. Apple iPhone 5 will be out soon. The images here are from unconfirmed sources. There has also been a video about this very hot Apple product and demonstrated some of its capabilities.

Apple iPhone 5 (Concept) Video

One very interesting selling point about iPhone 5 is the holographic Qwerty keyboard function. It is absolutely brilliant.

New and Cool Social Networking App to sweet talk with your girlfriend or boyfriend [TalkBox]

Description

WHY TEXT?!
TalkBox is sending messages with your voice. It’s an application dedicated to saving you the trouble of typing and to getting your messages across FAST!

 Try out the app during this time-limited free offer!

#1 SOCIAL NETWORKING in China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, Macau and Hong Kong.
#1 FREE APP in Malaysia.

This is simply an App that allows you to send and receive audio messages. The function is really similar to Walkie-Talkie. All you need to do is just pushed a button to talk and it will be recorded before sending over to the intended receiver.

My personal opinion of TalkBox is this App is really handy and helpful in my life. This App is especially helpful when communicating with your friends when you are driving. This demands lesser attention as compared to texting and phone calls. It allows you to receive the message, understands it before sending yours over.

The design is cool and really easy to understand. And guess what, like many social networking platform, they are all tagged to Facebook. Log in to your Facebook through this App and all the friends there will appear as your friends in TalkBox.

Based on my understanding of Web 2.0 concept and Internet marketing, my opinion is , at this the rate Facebook is going, it will take less than 5 years before Facebook takes over the whole Internet as a centric reference point for networking. This would means that Facebook will be a form of electronic passport for identity verification in the future.

I also feel that this App is especially helpful in the your relationship with your girlfriends or boyfriends. You are able to expressed your tone and sweet words through TalkBox.

For more technical specification, visit official TalkBox Page.

Online CPM Advertising | Advertising blog

[News] Apple Launched iPad 2

Personally, I feel that iPad has already been a hit with the Apple Fans out there. This, is outrageously cool. Just by looking at the design would make me wanting to buy it.

Singapore users, please, US is launching the sales on 11 Mar 11. So it will take awhile for it to reach here in Singapore.

For more specification and details, refer to Official Apple iPad 2 site.

The price? I hear you ask. Well, the price starts from US$499. I would say that it is a quite reasonable and affordable price there.

Introduction by Apple -

Once you pick up iPad 2, it’ll be hard to put down. That’s the idea behind the all-new design. It’s 33 percent thinner and up to 15 percent lighter, so it feels even more comfortable in your hands.² And it makes surfing the web, checking email, watching movies, and reading books so natural, you might forget there’s incredible technology under your fingers.

With up to nine times the graphics performance, gameplay on iPad is even smoother and more realistic. And faster graphics help apps perform better — especially those with video. You’ll see it when you’re scrolling through your photo library, editing video with iMovie, and viewing animations in Keynote.

An App That Made My Girlfriend Fallen In Love With Me - Words With Friends

This is a wonderful App that I had never regretted after downloading it to my iPhone. In the beginning, I started off playing with my friends. I kept losing and have very little understanding on what are those DL, TW and DW were. There are actually bonus scrabble blocks with bonus points that would be earned if words are being formed using them.

Well, before I started playing words with friends with my girlfriend, we had very little things in common. We tend to talk about common things such as friends and Movies which always tend to be quite dry.

If I am saying that my relationship are built on Words, it is too exaggerating. What I saying is that it helps during the courtship of my girlfriend to quite a substantial extend. It helps to built a sense of togetherness even we are far apart. We could somehow connect each other with the words being played during our respective turns.

Love aside, for those who loves to interact with people, you can randomly play with anyone around the word. And who knows, the person that the system picked as your opponent could even be somewhere near you.

For kids, this is a fun and enjoyable game. And the best part of all, it is educational. Before playing this game, I don't even know 'Qi' is a word.

When I started playing this iPhone game, there were only a couple friends playing this. But as time goes by, almost everyone is holding on to an iPhone, everyone started playing and asking for a challenge on words.

This game is developed by New Toy Inc.

Try it. Who knows? You may even get a girlfriend with this App.

How to Make Your Own Very Own iPhone Ringtone?

Many iPhone users are merely just using the phone as a calling device and a fashion statement. How many of such so-called users are able to use the smartphone as a 'smartphone'? I still encounter many users using default ringtones. All you need to do is some read-up, replacing your ringtones with music clip is as easy as 123. (How to change your iPhone Ringtones?)

Using of default ringtones only show two things: Either the user is too busy or the user is not Tech-Savvy at all.

In this article, I am sharing how do you actually customize your very own original ringtones with fragments of your favorite music or songs.

Instructions

• 1

  First and foremost, all you need to do is to start with a website that provides you with music clip fragment cutting service. One of such site is Audiko. Access the website and get started.

• 2

  After accessing into the website, you will see in the homepage of this website a button right in the middle of the page - 'Upload Track'. Select upload track to upload your favorite music or song to the system to get started.

• 3

  After your favorite track has been selected, it will take around 3 to 5 minutes for the track to upload depending on the track size and data speed your system is on.

• 4

  Thereafter, the system will automatically play the track that you had uploaded. Once started there will be a blue rectangular frame on the general track depicted on a frequency graph chart. Navigate your blue frame to choose your desire fragment to be used as your ringtone.

>>Read on for the full Guide

How to change your iPhone Ringtones?

Many people are holding on to the most popular smartphone - Apple iPhones. But not many are changing their default Apple Ringtones. It can be rather complex to the average people if you ask me. So I came up with a step-by-step guide on how to change your iPhone ringtone.

I understand from many of my friends who are the proud owners of iPhone and even the latest iPhone 4 are not aware that they can actually synchronize their phone with a computer system such as laptop, netbook or laptop. All they understand about iPhone is at its very primary level. just a phone.

Apple iPhone is not just a phone, it has became a part of many people's life. It is easy to use and cool to have. Almost where I turned, I sees people holding on or engrossing very much with their iPhones.

But the sad part about Apple iPhone is that changing of ringtone is not just an App away. It requires some technical knowledge on how to do it before you are able to give your favorite iPhone a touch of your musical taste and personality.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can actually change your ringtone for your iPhone to the latest hit songs like - Love you see you lie, Like a G6, Eenie Menie and so many more.

• 1

  First, you need a PC or a computer system. Go on the web to look for free iPhone ringtone downloads. Well, free sites providing this may not be easy to find as most would require you to pay or subscribe as member. I have made a search and found one good site that provides free iPhone format (.m4r) ringtones. There are 100 over latest hit songs including Chinese hit songs to choose from. Introducing Audiko, one of my favorite site for free iPhone ringtone downloads.

• 2

  After downloading your desired ringtone clips, you would probably be prompt to open this clip with a program. Choose iTune to open these clip and it will automatically be saved in your iTune library under 'ringtone' section.

• 3

  Plug in the provided USB cable (The one you use for charging your iPhone) into the computer system such as laptop or desktop. It will automatically be detected that an iPhone has been connected. Click on your iPhone section to start synchronization.

• 4

  Unless you want to spend a lot of time for your iPhone to be backed-up and synchronisation, you can just start the synchronisation immediately without doing anything. But you would like to save some time, you can unchecked the sync App, pictures and videos and only check the 'sync ringtone'.

>>Read on for the complete full step-by-step guide to change your iPhone ringtones

Shocking! Will FaceBook Shut Down on 15 Mar 11?

I have came across this very well written report. By the time you finished reading this report, you would have almost believe the information on it without questioning the integrity. That is because, it was professionally written with emotional angle tackled and addressed to by drawing instances of people protesting and indicating quotes by Mark Zukerberg.

If you have seen the movie "Social Network", you would believe that it is possible that Mark Zukerberg would made such statement.

However, a simple check on the web, you will soon gathered that FaceBook is NOT going to shut on 15 Mar 2011. Its a hoax. FaceBook is planning to IPO, so this piece of news does not make any sense.

Origin of the news - Weekly World News Articles

The hoax report as follows:

______________________________________________________________________

PALO ALTO, CA –Mark Zuckerberg announced that Facebook will be shut down in March. Managing the site has become too stressful.

“Facebook has gotten out of control,” said Zuckerberg in a press conference outside his Palo Alto office, “and the stress of managing this company has ruined my life. I need to put an end to all the madness.”

Zuckerberg went on to explain that starting March 15th, users will no longer be able to access their Facebook accounts.

“After March 15th the whole website shuts down,” said Avrat Humarthi, Vice President of Technical Affairs at Facebook. “So if you ever want to see your pictures again, I recommend you take them off the internet. You won’t be able to get them back once Facebook goes out of business.”

Zuckerberg said that the decision to shut down Facebook was difficult, but that he does not think people will be upset.

“I personally don’t think it’s a big deal,” he said in a private phone interview. “And to be honest, I think it’s for the better. Without Facebook, people will have to go outside and make real friends. That’s always a good thing.”

Some Facebook users were furious upon hearing the shocking news.

“What am I going to do without Facebook?” said Denise Bradshaw, a high school student from Indiana. “My life revolves around it. I’m on Facebook at least 10 hours a day. Now what am I going to do with all that free time?”

However, parents across the country have been experiencing a long anticipated sense of relief.

“I’m glad the Facebook nightmare is over,” said Jon Guttari, a single parent from Detroit. “Now my teenager’s face won’t be glued to a computer screen all day. Maybe I can even have a conversation with her.”

Those in the financial circuit are criticizing Zuckerberg for walking away from a multibillion dollar franchise. Facebook is currently ranked as one of the wealthiest businesses in the world, with economists estimating its value at around 7.9 billion.

But Zuckerberg remains unruffled by these accusations. He says he will stand by his decision to give Facebook the axe.

“I don’t care about the money,” said Zuckerberg. “I just want my old life back.”

The Facebook Corporation suggests that users remove all of their personal information from the website before March 15th. After that date, all photos, notes, links, and videos will be permanently erased.

[Extract] Your most dangerous possession? Your smartphone

Well, I personally agree with the author of this article on a few key points - Smartphones are getting cheaper, more widely used, a trend, more application for phone payment being introduced and their vulnerability to frauds.

Examples of smartphone - iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, Blackberry Bold, Blackberry and Android.
______________________________________________________________________


By Blake Ellis, staff reporter
January 11, 2011: 10:44 AM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Forget what's in your wallet -- beware your smartphone. It's becoming one of your most dangerous possessions.

If your phone was stolen a few years ago, the thief could make prank calls and read your text messages. Today, that person can destroy your social life -- you said what on Facebook?! -- and wreak havoc on your finances.

Now that smartphones double as wallets and bank accounts -- allowing users to manage their finances, transfer money, make payments, deposit checks and swipe their phones as credit cards -- they are very lucrative scores for thieves. And with 30% of phone subscribers owning iPhones, BlackBerrys and Droids, there are a lot of people at risk.

"It's crazy the amount of information on that phone -- it's like carrying a mini-computer around with you, except that more people know the settings on their computer than they do on their phones at this point," said Nikki Junker, social media coordinator and victim advisor at Identity Theft Resource Center. "People are incredibly at risk as technology improves."

And mobile banking use is expected to soar by nearly 55% next year, according to recent data compiled by TowerGroup, a research firm for the financial services industry.

They found that while 17.8 million consumers used mobile banking last year, 27.4 million are expected to use it this year, and 53.1 million consumers are forecast to adopt it by 2013.

"We're now past the early adopters and starting to hit the early maturity phase," said George Peabody, director of emerging technologies at Mercator Advisory Group. "So much of our screen time is shifting from PCs to smartphones, and the banks want to be there and know they have to be there."
Google to power your mobile wallet?

In addition, the volume of mobile payments -- buying boots via Zappos iPhone app, for example, or paying bills -- is expected to climb to $214 billion by 2015, up from $16 billion in 2010, according to Aite Group, another financial services research firm.

And pay-by-phone is only going to get easier as our devices come embedded with Near Field Communication (NFC) devices that allow you to pay for your morning latte by waving your phone at the cash register.

Companies like Blaze Mobile and Bling Nation already let you pay major retailers by swiping your smartphone thanks to a sticker adhered to the outside of your phone. Meanwhile, an app created by mFoundry brings up an image of your Starbuck prepaid card barcode and lets you scan it in lieu of a credit card.

"A lot of players are now pushing to drive the contactless technology," said Gwenn Bezard, research director at Aite Group specializing in banking and payments. "While you're not going to wake up tomorrow and everyone is going to be using mobile payments, it's going to grow over the next years -- and from a very low base."

>>Read on for full story

Apple iPhone 4 Selling in SG Now

Well, you know what they say, "Once you gone Mac, you never go back". How true this phrase can be when tons of Apple fans lining up for the new hit - Apple iPhone 4. One can fetch a price of around $500 for a 16GB and as high as more than a thousand.

News Abstract from Channel NewsAsia:

____________________________________________________________________

The highly anticipated iPhone 4 is being launched on Thursday midnight and eager Apple fans are already in line to be among the firsts to get their hands on one.

Singapore is the first country in Southeast Asia to have the smartphone.

It's also the first time all three telcos in Singapore are launching the iPhone at the same time.

At Paragon shopping, where M1's flagship store is located, more than 200 people were already in line even before 9pm.

The first person in the queue said he arrived at 6.20pm.

SingTel is launching the iPhone 4 at a special event at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Centre, while StarHub is having its launch at Plaza Singapura. - CNA /ls

Read on for the full report at Channel NewsAsia

iPhone 4 is out now!!

Alright, this is what all Apple or iPhone lovers are waiting for. The whole new iPhone from Apple. Introducing - Apple iPhone 4. It kind of look like the previous versions, but the side is distinctively different, slightly less curvy.

So what is the difference between iPhone 4 and iPhone 3G or 3GS?

Well, according to Apple official website, iPhone 4 is able to allow the user to do video calls which the previous versions of this baby cannot do.

Graphic is better with 960 by 640 resolution that is really crisp and sharp.

Multitasking is no longer a dream for iPhone users now because iPhone 4 is able to do just that. Battery life is said to be much long with this new set of iPhone.

Video recording is now possible and something really cool here is that video is all in HD (High Definition).

If you think iPhone 3G or 3GS is the only smartphone you need, think again. iPhone 4 bringing the definition of smartphone to a very whole new level.

For more information, visit Apple iPhone 4 official webpage.

How iPhone 4G Looks Like? Unveiling the next Apple iPhone

Well, many people such as myself would kill to take the first glimpse at the most anticipated debut of Apple's next smartphone - iPhone 4G. While many are still at home sitting in front of their machine searching around for clues, one man has got the real thing. Yes, I do not know how he did it, but he has in his very possession - iPhone 4G. The phone that will once again take the world to another frontier.

The above picture was gotten from Gizmodo's site. He is the person allegedly found the prototype. It does seem a little squarish as compared to the current iPhone 3G/3Gs series.

It is not rocket science that anyone can probably speculate on Apple's success on its 13.5 Billion revenues are really heavily due to this wonderful invention of iPhone. So how much did Apple made. Its 5.3 Billion dollars. It is almost 50% of its entire earnings.

While many are still wondering how the next generation iPhone would looks like, the spoiler came from this guy who gave that this phone is being picked up somewhere in a bar in Redwood City.

Well, as you can see, iPhone 4G has been the most searched about keywords over the past two days and I can assure you it will be going on for quite awhile now. The news would be amplified and this site would enjoy enormous traffic for weeks.

For more information, details, pictures and photographs of this next generation iPhone 4G, visit Gizmodo Website. I am sure many people would like to take a glimpse at it. Now you can even see it dissected in this website.

How Apple Killed The Future Of Search

This is an interesting article that stumbled upon on the Internet. The title is how Apple killed future of search. I tend to agree with the article as the smartphone dominator has the ability to do it. Apple is showing its capability even before coming up with a search engine themselves.

Extracted from 24/7 Wall Street
____________________________________________________________________


Today, Google gets over 9.5 billion searches per month in the United States. Although search engines such as Microsoft’s Bing compete for a share of the market, they present no real threat to Google’s dominance. In reality, it is not other search engines that should have Google concerned. The search juggernaut faces a greater threat from a Cupertino, California company that has not even developed its own search engine: Apple.

Less than two decades ago, before Google was a verb, the only central location to access information was the library. Reading the newspaper or calling Moviefone was the only way to find out what time a movie was playing. The Weather Channel cable network was the only place that provided meteorological data.

In the mid-nineties, Web portals and Internet service providers, like AOL and Netscape, became the bazaars for the Internet. Before Google, while search was still in its infancy, Web users relied on these portals to aggregate content – content that was nearly impossible to find by the average person. In little over a decade, however, Google’s search technology has grown to dominate the Web experience. Presently, the search engine is the first place many users go to find information online.

The App Store

On July 10, 2008, Apple launched the App Store, stoking the accelerated adoption and mass appeal that the iPhone enjoys today. As of March of this year, the store had well over 3 billion downloads and over 150,000 apps available for download. Over 50 million iPhones have been sold, with another 50 million in sales expected by the end of 2011. And, by most estimates, sales of the iPad could easily reach 10 million in the coming 12 months.

Apple is undoubtedly one of the dominant players in the smart phone space. Now, without launching its own search engine, Apple could make the search engine antiquated. Apple, which has been categorized as a hardware company since it was founded, has evolved into one of the most important software firms in the world, and the app is its primary product.

On the iPhone – and now on the iPad – Apple apps have begun to replace Google search. Most people who use Google repeatedly search a small number of items – examples include weather, movies, games, and news. Apple apps have the effect of helping people organize the subjects of their most frequent searches by creating discrete applications informed by their common interests. These applications have become, in essence, their own search destinations.

The app experience is what Google wants to deliver. Generally, Google search produces countless pages of results, most of which are not helpful. Dictated by algorithms, these results generally require users to do most of the heavy lifting. Conversely, apps are tailored to a user’s preselected preferences. It is the user who downloads the app that gives him lyrics to the song he just heard. Effectively, the app is a personalized version of the search experience. In the next few years, the App Store will disintermediate Google from search results, threatening the search engine’s primacy on the Web.

What’s more, Apple will only improve the user’s experience at the App Store. Apple will make improvements to the way applications are designed, organized, distributed, and searched. These advances will only foster an increased rate of adoption. Apple’s future includes the certain popularity of the iPad, the iPhone’s availability on the Verizon Wireless network and an increasing number of wireless networks overseas. Additionally, available apps are expected to double, reaching 300,000 by the end of 2011. The modest impact Apple has on Google’s search to date does not take these eventualities into account.

Google Searches and Apple Apps

24/7 Wall St. reviewed Google search data to determine ten of the most popular categories the search engine is used to find in the United States. We then reviewed the Apple App Store for the most popular apps that produced comparable or superior results.

Social Media – Surprisingly, many search engine users do not bother to type the full URL of the social media site they use into their Internet browser. Instead, they reach the site by entering its name into Google. Conversely, when users download social media apps onto an iPhone and iPad, they can visit their profile page by simply tapping an icon. This effectively reduces traffic for Google searches of social media sites.

Among the most popular social media apps are:

* Facebook (Facebook.com) Free – The fact that Facebook is one of the most searched terms on Google (#1 search in the past year) illustrates that users employ the search engine as a portal to locate their most frequently visited sites. The adoption of the Facebook app, which provides the same experience as the Internet version, has certainly taken market share from Google as its single largest search.
* MySpace Mobile (Myspace.com) Free – While Facebook has replaced MySpace as the number one social media network, “myspace” remains the 4th most popular search since 2004.
* Echofon Tor Twitter (Naan Studios) Free – Twitter is the 29th most popular Google search in the past twelve months. Twitter was designed with mobile text communication in mind. Applications like Echofon give iPhone users most Twitter functions, all while circumventing Google by allowing the user to “tweet” directly to Twitter.

>>Read on for the full article...

6 Professional Apps Worth Buying [Investopedia]

Article Abstract from source - Investopedia

The Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) App Store features more than 180,000 applications (apps) for download, and that number continues to grow daily. While thousands of apps are available for free or 99 cents, others are as expensive as $1,000. It may seem ludicrous to spend so much on an app, but here are six of them that could be worth their hefty price tags.

1. BarMax: California Edition by BarMax – $999.99
This app is a mobile prep course for law students wanting to pass the California bar exam. Its price tag is the most you can currently pay for an iPhone app. But you get a lot – over 1GB of materials including two months of lectures, performance tests, flash cards and unlimited personal support from BarMax. There are thousands of pages of material and hundreds of hours of audio – all in a handy to-go format.

While the cost is huge for an app, paying for a reputable bar exam prep course could easily cost twice that. Of course, you can pay a lot less – prep courses can be as cheap as $500. However, the bar exam is a huge undertaking, and most students will invest on average $3,500-$4,500 in prep courses and materials. (Securing funding for your education isn't always the easiest thing to do, but there are ways to get assistance.

2. iRa Pro by Lextech Labs - $899.99
This app is a top-of-the-line mobile video surveillance system that the creators describe as "a video command center in the palm of your hand". iRa Pro features both full-screen viewing and as many as six thumbnail views simultaneously. You can pan, tilt and zoom using the touch-screen interface and capture stills.

The price becomes a lot more understandable when you consider Lextech's target market. This app was designed for high-end security companies, rather than average-Joe users. If the system you are designing costs millions, $900 for an app to integrate it all is a drop in the ocean.

3. PDR Quote by Labra PTY LTD - $349.99
If you are in the auto repair business, this app allows you to create professional quotes on the go. It gives you instant access to more than 900 makes and models of cars around the world and lets you track customers from your phone's contacts. Similar software that is computer based can run $200 or more per year for a subscription service. And, of course, those programs don't fit in your pocket. (Sometimes buying a new car can be cheaper than shelling out for repairs. Determine how you can save money; check out Your Car: Fixer-Upper Or Scrap Metal?)

4. TuneLab Piano Tuner by Real-Time Specialties - $299.99
This tool for professional piano tuners uses TuneLab piano tuning programs that have been in use for over eight years. The app can be calibrated to an accuracy of 0.02 cents and can store hundreds of tuning files for individual pianos. Compare that to a professional-grade piano tuner that can cost upwards of $500 – and that one doesn't also make phone calls.

5. Lexi-COMPLETE by Lexi-Comp - $299.99
It's a medical encyclopedia to go. It includes information on "drugs, drug interactions, diagnosis, disease management, patient education and more", according to the creators. The $299.99 price is a one-year subscription – but when you consider the cost of medical textbooks that are sold at over $100 per book, and the convenience and storage space saved, this app could save you a bundle. (Find out what you can do to avoid a financial meltdown when there's a medical emergency.

6. Luminair - $99.99
This DMX lighting control system is a dream for theater professionals. It allows you to wirelessly control stage lighting and any DMX-enabled equipment. Luminair also features the ability to create "play lists" to save cues and replay them at the touch of an onscreen button. Similar software that runs only on a computer can cost $200 or more.

The Bottom Line
These apps are not like the infamous "I Am Rich" app, which for the $999.99 price gave the purchaser a simple screen shot of a red diamond. While the cost may seem high, buying these apps could actually save you money. Doing a bit of research really can help you save money, even when you're spending!

>>Read on for the full article here ...