How to switch from CDMA to GSM

Answer: GSM offers a number of advantages over a CDMA connection. First and foremost, there is a wider variety in GSM service providers to choose from in comparison to CDMA. As the competition is stiffer -— each service provider tries to out-do the other by offering cheaper calling rates and data plans, which in turn is beneficial to you — the consumer.

With a GSM connection, there are many more options to choose from in terms of mobile handsets — plus, GSM phones are usually better equipped in terms of features and hardware over their CDMA counterpart (a possible exception to this is the iPhone 4 ). GSM phones are also easily available across the world & any unlocked quad band phone can be used with a SIM from any country.

As for disadvantages of GSM, CDMA offers better connectivity in populated areas over GSM. Connectivity on GSM is affected by distance between the cell towers. Usually, there is a higher concentration of GSM devices in an area as compared to CDMA devices.

As far as choosing between Mobile Number Portability or buying a new number is concerned, it depends on your requirement. Mobile Number Portability will let you retain your existing number and switch to another mobile operator. You are required to clear any outstanding bills, get a clearance from your existing operator and then submit your identification documents to the new operator.

This is a fairly time-consuming process and can take up to 2 months. Buying a new number on the other hand is relatively hassle-free. You will still need to submit your identification documents to the new operator and get a new SIM card, but it will be activated and ready to use within 48 hours of purchase.

Samsung Galaxy phones to now support 9 Indian languages

Smartphone giant Samsung announced that its Galaxy range of smartphones and tablets will now support content and user interface in nine Indian languages. The company has partnered with Reverie Language Technologies for this initiative and will offer support for Hindi, Punjabi, Bengali, Tamil, Gujrati, Marathi, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.

Vineet Taneja, country head, Samsung Mobile India said that it aims to bring the Android experience to the masses with local language support. This iniative is aimed at first-time internet users and non-English speaking masses of the company, he said.

Smartphones like Samsung Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Grand, along with the Galaxy Tab 3 series will support the nine languages. The company said that its entry-level Android model Galaxy Star will begin supporting the same from this month, while the rest of the devices in the portfolio will be able to provide content and interface over the next two months.

Users will now be able to access applications from Samsung App Store in local languages, under categories like games, entertainment, lifestyle, utility, business and devotion. Some of the apps available in nine languages on Samsung phones include The Times Of India, Facebook, Gmail, Mydala, BSE and Bharat Matrimony, among others. The South Korean manufacturer also said that the number of local languages being supported will increase gradually.

Samsung announced that it will work with content providers and app developers to create more regional apps.

How to recall a sent mail on Gmail

In the Compose tab of Gmail, as you start typing out in the 'To' field, you are prompted with probable email addresses. It's convenient, no doubt, especially when you can't recall the email ID. But it could lead to an embarrassment, when in a hurry you end up sending the mail to the wrong person.

Gmail has an option, wherein within a specified period of time, you can recall the mail you sent. To enable this useful tool, click on the 'Gear' symbol on the top right of the email page, and go to 'Settings'. Click on 'Labs' in the series of options you see on the top of the page.

Scroll down and look for the 'Undo Send' option. Click Enable. Scroll down and click on 'Save changes'.

Click on 'General' in the top row of options. Scroll down and look for the 'Undo Send' option. Check 'Enable Undo Send', and choose from the options for cancellation period. The minimum is 5 seconds and the maximum is 30 seconds. Scroll down and Save Changes. Now, when you send a mail, it wouldn't go for the period of time you have selected, within which you can Undo Send.

INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL

 

The number of monthly active users of Facebook in India has shot up by 5 per cent to 82 million for the April-June period of this year.

The California-based social networking giant had 78 million users in India in the January-March period.

Facebook India Country Growth Manager Kevin D’Souza said India had been at the forefront of several growth stories for the social networking major. — PTI

 

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY TO ALL MY READERS

How to create groups in Gmail, Yahoo

There are occasions when we send an email to a group of people. It may be a mail to our trekking friends about an upcoming outing, or to our relatives about a family function, or to colleagues about an official matter. Adding names one by one is not just tedious, we risk missing out on a few names.

Instead, create a group and just type out the name of the group in the 'To' field.

In Gmail, go to Contacts. Click on one or more contacts. Click on the third-from-left icon on top, which will show 'Groups' if you hover the mouse over it. You can either create new groups or add contacts to already-created groups. On advanced Android phones, these changes will reflect on the phone, allowing you to send a text message to the group as well.

In Yahoo, go to Contacts. On the left pane, you will see 'Lists'. Click on the 'plus' sign to create a new list. You can click on a contact and click on 'Assign to list' to add the contact.

In Outlook, click on the arrow beside 'Outlook' and click on 'People'. Click on 'Manage', 'Manage Groups'. You can create a group, by clicking on the 'plus' sign at the bottom. You can add a contact by clicking on it, and then on 'Groups'.

How to build your own PC for Rs 26,000

I want to assemble a gaming PC for around Rs 26,000. I already have a FullHD monitor, keyboard, mouse and speakers. Please suggest other components.

—Raj Hacker

Considering you want a gaming rig, we suggest you build your computer around a graphic card. And given your budget, the AMD HD 7770 1GB (Rs 9,000 approx) is a good option. It can handle most games at FullHD - and even the graphic-intensive Battlefield 3 runs smoothly, albeit at reduced settings.
For your processor you can choose the entry-level Intel Pentium G2020 processor (Rs 3,800 approx), or if you want more horsepower, Intel's Core i3 3220 (Rs 7,000).
Pick up an ASUS P8B75-M LX motherboard (Rs 4,200); a 500GB hard disk from Seagate or Western Digital (Rs 3,200); and 4GB DDR3 RAM from Transcend or Kingston (Rs 1,800).
For your chassis and power supply unit, we recommend the Cooler Master Elite 344 (Rs 1,900) and the Corsair VS350 (Rs 2,200), respectively. And you can buy an LG or Samsung internal DVD drive (Rs 1,000).