Saturday, December 29, 2007

Motarola new Mobile

The big M has apparently picked its pony, because what you see here is the limited edition Ferrari Motorola Z8 cell phone. The Italian automaker seems to be lending its name to all sorts of electronics these days, presumably because most of us can't afford to buy an actual Ferrari car. The next best thing, I suppose, would be an Acer Ferrari notebook or this Ferrari Motorola mobile phone.
As you can quite plainly see, this limited edition handset has been emblazoned with all sorts of Ferrari branding, including logos and a hot black-and-red color scheme. Some people call it a banana phone, but the limited edition Ferrari Motorola Z8 is one speedy-looking banana.On the inside, you'll find things like free video from Ferrari, pre-registration to ferrariworld.com, custom wallpapers and ringtones, some online magazine subscriptions, and The Bourne Identity. Don't ask me what Jason Bourne has to do with Ferrari. Look for the hotness to drop in Q1 2008.

Friday, December 21, 2007

Ringtons

Happy x-mas
The global ringtone market is coming to the end of its crescendo, depending on how you measure."In some parts of the world, ringtone sales are actually declining, and the former ringtone kings, like Jamba of Germany and Musiwave of France, are reorganizing their businesses to focus on more profitable ways for consumers to personalize their cellphones.
The market changed in unexpected ways. For one, more mobile phones were being made with the ability to create or record their own tunes. For another, record labels actively promoted so-called "master ringtones" - excerpts from the original pop recordings - for about the same price as the knockoffs but with higher royalty fees. And digital music stores like iTunes began packaging and selling ringtones alongside their 99-cent singles."

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Vodafone and Google ti up


British mobile operator Vodafone Group, said it has signed a deal with Google to offer search capabilities on its Vodafone live! 3G service to provide customers with the most relevant information, wherever they are and whatever time of day it is. Users will be able to use Google's search engine to find content within Vodafone live and on the wider Web. Search results will be delivered through Vodafone's data networks. Examples of the kind of information that will be available include news, weather and details of restaurants, the company said. Vodafone hopes that the deal with Google will help it increase Internet usage by customers and help it raise data revenues. For Google, the alliance will help it expand its reach into the world of mobile devices.

Friday, December 14, 2007

Free Ringtones Dunia

Free Ringtones India is a community site for Bollywood Ringtones , Monotones, Polyphonic Ringtones, Real tones (MP3, WAV, AMR and MMF tones) , Java Games / Applications, Symbian Applications / Games, 3gp Videos, PC-To-Mobile Software, Monophonic ringtones, (i.e. Nokia Keypress, Composer and RTTTL ringtones ) and a lot lot more. (Including WAP based downloads)We have very active cellphone forums where you can share your stuff, discuss your mobile related problems or just hang So come on in and join the fun!Pls note you will not be able to access mobile downloads section or see downloads in the mobile forums unless you are registered and logged on (which is free of course). Do not ask mods for help in this regard.

Tuesday, December 11, 2007

Nokia enivision



Cellphones with built-in fingerprint scanners aren't exactly revolutionary, but a recent patent application filed by Nokia could foreshadow mobile displays that recognize and react to biometric inputs. More specifically, the technology would see a touch-sensitive user interface that could allow / deny access or morph depending on what user swiped their finger.
Moreover, a mysterious "visual display cursor" is also referenced, which would seemingly allow the device to bring important applications / lists / etc. to the screen's forefront depending on the preferences saved for each fingerprint. As always, it's a mystery as to when something like this will actually go mainstream, but we certainly dig the sound of it -- even when written in totally incomprehensible patent app lingo.

Monday, December 3, 2007

Mother Music of rington for mobile

"There has to be a better way for ringtones to be less intrusive and yet audible enough to the user so they actually hear it. My solution is simple. I read somewhere that the US Air Force in the 1950s was experimenting with early versions of synethesized voices delivering cockpit warnings. What they found was that a pilot was much more likely to hear an important instruction if the voice used was the pilot’s mother .
So this is what I propose. When I buy my phone, I hand it over to my mother and have her call out my name at a reasonable volume. That recording becomes my ringtone. Trust me, I’m always going to recognise her voice, across the room, across town, across continents. Mothers’ voices have that kind of quality. "

Tuesday, November 20, 2007

No Music day

Two years ago the maverick pop musician Bill Drummond had a quirky idea. Irritated by the “nonstop soundtrack” of music that invades almost every aspect of our lives, from ringtones to bus shelters. So he decided to set up No Music Day – symbolically on November 21, so it would form a kind of Hallowe’en to November 22, feast-day of Cecilia, music’s patron saint.The idea has caught on. Last year thousands attempted to avoid music on November 21. This year the whole of BBC Radio Scotland will be a music-free zone."

Friday, November 16, 2007

Monotons, Ringtons

Monotones, Polyphonic Ringtones, Real tones (MP3, WAV, AMR and MMF tones) , Java Games / Applications, Symbian Applications / Games, 3gp Videos, PC-To-Mobile Software, Monophonic ringtones, (i.e. Nokia Keypress, Composer and RTTTL ringtones ) and a lot lot more. (Including WAP based downloads)
We have very active cellphone forums where you can share your stuff, discuss your mobile related problems or just hang out.
So come on in and join the fun!
Pls note you will not be able to access mobile downloads section or see downloads in the mobile forums unless you are registered and logged on (which is free of course). Do not ask mods for help in this regard.

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Sony Ericsson at Music Outlet

Sony Ericsson Plans Music Store
Mobile-phone maker Sony Ericsson yesterday hit back at rivals Apple Inc. and Nokia Corp., unveiling plans for its own Internet music portal and introducing three new handsets. The Wal Street Journal reports."Sony Ericsson, a joint venture between Sony Corp. and Telefon AB LM Ericsson, plans to release the upgraded PlayNow service next spring, adding millions of new music tracks from major record labels.
Until now, Sony Ericsson has only offered music downloads via its handsets from Sony BMG Music Entertainment, a joint venture of Sony and Bertelsmann AG."

Thursday, November 8, 2007

Happy Diwali,Gowardhan Puja, Bhiya Dooj

LG Mobile new mobil launch

The brand new high-technology smartphone from LG Mobile, the LG-KS20 is now available in major European countries. LG has announced the launch of its latest high speed downlink packet access (HSDPA) smartphone, the LG-KS20. The phone’s full touchscreen gives it unparalleled usability and a top download speed of HSDPA 3.6 Mbps enables to an enriched internet experience.
- Fully Integrated HSDPA Technology with 3.6Mbps downloads
- 2.8” Wide LCD, full flat Touch Screen and Stylish & Slim look (12.8mm)
- Microsoft’s Windows Mobile 6, Push E-mail, WiFi connectivity
- First work from LG’s next generation high technology phone category product line weighing in with high technology, along with LG Viewty phone (model: LG-KU990)
As a product completed with LG Mobile’s intensive know-how on the mobile phone, LG-KS20 received an overwhelmingly favorable response from the press and the parties concerned, by winning ‘Choice Product’ for ‘Product Highlight’ at ‘IFA 2007’ held in Berlin, Germany from last Aug. 31 through Sep. 5.
LG-KS20, a smart phone strategically launched by LG based on various multimedia features, is a product the target of which has been expanded from the biz market that used to be the existing smart phone’s core market to the consumer market.
Pursuing high technology along with LG ‘Viewty’ Phone (model: LG-KU990), LG-KS20 is expected to be the first product strategically launched from the line of the next generation High Technology Category products.
Compatible with highly advanced HSDPA

HAPPY DIWALI

Safeguard tips
Are you losing sleep on the thought of your competitors using your next major concept? A new software program is available that you can use to prepare confidentiality agreements and thereby save on legal fees. This is a customizable program called ConfidentialityWizard from Neustel Software and helps users to prepare highly specific terms of agreement. For business owners who need to create non-disclosure agreements, this is a very handy tool.
Although cheap versions of various form agreements can be found on the Internet, none are as flexible as ConfidentialityWizard, claims Michael Neustel, who is a U.S. patent attorney and also the creator of this program. Instead of getting a lawyer to prepare a single form, which would involve a high fee, users can prepare an unrestricted number of confidentiality agreements for $99 by using ConfidentialityWizard.

Tuesday, November 6, 2007

Free ringtons

is great site I disscovered about 2 years ago now and it is still running today. They offer compleatly a wide range of free ringtones. The site itself looks quite professional, compared to when I first visited the site. As soon as you get the sites front page it is quite clear what to do. The site itself is easy to navigate by clicking on links (or letters) at the top of the page and the searching for the ringtone that you want. This site is update regually and once you have found the ringtone that you want it is very simple to get it onto your phone. There are two methods of doing this:1. via PC - You can download the ringtone you want and transfer it to your mobile phone2. by wap - just click on the wap link and then download the ringtone straight to your phone. This is an excellent site that I have used for ages and recommend to anyone who wants to get a new free ringtone on there phone without having to pay.

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Free ringtons with diffrent kind

Free Ringtones India is a community site for Bollywood Ringtones , Monotones, Polyphonic Ringtones, Real tones (MP3, WAV, AMR and MMF tones) , Java Games / Applications, Symbian Applications / Games, 3gp Videos, PC-To-Mobile Software, Monophonic ringtones, (i.e. Nokia Keypress, Composer and RTTTL ringtones ) and a lot lot more. (Including WAP based downloads)We have very active cellphone forums where you can share your stuff, discuss your mobile related problems or just hang out.
So come on in and join the fun!Pls note you will not be able to access mobile downloads section or see downloads in the mobile forums unless you are registered and logged on (which is free of course). Do not ask mods for help in this regard.

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Mobile free ring tons world

If you're looking for yet another way to get custom ringtones on your iPhone, the folks at Mac Rumors have discovered a little workaround for iTunes 7.4. Here's the scoop: change an AAC file's suffix from .m4a to .m4r in the Finder, and then double click it, and iTunes ought to import it and let you sync it to your iPhone. I tried this out on my own computer, and while it does work, there are some limitations you should be aware of. First up: make sure your iPhone is updated to the latest firmware. It didn't work for me on 1.0.1, but that may also be because of other hacks and ringtones that I'd installed from other means. Once I updated to 1.0.2, it worked swimmingly. Next, make sure the AAC file doesn't already exist in your iTunes library. Otherwise, it'll just try and play the song that's already there. If it does, remove it by hitting delete (you can keep the files where they are, and reimport them later). Also, try as I might, I couldn't get it to work with protected AAC files from the iTunes Store; it just added them to my library and started to play them instead. MP3 files are right out. Chances are that this is a hole that Apple simply missed when adding the ringtone functionality into iTunes, so I'd be unsurprised to see it plugged in a subsequent update. But for now, if you're willing to go through the dance, you can make all the ringtones you like. Copyright Mac Publishing LLC. This RSS feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you're not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you're looking at is guilty of copyright infringement. Please contact webmaster@macworld.com so we can take legal action immediately.

Monday, October 22, 2007

Yog Guru Bharat Thakur weds Bhoomika Chawla

Bhoomika married noted yoga expert Bharat Thakur at a simple function on Sunday. The prominent actress was in love with the yoga master for some time.The couple had announced that they would enter wedlock on 25 November. However much to the surprise of everyone in the film industry, the couple got married at a simple function in Mumbai on Sunday. The reason for their sudden wedding is not known.Bhoomika is a prominent actress in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi film industry.She shot to fame in Tamil cine world with movies including 'Roja Kootam', 'Badri' and 'Sillunu Oru Kaadhal'.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Ringtons Tips for Mobile users

All over the world the functional mobile phone has become an accessory to fashion styles and men, women, and kids find innovative and distinct ways to personalize their mobiles. A mobile is supposed to be as unique and stylish as its user, it is personalized such that it mirrors the character and style choices of its owner.If you have a mobile that supports MP3 ringtones and learn how to transfer data from your desktop to the mobile device then you are your own artist.
Did you know:1. You can create your own ringtones from CD tracks on your computer and then install the individualistic ring tones by using software such as Tone This. You can edit sound tracks or clips to the length and mix you want and then send it to the phone as a downloadable file. Make sure your handset is compatible and can handle the changes and files. Ringtone websites always list phone models that can do the needful. 2. CD tracks can be converted or edited using “free” audio programs from shareware sites like HitSquad and Audio Utilities.3. You could make use of open source programs like Audacity which enables audio edits and can be used in Windows, Mac OS, or Linux. Just download the optional LAME MP3 encoder.4. Many mobiles have built-in recorders which can be used to record songs, ring tones from other mobiles, or even something a friend said to you. This recording can then be used as your ring tone. So your ringtone could be anything , from the bark of your pup, to a train’s whistle, or a baby’s laughter or cry.5. The Billboard magazine lists the “top 10 ringtones,” weekly. So, get on board and have the latest ringtone tit on your mobile phone.Ringtones can be transferred to mobile phones by using USB cables, a Bluetooth connection, or email downloads. In a rapidly metamorphosing environment changes occur quickly and since the interest in personalizing mobile phones is at a peak, designers and techies are constantly innovating and releasing new and more exciting options. Learn how to personalize your phone from the website of your phone manufacturer. Or, surf the internet for websites that are exclusively dedicated to ringtones and feature all the latest in ringtones and leading ringtone providers. Personalizing your mobile could take many hues. You could have a designer cover for your mobile. Or, an exclusive screen saver. The mobile could be accessorized to match your outfit or the popular colors of the season. Dare to dream then you can make all the personalize mobile dreams come true all you need to do is log n to the internet and update you phone to make a style statement.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/communication-articles/5-tips-on-personalizing-your-mobile-phone-224076.htm

Saturday, September 29, 2007

new mobil version

The mobile version of MySpace practically allows me to do everything I do with the regular online version except for a catch that I can’t upload pictures (May be this is lined up in their next release or I hope so). Typically, I can receive and send messages and also can send, receive and accept requests. Can go into profiles and skim through them, can leave a comment on their profiles, update my blogs (this one is one of the best feature I could ask for, I can pretty much be on my blog 24/7), post bulletins, catch up with old friends and find new friends and yeah as am considered a bit moody, can update my mood status too.As per the technology move from MySpace, this is not the first time they are coming out with MySpace as a mobile application, T-Mobile, Helio and AT&T users previously had access to MySpace access earlier for a small amount of fee. There still is difference between the both, coz the free version comes along with ads, an ad-supported model where as the paid version comes ads free, more like blogger in their earlier days.
FIM has realized the potential of internet on the move and cell phone and have made a right more. This growing trend will give an extra edge to people who are on the move. I’m sure sometime in the near future you can expect a lot of other Social Networking Sites coming up with the same model, after all we did see a lot of MySpace clones once MySpace was successful

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Digital Music Taiup

The digital music industry is headed for a crossroads, as more stores and record labels try out DRM-free music sales, and as some of the bigger names in digital music team up to offer a new service. PC World reports."MTV and Real Networks announced in August that they would create a new music service based on Real's Rhapsody service and MTV's music content and packaging. Verizon will deliver portions of the service through its V Cast music offering.
Verizon will eventually allow for tunes purchased through V Cast to be accessible through a Rhapsody account and for transfer of music from a Rhapsody account to a mobile phone.
At press time, MTV and Real had not set a launch date for the new service.
Meanwhile, Rhapsody and Wal-Mart began selling DRM-free selections from Universal's music catalog, and Real Networks CEO Rob Glaser believes that 2008 will be the year DRM-free goes mainstream for purchased digital music.
Recently, B>Apple debuted a new iTunes Wi-Fi Music Store that lets iPod Touch and iPhone owners purchase songs directly on their devices. The devices will also enjoy free Wi-Fi access at Starbucks locations in 2008. "

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Jamster and mobile rington

Jamster, a ringtone and mobile content sales company, has been sued for false advertising. The suit which was filed in San Diego states that Jamster falsely advertises that users can get a free ringtone. In reality said ringtones cost $1.99.Jamster is the U.S. name of Jamba, a German mobile content provider that VeriSign acquired in June 2004. VeriSign is no stranger to consumer wrath. T-Mobile USA and Cingular Wireless are also named on the suit, presumedly because they allow Jamster to bill for "free" services.Jamster advertises on TV and other media that mobile customers can get a free ringtone if they send a text message to the number displayed on the ad. In fact, those who sent the text message got multiple messages back notifying them that content was available for download, according to the complaint. The customers had to pay for all those messages (premium SMS).On a related note, MobileTracker is currently hosting a discussion on SMS.ac which has caused a stir by using premium SMS messages to bill users of its community.

Monday, September 24, 2007

IPhone in India and world

In this article I’ll point you to sources which will guide you unlock your Apple iPhone for free in India and elsewhere.I was browsing through techtree.com and came across an article where they mentioned about a group who announced retail availability of iPhone unlocking software through a lot of resellers.It was also reported that the group was selling the iPhone unlocking software to resellers who could afford 50 to 5000 licenses. Smart right … well not really… because if you want to unlock your iPhone you can get it done absolutely free. Yes! You do not need to pay a single penny to get your Apple iPhone Unlock for free in India and elsewhere.Well let me cut this short as I know you are eager to unlock your iPhone as soon as possible to get to use it.
These links will give you detailed instruction on how you can unlock your iPhone without dismantling it:Well the IPhone Dev team also has come up with a tutorial which can help you achieve the same:
http://iphone.unlock.noEven if you buy your phone in the US or any where else, you can get it back to India and can unlock your iPhone to use it with Airtel, idea, Hutch or even BSNL. Make use of the tutorials mentioned above and you should be all set and ready to use your phones at the earliest

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

free ring tONS

Free ringtonesMost free ringtones available on the internet are illegal, subject to copyright restrictions or crap (sounds awful). You can get free ringtones to your phone if you compose your own ringtones on your pc and transfer the ringtones to your phone. If you have a phone with a built in ringtone composer you can also compose your own free ringtones. In most of the cases you also need software and cables to transfer the "free ringtones" to your phone. These things aren´t free so actually there are no such thing as free ringtones!Free MIDI ringtonesIf you compose your own MIDI tones or find free MIDI ringtones on the internet you can download them to your phone using a cable or infrared connection. You also need the right software for sending the ringtones to the phone. Nokia and other mobile phone brands often have their own phone manager programs and some of them include multimedia convertors and other prorams to manage ringtones and graphics. There are also many third party softwares. With these softwares you can change the format of the ringtone, from MP3 to midi, midi to RTTTL, wav to midi etc. Note that MIDI is a much lower quality sound format than MP3 or WAV. A format change from mp3 or wav to midi degrades the recording appreciably.Free MP3 ringtonesThe internet is full of free MP3 songs and tunes. Many people say that there is no "good" way to convert MP3 music to ringtones. MIDI is a much lower quality sound format than MP3 or WAV. A format change from mp3 or wav to midi is going to degrade the recording appreciably. There are however numerous "midi converters", "mp3 converters" or "wav converters" available. Use Google to find them!
RTTTL ringtonesRTTTL stands for Ring Tone Text Transfer Language and it is a format for coding the notes of a ringtone in a universal format. With a special ringtone convertor program like Nokring or LogoManager RTTTL ringtones can be converted to other ringtone formats and uploaded to your phone via datacable or a infrared connection. If you have a phone with a built-in ringtone composer you can use a ringtone convertor software to transfer RTTTL ringtones to key press format. It´s quite simple - just enter the key press sequence given to you by the ringtone converter software on your phone.

Monday, September 17, 2007

Free ringtons in words

In this article I’ll point you to sources which will guide you unlock your Apple iPhone for free in India and elsewhere.I was browsing through techtree.com and came across an article where they mentioned about a group who announced retail availability of iPhone unlocking software through a lot of resellers.It was also reported that the group was selling the iPhone unlocking software to resellers who could afford 50 to 5000 licenses. Smart right … well not really… because if you want to unlock your iPhone you can get it done absolutely free. Yes! You do not need to pay a single penny to get your Apple iPhone Unlock for free in India and elsewhere.Well let me cut this short as I know you are eager to unlock your iPhone as soon as possible to get to use it.In this article I’ll point you to sources which will guide you unlock your Apple iPhone for free in India and elsewhere.I was browsing through techtree.com and came across an article where they mentioned about a group who announced retail availability of iPhone unlocking software through a lot of resellers.
It was also reported that the group was selling the iPhone unlocking software to resellers who could afford 50 to 5000 licenses. Smart right … well not really… because if you want to unlock your iPhone you can get it done absolutely free. Yes! You do not need to pay a single penny to get your Apple iPhone Unlock for free in India and elsewhere.
Well let me cut this short as I know you are eager to unlock your iPhone as soon as possible to get to use it.

Thursday, September 13, 2007

Ringtones World

Selling ring tones is big business in Europe and Asia, where hundreds of companies offer snippets of popular music to replace the prepackaged tones used to alert someone to a call. More than $300 million in ring tones were sold in Japan last year. Nokia estimates it will make billions selling ring tones by the end of 2005. But the industry is still relatively unregulated. Several industry insiders estimated that up to 65 percent of all ring-tone companies aren't properly licensed. With most of the business taking place in Europe, American licensing agencies like the Harry Fox Agency or the American Society of Composers, Artists and Publishers (ASCAP) weren't doing much about it--until now. What happens is that people begin to exploit music," said Gary Churgin, Harry Fox Agency chief executive. "There are others who build their business and look at licensing after the fact. Whether it's Napster or ring tones, we still monitor the market."
Ordering a ring tone is a relatively new phenomenon for Americans, but old hat in Europe. After people select which ring tone they'd like from the ring-tone company's Web site, they can call or e-mail the company to have it downloaded to their phone. Each download costs anywhere from $1 to $10. The charges show up on the customers' phone bill, and the profit is shared between their phone service provider and the ring-tone company.
The ring-tone business is about to explode for agencies handling the rights for 80 percent of the music in the world. Just this week, Motorola said it was partnering with Ztango to
sell downloadable ring tones. Ztango, a licensed ring-tone seller, will be powering the download service to Motorola phones. The download service will begin first in Italy for customers of Italian wireless carrier Telecom Italia.
A slew of major European ring-tone sellers such as
Monstermob are about to test the American waters. It's expected that by the middle of next year, every U.S. carrier will be selling ring tones.
Now the agencies that have been waging a war with Napster over music swapping on the Internet are focusing on ring tones. ASCAP, which sells the performance rights for hundreds of thousands of popular songs, has begun trying to weed out ring-tone sellers working without ASCAP approvals, said Chris Amenita, an ASCAP senior vice president.
The Harry Fox Agency, which handles the licensing for the National Music Publishers Association and its 27,000 members, is now
licensing its tunes for ring tones. So far, the agency said, it's received 30 applications.
Several ring-tone companies that are not licensed by any of the major agencies would not comment for this story.
Amenita said ASCAP officials are "going through a (long) list" of ring-tone companies. While it is difficult to estimate just how many companies sell ring tones, there are at least 1,200 in the United Kingdom alone. Amenita said ASCAP has so far issued licenses to 10 different ring-tone companies, with 10 applications awaiting approval.
"We're looking at all the companies coming onboard right now," he said. "And we're looking at those we're already in discussions with, and those we are being made aware of. Reactions have varied. Some were waiting to see if they would be contacted, others weren't quite familiar with what ASCAP does."
Broadcast Music Incorporated, or BMI, licenses public performance rights for 4.5 million songs. BMI Vice President Richard Conlon said he's noticed a new emphasis on making licensing decisions just in the past 90 days as the industry shifts to North America. In the past week, BMI issued a license to New York-based
Zingy, a wireless entertainment portal that sells ring tones.
"I hope they work out better than peer-to-peer," said Conlon, making a reference to Napster and the bitter copyright
battles over Internet-based file swapping.
There has been just one lawsuit so far against a ring-tone seller. Record label EMI sued
YourMobile, a ring-tone seller and wireless advertising firm based in Santa Monica, Calif. The case has since been settled, and Chief Operating Officer Bryan Biniak said YourMobile has received licenses from EMI, plus three other major publishing representatives. A fifth is expected soon.
"This is a potentially enormous marketplace," Biniak said

Friday, June 29, 2007

Upgrade your landline phone with ringtones


Your traditional landline phone doesn't have to be a bore. To give it a musical upgrade, all you have to do is plug it into a Ringboxx. Whenever a call comes in, the Ringboxx can be set to play your favorite song. Or if you prefer to know who's calling, you can set the compact device to play different songs for different people. Designed by Home Phone Tunes, the Ringboxx costs $80 and ships with 10 free ringtones. Additional sounds can be purchased online for about $2 to $3 each, or you can use the included software to convert your digital audio files to ringtones.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Stop Paying for Ring Tones


It's no secret that cell phones can now alert you to incoming calls with a musical ring tone. Songs sound better than beeps, and they're personal.
There is a catch, however. Buying ring tones can be expensive. Online stores typically charge more to send a song snippet to your cell phone than they do to download a whole song to your PC. Ring-tone sellers tend to tout compatibility they can't back up. Even if they sell you one that works on your phone and deliver it to you successfully, you'll still have to pony up more cash every time you want to switch your ring tone. And if you buy a new phone, you may not be able to use the ring tones you've purchased and loaded onto your old one.
Record labels love it when fans buy a ring tone of a song they already own -- the industry claims $4 billion in ring-tone sales to date. But in fairness, you shouldn't have to pay separately just to hear your CD tracks or legally acquired MP3s as ring tones.
In most cases, you don't have to. Putting a snippet of a CD track or MP3 file on your phone is actually very straightforward -- not to mention free, if you already own the song.

Friday, June 22, 2007

What Does Your Ringtone Say About You?


Forbes facts and stats article on the ringtone business also has a fun chapter on "what your ringtone says about you?". Always a huge favorite.
Research indicates that people do judge mobile users based on their ringtone. Earlier this year, U.K.-based carrier Tesco Mobile surveyed 1,000 customers and discovered that 21% of them thought having a standard ringtone was "uncool."
-- The survey also concluded that people who use their own recorded voice as a ringtone are self-obsessed, and that users who constantly change their rings might be flighty and unreliable.
-- If your phone plays a classic rock tune, you're showing your age, but you get points for figuring out how to change the ringer, Gramps.
-- If your phone is still playing "Jingle Bell Rock" in July, you're not going to impress people with your productivity.
-- If your ringtone is a current hip-hop or R&B hit, you're young at heart, but you're not particularly original. Hip-hop ringtones accounted for more than half of the $300 million U.S. market in 2004.
-- If your phone plays the sound of an old mechanical phone bell, you're not as funny as you think you are.
-- If your phone plays the theme song to a television show, you're not going to impress anyone with your intellectual acumen. Perhaps a Mozart or Beethoven ringer would do some damage control.
-- If your phone never leaves vibrate or silent mode, you may be the kind of important person who can't afford to waste time answering a phone call right now. Or maybe you just think you're that important. However, you may also be considerate and respectful, the kind of person we'd like sitting behind us in a movie theater.
-- Unfortunately, we tend to get saddled with seatmates whose phones play the popular "Crazy Frog," the clucking chicken, or any number of other annoying animal noises. If you're one of these folks, you may be a sociopath."