Morange

I have a Nokia N70 on the T-Mobile network, and it's really impressive. Labelled as a Smart Phone, it is a bit like a cross between a PDA and a normal mobile phone. Boy does it live to expectations.

You can check your emails (POP/IMAP), read Word documents, Spreadsheets, view To-Do lists and so much more. Now I sound like a sales man. The most handy aspect is the ability of downloading "mini-applications".

What I really want to talk about is a mini-application that let's you treat your phone as if it is an iPhone. Yes, you heard me. An iPhone. Why bother with a mobile phone that costs you an arm and a leg for a phone with a pretty interface. Well, I would, but I would not like to risk my limbs in the process.

This application is called Morange (http://www.morange.com) and is feature rich. You can receive and "push" POP/IMAP emails. It even works with GMail. All you have to do is enable POP3 in the settings (Follow this link to find out how http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=13273). It has Chat that works with Google Talk, Yahoo and MSN, as well as its own network. Then there's RSS, storage space to share files, and Remote Desktop for technicians on the go.

I can't live without it. This is the closest I can get to an iPhone, without losing my arms (and legs). In the process of using this, no Smart Phone can go without this if you want to be completey mobile and organised.

So download it and join the ever growing online mobile community. I have.

Keep your damn iPod down

Do you have those moments on the way to work that your train of thought is disrupted by someone playing their iPods on full blast? So do I, but all that I can do is silently fume and hope that the cheeky sod gets off at the next stop.

This seems to be a growing problem and is global. But, it is not just the iPod users to blame. It is also those with MP3 players and portable CD players.

Some consider it very rude when all the listeners have to do is keep it at a level that he/she can listen to it without annoying any one else around them. While the iPod is popularly fancied for those to spend time with themselves on a long commute, I don't particularly like the fact that the listener fails in etiquette and subjugates my eardrums to a bashing.

It's like those moments when someone literally yells into their mobile phones in a conversation. The listener does not realise that while they play their music loud and want to talk, they SHOUT INSTEAD OF TALKING.

Some try to argue their rights for doing so. "Did someone ever complain about a Walkman or a CD player?" Well, duh. They always do, but the complaints fall on deaf ears. Quite literally.

OK. Fine. The listeners are contempt with adjusting for fellow commuters, if you are friendly enough and approach them politely to turn it down. Don't think it's not possible. I've seen it with my own eyes. Being all grumpy and approaching the listener without etiquette yourselves may just spark the listener off and be un-cooperative.

But that's not all. You also get nutters who crank up the volume on their mobile phones, where the music get's crackly and more annoying. Why don't the mobile phone manufacturers ever think of forcing those users who play music can only do so when a headset is plugged it. They did it with the radio on the mobile phone.

I even got myself an MP3 player and played it at an acceptable level to commuters. That didn't work because the hot shot iPod listener's music is still far too loud and penetrates my music. No matter what, I don't keep my music loud as I'm the type of person who tries not to offend anyone.

We've got to set one thing straight with this generation of digital music. The reason why we don't appreciate the loud music, is that it's very rude. Oh, and I don't really like the music they play half the time.

What should we do? We should make a stand and not give in by joining in with them. I shudder to think what the future would be like if everyone plays their music loud and distracting each other with man-made noise pollution.