Mobile Phones Blog

The time of paper boarding cards at airports could soon be drawing to an end according to new initiatives being considered by the aviation industry.

As mobiles have become incredibly popular they have been considered as one of the ways to create an entirely paperless airport. The proposals, from the International Air Transport Association, have become part of a program designed to simplify passengers travel experience.

The scheme is great news for the airlines and the IATA as delays and operating costs could be slashed. This mobile phone technology is already in use at a number of Japanese airports. It works by sending a barcode to the customers' handset which is then swiped at a reader at the boarding gate. Similar schemes have been put into place, especially in Japan which has led the way in integrating mobile phones into variety of different roles, such as shopping and train travel.

This is an exciting scheme which could save us many a painful hour spent wandering around the vast empty and soulless spaces that are airport departure lounges. Integrating mobile phones into other aspects of our daily lives can only save us a bit of time and make life a less annoying experience. It will be intriguing to see how this scheme develops and obviously we will continue to bring you the very latest news.

Vodafone's mobile internet access has had an overhaul and now millions of customers will be able to access the web from their handsets, just like they would from a desktop PC. Vodafone's new version of the mobile internet will give a full accurate web browsing experience (hopefully without the annoying things that make mobile internet frustrating).

With Vodafone's mobile internet you will be able to do things such as tinkering with your Myspace profile, send and receive emails, even buy and bid for obscure items on eBay. Significant improvements have also been made to the software customers use to access the internet. The browser divides the chosen web page into three sections on different pages (as tested on a K800i). Side navigation is handled on page one whilst the centre of the page is handled on page two. You can also click a button that will take you to the top or bottom of a page. General browsing feels much more 'PC-like' as graphics appear less compressed and more like they would on a PC monitor.

Fortunately most customers will not have to upgrade their handsets to take advantage of the upgrade. The new software on the Vodafone network will make content mobile friendly on over 150 handsets, couple this with the new pricing structure and you can see that Vodafone are attempting an all out assault on the lucrative mobile phone content market.

Vodafone's own portal has also had a makeover with a new bright and easy to use interface. Customers can check their e-mail and account details with relative ease. The usual network portal content is there (music downloads etc) and it is easy to get to and download whatever you desire. It wouldn't be a surprise if the other networks follow suit, which can only be good for us customers.

As phones become increasingly hi-tech, more risks to your shiny new handset become apparent. If it's not some little goblin trying to steal it from you, now it's someone trying to infect it. Mobile phone viruses are becoming evermore common and even an average low end handset can receive and transmit viruses.

As our phones are so popular and increasingly interconnected, a viral attack is a massive risk. Mobiles are our work and social tools so a damaging virus attack could have consequences ranging from losing all the contacts in your phonebook through to infection of your employer's computer network. You could be infected through no fault of your own. You might even be incredibly cautious but maybe you have a tech savvy gadget freak as a friend. He would probably download music and video through his mobile, not knowing that he could be downloading malicious software at the same time. You would be blissfully unaware that he's lost all the contacts on his phone and open a text message from him. It looks like it could be from him but in fact it's a Trojan virus that has now infected your new handset. Gutted. You can't even send him an angry text.

This scenario shows how easy it is to get caught out. There are some solutions around but for the moment it is best to be aware of the risks in downloading files straight to your phone. Make sure that you tell your friends as well though!