Advanced technology has brought the world closer and it has become a global village. The internet has ensured that people can keep in contact easily even when separated by thousands of miles and all it takes is a click of the mouse.

The internet has undoubtedly revolutionized our lives and the big desk-top computers have progressed to small carry-on `notebooks` or `laptops` as they are more popularly known. In another word, with a notebook, your computer goes where you go since they are portable computers.

A notebook normally weighs less than six pounds depending upon the materials used for its manufacture and its size and can be easily fitted into a briefcase. Notebook computers are no longer expensive or fancy gadgets to flaunt but are being used rigorously by most as business, study or hobby tools to give solid competition to the standard desk-top computer.

The notebook or laptop has become so indispensable that most of us can`t dream of stepping out of the house without one. What would a harried executive or a salesperson or a student do without his beloved laptop?! Company executives, sales people store all their business data on the laptop for instant access to information even while traveling.

For students, a notebook is essential to do research and is much more convenient than hanging out in neighborhood internet joints. Study material can as easily be stored on the desk-top computer as much as on a laptop but the former cannot beat the latter for sheer convenience. Students now have to make a lot of presentations in schools, colleges and having a notebook certainly helps as everything can be stored on it and carried with them.

The same goes for company executives or salespeople when they have to make presentations or a sales pitch. The laptop permits you to carry your work load very conveniently and you don`t have to worry about the hardware or getting wires connected or finding the appropriate space to place your computer. If you`d rather work from home than stay back late at work, it lets you do that being easily portable.

A single main battery is normally required to run the notebook but the battery can also be charged using an external AC/DC adaptor which simultaneously provides power to the laptop itself. If you are using the notebook a lot, the charge may not last more than an hour but light use will see the notebook working for at least two to five hours.

The display screens are very lightweight and not bulky and are much superior to the desk-top computer. One can get a really wide screen on a notebook and with wireless cards entertainment can be accessed on the go. Really top-of-line notebooks use the latest technology to provide state-of-the art performance.

The notebook computers generally have a liquid crystal display and its memory module is different from that of desk-top computers. Most notebook computers have a VGA resolution on their display screens. A built-in keyboard and a touchpad are provided in a notebook computer though an external mouse or keyboard can also be used instead.

Notebook computers generally have similar CPU, memory capacity, hard disc space as that of the desk-top computer but these are smaller and manufactured for optimal efficiency and mobility.

However, a notebook computer with very powerful features will be very expensive when compared to the desk-top computer with similar features. Usually, a notebook or laptop is less powerful than a desk-top computer at the same cost. Also, bear in mind that replacement parts of a notebook are expensive and since they are very specific, obtaining them on your own may get difficult. Do keep these points in mind before you venture to buy a notebook!

Cell phones, also commonly known as mobile phones, are electronic devices which are used for communication purposes. Voice or data is communicated through these cell phones over a network of stations. Cell phones have all the features of a general telephone and also have various specialized features.

History and Overview:

Cellular Network was initially proposed by Bell Labs in the year 1947. He was the first person to establish cellular network in the year 1970 in Chicago. After that Japan launched the first mobile phone service in the year 1978. With the advent of time, there has been tremendous improvement in the mobile phone technology and in the year 1996, mobile phone giant Nokia launched its first multi use smart phone Nokia communicator which had the facility of internet connectivity and email services.

Cell phone handsets:

Cell phone handsets are the devices which are used for communication purposes. There are a wide rang of handsets with varying features which are being produced by manufacturers worldwide. Currently, Nokia is holding the largest chunk of market share of cell phones and is regarded as world`s largest manufacturer of mobile phone handsets.

Other major names in the list of cell phone manufacturers include Motorola, Sony Ericsson, Samsung, LG etc. These cell phones work on rechargeable batteries which obtain power from electric current, solar, dynamo, car battery charger etc. Before using a handset it needs to be activated with a SIM card provided by a mobile phone service provider who will also allot a unique number for your phone.

Features of Cell Phones:

Apart from having almost all the features of a normal telephone the cell phone also has various other unique features which make them very useful in today`s busy life schedule. These features include music, mp3 player, in built high pixel still and movie camera, personal organizer functions, Internet connectivity with browsing and emailing facility, different ring tones both inbuilt and with a facility to download, blue tooth and infra red connectivity etc.

Cell phones are also able to receive and send faxes if it is connected to a computer. Apart from Short messaging service (SMS), Cell phones are also enabled to send pictures and videos through Multimedia messaging service (MMS).

Uses of Cell Phone:

Cell phones are now widely used by both civilians and government agencies. Government agencies use mobile phones extensively for law enforcement, military purposes, disaster management etc. In the usage of cell phones, you must be particular about maintaining the culture and customs.

It is not decent to use your mobile phone while sitting in an important meeting. It is desirable that you switch off your phone when in any funeral or libraries or cinema halls etc. Most schools and colleges have restricted the use of mobile phones in their premises.

Beliefs about health and environment hazards and safety concerns:

Several concerns regarding human health resulting as an impact of mobile phone usage has been raised from time to time. There have been dermatological concerns such as occurrence of rashes on ears and cheeks of the users, hearing problems in the ear, heart problems concern etc.

Environmental hazards such as electronic waste and safety hazards in usage of the cell phone have been of great concern. There has been an increase in accidents by drivers while talking on cell phones. Road accidents while using a cell phone are on an increase. High rise towers of the cellular networks are also a cause of concern to flying aircrafts and birds.

The tremendous benefits of connectivity in all locations wherever you are have outshined the disadvantages and health concerns of cell phone and the number of cell phone users is rising day by day.

Notebook or laptop is a small mobile PC used to perform similar tasks done by PCs. A laptop has all the necessary parts of a general personal computer, the monitor, keyboard, CPU, etc. but compact in a much smaller space, done by using a lot of microchips. Since it can be used while on the move; hence, it has got a rechargeable battery inside it. Generally it has a thickness of 1.7 to 4 cm.

The first portable computer, Osborne 1 came in the market in the year 1981.With a small 5“ CRT screen. It was a massive device as compared to the present day laptop. GRiD Compass 1100, was the first laptop which used the clamshell design, produced in 1982. Just the following year the Gavilan SC came in the market, which was the first notebook to use the term laptop.

On the basis of purpose, laptops are generally being classified as follows:

Subnotebook laptops, which have been built keeping the portability, factor in mind. Hence, they are not very big in size and have a maximum of 13“ screen, with less features and ports and quite a long battery life, even as long as 10 hours. They are made by using the latest technology and advanced materials. They generally use the desktop operating systems like Linux, Windows or Mac OSX.

An inferior and smaller version of the Subnotebook is the Netbook laptop, which also keeps portability as the main building feature. They generally have a screen size of 10“ or less. For saving power consumption, some models use SSD drives instead of the normal HDDs. Netbooks are generally used for performing basic office tasks and surfing the net.

Table PCs are laptops having a touch screen interface, with or without a keyboard. They are generally used for performing certain specific functional tasks only.

Desktop replacement laptops keep performance as the major feature over portability and have a screen of 17“, with many ports. They can be called as a miniature form of PC, which can perform almost all the functions of a PC. Generally the batteries of such laptops can supply power for lesser amount of time, as their large sized screen consumes huge amount of power.

Standard laptops are those laptops which keep a balance between the performance and portability. They generally have a 13-15“ screen, having a moderate battery life.
Apple, HP, Dell, Sony, Lenovo, Toshiba, Acer, Panasonic and Samsung are some of the renowned brands manufacturing laptops.

The basic hardware components of a laptop are similar to the desktop`s counterpart, but are miniature variants of the one used in the later. The areas where laptop scores above the normal desktop computers are; they can be used as mobile devices; they can also be used during power cut offs, as they are powered by chargeable battery. Moreover they consume less energy than the usual desktop computers.

However, there are certain disadvantages of laptops too. The major problem being: upgradability, due to the compact design of the laptop. Again due to the compact design, they cannot be cleaned properly and it leads to improper functioning due to accumulation of dust inside. Researchers have shown heat generated from laptop decreases the sperm count in male users.

Though laptops have a few disadvantages, but they are here to stay with us. In a recent market survey the results revealed a rise in laptop sales as compared to the number of PCs sold, in the recent year. Hence, in this twenty first century, we can say we need mobility and laptops are here to meet the bill.

The market is flooded with digital cameras and it can get confusing for a buyer to choose one best suited for his purpose. This increasing popularity of digital cameras is not a fluke but because they provide enough advantages over the traditional cameras, the manufacturers have all but abandoned the old cameras in favor of the digital ones.

Photos can be stored digitally and only the necessary photo can be printed versus printing every shot of the film. New rolls of film need not be bought as the storage cards can be used over and over again. Image enhancement is easy with digital cameras and photos can also be shared instantly. Taking all this into account it is no wonder that digital cameras are so much in demand.

Manufactures have come out with basically three broad categories in digital cameras like ultra-compact models, point-and-shoot-models and advanced models. The ultra-compact cameras are very thin (measuring less than 1inch in thickness) and look very stylish. They are available in many different colors though they do not offer any high-end features.

Point-and-shoot models vary in size and features though usually they come without any manual control features. With this type, it is simply taking the camera out of the box, inserting the battery and memory card and start shooting immediately. These are normally used by novices who have never taken a picture before.

The advanced models of course offer more options and features. They come with manual-control features and may include interchangeable lenses. External flash units are added extras and considerably add to the price. The advanced models are more suitable for intermediate to experienced photographers.

Some of the best new features to look for in a digital camera are image stabilization which takes care that the pictures are not hazy especially if taken in low light or because of a camera shake. Most take care that the shake is kept to the minimum and that the picture quality does not suffer.

Wide-angle facilities are another feature to watch out for in the digital camera. Even though most of them are limited to about 25mm - 30mm, it does come in useful. Then there are optical zoom lenses which are offered by the latest digital cameras and which come in sizes of 10 x, 12 x and even 15x. A lot of the newer models offer the very advanced technology of face recognition which means that the camera can find the person in frame and then the auto focus is applied to ensure that the face is within the frame.

Before shopping it is best to determine what is important for you. Someone may be comfortable with a thin camera while others may prefer one with zoom lenses. Any purchase boils down to one`s personal preferences but in the case of cameras studying the features and matching your requirements to it will help make the purchase considerably smoother.

Cell phones, more popularly known as the smart phones in the present arena, are undoubtedly one of the best examples of technology that we can boast of, in the last 90 years. A classic product emerged from a human brain and took the shape of cell phones in the early 1900s. Since then there has been no looking back. With each passing day, latest techniques kept on adding to this cellular electronic device, making it the handiest, powerful and useful product today.

The technology started with the simple sending and receiving radio signals through innumerable cellular base stations that are fitted with microwave antennas. However, this means of wireless communication added many new technologies to its system and provided several new services and applications to the users.

Together with the basic voice function, today, we have text messaging services, e-mails, internet services, Bluetooth, infrared, camera and video recording facilities along with sending photos and videos through MMS, downloading ringtones and also picture and videos just to name a few.

There are several latest technologies in use for the cell phones that that have been devised to make our lives much faster, simpler and trendy.

The GSM or Global System for Mobile Communication and CDMA or Code Division Multiple Access differ only in the way the two share space in the radio spectrum. While the former is more popular in Europe and Asia, the latter is used majorly in the United States. However, both work on the ability to provide high-speed internet access to these hi-tech devices.

With the application of all such technologies, the cell phones have become an asset in the educational field too. It can be used for learning activities both inside and outside the classrooms. Cell phones act as an excellent resource-collecting device for students.

The camera and video recording facilities can be used to full extent for capturing all-important data that can be used for documentation in the later stage. The data can also be sent instantly with the use of internet services available over phone to the teacher concerned if required. It can help students in assignments like test message home assignments and oral quizzes.

The cell phones can enable the students to hear educational radio broadcasts and to create instant podcast of their gathered information. Students can call up toll free numbers from their cell phones and get their doubts cleared within minutes. More importantly, they are an assistive technology for students with visual and hearing impairments with their audio and video facilities respectively. Students can also use their cell phones to organize their resources through innovative guides such as Google calendar.

Apart from this, the cell phone technology has also become a powerful tool of investigation in the hands of the investigation bureaus. The call data records maintained by the cell phone companies help the investigators in collecting leads and evidences. The cell phone technologies can also help the police to reconstruct the location of the cell phone user instantly. The standard radio tracking technology and the latest triangulation technique comes the handiest in such cases where the department needs to know the whereabouts of the suspect.

With the advent of such latest technologies in the cellular phone regime, it is not surprising that many a nation like Europe has more number of cell phones than people. This proves the effectiveness of this small pocket sized magical instrument.