The same things has happened few years ago with SMS or MMS, SMS could be helpful around in Mauritius, but not the Valid MMS ppl normally don’t use that for a right way in Mauritius for sure. Keeping everything aside lets come back to the basics of 3g and 4g part in Mauritius and how and what you need to know and understand about all these.

What is 3G?

The G of course means generation. Cell phones and systems are classified by the generation they belong to. Third generation (3G) phones were developed in the late 1990s and 2000s. The goal was to improve the data capability and speed. 3G phones were defined by the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and later standardized by the ITU-T. Generally known as the Universal Mobile Telecomunications System (UMTS), this 3G system is based on wideband CDMA that operates in 5 MHz of bandwidth and can produce download data rates of typically 384 kb/s under normal conditions and up to 2 Mb/s in some instances. Another 3G standard, cdma2000, was developed by Qualcomm. It uses 1.25 MHz bands to produce data rates to 2 Mb/s. Another version of cdma2000 is an improved IS-95 version. It is a 3GPP2 standard. It can transmit data at a rate to 153 kb/s and up to 2 Mb/s in some cases.

3G phone standards have been expanded and enhanced to further expand data speed and capacity. The WCDMA phones have added high speed packet access (HSPA) that use higher level QAM modulation to get speeds up to 21 or 42 Mb/s downlink (cell site to phone) and up to 7 and/or 14 Mb/s uplink (phone to cell site). AT&T and T-Mobile use HSPA technology. The cdma2000 phones added 1xRTT as well as Rev. A and Rev B modifications that boost speed as well. Verizon and Sprint use cdma2000 3G standard technology. Virtually all standard and smartphone models and most tablets still use some form of 3G.

What is 4G?

The fourth generation has been defined but we are not in it, yet. Yes, many if not most of the mobile carriers and the various phone and equipment manufacturers actually advertise 4G now. The formal definition of 4G as declared by the 3GPP and the ITU-T is something called Long Term Evolution-Advanced (LTE-A). The standard has not been fully completed but basically it is an improved and enhanced version of LTE that uses wider bandwidth channels and a greater number of MIMO antennas. The theoretical upper data rate is 1 Gb/s. That remains to be seen in practice.

As for what the various companies are calling 4G, Verizon says that their LTE network is 4G. AT&T promotes their LTE and HSPA networks as 4G. T-Mobile indicates that their HSPA+ networks are 4G. Furthermore Sprint and Clearwire say that their WiMAX network is 4G. As mentioned, WiMAX is actually defined as a 3G technology by ITU-T like LTE.

Since both LTE and WiMAX are completely different technologically from previously defined WCDMA/cdma2000 3G, it seems appropriate to say LTE and WiMAX are 4G. Both are a step up in data speed. It all depends on your interpretation and acceptance of what 4G is. If the carriers are calling LTE 4G now, will they call LTE-Advanced 5G. If it is good marketing, they may.

When to Go For 4G
The mobile carriers are still building out their 4G networks, so first, you need 4G coverage to appreciate a 4G phone. Of the national carriers, Verizon and T-Mobile have the broadest 4G coverage.

Sprint is in the middle of switching 4G systems, from WiMAX to LTE. The two are incompatible, so you must check coverage in your city for the specific variety of 4G you’re buying.

If you like to surf the Web and especially stream video, 4G can be heaven. If you connect a laptop to your mobile link, 4G makes a huge difference. In general, anything involving transferring large amounts of data gets a big boost from 4G. Watch out for the data limits on your service plan, though; it’s easy to use up a lot of data very quickly with 4G.

If you have a 3G phone and you’ve been frustrated with clogged-up networks, 4G may be the solution. You’ll be switching to a different, less-trafficked network for your Internet data. 4G won’t solve any dropped call problems, though, as all calls will be made over 3G networks until carriers switch to voice-over-LTE during the next few years.

Finally, if you want to future-proof yourself, get a 4G phone. 4G coverage is only going to get better, and that’s where the carriers are spending most of their money right now. As we move into 2013 and 2014, some carriers will even try to switch subscribers to 4G-only phones which make voice calls over the LTE network.

When to Buy 3G
If you want an iPhone, it’ll be 3G. End of story. We’re done. Apple may be releasing a 4G LTE iPhone later this year, but the company doesn’t currently have a 4G model. (The “4″ in iPhone 4 refers to the model number, not the mobile technology.)

If you live in an area that doesn’t have 4G coverage, there’s no advantage to a 4G phone. In fact, you’ll have serious battery life problems if you buy an LTE phone and don’t disable 4G LTE, as the radio’s search for a non-existent signal will drain your battery quickly.

In general, if you value battery life more than Internet speeds, there’s still life in 3G yet. We’ve seen significantly shorter usage times on 4G devices than on 3G devices, most notably on Verizon and Sprint phones. (Our LTE explainer goes into detail as to why that’s the case, and why T-Mobile’s HSPA+ 42 is currently the least battery-hogging form of 4G.) We’ll see that situation improve over the next two years as integrated 3G/4G chips arrive, and then as carriers switch to 4G for voice calling. Of course, you can also buy a 4G phone and turn the option off using a menu option or downloaded app.

I hope this clears up the 3G vs. 4G dilemma. If you have anything to add, please continue the discussion in the comments below.

Looking at the spec sheet, the new devices sound promising and early impressions are generally positive. The new tablets will come with a 10.6-inch display, a kickstand for tabletop viewing, and a super-thin keyboard case that attaches to the device with magnets.

Surface will come in two flavors: Surface with Windows RT and Surface Pro with Windows 8 Pro. Windows RT is the version of Windows 8 designed for ARM processors; it includes the new touch-friendly Metro-style interface, as well as a limited version of the traditional Windows desktop for running Internet Explorer and Microsoft Office.

Surface tablets with Windows RT will include a micros slot, USB 2.0, and a Micro HD port. The devices will weigh about 1.5 pounds and be about 0.36-inches thick. Microsoft did not say which processor the Windows RT device would have, but did say the tablets will come with your choice of 32GB or 64GB of storage.

Microsoft Surface tablet with Metro interfaceMicrosoft Surface tablet with Metro interfaceThe Surface Pro tablets will be Intel-based with access to the Metro UI as well as to the fully functional Windows desktop and will come in 64GB and 128GB versions. The tablet will have a microSDXC card slot, USB 3.0, and Mini Display Port. The Surface Pro will weigh just under two pounds and be about half-an-inch thick.

That’s what we do know about Surface, but there are also a few interesting questions left to answer.

How much it might Cost according to Geographical Locations – Well we are way too far when we are talking about Mauritius

The General version of RT version is going to come out the same time when windows 8 is going to be released which is going to be something like in early 2013 we must say around the globe, but we aren’t talking about Mauritius here.

Microsoft has introduced its own line of tablets, marking a major strategic shift for the software giant as it struggles to compete with Apple and re-invent its aging Windows franchise. The new tablet line, named Surface, includes a consumer device aimed directly at the Apple iPad, and another, larger machine designed to compete with lightweight laptops. Both include a keyboard that doubles as a cover, and both will be powered by versions of the new Windows 8 operating system.The move breaks with Microsoft’s operating model of the past 37 years, which has relied on computer manufacturers to make and market machines running Windows. It could throw the world’s largest software company into direct competition with its closest hardware partners such as Samsung and HP. The new software is the biggest overhaul of Windows in years, and features a new touch-friendly interface dubbed “Metro”. It is scheduled to be available for the Christmas shopping season. The lighter, thinner version of the Surface tablet, built on an Nvidia chip designed by ARM Holdings, will be the first to market at the same time as the general release of Windows 8, and will feature Microsoft’s popular Office suite of applications. It is comparable to Apple’s new iPad, heavier but slightly thinner. It has a 10.6 inch screen and comes in 32GB and 64GB memory sizes.

• Go to the Google Play site as soon as you have lost your phone
• Then, go to the AndroidLost page
• After this, sign in with the Google account that you used on your lost gadget
• If your lost phone is ON, then an APP installs automatically on your lost device
• Once this is done, move back to the AndroidLost.com page and use the same Google account to sign in.
• Go to the Controls/Settings Page. If this page appears with remote control options active for your lost device, you can locate your gadget
• If by any chance, these options are disabled/inactive, then try again.

Suppose you have not registered your device with AndroidLost, you can register by just sending an sms  “AndroidLost register” to your device from another phone. This automatically registers your phone with the application. After this, you can remotely lock and even locate your device by accessing the controls page on the Google Play site.

So download ( http://www.androidlost.com/#getstarted)  the app now before your Android phones are lost.

The brightest planet, Venus, is due to pass right in front of the sun, to stage one of the rarest of predictable astronomical phenomena: a transit of Venus across the sun’s face. This upcoming transit of Venus will be the last one for the 21st century. It will take place across a period of nearly seven hours on June 5-6, 2012. During the transit, Venus will appear in silhouette as a small, dark dot moving in front of the solar disk. This exceedingly rare astronomical event – a transit of Venus – won’t happen again until December 11, 2117.

Who will see the June 5-6, 2012 transit of Venus?

Depending on where you live worldwide, the transit of Venus will happen on June 5 or 6, 2012. If you live in the world’s Western Hemisphere (North America, northwestern South America, Hawaii, Greenland or Iceland), the transit will start in the afternoon hours on June 5. In the world’s Eastern Hemisphere (Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia or New Zealand), the transit will first be seen at sunrise or in the morning hours on June 6.

Why is a transit of Venus so rare?

The last transit of Venus was June 8, 2004. But don’t be fooled by that proximity in time. Transits of Venus are very rare, plus transits tend to occur in pairs. They occur in a pattern that repeats every 243 years, with pairs of transits eight years apart separated by long gaps of up to 121.5 years. Before 2004, the last pair of transits were in December 1874 and December 1882.

Venus, the second planet outward from the sun and next planet inward from Earth, swings between the Earth and sun (at a point called inferior conjunction) five times every eight years, or one time in every 584 or so days. (See the Diagram of Venus’ orbit around the sun below.) More often than not, Venus passes above or below the solar disk at inferior conjunction – that point in its orbit where Venus passes out Earth’s evening sky and into Earth’s morning sky.

If Venus and Earth revolved around the sun on the same plane, there would be five inferior conjunctions – and five transits – of Venus every eight years. However, Venus’ orbital plane is inclined to Earth’s orbital plane by 3.4o. Because the orbital planes of the two planets don’t quite mesh, a combination of factors is necessary for a transit of Venus to take place in Earth’s sky.

For half of Venus’ orbit, Venus travels south of the Earth’s orbital plane, and for the other half of Venus’ orbit, Venus travels north of the Earth’s orbital plane. At two places in Venus’ orbit, Venus crosses the Earth’s orbital plane at points called nodes. If Venus is going from south to north, it’s called an ascending node, or if going from north to south, it’s called a descending node.

If Venus at inferior conjunction closely coincides with one of its nodes, then a transit of Venus is in the works. On June 5-6, 2012, Venus swings to inferior conjunction and sufficiently close to its descending node to present the last transit of Venus until December 11, 2117.

Bottom line: Here’s everything you need to know about the last transit of Venus in this century on June 5-6, 2012. The exact date will depend on your hemisphere on Earth. During the transit, Venus will appear in silhouette as a small, dark dot moving in front of the solar disk. The next transit of Venus won’t be until December 11, 2117. Get ready to observe the transit now!

The photographer also is part of the Reuters and won many awards in different categories of photography.

Our flagship workshops  is the 4 day  to Digital Photography workshop which offers you a comprehensive study of all the  functions in your camera. If you cannot commit to a longer course, you may find that our shorter courses are right for you.

Following on from our range of beginners courses we offer specialised advanced courses in post-production, retouching and studio lighting.  Our popular photography classes held in Quatre Bornes Mauritius get fully booked in advance, so be quick to reserve your place.

The workshop goes for 2 weekends starting from  30 June 1st July and 7th and 8th July