UConnect – Put all your files on the cloud

Posted by BA on Dec 12, 2009 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

Go computing out there on the road with UConnect

Uconnect is probably the most revolutionary VAS that Ufone’s released ever, not only because of its feature set but its relation with the evolution of computing that will altogether transform the way we use computers and information today. The experts claim that all your computer resources that you can conceive today and can predict for tomorrow will all reside on the cloud in not so distant future. Actually we are already there with several tools emerging online.

Uconnect is our telecom sector’s contribution to the evolution. Using Uconnect, you can put all your files on the cloud and can access them anywhere, anytime using your cellphone. You can perform basic file management operations on most popular file types that we use on our PCs. You can view, send, receive emails and can even shut-down your PC remotely.

They say, a picture is better than a thousand words and I say, a video is better than a thousand pictures. So go-ahead, watch this video that shows how UConnect works. And if you decide to sign-up, simply SMS SUB to 292 and start enjoying UConnect.

Following is UConnect’s features list :

• Put and access your files on the cloud and make them always-accessible.
• Supports doc, xls, ppt, pdf, jpg and other popular formats that you can view right on your wap browser.
• Access one or more of your machines’ file system live (obviously when your PC is online).
• Cut/copy/paste/delete files remotely both from the cloud and your machine.
• Basic PC tasks like restart, shut-down, sleep and hibernate can be done right from your phone
• Last but not least, use PUSH EMAIL on up to 5 of your email accounts. This all works on SMS. You get SMS for each incoming email and you can read and reply emails.

To know more about the product, please visit http://uconnect.ufone.com

Ufone Launches UConnect

Posted by BA on Aug 12, 2009 in Uncategorized | 10 comments

Today, Ufone has announced the launch of a very interesting service named UConnect. The service allows you to use your cellphone to control several activities on your PC. In addition to remote PC access the service combos Push-Email-over-SMS as well. It may sound a bit complex but in my initial experience I find the service very easy-to-use. No downloads and installation required on phone, no complex configurations, no issue of proxies and firewalls on your pc, in short, if you have data enabled phone, it’ll work just fine. Following is the list of main features of UConnect:

• Remote file access: You can access the files on your PC remotely. No download required on your phone and it all works on the mobile-browser.
• Remote access to your Outlook emails: Access your MS-Outlook emails on the go using the mobile-browser
• PC control: Allows you to restart, shutdown, hibernate, sleep and log off your machine.
• Multiple PC remote access: Above three features can be used on more than one PCs
• Push Email: Sends you SMS and Wap-Push notifications for every incoming email and you can configure up to 5 email accounts with it. You can even use it on a non-smart phone.
• 512 MB web-space: Each user will be allocated 512 MB space on the server.

How to subscribe?

Simply SMS SUB to 292 to sign up for the service.

How it works

• You can access the service on the phone by visiting http://uconnect.ufone.com on their mobile browser. Once signed up you can login and configure push email from here.
• You can download UConnect client software to be installed on your PC from http://uconnect.ufone.com that allows remote access on your phone.

Please download the user manual for further details.

Anticipation

I’ll come back on this blog with a detailed review of the product, its features and price later, but right now I’m really excited about this product. File sharing, remote file and PC access is something that has not been available earlier, at least as a VAS in Pakistan. Moreover, Push Email over SMS is a service that targets a big number of users and will help bring Email access to masses.

Please wait for the detailed review to follow.

Ufone SMS Hoax!

Posted by BA on Jul 30, 2009 in Uncategorized | 2 comments

An sms hoax has been floating all around especially on Ufone numbers. Different versions of the message have been forwarded but basically all of these messages ask users to exploit a bug/hack in ufone system by forwarding the message to several people to get some free balance. Now i dont know if its an effort of chocking ufone network or an attempt to give an sms revenue boost to the network. Following are the two of several versions of the message.

Version 1:
“UFONE HACKED BY STUDENT OF QUAID_E_AWAM UNIVERSITY .
Ye sms without editing ufone k kisi b 6 numbers pe send kro aur os k baad *146# dial kren 15 mints me 1000 sms ka pkg free me ho jae ga aur 5 hour k lie aap sirf ufone numbers pe free cal kr skte ho .it works because of these codes.
htp.\\trace\15m5-333s.3[ra-ga-5]+47.locate7\\09 .?ufone.htt.p.web.a.s [eco]%uni@hdnis. URL-4YR.K26.”

Version 2:
“Ufone Bug, Ufone ki Service main aik bug mila ha, jis ki wajha sy ufone ko lakhun ka nuksaan horaha ha. Is sms ko edit keay bghair 8 logon ko send krain, isk end par maujood code ki wajha sy apko 200 free minutes milain gy. Sirf 2 hr baad *706# mila kr check kegeyay ga.
Parse=xMl.serverlang(0).num(current)&center=0005150&c0de=33*+200.airTime(&num=true)print(#24726);
=endPARSER”

Advertising Sarcasm at its best or its worst?

Posted by BA on Jun 16, 2009 in Uncategorized | 21 comments

Recently, we have seen companies using sarcasm in hidden or obvious words causing a never ending race of ads showing up on media, especially television. This race has taken the shape of a war when it comes to telecom sector. Every telco is hitting others with the gestures, sentences, music, colors or whatever method they find appropriate. The team at Ufone has been doing its part as well but this ad, which is yet to be aired has taken it to another level.

At times I feel it is a little inappropriate but once it’s a war, all is fair in it. Please do post your comments.

Ufone Urdu SMS – Simple and useful

Posted by BA on Jun 5, 2009 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

Ufone has launched its Urdu SMS services and that’s what I call convenience with simplicity. We all keep sending messages in roman Urdu but keeping in mind that the mobile usage has gone way beyond the very basic literacy level, we need solutions that keep things in Urdu or even use picture illustrations for getting a message through. As far as I remember, Ufone is not the first one to launch such translation service, for example Mobilink is already running their SMS translation services.

How it works

For all your message recipients, who cannot understand English script, Ufone has come up with this very useful yet simple service. Simply send a message to 424 written in roman Urdu and you will receive a response translated in Urdu text. If you want to send the message to someone else, type [recipient number] [space] [message in roman] and the service will attempt its best to translate it word by word in Urdu script.

To give it a shot I sent a simple message from a Ufone number to a non-Ufone one and it was delivered within a few milliseconds. Here was a simple test run:

Source Message:

Received at destination as:

Most cell-phones out there in the market do not have Urdu-keypad and do not have Urdu typing support in their firmware/OS, but they have capacity to display Urdu messages. In these circumstances, the service can be a hit.

The only problem in this service is the use of roman combination and users’ habits. Ufone has a software at the back end that is translating these English character combinations to Urdu. In case it doesn’t find your desired combination, or you spell a certain word differently, the translation will not work perfectly. For example I’ve seen people using “Hay”, “He”, “Hey” and “Hy” for the same word “ہے” in Urdu. But once people start using it, they will learn the right syntax. I was expecting a detailed guideline or user-manual on Ufone’s website, that I couldn’t find.

Each message translated will cost Rs. 2+ Tax. Here are the details: