Digital camera technology has gone a long way since the very first digi-cams have been introduced to the consumer market. These days, it seems all too easy to slap on a camera on almost any handset. The average laptop and netbook comes with a built it webcam, even handheld gaming consoles such as the PSP and the DSi have cameras (in the case of the PSP, it is an external accessory; the DSi has it built in.) Naturally smart phones also have digital camera technology as well.

Nokia is already promising the industry a massive 12 mega pixel camera on the upcoming N8 and N9 smart phones (which use the Symbian^3 and MeeGo operating systems respectively). Sony Ericsson’s Vivaz and the Motorola Milestone XT 720 each bring an 8 mega pixel camera to consumers everywhere.

These days, taking a high resolution image of anything basically means simply pointing a phone at a subject and taking a quick snapshot. But for the more discerning graphic artists, the concern does not stop with the mega pixel count alone, having zoom, autofocus, LED flash and other additional features are also important.

For users who like to upload straight from the phone to a Flickr account or in Facebook, a smart phone with integrated social networking features are recommended, as well as having pre-loaded image editing software (which would really help a lot when it comes to sizing down images to make them viewer friendly as full resolution images shot with an 8 mega pixel camera takes a while to load).

In both cases, it pays to have hot swappable micro SD cards. While 32GB cards will take a while to fill up, they eventually will. And having other media such as music and videos are certain to fill up the cards as well (most phones are also capable of recording video in 720p, 30FPS, which is also pretty space consuming).

When it comes to information leaks, there is one handset that is incredibly leaky –so badly that one can even say that it is splashing information around where ever it goes, and people still love it: the Apple iPhone.

This may come as a surprise to most users of the Apple iPhone, but the device’s OS and hardware have been so badly designed in terms of security that users might as well be screaming to the world where they are and what they like to talk about.

One of the biggest problems about the iPhone is how much data it actually caches about the user. While some temporary data storages may take up a minimal amount of space, Apple is allocating plenty for the iPhone –and the phone is certainly keeping tabs about its users.

Obviously, this is something that most smart phone users would want to know, after all, data security is a major. But fortunately, the people taking advantage of the situation are not wicked, malicious identity thieves- but cops doing some hard research on plenty of documents for certain reports.

Police and law enforcement agencies are working hard observing and recording the logs of various suspected criminals and through the Apple’s weak security system, these men of the law are able to hunt down criminals. The iPhone can keep track of text messages that have been written in a span of (approximately) three months (thanks to what was supposed to be a typing aid feature). The device also keeps track of a handset’s last location with a quick GPS screenshot whenever the map feature is turned off.

Even uploaded geo tagged photographs can be used in investigations –which further goes to prove that many of these criminals are not even careful enough to learn how to get rid of such data and content.

More often than not, the mobile phone serves as a very important cache of information and data. Contact lists will have names, phone numbers, address and the email of friends, family and business contacts. Images and videos taken with the devices camera will also be stored on the mobile phone. Documents and other files are also among the things that people find themselves concerned about when it comes to their smart phones.

Thankfully, the average modern mobile phone will hook up to any desktop or laptop computer and allow the use to transfer and store files from the handset into a different location. This will help ensure that no data is lost if the phone is ever damaged, misplaced or stolen. Even a simple phone problem might lead to potential data loss if the repairs would entail that the internal memory be formatted.

Backing up a mobile phone is fairly easy. First off, users should be sure that the device is fully charged. While some devices will actually charge as they are connected to a computer, this is not the case for all mobile phones. And the last thing that users need is for a handset to die out while in the middle of a data transfer –potentially corrupting the file being transferred.

Second, connect the handset to the computer. This is usually done through a USB connector and is import for devices that have large space of internal memory that users rely on. However, for users who do not store anything much on the smart phone itself, and instead, rely on microSD cards for storing important files, the most convenient thing to do would be to just connect the microSD to a reader.

To be sure that all files are properly copied, try to do a direct copy of all files. This can be organized by placing all the files into a single folder, allowing the user to have an exact backup of the phone’s data. Using the syncing features available with special phone software provided by the manufacturer is also a good idea.

With smart phones becoming a very crucial and important part of daily lives, one finds it really hard to go anywhere without one. The amount of convenience that such as small device can provide is hard to match. With a typical smart phone, a person is able to make and receive calls and messages, check and send email, browse the internet, listen to music, watch videos and even have a guided map service.

Of course, when travelling to distant locations, being without the smart phone is something that most people would not want to do. But preparing your Samsung Wave 2 or SE XPERIA X8 for a journey is also as important as preparing one’s own things, here is a quick list of things to do before taking your phone out for a trip.

First off, make backups of your data. Phones often carry several GB of important or personal data. From videos recorded to important documents, these files should first be backed up to a computer. There is no telling what may happen to the phone during a trip and data loss is something worth worrying about.

On the light side, move your content to the computer so that the phone will have space for new images and videos that you can take on the trip.

Research the locations’ power standards. Some places use a standard voltage, some have higher. As a rule, never stick your phone into a wall outlet unless you are certain that the voltage will match. Failing to do so could potentially damage your phone.

Also, it is important to check with your carrier. Some networks will charge exorbitant roaming fees. This is a great reason to consider getting a global SIM card if you find one available. It would also be good to inform your friends and family that you will be gone (and that they should not contact your phone) –the last thing any traveler needs is to find a large phone bill upon coming back.

The average mobile phone will last a person for about two years. After this time, the device is often replaced by a better handset for a wide variety of reasons. Some users simply prefer to own a new phone. Other handsets would have been exposed to wear and tear and in some cases, been damaged to a point that a replacement would be better. There is also the occasional case of the device being lost or stolen.

But what about having multiple handsets? While not everyone can keep up with the cost of maintaining two SIM cards, there are those who simply need to have separate number from the one they normally use. Often, some mobile phone users would have to segregate their work and personal contacts, but other variations also exist.

There is no set rule or limitation on how many mobile phones a single individual should own, but there is a limit to how much each individual can handle. Simply put, if a mobile phone is not being used for duration of a full two weeks, then chances are, you can probably afford to do without the secondary SIM card.

Having a secondary handset is also common. Most smart phones compromise size for extra features, and it is not rare for some people to transfer their SIM card from a big expensive handset to a more simple candy bar device when they go for a night out or for errands. This will help keep their iPhone 4 or HTC Desire safe (which is useful if you know you will be coming back home intoxicated).

Another good reason to have a spare mobile phone is for emergencies. Most families have emergency kits at home; these are usually packed with first aid kits, food rations, two way radios and other similar items. These days, it is also recommended to have a spare mobile phone as well (and an extra battery as well). While it would need to be charged regularly, having an extra mobile phone on hand could prove to be helpful in dire emergencies.

Looking back at the industry’s standards, mobile phones have come a long way from the older models that were initially made. Before CDMA and 2G technology was available, most mobile phones were huge, as in carrying a bothersome weight. These mobile phones only allowed two purposes –making and receiving calls (though you can probably knock a person unconscious with it too). Phones these days are smaller and slimmer. You can even hang some phones from a lanyard or just slide one into your shirt’s front pocket.

Even the weight has changed dramatically. From bulky to just around the area of 100-150 grams, the change in weight is an even bigger issue –and these days, having a phone weighing close to 200 grams is already considered heavy.

But industry standards can get confusing, while smart phone manufacturers have been sticking true to the new weight rule, the concept of size is a completely different matter. People want smaller handsets, at the same time, they all want bigger screens. Even scrapping the keyboard and keypad in exchange for a large touch screen was not enough; now, some developers are looking to make phones will really big screens.

Dell recently launch Dell Streak that has a 5 inch touch screen, Sony is rumored to be working on a 5.5 inch touch screen handset as well. At a recent tech conference in Asia, Samsung revealed the Galaxy Tab which is basically a 7 inch tablet which can be used for making phone calls as well.

Breaching the border between a tablet and mobile phone is a tricky thing; after all, the main point of having a mobile handset is portability. Avoiding the need to carry a 7 inch touch screen device is specifically the reason why mobile phones have been invented.

There is no doubt that the field of personal electronics is one of the largest earning industries in the world; with millions of mobile phones being manufactured, there is a definite need to own and have what is generally conceived to be a personalized handset. Of course, handset manufacturers are laboring hard each day to create new smart phones that will even have more customizable features.

Innovation is not always up to the phone manufacturers alone. Companies such as Qualcomm also play an important part in shaping the industry as well. In fact, the company that is known for the Snapdragon CPU is now back working on creating faster CPUs and has already achieved what could potentially be the new industry standard; the first new Snapdragon processor that will be running at 1.2 GHz.

The current industry standard is 1GHz. And while 0.2 is not all that large a number, the change in speed is a significant boost. Thanks to this, more mobile devices will be able to handle resource intensive apps better, have better loading times and of course, push the limit to the kinds of apps that can be played in a single smartphone.

The processor is not the only part getting an update. The touch screen display technologies for smart phones are also being improved with each passing day. Several manufacturers are focused on creating new ways to achieve a better 3D effect while others focus on technologies that make use of super thin flexible screens that could serve as a major catalyst that changes how mobile phones are designed and manufactured.

Battery life is also a serious issue, but as Apple and Asus has shown, it is possible to have a good product and still maintain a good power management setup –the iPad and the Asus Eee products has shown that there are commercial viable devices that can last for over 10 hours when in use. Intel also promised the same thing with their new Atom processor.