They say ignorance is bliss but when it comes to protecting your phone it’s a completely different story.  Now more than ever Internet users everywhere are exposed to the risks of electronic attack. With smartphones and high end mobile devices entering the market at an astonishing rate, they bring with them Wi-Fi and 3G capabilities which let you sync to other devices, networks and most importantly the internet.  The risks that once applied to just your computer at home are now becoming an increasingly pressing issue for mobile internet users everywhere.

At the One Stop Phone Shop we want to protect you and ensure you always have a secure and safe online experience.  That’s why we have compiled a list of 10 helpful tips and tricks to get you protected and stay protected.

1. The perfect password

Having a password or PIN for your phone is a must. However there is no point having one if it’s easy to guess. To get the perfect password use a combination of numbers and letters, preferably something that doesn’t relate directly to you such as your house number or birthday. Think long and hard to create your perfect password.

2. Look at your phone in a different light

Remember … It’s not just a phone! Mobile phones are getting more intelligent and can begin to do things that you could only do at your computer back home. If you can access your social network accounts and perform tasks like online banking then the same risks apply. Change your perceptions about your phone and treat it like your wallet.  Keep it on you at all times and don’t let it out of your site.

3. Avoid the tricks

When downloading from an app store or website make sure you know exactly what it is that you are downloading and where you are downloading from.  Have your eyes peeled for illegal or fraudulent apps/software. If something looks odd then the best thing to do is just leave it.

4. Be alert in busy areas

Take care in busy areas, especially when logging in to accounts or typing in sensitive information.  Think; are you the only person looking at your phone? You wouldn’t let someone look at your screen when you go to a cash point so don’t let them do it when you’re on your phone.  This is known as ‘shoulder surfing’.  That’s not all; avoid leaving your Bluetooth on as it is possible for someone else to hack in to your phone via your Bluetooth and make calls off of your phone.  This is known as ‘Bluetooth jacking’.   Switching off Bluetooth is simple and easy to do and only takes a few seconds, be alert, wary and you too can avoid this ‘costly’ mistake.

5. Are some details essential?

Ask yourself the question, do you really need to type in your home number and is it essential that your address is saved in your mobile’s satnav?  The chances are it isn’t.  Yet 59% of smartphone owners admit to storing their telephone number inside their phones.  If your phone along with this number falls in to the wrong hands then you can even be exposed to identity theft.

6. Get wise with Wi-Fi

It’s great when you can connect to a Wi-Fi hot spot, it gives you super speedy internet and what’s more; often than not it’s usually free.  However we strongly advise then when you do connect you know who you’re connecting to. Some networks can be a real danger zone for your phone and your personal details.  Wi-Fi networks can host viruses, redirect you to sites, or you can have your details grabbed out of the air by others.  Only trust established brands and subscribed services.

7. Keep your eyes peeled

Mobile phones naturally have a smaller form factor than your big PC or laptop screen at home.  This in turn makes it harder to read site details and the specific website address (URL).  Take the time to read where you are and if it is indeed the site you intended to land on. This is important as that favourite website you log in to or bank account you type your details in to could be a copy cat.  A copy cat site aims to look every part the same as these familiar sites that you would use all the time at home.  So keep in mind when you’re typing in your sensitive information that it might not be going to the person or site you intended.

8. Are you Recycle ready?

You’d be surprised the care that has to go into even recycling your phone these days.  It is becoming more and more essential to take the right steps when you recycle to avoid fraud and identity theft.  When you’re recycling cover your back by restoring the phone to its factory settings. Or to go that extra step, destroy or completely wipe your SIM card.  You are now recycle ready.

9. Phone Phishing

Don’t worry this isn’t a spelling mistake, Phishing (pronounced the same as fishing) is the criminally fraudulent act of acquiring your personal and sensitive information.  This is usually done by imposing as a trustworthy body through an electronic communication.  So be wary when following links or text messages, that spectacular prize you’ve just won could be a con.  As they say ‘if something is too good to be true, it probably is’.

10. Prepare against theft

If the worst should happen then you can at the very least take these few short steps to keep yourself prepared and one step ahead. Write a contact number on the phone of someone who is usually around or who might be able to help.  You can even put a sticker on, it may look tacky, but if it gets your phone back safe and sound who cares?  As soon as you realise your phone is lost then the first thing you need to do is to phone your provider and get them to disable the SIM as soon as possible.

So there it is, ten tricks and tips to give you peace of mind from a more secure and safer mobile life.

As another impressive BlackBerry leaves the RIM production line and walks out in to the smartphone world we at e2save are here and ready as always to watch its first steps. The phone in question is the new BlackBerry 9300 curve 3G mobile phone.  The curve 9300 3G is the latest addition to the globally popular Curve series and has the difficult task of following on from its very popular and successful older brothers the 8520 curve and 8900 curve. The 9300 does however have a not so secret weapon up its sleeve to give it the edge, as the name suggest the 9300 possesses 3G. This factor alone will be enough to satisfy what many may consider a long term disadvantage in the curve line.

The inclusion of such an increasingly essential feature is sure to please many BlackBerry and non BlackBerry fans alike, the Curve 9300 also offers HSDPA, Wi-Fi and keeps EDGE and GPRS support, just in case you should find yourself in a 3G black spot. Keeping in topic with increased connection means now more than ever that the highly popular QWERTY keyboard can come in to play, designed to cater for all hand sizes and messaging types means socialising is easier than ever before.

The BlackBerry 9300 curve 3G keeps the iconic timeless BlackBerry look and it has been confirmed that it will be able to support the new BlackBerry 6 software. But for those of you that think that BlackBerry phones are and forever will be business orientated, (first and foremost) take note, the BlackBerry brand has grown significantly in popularity over the last 12 months in the youth market. It is now not uncommon for teenagers to be seen taking advantage of all the advanced BlackBerry messaging tools such as BBM.

The 9300 in my opinion is an upgrade in the curve line; however it does seem to be losing pace with some of the more powerful smartphones around it. I mean were the additions of 3G and a slightly faster processor experience really going to make that much of a difference?

Well maybe it doesn’t matter! Mike Lazaridis, CEO of RIM says “The majority of people in the worldwide mobile phone market have yet to buy their first smartphone and the BlackBerry Curve 3G is designed to provide an extremely attractive and accessible choice that will help convince many of them to make the leap”.

So if you are looking for a decent smartphone with exceptional messaging then this phone is for you but if you are going to ‘make the leap’ from feature phone to smartphone then what better platform to land on than the BlackBerry 9300 curve 3G.

With the Apple iphone 4’s record breaking sales figures and the continous stream of similar mobile phones flooding in to the market, the word again on everyone’s lips seems to be “Smartphone”.

So why is everyone going crazy for these clever little phones? Is it the enticing deals that come with them, such as a free games console or, 40-inch TV? Or is it the flashy screens, abundant memory, or thousands of apps?

Well when people think of the Smartphone the word “apps” is not far behind.  Apple, Android and Windows offer hundreds of thousands of apps between them, some of which have the ability to turn mobile phones with similar specs in to a completely different experience.

Nowadays with all the major companies jumping on the Smartphone bandwagon Smartphones could soon become more of a commodity than a fashion statement.

The scope for development is almost limitless. With such intense competition, huge investments are constantly being made by some of the titans in the tech industry such as Google, Windows, and Apple.

It’s only a matter of time before the next Smartphone developments rock our world yet again. Will the phone become your new PC, TV and Tablet all in one? Only time will tell. The possibilities are infinite!

To take a look at our mobile phone range just Click here!

The mobile phone manufacturer nokia, has reported in quarter 1  Smartphone sales are up by 57%.

A few months ago I spoke about smartphones and how the sales are increasing each month. The latest news from Nokia shows exactly that, they have reported a57% increase in smartphone sales, to 21.5 million units, for the quarter ended 31 March 2010.

Here’s a few more facts:

• Net sales of 9.5bn euros up 3% year on year, but down 21% on the previous quarter
• Services revenues were up 8% year on year to 6.7bn euros, down 19% on quarter four 2009
• Average selling price was 62 euros, down from 64 euros a year earlier

Nokia CEO, Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, said: ‘In Q1, Nokia delivered both year-on-year net sales and operating profit growth. We continue to face tough competition with respect to the high end of our mobile device portfolio, as well as challenging market conditions on the infrastructure side.

‘During the quarter, we also demonstrated our ability to deliver the Nokia smartphone experience to consumers on a global scale, with our smartphone shipments up by more than 50% year-on-year. The consumer response to the inclusion of our walk and drive navigation offering on our smartphones has been tremendous. Since launching in January, 10 million Nokia smartphone users around the world have downloaded the offering.

‘In infrastructure, Nokia Siemens Networks’ profitability benefited from a positive sales mix in Q1. I am also pleased to see encouraging results from the company’s focus on helping operators meet the challenge of the rapid growth in data and signalling traffic from smartphones.

Sales show more and more people are buying Smartphones and proving Smartphones are not just business phones, then are for pleasure as well.

So how do class a Smartphone, as a Smartphone? Well, it needs to have the following 3 features, push email (email as and when it happens), full QWERTY keyboard (on-screen and off) and you should be able to use applications.

As you can see these aren’t scary features, they are features that are appearing in more and more phones.

Smartphones really are the future – what do you think?…

The brand new phone from Samsung the Wave is set to hit stores and online this June and is ready to impress the inexpressible!

So what makes the Wave so impressive? Let me start with the Super Amoled 3.3 inch wide touchscreen, allowing for a brighter and clearer viewing experience. You’ll be able to view your mobile phone content no matter where you are! You’ll have the best outdoor readability, have a wider viewing angle and have the best viewing experience possible with a Samsung mobile phone!

You have the perfect window into a magical feature packed world! A powerful 1GHz application processor allows for advanced graphic performance, faster and smoother user interface response and seamless application usage.

HD is what everyone is talking about at the minute, and you can be right in the middle of that conversation with your HD video playing and recording Samsung mobile phone!

There’s plenty more where that came from, have a look at the full range of features on our website – Click-Here to find out more.