Tech Queries: About phones, OS and notebooks

I need to send a daily SMS to nearly 120 people. I've used a Nokia Symbian^ 3 phone — by making a group of 120, but the process is slow. Sometimes, it would get stuck mid-way and I would have to re-send. Then, I tried a Samsung phone with Andriod v2.1 and a group SMS app. The SMS would go in a single blast instead of consuming time but some people didn’t receive it daily. I also tried Nokia Symbian S40, but it is very, very slow. Can you suggest a phone or operating system which will be able to send group SMS without any issues?

—Arun Thamizhvanan

Most phones will have a problem sending an SMS to 120 recipients at a time. Ideally, you should make smaller groups (of 30 each) and then try sending the SMS. You could also try using more powerful hardware (a phone with a dual-core processor and high RAM, like the Android-powered LG Optimus 2x, reviewed on this page itself). As for the problem of some people not receiving your SMS — a smaller group should solve that problem too.


I have a Dell notebook with Core i7 processor and Windows 7, purchased about a year back. A software called Battery Meter (a Dell Utility) says that the battery has only 54% of its original capacity left. Is this normal? I have two weeks remaining in the warranty period — should I get it checked?

—Kiran Kumar

All rechargeable batteries have a finite life — with the amount of charge they can hold dwindling over time. This is usually measured in the number of charge-discharge cycles it goes through. A laptop battery should give you at least 2 years of usable life.

If the reading given by the battery utility is correct (verified by a noticably shorter battery life), then the battery probably needed better care to last longer. Assume that each time the charger is connected, one charge-discharge cycle is used up.

Therefore, you can extend the usable life of a battery by entending the time between each charge — i.e., charging the battery only when depleted, and not removing the adapter before the battery is full. You can also try using the power saving mode, turning off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi if not used and reducing the screen brightness to extend the battery life while on the move.