Fring - Moving to the mobile

There are more mobile phones than computers. Besides using mobile phones for the function they were originally designed to perform, today phones are being used for functions one could not have imagined in 1990’s when mobile phones started to become more accessible.

Typing on a mobile has propably overtaken speaking on it. Suffice to say that Gartner had forecast that the number of mobile phone messages worldwide in 2008 will pass 2.3 trillion. While maybe not as comfortable as using a keyboard, more people are confortable using the miniturised keyboard of a phone using multitap or T9 predicitive text functions that come built into the even the most basic of models.

Thanks to advancements in technology phones are cheaper and pack in more functionality and computing power than a computer of 20 years before. Faster CPUs, better phone operating systems, WIFI, GPRS, EDGE, handsfree functionality, better and larger keyboards, touch screens and cameras are all examples of kit that make a mobile phone a device that can be used to for social networking and communication functions.

And here comes Fring. You download and install the program on your mobile phone. Once installed you can use the program to talk and chat using Skype, ICQ, Google Talk, MSN Messenger / Windows Live Messenger, AIM, Yahoo Messenger.

Fring also supports a number of SIP providers. SIP is similar to Skype, in that both allow users to make calls over the internet. SIP is an open standard while Skype is a closed propriety system.

Besides handling the chat/talk aspect of our lives, Fring also helps us keep track of our favourite social networking portal. Facebook, Twitter and Orkut are all supported in Fring. Last.fm is a unique form of social network in that it dabbles in music. This program allows you to listen to artists whose music you like. The program will present you with music of the same genre by other artists. You can tag each track and share your musical pleasures with family and friends.

Fring also includes Gmail and Yandex email notifiers. When you receive a mail message you will be informed in real time. A great program to have if you are always on the lookout for free WiFi hotpots is WeFi. This program can constantly scan the airways for free hotspots and once it finds one it automatically hooks Fring to the internet.

In order to use the different chat and social networking programs all you need to do is to register with Fring and then with the individual providers. Within Fring you type in the username and password of the different content providers you want to link to (hint: you different passwords with different providers!) and that’s it.

With so many students and accademic staff having a mobile, a program such as Fring makes it possible to reach out and interact in a way not possible before. This is because, for many, a mobile is a constant companion that can be used technically anywhere something that cannot be said for a computer.