Beginner’s guide to iPhone

So you got your Apple iPhone. After months of waiting, your dear gadget is in your hands.

But not sure, how to get started. Asking yourself, where do I begin? How to connect it with your PC? How to sync it with iTunes? How to sync contacts with applications? All this bothering you bigtime? Worry not.

Here's help. We bring you a beginner’s guide on how to go about setting up your iPhone.

Getting started
To start using any of iPhone's features, you must activate your iPhone by signing up for a service plan with iPhone's service carrier (Airtel or Vodafone in India) and registering your iPhone with the network.

Remember, relationship executives of your service provider will activate and tether the handset before they handover the same to you. Every iPhone 3G needs `tethering' before one can start using the handset.

The handset is connected to PC through USB and connects to iTunes. The PC needs to be connected through Internet. The process takes around 3-5 minutes depending upon the Internet connectivity of the PC.

Setting up iTunes
Registering iPhone with iTunes will enable iTunes to identify your iPhone when it's connected to your computer and help you manage its content.

You can sync information with your PC and media from iTunes, and create backups of your iPhone's content and settings. Also, you can create an iTune's store account, or specify an existing account, to enable purchases with iPhone. iTunes also records iPhone's serial number, in case you need it for service or in case of loss.

To register download and install the latest version of iTunes from www.itunes.com/download. Connect iPhone to a USB 2.0 port on your PC or Mac using the cable that came with your iPhone. Now, follow the instructions given on the screen to register iPhone and sync iPhone with your contacts, calendars and bookmarks on your computer with music, video and other content in your iTunes library.

In the Set Up your iPhone screen, select, "Automatically sync contacts, calendars and bookmarks" to configure those items to sync when you connect iPhone to your PC. Or, you can also customise settings in iTunes. Ringtones, music, audiobooks, podcasts, video content and purchased applications are synched from your iTunes library.

Contacts & calendars
You can sync contacts with applications such as Mac OX X address book, Microsoft Entourage, Yahoo address book, Google address book, Windows address book, Vista contacts or Microsoft Outlook 2003 or 2007.

To sync with Yahoo address book, you only need to click Configure to enter your login information when you change your Yahoo ID or password after you have set up syncing.

You can sync calendars from applications such as iCal and Microsoft Entourage on Mac or from Microsoft 2003 or 2007 on a PC.

Mail accounts
You can sync email account settings from Mail on a Mac and from Microsoft Outlook 2003 or 2007 or Outlook Express on a PC. Account settings are only transferred from your computer to iPhone. Changes you make to an email account on iPhone don't affect the account on your computer.

iPhone works with MobileMe, Microsoft Exchange and many of the popular email systems. For many of the popular email accounts, iPhone automatically enters most of the settings for the user.

To add an account on iPhone: From iPhone's Home screen, tap Settings. Tap, "Mail, Contacts, Calendars," then Tap Add account. Tap an account type (Microsoft Exchange, Mobile Me, Google, Yahoo, AOL, Google or any other). Enter your account information and tap Save.

Your service provider or system administrator provides the accounts settings a user needs. Please note that if you turn on contacts or calendars in a Mobile Me or Exchange account, syncing for contacts or calendars in iTunes is turned off.

Installing configuration profiles
For enterprise environment, users may be able to set up accounts and other items on iPhone by installing a configuration profile.

Configuration profiles provide a way for system administrators to quickly set up your iPhone to work with the information systems at your company.

For example, a configuration profile might set up a user's iPhone to access the Microsoft Exchange servers at work, enabling iPhone to access his Exchange email, calendars and contacts.

Configuration profiles can also configure multiple settings on iPhone in one go. Here's how to go about it, using your iPhone, open the email message or download the configuration profile from the website provided by your system administrator. Once the configuration file opens, tap Install. Enter passwords and other information as required.

Disconnecting iPhone from your computer
Unless, iPhone is syncing with your computer, you can disconnect it from your computer at any time.

When iPhone is syncing with your computer, iPhone shows, "Sync in progress." If you disconnect iPhone before it finishes syncing, some data may not get transferred.

When iPhone finishes syncing, iTunes shows "iPhone sync is complete."

Hottest accessories for your gadgets

For many professionals, work means wearing a serious outlook to the workplace. With such a mindset, the clothes, gadgets and the accessories start to don a dull, drab and boring look.

But for the daring and young at heart, there are many options available to spruce up the way you carry yourself to work and still be taken seriously by your boss.

The point is an individual no longer needs to suppress his style statement in favour of straight-at your face office fashion.

You can start by adding colour to your clothes, carry some trendy office gear, add a few accessories and still maintain your office look by keeping it fresh, simple and fashionable. Here are a few things which you can add to jazz up your boring office look.

Trendy laptop bags
On an average, 90 per cent of office-goers choose to stick with the plain black leather bag which comes with the laptop. Some can however opt for the tote bag with a pocket section for the laptop.

But laptop bags now-a-days come in some very trendy colours. You can pick the hue you like or in fact match it with your dress and carry the laptop along.

Laptop bags also come in polyester fabrics. You can personalise it by choosing the look of the front cover or by going for an adjustable shoulder strap.

You could also opt for the handheld bag or across the shoulder traditional option to carry the laptop.

Funky cellphone pouches
Cellphone pouches can not only keep your mobile phone scratch free, but they can also add a bit of zing and style to your overall look.

Cellphone pouches which are printed with attractive patterns are available in affordable price range. The best thing is to customise it.

You can choose to display your kid’s picture or your pet’s picture or even a favourite holiday location or settle for an oriental look.

These pouches can be hung around the neck or held in hand. Whichever way you choose to carry it, with a little customisation, you are bound to get people turning to watch that cell phone or shall we say the cellphone user.

iPod covers
For music lovers, their iPods can now remain unscratched with the iPod sock covers. They are soft to touch and come in different colours and are very handy.

They can help keep the moisture at bay too. If you like to use leather pouches, go for bright colours or the high quality polycarbonate plastic, which are fashionable and also easy to clean.

This one’s for women. Since they carry a mini world in their handbag, the laptop bag for them can also convert into a small make-up bag or a book holder.

Women can opt for a bag, which is a combination of fashion with function. Go for sleek and compact bags, with enough room for your makeup, cellphone, PDA and power cords.

But avoid career killers
Even though it looks good to be trendy and stylish, but there are a few things which you need to keep in mind.

You can keep your laptop safe and secure by going for a case which has thin quilting with hidden layers of thick foam and sturdy elastic straps. This is what is called fashion with a utilitarian twist.

Colour also plays a big part in keep up the professional image. Traditional career colours work well with pants, suits, skirts and shoes and mix well with softer colours. So if the office environment is very formal it’s advisable to go for trendy muted tones accessories.

Slouchy handbags give a very sloppy image. It’s better to choose structured styles that project an organised and clean crisp image. But keep in mind that unlike a fashion faux pas, a career killer outfit and accessory can do permanent damage to your professional image.

So go and play with colours, add a couple of trendy accessories and still maintain your professional look by keeping it fresh and fashionable to office.

Meet the outsourcing billionaires

World may love it or hate it, but India remains the undisputed leader of outsourcing. According to a recent survey by Forbes magazine, five of the seven billionaires whose primary source of wealth is outsourcing are Indians. The other two, also Asians, hail from Taiwan.

By definition, outsourcing is to purchase or subcontract from an outside source; while offshoring can be done both within and outside a company.

"The economics behind offshoring are really compelling, and customers usually do it for three reasons - they want specialized firms, want to cut costs and gain access to talent or specialised skills," the magazine quoted Robert Kennedy, a professor at the University of Michigan Business School, as saying.

While the Taiwanese billionaires -- Terry Gou and Barry Lam -- lead companies specialising in contract manufacturing, the five Desis in the list have made their billions through software services.

Azim Premji
Azim Hasham Premji is the richest outsourcing billionaires with a net worth of $12.7 billion. Premiji heads Wipro, a provider of integrated business, technology and process solutions. The software services outsourcing company acquired a business process outsourcing arm in 2002.

A graduate in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University, US, Premji took on the mantle at Wipro at the age of 21, after the sudden demise of his father in 1966.

Under his leadership, the fledgling $2 million-hydrogenated cooking fat company has today grown into a $5 billion IT services giant with customers across the globe.

He has been among the Financial Times list of top 25 billionaires who have done most to bring about significant and lasting social, political or cultural changes. Time listed him amongst the 100 most influential people in the world in April 2004. In 2003, Fortune named him among the 25 most powerful business leaders outside the US.

The Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee and the Manipal Academy of Higher Education have both conferred honorary doctorates on him. Premji is also a member of the Prime Minister’s Committee for Trade and Industry. In January 2005, the Government conferred upon him Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian award.

Terry Gou
Second richest billionaire is Taiwanese tycoon, Terry Gou, with a net worth of $6.1 billion. Gou heads Hon Hai, the company is the world's largest electronics contract manufacturer with most of its huge factories in China.

Hidden behind a veil of anonymity, and with rapidly growing earnings, it makes laptops for Dell, Playstations for Sony, handsets for Nokia, iPods for Apple and numerous other everyday electronics.

Operating under the trade name Foxconn Electronics, Hon Hai manufactures connectors and cable assemblies and enclosures for desktops and notebook PCs, and PC peripherals. However, the company is still best known for manufacturing iPods.

The company, which employs 130,000 workers in China, announced its plans to move its Asia-Pacific headquarters to Beijing from the southern city of Shenzhen.

In June 2007, the company acquired Premier Image Technology Corp, Taiwan's leading producer of digital still cameras.

In 1988 Terry opened his first factory in mainland China, in Shenzhen, where his largest factory is situated. He owns 30 per cent of the Public company and was ranked 142nd on Forbes magazine's 2007 list of the world's richest people, with a net worth of $5.5 billion.

Shiv Nadar
Co-founder of HCL Technologies, an outsourcing electronics, computing and IT software company, Shiv Nadar's net worth is $3.9 billion.

HCL is one of India's leading global IT services companies with clients including Cisco, Boeing and IBM.

When Shiv Nadar set up Hindustan Computers Limited (HCL) more than 30 years ago in a one-room tenement, it shocked most friends and associates, because Nadar, then 30, had quit a high-paying executive job with Delhi Cloth Mills to dabble in IT, a concept that had few takers in the country then.

Shiv Nadar led a young team which passionately believed in and bet on the growth of the IT industry. And it's courtesy this vision that we have the country's sixth most powerful tech CEO.

Head of the $4.4 billion global enterprise HCL, Nadar is known for his daring forays based on his conviction of the future. At a time when hardware was the name of the game, Nadar foresaw the huge potential in IT education and NIIT was born.

In 1998, Nadar started US operations, which was the beginning of the group's international foray. Today, HCL has presence in over 18 countries. HCL today employs more than 51,000 professionals, has a global presence in 18 countries spanning locations in the US, Europe and Japan.

In 1987 ELCINA the body representing the electronic industry in India nominated Nadar as the Man of the Year.

Narayana Murthy
Narayana Murthy, with a net worth of $1.4 billion, is chief mentor and non-executive chairman of Infosys. A global leader in IT and consulting, Infosys pioneered the global delivery model of outsourcing, whose premise is to take work to the location where the best talent is available.

Murthy founded Infosys in 1981 along with six other software professionals and served as the CEO for 21 years before handing over the reins to co-founder Nandan M Nilekani in March 2002.

Under his leadership, Infosys was listed on NASDAQ in 1999. He served as the Executive Chairman of the Board and Chief Mentor from 2002 to 2006.

Murthy is the recipient of numerous awards and honours. The Economist ranked him 8th on its list of 15 most admired global leaders in 2005. He was ranked 28th among the world's most respected business leaders by The Financial Times in 2005.

Murthy holds a BE (Electrical) from the University of Mysore (1967) and MTech (Electrical) from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (1969). He has been conferred with honorary doctorate degrees by leading universities across the world.

Barry Lamb
Barry Lamb with the net worth of $1.3 billion is the Chairman and CEO of Quanta Computer, the largest notebook original design manufacturer that boasts clients like Apple, Hewlett-Packard and Dell. In 2004, the company produced 2 million laptops a month, or one per second.

Born in Shanghai and raised in Hong Kong, Lamb received his bachelor's and master's degrees in electrical engineering from National Taiwan University.

Lamb has been twice named by Business Week as one of 50 "Stars of Asia" and in 2002 was part of the magazine's Top 25 Managers list.

An art lover, Lamb is the director of Cloud Gate Theatre Group and chair of Quanta Education Foundation, which promotes culture and art.

Nandan Nilekani
Another Infoscian on the list is Nandan M Nilekani with a net worth of $1.1 billion. Co-founder of Infosys, Nilekani ran the company as chief executive and managing director till June 2007, when he became co-chairman.

Nilekani took over as Chief executive officer and managing director of Infosys Technologies in 2002 from Narayan Murthy. One of the founding members of Infosys, he has been a director on the company's board since its inception in 1981.

In January 2006, Nilekani became one of the youngest entrepreneurs to join 20 global leaders on the prestigious World Economic Forum (WEF) Foundation Board. He is listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine, 2006.

He, along with Infosys Narayana Murthy, received Fortune magazine's `Asia's Businessmen of the Year 2003’ award.

He was also named among the `World's most respected business leaders' in 2002 and 2003, in a global survey by Financial Times and PricewaterhouseCoopers. In 2006, Nilekani was conferred with Padma Bhushan, one of the highest civilian award in India.

Nilekani received his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, India in 1978.

Senapathy Gopalakrishnan
Last billionaire on the list is another Infosys cofounder, Senapathy Gopalakrishnan. With a net worth of $1 billion, Kris took over from Nandan Nilekani as chief executive and managing director June last year.

He has previously served as chief operating officer (till April 2002), and as the president and joint managing director (till August 2006).

Between 1987 and 1994 he headed the technical operations of KSA/Infosys (a joint venture between Infosys and KSA at Atlanta, USA) as Vice President (Technical). In 1994, he returned to India and was appointed Deputy Managing Director of the company.

An IITtian, Gopalakrishnan began his career with Patni Computer Systems (PCS), Mumbai as a software engineer in 1979 and become an assistant project manager in 1981.

Chairman of Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management (IIITM), Kerala, he also serves as Vice Chairman of the Information Technology Education Standards Board (BITES) set up by the Government of Karnataka.

He currently chairs the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) Apex Council on Services.