al-Fatihah,  al-Fatiha, al fatiha (The Opening)

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ bismi allaahi arrahmaani arrahiim In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. الْحَمْدُ للّهِ رَبِّ الْعَالَمِينَ alhamdu lillaahi rabbi al'aalamiin [1:2] Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds; الرَّحْمـنِ الرَّحِيمِ arrahmaani arrahiim [1:3] Most Gracious, Most Merciful; مَالِكِ يَوْمِ الدِّينِ maaliki yawmi addiin [1:4] Master of the Day of Judgment. إِيَّاكَ نَعْبُدُ وإِيَّاكَ نَسْتَعِينُ iyyaaka na'budu wa-iyyaaka nasta'iin [1:5] Thee do we worship, and Thine aid we seek. اهدِنَــــا الصِّرَاطَ المُستَقِيمَ ihdinaa assiraata almustaqiim [1:6] Show us the straight way, صِرَاطَ الَّذِينَ أَنعَمتَ عَلَيهِمْ غَيرِ المَغضُوبِ عَلَيهِمْ وَلاَ الضَّالِّينَ siraata alladziina an'amta 'alayhim ghayri almaghdhuubi 'alayhim walaa adhdhaalliin [1:7] The way of those on whom Thou hast bestowed Thy Grace, those whose (portion) is not wrath, and who go not astray.

al-Ikhlas, al ikhlas, at-Tauhid, at-Tawhid  Tauhid (The Unity)

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ bismi allaahi arrahmaani arrahiim In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. قُلْ هُوَ اللَّهُ أَحَدٌ qul huwa allaahu ahad [112:1] Say: He is Allah, the One and Only; اللَّهُ الصَّمَدُ allaahu assamad [112:2] Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; لَمْ يَلِدْ وَلَمْ يُولَدْ lam yalid walam yuulad [112:3] He begetteth not, nor is He begotten; وَلَمْ يَكُن لَّهُ كُفُواً أَحَدٌ walam yakun lahu kufuwan ahad [112:4] And there is none like unto Him.

al-Kauthar  al-Kauther (a River in Paradise, Abundance, Plenty)

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ bismi allaahi arrahmaani arrahiim In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. إِنَّا أَعْطَيْنَاكَ الْكَوْثَرَ innaa a'thaynaaka alkawtsar [108:1] To thee have We granted the Fount (of Abundance). فَصَلِّ لِرَبِّكَ وَانْحَرْ fasalli lirabbika wainhar [108:2] Therefore to thy Lord turn in Prayer and Sacrifice. إِنَّ شَانِئَكَ هُوَ الْأَبْتَرُ inna shaani-aka huwa al-abtar [108:3] For he who hateth thee, he will be cut off (from Future Hope).

an-Nas, annas, an naas (Mankind)

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ bismi allaahi arrahmaani arrahiim In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ qul a'uudzu birabbi annaas [114:1] Say: I seek refuge with the Lord and Cherisher of Mankind, مَلِكِ النَّاسِ maliki annaas [114:2] The King (or Ruler) of Mankind, إِلَهِ النَّاسِ ilaahi annaas [114:3] The god (or judge) of Mankind,- مِن شَرِّ الْوَسْوَاسِ الْخَنَّاسِ min sharri alwaswaasi alkhannaas [114:4] From the mischief of the Whisperer (of Evil), who withdraws (after his whisper),- الَّذِي يُوَسْوِسُ فِي صُدُورِ النَّاسِ alladzii yuwaswisu fii suduuri annaas [114:5] (The same) who whispers into the hearts of Mankind,- مِنَ الْجِنَّةِ وَ النَّاسِ mina aljinnati walnnaas [114:6] Among Jinns and among men.

  

al-Falaq, al falaq (The Daybreak, Dawn)

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ bismi allaahi arrahmaani arrahiim In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. قُلْ أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ الْفَلَقِ qul a'uudzu birabbi alfalaq [113:1] Say: I seek refuge with the Lord of the Dawn مِن شَرِّ مَا خَلَقَ min sharri maa khalaq [113:2] From the mischief of created things; وَمِن شَرِّ غَاسِقٍ إِذَا وَقَبَ wamin sharri ghaasiqin idzaa waqab [113:3] From the mischief of Darkness as it overspreads; وَمِن شَرِّ النَّفَّاثَاتِ فِي الْعُقَدِ wamin sharri annaffaatsaati fii al'uqad [113:4] From the mischief of those who practise secret arts; وَمِن شَرِّ حَاسِدٍ إِذَا حَسَدَ wamin sharri haasidin idzaa hasad [113:5] And from the mischief of the envious one as he practises envy.

an-Nasr, annasr (Divine Support)

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ bismi allaahi arrahmaani arrahiim In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. إِذَا جَاء نَصْرُ اللَّهِ وَالْفَتْحُ idzaa jaa-a nasru allaahi waalfath [110:1] When comes the Help of Allah, and Victory, وَرَأَيْتَ النَّاسَ يَدْخُلُونَ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ أَفْوَاجاً wara-ayta annaasa yadkhuluuna fii diini allaahi afwaajaa [110:2] And thou dost see the people enter Allah's Religion in crowds, فَسَبِّحْ بِحَمْدِ رَبِّكَ وَاسْتَغْفِرْهُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ تَوَّاباً fasabbih bihamdi rabbika wastaghfirhu innahu kaana tawwaabaa [110:3] Celebrate the praises of thy Lord, and pray for His Forgiveness: For He is Oft-Returning (in Grace and Mercy)

al-`Asr  al-Asr (The Declining Day, Eventide, The Epoch, Time)

بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِيمِ bismi allaahi arrahmaani arrahiim In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. وَالْعَصْرِ waal'ashri [103:1] By (the Token of) Time (through the ages), إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ inna al-insaana lafii khusrin [103:2] Verily Man is in loss, إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ illaa alladziina aamanuu wa'amiluu alssaalihaati watawaasaw bilhaqqi watawaasaw bialssabri [103:3] Except such as have Faith, and do righteous deeds, and (join together) in the mutual teaching of Truth, and of Patience and Constancy.

How Do Cordless Telephones Work?

They're pretty much ubiquitous in every home and office now. Like the mobile phone, the cordless telephone was considered the height of hi-tech sophistication in the 1980s, but nowadays it is increasingly unlikely to find a landline with a handset constrained by a cord. Like many of the household items we take for granted, however, most of us rarely stop to consider how our cordless phones actually work. Here's a brief guide to the technology behind the rise of the cordless phone.

The key lies in the radio link

In a nutshell, the reason a cordless telephone handset is able to roam free is down to the radio link that connects it to its base unit. The base unit itself operates pretty much as an old-fashioned landline telephone always did, connected directly to the network of phone lines via your wall-mounted telecoms socket. The handset, however, communicates with the base station via radio waves with a short range – typically only a couple of hundred metres from the base station, so it is not possible to use the handset much beyond one's house or yard.

Cordless phone origins and all that jazz

The basic concept behind the cordless telephone was devised by jazz musician Teri Pall. Ms Pall patented the design for a cordless phone in 1965, but sadly the two-mile range of the radio waves interfered with aircraft communications, which meant the patent failed to be marketed and she sold the rights to it in 1968 to a manufacturer who "dumbed it down” by reducing its range and making it more suitable for domestic use. At around the same time, amateur radio operator and inventor George Sweigert was working on a similar idea, filing his own patent in 1966. His patent was for a "full duplex wireless communications apparatus" and today's cordless phones are mainly built on this initial idea.

Power required

Another major difference between a cordless phone and a corded telephone is the power requirement. Old-fashioned phones merely needed to be connected to the phone network to function, and during a power cut would usually continue to operate. A cordless phone's base station requires electricity to power it – not only because it needs to keep the handset charged, but also because radio transmissions require a power source, and the myriad of additional features which cordless phones offer also need to be electronically co-ordinated.

Constant technological refinement

The digital revolution has led to cordless phone technology coming on in leaps and bounds. The first digital cordless phones were introduced in 1994, making the signal clearer and harder to eavesdrop on. The next year, digital spread spectrum (DSS) was introduced, making eavesdropping harder still – and now all good cordless phones are operating standard protocols such as the Personal Handy-phone System (PHS) and Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT), making their versatility and functionality closer to mobile phones than ever before.