Method of operating a portable communication device

A method of operating a portable communication device capable of communicating with a remote server via at least first and second different communication arrangements, comprising the steps of

• monitoring attributes of communications between said device and said remote server to determine the occurrence of significant changes indicating that said device is likely to transition between said first and second different communication arrangements when receiving or transmitting data, and
• responsive to said monitoring step, altering the operation of at least one application operating on said portable communication device substantially simultaneously with said transition between said first and second different communication arrangements.

A method of operating a portable communication device communicating with a remote server via a first communication arrangement prior to a transition from said first communication arrangement to a second communication arrangement, comprising the steps of

• monitoring said device to determine the occurrence of changes in operating characteristics of said portable communication device, and
• responsive to said monitoring step, altering the operation of said portable communication device by altering at least one parameter controlling an application operating on said device at a time substantially contemporaneous with the time of said transition.

A method of managing operation of a portable communication device having a processor controlled by instructions contained in a multilayer protocol stack, said protocol stack including at least an application protocol layer controlling the user level operation of said device and a communication protocol layer controlling the transmission of data to said device and the reception of data by said device, said method comprising the steps of

• determining the likelihood of the occurrence of changes in the rate at which said portable communication device receives or transmits data to a remote location, and
• responsive to said determining step, and substantially simultaneously with the occurrence of changes in the rate at which said portable communication device receives or transmits data to a remote location, altering the operation of said portable communication device by altering at least one parameter controlling said application protocol layer.

A method of operating a portable communication device including a pictorial display capability, comprising the steps of

• monitoring the strength of signals received in said device via first and second different communications arrangements in order to predict the occurrence of a transition from said first communications arrangement to said second communications arrangement, said first communications arrangements enabling communication between said device and a remote server at a rate different from the rate associated with said second communication arrangement,
• responsive to said monitoring step, altering the operation of said portable communication device substantially at the time of said transition by altering the manner in which said device presents pictorial data to a user of said device.