Abstract: Applications (11b 11d) and data files (11a 11c 11e) for a communication device (10) enabling the device to use a segment of a media or multimedia file (11a) (an audio file or one or more components of an audio-video file) stored in the communication device (10) to alert a user of the communication device (10) to the occurrence of an event, and to do so in a way that conserves memory. The invention provides an offset selector application (11b) by which a user is able to indicate that a particular segment of the media file (11a) is to be used to signal the occurrence of an event. Instead of storing the segment in the communication device (10), the offset selector application (11b) typically stores only offsets (21a 21b) in respect to the media file (11a), and the offsets are used in combination with the media file (11a) to provide the alert notification.

Abstract: Applications (11b 11d) and data files (11a 11c 11e) for a communication device (10) enabling the device to use a segment of a media or multimedia file (11a) (an audio file or one or more components of an audio-video file) stored in the communication device (10) to alert a user of the communication device (10) to the occurrence of an event, and to do so in a way that conserves memory. The invention provides an offset selector application (11b) by which a user is able to indicate that a particular segment of the media file (11a) is to be used to signal the occurrence of an event. Instead of storing the segment in the communication device (10), the offset selector application (11b) typically stores only offsets (21a 21b) in respect to the media file (11a), and the offsets are used in combination with the media file (11a) to provide the alert notification.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and apparatus for encoding a filename having an illegal character. The method features the step of encoding the filename by replacing the illegal character with a specific code character. The apparatus features an encoder module for a mobile terminal or other suitable device that encodes the filename by replacing the illegal character with the specific code character. The invention also features a decoder module for decoding an encoded filename by replacing the specific code character with the illegal character, whereby the filename is decoded back to the original format.