Neat Cell Phone Tricks

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Neat Cell Phone Tricks

by Philip Chien

This article is based on a talk the author gave at the Maitland Public Library in Maitland, Florida.

Here's a bunch of cell phone tips and tricks which I've found useful. Hopefully you can use some of them too. Specific directions are not included because they will vary depending on your particular cell phone model. Read your phone's manual to determine how to use these tips.

Make a sticky label with emergency contact information and put it on the inside of the battery case cover in case you lose your phone. Save a text file with the same information on the phone with the title "If found please read." The emergency contact should be a trusted friend, not yourself.

In earlier times we would memorize the phone numbers of our friends and other important contacts. But now we don't have to since our phones save that information. If you're in a situation where your phone is unusable (forgot it that day, accidentally locked it in the car, lost, battery's dead, etc.) then it's much more difficult to contact a friend for assistance. I've made a business card with the phone numbers of my close friends and other important contacts and keep it in my wallet. It's come in handy when I can't use my own cell phone but can borrow a phone from somebody to make an emergency call.

When you purchase a new phone check it out and try out the various features, even ones you may not use or need at first. Some cell phone companies permit you to cancel your account or exchange your phone if you're unsatisfied - but only within the first two weeks or month from when you sign the contract.

Your friends and experts can provide advice on cell phones and providers, but remember that very few people have actually tried more than a couple of phones or a handful of service providers so the amount of comparison information available is limited. This especially applies to the sales people in the cell phone store. Even a professional reviewer for a magazine or website can only check out a product for a week - at max - before writing up the review. I can tell you why I don't like a particular phone which I used to own or the features I like and don't like on my current phone - but I can't recommend what's the best choice for you.

I've had mixed experiences with a handful of cell phone providers and phones. I will emphasize that I strongly recommend against MetroPCS as a service provider and Samsung as a manufacturer. I had many headaches dealing with both of them which were not resolved and eventually just had to abandon them and purchase a new phone and find a new provider.

After you've decided that you're going to keep your phone get the extra accessories you may need (extra headset, car charger, spare charger, car dashboard holder, etc.). In a couple of cases you may be able to reuse your existing accessories. I normally leave my spare charger in my suitcase or toiletries kit so it's easy to find when I have an overnight trip. That way I don't have to reach around the desk to unplug my normal charger each time I go on a trip.

As a rule the most expensive place to buy accessories is the store where you get your phone. Discount electronics and Mega-stores are generally less expensive, the least expensive are Internet stores. Make sure you consult with somebody who knows what they're talking about so you get the correct accessories for your phone. Verify that the store will let you return anything your purchase for a full refund if it doesn't work with your phone.

Either recycle your old phone or keep it for use as an emergency 911 device. Even if a phone has been deactivated and you don't have an account with that company it can still be used to call 911. Many folk keep an old cell phone in the glove compartment or at a vacation home just in case it's needed for an emergency.

Bluetooth is a short range (up to 33 feet - 10 meters) wireless communications method. It's primarily used for portable accessories like headsets but can also be used to connect your phone to a computer, portable keyboard, and as a "bridge" to other types of devices. Bluetooth devices use a security system to prevent somebody from listening in on your phone calls, but if you leave your Bluetooth in open mode a malicious person can put messages or photos on your phone without your permission (bluejacking). Bluejacking is normally harmless text messages but can be used to send unsolicted advertising (spam). The simple way to avoid having your phone bluejacked is to set your Bluetooth mode to invisible except when you're pairing a new device.

You should always remember that your cell phone is a radio and it's relatively easy to listen in on conversations. Be conscious when you give out private information like credit card or social security numbers. While it's technically illegal in the United States it's easy to listen in on cell phone conversations - trivial in the case of old analog phones but certainly possible with digital phones too.

Cell phone safety is an important concern, especially inside a car. There are thousands of accidents each year caused by folks using their cell phones while driving and many more 'near misses.' Many studies have shown that it's riskier to use a cell phone while driving than driving while drunk.

There is no completely safe way to use a cell phone while driving. Period.

There is no completely safe way to use a cell phone while driving. Period. Anything which distracts you while driving, including noisy kids in the back seat, putting on makeup while driving, changing radio stations, and annoying animated billboards decreases driving safety. What you can do is minimize your risks while using your cell phone in your car.

A hands-free setup for your cell phone is not as unsafe as holding your cell phone up to your ear. But "not as unsafe" is not the same thing as safe - you can still be distracted by the conversation. If you do choose to use your cell phone in your car you should do everything possible to minimize the risks, both to yourself and others.

There are two approaches for hands-free setups - a headset or a speaker phone. In both cases you don't have to hold the phone up to your ear.

Headsets can either have a cable which plugs into your phone or connect wirelessly via Bluetooth. If you've got a stereo headset you should only use a single ear so you can still hear road noises, like emergency sirens.

There are many choices for hands-free speaker phones. You can use an adapter (cassette adapter, FM transmitter, audio input jack) which lets you hook up your phone to your car radio, a portable speaker which plugs into your phone, or a Bluetooth amplified speaker with a wireless connection. A Bluetooth speaker phone can be built into your car, an add-on device which clips to the visor or dashboard, something which plugs into a cigarette lighter outlet, or a portable unit which can clip on your clothes, seatbelt, or purse.

Here's a couple of common sense tips for making cell phone conversations while driving less unsafe -

1) Make sure the person you're talking to is aware of the fact that you're driving. If you're talking to somebody in a car be conscious of that fact. Avoid conversations where you have to concentrate on something (like giving instructions or doing calculations) or stressful topics.
2) If you do get bad news while driving, pull over to the side of the road and stop the car. Take a breather and discuss the situation with whoever you're talking to - you don't want to continue driving while you're in emotional shock.
3) Only talk to somebody when there isn't much traffic and the weather conditions are good. When you enter a congested area or the weather turns bad inform the person you're talking to and put the conversation on hold.
4) Use voice commands to make calls, don't dial numbers while driving. If you have to dial a number wait for a traffic light or pull over to the side of the road.
5) Never text while driving - either sending or receiving. It's just not worth the risks.

You should be aware of the fact that with some cell phone plans the user has to pay for each text message sent or received - not everybody has unlimited texting. Check with new folk to make sure it's okay for you to send them text messages.

You can send text messages to any cell phone from a computer, if you know the user's cell phone provider. Just email the message to 4075551212@phone.com, replacing 4075551212 with the person's phone number and phone.com with the appropriate address for the cell phone company. The links portion of this article has a link to a list of common cell phone company text email addresses.

Before a hurricane make sure your cell phone battery is charged in case you lose power. It helps to have a car charger too, then you'll have another method of charging your phone.

Remember that during an emergency communications circuits will be busy. Cell towers may be damaged or without power, making it more difficult for calls to get through. Avoid making unnecessary calls.

If you have to evacuate your house (hurricane, toxic spill, etc.) then forward your landline calls to your cell number. (This is also useful if you're on vacation and still want to receive calls.)

If you've lost power and have a conventional answering machine on your home phone line you can use it to determine when power is restored in your area. Just call home and if the answering machine answers you've got power again.

One of the cell phone tricks I find most useful is individual ring tones. I've assigned each of my close friends a separate ring tone so I know when they're calling me. Other friends all share another ring tone and there's a different ring tone for business contacts. If you aren't in my contact list the phone goes directly to voice mail. This way I can tell by the ring how important a call is. If I'm in a meeting or on a date I'll only answer the phone if it's somebody on my extremely important list. If I'm expecting an extremely important call (job interview, doctor's office calling with results to a medical test, comic book shop calling to inform me that the new issue is in, etc.) then I'll assign that contact a temporary ring tone.

Most cell phones can connect to a computer through a "Micro USB" cable. Some cell phones use different connectors but all of the major cell phone manufacturers have agreed to use the micro USB connector on new phones. Micro USB cable retail for about $3-$6.

If your computer has Bluetooth capabilities you can also use it to connect to your phone wirelessly, but it's generally not as fast as a micro USB cable.

In most, but not all cases, if you've got a Micro USB cable connected to your phone it will charge your phone's battery. But if you're using your phone for something which requires a lot of transmissions, like a podcast, the phone will use power faster than the cable can recharge the phone.

The most important advantage to connecting your cell phone to your computer is the capability to backup all of the information on your cell phone. Your contacts list with all of your phone numbers, photos you've taken, and anything else saved on your cell phone can - and should - be backed up on your computer.

In many cases your cell phone can be used as a wireless modem for your computer. This is useful in places where WiFi isn't available or your primary Internet connection has a problem. The technique is called "Tethering" and it varies from phone to phone. In some cases you have to figure out how to do it yourself, in others it's built into the software for your phone. In all cases you should check what your cell phone provider will charge you for tethering access. In some cases you can do it for free, or it's included in your phone's data plan as long as you don't use it for an incredibly large amount of data.

One of the best uses for a tethered cell phone is a place which charge high rates for WiFi access. Hotel rooms and business conferences are infamous for overcharging for WiFi since most of their customers are business people on expense accounts who don't care about the extra fees.

Some phones have Internet access (no computer needed). You can check your email, update your Facebook status, send Tweets, upload photos, and even surf the web. But how practical this is on an incredibly tiny screen with a tiny keyboard varies from person to person. It can be convenient when you're at dinner with somebody and arguing which actor was in which movie, or need to look up a quick piece of information online. Typically a data plan will add about $10 to your phone bill each month.

Your cell phone provider hopes that you will download wallpapers, videos, music, ring tones, and similar enhancements for your cell phone. In many cases they make more money from those sales than your normal monthly service charges. But you can also download free wallpapers, videos, music, and ring tones, or make your own. In most cases it's easiest to create the files on your computer, convert them into the correct format for your cell phone and then use a Micro USB cable to copy those files on to your cell phone.

One of the simplest, but most useful programs built into your cell phone is its alarm clock. If you need to take drugs at a particular time, need a reminder before a particular activity, or are staying overnight at a friend's place you can set the alarm in your phone to alert you at the appropriate time.

You can use your cell phone as a digital audio recorder. This is useful for making a quick memo to yourself, recording a lecture, recording your own ring tones, or even making a recording of a container of pet food being opened (a great way to call your pet.)

There are lots of free programs you can run on your cell phone. Some of these examples include weather forecasts, stock market quotes, sports scores, and barcode readers. In some cases the programs are truly free, some include advertising, others track your usage for marketing purposes. There are also programs for sale which may have additional features.

2D barcodes are used by some libraries, stores and starting to appear in advertisements. If you use the bar code program to 'take a picture' of the barcode your phone will automatically go to a webpage with more information or update your cell phone's appointment calendar with the information in the barcode. High end cell phones with high quality cameras can read conventional barcodes, like UPC and ISBN, and save that information for future use. For example, you can record the ISBNs for books in the library and use your computer to look up catalog information or how much it would cost to purchase your own copy.

If you've gotten your cell phone wet all isn't lost.

The most important thing to do is get the cell phone out of the water as quickly as possible and remove the battery.

Use a paper towel to wipe off the battery, especially the contacts.

Remove the SIM card and any memory cards and wipe them clean.

Wipe off as much water off of the phone as possible.

Use a vacuum cleaner, with the nozzle a couple of inches away to suck out as much water as you can.

Put the phone into a bowl of dry uncooked rice in a warm dry place.

Rice absorbs water and will extract moisture from inside the phone. Turn the phone once every couple of hours. Keep the phone inside the rice for about three days.

DO NOT put your phone inside a microwave oven, ordinary oven, or clothes dryer.

You can try using the original battery and hopefully it'll work, but the battery is the most likely portion of the phone to be damaged by water and may need to be replaced.

If you've dropped your phone in salt water or coffee more drastic cleaning may be needed (disassembling the phone, cleaning with alcohol, etc.) and you may want to go to an electronics specialist who's got experience.

One of the biggest cell phone urban legends claims you can use a car remote unlocker over the phone to unlock your car. Car remotes transmit an encrypted radio signal which cannot be transmitted over any phone. You'd have better luck shouting "Open Sesame" into a CB radio.

Miniature "antenna boosters" which fit inside your phone do NOT work. The only antenna boosters which work are active external antennas, especially ones which mount on the exterior of your vehicle and have a cable which goes to your phone. Older cell phones had the capability to connect to external antennas but it's a rare feature on current phones. What has happened is there are many more cell phone towers, so - on the average - you're closer to cell towers than in the past and a shorter range means less transmitting power is needed on your cell phone and a less powerful antenna.

Cell phone etiquette is something which should not be taken lightly. It's amazing how many inconsiderate people will talk on their cell phones in movie theaters, meetings, and other places where their conversations disturb others. Please put your cell phones on silent or vibrate mode under those circumstances. Don't forget to turn the ringer back on after the movie's over.

Different folks have different opinions on whether or not you should silence your cell phone when you're with a close friend or on a date - especially a first date. If I'm expecting an important call I'll inform the friend or date that my phone may interrupt our time together. Because I have individualized ring tones I can determine who's calling me when the phone rings. So if it's just the ordinary contacts or somebody who isn't saved on my phone I'll silence the phone and let it go to voice mail. If it's one of the important ring tones I'll apologize to my friend and answer the call. When I answer the call I'll tell the person I'm talking to that I'm with somebody and ask whether or not it's something important which needs to be discussed immediately, or something which can wait until later.

Finally, a non-cell phone trick. Most POTS (Plain Old Telephone System) use a dial tone which is a Concert A (440 Hz.). This can be useful if you need to tune a musical instrument and don't happen to have a tuning fork available.

Links

This website will determine which cell provider or phone company is used for any phone number.

Where to find email addresses for cell phone text messages.

Some studies on cell phone related driving accident statistics.
cellphones.org
National Safety Council
AAA

Some cell phone urban legends.

How to prevent bluejacking.

ZXing (pronounced Zebra Crossing), a free open-source 2D barcode reader for many cell phones.

An online 2D barcode generator.

Order a portable Medallion Bluetooth Speakerphone from amazon.com.
Order a Philips USA MP3-To-Cassette Adapter from amazon.com.
Order a AmazonBasics USB Cable - 2.0 A Male to Micro B (6 Feet / 1.8 Meters) from amazon.com.

Order Cell Phone accessories from amazon.com.

Order assorted Bluetooth accessories from amazon.com.

About the author

Philip Chien is a regular contributor to neatinformation.com.

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