Posts Tagged phones

Alltel Wireless Cell Phones – At The Cutting Edge

Unlike many other cell phone companies that have several calling plans, Alltel Wireless offers only three plans. The Total Freedom Plan is ideal for those who travel extensively on business and need to keep in touch with clients and the home office, as well as family. It provides coast to coast coverage within the United States with no long distance or roaming charges.
You can get between 200 and 3000 anytime minutes, 1000 night and weekend minutes and 1000 mobile to mobile home minutes. The cost for this Alltel plan ranges between $39.99 and $299.99 a month depending on the amount of anytime minutes you choose. The cost per minute for calls over your plan minutes is between $.40 and $.20, again depending on the level of anytime minutes chosen.
Alltel relies on its National Freedom Plan to provide subscribers in most medium to large cities with coverage. However subscribers in smaller cities and rural areas or making calls to these places may incur unexpected charges. The benefit, however, is more anytime minutes in the same price range as in the Total Freedom Plan. For instance the National Freedom Plan gives 450 minutes for $39.95, while “Total Freedom” gives only 200 for the same amount.
The “Greater Freedom” plan is Alltel’s offering to the casual user who doesn’t do a lot of traveling or who is considering replacing their standard home phone with an Alltel cell phone. For under $30.00 a month you can get 300 anytime minutes. At $39.99 a month you get 700 anytime minutes, 1000 night and weekend minutes and 1000 mobile to mobile home minutes. Alltel’s mobile to mobile home minutes refers to calls placed from one Alltel cell phone to another Alltel user.
Alltel cell phone plans all offer the same basic features such as voice mail, caller ID, 3-way calling, call waiting, call forwarding and 411 information. Be cautious about these features, some of them are not covered by all levels of the plans and these charges can add up quickly. Recent research by Consumer Reports show that these seemingly minor add ons can add significant charges to your monthly bill. You need to make sure you know what your coverage area is, what is considered roaming and what the charges for these services are.
If you go prepared, know what type of service you need, make sure you understand all of the features you want and the associated charges, you will be sure to get an Alltel plan that is right for you. Alltel’s corporate philosophy is that simplicity or ease of understanding, means sales. This has allowed them to become and remain a viable contender in the confusing world of cell phone carriers.
With approximately 12 million customers and an estimated 8 billion dollars in annual revenues, Alltel has fine tuned their calling plans to insure that they are easy to understand. This simplicity has been a strong catalyst for the sales and longevity of this company.
Phones offered by Alltel are among the best on the market. Alltel cell phones are made by Nokia, Kyocera, and Audiovox. They have one of the largest selections of cell phones available today. You can get all the new “bells and whistles.” Do you want web access while on the road? Alltel can provide you with a phone that has that capability. Interested in voice dialing? They can give you that. You can also get speaker phones, color displays, stock reports, picture phones, cell phones that can be used as walkie talkies, advanced graphics and a collection of Alltel ring tones including hip hop, country, classical, movie theme songs, and fight songs. Before signing any cell phone contract you should investigate the available plans thoroughly to make sure that the Alltel cell phone plan you choose will suit your needs.

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10 Questions About Cellular Phones Answered

1. What’s the difference between analog and digital phones?
Analog phones operate on an older and less effective technology. This technology doesn’t scale well and is more costly. Analog service is not compatible with numerous new features. Digital phones are lighter and more compact and have a longer battery life. When you are inside of a calling area the quality is better than analog. Digital phones support new features like caller ID, text messaging or wireless internet services.
2. What is a Dual Band Phone?
A Dual band phone is a phone that can operate on an analog and digital service.
3. What type of battery has the longest life?
Lithium-Ion or Li-Ion batteries have the longest life. They also happen to be the lightest in weight. The two pluses means there is minus attached, which is price. A li-ion battery will always be the most expensive type of battery available.
4. What’s the difference between the Stand-by time and Talk time?
Your phone is in standby mode when your phone is on but you aren’t talking. The power consumption is minimal and the phone can stay in this mode for a longer period of time. When you are using the phone you are using talk time. This consumes battery power at a much quicker rate. Your battery life will be somewhere between talk time and standby time
5. What is a roaming charge?
A roaming charge is when you make a call from outside of your calling area. Your calling area is defined by plan local, regional or national.
6. What are peak and off peak hours?
Peak hours are during the day when the cellular networks are very busy. These minutes are at premium and your plan will typically include the smallest amount of these. If you use more than your allotted peak minutes they will be billed at a much higher rate than off peak minutes. Off peak is the exact opposite of peak time. Each cellular provider has their own definition of off peak.
7. What are anytime minutes?
Anytime minutes are simply put minutes you can use anytime, peak or off peak. On most plans you will use anytime minutes first.
8. Do I pay for the call when someone calls me?
Usually yes. You are billed for the airtime when you receive a call. However some service providers are offering unlimited in network calls.
9. Should I buy a cell phone or look for a free cellular phone?
Free phones generally speaking don’t have the latest features, they are anywhere from 6 to 12 months behind. Also, free cell phones generally come with longer contracts. But, it is still possible to get a great deal on a free cell phone.
10. What to do if you want to upgrade/downgrade or cancel your service plan?
You can usually upgrade to higher plan without any cost. Some may force you to extend your contract for 1 to 2 years from that point. Downgrading your plan is often times not an option and when it is there is usually a penalty or fine.

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Cell Phone Antenna May Pose Health Hazards

There is growing consensus that cell phone antennas may be harmful to humans due to the huge volume of electromagnetic waves that get concentrated around it during the receipt and placing of calls. This danger is even further aggravated by cellular manufacturers who place the internal antennas close to the earpiece.
Mobile phones are basically radio sets and therefore emit energy radio signals that can penetrate the body and cause harm.
There have been several commissions on the study of the effect of mobile phone on the human body and the most pronounced has been The Stewart Report which suggested that radio waves indeed penetrate human bodies from mobile phone antennas and specially recommended that children who obviously have softer skulls be extra careful and use the device sparingly. The report further went on to state that the brain cells of children are not as fully developed as those of adults and can therefore be at greater risk as they absorb the radiation more than fully hardened adult skulls.
These hazards may exist but cell phones have become part of everyday living like cars and cannot be dispensed with. In the light of this fact, doing away with our phones may not be a practical approach to solving the health hazards issue. Rather we can adopt some habits to mitigate the effects of the radiation.
Children should not use cell phones for long calls. They should sue land lines instead so as to minimize the length of contact with the radiation emitted by the device.
Consumers should buy phones with low specific absorption rate (SAR). Mobile phones should be kept away from the body as much as possible. They can be put in the purse or bag and only brought into contact with the body when there is the need to make or receive a call.
Users should try to keep their conversations short.
If possible, SMS messages can be sent instead of calls so that there is less contact with the body especially around the skull area.
Keep switching between both ears so that one particular ear does not absorb the full brunt of the radiation all the time.
Radiation emission is at the highest when the phone is trying to connect so keep the phone away from the skull till you see the call fully connected.
Weak signal results in higher radiation so avoid making calls in areas where reception is poor as the device will try to boost its power to get you a connection and resultantly bombard you with more radiation.
We cannot do away with cellular devices looking at the convenience they have ushered consumers in. Nevertheless, we can adopt some helpful attitudes to minimize the harmful effects this technology is bringing to mankind.

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How To Buy a Mobile Phone Handset

If you asked 100 people the factors that drive their choice of a cell phone, 80% would say the ringtone or the flashy design. Though personal preferences may determine how we buy our mobile phones, it is considered prudential that we factor other elements into our purchase decisions so we derive full value for our money and do not rush into extra expense after using the device.
Buying a simple device like a cell phone can be an overwhelming experience. The device may cost just a few hundred Dollars but there are so many of them on the market and each company is inundating the television and newspaper with so much publicity.
But in the face of all the ad tactics, consumers can work out their own checklist and then screen off manufacturers who do not conform to them.
Let’s try to see some of the factors you may have to consider when making a decision to acquire a handset:
How deep is your budget? You should examine your funds and determine whether the phone you have set your eyes on is affordable. You may want to note that an affordable or cheap phone may have all the features you are looking for. Generally phones which sell for $100 and below are quick bulky, have minimal features and have sharp edges. If you are on low budget, seeking second hand phone or simply want basic features, this is the area you may have to venture.
Phones priced $300 thereabout are usually sleek, come with web features and may have voice dialing features. Some may have dual band characteristics and calendars.
Phones selling for $300 and over are the smallest in design, come with advanced features like cameras, video, mp3 capabilities, voice recorders and radio.
You may also have to critically examine the features of the phone to see if they appeal to you and will serve your objectives. If you would like to record appointments, then you may need a phone with an appointment setter or calendar.
If you a traveler, you may have to buy a dual band phone. You may also have to consider dual mode, that is a phone that will work for both analog and digital services. You would also need to get a phone that will accept double SIM so you can have access to multiple services without changing SIMs.
If you are the busy type , you will have to look for phones with long lasting battery and long talk time so you can carry for long without recharging.
Internet users will have to go for phones with more lines of display that is a bigger screen to display about 6 lines so they can be able to read text without much discomfort and too much scrolling.
Buying a cell phone handset is not a chore at all but it is helpful for one to find one that will meet the pocket and at the same time satisfy lifestyle and business objectives.

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Mobile Phone Accessories Both Fancy And Technical Enhance User Experience Of Cellular Devices

Aside replacement and ornamental purposes, mobile phone accessories boost or enhance the use of our cellular devices. There are several types of accessories when it comes to mobile phones. We have operational accessories that helps users to safeguard their phones or enhance their operations. These include battery chargers, hands free kits antenna boosters and batteries.
Some accessories come in the form of attachment which are devices that enable you extend your phone to some other object. An example is speaker phone kits that enable you to drive whilst receiving calls and car phone holders that serve as carrying cases for drivers.
Cases form another category of accessories and are purchased to hold the phones. They come in various shapes and there are some that can be worn around the belt.
Then come the technical accessories like games, radiation shields, antenna boosters and ringtone downloads which have more to do with the technical functionality of the device.
Next comes the most common of all accessories phone covers and face plates which can be found in various fancy designs.
That said, do we really need phone accessories? Yes we do whether for fun or for protection of our mobile phones.
A Bluetooth device enables you to receive calls with just a small piece of cordless device in your ear. Will you risk driving by trying to reach your phone from the dashboard of you got a call?
While traveling, a travel charger may be needed in addition to the regular one. If you are hard pressed for time to charge the phone but still need to keep it running, you can plug the phone to the car charger whilst on the road to save time and to get the capacity to make and receive calls.
You need that case to protect your phone from scratches. Tech people are in constant interaction with hard objects like tools which can scratch their phones. So getting a case to protect the phone can save you the headache of buying a new phone too soon because of scratches.
If you make or receive a lot of calls, you may wish to keep a spare battery in case you lose power from the current one and not in a position to immediately recharge.
Lastly, if your mates have the same kind of phone as yours, you may want to get a customized ringtone to differentiate yourself. You can’t always be reaching for your phone when you hear that ringtone it may be someone else’s ringing.
Accessories can be fun or a necessity depending on who is buying. Nevertheless, we should be very careful to buy right. Before you make a purchase, you have to triple check to make sure that the product or service is compatible with your phone. It should fit the phone with ease and if the accessory is electronic in nature, refer to the owner’s manual to check if that’s the right thing you are putting inside the phone.

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Understanding The Operation Of Mobile Phone Networks

Mobile phones have become as commonplace as pocket radios. There is no where you will go without finding someone with the palm tucked close to the ear receiving or making a call.
Mobile services differ greatly from the traditional telephony service in many respects. Here, we try to look at how cellular phones phones operate and how calls are made and received.
The first thing you will have to understand about mobile technology is mobile phones are essentially radios. All communication to an from the device travel along radio lines and is bound by radio transmission rules we see in the old Motorola two way radio systems. The only difference is that cellular phones are able to apply computer concepts such as advanced networking and sophiscated programming into their functions and that is how we come by SMS text messages, conferencing, call waiting features and calendar systems.
The second concept is that of cells. There is no single block of network but rather a city may be divided into several cells and a call from one cellular device to the other keeps hoping along the cells till it gets to the destined number. The advantage of the cell system, is that it allows for frequency reuse, meaning several users can use the same small cell and permits the company to use the same frequency over and over again without locking resources to one phone call only. Typically, one cell covers about 26 square kilometers and each one has a base station which is just a tower and some radio equipment to manage the signals.
Of late, cell phone technologies are laden with computer applications. SMS and WAP access are for example typical computer applications that have found their way into cellular functionality. SMS operates like the traditional email system and is controlled by a server just like we have a network server. WAP dwells more on computer programming and is also controlled by a WAP server. When you send a text message, it travels over the cellular network and is stored in a server and delivered to the recipient. The reason why it is purely a computer network facility and independent of the cellular service is that even whilst receiving calls SMS messages can come through.
WAP is purely an internet driven service integrated into cellular networks to enhance experience normally reserved for internet surfers. Examples of these facilities are downloads and information services like flight schedules and weather updates which are obtained from cellular operators via handsets.
As mobile users grow in sophiscation, so does the technology that drives the device. Each new day we shall see what we call convergence technology whereby other fields of communication shall be gradually fused into mobile operations to give customers enhanced experience.

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Getting Wallpapers And Logos For Your Mobile Phones

The concept of mobile phone wallpaper is the same as that of a PC.
They are backgrounds, usually graphical, that appear on the phone when the handset is switched on. On some phones, wallpapers can double as screensavers that appear after some inactivity on the phone.
Wallpapers are fun to implement as it is one of the features of a mobile phone that you can customize to suit your preference. Many people use pictures taken with the phone’s own camera, downloaded images or graphics sent via SMS to them.
Wallpapers were created as an extra incentive for buyers to patronize phones in the face of competition in the industry. It is one of the areas of converging technology where computer application are gradually being merged into mobile phone applications. Phone manufacturers added wallpapers to their phone features to serve as incentive for buyers who would like to see their phones featuring their favorite PC wallpapers. These innovations have the aim of producing innovative features to their buyers so that the mobile phone use becomes more fun and interactive.
No matter the brand of your phone, be it Nokia, Motorola, Siemens Panasonic, Alcatel, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Philips, Sagem, Sharp or Toshiba ther are many kinds of wallpapers to suit any kind of handset.
Your phone may come with a preset wallpaper or non at all. Setting up or changing the wallpaper is no hassle at all and the menu interface is there to guide you through the process. If your phone does not have interesting wallpapers, you can download some from the web if your phone supports it. It is however of importance to note that wallpapers would normally work with color screens.
Like ringtone, you can download wallpapers from the web using either a cable transfer, WAP server or SMS service.
If you are zealous about wallpapers you may have to consider screen resolution and sizes. Before downloading the wallpaper ensure that your screen resolution can support the wallpaper graphics. High resolution graphics especially pictures can occupy a large amount of space and therefore requires increase in memory if you would want to obtain them. Aside that, the screen size may not be compatible with the graphic you are downloading.
Now let’s search the web for some free wallpapers.
freemobilefun.net features colorful wallpapers which several phone sets can support. Each page displays about 15 pictures and together there are about 15 genres to select from.
Wallpapers add vitality to mobile phones especially with handsets that can use them as screen savers. Remember they can be customized from your stored digital pictures if you want to be constantly reminded of a favorite scene anytime you make a call.

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All You Wanted To Know About Ringtones

Ringtones are the sounds that mobile phone make to signal incoming calls or text messages. The essential characteristics of ringtones is that it can be customized to suit the individual’s taste and that feature could be said to influence consumers so much in the choice of phones.
Ringtones are popular for several reasons:
They can be assigned to specific numbers so you know who is calling by the sound
They help individuals in crowded settings to know their phone is the one ringing
And for the youth, it is a way of carrying their popular songs with them wherever they go to.
There are three kinds of ringtones in operation now.
Monophonic ringtones are basic sequential notes that makes a single tone at a time. In effect they are not musical as one note success the other like a piano composition.
Polyphonic ringtones can play i6 notes at a time and therefore highly musical. It can produce harmonic sounds and they are a regular feature of modern phones.
Digital samples use mp3 and wav files as ringtones; making them the most sophiscated as it means computer generated sounds can be used as ringtones.
Technically, a ringtone is a program that activates the phone’s speakers anytime it picks text messages or incoming call signals.
Ringtones are based on a programming language called Ringing Tone Text Transfer Language (RTTTL) which was developed by Nokia .
Ringtones are available in various forms. They can be hard-coded onto your phone from the factory. In that case, you only have to scroll the phone menu and pick the one you would like to use as your tone.
You can also download ringtones from the web. In this case, you can use a data cable and transfer the files to your phone and then use as ringtones. Ringtones on the web can also be downloaded onto phones through WAP services or SMS transfer. You can alternatively use the key press sequence offered by various sites. With this method, you only follow the steps on the web page to accomplish the composition.
Lately, you can compose your own tones by pressing the various keys on your keypad to mimic various notes. Generally, the alpa keys on the phone correspond to the tonic solfa and with a little ingenuity you can compose some primary tones.
If mobile phones have increased in popularity, ringtones have played a big role. As more and more ways to generate tones evolve, so will be the demand for them.

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Finding The Right Cell Phone

Ten years ago, cell phones were just beginning to appear. Today, it seems every person on the street has one. However, not all cell phones are equal. How do you find the best one?
Ask yourself what qualities are important to you. First, the physical aspects. Do you prefer flat cell phones or those with a flip? Are slim cell phones more attractive, or does size really matter?
Cell phones seem to come in all shapes and sizes, and color can also be a determining factor. Have you seen the changeable covers? Who knew cell phones would become such a fashion statement?
A critical factor to consider is ring tones. Some cell phones come with standard rings that could drive anyone crazy. Others have downloadable tones, letting you show off your taste and personality. If you’ve ever been on a crowded train where six cell phones started ringing at once, you know how important it is to have the pleasant ring tone. No one wants to draw negative attention.
Cell phones have all sorts of new features, and they keep improving. Some cell phones allow you to take pictures. Other cell phones give you internet access on the road. And like most technology, there are new improvements made on a weekly basis. Remember that you’ll be paying for these features; make sure you’ll use them before you spend the money.
Manufacturers of cell phones have done extensive research to find out what is important to you, the buyer. The carrier, though, is also important to consider. What good are cell phones, after all, if you can’t get service? Find out who in your area has the widest service and the best rate plan.
Most of us have become spoiled by our cell phones. It’s hard to remember the days when no one could reach you until you got home from class or from work. Cell phones have opened up our lines of communication considerably. (Sometimes it’s questionable whether that’s a good thingтАж.) The fact is, it looks like cell phones are here to stay. Is it possible anymore to escape? Of course! The best thing about cell phones is that you can use them when you need them, but sometimes the best cell phones are the ones that are turned off.

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Keep Your Investment Safe With Vehicle Tracking

A vehicle is one of the larger investments that you will ever make. With all of the work that you do to get the vehicle, you may want to consider getting a vehicle tracking device. You want to be able to get the vehicle you want with out having to worry about it being stolen.
A vehicle purchase should not be made based on the reported statistics of whether it will get stolen from you. With all of the vehicles being stolen these days it is nice to know that GPS is one of the newest crazes on the market today and will keep your expensive asset secure. GPS is now available in almost everything from cell phones to cars.
The most common use of GPS is to get directions to an address or find your way back when you are lost. Vehicle tracking can also help track your vehicles exact location even if the occupant has no idea. You can use GPS tracking to track some ones location while they are unaware the vehicle is linked to a GPS System. The #1 Vehicle Tracker is the Spy Matrix GPS device. This can be used as a theft deterrent system to help companies or people recover their stolen vehicles.
GPS tracking is also a new tool used to track vehicles when someone is just driving their own car. Vehicle tracking devices are available in different price levels to get the job done. Several kinds of vehicle tracking products are available at spyassociates.com. This website also offers many different products that will meet all of your spy and surveillance needs such as cameras, listening devices. There is a wide variety of products to help get the job done right and prove the case.

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