RAZR Reincarnation

When the original Motorola RAZR smartphone appeared on the market, it caused quite a stir. You might say it was the iPhone of its time. When cell phones were chunky little flip blobs or hefty candy bars, the RAZR boasted the thinest profile at the time. It was an amazing half-inch thick. How could they possibly get all that technology in that also revolutionary aircraft aluminum case?

Now there’s a new RAZR phone with far more advanced technology and it’s even thinner, measuring a scant 0.3 inches or 7.1 mm. Instead of machined aluminum, the case is now laser-cut KEVLAR with Corning Gorilla Glass to protect the screen. There’s even a splash guard coating to shield the electronics from water attacks, just in case you are partial to Pina Coladas and getting caught in the rain. Meet the DROID RAZR by Motorola for Verizon Wireless.

What else is new in the RAZR technology upgrade? First of all, network connectivity. This is a 4G LTE Smartphone. That means blazing speed, more like a home or office Internet connection than what you’d expect from the cellular networks. If you wander out of 4G coverage, the RAZR will revert to 3G. You can choose to connect to a WiFi hotspot or be the hotspot. Share your 4G LTE Internet connection with up to 8 other WiFi enabled devices. On 3G, it supports 5 WiFi devices.

There’s a speedy 1.2 GHz dual core processor inside, with 1 GB of RAM. Storage memory is 16 GB on board with support for up to 32 GB on plug-in cards. It runs Google’s Android OS 2.3 Gingerbread operating system with the Motorola Application Platform. Your hardwired interface connections include a micro USB port and a micro HDMI-1080p port that can be run in mirror mode to your HDTV or monitor.

The DROID RAZR screen is a 4.3 inch Super AMOLED advanced display that serves up hyper-vibrant colors and smooth action for movies and TV shows. You can stream from Netflix or download those movies from the Android Market. Another cool feature is MotoCast, a free app that lets you securely access files that are stored on your desktop computer. No need to upload to a third-party cloud. You can stream from where your media already exists.

That high resolution display is matched to an 8 Megapixel rear facing camera that can record 1080p HD video. Don’t worry about being a little shaky as you capture images. The DROID RAZR has image stabilization included to smooth out the scenes. The audio that accompanies the video has selectable modes that include stereo, wind reduction, concert and more. There’s a dual mic system onboard so that you can take calls even in noisy environments and still be heard clearly. A second camera faces front for video conferencing. This one has 1.3 Megapixels, which used to be a good spec for the main camera. Time marches on. You can capture 720p HD video with the front facing imager.

Here’s your chance to get this advanced personal and business phone at a special online price. Don’t plunk down too much green at a carrier store or big-box retailer until you check out the Special Deal on DROID RAZR by Motorola for Verizon Wireless. Clearly, it’s time to upgrade to a much sharper razor phone.

Note: Photo of DROID RAZR side view is shown for effect and is not to actual size.

Generation Dial Phone Begets Generation Mobile

How Cellphones Shape the Lives of College Students. (Mashable, 10/31/2011)



OK, I'm not THAT old, but you could say that I am from Generation Dial Phone.  Until high school, I grew up in a one-phone household.  When I was in college, I always thought twice about making a long-distance phone call and made sure to contact family or friends during the evenings, when rates were significantly lower.  Throughout my college years, I called my parents no more than once or twice a month.  I'd usually wait for them to call me.

My older son Andy, an enthusiastic member of Generation Mobile, calls me two or three times a week, usually as he walks back to his apartment after his last class of the day.  This semester he usually has very good news to share.

"I got a 33 out of 34 on my International Business exam," he proudly reported the other day.

From here our conversation drifted to sports -- yeah, you guessed it, the Badgers' cover-your-eyes collapse, although we quickly moved on to a preview of the basketball season.

A few minutes after we ended our conversation, I received the following text message.

Jordan Taylor is a preseason first team all-america selection

A piece o' the infographic.

Fixed Mobile Convergence Includes Android and iPhone

When we think of network convergence, it is generally in terms of engineering the LAN, MAN and WAN to support voice, video and data. Network convergence is at the heart of the productivity and cost savings offered by enterprise VoIP solutions. Even so, there is still one piece missing. That’s the mobile phone. This is where FMC or Fixed Mobile Convergence comes into play.

The idea behind FMC is that cell phones, especially smartphones, are now so ubiquitous that they have to be included in the corporate communications structure or there will be a big hole in the system. It’s especially true for sales people, field engineers, and anyone else who spends a significant amount of time out of the office and away from the desk phone. It’s also true, perhaps unfortunately, that we’re in a 24/7 world where important calls may come in at any time.

Some employees handle this situation with workarounds, such as setting up the office phone to forward to their cell phone when they leave the office. That’s fine when they remember. If not, voice mail becomes the communications method of last resort. Wouldn’t it make more sense to have the office phone system extended to include your mobile phone?

Smoothstone IP Communications thinks so and is now making their Mobile Connect app available to both Android and iPhone using customers. What Mobile Connect does integrate your smartphone into the enterprise communications platform. You then have one number, your work number, that rings on both your desk phone and your cell phone. When you place an outgoing call, the Caller ID reflects your work number, not your personal mobile number. Other calling features include access to the company directory, low cost international calling, 4-digit on-net dialing, visual voice mail and one-touch access to listen to and manipulate voice mail messages.

There are also advanced features from Smoothstone’s VoiceMAXX system that carry over to Mobile Connect. These include call recording and centralized call detail reporting.

VoiceMAXX is Smoothstone’s cloud based PBX telephone system. It relieves businesses of the need to invest in and maintain an on-premises PBX system, yet has the flexibility to integrate with and extend an existing PBX.

Cloud hosted PBX is a pay-as-you go proposition that easily scales to include more users as needed. With a cloud solution, you don’t have to over-provision your system to allow for growth. You simply buy more capacity as you need it. You also don’t have the agony of a “fork lift upgrade” that involves ripping out your old PBX and replacing it with a new one of higher capacity, more modern design or more features. All of those capital investment, installation, upgrades and daily maintenance tasks are taken care of by the cloud service provider. You just concentrate on those things that advance the business you are in.

Is your existing business telephone system creaking at the seams, or are you ready for the higher productivity that comes from advanced features such as fixed mobile convergence? If so, learn more and get pricing for cloud hosted PBX telephone services scaled to match the needs of your business, be it small, medium or enterprise level.

866 Toll Free Numbers

We’re all familiar with 800 numbers. They were the first numbers we recognized as toll free. But did you know that there are other toll free numbers, too? What about 866? Is that really a toll free prefix?

Indeed it is. But is there a difference between 800 and 866 as far as toll free operation is considered? No, they work exactly the same. Just as 202 and 302 are toll number prefixes assigned to different locations, 800 and 866 are toll free numbers used nationwide.

That’s one difference between toll prefixes and toll free prefixes. Toll prefixes are used to designed numbers in a particular area. That’s why they are called area codes. Area code 202 is assigned to Washington, DC. Area code 302 is assigned to the entire state of Delaware.

The toll free number prefixes 800 and 866 do not have a geographical assignment. You can call an 800 or 866 number from anywhere in the country and you’ll reach your destination. You just may not know where, geographically, the number is being answered.

It should be noted that the idea of associating area codes with the physical location of the assigned telephone is going away with landlines being replaced by cell phones and VoIP or broadband phone. Neither wireless or broadband users are tethered to a particular location by a copper wire. In fact, some VoIP providers let you pick your desired area code regardless of where you happen to reside. That’s especially valuable when most of your calls come from a particular regional area. Calls from an area code to the same area code don’t pay interstate long distance charges. If your phone has a New York City area code, it will work like any other NYC local phone, even if you pick up the calls in San Francisco.

Toll free numbers take this concept to the next level. When someone dials a toll free number, they don’t pay for the toll charges regardless of where they are calling from or where the call is picked up. Please note that most toll free numbers are US only. You have make special arrangements to get an International toll free number.

Now let’s look at what happens on the receiving end of the call. If you are the owner of the toll free number, you’ll pay the cost of any calls you receive. Fortunately, with an inexpensive toll free service that cost will be minimal. What you get in return is a caller who is much more likely to dial your number than if they knew they had to pay long distance charges. This is a powerful incentive for call-in orders and customer service. In fact, customers have come to expect a toll free number and may balk at dealing with companies that don’t offer one.

Are toll free numbers really affordable by smaller businesses? Absolutely. You can get an 866 number assigned to you for just $2 and pay just $2 a month to maintain service. That service includes your exclusive use of the number, forwarding to any working phone including a cell phone, voice mail, plus FAX reception that forwards to your email. The cost of the calls is just 6.9 cents per minute for the continuous 48 US states. Calls from Alaska and Hawaii cost a bit extra.

For the same price as an 866 toll free number, you can also get one with the prefix 877 or 888. They work just the same as 866. You can also get an 800 number for the slightly higher fee of $5 plus $5 per month service fee and the same 6.9 cents per minute rate.

Is your business losing business because you don’t have a toll free number yet? Perhaps you should give toll free service a try. There are no contracts involved. You pay via credit card from month to month. Learn more about low cost toll free numbers and get yours ready to use right now.

Note: Photo of telephone keypad courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.

No Luck Returning Christmas Gifts? Recycle!

The holiday whirlwind is subsiding. Most of the wrapping paper has been rounded up and set out at the curb in a bulging plastic bag. What’s left is a pile of stuff under the tree that needs to go somewhere. Not the decorations, mind you. They have a box in the basement. It’s all those new gifts that loving friends and family showered upon you this year. You didn’t have the heart to tell them that you already have a smartphone or game console or MP3 player or navigation device or even a laptop computer that’s better than the new one in the box. Now what?

The week after Christmas is traditional for schlepping gifts back to the store from which they came. Another item or, better yet, a cash refund is your reward for standing in long lines to present your paperwork for inspection.

Oh, no. You have no paperwork. These gifts did not come with a refund register slip. The giver never thought of that or was so sure they were giving you the gift of a lifetime that you wouldn’t consider exchanging it for something else. Are you going to tell Aunt Millie, your mom or your bosses boss that you really don’t want that electronic whatever?

Save yourself the embarrassment and the standing in lines. There’s a much easier and more discrete way to unload a Christmas burden... er... gift. Just go ahead and recycle it.

What? Stick that new e-reader in the curbside recycling bin? That’s nuts!

Of course it is. I’m not talking about trashing a valuable piece of new electronic or photographic gear. What I’m suggesting is that you quickly and easily sell your new, but unwanted, stuff for cash to an online recycler. They’ll take care of finding it a new home where it will be wanted and you’ll be all the richer. Best of all, nobody’s going to rat you out to the boss or relatives.

How much can you get? The best way to see is to find your item on the Gazelle website. They maintain an up-to-date database of all the stuff they buy, with an instant online offer. You simply find the item you have to sell, check a few boxes indicating condition and available accessories, and then click a button to get an offer. If you like what you see, you accept the offer and you’ll get a free postage paid shipping box sent to you. Then carefully pack your item in the box, wish it the best for a new life, and drop it off for shipment. Once your item has been received and evaluated, you’ll get a check. It’s that easy.

What sort of gadgets does Gazelle buy? All sorts of cell phones, digital cameras, desktop computers, external drives, tablets, video games, PDAs, calculators, streaming media, e-readers, movies, gaming consoles, LCD monitors, home audio, laptop computers, GPS devices, camera lenses, projectors, MP3 players, camcorders, satellite radios and Blu-Ray players.

You’ll get the most money for new items, but you can also sell used devices of recent vintage in good condition. Cell Phones that have just come out of service are excellent candidates for resale. Sometimes you can get paid a good chunk of change for a cell phone that you got free from your provider. It’s well worth your while to check offers for every piece of qualified gear that you have around the house or office.

Now that you know how to convert gifts to cash the easy and discrete way, go ahead and get all that unwanted but valuable stuff out of your way before you have to find a place to store it. Once you have cashed-in unwanted gifts, you can look the givers in the eye and honestly say that you wound up with exactly what you wanted.

Add International Capability To Your Cell Phone

The move from landlines to wireless phones is picking up steam. That offers an opportunity for mobile professionals to always be able to connect with prospects, customers and suppliers. One limitation, though, is that cell phone plans tend to exclude international calls or impose rates that make international long distance service impractical. Is there a solution?

There is a terrific solution in the form of a third party add-on service that integrates seamlessly with whatever cellular service you have now. Technically, it’s called international dial-around. You are not changing providers. Instead, you use the dial-around service to literally “dial around” your current cellular service when you need to make overseas calls from the US and Canada.

TEL3Advantage is a leader in the international dial-around space. Take one look at the per minute rates to the destination of your choice and you’ll see why. Let’s just choose to call China, for instance. The Flex Plan rate is 1.32 cents per minute. You read that correctly. It’s cheaper to call your contacts in China using Tel3Advantage than it is to call another city with most landline long distance services. Actually, this service will work just as well from a landline as a cell phone, so it makes sense to get Tel3Advantage and use it from all your phones.

By the way, you can call China for 30 days at just a penny a minute using the special Promo Plan when you sign up for Tel3Advantage service. Compare quality and service with your current long distance service or the calling cards you get at the convenience store. You’ll be so impressed by the calling rates, connection quality and customer service that you’ll gladly continue after the 30 day introductory period is over.

Give it a fair test. The stated rates are impressive enough. But note that there are no hidden fees involved like you run into with prepaid calling cards. Did you know that you almost never get the stated rate from a calling card? There are connection fees, inactivity fees and so on that reduce the number of actual minutes you get for your dollar. The true rate is often several times what’s printed on the face of the card when you actually start making calls. With Tel3Advantage you’ll pay the stated per-minute rates. You only get charged extra for calls from a payphone, if you can even find one anymore, or if you call from Alaska, Hawaii or US territories beyond the 48 continuous states.

Also note that your cellular provider will probably charge you minutes for the time spent calling through Tel3Advantage unless you are making calls during the free nights or weekends provision of your plan. That’s probably not important for most users, since you are paying for a bundle of minutes per month anyway. It can be a consideration for pre-paid cellular plans. Even so, just where are you going to get cheaper international rates even including the per minute charges of a pre-paid cell plan?

So, how does this service actually work? It’s pretty easy. You dial a local or toll free access number to reach the Tel3Advantage platform. Then you dial the international number you want to reach. There are no long PIN numbers to remember. You register your phone numbers with Tel3 and the system recognizes your phone when you call. You can avoid even dialing the access number yourself by downloading a TEL3App for your iPhone or smartphone. Then it’s no harder to make an international call than to place a call to a business across town.

Do you have a need to make low cost international calls from a landline phone, a cell phone or both? If so, learn more, compare rates and check out additional free minute offers for TEL3Advantage International Calling Service.

Note: Globe image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Recycle Your Cell Phone To Save A Gorilla

There are many good reasons to recycle old cellphones, but one of the best is to save the Eastern Lowland Mountain Gorilla in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

How is it that what you do with a cell phone affects gorillas in Africa? It has to do with our fragile and tightly coupled ecosystem. Here’s what happens. Cellphones are constructed from various electronic components. One of these is a tantalum capacitor. Tantalum is a rare and valuable metal that enables once physically large capacitors to be made small enough to squeeze into those slim cell phone cases. You get tantalum from columbite tantalite, a metallic ore called Coltan for short. Eighty percent of the world’s Coltan reserves are found in Africa, with the majority of the deposits located within the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ah, you are starting to see the connection. Here’s how the gorillas get involved. It’s illegal to mine for Coltan in the Congo, but with the material going for as much as $400 a kilogram, such mining continues on a large scale. Forests are cleared to make way for the mining and paved roads are installed. The gorillas become exposed and easy targets for bush meat hunters who sell the meat to feed miners and rebel armies in control of the area. More than half of the mountain gorilla population has been lost in just the last five years. It’s also thought that an entire population of elephants has also been wiped out in this activity.

So what we have is a situation where demand for a rare mineral has mushroomed to support the hundreds of millions of cell phones manufactured for use worldwide. High prices for Coltan have promoted the destruction of wild habitat and the killing of endangered gorillas and elephants who once enjoyed a protected environment. Is this just the price we have to pay for technology or can something be done?

Something is being done. The Jane Goodall Institute and Melbourne Zoo in Australia have joined forces to create a mobile phone recycling program called “They’re Calling on You.”You can visit the zoo to collect a postage paid recycling satchel or download and print a postage paid label to send your phone in. They’ve even got a program for corporations to donate fleets of old mobile phones. If your school would like to help, you can integrate the program into your curriculum.

They’re indeed calling on you and, if you live in Australia, you have the unique honor of being able to answer this call. But what about the rest of the world? Is there anything we can do?

Absolutely, there is. In the United States, Gazelle offers a cell phone and electronic gadgets recycling program that also includes a free mailer. This one goes beyond mobile phones to include electronic games, computers and even photography gear. They will even pay you for recent vintage equipment in good working order.

Elsewhere around the world, look for local or large scale recycling programs. But whatever you do, don’t toss that cell phone in the trash. That only compounds the problem. In addition to the damage done by creating the product in the first place, electronic components degrade in the environment and leach out toxic chemicals that can pollute the soil and water table.

The recycling programs offer a double benefit. They not only prevent damage from decaying products, they also reduce the need for mining and manufacturing by refurbishing the old phones for use in disadvantaged communities. Devices too old or not functional can be ground up by reclaimers to recycle the minerals to make new phones.

Listen! They’re really calling you... and it’s a very important call!

Note: Photo of gorilla courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Cash In Old Gadgets To Buy New Gadgets

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are almost upon us. Just look at all the new smartphones and other electronic gadgets that are going on sale, if they aren’t already. Exciting, isn’t it? Yet we know that times are uncertain and that we should really think about how we are going to pay for those shiny new things. Here’s an idea: Get your old stuff to pay for your new stuff!

Sounds a bit fanciful, but it can work. How? It’s because we all collect... make that hoard... electronics and photography gear of all types. Never mind that we aren’t using this gear anymore. We just have it around. It’s too good to throw away and too much hassle to sell, so there it sits. What we don’t consider is that there is a veritable savings account worth of value in all that unused equipment. There’s your cash source to buy the new, new gadgets this holiday season. Now, if there was only a way to tap it.

You’re in luck! There is a fast and easy way to convert your unwanted gadgets to cash. It’s an online service provided by Gazelle, a leader in recycling high technology gear. What they do is make you an offer based on the current market value of your items. If you elect to sell, you get a free postage paid mailer that you pack up and drop off at the shipper. At the other end, Gazelle will evaluate each item for operation and condition. Once checked out, they send you a check. Now when you get that bill for the new flat screen HDTV or video game, you’ve got the funds to cover it. It’s recycling at its best.

This process actually works all year long, but it’s particularly valuable right now. That’s because we tend to buy big time for ourselves and others through December 24, with the heartburn of credit card bills coming due in January or February. There’s no time to waste.

Start scouring the house and even those desk drawers at work. Look in the bottom drawers, especially. That’s where unused gadgets go to hibernate indefinitely. Get a big bag or box and start filling it with cell phones, video games, laptop computers, movies, MP3 players, digital cameras, PDAs, gaming consoles, GPS devices, camcorders, desktop computers, LCD monitors, calculators, camera lenses, satellite radios, external drives, streaming media, home audio equipment, projectors and Blu-Ray players. I’ll bet you’ve got anywhere between a modest box to half-a-room full.

The next step is to get price offers for each item. Consider it a game that pays. Perhaps you can engage family members or co-workers to help evaluate a massive tech collection, especially if they think they might benefit from the proceeds. Find your item through a search on the Gazelle site. Find the exact model you have and then check the radio buttons for functionality, condition and available accessories. Click the “Calculate” button and you’ll see how much they’ll pay you. I just tried a Nikon camera lens and saw I could sell it for $90. If you think that price is fair and want to cash-in, click the orange “Add to Box” button to lock in the offer. Then move on to the next item.

Procrastination is not to your advantage. Technology, like milk and most everything else, loses value over time. Chances are that you’ll get a better offer today than you will in a week or a month from now as your unused gear just gets more and more obsolete. Word to the wise!

Once you have evaluated your collection and see the now substantial total offer, all you need is that pre-paid shipping box. You get that by clicking on the “Checkout” button. When your container arrives, pack each item carefully using recycled newspaper or other soft packing material and sent it in. Congratulations, the hard work is done! Now it’s just a matter of waiting for the moola.

Can it get any easier? Not unless someone came over, ransacked your place while you watched TV, and peeled off a roll of bills on their way out. This is the next best thing. It takes minimal effort compared to running ads, dealing with people at the door or dragging everything through the auction process. When you’re done, you have cash in hand, the satisfaction of recycling things you don’t need anymore, plus all that extra shelf and drawer space you’ll need for your new acquisitions.

Are you motivated to start the process? Gather your gear and get recycling offers for your gadgets now. Those big sales are about to start!

Are You A Sentio Being?

You are a perceptive individual, the kind who senses when technology is on the move. You always want to be in the game. You know when the price point is right to get the greatest value from your purchase. That time is now. Enter the LG Sentio, a high-value free smartphone.

How can high value and free go together? It’s partly a matter of jumping into a technical advance at the right time and partly knowing where to shop. Shop online and you’ll be surprised at how much technology you can get for your dollar.

Let’s take a look at the slim and stylish LG Sentio for T-Mobile. This is a 3G touchscreen phone with a 3 Megapixel digital camera that can capture and send video as well as stills. It has integrated GPS support for location-based services like TeleNav and Google Maps. Social networking is also built-in so you can track Facebook, MySpace and Twitter while you are on the move.

What’s different about this smartphone, compared to touchscreen models in the same class, is that the Sentio comes preloaded with fun widgets. You’ll get Need For Speed, Guitar Hero 5, Bubble Bash 2, Millionaire, and Pac-Man ready to use. When you get tired of those, download other games, ringtones and graphics from the mobile Web.

Something else that comes with your Sentio is an international charger. Why would they include on of those? Well, you might just be traveling internationally and need to top off your battery from time to time. Many phone are useless overseas because they don’t work on the international cellular networks. This one is set up for T-Mobile and is compatible with the GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 and UMTS 1700 and 2100 bands. It has HSDPA and EDGE data download speeds, depending on just what is available where you happen to be.

As one who must stay connected, you’ll be happy to know that the included email client supports POP, IMAP, SMTP and Web-based email services like AOL, Yahoo, Windows Live and Gmail. You can instant message with AIM, MSN Live and Yahoo services. Of course, standard SMS messaging is also available. So is multimedia messaging for sending pictures and video messages.

Need to kick back with some tunes? The built-in MP3 player will oblige. It handles MP2, AAC, AAC+ eAAC+, WMA and MPEG4 formats. You also have the option to stream stereo music to and from compatible A2DP Bluetooth devices.

Do you sense a high value opportunity here? If so, learn more and order your LG Sentio for T-Mobile Wireless now. If you wish to keep on shopping, you can browse by carrier or check out today’s specials for free and low cost cell phones at Cell Phone Plans Finder.

Samsung Intercept Brings Free Android Smartphone to Sprint

There’s a new design that’s becoming a standard in the smartphone market. It’s the combination of a 3 inch touch screen display with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard and the Android operating system. Sprint gets this package in the Samsung Intercept. Would you like to intercept one online? What if you knew it was available free? Would that make a difference?

It’s truly amazing that you can get a phone with these capabilities free of charge when you order it online with new Sprint PCS service. Even the shipping is free. You don’t pay a premium for the service, either. The plans are priced the same as they are in stores.

Here are some of the highlights that emphasize what a deal the Samsung Intercept M910 really is. It starts with the large 3 inch touch screen display. This gives you the ability to select from a wealth of Android apps and run your application on a space large enough to make it usable and enjoyable. You’ll enjoy streaming multimedia on the go. Watch live TV and video on demand with full motion video and vivid sound.

What kind of connectivity can you expect to make that streaming video a pleasant experience? You’ll connect at 3G data speeds where available on the Sprint PCS network. You also have the option of connecting to wireless hotspot networks with the WiFi connectivity in this phone. No all smartphones give you WiFi connectivity, so be sure to look for it if you want to use this capability.

Messaging is obviously a high point of this design. The slide-out QWERTY keyboard lets you enter your messages efficiently by pressing actual physical keys and getting that tactile feedback you don’t enjoy when tapping your fingers on glass. In addition to standard text messaging, you can send and receive picture and video messages with multimedia messaging. The built-in camera offers 3.2 Megapixels to give you photos good enough to print as well as share via messaging. You can also capture video with this camera.

Other features of note for the Samsung Intercept include integrated GPS support for location-based services like Google Maps. Bluetooth for hands free conversation is included, as well as stereo Bluetooth so you can stream to your music to A2DP compatible devices, like wireless stereo headphones. Visual voicemail is a new feature. You can listen to your voicemail messages in any order and easily manage your inbox without calling-in.

The Intercept is a great work phone as well as a personal cellphone. It supports viewing of Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents that come in as email attachments. The included Web browser offers full HTML capability. Email capability includes Microsoft Direct Push as well as mobile email like Gmail and Yahoo!

Does this make your current cell phone seem like something from a generation ago? You needn’t suffer with inadequate functionality when you can get a high performance Android smartphone like this for free. Note: This phone is also available in a satin pink finish. Learn more and get your Samsung Intercept for Sprint or other high performance smartphone. There are many models available and most are free or offered at a tremendous discount through Cell Phone Plans Finder.

Your Ally In The Android vs iPhone Battle

LG’s first Android phone is a winner right out of the gate. The LG Ally for Verizon Wireless offers an impressive array of features and the ability to customize your phone with tens of thousands of apps from the Android Market.

Is texting or email an important part of your mobile activities? If so, you’ll love the ability to use real keys instead of poking at a glass screen. The LG Ally offers both a 3.2 inch touch screen and a slide out full QWERTY keyboard with nicely sized physical keys. You’ve got 5 home screens to customize, so just go nuts with those Android apps.

This is also a social networking phone. The included LG Socialite widget lets you manage your Facebook and Twitter accounts simultaneously. Why have to choose when you can have both? What fun is voicemail unless you can view and manage it on your cell phone. This one has that capability.

As you can see, the LG Ally has some unique capabilities. But it also has all the standard Internet and multimedia capabilities that you expect in an advanced smartphone. Text message and multimedia messaging are built-in. So is an email client that supports push Gmail and Exchange. The Android Webkit HTML5-based Web browser puts the Web at your fingertips. Verizon’s 3G EVDO Rev A network and WiFi access connect you to the bandwidth you need to access the Web with ease.

You’re all set up to capture what you see with the 3.2 Megapixel digital camera. This one has modes similar to many higher priced digital cameras. You get night mode, macro mode, panorama, smile detection and beauty shot. Flash and auto-focus are part of this camera, as well as the ability to use it as a camcorder to capture videos that you can share with friends or your social network right from the phone.

Other useful features include integrated GPS that provides spoken turn-by-turn directions and real time traffic updates, MP3 player that lets you download MP3s from the Amazon Music Store, streaming multimedia support, Stereo Bluetooth so that you can stream your music in high quality to headphones and other compatible devices, and a lot more.

Does the this sound like the type of smartphone you’ve been looking for if you could afford it? Well, you can. Right now the LG Ally is free when you order it with new Verizon Wireless service. That deal may not last for long, so go for it this is the phone for you.

If you prefer, you can check out all the Android phones and other cell phone special offers now available through Cell Phone Plans Finder.

Trunk Calls Soothe Lonely Elephants

The introduction of the smartphone, especially the Apple iPhone, began the mad dash to create applications or apps for everything. Lost? Can’t speak the language? Want to find a good ethnic restaurant? There are apps for all those things. But what if your elephant is sad and lonely? Is there an app for that?

Actually, you don’t need any high tech special applications. A regular cell phone with speakerphone capability will do just fine. That’s what they used to calm and reassure two Bengal elephants that had been given to the Okinawa Zoo in Japan. Once the elephants had been relocated and their trainers, or mahouts, returned to India, the homesick elephants became depressed and hard to control. What to do?

The Japanese handlers made quick calls to the mahouts familiar to Devi and Rahul, the lonely elephants. Sure enough, as soon as they started receiving commands from familiar voices, the elephants perked right up. One of the mahouts even sings folk songs to them, according to the story reported in The Times of India. There’s no mention of the elephants joining in the singing, although they certainly could if they wanted to.

The clever Japanese officials of the Okinawa Zoo also found a way to limit the cost of all those long distance calls to India. No, they didn’t Skype the elephant exhibit. What they did do is record the mahout’s voice over the phone so they can play it back whenever Devi or Rahul need a little boost in spirit.

It seems that elephants are more like us than we thought. They form natural societies in the wild, with the older matriarchs looking after the youngsters and teaching them the lay of the land. Knowing where the water holes are during the dry season is truly a matter of life and death. Elephants rescue other elephants in trouble and grieve the way we do when one of the herd dies.

Do elephants have emotions? You bet they do. They trumpet with delight when they recognize another elephant they haven’t seen in years. They get depressed when left alone. Indian elephants bond with the human mahouts who raise them and, as they story shows, can recognize and respond to their voices even through the decidedly low fidelity connection of a mobile phone.

So how does this apply if you don’t happen to have an elephant in your care? There are others who will also respond with delight to the sound of a loved one they haven’t heard from in awhile. How about your mom? It is Mother’s Day this Sunday... and you do have a phone!

Earth Day Means Money For Electronics Recycling

It’s Earth Day, the day to hug those trees and generally show appreciation for Mother Nature. We better show a little respect for Momma Earth, before she decides that we’re the ones who ought to be recycled. Even so, can’t we find some way to make a buck off all this environmental goodness?

You bet we can. I’ll bet even Ed Begley, Jr. wouldn’t be too horrified at the idea of pocketing a few dollars from doing a good thing for the ecology. I’m certainly not above it. How about yourself? Would you like to do a little painless recycling and put a few bucks in your pocket for the effort?

I thought so. Well, here’s the deal. We’re a world swimming in a sea of unwanted electronics. Grandpa would be horrified at the thought of setting his Atwater Kent out at the curb for trash pickup. But thanks to automation and mass marketing, electronics is now a throw away commodity -- literally.

Think about it. Where is the cell phone you had before the one you have now? How about the one before that. We’re probably talking less than six years for three generations of cell phone design, and this has been going on for a couple of decades. So, is it in a desk drawer? Or was it dumped unceremoniously in the trash during last spring’s cleaning frenzy?

This is typical of not only cell phones, but digital cameras, MP3 players, gaming consoles, home audio equipment and computers of all types. Would you be shocked to learn that the “junk” electronics you set out at the curb last Sunday night could have taken you to a nice dinner and a movie, or financed the next electronic gadget on your wish list?

It’s true, and if you’re suspicious that this just can’t be so, find out how much cash you can get for your electronics now.

Oh, you think that running ads and trying to sell that stuff is more trouble than it’s worth. That’s probably true. But you don’t have to run any ads or wait for people to come to the door and then try and talk you into a lower price. There’s no need to go through that grief when you can just check electronics recycling prices online in a minute or so. If you like the price this recycler is offering, then click to order a free shipping box. Drop your stuff in the mail and back comes a check. Does it get any sweeter than this?

So, where’s the Earth Day tie-in to this blatantly capitalistic activity? It comes from keeping electronics out of the landfills here and abroad. This equipment may look benign, but left out in the environment it starts to decompose and leach out all sorts of toxic materials. The legacy of trashing your iStuff is iPoisoning for some future generation. You don’t want to be responsible for that, do you? Of course not. So even if your old unwanted electronics proves worthless, send it in for proper recycling anyway. Your Mother Earth will appreciate it.

HTC HD2 Smartphone With Movies

When was the last time someone offered you a cell phone with two full-length movies already installed? That’s just the start of the surprises you’ll find with the HTC HD2 smartphone for T-Mobile. It doesn’t just say “entertainment,” it screams it!

You might suspect this phone is built for multimedia when you take a look at the huge touch screen display. This one boasts a screen size of 4.3 inches and a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels. Does that sound like a cell phone or a small computer? Yes.

The HD2 is a widescreen Windows Mobile 6.5 smartphone with HTC Sense running on a 1 GHz Snapdragon processor. You saw correctly. This gadget runs at a blazing GHz. That means you can run multiple applications at once without experiencing time lags. To keep up, cellular broadband is at the 3G level wherever available. Not fast enough? Step into the closest WiFi hotspot and download even faster.

But what about those movies? Oh, yes. You get “Transformers” and “Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen” pre-installed on a 16 GB memory card. You can use other memory cards up to 32 GB for all the storage you need. That’s storage for movies, of course. But it's also storage for the pictures and videos you take yourself. Plus eBooks, music, and documents (for those occasional times you have to work). The HD2 comes pre-loaded with apps that include Blockbuster, Barnes & Noble eBooks, MobiTV and Guitar Hero. The MobiTV app includes a 30 day free trial, the Barnes &Noble eBooks app includes 3 free books, and the Blockbuster app includes 2 free rentals. There’s also a GoGo app that includes 6 months of free in-flight WiFi. No reason not to use this beauty as you soar through the skies.

The digital camera of this HTC smartphone deserves special mention. It’s got 5 Megapixels of resolution and multiple capture modes, including widescreen. There’s a dual LED flash and zoom. So, you need a standalone digital camera... why?

For you mobile professionals, this is also a work phone. You can access Microsoft apps including Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Enhanced teleconferencing includes easy invites to conference call participants from your email. The SWYPE keyboard option helps you type up to 50 words per minute. That important because it lets you get back to entertainment as fast as possible.

It’s an entertainment phone. It’s a work phone. That pretty much covers the day’s activities. The question is whether this is the phone you must have next. Well, is it? If so, learn more and order your HTC HD2 smartphone for T-Mobile at a deep discount online. You’ll also get free shipping. But hurry, this deal could change at any time without notice and you don't want to miss out.

Of course, if you prefer a different model of phone or a different carrier there is a huge selection of free and low cost mobile devices to choose from. Shop now through Cell Phone Plans Finder and be sure to check the specials for today.

Low Price Toll Free Numbers

Are you looking for a toll free number for your business, but want to pay as little as you can and still get quality service? Your best bet may be Kall8 toll-free service .

This is much more than just a simple telephone number where you pay the cost of the call instead of the person calling. Kall8 offers a complete suite of telephone services that can make your mobile phone as powerful as your office phone. We’ll take a look at those services, but first you have to hear the price...

Kall8 low price toll free numbers start at $2. That gets you an 866, 877 or 888 toll free number all set up and ready to use immediately. Plus you get an online management account plus all the features that work with this number. You can keep your toll free number by paying just $2 a month for as long as you want it. If you decide to stop using the service, you pay only for the cost of the calls that have come in. Nothing more. There are no contracts or disconnect fees.

Yes, you can also get an 800 toll free number. These have all the same features as the 866, 877 and 888 toll free numbers. The cost is slightly more at $5 each plus $5 per month to keep the account.

But how much will you pay for those toll free incoming calls? Most calls are just 6.9 cents per minute. I say most calls, because calls that originate in Alaska, Hawaii or U.S. territories have additional surcharges. Even so, may businesses pay more than 6.9 cents per minute for just their regular outgoing long distance calls.

Now let's take a look at the features included with your toll free number. First of all, you get to set the ring-to number and change it anytime you want. The ring-to number is the number of the phone that will ring when someone calls your toll free number. In a sense, your toll free calls are automatically forwarded to the phone number of your choice. That can be an office phone, home phone or even your cell phone. If you move around a lot, you can go online and change the ring-to number at anytime.

Kall8 low price toll free numbers all have their own voice mail. You have a choice of how you want to retrieve those voice mail messages. You can call-in and listen to them. You can go to your online account from any Web browser and listen to them on your computer. Or you can have those messages sent as audio attachments to email messages.

Your Kall8 number will also accept fax messages. If anyone sends you a fax message, you can get a copy as an email attachment or go online to read it. Your choice.

Ever want to conduct a conference call, but didn’t have time or energy to go looking for a conferencing service? Now you can conduct conferences with up to 25 participants at any time for as long as you want. No scheduling needed. The regular per minute charges apply for each participant that dials your toll free number and enters the password that you give them.

Your Kall8 toll-free number also works in reverse as a virtual calling card. You just dial any of the voice mail access numbers and use the system to make outbound calls at the same 6.9 cents a minute that applies to incoming calls.

Other features include call blocking, custom call forwarding, choice of Caller ID display, and setting a maximum call length so callers don’t prattle on for hours at your expense.

Can you believe that all this is yours for a mere $2 a month plus the cost of calls? It’s time you had your own toll free number. Learn more and order Kall8 low price toll free numbers now.