Cell Phones Q&A

by: Alex Fit

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.

Cell Phone Plans

by: Jeff Lakie

Cellphones are quickly becoming an integral part of our lives. They increase the convenience factor, help us stay organized, and keep us in touch with the people that we love. They can also help us keep informed!

As cellphone technologies increase, cell phone manufacturers are finding new ways to pack great programs into their cellphones. One such program that is being built into cellphones now, and will increase in the future, is the RSS feed capability.

Having this capability will mean that your cellphone can act like an MP3 player, and perhaps you already have a cell phone that has MP3 player capabilities. But in a cellphone with RSS feed capabilities take the MP3 player format one step further.

The word “podcasting” was coined in 2004. It is a technology that no one heard about until recently but is gaining popularity at an exponential rate. A podcast is like a radio program that broadcasters create in an MP3 format and attach it to an RSS feed on their web site. Computers and cellphones with RSS feed capabilities can grab the MP3 file and download it automatically. This means that every time the podcaster makes a new show, your computer or your cell phone can automatically pick it up.

(A quick note on terminology: podcasts and punchcasts are virtually the same thing except that podcasts are typically the "radio show" that goes to your computer, while punch casts are considered the ones that end up on your cell phone, even if they are the same show in the same MP3 file.)

The value of listening to podcasts on your cell phone is tremendous. While most people have not heard of podcasts, there are literally thousands and thousands of podcasts out there, and each one is designed for a specific niche: the baseball enthusiast, a wine lover, a news junkie, an entrepreneur, and the list can go on and on. If you have a hobby or interest, you'll probably find a podcasts on it… or 10 podcasts on it!

Aside from topics, podcasts vary in length and quality: just like television shows, they can have an interview format or a quiz show format or a monologue format, to name a few. They can be well done or poorly done.

Here's how it works: you find the podcast you are interested in and subscribe on your cell phone (it's free) and every time the podcaster creates a new podcast and attaches it to the RSS feed, it gets automatically loaded onto your phone.

So now you can stay on top of all the exciting news in your industry, or in a hobby or an area of interest that you might have and you can do it all on your cellphone!

Mobile SMS Basics

by: Joe Macon

Man is a social animal. This feature instigates him to develop sundry ways to communicate with his fellow beings. From pigeons to postmen, from small messages on bits of paper to lengthy love letters and telegrams…we have now have a smart and trouble-free method to interact with our friends living even in farthest corner of the world. This technique is of mobile SMS or the Short Messaging Service.

The Basics of SMS

In the age when science is dominating the world, SMS via our mobile phones is a boon of technology. We simply type a text message in the ‘write message’ section of our mobile. This message can be formal or informal. But every phone has a fixed limit of number of characters that can be written. For instance, some have it at 160, while others allow you to type 190 characters on a single page. Once through with writing, we send the message to its desired destination by entering the number of that individual’s cell phone. As soon as the message is delivered, it is signaled by a delivery report. The instant conveyance of message depends on the network of the company whose mobile connection we have.

The Merits of SMS

1. Cost effectiveness- the foremost wonderful aspect of text messaging is its inexpensiveness. While an international call made to say hello, exchange greetings or for any such reason will cost you several dollars, an SMS will do the same job in a significantly smaller amount.

2. Comfort- text message is perhaps the most convenient way to communicate. It enables you to chat with your friends and relatives anywhere anytime. The abbreviated coded text message language is pleasing and time saving.

3. Express your opinion- didn’t you vote via an SMS to your favorite singer in American Idol? SMS is an excellent way to state your choice in matters of public concern. SMS also gives us a chance to win numerous contests happening on TV.

4. Spontaneity- another remarkable feature of text messaging is the speed with which it connects us to people. SMS surpasses the oceans and seas and reaches its target in a few seconds. Text messages can be written and sent while you going to the office, sitting idle in a bus, waiting for a cab, having your meal or even watching television.

The Drawbacks of SMS

1. Text messaging can be addictive especially in case of children. Excess of messaging not only contributes to your cell phone’s monthly bill but it also results in lack of concentration in studies. Porn pictures and clips sent as SMS steer the budding minds in wrong direction.

2. Though SMS has an edge over making phone calls yet it might not serve us with the authentic situation of the person concerned. X might write of his being fine while he is unwell. Whereas speaking to someone over the phone, by and large makes you aware of his actual condition.

3. SMSes are liable to failure due to network problems and the like.

About The Author

Joe Macon writes about a variety of technology topics, but focuses on mobile SMS.

Notebook or Desktop...?

by: Reid Neubert

On TV and in the movies, we see a lot of portable computers being used in homes and offices. Does that mean that's the trend? Is that what you should get?

Portable computers cost more, so unless you really have the need for one, you get a lot more computer for your money with a regular desktop PC. The main thing is portability. If you need a portable computer, get a laptop. ("Laptop," "portable," and "notebook" all refer to the same thing, by the way). Otherwise, a desktop computer is a better buy, and better ergonomically.

The Price Difference

You might wonder why laptops cost more than desktop computers with comparable features and power. That is largely because it is more expensive to manufacture laptops and their parts. For portable computer components, factors such as compactness, the amount of heat they generate, their weight, and power consumption are more important than they are for desktops. Those factors add to their manufacturing costs.

Space Requirements

While laptops are certainly compact, a desktop computer with a flat panel monitor can take up almost as little space. While called a "desktop" computer, the computer itself is most often kept on the floor. That leaves just the monitor, keyboard and mouse on the desk, which is really very similar in footprint to a notebook computer.

A great way to further reduce the space taken up on the desktop computer is get a keyboard drawer to hold the keyboard and mouse. That way, they slide out of the way under the top of the desk when they aren't needed.

Be Mindful of Ergonomics

Ergonomics is the science of designing and arranging things so that people can interact with them more comfortably and safely. The basic ergonomic principals for computer use tell us that, 1) the keyboard should be as close to your lap level as possible (assuming you touch-type), 2) the monitor should be about arm's length in front of you, and 3) the top of the monitor should be at about your eye level. Try achieving that with a laptop computer! Two words: im-possible.

It is obvious then, that a desktop computer is much better ergonomically than a laptop is. For prolonged use, especially, you're much better off with a desktop computer.

And Don't Forget Usability

Another aspect of ergonomics is usability. Because of size constraints, laptops also are lower on the usability scale than desktop PCs are. For one thing, laptop keyboards lack the separate groupings of the different sets of keys with space between them. For another, there are fewer keys on a laptop's keyboard, so some of them have to perform double duty. On a standard keyboard, you don't have to deal with that.

Screen Resolution

Computer monitors -- the bulky ones, anyway -- can be set at different resolutions. In other words, you can change the fineness of the image on the screen. The range is typically 640x480 -- that is 640 pixel across and 480 pixels up and down -- to 800x600, 1024x768, or even higher. At 640x480, the icons and such appear quite large; at 1024x768, they are substantially smaller. The most common resolutions today for desktop computers are 800x600 and 1024x768.

Something They Don't Tell You

Laptop displays, on the other hand, have a fixed, or native, resolution. You can change the setting, but then the images and text don't look good. While people tend to think that bigger numbers are better, a higher screen resolution may not work as well for you. It may make everything too small to see comfortably.

Remember, the laptop's screen is smaller that a desktop's. While a typical desktop computer screen is 17" or so a laptop's is usually in the range of 12" to 15." That is a big difference. Make sure you can see everything clearly before choosing a high-resolution laptop.

About the author:
Reid Neubert is the creator of ConsumerTechTips.com, the site that provides simple, useful information about consumer electronics for shoppers, plus money-saving links to online bargains from leading retailers.