9 Stories of Outrageous Wireless Bills You Wouldn’t Want to Pay

Posted October 21st, 2008 by Kathryn in Funny Mobile Stuff

Do you think that your wireless bill is too high? By the time you add in your early nights and weekends, your text messaging plan and your data/media plan, does it seem as though your cell phone is costing more than it should? Most people wish that they could lower their cell phone bill at least a little bit. But most people also really don’t have it all that bad when it comes right down to it. You probably get your voice, text and wireless Internet for a fair price.

That is, unless you are one of those people who still don’t exactly understand how they get charged and end up owing some exorbitant amount of money for things like excessive international roaming. Here is a look at nine different situations in which people ended up owing a whole heck of a lot of money for a wireless bill due mostly to their own ridiculous mistakes with cell phone use.

1. Phone as Modem = $85,000

There was a man in Canada who made headlines late last year when he managed to rack up an $85,000 bill by using his cell phone as a modem to connect to the Internet. Now that’s $85,000 … continue reading "9 Stories of Outrageous Wireless Bills You Wouldn’t Want to Pay"

All Signs Say “Go†for Mobile VoIP

Posted October 8th, 2008 by Kathryn in VoIP

Mobile VoIP has been in development for a short time now but only a small percentage of users are taking advantage of the increasing availability of the service. Mobile VoIP has the potential to decrease both domestic and international calling costs by routing calls through the Internet even when calls take place on the mobile phone. With the economy in a precarious position, people everywhere are looking to take advantage of ways to save money. This, along with a variety of other advances and improvements, has made it so that mobile VoIP is poised on the edge of taking off to become something big.

Economic Changes Driving Growth of Mobile VoIP

People in many parts of the globe right now are concerned about a changing economy with people in the United States being particularly worried about their financial state. However, the situation is not so dire that people are willing to give up their favorite services in order to save a buck. Instead, people are looking at ways to … continue reading "All Signs Say “Go†for Mobile VoIP"

The Mobile Phone in 2010

Posted September 30th, 2008 by Kathryn in Mobile Industry News

2010 sounds like such a futuristic year but the truth of the matter is that this date is right around the corner. Are the handsets of this future era going to be really different from what they are today? Will the mobile phone industry have changed a lot in just the scant year-and-a-half it takes to reach this milestone year? Or will the wireless phones we see in 2010 be strikingly similar to the ones that are emerging on to the market today? While some people predict that phones will be projecting 3D holograms by 2010, others say that the industry is going to just look like a slightly more grown-up version of what it looks like right now. Regardless of which side of the debate they are on, a lot of people are out there talking about the 2010 cell phone market.

Here is a look at some of the things that people are predicting for 2010 in terms of wireless phones and the industry surrounding them:

3D Holograms on Handsets

One of the more fun predictions that people in the industry are making is that 2010 is going to be the year that three-dimensional holograms are going to come to handsets. That’s because a tech company in India called Infosys has patented technology that makes it possible for … continue reading "The Mobile Phone in 2010"

People Want Mobile TV But Don’t Want to Pay For It

Posted September 25th, 2008 by Kathryn in Mobile Technology

Being able to watch television on your mobile phone is something that consumers have been interested in for years. It is also something that has been successful in some parts of the world but which has seen barriers to development throughout most of the globe. Many of those barriers have recently been lifted and new trials of mobile TV technologies have been launched. However, many of those trials have failed to be as successful as they were originally anticipated to be. This is not due to the fact that people aren’t interested in mobile TV services because that interest remains high. Instead, it appears to be due to the fact that people don’t want to have to pay to be able to access television shows on their mobile phones.

A Brief History of Mobile TV Services

Mobile TV services have been around for a few years now although they are more successful in some countries (like Japan) than in other countries (like the U.S. and the U.K.) There was a brief surge in interest in mobile TV in … continue reading "People Want Mobile TV But Don’t Want to Pay For It"

12 Coolest Startups for Mobile Phone Consumers

Posted September 17th, 2008 by Kathryn in Mobile Phone News

Even though the economy is causing some people concerns, there are still hundreds of startup companies launching in the technology sector. Many of these startups will fail and many more will be mediocre but some of these startups are going to come out with products and services that people like enough to make them mainstream in the months and years to come. It’s difficult to say which startups will become these rare gems and which will fizzle out along with the majority of them. The best that we can do as consumers is to find the startups that we think are the best and then to support them so that interest in them can grow.

For those people who are interested in following startups that are in the business of doing something related to mobile phones, these are one dozen good ones in the new market that you might want to consider keeping an eye on:

1. Beema.

This is a startup that has created an avatar-design system for the mobile phone. It is currently in beta but has received rave reviews from those avatar-loving folks who have signed up to try it out. You do have to use a PC to set up a basic account but after that you’re able to rely solely on the mobile phone for designing your animated avatar. Anyone who uses avatars for gaming or social networking will find this to be a fun startup to watch.

2. Cascada Mobile Breeze.

With the launch of the Google Android platform and other developments in mobile phone technology, we’re seeing the start of a trend towards a new generation of mobile phones that
… continue reading "12 Coolest Startups for Mobile Phone Consumers"

Tips for Using Your Mobile Phone to Avoid/Reject/Break Up with Someone

Posted September 16th, 2008 by Kathryn in Funny Mobile Stuff

We have all heard about the guy who breaks up with his girlfriend via text message. We have all groaned about how awful that is and how he should have just been able to man up and at least deal with her through an actual phone call. But the truth of the matter is that there is something really appealing about using the conveniences of modern wireless technology to avoid having to cope with ugly confrontations. There is something nice about knowing that you can just send a text message to break up with someone even if it’s something of a no-no as far as cell phone etiquette goes.

If you aren’t afraid to face the groans about what a wimp you were, you might want to consider using the following methods to avoid a woman, reject her without actually having to reject her or to terminate that relationship that you don’t want to be dealing with anymore:

The Rejection Hotline

If you haven’t heard of The Rejection Hotline then you’ve been living under a rock because this is something that the ladies have been using for awhile. And there is no reason that guys can’t use it just as well. Basically, it’s a phone number which looks like a legitimate phone number so that you can give it out to women and pretend that it’s your cell phone number.

When she tries to get in touch with you for that first date, she’ll instead get an answering machine message at The Rejection Hotline. The answering machine will basically tell her everything that could be … continue reading "Tips for Using Your Mobile Phone to Avoid/Reject/Break Up with Someone"

The Ultimate Sony Ericsson X1 Xperia Review

Posted September 15th, 2008 by Kathryn in Mobile Phone Handsets

When the Sony Ericsson X1 Xperia was first previewed at Mobile World Congress at the beginning of this year, it really got attention from people for being so different from anything released from Sony Ericsson in the past. This phone is based on the Windows Mobile 6.1 Operating System which means it has a full suite of applications to offer to the user. The Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 is promoted by the company as offering a convergence of communication features and entertainment features; this convergence is exactly what people are seeking from a smartphone in today’s highly mobile world and allows this new lineup of phones to compete in the global marketplace

Overview of Sony Ericsson X1 Xperia

What is really impressive about the Sony Ericsson X1 Xperia is the fact that this phone excels in so many different areas. Some phones really do well only as a niche phone (for example, the new LG Renoir is a really great phone specifically for people interested in a phone that doubles as an amazing camera) but very few phones really meet all of the diverse needs of a single user. … continue reading "The Ultimate Sony Ericsson X1 Xperia Review"

Femtocell Technology is Moving Forward

Posted September 15th, 2008 by Kathryn in Mobile Technology

Femtocell technology is a type of wireless phone technology that can be implemented in the home or office in order to improve the call quality of mobile phones in indoor locations. In addition to reducing the problem of poor indoor call quality, femtocell base stations have the potential to reduce the drain on capacity that advanced mobile phone services (such as mobile broadband) place on carriers. 2008 was predicted as a year that femtocell technology was going to begin to move forward and those predictions seem to be correct. Advances are being made in femtocell technology that are bringing products based on this technology to the market this year. However, it likely to be another year or two before the market for this technology really peaks.

Femtocell Trials

There have been a number of trials taking place in the last year or so which have been designed to test out femtocell-based products in the market. Limited-area testing has allowed carriers to determine whether or not the products are going to be … continue reading "Femtocell Technology is Moving Forward"

The Ultimate LG KC910 Renoir Review!

Posted September 4th, 2008 by Kathryn in Mobile Phone Handsets

Ever since the LG Viewty was released about a year ago, people who are interested in the most cutting-edge new phones have been speculating as to what type of phone LG would use to replace this leading camera phone. The answer is the LG KC910 (also known as the Renoir), a much more advanced phone in terms of the camera features and video recording features available on the phone which LG announced today would be available from the beginning of October. This new phone is considered to be the flagship phone for the Korean handset manufacturer. Since there aren’t too many phones on the market that can truly compete with it on the level of being an advanced camera phone, the LG KC910 is a phone that people are excited to hear is set to be released soon.

Overview of LG KC910 Renoir

The main reason that a cell phone consumer is going to be interested in purchasing the new LG KC910 as soon as it gets released is because this phone is a leading phone in terms of being a camera phone. The advanced camera features of the new phone make it so that it can replace a fully-functional stand-alone digital camera while adding the calling features of your basic mobile phone. The GPS, Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth features of the phone make it … continue reading "The Ultimate LG KC910 Renoir Review!"

Blackberry BOLD : ULTIMATE Review!

Posted September 3rd, 2008 by Kathryn in Mobile Phone News

We have now entered the age of the smartphone. The Blackberry line is no longer designed specifically for business professionals but may also now be used by the average wireless consumer who is interested in having the full multi-media features of a Wi-Fi enabled phone. There are many other smartphones emerging on the market that are capturing the interest of the average consumer but the Blackberry remains the brand that is most capable of the advanced implementation of the features that wireless consumers are seeking today. For those people who have not yet jumped on the Blackberry bandwagon but who are beginning to see the benefits of investing in a smartphone, one of the best choices out there is the Blackberry Bold 9000. This phone has all of the best features that could be desired in a smartphone and yet remains one of the easiest-to-use phones on the market.

Blackberry Bold 9000 and the Blackberry Line

Before getting into the specifics about the Blackberry Bold 9000, you should take some time to gain an understanding of what the Blackberry line is all about. Despite the fact that these phones are so prevalent today, many people still believe that these are complicated smartphones designed only for use by the business professional. While the Blackberry brand is certainly capable of meeting all of the professional’s needs, it is no longer a phone designed solely for this purpose. … continue reading "Blackberry BOLD : ULTIMATE Review!"