Archive for September, 2008

Unlocking Your Used Cell Phone

Thursday, September 18th, 2008

If the used or refurbished cell phone you own is one you bought through your wireless provider, it is typically locked to the network you are on. This means that your phone has built in software that will only allow your phone to be used on their network with their SIM card. Your cell phone can be unlocked by following a pretty simple process, allowing the freedom to roam between wireless carriers without the need to purchase a new phone.

The unlock process for your cell phone will depend on the make and model of your cell phone, but for the most part the process should be similar. The unlock code you will need to unlock your cell phone is uniquely linked to the IMEI of your cell phone, so be sure you have this number on hand before making any calls to get the unlock code.

1. A call to your wireless provider might be the easiest and fasted option to unlocking your cell phone. If you explain to your provider your need to have an unlocked cell phone they should be willing to provide you with the code to unlocking your cell phone. For example, say you just bought a used blackberry cell phone and you plan on traveling out of the country in the near future. Before leaving, you will need to have your cell phone unlocked; explaining this to your provider might be the best way to convince the customer service rep you speak to that you need your phone unlocked. If all goes well you will be provided with an unlock code that can be entered into your phone to successfully unlock the handset.

2. There are numerous online sources to get the unlock code for your exact make and model of cell phone. The codes can be purchased from a number of vendors; a quick search in your search engine should provide you with several options. One of the most reliable ways might be to use eBay, using a seller with a good reputation will ensure that you get a usable code.

3. Consider taking your phone to a cell phone vendor. Often stalls in malls offer cell phone unlocking services. For a reasonable fee your phone will be unlocked and tested for you, ensuring that it works correctly.

Once you have your unlock code for your phone the process to actually unlock the cell phone is easy. Your code will be linked to your phone’s IMEI (identifying number that is unique to your phone), which means that your code will only work for your exact phone. For most makes of cell phones all you will need to do is put in a new SIM card – one for another mobile carrier. Your phone will alert you that the SIM you’ve just inserted is invalid, and will then prompt you to enter the unlock code. Simply key in your unlock code. Your phone should then automatically detect the settings of its new wireless provider.

Unlocking your cell phone is a simple process with great benefits to you, the user. Further, with proper planning and research, you can end up with a high quality phone, such as a refurbished treo, that is not locked to any network – allowing you the freedom to roam from network to network and take advantage of specials as they arise.

Things You Should Know About Free Phone Calls

Thursday, September 18th, 2008

The world of long distance calls and local calls have changed drastically in the past 10 years. No longer are traditional phone lines and cell phones the only way to go!

A popular technology that has been transforming the Telecommunication Industry and is set to dominate the Internet Services market is voice over internet protocol (VoIP).

With this amazing technology it is possible to make unlimited free local and international phone calls.

So what exactly is VoIP?

Voice Over Internet Protocol offers a simple way to make Internet phone call using any Internet connection. 10 years ago no one would have imagined that Internet phone calls would become so easy and cost-efficient! Now there are millions of users all over the world making free long distance calls using popular, free voip services and software.

Free pc to phone calling is really a revolutionary step in the history of Internet innovations.

First Release of VoIP Geochronology

First releases of VoIP meant users had to download software, also known as soft phones or sip phones and install it on a computer. If two users wanted to make free internet phone calls they had to be at their computers, listen through headsets and talk via microphones. Today voip technology has improved to the point where free local and international phone calls can be made using traditional landlines and mobile phones without the use of personal computers and software.

Many of us have heard of Skype, they were early pioneers of voip technology, it is estimated that at one point Skype had over 30 million registered users. Since those early days many other voip service providers have joined the market, including all of the big traditional telephone service providers such as AT&T and many others all over the world. These established companies were, in the main, slow to adopt the emerging technology.

Changing Landscape of Telecommunication Industry

In the past, Telecommunication services were provided either by Government bodies or large multinational companies due of the huge investment in infrastructure required to provide these services. With the internet and voip technology it is now possible for a small one-man operation to provide online services offering free phone calls to anyone, anywhere in the world. Such services include pc to phone calls, pc to pc calls, pc to cell phone, online conferencing, free efax and free SMS. These service providers can be found all over the Internet.

Who is paying for your free phone calls?

As the saying goes “no such thing as a free lunch” this also applies to free Internet phone calls. In order to use voip a user must have an Internet connection and this, in most cases, have to be paid for.

Most voip providers offering free phone calls will impose some limitation on the amount of free time customers can use, commonly referred to as “fair usage policy”, before they are charged for the service. Other restrictions may also apply in the way free phone calls are used; such as restricting calls only to other users in the same network or restricting free calls to certain countries.

As well as the restrictions noted here, some providers are charging advertisers and sponsors for advertisements which are then played to users before they can actually make free phone calls in the network.

However, when the service ceases to be free, the amount charged are extremely low rates compared to tradition telephone rates and especially so when compared to mobile phone rates. At many providers, rates as low as $0.03 cents per minute for international calls can be found.

How You Can Make Free Phone Calls

For those who are familiar with computers and are prepared to download and setup the software themselves, free phone calls are definitely possible. All you need is the computer, software and a gateway from a service provider, the person you want to call also need to have the same compatible setup on their computer.

Looking for a traditional cell phone? Check out this Samsung i900 review.

Find Cell Phone Battery Chargers For Your Mobile Device

Wednesday, September 17th, 2008

Communication can build or destroy a relationship that is why, it is vital for husbands and wives to maintain proper contact no matter where the other is can be found in this world. Good thing, there are cell phones that one can easily use in order to stay connected to their love ones.

However, any phone unit would not work correctly without the thing that offfers them with energy; the cell phone chargers.

Technology has improved so much these days, gone were the days when cell phone battery chargers are simply those things that you plug into the wall.

As of the present , they come in various kinds so it would be convenient for the user to bring along the device with them even when traveling. Most chargers are mounted with adapter as to adapt with other phone brands, this kind is known as the universal cellphone charger.

Would you believe that even the sunlight can be a aid in charging your phone? There is now what they call as solar energy chargers that make use of the sun ray in order to produce electricity that are required to fill up the phone’s battery.

Although this kind is not really practical during winter times, still, they play a vital role during summer season in order to lessen the use of electricity.

There is also what they call as the travel cell phone charger which is helpful enough to be tag along when traveling. If you see yourself like a wheel which is always on the go then there is no question that this sort is the best one for you.

All cell phone chargers are available in different colors, shapes, themes, sizes, etc in order to assure the public that they can get the one that will reflect their personality.

When buying, verify that it will equal the specifications of your phone in order to function properly. Check the data printed on the box and see it will match your phone.

As a general rule, always see to it that your charger is well shielded. Never soak it in water nor even attempt to plug it onto a socket with anot the same from its specifications.

Once damaged,look for a replacement right away Never attempt to use broken or damaged cell phone charger since this can spell a big deal of trouble!

Some Different Hearing Impaired Phones

Tuesday, September 16th, 2008

There used to be a time when majority of those who were afflicted with hearing impairment were the old, or the senior citizens. So they make use of Hearing Impaired Phones so that they will be able to hear the phone whenever someone is calling or they will be able to hear what the other end of the phone is saying to them.

Now, even the young use these phones because they have trouble hearing as well. And so there are more variations when it comes to these kinds of phones to keep up with the growing needs of the people.

Conducting A Phone Number Reverse Lookup

Thursday, September 11th, 2008

Cell phone records are frequently in demand lately, and for a number of reasons. Most commonly, others want to investigate (Phone Number Reverse Lookup) an unfamiliar number to find out more about the caller. Cell phone records are key? Internet and chat activity reveal the extent of strands of relationships. Cell phone records are interesting at this point.

Cell phone records are not the only things at stake. Mailing addresses and Social Security numbers can also be obtained from some online providers.

Cell phone records are not just your name address and telephone number, which after all, are public knowledge unless you pay extra to the phone company for an unlisted number. Cell phone records can be looked up, by number, to find out whom you are calling. Cell phone records are private. These records are not (and haven’t been for quite a while) legally accessible. Cell phone records are kept fairly private, but their are registries to help you track down mobile and cellular phone numbers. Try the Registry of Cellular Numbers for a reverse cell phone lookup and you might just land upon that number you are looking for.

Cell phone records are kept by telephone companies, which must keep that information private. So how are the data brokers getting a hold of it?

Cell phone records are not the only things at stake. Mailing addresses and Social Security numbers can also be obtained from some online providers. Cell phone records are used a lot of times to find out if a spouse is cheating. There are a couple of things involved in finding out if a spouse is cheating.

Callers still have to trust that the anonymizer will delete the records. But callers can also put another proxy at their endpoint, connecting to yet another endpoint somewhere else. Call your company’s customer service number and ask them to assign a password to your account, and specifically tell them not to allow any access to your account without it. Call records can be used in lawsuits, divorces and corporate inquiries. The new law allows police, but not private investigators, access to the information.

Call up phone company employees pretending to be another phone company employee in a “Special Needs Office” pretending to be representing voice handicapped customers and simply ask for their cell phone records. Bingo, nobody wants to deny “Special Needs” customers their right to their records – so just give them up, without checking any further!

Information on customer validation can be easily accessed by CSRs at any time. Fido also provided documentation on confidentiality policies to which employees must adhere. Information brokers sell phone records and offered cell phone tracking through a variety of web sites sometimes for just over $100, before the sites were closed down. The practice was rampant until recent reverse phone listings publicity shone light on this dirty little secret industry and it mostly went underground.