Cheap Cellular Phones » Text Message

The Evolution Of Cell Phones

admin — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 04:42:33 +0000

The cell phone is one gadget that more and more people are putting in their pockets. Though unheard of in the earlier parts of the past decade, the capability and marketability of a cell phone is making it a must have item for many.

Cell phones used to be just analog phones, with the sole purpose of providing the consumer with the capability of making and receiving voice calls while on the road. An innovation in the form of text messaging followed. Many people saw the convenience in a cheaper means of sending a short message without making a call. As messages got more and more creative in design, there were more and more additions being made to the capabilities of a cell phone. Text messages soon had the ability to make their way into email. Graphics were integrated into text messages.

It was roughly during these points when cell phones were being recognized not as status symbols, but as practical alternatives to communication. The costs of a text message were far lower than making a phone call, either through a cell phone or a regular phone. Many people resorted to sending text messages instead of literally spending a few seconds on the phone to relay a 10-second message.

Many companies have seen the growing significance of the cell phone in a common person’s life. In addition to enhancing the communication capabilities of their products, they added so many extra features to what was already sought by the public. For example, many of these Cell phone companies made it a priority to dazzle consumers with something beyond just a black-and-white cell phone display. Suddenly there were many cell phones out in the market with colored display, making them more attractive to the public. Nowadays you can have the best screen resolution for a cell phone that will rival LCD quality.

Other enhancements followed, and these enhancements are nothing but amazing. Who would have thought that digital cameras could be integrated into cell phones? People now have the capability of having a means of communication and a point-and-shoot camera at the same time.

Who would have thought of adding an MP3 player into a cell phone? This made cell phones literal mobile entertainment systems! Then the idea of giving a cell phone the ability to access the internet was materialized. Everyone can now be contacted anywhere and can be updated with the latest news and email on the go!

As the public embrace the innovation from all these additions to their cell phones, they are now looking for devices that appeals to their fashion sense .Thus, a new craze for designer phones began. Companies started integrating visual appeal to their products, while avoiding any compromise to the enhancements that they add.

With the demands of the public being so unpredictable, who knows what will be the next generation of mobile phones ? There are definitely so many possibilities. But one thing’s for sure: We’re all waiting. We’re all excited.

By: Puripong Koomsin

Cell Phone Scams – What To Look Out For

admin — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 22:04:42 +0000

Wireless phones have made life easier in so many ways. “Waiting by the phone” no longer means sitting at home, now the phone goes where you go. You can virtually stay in touch with anyone, anywhere. Besides the traditional use of phoning another party you now have many other capabilities such as the ability to text message, browse the web and download options and information directly to your phone. However, with this comes the potential for scams. They are not only an inconvenience but can be a costly experience to boot.

Ads for free ring tones, jokes or music downloads are prevalent but we wary as what sounds too good to be true usually is just that. Always read the fine print in accepting such offers. Many of these offers are presented in a manner most appealing to children and teens. And taken at face value are attractive and seemingly harmless but can come with terms and conditions that may result in pricey and often recurring fees. In some instances these offerings come in as text messages and your reply via text to an apparently free offer or one time offer will be anything but.

Watch out for spammers on your cell. They have figured out how to enter the world of text messaging. If you thought spam was bad enough with e-mail, junk mail and telemarketing, now this kicks it up a notch as recipients of text messages are most often paying for this service.

One common spam scam is the “Pump and Dump”. Thousands of cell phone users have been hit with spam text messages hawking stock (often penny stock). They promote the stock to pump up the price and then dump it as soon as the victims have helped to boost the price and quickly sell before the stock inevitably plummets. People are making millions of dollars with this type of scam.

Wireless devices are now a target for identity thieves. We know find ourselves using cell phones for more than casual conversation, for example, many people conduct online banking by means of their wireless device. With this convenience we expose ourselves to the danger of having personal information stolen by hackers. Because wireless technology now allows people to use their phones in many of the ways they can a PC, a scammer can hack into phones and get personal information just like they can a personal computer. They can even hack into a cell phone by just walking by, allowing them to listen in on calls or steal personal information without anyone’s knowledge. This is accomplished by exploiting short-range Bluetooth wireless connections (WI-FI) between cell phone and hands-free headsets for PCs.

What does all of this mean to the millions of cell phone users out there? Be proactive in trying to protect your personal information, check you bill monthly. Think twice before “saving” passwords and IDs in your cell phone, which in turn means having to enter your info each time you make a transaction or want to enter a site.

Protect your cell phone like you would your wallet or purse, be aware of your surroundings when making calls and give it careful consideration before lending your cell phone to anyone. If you are a victim of a scam contact your wireless provider immediately. The amount of assistance may vary. Contacting your carrier is one way of motivating them to stay on top of the situation.

By: Matt Hick

Is a Mobile Phone the Same as a Cell Phone?

admin — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 05:24:39 +0000

A mobile phone is a cell phone. Cell phones have become increasingly popular with anyone who travels or is in and out of the office. They can keep you in touch with the world while you are out on business or driving to class. They can also can in handy when you are in need of help.

With a mobile phone you are only a phone call away from emergency authorities or friends and family. It is easy to set up a cellular phone account and you have a wide range of phones to choose from. They can be an inexpensive purchase or they can be an expensive, personalized gift. To find a cell phone that is in your budget you can always research online or contact a cellular phone dealer. Once you have picked out your cell phone, you now have to choose a plan

A cell phone plan will depend on what type of coverage you need as well as your phone. If your phone is a prepaid cellular phone, then you are able to purchase a card of minutes, as you need them. A prepaid phone is only helpful when you want to make minimal number of phone calls. In this case it would be something like as an emergency phone. Now if your phone requires a cellular phone company, you need to pick a plan that is best for you.

You need to look at the peak minutes that you will need. Peak minutes are what minutes are giving to you in your plan that you don’t pay extra for. These minutes are calculated for any calls made within the hours of 7am-9pm. The times may vary slightly with your service provider. You need to see what features you would want to use on your phone. You may want to look into photo exchange rates and text message rates if your cell phone is designed for the applications. You should consider doing business with a company that is popular in your area. Make sure that you won’t have to deal with too many unnecessary toll charges or such with the company. Also, you have to choose what type of plan you will need. This is either a plan just for you or buying a cellular family plan. Family plans are a nice way for everyone to stay connected.

When it comes to your mobile phone or cell phone, you need to choose something that fits your budget and is what you need. You should also pick a plan that is complimentary to your plan. Make sure that they both provide you with the services that you expect to use or need.

By: Ron Henson

A Growing Demand For Cheap Cell Phones

admin — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 16:54:09 +0000

Despite their enormous sophistication, it is actually possible to purchase a cheap cellular phone; statistics have shown there is in fact a growing demand for them. Almost everyone uses a cellular phone now and there are almost no age barriers for their use; it is difficult to imagine where we would be without them now.

Although they can be an indispensable part of a business, even teenagers have high tech models rivaling anything a busy business executive may use. In the early days when only a few could afford to own one they may have been viewed as a toy for adults who wanted to show off. With the range of functions available these days, the basic cell phone might seem to have become extinct but that isn’t the case.

They may be extremely clever but I have only ever wanted a phone that made a call and could send a text message, perhaps you are the same and all you want is a cheap cellular phone like me. Less costly versions will not be able to perform all those functions other phones can but that may be just right for you. Strangely not all of us actually want our cell phones to do everything they do today and may only need their phone to send and receive calls.

Call only facilities would be very unusual on today’s cheap cellular phones, on even the most very basic but if that is all you need then you won’t mind. The most important thing to check with a basic cell phone is whether or not you will get a strong signal because if this is the only reason you need it for, it is also the most important.

Sending and receiving text messages may be available, although this may only be on a limited basis. The text messaging function on the more modern, even if it is a bottom of the range phone, will be more than adequate for the average persons needs.

Sending and receiving emails may not be available but then you do not need it much anyway. Although, if you are someone that does use email a great deal and wants this ability from the phone, it may not be possible with a cheap cellular phone.

However, you may find that you won’t actually need to search for an inexpensive phone as a good call cell phone plan package which includes a decent cell phone, may become available. You would be wise to consider something like this because you may actually be provided with a better phone that you would not ordinarily be able to afford just by signing up for a cell phone plan that is within your budget. This could be a good thing for you and it means all that searching and researching won’t have to be carried out.

It doesn’t matter what you intend to purchase, the internet is a great place to research, compare and find what you are looking for plus you will usually find whatever you want within the budget you set for yourself.

By: Thomas Zoellner

Sending Text Messages to Cellular Phones

admin — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 23:34:27 +0000

Having a mobile phone is the latest trend nowadays. Proper “texting” and learning the so-called “text speak” is the best way in order to communicate and go with the flow of technology. Body: Text messaging is also called “texting”. It is the process of sending text messages from mobile phones to other mobile devices. Text messages are usually typed in “short” sentences. The maximum number of characters including spaces per text message is 160. Any succeeding character can be sent but it will still incur charges again. This type of service is called “SMS” or Short messaging Service. Individual messages are termed as “text” or “text speak”. The most common type of service is the person-to-person messaging. This is even though it can also be used in interacting with automated schemes like ordering products, mobile services or participating in games and contests.

The messages are sent to a SMSC or Short Message Service Center that provides a mechanism called the “store-and-forward” function. This mechanism attempts to send text messages to the corresponding recipients. If the attempt is unsuccessful, the SMSC stores the message so that it can still attempt to send it later. A few SMSC’s provide another mechanism called “forward-and-forget” that attempts the top sending of the message once. Delays or loss of a certain message is common when it sends messages between different networks. The users can then request for delivery reports so that they will know whether the text message was sent or not.

The transmission of short messages between the SMSC and the cellular phone are done through unlike procedures like the TCP or IP inside the basic GSM MAP framework or the SS7. The limitations of messages resulted in the maximum text size of either 160 characters (7 bits), 140 characters (8 bits) or 70 characters (16 bits). Characters in Arabic, Korean, Chinese, Slavic or Japanese are to be encoded using the UCS-2 character encoding (16 bits).

Long SMS are sent via segmented multiple messages. Each part of this long message will start with a UDH or User Data Header which contains the segmentation information.

Several service providers provide the ability to send text messages to land line phones regardless of the capability to receive messages. This is done by automatically calling the recipient and using a “speech synthesizer” in reading the text messages aloud.

The small keypad in cellular phones created a form of “spelling adaptation” like the phrase “txtmsg”. Moreover, some websites support the community of cellular phone users in order to help in standardizing the “text speak”. The users can submit their translations to these special websites.

Listed below are some frequently used acronyms in text messages.

2 means To/too

4 means For

4evr means Forever

C means see

Cus means Because

Cuz means because/cousin

ne1 means Anyone

ez means Easy

b4 means Before

2nite means Tonight

Brb means be right back

gtg or g2g means got to go

ttyl means talk to you later

cyl means see you later

btw means by the way

bbl means be back later

idk means I don’t know

idc means I don’t care

lol means (laugh/laughing) out loud

rofl means rolls on floor (laugh/laughing)

stfu means shut the fuck up

omg means oh my (god/gosh)

omfg means oh my fucking god

lmao means (laugh/laughing) my ass off

lmfao means (laugh/laughing) my fucking ass off

lylas means love you like a sister

lylab means love you like a brother

k or kk means okay

jk means just kidding

jp means just playing

jw means just wondering

wth means what the hell

wtf means what the fuck

143 means I love you

Luv means love

Ily means I love you

w/e means whatever

ttly means totally

ttyl means talk to you later

ttfn means ta ta for now

w8 means wait

h8 means hate

l8 means late

l8r means later

ty means thank you

thnks, thx or thnx means thanks

r means are

u means you

ppl means people

4nd means friend

Qt means cutie

Zzz means sleeping, Tired, bored

Text Messaging Symbols:

= means amazed

O=-) means angel smiley

=-ll means angry

=-X means big kiss

*=-) means clown

%-) means confused

d8=) means cool guy

=’-( means crying

=e means disappointed

=-| means disgusted

o-&-< means doing nothing

=-)….. means drooling face

=*) means drunk smiling face

&=-) means from a person that has curly hair

#=-) means from a person that has matted hair

|-) means getting tired or asleep

=-, means hmmmm… or smirking

O-S-< means in a hurry

=-* means kiss

=-D means laughing

–>– means red rose or aaaahhh…

=-( means sad

=-@ means screaming

8-) means sunglasses face

=-O means surprised or shocked

=-P means tongue in his or her cheek

=-& means tongue tied

=-)) means very happy

;-) means winking

In order to write a message from a wireless cellular phone, select the messaging feature on your cellular phone. Customers that are under Verizon Wireless must go to the messages section or icon and select the New TXT Message icon or key. From there, just type in a text message using the cellular phone’s alpha-numeric keypad. Thus, most wireless mobile phones allow the user to key in messages using one of the three text modes. These text modes are listed below:

T9Word or T9 Mode: This is used in order to key in a text message using 1 stroke of the key per letter. The mobile phone translates the keystrokes into the common words.

Abc or Multi-tap Mode: Any user can use this kind of mode in order to type words by using the letters on the mobile phone’s keypad. The users must press each key ranging from 1 up to 3 times in order to key in the right letter they need.

123 or Numbers Mode: The user can use this kind of mode in order to type numbers. This mode is used by pressing the numeric keypad one at a time.

Hence, with the so-called advent of these mobile phones, sending text messages are now the best and proven way to communicate with your loved ones and friends, even the ones overseas. It is not only cheap and economical; it can also be used as an outlet of one’s thoughts and feelings for another person. It can also give us a sense of security. This is in knowing that our loved ones is only just a text message or a phone call away. Furthermore, we can now deliver important messages very easily. This is one way to convey vitalities in a person’s life.

Thus, with this expression of thoughts and feelings, there are also those who abuse it. There are etiquettes one should follow when it comes to sending text messages. These are only some:

1.When you receive a message that tends to say something bad about another person or is more of a terrible rumor such as someone in particular that died or there will be chaos somewhere, it is best to keep this to yourself. It is better to stop forwarding these messages to your loved ones and friends. Just ignore it. Until there is enough proof that this is true, shun the bad thoughts away.

2.Avoid participating in gambling. There are TV shows, radio stations and even others in your same network that advertises games where in you can possible win prizes or rewards. Since this is very rampant in this generation, where in, instant money is the only solution of some people to their financial difficulties, involvement in this would still be a lot like gambling your way to financial freedom. Besides the fact that the chance to win is only 1:10, you will lose more money just by taking those chances.

3.Beware of “text mates”. In the younger generation, having friends and fitting in is the most sacred means of surviving adolescence. There will be people who will send text messages asking if you can be their friend or so-called “text mate”. There are already numerous incidents of rape and molestation that root to this. It usually happens when the two parties agree to meet at a specific place. It will still be wise to bring friends and do the meetings on public places, where in, a lot of people are present. Never meet at a place you are not familiar with or is secluded. Never meet someone alone. Never schedule a meeting at night or in the wee hours of the morning. Worse, never agree to ride in that person’s car alone. You only have one life and one wrong turn may lead to your misery or death.

4.When you receive messages from people you don’t know or the message seems bizarre to you, these are messages that may have been mistakenly sent to your number. You can either ignore it or give it back to the sender of the message. For the latter, it is best to do this only if you think that the message is very important. This way, the sender will know that he or she was not able to send the message to the person concerned. Thus, you also need to observe courtesy. Never reply to these messages by sending offensive words or phrases. Give the person the benefit of the doubt that it has been sent to you by mistake.

5.Never send messages that are vulgar and offensive in nature. This is a lot like not sending messages which you don’t want to receive as well.

6.Avoid sending messages in the wee hours of the morning. Respect the fact that the person concerned may be sleeping already. Save this for times where in it is really important.

7.For cases where in you need to tell a concerned individual about a death of a friend or a loved one, it is best to call the person. Never inform the person by just sending text messages. This is better because you can inform the person in a way that will not come as a major blow and you can give the important details on what happened.

8.Never send text messages when you are inside a church, class room, movie house, or on a meeting. If it is necessary for you to do this, you can discreetly step outside and read or send a text message quickly. Then, get back to your class room, meeting or whatever.

9.Never send or read text messages when you are driving or crossing the street.

10.Be discreet in sending or reading text messages when you are on a public place or street. You will never know whose eyes are upon you.

Sending text messages and having a mobile is really essential these days. It makes you feel secure, updated and it is a beneficial tool you need to live with. With this, you need to understand the proper usage of having this convenience.

By: David H. Urmann

Does It Make Sense To Buy Cheap Cellular Phones?

admin — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:43:13 +0000

As the functions available in phones has improved over recent years it means that they are still expensive to some people who may only be looking for a cheap cellular phone; knowing where and what to look for is the key to a successful search. Cellular phones have become an integral part of our lives; try as I might, I cannot image a world without this device.

Business caught on to the bug quickly and I have no doubt that it has revolutionized the way companies work plus it has saved them a great deal of money. Gone are the days when they were toys to show off because they have now become a necessity. With the range of functions available these days, the basic cell phone might seem to have become extinct but that isn’t the case.

They may be extremely clever but I have only ever wanted a phone that made a call and could send a text message, perhaps you are the same and all you want is a cheap cellular phone like me. Provided you know that your phone will only carry out basic tasks there won’t be anything to complain about. Strangely not all of us actually want our cell phones to do everything they do today and may only need their phone to send and receive calls.

Although it is unlikely, a basic cheap cellular phone may only give you the most basic of facilities. It may be a basic phone but that does not mean you should skimp on its ability to receive and send calls as this may possibly be the most important reason for having your cell phone in the first place.

If you only want to send basic SMS messages then a basic model will not disappoint but many other text messaging functions on more expensive versions probably won’t be available. It will be hard to find a phone today that does not provide a decent text messaging service.

Although an email facility on phones has been around for some time, very few people actually use it and it is not likely your inexpensive phone will have that function. Although, if you are someone that does use email a great deal and wants this ability from the phone, it may not be possible with a cheap cellular phone.

Every month there are special offers from one or more of the phone providers and if you find a good cell phone plan, there will more than likely be a decent phone as part of it so you won’t need to worry about one that doesn’t cost much. Various network companies offer this type of cell phone plan promotions and you may decide to take advantage of owning a good quality phone. If you can find a good deal from a provider, you will not need to content yourself with an inferior phone.

It doesn’t matter what you intend to purchase, the internet is a great place to research, compare and find what you are looking for plus you will usually find whatever you want within the budget you set for yourself.

By: Michael Hehn

How to Buy a Cheap Cellular Phone

admin — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:56:35 +0000

There was a time when cell phones are not as popular or as common as they are today and it was thought that only a trivial toy for those who have money to burn. Almost everyone uses a mobile phone and almost no age barriers for their use.

Business leaders may be more effective with a mobile multi-functional and now even teenagers need cellular phones. Gone are the days when mobile phones were toys to show, have now become a necessity. Even cheap phones are gradually being upgraded to provide more and more.

Due to this growing need for mobile phones, manufacturers have flooded the market with phones at high price cell technology. They can be very intelligent, but I just wanted a phone that makes a call and could send a text message, may be the same and everything you want is a cell phone cheap like me.

If you go to buy a cheap mobile phone, you should never expect to perform tasks a high tech phone can. If all you want is a phone that can make and receive calls and use little to buy something else. Call only facilities would be very unusual in phones today, even the very basic, but everything you need, then do not bother me. I suppose if the application is secondary to the reason you have a cell phone and then receive the signal is not important, but it will if the only reason for the phone to make and receive calls.

Is likely to find the cell phone base will be able to send and receive text messages, but are not equipped with all the new features of SMS. Be difficult to find a cell phone today that does not provide a text messaging service decent. Although e-mail service on mobile phones has been around for some time, very few people actually use, and it is unlikely that you will have basic phone anyway. This may be something you need to consider whether it is an important function as mobile phones at low prices probably will not have this capability.

However, you may find that this is not really necessary to find a less expensive cell phone package as a good calling plan that includes a decent cell phone is available. Most network companies have these promotions from time to time so it may be worth considering if you want better cell phone. Much of this case, a cell phone at low price should not be an option.

Research is the key, if you buy a cellular phone or a party, because it can save time and money by providing you do not spend more than expected.

By: George Sandler

Mobile Phone Marketing: Easy, Cheap and Effective

admin — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 08:09:16 +0000

“Happy Birthday,” reads the text message on your mobile phone. It’s from your favorite restaurant, and it’s accompanied by an email from the owner, who offers to buy you that appetizer you’ve always loved.

You pass by a poster promoting your favorite band’s upcoming release.

It contains a code, and if you send it via text message (SMS), they’ll give you the inside track on the release date, along with a couple of sample MP3s.

Meanwhile, your local florist texts you a reminder of your sister’s anniversary, and a 15% off discount if you phone in an order to send out a bouquet today.

Personalized, targeted, and, above all else, desired– For these companies, mobile technology didn’t merely offer a chance to get their foot in the door. They were enthusiastically invited in.

If you’re considering making use of today’s mobile phone technology for marketing your business, you’ll find it surprisingly easy to implement. It’s dramatically less expensive than traditional advertising and promotional methods, as well. And, it allows you to target your message precisely to the ones most likely to buy– That means, fewer wasted dollars.

Is it the right tool for your business?
These marketing techniques already have nearly a 15-year track history in many European and Asian countries. Regardless of what type of business you are in, someone is bound to have forged the trail ahead of you.

Generally speaking, these are the primary qualifiers:

If your products or services have pricing tiers that you can easily define; e.g., complimentary appetizer when you order two drinks; a free rose with every flower arrangement you order, etc.

If your customers are likely to have and use current G3 mobile technology.

And chances are they do. Most mobile phones in use are multimedia-capable. A large percentage of these owners use them for checking their email and browsing the Internet. And age doesn’t seem to be a big factor– The market penetration of multi-media phone ownership doesn’t drop off significantly until after age 55– And even that’s respectable, at around 30 to 25%.

The size of your business.

The size has less to do with whether or not you employ these methods, but how best to go about implementing them.

Software applications are available, for those on a budget. They may also be the right choice if some characteristic of your business is so unique it requires you to create a campaign specifically for your operation.

Or you can turn the whole thing over to a mobile application service provider (MASP). It’s likely you’ll even find one that specializes in your particular industry. You’ll be able to choose from a selection of campaigns with a proven track record, and the company can handle everything from launching each promotion to gathering and managing your database of contacts.

MASPs offer a variety of packages, and choosing the right one will depend on how much creative control you want to have, and, of course, your budget.

Why have mobile marketing campaigns proven to be such a success? Industry specialists say it’s because they forge, or strengthen, a relationship between business operators and customers– And the fact that this relationship feels personal is the key.

That means, it builds two-way loyalty between customers and business operators. And it keeps the company’s name fresh in customers’ minds. Given the high expense, and questionable success rate, of traditional advertising, mobile marketing offers methods that are refreshingly inexpensive, and that more than pay for themselves.

By: Dan Cavalli