Tweet: 17 Month Old Can Use IPhone

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Overheard on Twitter:

A Treat for all Texters

Since text messaging is so popular – especially among teenagers – I thought it might be a good idea to post some information on how to save money on texting services. It is baffling to me why the cell phone companies charge such exorbitant fees for text messages. Twenty cents for each message sent and received is not unusual. That’s forty cents for every single text message that goes through the system. This is in addition to your regular service fees of course. Personally, I think this is highway robbery.

Good things often come in packages.

You are probably already aware that most (if not all) cell phone carriers offer some kind of texting package. They may offer a certain number of text messages at a discount or even a completely unlimited texting package. Depending on your needs, one of these may save you some money. For Instance, Verizon offers unlimited texting to any other Verizon customer and 250 additional text messages to anyone for about $10 a month. They also offer a completely unlimited texting package for about $20 a month. You will need to check with your cell phone provider for their plans and pricing. Read more

The Great Love Affair: Cell Phones and Teens

If we think about our teenage years, I am sure we can all remember how a special brand of shoes or a hair style or a “cool” piece of clothing or jewelry distinguished certain people within our peer group. Would it surprise you to learn that one of the most important personal trademarks for teenagers today is their cell phone?

Cell phones are status symbols.

Many parents give their teenagers a cell phone for safety and security reasons as well as to assist with everyday communication within the family. For many teens however, a cell phone is as much a status symbol as a communication device. Among their peers, a teen’s cell phone is one of the top four things – along with clothes, jewelry and shoes – that helps determine a teens social status. Read more

Twitter Apps for Android

Using Twitter on your cell phone can be a great way to keep up to date with the latest happenings.  Since I have been focusing on apps this week, I thought I would share a quick video with you today which features reviews of three Twitter applications for the new Android phones.

If you like this video, please go on over to app judgment and take a look at their great variety of app reviews. Also, I would love to hear about your favorite Twitter app. Please share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Windows Mobile: Apps, Reviews, and News

Yesterday, I listed a few interesting iphone apps. Today, I thought I would focus on the Windows Mobile operating system.  However, instead of listing out a few apps, I thought I would give you some great resources to check out for yourself.

Since Windows Mobile 6.5 has just recently been released, there is a lot of buzz right now about the new Windows Marketplace for Mobile. This is Microsoft’s application storefront similar to the app store for the iphone.

Microsoft is also offering a new service called My Phone Which is a backup and sharing service for Windows Mobile 6.5 devices.

For more information on these new services, please check out cnet reviews.

Places to check for interesting apps for Windows Mobile devices.

This site features a “Top 40” list of free Windows Mobile Apps

Here you will find a well organized list of reviews of Windows Mobile apps for both touch screen and non touch screen phones as well as a 20% discount offer at their software store.

If you are a Windows Mobile user, I hope you find these sites helpful. If you have any other favorites, please share them in the comments section below.

photo credit: 笨笨的小B

Time for Some Techie Blog Buzz

Today I thought I would share with you some of the bloggers I enjoy reading and learning from.

TechXav is a technology blog which deals with many different issues from computer hardware to gadgets to social media and beyond. What makes this particular blog unique is the fact it is run by a group of tech-savvy teens. They do a very nice job. If you like tech blogs, it’s definitely worth your time to check it out.

Beth Blecherman from Tech Mamas feels it is important for parents to stay on top of technology so they can know what their kids are doing. She left corporate management for family management and now is the Chief Technology Mom for the Silicon Valley Moms Group.   Tech Mamas is her tech blog with a parenting slant. If you would like to learn more about her, there is a great interview with her at Job Mom.

Wired Moms is a blog run by Parry Aftab and Mary Heston. This blog is dedicated to helping families use technology to stay connected and at the same time keep kids safe by empowering moms to use technology wisely in their parenting. This blog is a good source of industry news and what is going on in the world of cyber-safety.

I hope you will find these helpful and enjoyable. Please feel free to leave a comment and let me know what you think of these sites.

photo credit: steakpinball

Weekend Video Follow-up

Here are a couple of  videos to follow up my posts about dogs and cell phones this week. I hope you enjoy.

Cell Phones in the Bighouse: Inmates in the Doghouse

Calling All Pet Lovers: GPS for Dogs

Phones Are Going to the Dogs

This past week, I shared a few articles with you which related how dogs and cell phone technology can actually  complement each other. Today, I hope you will enjoy these videos that show just how much dogs are like people when it comes to talking on the cell phone.

Hearing the sound of a loved one’s voice over the phone can be very exciting.

This pup is obviously afraid of going over his month’s allocation of minutes on his cell plan.

But this one loves to talk! Maybe she has “roll over” minutes?

Calling All Pet Lovers: GPS for Dogs

A couple weeks ago, I wrote a series of posts which discussed cell phones and kids.  There are other members of our family  who might be able to benefit from cell phone technology however.

In years past, when the family dog went missing, it was standard practice to post “lost dog” signs all over town in hopes that someone would help reunite the wayward pup with it’s family. Over the last few years, pet finding methods have evolved . Tags, special pet registries, tattoos  and even microchips are becoming  popular choices  for the average pet owner today.

So, is it really that odd to think Fido might benefit from sporting his own cell phone? The folks at Pets Mobility think it’s a dandy idea. They plan to offer the Pets Cell. This is a waterproof GPS and cell device that attaches to the dog’s collar. With one touch, a good Samaritan can call the dog’s owner and report its whereabouts. Or, you can even call your dog and speak to him over the speakerphone.

There will also be the ability to track the dog via their Paw Trax  online tracking software. Geo-fences can be set up so that if the dog leaves a particular area, you are notified.

Finally, Pets Mobility offers Pet Lifeline which allows you to have your pet cared for by a designated person in the event you are involved in an emergency.

Click here for a video about these and other Pets Mobility services.

So, would you purchase this for your dog? Why or why not?

photo credit: AlfredoZablah

Be Careful What You Say

How many times have you overheard someone else’s conversation and really wished you hadn’t? It is amazing to me how people seem to forget where they are and what they are saying when they are talking on their cell phones in public. I actually do plan on writing an article addressing this topic later but for now, I’ll just leave you with this video.

By the way, I am not endorsing Ameriquest here.

Has anything like this ever happened to you ? Hopefully it wasn’t THIS bad. Have you ever seen anyone else be misunderstood or misinterpreted because of a public cell phone conversation?

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