Get More Use Out of Your Cell Phone

Is your cell phone doing more for you than just dialing and receiving calls and text messages?

I’ve got some great tips on how to put your mobile phone to work for you. Keep your cell phone handy because you’re going to want to put several phone numbers on your speed dial.

•First, before you do anything, place your family on ICE (In Case of Emergency).

Normally, your cell phone can be an indispensable lifeline during a crisis. With one touch of a button you make a single call and you’re instantly reunited with loved ones.

However, in the case of a serious accident or an urgent medical situation, emergency team members cannot waste time sifting through your phone’s address book to locate your next of kin.

To remedy this problem, cell phone users are being urged to insert the acronym ICE before the names of the people they want to be called in case of an emergency . . . as in “ICE-Husband” or “ICE-Mom.” Then police and emergency personnel can use your phone to quickly notify your next of kin if disaster strikes.

•Another important number to keep in your cell phone is 800-GOOG-411. That’s 466-4411. With this number Google offers you a free directory service.

Here’s how it works. Call 800-GOOG-411, state the location and business type you’re seeking and then connect to the business . . . for free.

Normally, cell phone companies charge anywhere from $1.50 to $2.00 each time you punch in 411 to find a number. If you’re like me, I not only want to hear the number from an operator, but I also want a text message sent . . . just in case I need the number at a later time.

•Your cell phone can be the source for a lot of fun punching in this next number: 866-411-SONG. Believe it or not, you can use your cell phone to identify a song playing on your car radio. You dial these 10 magic numbers and hold the phone near the speaker for 15 seconds. The service will I.D. your song using its 2.5 MILLION-tune database.

After the song is identified, you’ll receive a text message containing the name of the tune . . . and a $0.99 charge on your monthly bill. Of course, if you find yourself continually trying to “name that tune," you can pay $3.99/month for unlimited song IDs. For a music fanatic like myself, that’s not a bad deal.

•Visit this next website to use your cell phone to save a life: Wireless AMBER Alerts. According to the blog lifehacker.com, the first three hours after a child is abducted are the most critical in recovery efforts.

Now with Wireless AMBER Alerts, you enter your phone number and up to five ZIP codes (so the service knows which alerts to send you).

When an AMBER Alert is issued for your area, you’ll receive a text message including the child’s description, where he/she was last seen and any relevant vehicle data. This service is free of charge.

•Finally, you’ll want this handy number stored in your cell phone: 112. According to one blog, the emergency number worldwide for mobile phones is 112. If you’re out of the coverage area of your mobile network, and you face an emergency, dial 112. Your cell phone will search any existing network to establish an emergency number for you.

Now that you’ve found more uses for your cell, why don’t you give it a whirl?

John
Email: johnsblog@teshmedia.com

Comments

[Alex Graves]

Hi, John. I did saved the 1-800 number on my cell and used already to find a good movie to enjoy with my mom tomorrow sunday 7/6. Thank you very much....

[Kimberley]

I didn't know about the tune database number - that's pretty cool. I have another tip for cellphone users.

If you need to time something, such as the commute to a location, use your phone's call log to your advantage. I do this by doing the following: As I leave, I use speed dial to call my voicemail, then hang up. When I get to my destination, I repeat this process. I can then look at my phone's call log and see the time I started and the time I reached my destination.

This method can also be handy when you need to time something, but must remain inconspicuous while doing so. Any mystery shoppers out there? This tip is great for timing the wait in line, how long a transaction takes, etc. If you are handy at navigating your phone's keys by touch, you can hit the speed dial and end keys while the phone's in your pocket and no one's the wiser. You can just check your call log later and see all the start and stop times.

[Kanina]

Hi John!
Thanks so much for the intelligent info on cell phones! I will be programing mine and my mother's cell phones RIGHT NOW!
Kanina

[Dylan]

Whoa...This is cool I like a bunch of songs on the radio I don't know and I could use this, Thanks John!

Dylan