Tips and tricks for your mobile device
You don't always need a fancy cell phone or pricey add-ons to take advantage of today's most useful wireless technology. CNN.com asked experts in the mobile field how users can make the most of what the devices have to offer. or plugging in -- your laptop to your mobile device will allow your computer to use the phone's connection for the Internet. It's a tool that often gets overlooked, Silva says, but it can connect you at speeds comparable to a DSL or cable modem line. In the absence of a laptop you can enhance the Web experience on the phone itself by disabling style sheets or java script. The operations are processor intensive, Silva says, making them difficult for a cell phone to handle. startclickprintexclude--> For example, Broida says, you can e-mail a co-worker or your entire sales team, all while your hands are on the wheel of your car. You can also dictate a reminder that Jott will send you in an e-mail and text message, or use in conjuction with other Web services, such as Google Calendar or Blogger. Services such as SimulScribe and the U.K.-based SpinVox will save you the trouble of listening to your voice mail by transcribing the voice messages and sending them to you in text form. Similarly, voice recognition software on your smart phone lets you speak into the phone and have that message show up on a computer it's synced with, says Sean Ryan, analyst for market research firm IDC. but not CDMA phones -- use SIM cards, which carry your user information. Rather than renting an entirely new phone abroad, you can rent a SIM card and stick that into your existing phone, Ryan says. But he warns that you will need a new card for every country you visit because roaming agreements vary. And with each new card, you'll get a different phone number. Without GSM, you would need a world phone to keep your existing phone and number while you're abroad. The world phone can roam on both the GSM and CDMA networks, allowing CDMA carriers to work around the technology's limitations, Ryan says. To curb your roaming costs, try to turn off your smart phone's data connection whenever you can, Ryan says. You're charged by the kilobit when you're roaming, so receiving a slew of e-mails or a stream of information from the Internet can rack up a hefty charge, he says. or even insecure. For those with a smart phone that's synced to a corporate e-mail account, an information technology administrator has the ability to remotely wipe the lost phone clean of data and lock it, Ryan says. He also suggests protecting your smart phone with a password. While you will be able to answer voice calls, your device will be otherwise unusable without a code if it's been idle for a certain amount of time. To make it easier to retrieve your phone, Broida suggests using a lost-and-found service. With services such as Stuffbak and TrackItBack, you tag your phone with the company's sticker and then register it. If someone finds it, the sticker will direct that person to the Web site and phone number. The service will do its best to reunite you with your lost phone. |
