With the recent introduction of Windows Phone 7, the leaders in the the Cell Phone OS market (RIM, Android, and Apple) have all taken notice and it seems as if the competition may be making it better for the consumer at the end. Android is currently leading the race with about a third of the market share. Here’s a look at Google’s Android and their rise to the top.

Related posts:

1. Why Google Android Matters
2. How the Cell Phone Wars Are Great for Consumers

With the technological advancements in cell phone technology, it almost seems as if people have their cell phones super glued to their hands. Here’s a quick rundown on the statistics behind one of our most precious personal possessions.

Related posts:

1. How Cell Phones Are Being Utilized For The Busy Traveler
2. 4 Generations of Cell Phones

With more and more people text messaging, it’s not wonder phone usage to make a voice call has been on the decline. When someone picks up their phone it’s far more likely they are going to text rather than make a call. And because of this, we’ve grown accustomed to a whole new language text messaging has created. Here are some more facts about text messaging.

Related posts:

1. Top 5 Reasons to Text
2. 9 Ways to Decode Your Girlfriend's Text Message

Ringtones are a way to customize your mobile phone experience. You can download popular music, funny sounds or other ringtone files to alert you of phone calls, text messages and other activity on your cell phone. If you are looking to move past the stock ringtones that come with your mobile phone, this is a great list of resources. Here you will find hundreds of hit songs, unique songs and other sounds that you can download and use on your mobile devices.

1. Xtreme Ringtones: Offers a variety of ringtones for free download.
2. Music Juzz: Each blog post offers a new song review, mp3 and ringtone.
3. Gumball Tech: A collection of 69 ringtones intended for the iPhone.
4. Free Ringtones FYI: Advertises itself as truly free and cool ringtones.
5. Marco Barisione’s Weblog: Custom ringtones for the contacts on your phone.
6. Free Ringtones 365: A ringtone collection that includes lyrics for each tone.
7. The Best Mobile Phone: Download the latest Samsung cell phone ringtones.
8. Zedge: Free ringtones and other downloadable content for your phone.
9. Windows Mobile Power User: 5 free ringtones for HTC phones.
10. Apolonia Towers: Phone applications and downloadable ringtones available through this blog.
11. Ringtone Feeder: Offers a variety of different ringtones that are optimized for use on the iPhone.
12. Fun For Mobile – A great site with ringtones, wallpapers and much more.
13. Mobile Toones: Download free Hilary Duff ringtones and a variety of other ringtones here.
14. Tech Shali: This is a resource for Xbox 360 ringtones and other downloadable ringtones.
15. Gratisan Nih: Download dance ringtones for 2010.
16. Pherotones: This blog post offers information on ringtones that attract.
17. Phone Zoo: Offers an ever-growing list of ringtones that you can download.
18. Brinked: An extensive resource for ringtones and other downloadable content.
19. My Tiny Phone: Access to several thousand downloadable ringtones and other content including themes, games and applications for your cell phone.
20. Cell Mind: Free ringtone downloads from a variety of different genres.
21. Mobile 17: Access to downloadable ringtones and the ability to create your own.
22. Mobango Blog: This blog corresponds to a website that offers downloadable ringtone content.
23. Tonzr: A reference for cell phone ringtones and other downloadable media and content.
24. Mobile 9: A resource for free downloadable content, including cell phone ringtones.
25. Tones All: This is a source for non-music ringtones like sound files and comedy ring tones.
26. Mad Ringtones: Offers a variety of downloadable ringtones and a service to create your own ringtones.
27. Social-Bookmarking: Mobile Radio provides free mobile songs and free ringtones for your cell phone. Get all the latest most current songs to set as a ringtone.
28. Blog Converse: Download ringtones and songs from “You’re It.”
29. Euro Tuner: Royal Purple cell phone ringtones.
30. Cool Ringtones: This blog offers information on ringtones and downloadable ringtone content.
31. Ringtone Winners: A comprehensive resource for downloadable ringtones.
32. Audiko – Another site offering all kinds of free ringtones to pimp out your phone.
33. Akon Online: Offers downloadable Akon ringtones.
34. Tum Tube: Offering ringtone and ringtone video downloads.
35. 1 Ph0ne: Wallpapers and ringtones intended for the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS.
36. Mobiles 5: Another comprehensive resource for ringtones on the internet.
37. Today Gadgets: A list of sources for ringtones and ringtone creation software options.
38. Mosquito Ringtones: A resource for ringtones that adults supposedly cannot hear but younger individuals can.
39. Tehk Seven: A source of free ringtones, themes and wallpapers for any phone.
40. Blogote: Download free ringtones for the iPhone.
41. Lifestyle Phone: Free funny and cool ringtones for Nokia cell phones.
42. This Android Life: Adding custom ringtones to your Android phone.
43. Mobile Phone Blog: An in depth resource for all things cell phone related, including cell phone ringtones.
44. Send Me Mobile: Offers a blog with a variety of ringtone downloads available.
45. Tone This: This website and blog offer a wealth of downloadable ringtone content.

Image by Mike Licht

Related posts:

1. 51 Blogs That Offer App Reviews and Best Apps for Smartphones
2. 54 of the Best Blogs Offering Cell Phone Reviews

There is a variety of apps you can get for your smart phone, and some of these are useful while others are just fun. Games are also popular to download, and the amounts of different games are staggering. Many have cheats you can use to make playing them easier and they can be found from a variety of sources. Here are some of the more interesting apps, games, and cheats you can add to your own cell phone.

Apps

1. Born Techie:  For all phones, this app lets you remotely access and command your computer.

2. Ends:  Some of the best free android apps that users love.

3. Vision prescription:  In the future, you may be able to get eyeglass prescriptions.  This shows the new technology coming from MIT that may soon be hitting smart phone users soon.

4. Android Zoom:  Park anywhere and remember with this Android app.

5. Mom Central:  Keep an eye on your kid virtually with a family locator app.

6. Why So Blu?:  Movies get into the act.  Despicable Me has a translator for the aliens, and this may happen in even more movies.

7. NW Autos:  Several apps lock the phone to keep teens safe while they are driving.

8.  Redmond Pie:  An app that shows the cell phone towers in your area, so you can make sure you always have the best coverage.

9. The Internet Patrol:  Apps can even help you get a divorce.

10. Gizmo Watch:  An app that will check your vision for cheap.

11. Gay Boomer Post:  An iPhone app that gives you a prescription for your eye care.

12. Defender Network:  You can now deposit checks with an app and a camera, saving you trips in to the bank.

13. Fun Times Guide:  iPhone apps for everything baby.  These give the parents the tools for expectant moms to know everything about their pregnancy and baby.

14. Work On Internet:  Now you can send faxes with your smart phone.

15. Area Cell Phone:  10 of the best Android Apps for 2010.

16. Cell Phone Plans:  You may be at risk for your information b being sent to third parties.  Find out the risks and why.

17. Android Phone Themes:  Some of the best Android apps that you can get on your phone.

18. Apartments:  A review of some of the best Android apps, and how well they work.

19. Financial Highway:  Top 10 apps that can save you money by having them.

20. Touring Plans:  Disney is developing an app that lets you check the wait times of lines at their theme parks.

21. Kevdo:  They review the weird app “Pull my finger”.

22. Blog Me:  A funny look at what happens when apps fail.

23. iPhone Spies:  A top list of some of the strangest apps you can get for the iPhone.

24. Weird Worm:  More top weird apps.  This one includes an interactive voodoo doll, and a paranormal reader.

25. Bayou Renaissance Man:  Looks at some of the more usual iPhone apps with screen shots and videos.

26. Lauren Weinstein:  Gives a view of why some apps are censored and others are allowed through.

Games

27. Game Mobile:  Droplitz Delight is one of the newest puzzle games around where you help the misfits get out of the maze.

28. Minigames 2 Go:  Reviews the Prince of Persia on the mobile platform.

29. Androids Talk:  How to download the games to an Android.

30. Jamster:  Has some of the best smart phone games that you can find on the web.

31. 2 Million Blog:  Free games that you can get to your phone that are fun.

32. Honey Tech Blog: A list of the top 10 games that you can get for free.

33. Glu:  Reviews some of the latest, and best, games that come out on the mobile platform.

34. Me and My Drum:  A list of some of the best free cell phone games that you can get.

35. Thumb Lounge:  A free casino game for the iPhone, with reviews and links.

36. Mahjong Wall:  A review of the Mahjong Wall game for the iPhone.  It was designed for those that love the game, but need to do it in shorter periods of time.

37. Mobile Fun Stuff:  Go old school and play the old Atari favorites on the game pad for the G1.

38. Gadget Game And Cell Phones:  A review of the Need for Speed on the mobile platform.

39.  Arcade Hopper:  They offer the best free multiplayer shooting game and review.

40. Art Of The iPhone:  The best 50 games that you can get for the iPhone that are free.

41. Top 10 Lists:  The best 10 iPhone games you can get for free.

42. Simply Free iPhone:  Some more of the best free iPhone games. These feature some of the news games on the market.

43. Software Olive:  Some of the best 25 games complete with screenshots.

44.  The Appera:  A review of Spartan Hero and Bubblegum.  Both are available for free to the iPhone.

45. Save Delete:  The best 4 word games are reviewed.

46.  Gamer FAQs:  A review of the Facility screens, with screen shots of game play.

Cheats

47. iSmash Phone:  Offers tips, tricks and cheats for many of the games on the iPhone mobile platform.

48. Perivision:  Cheats for the Sims on the iPhone.

49. Video Games Blogger:  Tips, tricks and cheats for Angry Birds.

50. Cheatbot:  Many cheat codes for the iPhone games.

51. iPhone Cheat Sheet:  Many cheats and tips for some of the best games available for this phone.

Image by andrewcurrie

Related posts:

1. 51 Blogs That Offer App Reviews and Best Apps for Smartphones
2. NeuroSky to offer brain-controlled mobile phone apps

Cell phones have come a long way since the very first cell phone appeared on the market. That was back in the 80’s and the units themselves were huge, bulky, and I imagine the reception was horrendous. Now we have all types of fancy phones on the market, and smart phones are beoming the most popular of all because of what they are capable of. One of the main things that are making smart phones so popular are the millions of apps available between the many different phone operating systems. Here are some great sites and blogs that discuss and review apps for all platforms.

Best Apps – This blog features reviews for iPhone and Android apps.

iPhone App Reviews – This blog  has a list of the best NFL themed apps for the iPhone.

Best Windows Mobile Apps – This blog reviews and rates Windows mobile apps.

148Apps – This blog reviews and rates app for the iPad and iPhone.

Zath – This blog features ratings, reviews, and descriptions for the 11 best Android apps.

The Daily App Show – This blog posts weekly reviews for featured apps for iPhone, iPad and Android.

Best Android Apps – This blog has a section specifically for the top rated apps for Android devices.

Appboy Blog – This blog features a list of must-have iPhone photo applications.

AppSafari – This blog lists its’ picks for top 25 rated iPhone applications.

Recombu – This blog describes what they think is the must-have app for the Android ever.

Navigation Apps – This blog offers reviews of navigation applications for iPhone, Blackberry and Android.

4Square App – This blog reviews foursquare and how it is revolutionizing applications for all smartphones.

Best Apps iPhone – This blog offers video reviews on all different genres of iPhone apps.

Lansing Rocks – This blog reviews a popular music app for the iPhone.

CIO Insight – The top 9 Android apps every CIO should be using.

TeknoNot – This blog reviews what they believe is the best all in one camera app for the iPhone.

Everything iCafe – This blog has a weekly feature of the best apps that users have to offer for the iPhone.

Econsultancy – This blog reviews which of the apps that you pay for or those you get for free are the best iPhone apps available.

Technama – The top 15 best iPhone 4.0 apps and must-haves.

The APPera – This is a review blog that posts screen shots, live play, and ratings of iPhone game applications.

SlapApp – This blog has hundreds of reviews for all different types of applications for the iPhone and iPad.

BlackBerry Leaks – This blog gives reviews and has a forum for user discussion about Blackberry apps.

TechAlps – This is a blog review of a great personal training application for Android.

CNet – This blog reviews applications for a variety of smartphones including iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry.

Phone Blog – This blog lists reviews for different types of Android applications.

Gizmodo’s Best Apps – This blog lists weekly reviews of the best mobile apps for iPhone, Android, and iPad.

Fresh Apps – This blog lists the top 5 best iPhone apps for healthcare and fitness.

Expert Reviews – This blog gives readers a list of the top 10 paid for android apps.

App Advice – This blog offers top 1- ? lists for different interests and occupations for the iPhone.

Crazy Mike’s Apps – This blog has very detailed reviews of many different types of iPhone applications.

Android News and Apps – Lots of great info about apps for Android.

Top Tech Reviews – This blog offers insight for the best google Android applications.

3hree Things – This blog lists essential iPhone apps for traveling musicians.

Droid Life – Thos blog has weekly application reviews only for the Android.

The Smartphone Hub – This blog reviews iPhone apps, ringtones, and much more.

Genius Geeks – This blog offers readers a list for the top 10 best Android applications monthly.

Four Square apps – The top 10 foursquare apps for the Android.

Today’s Review – This blog lists the top 100 best free apps for your Android, iPhone, WebOS, and Blackberry.

Max Gladwell’s GeoLocation App Reviews – This blog reviews geolocation apps and why they are so popular now.

Retrevo – This blog recommends the 10 best ten dollar or less apps  for summer for iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and Palm.

Supercharge Your Smartphone – This blog gives tips for the best apps to get the most use and performance from your smartphone.

Mobile App America – The blog lists the best movie tie-in game apps for iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, and Android.

My Bank Tracker – This blog is a guide to the best mobile banking apps for smartphones.

iPhone Apps for Moms – This blog lists the best iPhone applications for moms.

Facebook on Android – This blog reviews which Facebook app stands above the rest for the Android smartphone.

REbliss – This blog features the top 10 smartphone applications for real estate road warriors.

Best Android Games – This blog lists reviews of the best Android game applications.

Wireless Zone – This blog reviews what is hailed as the best and smartest of the smartphone applications for driving.

Drivesafe.ly – This blog reviews one of the best Android travel apps.

TFTS – This blog features reviews for iPhone apps specifically for those planning on traveling Europe.

Image credits

Related posts:

1. 54 of the Best Blogs Offering Cell Phone Reviews
2. 51 Cell Phone Sites – Apps, Games, and Cheats

Purchasing a new cell phone or switching to a different plan is a big decision. Not only do you need to make sure you like the phone, but it is important the company you choose has good service, and excellent coverage. Researching phones online before you choose which one you want to buy is imperative to making the right decision. If you do the research, the chances are better you will be satisfied with your choice.

1. Mobile Whack: A blog that covers the latest cell phone trends, and has reviews of various phones.
2. The Best Mobile Phone: This site covers cell phone tips, reviews and news. They also cover all the latest iPhone apps.
3. Hot Cellular Phone: Reviews of various types of cell phones and all of the latest news in cell phone technology.
4. 3D For Smartphones Coming, Lose Those Glasses: Learn which Smartphones are adding #D to their ongoing list of things a Smartphone can do.
5. Mobile Phone, Cell Phone News, Specs and Reviews: An entire blog dedicated to up-to-date cell phone information.
6. Cell Phones  Market: The latest news on all things happening in the cell phone world.
7. Sprint Offers Free Wireless Service in Nine States: Articles talk about Sprint’s new plan to offer free cell service in nine different states for people who can’t afford a cell phone.
8. Rugged Mobile Phones Made to Last: Article about “tough phones” that have a higher durability for those that are hard on cell phones.
9. 1Part Palm Pre, 1PartDroid: What is This Weird Droid Branded Portrait Slider? Article about a photo that was leaked in Korea detailing a up and coming new cell phone.
10. Blackberry Curve 8900 Phone, Black AT&T: Blog post giving the phone description and features.
11. Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 Cell Phone Review: Blog post review of the Sony Ericsson Xperia X10 cell phone.
12. Death Grip on iPhone 4: Verizon Blackberry 9650 Test: Article detailing how the signal bars drop on the Blackberry if held a certain way.
13. I Hate My Cell Phone, and Why I Want an Android Phone: Story about a guy who doesn’t like the phone he has and his mission to get an Android phone.
14. Sick of Phone Calls: Person who hates her cell phone.
15. What’s the Highest Cell Phone Bill You’ve Ever Paid: Person describes how shocked they were to get a cell phone bill totaling over $85k.
16. Verizon Driod X Unboxing and Mini-Review, the Sprint Ego Killer: Person unboxes the Verizon Droid X and gives their opinion on it.
17. Monthly Expenses: Is it Worth Living Without a Cell Phone? Detailed account on living without a cell phone.
18. New Cell Phones: Reviews on numerous cell phones, so you have all the latest information.
19. Wireless Zone: Numerous cell phones reviewed on one blog.
20. Low-End Android Phone Motorola WX445 for Verizon Leaked: Get a sneak preview of Verizon’s new android phone.
21. Handspreca Mobile: Cell phone reviews and the latest cell phone news.
22. Motorola Droid X Android Phone:  Review and specs of the Motorola Droid X Android phone.
23. AT&T Samsung Captivate Review: Learn about the Samsung Captivate by AT&T
24. Verizon Phases Out Original Droid, Devour: Article about Verizon phasing out the Motorola Droid and Devour phones.
25. Phandroid: A blog dedicated to android phones.
26. Know Your Cell: Learn all about cell phones, troubleshooting, reviews and more.
27. Droid X or iPhone 4? Guy compares the two phones and gives his opinion on both.
28. Apple Looked into Switching the iPhone to Verizon as Early as 2007: Article detailing how Apple considered switching the iPhone to Verizon numerous times because they were frustrated with AT&T.
29. I Hate My Cell Phone: One moms hates her Motorola cell phone and tells all in this blog post.
30. Cell Phone Trek: Find all the latest cell phone news, and reviews of new phones.
31. Verizon Leaks The Droid 2 Again Motorola’s plans for the upcoming year.
32. Aaron’s Motorola Droid X Review: A description of this man’s experience with his Verizon Motorola Droid X.
33. BlueSuitMoms: Working Moms Must Haves: Cell Phones: Descriptions of which cell phones are best for the working mom.
34. Jackpot Slots Turn Your iPhone into a Miniature Slot Machine: Reviews of the new Jackpot Slots for iPhone.
35. How is Apple’s Closed Nature Fostering Innovation: Learn how Apple’s secrecy keeps cell phone technology lagging behind.
36. Motorola Brings Android Charm to T-Mobile: Get a glimpse of Motorola’s new android phone.
37. Music Lovers Will Love Samsung Beat Techno: Check out all the features of the Samsung Beat Techno.
38. T-Mobile Samsung Vibrant (Galaxy S) Unboxing and Hardware/Software Tour: Video of a customer unpacking the Samsung Vibrant and reviewing the hardware and software included.
39. Technical Reviews for Windows 7 Phone Are Out; Overall Quite Positive: Read about the latest in cell phone technology, the new  cell phones that support Windows 7 technology.
40. Apple iPhone 4 Review: Get information on Apple’s latest iPhone release.
41. Mobility Digest: Blog that discusses windows phones, Blackberry, iPhone and the Droid.
42. Hello Kitty: Here is a review for the Hello Kitty C90 phone.
43. Bloggers View: One blogger shares why they love their cell phone.
44. I love my phone: Here why this blogger loves her new cell phone.
45. Pretty in Pink: Customers share why they love this perfectly pretty phone.
46. Emily’s phone: Emily shares why she loves her new Sony phone.
47. LG Rumor: See why everyone who is getting this phone loves it and the features it offers.
48. Droid Review: One blogger shares their view of the new Droid.
49. Why I love my phone: One blogger shares why they love their phone and what they love about it.
50. Gadgets: A blogger reviews phones and other gadgets that help increase productivity.
51. Samsung Captivate: Best Android Phone on AT&T Review: Read about the Samsung Captivate to see why users love this phone.
52. Dual OS T5353 Review – The First Google Android and Windows Mobile 6.5 WiFi GPS Smart Phone: The first Google Android phone running on a Windows-based system.
53. Smartphone Review: All the latest news about Smartphones.

Related posts:

1. 51 Blogs That Offer App Reviews and Best Apps for Smartphones
2. Five New Cell Phones You Need To Keep On Your Radar

Cell phones have had a huge impact on the world.  People in countries with no running water are able to keep in touch with others thanks to cellular technology and there are over 4 billion cell phones in use around the world.  As of 4 years ago, 1,000 new users were added every minute.  That’s insane.  So with all those phones, it’s no surprise that, despite the advantages, there are a couple of downsides as well.

1) Keeping tabs

When you got your first cell phone, you were probably pretty excited about being able to get ahold of whoever you wanted, whenever you wanted.  No more waiting around to call someone at a certain time, and no more missing important calls either.  That’s the freedom of a cell phone.  And then, likely within a day, you realized why that’s not such a great idea.

When you just had your land line, if you wanted to ignore people, you were free to do it.  Now that you have a cell phone, no one ever understands why you don’t answer calls.  “I was out,” will never again be an acceptable excuse.  Cell phones forced us all to make up new and novel excuses for getting off the phone.  “My battery is dying” or “I had it turned off” are likely the favorites, but there are many others we’ve had to craft to try to assuage the guilt of having the freedom to talk anywhere, but just not wanting to.

Sure, most people will be content to leave a message, but we all know that one person who will call and call and call and then demand an explanation for why you didn’t pick up.  For future reference, “I was at the movies,” “I was in a hospital” and “Craziest thing, it just wouldn’t let me answer.  Damn phones,” are also decent excuses.

Likewise, having a cell phone means you have no excuses for not making those calls.  If you have someone who expects you to check in regularly, whether that be parents, a spouse or a weird roommate, you have to constantly be on your toes coming up with reasons for why you just couldn’t take a couple of minutes.  Freedom is never free.

2) Awful ads/scams

Technology and exploitation of that technology go hand in hand.  Every time someone thinks of a new way to connect with people, someone else thinks of a way to annoy those people while they try to make a buck.  Sometimes this is called advertising.  Sometimes it’s a scam.  Sometimes it’s both.

Before you had a cell phone, you probably never would have conceived of the idea of paying someone a dollar to call you on the phone and tell you a joke.  Or give you your horoscope.  Or the latest scores from the world of golf.  But you can do it now, just text “dude, seriously?” to 345001 and in no time you’ll have all the latest polar bear jokes on your phone.  Service costs $4.99, must be 18 or older, sponsored by ScamTel, scamming you since 2006.

Of course, those ads still require your participation before they can annoy you.  Not so with many scams, like say some industrious criminal decides to clone your phone.  It never happened to grandma’s old rotary phone, but your phone can be copied exactly and used to make calls to Senegal while you’re sleeping.  Or maybe your air time is just sold to someone else, and at the end of the month you get your bill and it’s a few thousand dollars more than you’d anticipated.  This is all thanks to someone else finding out what your electronic serial number and phone number are, and programming them into a second phone.  Since the system can’t tell them apart, it just bills everything to you.

3) Ringtones

There was a time when the idea of being able to customize your own ring tone was the greatest thing ever.  Man invented fire, the wheel, then ringtones.  Those were the big three.  Who wouldn’t want to be alerted to a call to the sounds of AC/DC?  That’s awesome.  Unfortunately, ringtones were all stored in a wicked Pandora’s Box of despair that has since spiraled out of control.

It’s almost impossible to spend any significant amount of time in public – at a sporting event, out shopping, at a restaurant, and not be besieged by ringtones.  And make no mistake, the rest of the public at large did not choose Back in Black for their ringtone.  Oh no.  They chose Crazy Frog.  They chose Celine Dion.  They chose the sound of an asthmatic trying to breathe.

For every enjoyable ringtone, there’s 10 horrible midi files or random auditory poltergeists ready to assault your ears whenever you dare tread into a crowded space, and it’s been proven by science that the person in the room with the most annoying ringtone will be the person who gets the highest volume of calls.

Thanks to stunning technological advances, people are more than capable of recording their own ringtones as well, adding the sounds of family greetings or hilarious audio skits to the world of ringtones and making all the rest of us long for the days messenger pigeons.

4) Terrible customer service

Everyone who owns a cell phone has at least one story of how awful customer service was.  Everyone.  In fact, it’s highly probably that if you were to fully read the terms of your contract, you’d see somewhere in there a clause that stipulates the company is required to give you abysmal service, either because they think it’s funny, or because it’s easier than doing a good job.  Whatever the reason, it happens to everyone.  But how bad is it?

According to this site, Verizon misquotes rates 93% of the time.  That’s statistically amazing.  It really is.  To be wrong 93% of the time requires you to actually go out of your way to be wrong.

Other reports list Sprint and AT&T as tops for poor service.  Sprint actually came in last for customer service in an MSN money survey, while AT&T has a habit of providing poor connectivity, static and dropped calls, especially for the iPhone.  They’ve also denied Google Voice and have included a clause in their contracts disallowing people to join class action lawsuits.  You know something’s afoot when you have to agree to not sue someone before you get involved with them.

The internet is bogged down with thousands upon thousands of stories ranging from simply rude customer service reps to companies sending out payment reminders even before service has started and non-existent service they still get billed for.  There are as many problems are there are people writing about them, so why do so many people bother?  Because we’ve become so reliant on cell technology that we’re willing to put up with ridiculous contracts that force us to pay insane fees for texting and data and abhorrent service in the hopes that we’ll eventually find something that we can tolerate.  And the companies know that.  Jerks.

5) Worthless applications

Sometimes technology is its own worst enemy.  Look at the old phone you had when you were a kid, how many games could you play with it?  At best, you could make prank phone calls.  And then one day call display ruined that.  Technology advanced and you suffered for it.

When cell phones first came out, they were phones.  Pretty much you could dial out talk or receive a call and talk. That was it.  But then they started advancing in great leaps and bounds and one day you probably found yourself playing Frogger on your phone for 30 minutes while you waited for an important call and when the call finally came your battery died because you were using your phone to play Frogger.  And that was a pain in the butt.  But now, oh man.  Now it’s so much worse.

Thanks to the iPhone, which officially has one bajillion applications, you don’t even need to make phone calls to spend all day on the phone.  There’s an iPhone app that just pretends to be beer.  Like it looks like a beer and if you tip your phone it looks like you’re  drinking or pouring out beer. That’s all it does.  There are game apps, trivia apps, you can listen to music, you can watch videos, there’s even a harmonica app so you can sorta play synth harmonica music.  You can waste your entire day, and your battery life, and have accomplished not one single noteworthy thing whatsoever.  Plus you can pay a fortune to get all those apps only to wake up one night in a cold sweat when you realize that you’ve basically just made Facebook a portable device you can never get away from.  Do you want to carry FarmTown with you everywhere you go?  Is that the life you envision for yourself?

As with ringtones, you may be able to avoid all the junk out there and maybe your iPhone only has useful applications that are actually helpful to your every day life, but we’re positive not a day goes by when you’re not inundated with requests and suggestions for horrible new applications you can’t even conceive of wanting.  Technology, long thought to make our lives easier, just wants to make your life more pointless.

6) Terrible movie plot device

A good example

The cellular phone has changed movies forever.  Or it should have.  Instead it made filmmakers recognize a problem and then crap all over it.

Say it’s 1975.  You’re a hiker.  You and four friends who are attractive albeit with terrible hairstyles and clothing due to the year are on your way to your uncle’s cabin.  Sure, the locals back in town mentioned how these woods are haunted, but nuts to them, you’re having a party weekend.  And as you trudge through the forest, you run afoul of a family of inbred killers.  Again.  Damn!  So you need to spend the rest of the movie losing friends one by one as you attempt to get to the cabin and call for help.

Say it’s 2010.  You’re a hiker.  You and four friends who are attractive albeit jerkoffs because every horror movie features at least three people who are just begging to be taught a lesson, and then maybe two decent characters and you’re on your way to your uncle’s cabin when you run afoul of the second generation of inbred killers.  So you all pull out your phones and call or text the authorities, your family, you update your Twitter account to let everyone know you found inbred killers and you change your Facebook status to “stuck in woods with inbred killers, be back Sunday night! Peace!”  The cops arrive in short order and later that night you order a pizza.  At least that’s how it should happen.

Filmmakers know we have cell phones and understand how the use of a cell phone ruins the plot of about 90% of horror or suspense movies.  So what to do?  Just make them not work.  Like flashlights in horror movies, cell phones become notoriously unreliable the second you need them.  The battery dies, they get left in the glove box despite the fact no one ever puts them there, or there’s just no signal.  And no signal would have been plausible, about 10 years ago.  Now, unless you’re camping in a fallout shelter, there’s very little excuse for not having a signal no matter where you are. And yes, you can get a signal in the Arctic.

Time was, a crazed killer would just cut the phone line and that was a reasonable plot device for cutting off a character from the outside world.  Now the crazed killer has to down a couple of towers or set up a jamming station if he wants to cut people off, and that just seems unreasonable.  Sadly, few movies have managed to work a reasonable way around this problem in plotting, but we can hope that in the future we’re going to see masked men with machetes who also carry laptops so they can hack the Verizon network and shut it down for an hour or two.  Until that time, we, as audiences, are stuck with scenarios we saw coming miles away that eternally ask us to believe only one guy brought a phone and it’s not getting a signal, all the time.

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How many cell phones have you owned so far? And how many more do you think you will buy? For many people, these numbers are large. The lifespan of a new phone is short and many old phones end up in landfills or just sitting around in junk drawers. There are many reasons and opportunities to recycle unwanted cell phones, however, very few people actually do it. When it’s time for your next upgrade, consider helping the environment by recycling, and you may also help a person in desperate need of a phone get one of their own.

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As is the case with many after-markets, the cell phone accessories market is booming, and outpacing the sale of handsets. Cases, clips, batteries and chargers, handsfree devices, memory cards and other items to enhance and customize the look and usage of cell phones have proven to be big business. Here is a head-to-head look at the cell phone market vs. the cell phone accessories market.

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