Things You Never Knew Your Cell Phone Could Do.

[jrae]

THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW YOUR CELL PHONE COULD DO.

There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies. Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it:

FIRST Subject: Emergency

The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile; network and there is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it out.

SECOND Subject: Locked out

Have you locked your keys in the car? Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone.

If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock. Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other "remote" for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the trunk).

Editor's Note: It works fine! We tried it out and it unlocked our car over a cell phone!"

THIRD Subject: Hidden Battery Power

Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370# your cell will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell next time.

FOURTH How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?

To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following digits on your phone: * # 0 6 #

A 15 digit code will appear on the screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe.

When your phone gets stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.

And Finally.... FIFTH

Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411 information calls when they don't have to. Most of us do not carry a telephone directory in our vehicle, which makes this situation even more of a problem. When you need to use the 411 information option, simply dial: (800) FREE 411, or (800) 373-3411 without incurring any charge at all. Program this into your cell phone now.

[Copper51]

Interesting, I've never heard of those.

[Jackalope]

These are not entirely true. Sorry.

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/cellphones.asp

[BabyGirl]

Will all of these things work on any cell phone no matter who you get your phone service from?

[lynnz05]

I tried the battery one and the serial number one and neither of them worked on my phone

[BEB]

I was surprised the free 411 was for real.

Still, I'm done with cell phones once the local network shuts my analog one off. Sure my 1994 Motorola can't take pictures, text message, play mp3s, play Tetris, browse the internet, play movies, display my movements via GPS for authorities or anyone else with twenty bucks to spend, display a photo album, be turned on remotely so I can be listened in on, let me know I have email or sing "Play that Funky Music Whiteboy" as a ring tone. Also, it lacks the ability to cost me $300 every time it gets dropped, thrown or used as an ice-scraper. God how I love the way Motorola used to make things.

What it does do is give smooth, echo free sound, and real time quality of connection audio indicators. (static is your friend, silence is a dropped call) The phone part seems to be of little importance with most cellphones these days.

/rant

[BabyGirl]

I've heard that if you need to be found, that you can be tracked from GPS built into your cell phone. Is that true?

[Michelle]

I'll have to try them out on my Tracfone.

I know that 911 will work on all phones without service on. The station I use to volunteer with use to take cell phone donations and give them to seniors to use just for the purpose of having a backup emergency phone for 911.

[BEB]

I've heard that if you need to be found, that you can be tracked from GPS built into your cell phone. Is that true?

Tis true if your cellphone has GPS. Someone correct me if I'm wrong here, but I believe the FCC requires GPS to be part of all new phones sold in the US.

If you're stuck out in the middle of BFE and need help it's great. Most of the time it's harmless, aside from being another battery drain. If it was an optional feature or something you could turn on/off I'd be for it, but I'm not one for being forced to give up my location. Do I think some rogue cop is going to misuse the system and break down my door? Not a worry in the world about that. That doesn't mean I trust the government as a whole, or the cellular companies.

As I alluded to, it's not just the 911 operator who can get access to that information. Parents can sign up for services to track their kids. Sounds good, right? Until John Q Predophile poses as a parent and uses it to stalk a kid. Just one example.

[BabyGirl]

I was just wondering that cause say you go off the road into the woods in a really rural place, and someone is expecting you, can they give police your cell phone number and be able to find you.

[Willowdared]

Something you should do with your cell phone....program ICE and ICE2 into your phone, with your Emergency Contact info....very easy for any First Responder to locate a contact for you.

[BabyGirl]

What is ICE and ICE2?

[JLK]

I in
C case of
E emergency

[Willowdared]

I in
C case of
E emergency

What he said....ICE2 is simply a second contact person.

[10-42Adam]

Somebody at work was just telling me about some of those. Interesting but has anybody here ever tried any of them?

[foxxymomma50]

The One That Didnt Work For My Phone Was The Extra Battery Power. All The Other Ones Worked! Suprisingly

[KaiGywer]

I knew about the emergency and the *#06# code. I don't know about the other ones though, seem fishy.

[Buttercup]

I knew about the emergency and the *#06# code. I don't know about the other ones though, seem fishy.

Check out the snopes link that Jackalope posted.