Every generation is presented with new technologies of which the previous generation would and, in all likelihood, could never have imagined.  With the realization of each new idea arrives a more efficient and easier method of performing a common task.  While the basic premise behind this process of simplification is good, for those who do not know how to make it work for them it is useless (worthless).  The newest generations have no problem with figuring out how to make these gadgets work for them.  But if you are in your thirties or above, chances are you are either asking your children to figure it out for you and then show you how to do it or you are just using the basic functions you can figure out on your own.  So for those of you who could use a quick reference guide for how to make your cell phone work for you, here it is.  Enjoy these tips, tricks and hacks which will allow you to finally enjoy all of the capabilities of your cell phone.

1.      Mobile Web: Internet access anywhere anytime is a great opportunity to perform       certain tasks while you are out running errands or even on your lunch or break at work.  Most mobile phone service providers offer a plan which includes internet service.  It is generally not fiscally responsible to access the internet on your phone if you don’t have a plan unless you don’t mind the astronomical cell phone bill you will receive.  With mobile web you can read and send email, sign up for mobile banking services where you can pay bills and transfer funds, and you can check the weather or bet directions.

2.    Speed it up. Mobile web is inarguable a highly valuable asset for business and domestic purposes.  But the speed of the web pages you access through your cell phone are often poor quality compared to what is available on your desktop or laptop.  The InfoGin company offers a solution.  The company offers a service which improves the quality of the content from the web pages you receive and the speed at which you receive it.  Though you may need to perform an extra step or two to if you want to route your service through InfoGin, the extra time and actions will be well worth the effort.  You may need to load the portal and enter your web addresses through the InfoGin portal.  But if time and quality are important to you, it may not be too much of an issue.

3. Unlock your phone. Many service providers lock your phone so that you cannot obtain service on that particular cell phone through any other provider.  For those who do not know how to tell if their phone is locked, just put a sim card from another provider into your phone and turn it on.  If you get any type of message stating the phone cannot access service, your phone is locked.  What benefit is there to unlocking your phone?  If your phone is locked, you cannot access service with any other provider. This can be especially frustrating if you are traveling and trying to avoid roaming charges or if you have a good cell phone you still want to use and want to switch your service to a different provider.

4. Get the service provider code. To unlock your phone, you must have a code from the service provider or the phone manufacturer.  You can contact your service provider and ask their customer service representative to provide you with the unlock code, but they may be less than cooperative.  Your other option is to check out one of the sites which offer unlock codes or remote unlock services for a relatively cheap price.  You just enter the code into your phone and voila.  You can then use your phone to get service from any provider you choose without having to purchase a new phone and a new phone number.  You can purchase a sim card to be used when traveling out of your country of residence and avoid the insanely expensive phone bills.

5. Debranding your phone will remove the logos, images, themes, profiles and other predefined memory hogging items placed on your cell phone by the manufacturer and/or service provider.  When you debrand your phone, you can increase your available memory and rid your phone of locks which prevent you from being able to obtain free ringtones and images from other providers.

6. Firmware upgrades. When you purchase your cell phone you do so with the understanding that a newer, more advanced software version will be introduced afterwards.  Though you know this will inevitably occur, it doesn’t prevent the frustration you feel when you see all of the features and additional benefits offered on the newer version.  Firmware upgrades will allow you to access and load the newer version of the software onto your older cell phone version.  This can be done through a remote server comparable to those which offer the unlocking service.

7. Flashing your cell phone will clear unwanted manufacturer trial games and predetermined themes from your cell phone.  This will provide you with additional memory and save you from having to look at these unwanted items in your menu every time you scan through it.  You can also eliminate cell phone software problems you may be experiencing like a blinking, blue or white screen.  Flashing can be done by remote software and also with hardware.

8. Jailbreaking your iPhone allows you to eliminate the restrictions imposed on tailoring your cell phone to your specifications by your software. It is important that this be done properly and carefully so that no damage is done to the software causing the phone to malfunction.  Though this is a possible risk it is not a common one.  What this process achieves is liberation of sorts.  You can add customized options such as ring tones and wallpapers which are generally restricted on the phones.  Considering the cost of the cell phone itself, you should be able to personalize the phone the way you want.   If you are interested and want to learn to do this, check out this link.

9.Hash codes are mathematical functions which convert a large amount of information into a small index.  In the case of cell phones, hash codes unlock hidden features of your phone.  You can reset your phone to factory settings or turn on voice privacy feature or even check your signal strength.  Hash codes can be specific to a particular phone model or could work on several models but exclude others.  The advantage to using hash codes is that you are able to correct or diagnose certain problems you may be having with your phone due to changes you made or downloads.  Instead of having to send your phone in for repair or buy a new one, you can try one of the hash codes to restore your phone.

10. Free international calls. In the past, if you want to talk to someone across an ocean you should be prepared to pay.  That is until Rebtel and Talkster developed an ad-supported free service to make these once outrageously expensive calls completely free.  The service works by creating local phone numbers for both parties.  One party would call a local number generated for them and the other party would have to hang up the phone and call back to their local number. The call is routed through a VoIP server and is at no cost to either party if completed correctly.

11. Voice to Text. Since we cannot all afford to have a personal assistant like the celebrities or the rich, we have to make due with what is at our disposal.  ReQall is a service which employs voice recognition software to create a text from your voice recording.  The text is sent to you as a reminder or a list of things you need to accomplish or items you need to pick up.  It can work with some calendar software to record events and dates.

12. Use your cell phone as a modem. Some people get free, unlimited internet use with their cell phone and the speed isn’t half bad.  If you are lucky enough to get this service, why would you want to pay for internet service on your desktop or laptop computers when you can use your cell phone as a modem?  There are also times when those of you who do pay for the additional service may not be in the proximity of the network to receive the signal and so you could also benefit from a mobile modem.  This process is referred to as tethering.  Since each cell phone manufacturer has its own unique software and programming, the method used to tether your windows mobile phone may vary based on the type of phone you own.  Before you attempt this process, make sure you have a sufficient data plan to cover the information you will be routing through your mobile phone.  If not, you could be dealing with a massive phone bill.  If you want easy, detailed instructions on how to perform this process the below link will take you directly to the source:  http://grownupgeek.com/how-tether-mobile-phone-laptop. Checking your email on your cell phone can really rack up an expensive bill.  And if you want to add the service to your current cell phone plan, you will find yourself paying an extra $20 a month for the privilege.  Though $20 really isn’t that expensive, it adds up when there are other services you need to have or just want more.  TeleFlip is a mobile email service which allows you to check your email from your cell phone.  You just have the service forward the emails from people you choose to your cell phone.  A text message is sent to your cell phone to which you can respond back with a text message to the email address.

13. Organize your voicemail. There are times when even checking your voicemail messages can be a chore.  So much so that you avoid the task.  Listening to voicemail messages requires quiet and a little bit of time and if you are short on either it can be difficult to accomplish the task.  And then there is the missed call from the person you dread hearing from who you just know left you a message.  Now you can organize your voicemail and even choose who gets to leave a message.  This way you can listen to the important phone calls and disregard those which can be left for later.  YouMail allows you to choose how you get your voicemail messages; phone, email or their web site.  On the YouMail website you will be able to see a list of who called.  You also have the option of adding photos so the person’s photo appears when they call.  YouMail features custom greetings you can tailor to individual callers.  There is even an option which allows you to order the system to hang up on callers who you don’t want leaving a message for you.

14. Go straight to voicemail. At one time or another, we have all attempted to make a phone call with the hopes that the person we were dialing wouldn’t answer.  When the person does answer we awkwardly say something about not expecting them to answer and just intended to leave a voice message.  It is an uncomfortable situation for all involved; they know you didn’t want to talk to them and you know they know it.  Slydial offers an actual escape from this tricky situation.  You dial the Slydial service phone number and it takes you directly to the voicemail system without allowing the phone to ring.  So there is no risk of the person answering your call.

15. Send out invitations. Do you have an event you need to send out invitations for but don’t have the time to spend writing them out?  Or perhaps you just don’t want to unnecessarily sacrifice the life of a tree for your event.  Phonevite is the answer. You can send up to 25 invitations through their service.  Just go to the website and enter the numbers for those you want to invite.  You can then use your cell phone to record your message which will then be sent to all of the phone numbers you entered.  This service doesn’t have to be limited to just parties.  You can use this for any activity for which you need to contact several people regarding the details; a boy scout meeting, a graduation, a sporting event schedule change, even a baptism or confirmation.

16. PayPal Mobile is a great way to send and receive money when it is urgently needed and you cannot get to a Western Union or a bank.  Though you do need to set up an account in advance, it is a security measure which will bring you piece of mind.  You can use text messaging to pay for services you might need as a stranded motorist or when you are traveling. Another option for accepting payments on the go, is the Blackberry credit card processing system from Merchant Warehouse.

17. Play games. Games have become a staple in the mobile device market.  Where once cell phones had one or two games installed on them ready for time of purchase, most cell phones now come with a couple of pre-loaded trial versions of various games.  The idea is to let you try it out with the hope that playing the game will be so enjoyable you will be compelled to purchase it.  But for the fiscally challenged and/or responsible, the extra data charges by the carriers may deter them form purchasing games.  Nokia N-Gage provides an alternative, they are selling their games directly to the handsets and allowing the purchaser to download the game on their PCs then transfer them to the cell phone handset with a USB cord or even with a Bluetooth.  You still pay the charge for the game, but avoid the carrier charges.

18. Alternative Battery Charging. Keeping your battery charged on your cell phone can be a challenge when you are always on the go.  Being away from a power source most of the day and also into the night can take its toll on your power and eventually your battery.  A number of companies have recognized an entrepreneurial opportunity and so have developed and begun selling alternative charge and power sources.  Some of these are specific to the manufacturer.  But you can likely find one for most of the cell phones on the market today.  The PowerStick is an external power supply which acts largely as a power booster for mobile electronics.  The device charges directly from the USB port of your PC.  The iGo charger allows you to charge multiple mobile devices from a single charger.  It has various tips and adapters to adapt to different devices.

19. Less Charging, More Juice. There are a number of similar chargers on the market. GearJuice will charge your cell phone for you three times before it needs to be charged again.  Motorola has even developed a charge pad aptly named WildCharger which allows you to charge by placing your phone on the pad.  You just replace the battery cover of your cell phone with the one provided with the pad and it will facilitate a charge for your cell phone.  There are a number of other mobile charge options on the market and more being developed and improved upon.  Though it may cost a little extra to purchase one of these devices, if you spend a substantial amount of time on the run and find keeping your cell phone charged to be a challenged, it may be a valuable purchase.

20. Use it to study. Your cell phone can be used as a study tool.  Many cell phones are equipped with a voice recorder.  You can record terms you need to memorize onto your phone for play back.  Since you can pause a voice recording, just hit pause before the answer is repeated to allow time for you to give your answer.  Or you can only record the terms and/or questions on your recorder and have the answers written on a piece of paper.  This gives you the opportunity to answer the audio question without worrying you might see the answer before you get a chance to test your knowledge.

21. Never miss an appointment. One of the least used features of any cell phone seems to be the calendar and alarm functions.  These components on your cell phone can be life savers.  Even if you carry a pocket calendar with you or have one pinned to the wall of every building you enter, you are bound to forget something important.  The calendar on your cell phone can hold a schedule of several items for each day.  When you record the event on the calendar you are required to enter a reminder time.  At the prescheduled time, a reminder pops up on your screen guaranteeing you will not miss your event. The alarm feature can be programmed for a specific time each day.  It doesn’t have to be used just for the purpose of a wake up.  The alarm can serve as a reminder of something you have to do everyday around the same time.  For example, do you have to practice a musical instrument or work on a big project?  If so, an alarm will serve as a reminder which will prevent you from inadvertently short changing the time you have to spend on this specific task.

22. Prevent unintentional key pressing. Cell phones generally offer the option of locking your keypad.  Though it may seem like an inconvenience when you are trying to answer your phone quickly or want to make a quick call, it really only takes a couple of extra seconds to unlock.  The benefit of locking your keypad can definitely outweigh the nuisance of having to unlock it in a hurry.  Cell phones are usually carried in a manner conducive to inadvertent button pressing.  Potentially, you could press the button or buttons which open your web browser.  A person with an unlimited plan may not need to worry about this, but if you have a limited plan or don’t have any plan the charges can be astronomical.  Then there is always the possibility of butt dialing which can lead to a conversation being overheard that may have been better off kept private.

23. Conference calls. The three way call option on your cell phone isn’t just a feature added for the benefit of a gaggle of thirteen year old girls.  This feature can also offer a benefit to working adults.  You can use three way calling to initiate a conference call for work.  You can use it to help plan an event or a night out with other people.  It is much easier to discuss the plans all together than to ping pong calls back and forth to nail down the availability and preferences of everyone involved.  If you need to schedule, reschedule, or cancel a practice or game for a youth sporting league, three way calling will allow you to inform more people with less talking.  The feature is already on your cell phone.  Why not take advantage of it?

Life is very hectic.  Any time you find a way to make it a little bit simpler you have to take advantage of it.  Cell phone service providers now offer a wide variety of services that do just that.  Most people are generally familiar with the applications offered for the iPhone.  Other cell phones offer similar types of tools which can be installed onto your mobile phone for a small monthly fee.  You can find everything from news to party games to your own personal chef.  Here is a list of some of the top tools being offered.

24. Spb Mobile Shell_WM is a tool which offers a variety of benefits.  It integrates all of the features and tools you have on your cell phone into an easy to access menu.  You can customize the menus and screens to suit your preferences and needs.  Put all of the features you use regularly on the today screen so everything you generally use several times throughout the day will be grouped together in one place.  The screens are easy to read and aesthetically attractive.  The menus include an organizer, settings, shortcuts, tools and others.  This tool will enhance the appearance and organization of any cell phone while streamlining the addition of any new tools.

25. mToolbox. Most cell phones come with certain tools preloaded onto them.  But there are some useful tools which aren’t commonly included.  mToolbox offers nine essential tools which every cell phone should have.  You will get a calculator, stopwatch, a timer, a converter, a counter, dice, a task list, a flashlight and a world clock.  The flashlight function will help you find something you drop on the ground when it is dark or the key hole for your car without scratching the paint surrounding it.  The timer or counter can be used to keep track of food cooking on the stove or outside on the grill or even remind you when your laundry should be ready.  Ever tried to play a game with your friends or your children just to discover the dice are missing.  You don’t have to give up the game; just use the dice on your cell phone as a replacement.  These simple tools will help make the little things easier.  Since life is all about the little things, imagine how much smoother your life would run with these helpful tools.

26. Food Network Everyday Chef helps with your daily meal planning.  Trying to decide what to make for dinner is the worst part of the day.  Everyone gets tired of eating the same things day in and day out.  But it can be difficult to think of something new to make.  With the Everyday Chef, you won’t have to try to figure it out alone. Be prepared to be inspired and finally have the answer to the most dreaded question of the evening.  Best of all, you will have the answer before you get home.  That means you can stop at the store on your way home to pick up any ingredients you might need and avoid having to run back out once you get home.  Hallelujah!

27. Read an ebook. Catch up on your reading while sitting in a waiting room or commuting on public transportation.  You may not always have the extra time to grab a book or the extra hands to hold on to it.  In that case, use your cell phone as a library.  The text2ph.com site offers an ebook service.  You can choose from a large library of selections.  You have the option of downloading only a few pages at a time or an entire book.  So if you are already in the middle of reading a certain book but forgot it at home, just downloading a few pages will allow you to continue reading until you and your book can be reunited.  You won’t have to worry about wasting time which could have been spent reading instead of staring at a waiting room wall or the hairy guy picking his nose across from you on the train.

28. Healthy Eating. Make your own fast food in minutes, but without all the detrimental fat and cholesterol.  Jacques Pepin’s Fast Food My Way is your ticket to fast delicious meals with easy to follow recipes and directions.  Jacques Pepin helps create nutritious dishes which everyone will love.

29. Apartment searching. A search for a new apartment comes with its own set of challenges.  Trying to find a place in a certain location or with certain features isn’t easy.  Smarter Agent Apartments for Rent help make the search easier.  This tool provides descriptions of the apartments and floor plans so you can get a general idea if the place will suit your needs.  You can find photos for some of the places and learn about the amenities included.  It offers a nationwide search, prices and even supplies a map so you can gain some perspective on the location.  With this tool, you can avoid dealing with a pushy agent who just wants to make some money and doesn’t care if you don’t get everything you want in your new place.

30. Home Shopping. Apartment searching is a walk in the park compared to shopping for a home to buy.  Perhaps it is the idea that you will be tethered to a mortgage and the responsibility for all repairs makes the process a tad more formidable.  Even the agents are more aggressive.  Smarter Agent Homes For Sale will help take the edge off of this stressful process.  Obtain home descriptions, prices and photos of homes up for sale.  You can read the features for both the interior and exterior of the home.  Find a local broker in the area you are looking to buy.  Check out the maps for easy location searches.

31. AllSport GPS is a fitness training tool for your cell phone which costs $5.99 each month.  The trainer works with running, walking, biking and other physical activities.  With it, you can track your performance and can determine ways to improve it.  The AllSport GPS will record your time, speed, distance and the number of calories burned.  You choose the activity you are beginning and select start.  When you are finished you must press stop.  Your workout will be uploaded and analyzed.  You can view your results on maps, graphs or using statistics.

32. Ascendo Fitness will help you reach your goals and track your progress.  Once installed onto your cell phone, you will be able to set goals and keep track of your diet and exercise.  The program is broken down into separate categories for nutrition and fitness.  Each keeps a journal.  The nutrition tracker has you enter the foods you eat and then tallies the number of calories consumed daily.  Then the information is transferred onto an easy to read chart which helps you monitor how well you are doing and where you are in relation to your final goals.  The progress option allows you to see how you have progressed since you began the program.

33. First Aid Instruction. First aid can be a life saver.  There is rarely a warning for when you might need first aid information in a hurry.  You may need it for someone you love or even a complete stranger.  When you are out there isn’t always someone around who is trained in first aid or knows what to do in a medical emergency.  And if you are in a remote area far from help, offering medical assistance really could save a life or a limb.  The First Aid Guide_WM offers instructions for more than 60 medical emergencies which might arise.  This tool is geared towards persons with little experience or knowledge of medicine.  It offers warning signs for strokes and heart attacks.  Instructions are provided for wound treatment, diver rescue and wilderness situations.  Instead of standing idly by, with the First Aid Guide_WM you will have access to valuable information which can advise you what to do to help.

34. Comparison Shopping. Trying to comparison shop when you are in a rush is aggravating.  There isn’t always time to look around so that you know you are getting the best deal.  If you have the chance to sit in front of a computer and do some web surfing, finding a good deal probably won’t be too difficult or too time consuming.  But if you are on the run and don’t have the time to sit down in front of a computer, often times you are stuck taking a chance on the price.  But if you have your cell phone with you, this doesn’t have to be the case.  Just dial 1-888-Frucall.  You will be prompted to enter the barcode of the item you are considering purchasing.  In return, you will receive the prices of the online sellers for the same item

35. Local Shopping Options. If you don’t have the time or patience for a phone call price search, try Slifter Local Shopping.  You can search more than 450 million products for the best deals at local stores or online.  Look at the Hot Deals section for great sales and promotions.  You can comparison shop without running all over town.  Save sale items to create your own personal shopping list.  At least when you run out to pick your products up, you already know you are getting the best price and where you are going to find it.

36. Stealth Ringtones. Let’s say you are going to the movies, but are expecting an important phone call you cannot afford to miss.  You would then have to choose either not to go at all, to let your cell phone ring in the theatre and incur the wrath of your fellow moviegoers (remember the man who was killed in the theater for talking?), or to put your cell phone on vibrate and hope you would feel it.  Now there is another option; cough ringtones.  This discreet ring tone sounds like a person coughing so no one will know it is actually your cell phone ringing.  You don’t have to miss the call or worry about being killed.  It’s a win-win situation.

37. Call Block Your Ex. We have come a long way since the days when your only means of telephone communication was through a rotary telephone without any call waiting or caller ID features.  You used to have to suffer with busy signals and the threat of important missed calls.  Even worse, you had to risk answering your phone to see who was on the other end of the line; facing the possibility of talking with someone you’d rather not.  Today we have cell phones with caller ID which offers the option of deciding if we want to answer the call when the phone rings.  But it doesn’t stop an unwanted obnoxious caller from ringing your phone repeatedly.  Anyone who has tried to avoid an ex (client, friend, wife/husband, girlfriend/boyfriend) who doesn’t want to be an ex has experienced these harassing phone calls.  It used to be that you had no choice but to endure them.  Not anymore.  With Call Block, you can filter your incoming calls.  You have the choice of blocking all incoming calls or just specific types of calls or persons.  You can choose a certain time for all your calls to be blocked or for just certain ones to be blocked.  With call block, you won’t have to be burdened with calls you don’t want or for which you don’t have the time.

38. Secrets to Success in Life offers you the opportunity to learn success tips without having to attend a seminar as is usually the venue for this type of advice.  For only $3.99 each month you will have access to self-improvement success tips.  Inspirational quotes and photos help calm and soothe you when you need them.  These are updated regularly for your benefit.  You can choose the ones you find most effective and save them in your favorites.

39. mSpot Music Sync lets you connect to your iTunes library from your cell phone.  You can access all of your music directly from your cell phone without having to use cables to do it.  You will need to download mSpot Music Sync on both your computer and cell phone fromwww.mspot.com/musicsync You will receive a pass code which you will need to enter to access your music.  The pass code will be stored under settings/pass code and at the startup.   You will need the unlimited data plan to avoid outrageous phone bills.

41. Fox Sports Mobile Pro is the answer to many sports lover’s prayers.  All of the most popular sports teams for every spectator sport are included under this tool.  Every game is offered with play by play graphics.  Player stats and scores can be found.  The hottest sport news and photos are included and highlights of the current sports events.

42. Weather Updates. Get the latest weather forecast on your cell phone.  The WeatherChannel 4.1 provides up-to-the-minute weather coverage.   The forecasts are offered for more than 98,000 locations across the globe.  You will be able to check the weather for locations to which you may be planning to travel for business or vacations.  Find out if you will need to bring your umbrella from the car or it will be safe to leave it behind and save you the effort of carrying one extra item around with you.  More than 44,000 radar and satellite maps are also offered.

43. Send a greeting cards. Life gets so hectic there are times when we forget an important event until the last minute or don’t keep in touch as much as our significant others would want.  Instead of having to run to the store to find a card or gift at the last minute or to make up for our mistake, you can send a customized or predesigned greeting to the person’s mobile phone.  You can choose from romantic messages, happy birthday or other special occasions, flirty cards, even movie clip greetings.  The greetings cost a nominal $1.99 and can get your message across and save you time and aggravation, not to mention a few dollars too.

44. Send a video message. There are events where a graphic message alone just won’t do.  It just seems too little effort for the occasion.  When the message alone just isn’t enough you have the option of sending a video greeting instead.  These cost a little more, but have a lot more to offer.  The video greeting is available for just about any occasion and, if you need to, you can always add a personal message as a precursor to better express the reason for the message.  The person who receives it will know you are thinking of them and he/she was important enough for you to exert the extra effort of a video.  At the very least, it will buy you time to pick up a gift or plan something special for later.

45. Schedule pre-recorded messages. And then there are those times when a phone call is necessary.  The Birthday Dialer website is a free service which allows you to send a recorded personalized birthday message to anyone.  The free service does arrive with advertisements, though.  But you can opt to send a greeting without ads by purchasing birthday tokens.  These tokens allow you to send greetings without advertisements and don’t cost much; 1 token is only .95 and you can buy 100 for $19.95.  There are prices in between also.  The birthday greeter is offered 24hrs a day and your own cell phone number shows up on their caller ID.

46. Financial Advice. The Savvy Spender will deliver financial advice to you daily.  Receive helpful tips for stretching your dollars as far as they will go.  Learn tricks for saving money.  If nothing else, these tips and tricks will remind you to conserve your money and pay attention to what you are spending.  The price is only .99 each month.  It’s better than tying a string to your finger as a reminder.

47. Get Breaking News! Reading a newspaper is no longer the best way to keep up with current events.  You have to have the time to sit down and read the paper.  Instead, have the latest news headlines sent directly to your phone.  Breaking News assures you will stay abreast of the news as it happens.  Text alerts will be sent directly to your mobile phone to let you know what is happening.  Natural disasters and scandals will be reported to you probably even before the newspapers have the information.

48. Blog from your phone. Blogging and sharing data, though definitely an entertaining and enjoyable past time, aren’t always done solely for the purpose of fun.  People use these forums to communicate with their sports teams, organizations of which they are members or leaders, and various other extracurricular groups.  You can use your mobile phone to update your blogs and/or share videos and pictures you need to get up and out.  Instead of delaying time sensitive information and media files, use your mobile phone to post.  Pickle is an easy to use service which facilitates just such activity.  You can text your blog updates to go@blogger.com.  These services can be used to perform these actions whether it is for business purposes or just for fun.

49. Broadcast your location. Keeping track of your friends and family is simpler with Dodgeball.  The service allows you to let everyone know where you are at.  This is an easy way to keep track of your children or of letting your friends know where you are in case you are nervous about getting lost or because you are alone.  The information is sent via text messaging and can be forwarded to multiple people.  This makes it easy to catch up with someone you intend to meet later on in the night or if you are at a crowded event and need to find each other.  It is a great time saver.  You can also find addresses and corresponding streets of certain locations.  This can also be a time saver when you are trying to find your way somewhere and are running close to the appointed time.

50. eBay Bidding. eBay users know the last few hours to the last few minutes of bidding are usually crucial to determining who wins the item.  Unfortunately you cannot always have a computer in front of you.  So if your items time is running down you would generally have to cross your fingers and hope there isn’t someone waiting in the wings to swoop in at the last moment and outbid you.  What can you do when you cannot sit in front of your computer and wait?  The answer lies with your cell phone.  UnWired Buyer is a service which checks in on your eBay Watch list repeatedly throughout the day.  Three minutes before your auction is scheduled to end, the service calls you.  You then have the option of issuing commands with your keypad increasing your bid and tracking the status of the auction and reporting when it is over.  Best of all, this service is offered free of charge if you live in North America or Canada.

51. Excuse Yourself From A Bad Situation. Life is filled with meetings and events you cannot avoid.  But there are times when another, more important event conflicts with something you just cannot seem to get out of attending; a date, a courtesy activity, or a meeting.  You have to find a believable excuse to extricate yourself from the situation or fail to attend the more important event.  Popularity Dialer offers a solution.  Schedule a prerecorded message to call you at a predetermined time.  You can preview the message to help you plan what to say in response to the message playing on the other end of the line.  The messages will provide a script to which you can more realistically respond than you would if just faking a call.

52. Quit Smoking. Trying to quit smoking is a tough project to take on.  Allen Carr is credited as being a renowned expert in this particular area.  He offers techniques which have been proven successful.  Now you can take a smoking addiction expert with you wherever you go with Stop Smoking with Allen Carr loaded onto your cell phone.  You can play fun games while learning interesting facts to help eliminate the urge to smoke.

53. Learn Spanish. Spanish Anywhere is a complete reference guide for common situations.  Find the phrases you need while shopping, working, travelling or for school.  You will have access to a phrase book and dictionary.  Spanish Anywhere also provides a feature which will conjugate verbs for your convenience.  Choose the situation which is applicable to you, i.e. night life, traveling, and select from words or phrases.  You can also enter the first couple of letters of a word for a quick search option.

54. Go Fishing! Fishing My-Cast by Garmin has the sport down to a science.  You will be able to check tide charts, radar and weather forecasts to make sure you won’t run into inclement or severe weather issues.  At the very least, you will be able to prepare for them.  Fishing My-Cast even offers fish movement and feeding predictions.

55. Movies Powered by IMDb rescues you from wasting time waiting in movie ticket lines.  With a movietickets.com account, you can purchase tickets directly from your cell phone.  You won’t have to worry about the film selling out before you get there ever again!  You can also research information about all of your favorite movies and actors.  Movie buffs who have a favorite director can even find information about them.

56. AAA Mobile is an invaluable tool which can save you time, aggravation and money.  With turn-by-turn GPS navigation, you won’t have to worry about getting lost ever again.  You can also find out what the local traffic conditions are.  The roadside service feature will use the GPS on your cell phone to transmit your location to the service vehicles.  And you can even search gas stations and their prices, local restaurants and movies.  The movies and events feature offers reviews to help decide if attending is even worth the effort.

57. Navigation service. TeleNav is a GPS powered navigation service.  Besides the usual features offered with these navigation software types, Telenav makes finding a new route while driving a much simpler process.  Who wants to have to reenter all the information just to find a different route to the place you have already searched?  With this navigator, just one click will reroute you when you need it.  Reviews will also be available for restaurants to make it easier to find a good place to eat.

58. Get Traffic Updates. Traffic.Com offers free traffic reports which can be downloaded directly to your cell phone.  Since the reports are live, you may be able to avoid running into traffic problems while on the road.  In the event you find yourself in the midst of a traffic issue, Traffic.Com may be able to provide you with an alternative route, an escape route, or just the reason why you are stuck and the expected delay time.  In the case of a traffic jam, some news is better than none.

59. Name That Song. Have you ever heard a song playing on the radio but couldn’t figure out the name?  That is probably one of the most frustrating occurrences, isn’t it?  It can really drive you crazy for the rest of the day.  Shazam Music ID is the answer to this dilemma.  If you have Shazam, when you hear a song you recognize but can’t remember the name, you just hold your cell phone up to the radio, or other music source and Shazam will reveal the name and the artist who sings it.  You will also enjoy the interesting facts the service provides with each song.  With a library of more than 8 million songs, you will never again be stuck wondering what song is playing or who sings it.  You also have the option of purchasing the song from the service as a ringtone or the full song.  And you can send the song to a friend if you want.

60. Life Manager. Agenda One is truly the busy mom or hard-working professionals answer to many prayers.  This tool comes with a complete calendar, a contact management feature, a task list and an easy search feature.  The smart search will locate the contact you are seeking as you enter the letters of the name.  You can even search by email, phone number or any part of the address.  There are customizing options; choose a theme or download a free theme builder.  The tool offers seven separate views from which you can choose.  You have the option of looking at just your day or week or month.  You can look at your agenda or check your task list.  This tool will help keep you organized and on task throughout your busy travels.

61. Travel Assistant. WorldMate is a traveler’s companion.  Whether you have to travel for business or you travel often for pleasure, this tool offers vital information directly on your cell phone.  You can find the weather forecast from any city around the world.  It will convert any currency for you and provide conversions from one currency to another for you.  Check the world clocks to know what time it will be when you arrive or what time it is in the area you intend to call. Check the status of any flight with the airline, flight number and the date.

62. Tourist Guide. Being a tourist in an unfamiliar area can lead to some frustration.  Visiting new territory is exciting, but if you don’t know which sites are ‘Must See’ and which just aren’t’ as important you could miss seeing a significant location.  Considering how infrequently most of us are able to get away or to travel to a new place, failing to see a place or event is upsetting.  If you have a cell phone, this doesn’t have to be the case.  Before you leave on your trip, purchase the travel companion for the place you plan to visit.  The New York or Las Vegas DK Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guide and map will ensure you don’t miss a crucial feature.  You can view the maps so you don’t waste time lost or searching for your destination.  There are also articles which can offer important information on your sites or local places surrounding them.  Since there isn’t one for every region, you may not be able to find a guide specific to the place you intend to travel.  But you can use one of the other navigation guides to keep you from getting lost and one of the local search guides for points of interest, local hot spots and reviews.

63. Billboard Mobile Channel will keep you up to date on the latest music news, most recent hits, and the newest ring tones.  Check out the schedules for your favorite stars for both local and national events.  Read the reviews.  All of the various genres of music are covered, everything from country to rock to rap.  If you enjoy the challenge of crossword puzzles, Billboard Mobile offers crossword which will keep music lovers busy and offer an opportunity for relaxation even when on the run.

64. Share Your Photos. Kodak Mobile Link offers the opportunity to share and/or view your personal photos from anywhere.  Access to the photos are gained by entering a password which takes you directly to your account.  You can upload your cell phone pictures into your Kodak account.  This offers an easy way to organize your photos with quick access when you need it.  You can even use this tool to assist with projects.  Imagine seeing the perfect image for a presentation or an inspirational moment you need to capture.  You can take the picture with your cell phone, upload it into your Kodak account, and then insert the picture into your report or presentation.

65. Local Search. Where is your information source for everything around your immediate locale.  You can find everything you need within close proximity to you.  Locate a restaurant to eat at or find the local Starbucks.  You can find an event going on close by or a sporting event you wouldn’t want to miss.  You can even find cheap gas stations.  Once you know where you want to go, use the navigation option to obtain directions and a map to get you there.

66. Financial News. Mobi4Biz is the premier mobile financial information source.   Four business television stations are broadcast directly to your cell phone.  You will have the latest information from CNBC, FOX business and Bloomberg including up to the minute alerts.  The stock tickers are tailored to provide the current information for your personal portfolios.   Manage your stocks and finances and stay current with the latest news with this mobile business television for your cell phone at a cost of $9.99 each month.

67. Monitor Stocks. For a more specific stock evaluator, you have the option of choosing Pocket Stock Monitor 5. This tool is a portfolio manager with enhanced, innovative features and options. You can view stock charts, detailed information on stock quotes and receive stock price alarms. The Pocket Stock Monitor will calculate your profit or loss and the value of your portfolio. There are several viewer options you can choose from with easy to read and specific data. Now, even when away you’re your computer, you can rest easy that you won’t miss an important change in your portfolio.

68. Text Google. Inevitably, there is always a time when you need information immediately but no way to get to access it from where you are.  Google has developed a method of solving this difficult dilemma.  You can send a text message to GOOGL (46645) with your search information.  A return text will be sent to your cell phone with the information you need.  If you don’t have texting capabilities or are avoiding using texting for one reason or another you can call 1-800-555-tell and complete your search with the voice service instead of through text.

69. 3Guppies service is another mobile blogging facilitator.  The service provides the option of retrieving images from Facebook and sending them to your cell phone.

70. View Microsoft Office Documents. Soonr is a remote access service which enables you to download documents from Excel, Word and PowerPoint on your computer to your cell phone.  Once you have it on your cell phone in Mobile Office 2.0, you will have the ability to edit it.  You will first need to install Soonr software on your computer and your cell phone must have Mobile Office 2.0 installed.  You can then view thumbnail graphic icons representative of the files on your computer remotely in order to determine which you will need prior to downloading them.

71. GI & Calorie Counter is a diet aid which will help you maintain a healthy nutritional diet.  If you are trying to lose a few pounds, the diet tips and guidelines will teach how to develop a healthy diet to facilitate weight loss and help you keep it off.  The tool ranks the carbohydrates taking into consideration the affect of the particular food on the blood glucose levels.  The tool also includes a BMI calculator to help determine if you are in the right range for your body.

72. Tracking calories can be frustrating.  Busy individuals often find themselves eating out at fast food restaurants because of a time crunch.  The FastFood Calorie counter will calculate the amount of calories in any of the popular menu items from these restaurants.  The expression ignorance is bliss has a substantial amount of relevance to our diets when busy.  We pretend that the foods at these chain restaurants aren’t as bad as suggested.  But if you knew the truth before choosing your food, you might think twice.  The information provided by the Fast Food Calorie Counter may help you decide not to eat a certain item or to choose a healthier selection and keep your busy schedule from causing unwanted weight gain.

73. Load Up With Media. At the Thumbplay site, you can purchase ringtones, mp3’s, videos, games and graphics.  Now they are offering additional mobile services at the site.  The My locker feature lets you save your downloads in an account set up just for you which can be loaded directly onto your cell phone.  It is a quick and convenient service with no expiration on your downloads.  You can also store your own photos and videos in it so you can save your cell phone’s available storage.  You also have the option of sharing your videos and pictures on Thumbplay’s free share service.

74. See pictures of your future children! Use your cell phone to help decide if you and your current flame really are meant to be together; at least if you should have children together.  Family Factor is a fun tool which allows you to get an idea of what your children might look like.  You just take a photo of the two of you and send it.  The service will combine your pictures to create an image of how your potential child might appear.  You can then send the pictures to your friends and family for a laugh at a nominal cost.

75. Find Your Lost Phone. Losing your keys used to be the most frustrating situation you encountered on your way to or from anywhere.  Now you have the added worry of losing your cell phone.  As long as your cell phone ringer is on or is just on vibrate, you can use the Where’s My Phone service to help you find it.  You just enter your cell phone number at the site and click on make it ring.  The site will call your cell phone and help you find it.  The service is free and the site guarantees it doesn’t keep a record of your cell phone number.

There are a wide variety of cell phones and cell phone manufacturers on the market today.  Each manufacturer and even the individual cell phones have unique capabilities and software.  Because there is such a wide range of differentiating characteristics, cell phone tips are not always generic. There will be a large number of tips that will be specific to a certain cell phone.  These tips help you navigate your cell phone with less keystrokes or teach you to perform new functions with it.  Below is a list of some of these cell phone specific tips which are likely just for the phone model noted with the tip.

76. Signal Boost. Verizon cell phones can receive a little bit of a signal boost.  When you call for activation, dial *22899 for a program update.  Just make sure you call while you are in the ten mile area where you use your cell phone the most.

77. Conserve battery power. To conserve your battery when you are low on charge, turn the GPS locator and Bluetooth features off on your cell phone.  This will help save some of the charge by preventing your cell phone from wasting valuable charge on these services.

78. Shortcut keys. LG Dare cell phone owners can avoid having to press extra keys to perform some basic functions.  Hold down the last key of the phone number you are dialing and your phone should automatically initiate the call instead of having to also press the call button.  You can also hold down your speakerphone key when your keypad is locked to answer the call in speakerphone mode without unlocking.  If you hold down the camera button on the outside of the phone it will go directly to the video option.

79. Improve Readability. LG Dare phones can be customized for easier read capability.  Press the arrow key directly above the O and P keys in the right hand corner.  This will hide the keyboard and allow you to view your entire message.  If the ‘pen’ key at the bottom left of the screen is pressed while the phone is in handwriting mode, an option to write in cursive is offered.  The screen will also appear larger.

80. Zoom your browser. LG Dare phones offer convenient features like zoom on your internet browser.  By using the volume button on the side of your cell phone, you can zoom in and out.  You can set your cell phone to follow voice commands for the music player by keying the voice command button.  You can then command the cell phone to ‘Play’ and name the song you want to play.

81. Google Apps on the Blackberry Curve. The BlackBerry Curve has fifteen free applications which include maps and igoogle.  The maps application offers satellite views and turn by turn directions.  Instead of paying the requisite ten dollars a month for these services you can go to Google.com on your mobile browser and click the button on the top of the screen that says more.  You will then have access to the additional fifteen applications offered free for this cell phone.

82. Preserving your contact list with Bluetooth. Upgrading to or purchasing a new cell phone is always fun.  You can’t wait to check out the new features and begin using the new phone.  But even something fun and exciting comes with a drawback and this is no exception.  Probably the biggest inconvenience of switching your service over to a new phone is losing your entire contact list. Though it does offer you the opportunity to weed out phone numbers you no longer need you have to spend an eternity reentering all of those you do and risk missing an important contact along the way.  Now there is a way to transfer your contact list without the hassle.  If both your old and new cell phones are Bluetooth enabled, add your old phone to the Bluetooth device list on your new phone.  After you have completed this you will have an option to send your contacts to your new phone.

83. Memory card media transfer. LG phones from Verizon can have media transferred from a computer to the cell phone with just your memory card.  On your cell phone, go to the settings, menu, and then options.  Select format memory card.  Take the memory card from your cell phone and place it into your computer.  Select view files.  Then transfer any 3gp pictures, music, videos or ringtones you want onto the card.  Put the card back into your cell phone.

While these aren’t cell phone hacks that are widely available, they will be in the near future:

84. Monitor Your Health. There are a variety of companies that are currently developing add-on devices for cell phones that will allow people to monitor their vital signs and other important physical information. Imagine being able to send your doctor information electronically rather than sitting in the waiting room for 45 minutes before you are seen.

85. Pay With Your Cell Phone. Just as most places take credit cards as payment, you will soon be able to swipe your cell phone at your local grocery store or fast food restaurant. Exciting times!