Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with phones

Tie me up; or, rather, tether me, please

ocherdraco — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:01:49 -0800

I've got an HTC Magic (also known by the execrable name myTouch 3G) running Android 1.6 from T-Mobile. I also have a MacBookPro running OS 10.4.11. Does a tethering program exist that will let me use my phone to supply an internet connection for my computer? It seems that I can't use PdaNet (my computer would need to be a PC, or I would need a phone running Android 2.0). Do any other good programs exist that fit my specifications?

Smartphone minus the phone (most of the time)

Mizu — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:51:11 -0800

Help me wade through the options and figure out what phone to get! I'm at a loss. There are so many options and so many opinions out there, but I have a list of fairly specific wishes and I can't figure out what the best option is for what phone (and possible peripherals) I should purchase.

Relevant details:

-I currently live in Seattle, WA, and have a T-mobile Fave-5 cellphone plan, with a crappy little motorola dumphone that I got for free with the plan years ago.

-I now have a landline phone as well, and use that to talk to my family for long phone sessions.

-A few months ago, before I got the landline, my cellphone was dead and turned off for three weeks. When I found it, charged it and turned it on, I had no messages, and nobody had tried to contact me by phone, yet I was still paying my monthly phone plan bill. The last week of that month, I used the phone for one two-minute call that could have been an email.

-I dislike phones and use them as little as possible. The plan that I never got around to doing was ditching my cellphone entirely and buying the cheapest pay-as-you-go cellphone from Best Buy or something, for emergencies.

However, since moving across the country a few things have happened:

1. I now have friends who like to text me. They currently text to my email but I've begun to think texting isn't so much the Devil anymore, and would like to be able to send convenience-texts like "I'm just around the corner" and so-on.
2. The iPhone has competition in the Droid and other things I'm not gadget-savvy enough to know about.
3. My digital camera broke.
4. Everybody in my family is very on-board with only using my landline number for long phonecalls, which was a surprise.
5. I'm in a new city and really want access to a map and bus info and so-on to help me learn my way around. (My sense of direction is poor, to say the least.)

So basically, I would like a smartphone that does everything... except be a phone, except in emergencies!

I've been told that what I should do is get a netbook and a cellular modem (plus an emergency phone)? But I'd really like something smaller than that, that I can keep in my purse at all times and not worry about banging it up. Also I *would* like to use a phone for meeting up with people in unfamiliar places, like airport coordination and soforth.

I really dislike AT&T, as they have burned me in the past, so I was very trepidatious about the iPhone, but my best friend has one and I do, in fact, love its interface. More specifically, I love the iPhone camera, and think it's the Polaroid of today. It would serve all of my crappy snapshot needs, since I'm a very experienced amateur photographer and am often frustrated with mid-range equipment, I'm saving up for a really fantastic DSLR, but in the meantime I need something to take terrible pictures of stuff on my cat.

Texting is something I hate to pay for, and I'd hate to pay for a phone plan that I flat out won't use. I might speak on my cellphone a total of ten minutes a month, maximum, on a very busy month. Then again, there are the times when I'm on a trip or there's a problem or I need to talk to my Mom when I'm not at home, and it's a 45 minute phone conversation long-distance. What do I do about these times, that happen maybe twice a year?

My distaste for phones in general has left me useless to make my own decisions about all of this! I'm technically capable, and don't mind doing a little fiddling around if it means a good price and exactly what I want. I also don't mind getting more than one device, but carrying a portable gps, cheap digital camera, cheap cellphone, and magical texting-only widget, plus netbook for emergency wikipedia research isn't viable.

Oh my goodness, I'm so grateful to you if you've bothered to read all of this. Can you help me find my phone and phone-plan?

Small Phone System

Mr. Yuck — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 19:18:37 -0800

Imagine that you have a retail store with 3 incoming telephone lines. You want to be able to answer any of these lines from 3 different locations within a 2400 square foot space. Two of the phones need to be useful within a 800 foot radius of the base unit.

Cheap is good, used is not.

What do you buy?

What do you use your cell phone for?

Decimask — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 15:10:52 -0800

What do you use your cell phone for? Odd question, I know. Some short background:

I got my first cell about 3 years ago--a super-basic cell with the minimum number of bells and whistles I could find. I have yet to pay a dime on ringtones, games or wallpapers. What I've come to realise is that:

A camera would have been handy

Making calender entries without a QWERTY keyboard sucks

Now I'm planning on moving to a plan of some kind. But I'm seeing features on some phones and wondering: What the hell would I ever need that for?

So, like it says on the front page, what are you using your cell phone for?

Does SmartTalk Wireless suck?

4ster — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 08:44:18 -0800

I am considering switching to Straight Talk Wireless when my Sprint contract expires in January, and I am looking for people's experience with Straight Talk. The pricing looks too good to be true, the phones look kind of sucky, and I read somewhere that their customer support isn't great. It is also difficult to find reviews on their phones. Can anyone who has actually used their service testify to it either way? Also, if I port my number to them, and then want to leave after a month, can I port my number to another carrier?

Thanks for your insight.

Text Message Problems

Zeker — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 12:48:23 -0800

I have a Touch Pro (Fuze) on WinMo 6.5. From my understanding, my text messages are being handled by pocket outlook. Can I use something besides outlook? I HATE HATE HATE HATE pocket outlook. Viewing multimedia messages is such a pain in the butt, it doesn't just display them as they should be, but rather as separate elements (i.e., click this impossibly small icon to view your picture. Jump this loophole to save it, now click here to read the accompanied text, back, now click here to listen to the accompanied music file). Also, sending text messages is horrible. Let me explain why...

Reception sucks indoors. So if a text message fails to send, this is what would typically happen on any other phone...

Message fails >>> message stays in outbox >>> phone keeps an eye out for reception >>> if there's reception, message is re-sent automatically >>> success!

Here's what outlook does...

Message fails >>> message I typed is sent from OUTBOX to MY INBOX (instead of staying in the outbox) >>> I need to click on my message and hit FORWARD >>> erase MY NAME under RECIPIENT NAME >>> re-type the recipient's name >>> keep my finger on send until I see 1 bar of reception >>> hit send, hope it goes through >>> cry in shame of spending 3 minutes to resend 1 message >>> kill myself.

I've tried actually moving the message from the inbox to the outbox, but it gives me an error saying it can't be done.

Who else is annoyed by this? Is there a setting to change the way this behaves? Or better yet, is there a replacement text message manager that works better and actually lets me view my MMS messages nicely? I'd appreciate some help please :D

Believe it or not, George isn't at home!

nomnomnom — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:19:07 -0800

I always hate my voicemail / answering machine message. I feel really lame whenever I say any of the little scripts I have heard or thought up. NEW VOICEMAIL MESSAGE SCRIPTS please! All ideas welcome, from simple to funny to irreverant. (Or even pre-recorded messages I could download, good songs, anything!)

I hate the sound of your voice.

thebazilist — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 11:30:52 -0800

I don't want people to leave me messages. What's the best way to say this in my outgoing message? I'd like my voicemail to be a polite- and professional-sounding version of the following:

"Hi, this is Thebazilist. You can leave me a message, but I'll probably get back to you faster if you text me or e-mail me at [my e-mail address]."

Normally I shouldn't care if it sounded snarky, but I'm applying for jobs right now.

When I call places like Jetblue, they're always interrupting my hold to tell me that I should go to their website instead. Will my message be annoying? Should I not even do this?

(Reasons: it just takes a lot of time to check voicemail, and also I feel that "tug" of guilt or obligation more when I know I'm going to have to hear someone's voice needing something from me. I know, I'm terrible.)

I already know about things like Callwave, but right now I want to try to work this "free" option.

Phone communication and keeping it off the books

Anonymous — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:55:00 -0800

I and another person need to communicate with each other via phone and text in a manner that does not appear on our regular phone bills, how do we accomplish this? We are on opposite coasts in the US. One of us is on Tmobile, the other is on AT&T. What methods can we use to call and text each other so that our respective phone numbers do not show up on the monthly phone bill? Do we need to move to a different service? Do we need to get new phones on an account different from our current ones? Has anyone used pay as you go phones? How do they work, are they billed to your credit card or do you buy calling minutes? If you buy calling minutes via the cards available in stores and use your current phone with them, will the numbers show up on your bill?

We're clueless as to your options, so any help or tips would be appreciated.

HTC Touch Pro

Zeker — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 08:45:12 -0800

Questions about HTC Raphael phones... My goal: I have AT&T, want to upgrade my phone and NOT renew my contract.

My interest: HTC Raphael, HTC Touch Pro, HTC PPC 6850, HTC XV6850, HTC Touch Pro T7272.

Question: Are those phones the exact same thing??! Or is it just cosmetics that differ? In other words, if I buy the Sprint version of the phone, can I unlock it and use it with AT&T, even with customized ROM? Or do I need to purchase a specific one of these?

Side notes: any suggestions on where I can get unlocked phones for cheap? Or suggestions on a phone that's about as good as this one?

Help me access my voice mail!

silverstatue — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 19:55:01 -0800

How do I access my office voice mail from home? this is surely my dumbest question yet. i'm on vacation but i need to log into my office mailbox, and i cant remember how.

i know that when i dial my office and the main greeting starts, i type my mailbox number which is 107; then my greeting starts and i'm SUPPOSED to do something at that point to make the robot say "enter your password, then press #". but what?

i THOUGHT it was something like * 6 # but that doesnt work. i've tried # 6 * but that ends the call. i'm desperate!

i dont know what our voice mail system is. um... when you listen to messages, it says "To listen to new messages, press one, then press two." When you want to delete stuff, you press 3.

i'm hoping someone else has an office voice mail system that sounds like this one and can help me out? i just need to know the sequence i have to push to access my own voice mail box. help!

(i realize this sounds impossible to answer. but i am desperate)

How can I force a microSD card into my broken blackberry slot?

frenetic — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 21:16:34 -0800

What's the best way to brute-force a microSD card into my new Blackberry (that apparently has a defective slot.) microSD cards no longer click into place in the microSD slot on my Blackberry Flip 8130. I've tried multiple cards, taken it to my cell phone store, checked various forums and with RIM with no results. I've also tried using an exacto knife to enlarge the notch on the microsd card, no luck. Here's a picture of the slot:

http://www.bradsucks.net/misc/bb-microsd-slot.jpg

The card works fine if I hold it in place, but since it's not latching, the spring mechanism pushes it out and disconnects it once I let go. The slot cap isn't strong enough to keep the card in place.

Since it'd cost $200 to get it repaired, I'd be happy just forcing the card to stay in there (potentially forever). Can anyone suggest the best way? Can I break the spring mechanism? Glue the cap shut? Help!

How to use Skype to call a Jordanian cell?

jacob — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 07:46:00 -0800

How can I call a cellphone in Jordan using Skype? I'm trying to reach a Jordanian cellphone via Skype. The number is of the format 079 - XXXX - XXXX -- at least that's the number I can dial from another Jordanian cellphone to complete the call.

So far I've had no luck connecting to the phone with Skype, though. I've selected the Jordan country code (962) of course, and I've tried to complete the call with all eleven digits, omitting the zero, omitting the seven, etc. and nothing's worked so far.

Anybody know how I should format the number?

Is the Rogers telephone monopoly drawing to a close?

the dief — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:21:21 -0800

Your wild speculations about the near term future of the Canadian cellphone market, please! Oh so much It is well known that the Canadian cellphone market sucks right now. We have effectively one provider that does GSM, and so as a result they get a monopoly on all the pretty phones. I have a pay as you go service right now that I'm pretty happy with, but I seriously ache for some Android-y goodness that I don't have to get a 3 year contract and pay out the nose for.

I've heard that there are some new players coming up in the Canadian GSM cellphone market in 2009-2010, in particular these these guys (who may or may not be planning this). People who are more plugged into the current state and future of Canadian mobile telephony, can you shed some light on the near future of GSM and Android phones in Canada? I'd really love to get an Android GSM phone with reasonable rates and a sane contract length.

Gave cell phone to fire victim

Muirwylde — Sun, 24 May 2009 11:26:09 -0800

I gave my cell phone to a badly burned fire victim and she took it with her to the hospital in the ambulance. It was covered in blood. I dont want it back. I have no phone insurance. I'm with Sprint. Any provision for a replacement if the phone is lost in in a life saving circumstance? WARNING: graphic details inside. A woman crashed her truck into a house, hit the propane tank and it exploded in a huge fireball. I found the lady. This happened second house down from us. She had somehow got out of the burning truck. The truck, propane tank and house EXPLODED in a huge, I mean huge fireball. I mean massive it was like one of those movie scenes.She was toasted. Her skin was hanging off her in huge sheets nearly all of her skin was burnt off and her dress was all burnt away. 39, pretty. She kept asking me,"... is my face burnt, is my face burnt?" When I found her she was trapped between the fire and a 10 foot rock wall. She climbed up the fucking wall to me. I dont know how she did that. Her hands were all burnt and bloody. We called 911 and her dad. Some other people stopped to try and help: it was a war zone. Then we almost got hit by falling power lines that were on fire! She has my phone. I'm not sure if she is going to live. I dont want my phone back. I'm going to try to get a new one today.

Any approach or provisions on getting a replacement phone from Sprint at zero or low cost in this sort of circumstance?

Help me find 3G data in the USA!

nafrance — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 02:40:50 -0800

I'll be in NYC and Boston for a couple of weeks, and I'd like to get a SIM card for Pay-As-You-Go 3G data. I have the requisite hardware, I just need the SIM. I have an unlocked USB 3G modem (UK O2 Huawei E160G), as well as my unlocked BlackBerry Bold.
I'd like to find a SIM card to pop in either one to get me some 3G data.

Clearly I want PAYG as I can't get a contract and am not in the US for long.
Speeds aren't so much an issue, nor is transfer - some emailing and light browsing is all I need.

Some Google research offered the ATT GoPhone as a suggestion, but it seems the unlimited-$20-a-month-data is out now.

Any suggestions, HiveMind?
(Somewhere to get the SIM or cheap phone package in EWR or BOS would be awesome too!)

Ring

chuckdarwin — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 08:39:47 -0800

Mobile Phone Question: can one have three phones that ring on the same number (without diverts)? Would that require identical SIM cards? I have several phones that I've set to divert to one another.

Phone A rings, if it isn't answered after 30 seconds, it diverts to phone B, which diverts to phone C, etc.

What I want to know is this: Is there a way to get all three phones to ring at once on one number? I'm with Orange.

beta beta beta

sio42 — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 09:02:44 -0800

I'd like to be a beta tester for devices, specifically cell phones and smartphones. Is it possible to do this? I don't care about getting paid or actually getting to keep said device. I just really like playing around with them and would like to aid in their development as a real user. I tried googling, but I'm not having much luck except finding things about software beta testing.

I manage the cell phone stuff at my company and really enjoy getting different devices, figuring out how they work, and what apps I can get on them etc. I'm not the person trying to put linux on everything, but I'm more of a power user, I guess. I like finding out how to do everything possible on something.

Is it possible to do this where my tinkering would benefit others? This benefits my friends and family when they need to get new phones or have problems with theirs, but I'd like to help with how companies design the user interface. I'm assuming they need "real" people apart from their R&D folks to test things out.

Or I could be completely wrong.

How do I streamline my phone service so people can get me?

Thrillhouse — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 06:33:02 -0800

Help me streamline my phone needs. How can Google Talk help me in real life? Okay, my questions is more of a "What can this do for me" than a "How can I make this work."

Here's my problem- and I'm sure its the same problem a LOT of people have: My cell phone works like CRAP at home (I have a house in the Boston suburbs). People call and end up leaving a message on my cell, even though its right there in my pocket. I have a home phone but most people call the cell first and the home phone is more for the type of people who don't call cell phones like my parents or my kids school. We use it exclusively when we're home to call out, though.

What I would like is some means of getting cell phone calls at home, whether it be through Google Voice or some other method. I'm an at-home parent so if I'm not at home I'm out with the kids- no work number. People don't call my wife on her cell phone so this is more MY problem than hers.

What can I do to make this work? Google Voice seems interesting but I can't seem to wrap my head around how it all works. Plus, I'd prefer not to have to give out ANOTHER number, ya know?

Any guidance would be GREATLY appreciated.

Oh, and I'm on Verizon for home and cell but will likely be switching cell to AT&T this summer when the new iPhone comes out.

Are third-party vendors available to support a Fonality PBXtra system?

fracturing — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 08:10:54 -0800

We need help breaking free from Fonality's annual service contract - are there third party vendors who provide support or will we need to move to another system? We purchased a Fonality PBXtra phone system (which is Asterisk-based) about a year ago. We're coming to the end of our service contract and are trying to decide whether we need to renew.

I have been EXTREMELY unhappy with the quality and timeliness of their technical support, but I also am afraid to go without any sort of support at all.

Their service agreements only allow for annual support, not a case-by-case basis. For the 2 to 3 times per year when all hell breaks loose, I cannot be without support as I know little to nothing about Asterisk.

What this boils down to is: is there anyone else who provides support for Fonality? Or are we stuck?

Since we only purchased this system a year ago, I would really rather not have to eat crow and buy a new system. If that's what it takes though - I'm mildly entertaining the idea. Are there any other "plug-and-play" type Asterisk based systems similar to Fonality?

I need a certain type of phone system

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 21:07:58 -0800

Is there a system/business/company out there that has the following phone system setup: (I'm asking this anonymously since I don't want some business associates to know.)

I'm trying to find out if the following type of system exists:
- Will let me dial in and "wait" on the line to receive calls
- Has an "unlimited" (virtually) supply of numbers that other people can call and use to talk to me

So, for example, let's say that I want to call a number, for example 555-555-1110, wait on the line and have person A call me on number 555-555-1111, then person B call me on number 555-555-1112, then person C call me on number 555-555-1113, etc ad nausem, and each number will "forward" to me with me staying on the line. (I don't need to talk to all of them at the same time, so it's not a conference line.) The numbers don't have to be sequential; the process is all that matters.

Ultra mega bonus points if there's something like this setup for free, regardless of whether it's meant to be used like this or not.

Does a system like this exist? Sorry if the question is weird, but I can't go into too much detail without breaking my anon cover. :)

New Business Advice Needed!

TurquoiseZebra — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 18:00:04 -0800

Starting a new business and need some help/advice. I was laid off in December (yay severance package!) and am now going to start working again.

I'm going to work for someone that does HVAC & appliance repair and here's where my questions come in.

The man wants to hire me and the rest of his technicians as subcontractors. I will take care of the office stuff - running the business end of things.

Questions:
1) Phone system - Because it'll be a small office with just a few (3 or so) offices, do we really need an elaborate phone system? We'll have 3 different numbers people will be dialing (with a few additional lines) but not a huge number of lines coming in or a large number of users. Can I just get some business, multi-line phones from some place like OfficeMax or Office Depot or even Costco?

2) Compensation - We're tossing around a few different ideas for this. I think we're leaning towards a percentage of the profit to compensate me. Anyone have experience with this, good or bad?

3) QuickBooks - I'm going to be using QB to do accounting and would like to get a dispatch/scheduling program that works with QB. Suggestions?

4) Sole Proprietorship - I think this is how I'll operate "my" business.

If it makes a difference, I'm in Arizona.

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated. My background is in marketing/graphic design, but I've done accounting/dispatch in the past.

Thanks in advance for your help!

How to unlock an LG KC10 Renoir?

the_epicurean — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 06:27:42 -0800

I've recently bought a brand new LG KC10 renoir phone, and Orange UK have locked it, so that I can't use any other simcards, any ideas how to free myself from Orange's shackles? I tend to use my work sim(02), much more than the orange one, and would like to be abel to swap the sims freely.

Has anyone had any experience of unlocking it, without paying dodgy dudes on street corners?

Google just seems to bring up pages and pages of adverts for unlocking companies, with no real answers. These fellas must get the information from somewhere, yet I don't seem to be in the club, as it were.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Voice Dailing Service for Blind/Disabled (US)

blatherbob — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 17:23:33 -0800

Does anyone know of a voice dial service (like GOOG-411) that works in the US for residential as well as business numbers, on landline phones? It's for a blind person with limited mobility, so the service needs to actually place the call for the user, and not require any dialing or button-pushing beyond the initial call.

Capitalising on other peoples stupidity: On Ebay, how do i know which broken devices aren't really THAT broken after all?

freddymetz — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 10:51:02 -0800

Capitalising on other peoples stupidity: On Ebay, how do i know which broken devices aren't really THAT broken after all? I see a lot of people selling broken devices (phones etc), some of them appearing relatively clueless about the problem. Are there any problems that can be easily fixed? And is there a chance of fixing a water damaged device after a significant period of time has passed?