When you think about what technology does for us, the main goal of most technological advances seems to be increased speed, increased efficiency, and increased memory – faster, more streamlined, capable of doing more and more.  It’s no different than the evolution from the Model A to the hybrid cars we are beginning to see on the market today.  Cell phones too have evolved, and while 3G smart phones are the biggest and brightest phones on the market today, 4G technology is already being developed.

Japanese researchers are already hard at work on developing the newest super-phones.  Already they have been able to increase transmission rates to such a degree that they can receive 100 megabits of data per second while moving and up to a gigabit per second while stationary.  What does this really mean?  It means your next cell phone would be capable of downloading an entire movie in less than a minute.

While 4G cell phone technology is still far from the market, it is predicted that it will be much like the evolution of 2G from first generation analog phones, literally replacing the entire network and system.  The ultimate goal of 4G cell phones is to create a phone that literally replaces your need for a computer – and it’s not going to take that long, either.  These phones are projected to hit the market sometime between 2012 and 2015, only four to seven years from now.

4G cell phones will be IP-based on a fully integrated system, meaning voice, text, data – all formats of communication and information transfers – will happen via a system more Internet than radio frequency.  The cell phones will be ridiculously fast – a movie in a minute, yes, but nearly instantaneous downloads of email attachments, large files, and even pictures.  More importantly, both the quality of the connection and the security will be significantly improved.

The 4G cell phones will be the ultimate in wireless technology, but the exact standards of 4G have not yet been defined, so be careful about those companies out there who might be touting their own version of “4G” when it is anything but.

What will 4G cell phone technology mean for the regular cell phone user?  Because of the amazing speeds, you will be able to do literally everything with your cell phone.  Log on to Facebook or MySpace and upload a video you took with your cell phone.  Instead of it taking 20 minutes, it will take 30 seconds.  It won’t take any time at all to log in to your email from your cell phone and because of the faster data transfer rates, the efficiency levels for both business and personal use will increase at an astounding rate.

Ultimately, the next generation of cell phones may fundamentally alter the way we do business.  When you combine the idea of holotechnology, integrated wireless technology, gigabit data transmission capability, and ultra secure and clear communications, it is entirely possible that the work world will consist of most people doing business from wherever they are, using their cell phones, having live holographic conference calls, and being able to share information almost instantaneously.

There are many ways that you can learn to manage your existing cell phone bill instead of letting your cell phone bill manage you.  One of the best ways to make sure you have the lowest possible cell phone bill each month is to always pay your bill on time.  If you tend to procrastinate or just don’t pay attention to due dates, most cell phone service providers will allow you to sign up for automatic bill pay through their internet website.  It’s a great way to ensure that your bill is paid on time each month.  You can choose to have it automatically deducted from a checking account or choose various other payment methods.

If you are going to have your payment automatically withdrawn from your account each month, it will be critical that you manage your minutes wisely.  If you’re the type of cell phone user who barely stays under the allotted minutes or always goes over slightly, you should start tracking your talk time.  There are free services you can sign up for that will let you know when you are getting close to running out of minutes; your cell phone service provider should make it easy for you to check online or by text what your up-to-date minute consumption is.

Another option to ensure the lowest possible bill is to get friends and family to sign up for the same cell phone service provider you use.  Not only will your provider possibly offer an incentive, such as a credit on your account for anyone you refer, but the people using the same cell phone service provider often have additional benefits, like unlimited minutes (or unlimited texts) when calling or texting each other.

One of the best ways to save money on your cell phone bill is to bundle the cell phone service with additional services provided by your cell phone service provider, whether it’s your internet service, landline, cable or satellite TV service, or other options they have available.  Typically you can save 20-40% over purchasing these services separately.

A surefire method for making sure you don’t overspend is to go with a prepaid cell phone service plan.  You pay up front for a certain number of minutes, and when they’re gone, the only way you get more is to pay for more up front.  It keeps you from mindlessly spending minutes and makes you stay more aware of the actual cost of the phone.

Finally, if you travel internationally or have a limited coverage area from your cell phone service provider, avoid using your phone where you will incur roaming charges.  International roaming charges can be more than two dollars a minute; you can easily double, triple, or quadruple your phone bill in very little time on the phone when paying international roaming charges.  If you are traveling, consider renting a phone or obtaining a prepaid phone that works on the local service of your destination country for the period of time you will be away.

When you receive your cell phone bill each month, does the total amount due send you into shock?  Do you find yourself scrambling to come up with the money to pay the bill, or simply find yourself incapable of believing that you were able to rack up that much in charges?  Here are five steps you can take to make sure you manage your cell phone bill wisely. 

Step One: Make sure the charges are accurate.  Read through your entire bill.  Pay attention to where the extra charges are occurring.  If you don’t understand what you are being billed for, take your bill to your local cell phone’s office or call their customer service and have someone go through it with you. 

Step Two: Once you know how much you are being billed for each type of service you use on your cell phone, begin identifying the areas where you are having overage charges.  Do you do a lot of texting?  Do you use your phone mostly for data services?  Where exactly are most of your extra charges coming from?  As well, identify areas where you are paying for more than you need.  Do you pay for a certain number of minutes each month but find that you don’t use even half of them?

Step Three: Understand your contract with your cell phone company.  Even if you do not plan to switch carriers, it is good leverage for you to understand your agreement so that you can use it as a negotiating tool.  If you are close to the end of your contract period, you will be able to negotiate a better deal with the cell phone service provider to prevent losing you as a customer.  If you are not close to the end of your contract, you should still talk to your service provider about adjusting your services.  If you are paying overage fees because you text a lot, find out how much it would cost for an unlimited texting plan.  If you don’t use your talk time, talk to them about changing your plan to a lower number of minutes.

Step Four: Shop around.  See what other cell phone service providers are offering.  You may find that it is cheaper to pay the prorated kill fee on your contract and switch to another carrier than to keep paying the high prices every month for your current service.  Cell phone companies are highly competitive and most will do nearly anything to get you to commit to a contract with them.  Shop around and find the best deal you can that meets your specific needs; don’t hesitate to contact your current provider and see if they will match the deal.  In fact, find out if your current provider is running any promotions that would save you money over the long term.

Step Five: Do the math.  If you are really serious about lowering your monthly cell phone bill, make a list of all the services you absolutely must have, where you can get them the cheapest, and how much it would cost to switch services if you need to.  Consider long-term costs and short-term cash output before making your final decision.

Are you addicted to your cell phone? If you answer yes to two or more of these questions, get help immediately.  Don’t worry; you can call for help using your cell phone.

1. Do parts of your body tingle even when you’re phone isn’t there vibrating?
2. Does driving interfere with your texting?
3. Do you have cell phone cases that match your outfits?
4. Does it take an hour on a land line call to get the same feeling you get from a five-minute cell phone call?
5. Have you ever taken or made a call in the bathroom?

Cell phone usage has been on the increase for the last several years, and like everything else in life, has fallen victim to humor.  In fact, purchasing a cell phone has even been compared to getting married.  Both marriage and a cell phone contract require a long-term commitment that you’re not really sure you’ll be able to keep, that you agree to accept “for better and for worse” – even though you probably won’t discover the “for worse” until after the deal is done, and early termination can be extremely costly.

Cell phone jokes can be found all over the Internet.  Here are a few of our favorites.

The blonde joke:

A loving husband decided to buy his beautiful blonde wife her first cell phone.  She is so excited and loves her new phone.  He carefully explains to her how to use the phone.  The next day, the wife goes shopping.  Her husband calls.  He asks her, “How do you like your new phone, honey?”  “Fine,” she answers. “But how did you know I was at Wal-mart?”

The bathroom joke:

As I was traveling through Utah on my way to Colorado, I stopped at a rest area on the side of the road.  There was someone in the first stall, so I went into the second.  Just as I sat down, the person in the first stall said, “Hi, how are you?”

Not being one to typically have conversations while going to the bathroom, I wasn’t sure what to say, but I finally settled on, “Not bad.”

The person in the neighboring stall then asks, “So, what are you doing?”

How do you answer that?  I said, “Well, I am going to Colorado on business.”

Then, sounding completely flustered, the person in the next stall says, “Look, I’ll have to call you back.  Every time I ask you a question, the idiot in the next stall answers me.”

Cell Phone Quote of the Day:

“People who complain about others talking on their cell phones in the car are simply jealous that they’re wasting time just sitting in traffic instead of wasting time talking to friends while sitting in traffic.”

Why People Like Having a Cell Phone:

Jane: “I like it for the convenience and security.”

Dan: “I like it for the increased connectivity to work.”

Brad: “I like it for the challenge of controlling a cell phone, a donut, a cup of coffee, and a 10,000 pound vehicle all at the same time.”

This article will help you understand what it takes for you to be able to start talking, texting, and sharing data from the moment you arrive in your destination country. Not every phone will work outside of the service area for which you’ve purchased it; you will have to read your service agreement or contact your service provider to determine whether or not your phone can work outside of your home country.

To understand international cell phone service, you must first understand GSM.  GSM stands for Global System for Mobile communications.  GSM compatibility is required for an international cell phone to work while in your destination country.  The difference between GSM and a traditional cell phone is the technology used to transfer the data. GSM uses technology that allows it to, in layman’s terms, switch circuits as needed to access transmission points and provide continued service regardless of your movement. Thanks to the advent of GSM, travelers are now capable of retaining their home cell phone number virtually worldwide. 

In order for your phone to work when you are in another country, your phone must be an international GSM cell phone.  In addition, it must be capable of working on specific frequencies.  If you are traveling to Europe, Asia, or Africa, you phone will need to be capable of functioning on 900 and 1800 MHz;  1900 MHz is required for use in North and South America. If you are traveling to Jamaica or other Caribbean islands, you will need a phone that works on all three frequencies, since these islands may use any of them. It must also be “SIM unlocked.”

Having a phone that is “SIM unlocked” simply means the phone will allow you to insert a SIM card, which is the interface that allows you access to service providers in different countries.  Since cell phones vary so significantly from manufacturer to manufacturer, it is best to refer to your owner’s manual to determine the location of your SIM slot.

SIM stands for Subscriber Identity Module, and it refers to a “smart” card that contains the information about your cell phone service, phone number, account information, and address book. This card can be moved from one handset to another. Most cell phone services lock their SIMs so that users cannot easily switch services, but there are technologies and software available to help you unlock your phone if you do not wish to pay your cell phone service provider a fee to unlock the phone.

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