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Cell Phones Blog December 2003 Archive

By Adam Fendelman, About.com Guide to Cell Phones

Tube smaller than a human hair may yield better cell phone signals

Tuesday December 30, 2003
A researcher at the University of Southern California found out that tiny carbon nanotube transistors can dramatically enhance the processing of electrical signals, which could eventually replace antennas in cell ... Read More

SD Slot camera accessory available for MPx200

Tuesday December 30, 2003
Many have complained that the Motorola MPx200, a feature rich phone with a color display, didn't have a built-in camera. Odd enough, but a company now sells a camera accessory ... Read More

Update: Top 5 cell phones with free programmable ringtones

Tuesday December 30, 2003
It's not always easy to find a good cell phone that can also let you do what you want in terms of ringtone personalization -- indeed, some cell phones only ... Read More

Nine out of 10 cheating spouses cases exposed by cell phone use

Monday December 29, 2003
In Singapore, 9 out of 10 cheating spouses are discovered by their cell phone use. Some husbands tend to go on the balcony for certain calls, and spouses check SMS ... Read More

Cell phones would be safe in gas stations

Friday December 26, 2003
According to The Inquirer, a British TV show tested cell phones for safety in gas stations. Their tests demonstrated that wearing nylon clothes might be more dangerous than using cell ... Read More

Sprint PCS offering the T608 Sony Ericsson phone

Tuesday December 23, 2003
A Sprint PCS forum reports that, starting this week, Sprint is selling a Sony Ericsson cell phone with Bluetooth technology. That's an interesting add-on to their phone line since it ... Read More

How to get a free used cell phone if yours is lost or broken

Friday December 19, 2003
I've heard all sorts of horror stories about cell phones being dropped in the toilet bowl, lost or having their antenna broken, but if it happens to you, there is ... Read More

Trends for 2004? Look at Japan

Thursday December 18, 2003
DoCoMo, the Japanese leader in cell phone technology, just introduced its new line of 3G cell phones with new features that set the trend to come. New trends such as ... Read More

Disciplined for cell phone use: this time it's a politician

Thursday December 18, 2003
Using a cell phone in certain places is definitely becoming dangerous. After football player Joe Horn, who got a $30,000 fine for using his cell phone on the playing field, ... Read More

Another Rugged phone from Motorola and Nextel

Thursday December 18, 2003
Motorola and Nextel started this week another rugged phone, the i530. This time, it's a clamshell design -- I believe the first flip cover phone to be resistant to extreme ... Read More

Verizon Wireless starts mobile IM compatible with 3 major systems

Wednesday December 17, 2003
Instant messaging on cell phones has existed for years, but only some cell phones would offer it, and it was limited to one system (mostly AOL IM). But yesterday, Verizon ... Read More

Costly call: Joe Horn fined $30,000 for his cell phone stunt

Wednesday December 17, 2003
Joe Horn, the football player who choregraphed making a cell phone call after a touchdown last weekend was fined $30,000 yesterday. His agent says he will appeal. source

A portable battery charger called cellboost

Tuesday December 16, 2003
A convenient but expensive device called Cellboost may be handy if you forget your travel or car charger and end up on a dead battery. Plug in a cellboost unit ... Read More

New rock concert wave: light up these cell phones

Tuesday December 16, 2003
Ernest A. Jasmin, of the Tacoma News Tribune, explains how cell phones are transforming rock concert traditions. At a recent pop-punk concert, fans were not lighting up the usual lighters ... Read More

NFL considering suspension for player's cell phone stunt

Tuesday December 16, 2003
What a blown up story: the NFL is now considering to discipline Joe Horn, that Saint-Louis Saints football player who put a cell phone to his ear after catching a ... Read More

Toshiba develops a tiny disk for cell phones

Monday December 15, 2003
A new hard disk as small as a nickel has been developed by Toshiba and is believed to be the world's smallest hard disk drive with a capacity of 2 ... Read More

A new use for moblogs: Illustrated gift wish lists

Monday December 15, 2003
Camera phones are generating unsuspected new trends. Moblogs or weblogs updated with a cell phone, are now used, with camera phones, to update christmas gift wish lists. See something that ... Read More

Next Motorola & Microsoft Smartphone will feature a camera

Monday December 15, 2003
The absence of a built-in camera was strange in the recently launched "high profile" MPx200, a Motorola phone featuring Microsoft's Smartphone operating system. But the next version, the MPx220, will ... Read More

Update: The cell phone test gets new features

Sunday December 14, 2003
I spent the week-end improving my popular cell phone test that unveils your 5 best matching phones. Well, now, not only does it unveil your best matching phones but you ... Read More

Two new Samsung and Audiovox phones hit the shelves

Friday December 12, 2003
Cellular companies continue their wild race towards having the most new exceiting products to satisfy holiday shoppers. Sprint now offers yet another new Samsung phone, the VI660 and Verizon Wireless, ... Read More

Sanyo announces a "skull phone"

Thursday December 11, 2003
Maybe this is the last step before the brain implant: Sanyo announced this week a new cell phone, the TS41, that you hold, not to your hear, but somewhere on ... Read More

Camera phones and privacy: Man accused of sliding camera phone under woman's skirt

Wednesday December 10, 2003
It seems like we ain't done yet discovering how camera phones affect our privacy. Yesterday, a 20-year-old man was charged for sliding a camera phone under the skirt of a ... Read More

Camera phone photos as art

Wednesday December 10, 2003
New technology, new kind of art? That's the trend Alan A. Reiter explores in an article about how some web sites use camera phones to make pictures of instant art. source

The art of "moblogging" goes video

Tuesday December 9, 2003
textamerica.com, a moblog website (where users can update a blog from their mobile phone) announced today that it now accepts video submission, which is the perfect solution for the lazy ... Read More

Bought a Motorola MPx200 at Amazon? How about $130 cash back?

Tuesday December 9, 2003
Exciting news for new owners of the Motorola MPx200 this morning in msmobiles.com: it seems like those who bought their MPx200 from Amazon.com within the last 30 days can be ... Read More

New York State could force cell phone carriers to improve service in rural areas

Tuesday December 9, 2003
This morning in a regional newspaper: Rural constituents of the New York state don't all have adequate cell phone service, and a senator indicates that it could regulate to force ... Read More

The Cell phone market is "on fire", says research firm

Monday December 8, 2003
The International Data Group News Service Gartner says worldwide cell phone sales this year will be even greater than predictions or about 500 million units, 30 million more than the ... Read More

Consumers complain about numerous number portability transfer glitches

Friday December 5, 2003
According to the New York Times, the automated systems suposed to fulfill number portability switching requests are failing about 50 percent of the time, forcing employees to transfer customer data ... Read More

Request to stop number portability denied again

Friday December 5, 2003
The latest attempt to stop number portability made earlier this week was denied by the U.S. Court of Appeals. The court didn't buy the industry's argument that the rule was ... Read More

Planning a car robbery? Don't leave your cell phone behind

Friday December 5, 2003
Isn't there a show called "America's dumbest criminals"? Well this Oregonian thief may be featured soon as one of them, as he stole a car but left a cell phone ... Read More

Shortage of camera components creates shortage of mobile phones

Friday December 5, 2003
It seems like the 2003 Holiday season will be a booming record year for cell phone sales as the appeal of new features such as camera and color displays entice ... Read More

Motorola introduces new Nextel cell phone resistant to extreme environments

Thursday December 4, 2003
Nextel is already known for bulky strong phones meant for heavy workers and we've seen rugged phones before, but the new i305 seems built to resist the harshest torture: it ... Read More

Check your bill: New York Times columnist rants on erroneous cell phone bills

Thursday December 4, 2003
David Pogue has had his share of trouble calling Verizon Wireless twice to get them to deliver on their promise of a 100 minutes bonus which did not appear on ... Read More

Sprint PCS jumps in Push-to-talk with full-featured Sanyo VM4500

Wednesday December 3, 2003
Sprint starts today its own Push-to-talk (PTT) or cellular walkie-talkie service called "PCS Ready Link", and launches a new phone with PTT, the Sanyo VM4500. That follows Verizon wireless, ... Read More

Cell phone porn could reach $791 million by 2006

Wednesday December 3, 2003
Here's another astronomical prediction just like I love them: A research firm says mobile phone gambling could reach a blazing $5.7 billion in revenue and mobile porn, $791 million. However, ... Read More

Landline companies consider number portability rule unfair for them and wants it blocked again

Tuesday December 2, 2003
According to the New York Times, a trade group representing local telephone companies went to court today to stop allowing transfers from landline to cell phone. The association says it's ... Read More

Cell phone talking is only 6th driver distraction, behind radio tuning and climate adjusting

Tuesday December 2, 2003
As I was reading a story on a new cell phone & driving ban in Washington DC that may go in effect next July, I clicked on an interesting link ... Read More

New "Dial-A-Life" program gives 911 cell phones to elderly and disabled

Tuesday December 2, 2003
We all know the donate-a-phone program, providing a used cell phone to battered women in case they need to dial 911, but a new program in Miami-Dade county, Florida, makes ... Read More

Verizon and Nextel first-week number portability winners

Monday December 1, 2003
According to RCR wireless news, Verizon Wireless and Nextel are those who attracted the most new customers from others during the first week of the number portability rule. source (found ... Read More

Lucky British get free Wi-Fi in train

Monday December 1, 2003
The train running from London Kings Cross to Scotland in the UK will be wireless Internet (Wi-Fi) enabled starting today and for three months as part of a trial. Only ... Read More

Enthusiastic review of the Motorola MPx200 Smartphone

Monday December 1, 2003
Steven G. Bush, publisher of the "Brighthand" web site on handhelds just bought a Motorola MPx200 with the Microsoft Smartphone and raves about it. He likes the simplicity of the ... Read More

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