Current times demand much more of our cell phone technology then they did even 10 years ago. So with the advent of smart phones like the iPhone, lots of regular people now need access to the phone and its features, even those who have cell phones bad credit situations where companies are denying people access to their networks and service plans. An iPhone bad credit history problem depends on the region in which your trying to get service. If you were in the UK you likely have access to multiple networks that support the iPhone, but in the US only AT&T has a contract to allow service with the iPhone, and they are particularly friendly to people who have poor credit.

T-mobile does not officially advertise support for the iPhone but they do however support the model, just not all of its features. If you can sacrifice some of the more powerful features on the iPhone, than buying an older model iPhone online and activating it through T-Mobile’s help support my be the best option for you. They will be more than happy to help get your phone activated onto their network, and the great thing is that you can gain access to their pre-paid services or their flat rate monthly plans should your particular iPhone model support it.

If you do find that you simply have no other choice or you prefer going with AT&T and find that you’re able to afford the hefty down payment, then that might be the option for you to pursue as AT&T will give you service if you pay substantial down payment on product usually ranging in between $400 – $800, this is on top of the phone purchase as well. After you paid your bills every month faithfully for a year, the company will refund your initial down payment and credited toward your cell phone account. If you want to save a few dollars on the purchase of your iPhone which would be made on top of your service payment and up front down payment, then I suggest going with a used iPhone model and buy it used phone sites or  craigslist.

Teachers have concerns that kids cell phones in class result in a lack of attention. They offer easy access to texting during school hours, are very distracting, and also pave the way to more detrimental activities.

The case is frequently made by students and parents that cell phones allow children a means of tracking their time, staying connected to their parents and even have an educational component at times. Cell phones allow students to take photos of classroom notes or materials as well as performing internet searches.

Which point is valid? As in most things, some items from both points of view are valid. The validity of one side however far outweighs the other.

At the risk of being labeled old fashioned, I remain unconvinced that phones for kids at school during class hours are advisable. The school office should be aware of anyone (including parents) outside of the school contacting a student. Secretly texting each other under their desks is not always observed by teachers but it does not lessen the amount of distraction it generates. Ring tones heard by children but not by most adults are another way one student can distract another via text.

Since an agreement as to what the policy should be has not been reached, school districts nationwide continue ongoing policy reviews. Some schools have opted for requiring cell phones to remain turned off and in lockers during school hours. Other school have taken the opposite approach and are relaxing their cellphone policies.

One point in particular that does not seem valid is that cell phones would be a safety need in case of a security emergency. Large numbers of students accessing cellphones could easily overload cell phone systems which, historically, overload during actual major crises. It is unlikely that there is an answer to this problem that everyone can agree aupon.

Blackberry and iPhone have been long-time competitors and in this article, we will go over the finer points of both! Both are considered to be cool cell phones and you probably already know several people that have either one. Some of the most important factors in deciding what is best for your lifestyle is the cost, the functionality, features, and plans.

The Blackberry has many different makes and models. For our purposes, we will use the Blackberry Curve 8530. The blackberry itself costs $359.99 at full retail price. However, with many carriers, the blackberry is discounted with the plan. At Verizon, the price of this blackberry is $129.99 with a 2-year contract and has an additional discount of $100 if ordered online, which would leave the phone cost at $29.99. Very low in comparison to many smartphones. However, this is just for Verizon.

The iPhone 8GB has a retail price of $99, with the 16GB being $199 and the 32GB being $299. The iPhone however is not available on Verizon, as it is not on many different carriers. The only carrier that is exclusive in AT&T. This greatly depletes what you can get with your plan and how much. When visiting AT&T’s website, the basic price for the 8GB (we’ll stick with that size for our purposes) is $99 but requires a 2-year contract, just as Verizon does for the Blackberry Curve.

Both phones have been said to work amazingly well. On the one hand, Blackberrys are legendary for being able to help that average business professional. It keeps track of your schedule, meetings, email, and so much more. On the other hand, iPhone has more apps so that you can create what you need out of your phone. Both have a lot to offer.

One problem that has been found with the iPhone is its durability. With a Blackberry, you can drop it many times, have the back panel open, and it will still work perfectly fine (I should know! I’ve done it…a lot!). On the other hand, the iPhone is much more delicate. Drop it can crack a screen or ruin in. For those of us who happen to be a little clumsy, this may be a very important factor.

Now, let’s talk about plans. You can also check out their cell phone family plans if your entire family will be having their own phone. The Verizon plan for the Blackberry Curve can start at $30 and go up to $230. It all depends on how much text, talk and international calls you will want to be covered for. On top of that is that data plan that, depending on where you are, costs around $29.99. For the iPhone, the plan can cost anywhere from $39.99 to $90.00 (approximately) with a data plan of $30.

The most important thing is to think of your budget – how much you are willing to spend – what you need, and to make an informed decision based upon that.

First and foremost, touch screen mobile phones are really easy and fun to use. Have you ever used an iPhone made by Apple? If you haven’t, you need to as it can be operated on common sense. For example, if you really don’t understand what function to use, you can probably take a chance and try what you think it might be and you will be right on. It is that easy to use. It actually works the way you logically think it would.

Apple is known for its user-friendly and easy-to-use systems. Many manufacturers have tried and tried to compete with this philosophy but however never could deliver. Now Apple has come out with the iPhone 3GS, a higher speed version. The design is also an attraction that gets your attention first. All of us these days want to purchase the hottest, newest equipment in the market place.

The mobile touch screen phone can be your fashion statement as it can be really hot looking. There are however, some things to be cautious with such as a glass screen and the lack of a keyboard. If you are like the most of us, you at one time have dropped your phone. A glass screen will break. Also, if you use your phone for texting or e-mailing, a glass screen takes a little bit of getting used to. It is a known fact that some never do.

They don’t come cheap either. Because it costs more to manufacture, you will pay more at the cash register. You can however, find cheaper phones but beware; some of the cheaper phones have a lot of problems and have been known to break easily. It seems certain however, that touch screen technology is growing rapidly. So we should see in the near future some really cool phones that don’t even come close to the mobile phones we were used to in the past.

With the recent release of Apple’s new iPad, many people are asking what the differences are between the iPod Touch versus the iPad. While there are a number of similarities between the two pieces of equipment but there are also a few key differences that make both valuable pieces of technology.

The iPod touch and the iPad have a lot in common because they are using the same base technology. Not only do they have the beautiful touch screen, but Apple is marketing their App Store towards the iPad, meaning that if you can get an App on the iPod Touch, you can get it on the iPad as well. The difference is that with the bigger screen (buy a nice iPad screen protector!) new and improved applications are soon to be available specifically for the iPad. Apple themselves have already revamped their own iWorks, consisted of Pages, Numbers and Key Note, to be used specifically on their new iPad.

The other new addition to iPad apps already announced is iBook, Apple’s new ebook reader and corresponding store designed to give readers access to thousand of titles in seconds. Like Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes and Noble’s new Nook, both of which are available on iPod touch, iBook will give readers the opportunity to download everything from the old classics to best sellers within minutes using built in Wi-Fi or 3G technology. It has not been revealed yet if iBooks will be available for the iPod touch as well.

The major difference between the iPod touch verses the iPad is the iPad’s 3G technology and ability to have unlimited data plans without a monthly contract. Thus far the iPod touch can only access the internet via Wi-Fi hot spots.

The iPod Touch verses the iPad is a conversation that will carry on as more information about the iPad is released and as new generations of the iPod Touch are developed.

I’m a small business owner. I also like to think I at least have my eye on the latest technology and applications for that technology, particularly when it helps my business. One of the things that has helped my business the most is Google Voice.

If you didn’t know, Google Voice is, basically, Google version of a phone system. Except it’s free. And you can pick your number. And they have a lot of cool features. And it’s awesome. But, one of the things that was holding it back was its limited capability with the Iphone. If you didn’t know (or couldn’t guess), Apple didn’t exactly want Google putting an app on the phone that would allow people to bypass their phone system.

I’m a Seattle DUI lawyer. And I don’t have a large staff (I have no staff). So being mobile is important for me. I don’t want to give out my cell number, but I want to be able to access my clients whether I’m in the office or on the road going court. And if I’m not available, it’s hard to talk to potential clients, who aren’t particularly fond of leaving messages.

Up until recently the Iphone and Google Voice were two passing ships in the night. I could get to Google Voice if I absolutely had to through the internet browser, but it was cumbersome, took forever, and was too much a pain to really deal with. And then last week I stumbled upon the new addition to the Google suite on the Iphone. It allowed me to use Google Voice easily and quickly on the Iphone. It has now made the Iphone everything I want it to be in a business tool.

Whether you are a Seattle DUI attorney, a plumber, an electrician, or any other service professional that wants to keep one number for their clients but needs access to that number at all times, then Google Voice and the Iphone are the perfect tool for you.

The iPad is more than just a tablet PC. For many people it could well replace their laptop or desktop computer as their main way to stay connected. A lot of people have criticized tablet computer, which had a brief spell of popularity in the last decade, because of the lack of hardware to make it truly useful. For the people who think that they can’t survive with just a touch screen, there are a range of ipad peripherals which are guaranteed to make life easier.

If you want to type on a proper keyboard there is a dock to do that. In fact there are both official and unofficial ipad docks which make it very easy to interact with your device.

Let’s look at the official dock announced at the launch of the iPad. This comes in two flavors, both a pretty much the same it’s just that one has a keyboard and one doesn’t. The dock allows you to easily charge your device and sync it up to your computer. There is also sound outlet so that you can hook your ipad up to an amplifier to really rock the tunes. You can get a dock with all these features, which is the standard one, or you can get the same dock but with an attached keyboard. The keyboard dock is sure to be a big hit, and enables people to have a full sized keyboard to write emails, and do work on their iPad. This is something that Apple have done well to identify, as without the ability to add a keyboard there are sure to have been a lot of critics and people sitting on the fence when deciding whether to buy one.

The criticism of the official Apple docks is the fact that they aren’t collapsible to make them portable, but there will soon be lots of unofficial docks on the market for you to choose from if you require this feature.

Apple Corp. has been putting out a lot of innovative products in the last decade. Most recently, they announced the iPad, and we do not know yet if that will be successful, but if it sells anywhere near as much as the iPhone has, Apple executives will be happy. The roll Apple has been on started with the iPod, which has completely dominated the market of MP3 players. There are dozens of accessories sold for it, ranging from the ridiculous (the iBoom boom box) to the very ingenious (the TuneBuckle belt with a holder for the iPod in the buckle). However, one of the ones that make the most sense is the iPod docking station. There are a lot of different models to choose from. Here are some of the main things you should do in order to be sure to get one that is right for you, at a good price.

The first thing you should do is go online and look for iPod docking station reviews. The Good Housekeeping website has a collection of brief iPod docking station reviews in three different price ranges, and CNET Reviews also has a good selection. When reading the reviews focus on the features you are most interested in and take note of how well they work. For example, a remote that does not work well will be a serious drawback for most people. For the less expensive models, how well they handle the bass is a key question. Many docking stations are very similar in terms of features and performance so it may come down to the best value for the money, or you might just really like how one looks.

After your research of the iPod docking station reviews helps you to decide on one, compare prices, return policies, and shipping charges across multiple websites before making your purchase.

]]> http://www.whatsonmyiphoneandwhy.com/2010/03/01/ipod-docking-station-reviews/feed/ 0 http://www.whatsonmyiphoneandwhy.com/2010/01/30/how-i-run-my-business-from-my-iphone/ http://www.whatsonmyiphoneandwhy.com/2010/01/30/how-i-run-my-business-from-my-iphone/#comments Sat, 30 Jan 2010 11:27:50 +0000 Vincent Polisi http://www.whatsonmyiphoneandwhy.com/?p=78

In truth, the various ways that I run our multiple businesses from my iPhone cannot be totally cataloged in one post so this will be more like a series of posts on the different functions and apps that help me release the leash from my laptop and still get things done.

Because we run numerous web based businesses, apps related to every aspect of setting up and managing websites is of vital importance. Few things are more frustrating than having a web site down or needing to add or correct something while you are away from your laptop. Thankfully, the iPhone App Store has solved that problem.

As an example, recently GoDaddy upgraded their iPhone App to have much of the functionality that you get from their website. This is huge!

Sure, it was nice to have an app to easily search for new domain names to purchase, but this new upgrade solved many of the frustrations with their freshman offering. The ability to easily handle Domain Management from your iPhone in an easy and intuitive interface is truly incredible.

With the GoDaddy iPhone App, you can search domains, check your mobile mail, view their Product Catalog for new products and services to purchase, watch their upcoming (and BANNED!) Super Bowl 2010 commercials and handle virtually every aspect of domain management including DNS Management, Forwards, Nameserver management, locking, renewing domains, updating contact information, you name it.

For those of you who don’t have your own websites or domains (YOU SHOULD!) and don’t yet run Internet based businesses (WHAT ARE YOU THINKING?!?!?!), some of this will sound like a foreign language. Those of you who do run Internet based businesses understand that you now have the ability to tune-up your Ferrari from your iPhone through one simple iPhone App.

This app, in conjunction with other apps that I will be discussing, reviewing and rating in future posts, helps me truly manage my Internet based businesses from my iPhone. GoDaddy did a phenomenal job in updating and improving this application for web developers and publishers beyond their initial offering which wasn’t much more than a domain search portal so they could sell you a new domain name.

If you don’t have or run Internet based businesses, it is time to get on board because the train is leaving the station. The Internet represents unparalleled opportunity to market to a global audience 24 hours a day. You don’t have to be a professionally trained programmer (I’m not). In the time you waste watching TV or mindlessly surfing the Internet, you could be developing your own websites, monetizing them and earning money doing something you love.

With an iPhone and apps like the GoDaddy app, you can truly run your entire business from your iPhone.

What’s On My iPhone:  The GoDaddy App

& Why?:  It works! It helps me run my websites from my iPhone with a seamless user interface and increases mobile efficiency without creating headaches and frustrations

The one thing the App Store has provided me is the ability to handle a myriad of things from my iPhone that previously I could only handle with an Internet connected laptop. In addition to the myriad of other projects I am involved in, I run a real estate investment firm. When conducting real estate deals, timing is everything. In sales, they say, “time kills a deal”. This has been my experience. So, as a result, we do everything possible to keep deals moving forward constantly.

On this particular day, I was running errands and had a client who was ready to go to contract on a deal but wanted to do her due diligence on our contracts prior to committing. Though I should, I did not have the contract I needed saved on my iPhone for easy access to email. So, I began thinking, how can I get her the contract before I get back to my laptop 4 hours later?

I have two different Microsoft Office based applications on my iPhone, Quickoffice Mobile Office Suite and Docs To Go by Dataviz both of which now natively support the storage of frequently used documents, images, PDFs, txt files, etc. The problem is that they can only store what the user manually stores and I hadn’t done that yet.

So, I put my thinking cap on. They both have an ability to extract attachments from an email if you are using a hosted Microsoft Exchange account for email, which I do. Earlier that morning, I had actually emailed the very document that this client was requesting to yet another client from my laptop. So, I located that email and forwarded it to myself, then pulled it up in Quickoffice and forwarded it to files@quickofficeconnect.com .

This then gave me the ability to extract and save the individual attachment of that contract for storage on my iPhone from within Quick Office. Once saved, I was then able to immediately email the document to my client. The ability to do this remotely using a document not saved or stored on my iPhone was huge. It also earned some professionalism points with the client for the alacrity with which she got the document she requested while I was not at my home/office.

Now, obviously, this was the long way around to make this happen and a few ounces of prevention of adding all of my frequently requested documents to the iPhone prior to leaving the house would have made the task much simpler and been the pound of cure. The key point here is that despite lacking having the actual document with me, I was able to quickly use a workaround and keep a deal moving forward with the Quickoffice app.

Quickoffice Mobile Office Suite-Why It’s On My iPhone

Enables me to get the job done despite my lack of prior planning