No Contract Cell Phone & Unlimited Free Plan

The cell phone industry is realizing that the buying public is growing weary of service plans that hold customers to long term contracts. This is why companies like Metro PCS and Boost Mobile are starting to take a good sized bite out of the mobile marketplace. These two cell phone companies offer unlimited phone plans with no contract attached. You can cancel when you want to and you won't be penalized for doing so. They also have prepaid phone plans that start at dollars, but the per minute charge is relatively high.

Other companies like Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile also have prepaid plans to appeal to those who do not want to be restricted by contracts. The industry is thus starting to move in the direction of the no contract trend in order to give customers what they want. The wireless industry is very lucrative and growing each day. It is also highly competitive. So companies, both large and small, are getting into the pay-as-you go act. In fact, T-Mobile has recently teamed up with a smaller company called Liberty International to offer customers something rather revolutionary in the wireless world - a free, no contract unlimited plan.

Verizon

If you sign up for one of their joint venture industry phone service plans, you will get your cell phone bill for free if you refer three people to the same plan. In addition to this, budding entrepreneurs can now get into the cell phone industry and make money without having to buy a franchise like a Wireless Zone from Verizon--and with no investment required.

No Contract Cell Phone & Unlimited Free Plan

No Contract Cell Phone & Unlimited Free Plan

Nextel Reverse Cell Phone Lookup - How to Lookup a Nextel Phone Number

Want to run a Nextel reverse cell phone lookup to trace a Nextel number? If you are reading this, I am guessing you are finding reliable ways to do this. Then, you should read on to know the 3 main ways that you can do it. And it works for all kinds of numbers for all providers, ie it does not have to be Nextel and works for Sprint and Verizon as well.

First way that you can use is the major search engines to conduct a Nextel reverse cell phone lookup. How do you do it? Simple - just search the full number you are trying to locate.

Verizon

The reason that this may work is that many phone owners actually use their mobile numbers to register online. It could be for online booking of movie tickets or making a purchase online for some merchandise and so on so forth.

Nextel Reverse Cell Phone Lookup - How to Lookup a Nextel Phone Number

What you hope to get is the trace or footprint left online. The thing is such details can be captured and indexed online by the search engine spiders. Alongside the phone number will be the personal details of the carrier such as his or her name and address.

Second method is by browsing through the yellow pages on the internet. They often list numbers that are in the public domain so you may be able to find what you are searching. However, very few of these online directories will carry the cellular phone numbers you need. This is because a lot of them are publicly listed landline numbers and not mobile numbers. If you intend to run a Nextel reverse cell phone lookup there, it can be a futile attempt.

The third method is using what we call a paid reverse search service. It will allow you to conduct a full Nextel reverse cell phone lookup and trace whatever number you are holding. The searches are often accurate simply because the information is compiled from the sources, the phone service providers.

So if you can spare a few dollars, go ahead and run an instant Nextel reverse cell phone lookup now to find the caller.

Nextel Reverse Cell Phone Lookup - How to Lookup a Nextel Phone Number

Golf GPS Apps For Android

OK, so you have a fancy touchscreen Smartphone with the Android operating system (perhaps a Verizon Droid or even a brand new Nexus One from Google), and you want to spice it up with a compatible golf GPS. Maybe you're already familiar with GolfShot, GolfLogix, and some of the other popular golf GPS apps available for the iPhone and BlackBerry Smartphones, and now you're wondering what the choices are for Android. The number of apps in the Android market may be kind of puny compared to the huge number of apps available for the iPhone. But there are Android golf GPS apps available. The following list of five top-notch products is a start.

GolfCard was selected by both CNN and Time magazine as the best iPhone golf app for father's day (2009). Now it's available for Android phones; both Sprint and Verizon have recently featured GolfCard in their new phone ads. It looks promising, and should probably be more popular than it already is. This inexpensive rangefinder has a database of 28,000 courses, a scorecard for multiple players, statistical analysis, and no subscription fees.

Verizon

GreenFinder, which is a popular GPS app that also works on Blackberry, iPhone, and Windows Mobile phones, can be downloaded and used five times for free. It gives you distances to the front, center, and back of the green, as well as distances to fairway hazards and the distance of your last shot. It costs less than a round of golf and there are no additional fees: you can download all the courses you need and you can even mark your own courses.

Golf GPS Apps For Android

FreeCaddie also works on Blackberry, iPhone, Windows Mobile, and Java enabled phones. The free version displays only the distances to the front, center, and back of greens. If you want the really good stuff like distances to bunkers and hazards, a shot distance function, the ability to map your own points, or statistics and scorekeeping, then you need to upgrade to FreeCaddie Pro.

Pocket Caddy from Satsports has 3D flyovers of the entire course and individual holes, distances to the front, center, and back of the green and other points of interest. It also has shot recording, statistical analysis and and a scorecard. With Pocket Caddy you can get a map of your home course included with purchase, or you can easily map courses yourself using Google Earth.

SkyDroid (which is practically free) has distances to the front, center and back of every green on the course, as well as distances to water hazards, bunkers, and other course features. It also has a satellite map view of every hole. You can track the distance of your last shot, download all the courses you want for no extra cost, and you can even use SkyDroid's Course Mapper to easily map your own courses.

Golf GPS Apps For Android

The Verizon iPad 2: What You Need to Know About the Data Plans

The Verizon iPad 2 is just what many people needed to make them want to buy the new iPad. Previously, users could only choose between the Wifi-only version and the AT&T version of the iPad. Now, with more options available to them, users have taken advantage of a busted monopoly and opted for getting their data plans through Verizon.

But how does Verizon's data plans stack up to those at AT&T? Let's take a look.

Verizon

Verizon offers more options: The Verizon iPad offers two more data plan options than the AT&T version. AT&T only offers two data types: the 250 MB per month plan and the 2 GB per month plan. Verizon offers four plans:1 GB, 3 GB, 5 GB and 10 GB per month. Verizon's services are cheaper: Even though Verizon does not offer a 250 GB per month option, their higher data plans are a better deal. When you could purchase AT&T's data plan for per month for 250 MB, you can purchase Verizon's 3, 5 or 10 GB plans for only per month, which is a way better deal. The Verizon iPad does not charge an activation fee: To be fair, neither does AT&T. But knowing that Verizon doesn't charge an activation fee to begin using the data plan makes using them as a carrier that much cheaper of an option. No fee for cancelling or reactivating: You can cancel your monthly data plan at anytime without worrying about getting charged for cancelling or for reactivating. The whole idea is to not tie yourself down to a monthly data plan that doesn't fit into your budget for 12 months. Verizon accommodates that for you, as does AT&T.The only advantage of going with AT&T over Verizon is if you wanted to pay per month for 250 MB of data. Otherwise, Verizon's plans are far cheaper.

The Verizon iPad 2: What You Need to Know About the Data Plans

Verizon also has a track record of being more reliable than AT&T, at least in the United States. AT&T's GSM network is helpful for global traveling, but if you're trying to use your iPad at the ball park in the heartland of the United States, AT&T's network might let you down.

Getting the Verizon iPad doesn't cost you any more than getting an AT&T iPad. They're both more expensive than getting a Wifi-only one, but that's it. Verizon still comes in the same 16GB, 32GB and 64GB models as the AT&T one.

Also, you can choose from black and white the same way you can with the AT&T and Wifi versions. So you don't sacrifice anything at all by opting for the Verizon iPad over the AT&T one.

The Verizon iPad 2: What You Need to Know About the Data Plans

Verizon, Alltel Merger - More Complicated Than You Think!

The list grows of who wants the FCC and other government regulatory agencies to block the merger between Verizon Wireless and Alltel: AT&T, Rural Cellular Association*, International Brotherhood Electrical Workers, Leap Wireless, and consumer advocacy groups to name a few. Moreover, the reasons why the stakeholders don't want the merger to go through range incredible:

Against Merger:

Verizon

Leap Wireless, Centennial Communications and other groups for their roaming contracts with Alltel Wireless. Although, this hurdle is easily over-thrown since Verizon has clearly stated they will continue to abide by Alltel's roaming contracts and the FCC has the authority - and current political momentum - to pass roaming regulations. AT&T Wireless is upset mainly because they will be over-thrown as the largest cellular coverage for any one provider. Moreover, the technology Verizon Wireless and Alltel currently use, CDMA, is superior compared to GSM (i.e. analog, not digital). If the merger goes through AT&T will have more dropped calls and less of a network coverage area then Verizon Wireless - a huge market value. Furthermore, with the contract of Apple's iPhone expiring in 2010 AT&T's fears start to increase expidentionally. Some consumer advocates, such as the Consumers Union, which believe having an even larger market share would make it harder for cell phone manufacturers to disregard exclusive contracts.

Verizon, Alltel Merger - More Complicated Than You Think!

Supporting Merger:

Sprint, you will not find on the list due to the popular Sprint-Clearwire merger; nor will you find T-mobile on the list either due to their head-hunting for weak companies to buy assets from, or possible mergers of their own; although, it could be debated that the possibilities of further mergers being approved by the FCC decrease substantially if the Verizon-Alltel merger is approved. Various other organizations, such as the Women Impacting Public Policy and the Pacific Research Institute for Public Policy believe the merger would be beneficial for all persons to get access to the wireless Internet and increase new Internet technologies for faster download speeds.

Alltel has more than 13 million wireless subscribers in 34 states - most importantly, including 57 primarily rural markets not served by Verizon Wireless. Verizon Wireless currently has 67.2 million subscribers - if the merger is granted they will surpass AT&T's 71.4 million customers. Stanford Group Co. in a research note that the swift passage of the merger is crucial due to the shift to Democratic control; although, they commented as the timeline as "tight" they agree it's doable.

The main obstacle from a political perspective is Republic Commissioner Deborah Tate which must leave the FCC at the end of the current session of Congress if the Senate does not confirm her to another term. If she is forced-out the Commission will be split on a 2-2 vote leaving a deal breaker on the table. Although, the Democrats would be (and probably are) wiser to push for the merger, using it as a bargaining chip to require net neutralities, open devices (i.e. universal cell phones such that are in Europe) and consumer protection requirements.

However, Gig Sohn, President of Public Knowledge, makes a valid point: Sprint being in a weakened position and Verizon Wireless controlling 80 million subscriber accounts out of the 260 million wireless subscribers in existence will leave consumers with fewer choices. The merger would leave Verizon Wireless with 31% of the market, AT&T with 27%, Sprint-Nextel with 21% and T-mobile with 11%.

Here are list of recent quotes by various research organizations:

Medley Global Advisors LLC said it best, "While it is almost certain the deal will be approved, the company will likely be forced to divest overlapping markets that could range from 20-30% of Alltel's POPs." UBS Securities LLC said, "We expect Verizon Wireless to try to expedite the transaction given that an Obama administration would likely create higher hurdles." Goldman Sachs said, further cellular market consolidations "could force others" such as Sprint-Nextel and T-mobile to structure a strategic combination.

*Sound-Science Wireless, LLC is listed in RCA's Buyer's Guide. Views and Opinions of RCA are their own. (http://rca.officialbuyersguide.net/Listing.asp?Show=All&page=6)

Verizon, Alltel Merger - More Complicated Than You Think!

Singer Bono Private Equity Firm Saves Palm

The company made famous with Palm Pilot has seen better days. Elevation Partners, Bono's private equity company is putting 5 million cash infusion into the company just prior to them release of their latest mobile computing model device? But with Apple iPone coming out at the end of the month (June 2007) and AT&T announcing its new HBO capable video phone, one has to wonder if it will work.

Why is Bono doing this? Well one speculation is that Bono wants to have armies of people able to mobilize fast in SmartMobs. One person we interviewed said; "Bono wants to be able to disrupt events like the G-8 Summits and World Bank meetings." If Palm has devices for mobile computing and works with companies like Google then they will have incredible mobs able to create anarchy whenever they want?

Verizon

Is Singer Bono saving Palm or is he gathering more troops to disrupt our society and civilization and turn the World into a Socialist Community using mobile computing as his tool? Of course the story is that Elevation Partners is pumping in money in order to take advantage of the Foleo Sales and out do Apple iPhone and beat AT&T or Verizon to the punch? Will it work?

Singer Bono Private Equity Firm Saves Palm

That is a lot of cash; 5 million. Will it be enough to over take the market and will the other companies come up to the plate. This may cause other companies to back-off as if the competition is too great there will be less money for any one company, making the ROI unlikely. Any advertiser worth their salt will indeed go get some of this money as they blow through it.

It does appear that there is a bit of high-roller bluffing and intimidation going on here and most people realize that Bono is a lot of talk, even if the words flow together like wine and song.

Singer Bono Private Equity Firm Saves Palm

Cell Phone Signal Boosters Vs Femtocells - Which One Is Right For You?

Ever missed a call because your phone was in and out of service and it only rang once before going to voicemail?  Constantly having to go to windows or outside to make a call? Tired of playing the "Can you hear me now?" game?  With more and more people opting to do away with their landline, reliable call quality and carrier service has never been more important.  So what can you do to improve your reception and stop dropping calls?

The most popular options are cell phone signal boosters and Femtocells.  Without going into too much detail, by the end of this article you should have enough information to decide which one is right for you.

Verizon

Let us start by defining the two technologies.  Most wireless cell phone signal boosters (also called amplifiers and repeaters) work by capturing the signal outside, amplifying it, and then redistributing it inside.  This is done through 3 major pieces: an outside antenna (either directional or omni-directional), the amplifier, and the inside antenna (either directional or omni-directional).  The outside signal can be weak or strong, but must be present in order for the booster to operate properly.  In general, the weaker the signal outside, the more gain the amplifier needs to provide in order to offer adequate coverage inside.  Femtocells are basically miniature cell phone towers, about the size of a wireless router, that are provided by your wireless carrier and are installed in your home to provide coverage of up to a 40' radius.  They are essentially a Wi-Fi router for cellular and PCS frequencies.  Information is transmitted wirelessly from your phone to the femtocell, then from the femtocell to the carrier via your broadband internet connection.

Cell Phone Signal Boosters Vs Femtocells - Which One Is Right For You?

Now let's get down to the purpose of this article.  The easiest way to decide which product is right for you is to take a look at the comparisons below.

Connectivity

Booster:  Dual Band models work with virtually all carriers except Nextel and other iDEN push-to-talk networks, although there are boosters made specifically for Nextel. Femtocell:  Only works with one specific service provider.  Ex. You are a Verizon Wireless subscriber. Provided there is little coverage by all carriers in your current location, installing a Verizon Network Extender will help you out but don't plan on your AT&T friends raving about excellent coverage when they stop over to watch the game.

Data

Booster: Dual Band models work with data plans for all carriers using 850/1900 MHz for their data.  This is most carriers, but does not include T-Mobile 3G Femtocell:  Supported data rates vary by carrier. Some femtocells do not support data at all.  Ex.  Verizon's Network Extender currently only supports 1X CDMA, not EVDO or 3G.  Generation 1 of Sprint's Airwave only supports 1X CDMA, not EVDO or 3G.  AT&T's microcell supports 3G data, but only works with 3G phones.

Multiple Users

Booster:  Most dual band wireless models support more than a handful of users so everyone can be talking or surfing at the same time. Femtocell:  Depends on the carrier.  Sprint's AIRWAVE allows up to 3 simultaneous users. Verizon's Network Extender supports up to 3 simultaneous users. AT&T's Microcell supports up to 4 simultaneous users.

Bandwidth

Booster:  N/A Femtocell:  Prepare to allot anywhere from 40Kbps to 300kbps of your upload and download bandwidth depending  on the number of active calls / data sessions.

Cost

Booster:  Basic Dual Band home coverage kits  can start as low as 5    Femtocell:  Anywhere ranging from free  (with a subscription to unlimited calling), to with a /mo fee, to a 0 one time fee.

Installation

Booster:  Installation of most cell phone signal boosters can be completed in anywhere from 1  to 4 hrs..  Mounting the outside antenna, mounting the inside antenna and running the cabling between everything is the most time consuming.  Amplifier and internal antenna placement are completely flexible. Femtocell:  Physically easier to install - requiring just a simple Ethernet connection to your existing router. However, most require a GPS lock in order to activate and confirm location, so it is advised to install next to a window.  However, it is also advised that they be placed in a central location for best coverage.  Raise your hand if you have windows located in the center of your home?

Boot Up Time

Booster:     N/A - once the amplifier is powered on you can make and receive calls. Femtocell:  Some femtocells require up to 60 minutes to set up and stabilize for the first time.  Subsequent power cycles take 10-15 minutes to stabilize.

Call Hand-Off

Booster:  N/A - a cell phone signal booster is an extension of the outside tower so you are essentially already connected to it when making and receiving calls.  There is no hand-off to take place.  If you are connected to a tower as you're driving up your street, you'll be connected to the same tower once in your home (just with a stronger signal) Femtocell:  Seamless call transfer to the tower as you leave the femtocell coverage area, but you're going to have to hang up and re-dial if you're entering the coverage area.

In summary, if you live in an area with absolutely no cell coverage, only affiliate with people who are using the same carrier as you, don't mind giving up some of your already-paid-for broadband bandwidth, will never have a need for 3 or more people to be on the phone at the same time and don't mind saying "I'll have to call you back, I'm at home now" then a femtocell might just be the solution for you.  However, if you want to provide great cell and data coverage to just about anyone who enters your home (regardless of carrier), value your already precious bandwidth, and don't mind rolling up your sleeves for a few hours to do the installation, then an installed Cell Phone Signal Booster may be the right solution for you.

Cell Phone Signal Boosters Vs Femtocells - Which One Is Right For You?