5 Things you never knew your cell phone can do

[Kahunascott]

There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies.

Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool
for survival. Check out the things that you can do with it:

FIRST
Emergency:
The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find
yourself out of the coverage area of your mobile; network and there
is an emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing
network to establish the emergency number for you, and interestingly
this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try it out.

SECOND
Have you locked your keys in the car?
Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday.
Good reason to own a cell phone: If you lock your keys in the car and
the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone
from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car
door and have the person at your home press the unlock button,
holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock.
Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no
object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach
someone who has the other "remote" for your car, you can unlock the
doors (or the trunk).

Editor's Note: It works fine! We tried it out and it unlocked our car
over a cell phone!"

THIRD
Hidden Battery Power:
Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate, press the keys
*3370# Your cell will restart with this reserve and the instrument
will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged
when you charge your cell next time.

FOURTH
How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?
To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following
digits on your phone: * # 0 6 # A 15 digit code will appear on the
screen. This number is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep
it somewhere safe. When your phone get stolen, you can phone your
service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to
block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your
phone will be totally useless.
You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that
whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this,
there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.
And Finally....

FIFTH
Free Directory Service for Cells:
Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411
information calls when they don't have to. Most of us do not carry a
telephone directory in our vehicle, which makes this situation even
more of a problem. When you need to use the 411 information option, simply
dial: (800) FREE 411, or (800) 373-3411 without incurring any charge
at all. Program this into your cell phone now.
This is the kind of information people don't mind receiving, so pass
it on to your family and friends.




Edited by - kahunascott on 03/23/2007 14:07:43

Edited by - kahunascott on 03/23/2007 14:08:12

Edited by - kahunascott on 03/23/2007 14:10:10

[Wegian]

Here is a website that addresses mobile phone functions:

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/cellphones.asp

[ericlp]

Dunno about the rest of the phone tools. But here is the scoop for the second stupid phone tricks...

Your remote door lock keychain remote works by emitting a low-power radio signal to a receiver in your car. The signal is encrypted specifically to work with your vehicle and is very hard to duplicate. Cell phones use a higher-powered and higher-frequency radio signal (800 MHz and up, whereas your remote locks operate between 300 and 500 MHz). Cell phones transmit voice and data – they cannot "carry" other radio signals, which is what this letter is suggesting (unless the author was foolish enough - or thinks you are - to believe that your car lock remote works on audible signals that could be 'broadcast' through the phone's speaker).

Hey, this is a chain letter and it's not gonna work. I could have figured this out. Cell phones and remote key locks are not on the same frequency. Even if they were ... There is no way a cell phone is going to listen to a key remote and transmit it via speaker... Cell phones compress VOICE and VOICE only ... They have a analog voice chip that compresses the signal to digital ... Makes it very small and sound quality goes out the window.

I have some land on the moon for sale if you want to buy some!

[scuba_man7]

I just wish mine didn't ring so damn much.

[Lew P]

A friend of mine swears that she tried the car door opening trick, and it worked. She is in her 50s and is not one to lie, so I don't know what to think about it.

[Beachboy]

quote:

---

Dunno about the rest of the phone tools. But here is the scoop for the second stupid phone tricks...

Your remote door lock keychain remote works by emitting a low-power radio signal to a receiver in your car. The signal is encrypted specifically to work with your vehicle and is very hard to duplicate. Cell phones use a higher-powered and higher-frequency radio signal (800 MHz and up, whereas your remote locks operate between 300 and 500 MHz). Cell phones transmit voice and data – they cannot "carry" other radio signals, which is what this letter is suggesting (unless the author was foolish enough - or thinks you are - to believe that your car lock remote works on audible signals that could be 'broadcast' through the phone's speaker).

Hey, this is a chain letter and it's not gonna work. I could have figured this out. Cell phones and remote key locks are not on the same frequency. Even if they were ... There is no way a cell phone is going to listen to a key remote and transmit it via speaker... Cell phones compress VOICE and VOICE only ... They have a analog voice chip that compresses the signal to digital ... Makes it very small and sound quality goes out the window.

I have some land on the moon for sale if you want to buy some!

---

so much for feeling like James Bond!?##%?#$!

[adias]

"(More than a few people have inadvertently fooled themselves into believing the cell phone method of unlocking car doors actually works because they tried it and achieved the desired results — not realizing their cars were still within range of their keyless remote devices, and the signals that unlocked the doors were transmitted the usual way [i.e., through the air], not via cellular phone connections.)

It's possible this method might work with cars that use something different than standard RKE systems, but it doesn't work with the vast majority of models. "


http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/keyless.asp

[sittall]

Sorry Scott, this 'too good to be true' cell phone myth was passed around last year via email. Before I forward such emails, I make an effort to check them out at snopes.com (as previously mentioned by others). This is an Urban Legends site put together by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson.

This is what they had to say:

Cars with remote keyless entry (RKE) systems cannot be unlocked by a cellular telephone. Cell phones utilize different types of signals and transmit them at different frequencies.

The claim that pressing the sequence *3370# will unleash "hidden battery power" in a cell phone seems to be a misunderstanding of an option available on some brands of cell phone (such as Nokia) for Half Rate Codec, which provides about 30% more talk time on a battery charge at the expense of lower sound quality. However, this option is enabled by pressing the sequence *#4720# - the sequence *3370# actually enables Enhanced Full Rate Codec, which provides better sound quality at the expense of shorter battery life.

Entering the sequence *#06# into a cell phone may display a 15-digit identification string, but that function only works with some types of cell phones, and the efficacy of reporting the ID number to a cellular service provider to head off unauthorized use of a lost or stolen phone is limited.

Some business outfits such as (800) FREE-411 do provide free directory assistance services to cell phone customers. However, users should note that the service is "free" in the sense that FREE-411
provides directory information to callers at no charge, but cellular service providers may still assess charges related to placing such calls.

Last updated on snopes.com 15 February 2007

[Beachboy]

quote:

---

"(More than a few people have inadvertently fooled themselves into believing the cell phone method of unlocking car doors actually works because they tried it and achieved the desired results — not realizing their cars were still within range of their keyless remote devices, and the signals that unlocked the doors were transmitted the usual way [i.e., through the air], not via cellular phone connections.)

It's possible this method might work with cars that use something different than standard RKE systems, but it doesn't work with the vast majority of models. "


http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/keyless.asp

---

just for the fun of it. I tried it out with my wife. I was home in HPP, and she was in Kea'au Shopping center. Guess what? Of course it didn't work!!!!

[radioguy]

RadioGuy can tell you without a doubt the remote key thing will not work, but here is something you may not know.

EVERYONE'S cell phone will without a doubt, let law enforcement listen to everything that is being said in the room that the phone is in, without a call being placed. The mic on your phone can be turned on remotely by law enforcement, and your phone will transmit the open mic audio to their location. Just like having a room mic or bug in place at all times.

And of course, your location is ALWAYS pinpointed within, say about a mile or so by the cell phone reporting to the nearest cell tower. And to within a few feet with the newer GPS option turned on.