The cellular telephone industry, like the regular telephone and broadband industries, has been marked with repeated consumer fraud including deceptive advertising and sales practices. Of late, however, organizations such as Tracfone® have made the use of cellular much more attractive. Cell phones coupled with station docking devices can result in dramatic reductions in monthly telephone and long distance costs. To this end, this page is dedicated.

Cell phone technology is advancing rapidly. The cell phone on the left is the new Google Android phone. This phone is in fact a small computer that communicates with the outside world using wireless packet data. Like your personal computer, the phone can load applications for functions ranging from games to serious business functions. As a demonstration of the power this phone enjoys, you might enjoy watching a recent video produced by Washington University. In a typical application, this video shows how third world children are triaged for medical treatment based on their physical symptoms. The best experience and clearest presentation of the video is obtained from downloading the .mp4 version to your computer. The file is quite large, however, at a little under 300 Megs. A good and also free video player software package for both Windows® and Linux can be obtained from the VLC website. The Linux version is usually included with your particular Linux distribution. A YouTube video presentation on the features and operation of the Android phone can be found here..

There is no such thing as a free lunch. Those cell phones you see advertised for free or greatly reduced prices, are generally locked to a specific service or provider. Sale of such devices are further tied to a contract which can run for two years or more. In that time frame you will more than pay for the retail cost of the phone in other ways. Locking provides an instant electronic monopoly for the provider.

Tired of being locked in to an expensive contract? Want to pay as you go? Tracfone® and Net10® may be your answer. The trick is knowing how much you talk each month balanced against the required additional purchase of minutes and/or air time. For people that don't talk much, costs can be in the $7.50 per month range.

If you are accumulating lots of minutes and not using them, maybe a cellular docking station is what you need. These devices allow cell phones to be used with regular telephone and house wiring. The trick again is being able to technically match the docking station to your cell phone and any house wiring. Remember, docking stations are typically AC powered and will not work during a power outage unless backup power is supplied. Typical Phone Labs® docking station is here. Also, cellular systems may not support FAX machines or analog modems.

Figuring out what phone or service is available or compatible in what area can be a major challenge. The Wireless Advisor site is a major help in finding what is available where.

Please continue to next page - - Telco <--> Qwest --

• Rural Cellular Assn.
• Cell Phone General
• What is a SIM card
• Locked & Unlocked
• Wireless Advisor
• Unlock It
• Tracfone Prepaid
• Net10 Prepaid
• Phone Labs Site
• Phone Labs Docking Station
• Another Docking Station
• Xlink Docking Station

• Video Player Software
• Android Phone Demo.
• Open Data Kit Video