photo credit:
JWoww Loses $100K BlackBerry

This last weekend, Jenni “JWoww” Farley lost her BlackBerry. Jenni was apparently shopping at a Lowe’s hardware store in Toms River, New Jersey with boyfriend Roger when she lost the cell phone. Jenni reported the missing BlackBerry to the police, claiming the phone is worth $100,000. Why is Jenni Farley’s BlackBerry worth $100,000? Is Jenni’s BlackBerry made of Platinum? Jenni claims it’s because of her fame. “Because of all my contacts,” she told Toms River police. According to an article written by Fabiana Santana, Actress Archives, “It’s those contacts - all stored in her Blackberry - she is worried will wind up in the wrong hands.”

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photo credit: New Twitter for BlackBerry

Today it’s official! Twitter for BlackBerry v1.1 is finally released. A select few were using the beta version, but the real McCoy was released today. According to a post by Kristy C., Inside BlackBerry, they have “made several changes to enhance the Twitter for BlackBerry Smartphone experience, like updated graphics that reflect the new look of the Twitter brand and a streamlined layout of the Add Photo and Add Location icons on the Home screen. The next time you Retweet something, it will appear in your Home timeline as ‘Retweeted by You’, to quickly alert you that your Retweet was sent successfully.”

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photo credit: Touch Wood Cell Phone

A new wooden-cased cell phone is being advertised by NTT Docomo in Japan. What is unique about this commercial is not so much that the cell phone’s case is made from wood, but the commercial itself. In an age of high tech, neon-lighted, rock music, this commercial is refreshingly free of all that hype. The commercial is set in the woods of Japan and features a hand built giant wooden xylophone playing Bach’s Cantata 147, “Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring.”A little wooden ball drops down hitting each wooden key and actually plays the song, ending next to the new cell phone. It is simplistic and inspiring.

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photo credit: DiCaprio’s $5 Million Ad

There’s a new Million Dollar Man. Well actually, it’s a new Five Million Dollar Man. Leonardo DiCaprio has started filming his new ad for the cell phone company, Guangdong OPPO Mobile Telecommunications Corp. The ad will be appearing exclusively in Asia later this year. The actor was spotted yesterday filming his new TV commercial in Paris, France. Leo has simultaneously been working on his upcoming film J. Edgar. Now that is multi-tasking in the extreme (and making big bucks to do so.)

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photo credit: Helping Japan

The largest wireless service providers, AT&T and Verizon Wireless have announced free calling and free texting to Japan. Peace of mind is free for a limited time. In the wake of one of the worst natural disasters in history, an 8.9 magnitude earthquake and 30 feet tsunamis, the world watched in horror and worried about the people in Japan. Now with nuclear reactor melt-downs, everyone is sitting on pins and needles waiting…

AT&T was first to announce free calling and free texting to Japan. Verizon followed suit shortly thereafter. Both companies also make it easy to donate by texting to help the people in Japan. If you are calling from an AT&T phone, simply text “redcross” to 90999 to donate $10 (added to your cell phone bill) to help the relief efforts in Japan.

Verizon actually posted a list of 9 charities to text donations. Verizon customers can easily make a $10 donation by simply sending a text message and may choose from nine organizations aiding those in need in Japan, including the American Red Cross. Donating $10 is easy – simply text the specific word to the organization’s designated short code:

* ADRA Relief: text SUPPORT to 85944
* American Red Cross Relief: text REDCROSS to 90999
* Convoy of Hope: text TSUNAMI or SUNAMI to 50555
* Global Giving: text JAPAN to 50555
* International Medical Corps: text MED to 80888
* Mercy Corps: text MERCY to 25383
* Salvation Army: text JAPAN to 80888
* Save the Children Federation, Inc.: text JAPAN or TSUNAMI to 20222
* World Relief Corp. of National Association of Evangelicals: text WAVE to 50555
* World Vision, Inc.: text 4JAPAN or 4TSUNAMI to 20222

Text messages are free for customers donating to any of these organizations. Verizon Wireless always waives text-messaging fees for disaster relief, and 100 percent of each $10 donation goes to the relief organization. For Verizon Wireless customers who pay monthly bills, the $10 donations will appear in customers’ next regular monthly bill. For customers using the company’s prepaid services, the $10 donations will be taken from customers’ prepaid balance.

As with any crisis, scammers are beginning to form schemes to take advantage of people’s generosity. See my blog Avoid Donation Scams—Giving Help to Japan. My advice would be to text from the list provided above if you are a Verizon customer, or check with your cell phone service provider for their approved list.

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photo credit: Texting While Driving

Cell phone distraction is still a major contributor to auto accidents. According to the National Safety Council, 1.6 million accidents a year are caused by cell phone use. The Christian Science Monitor reports that 1.4 million crashes are caused by people talking on their cell phones, while conservatively estimated, there are another 200,000 caused by people texting while driving. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: Walking and Texting App

Texting while walking is not a good mix. Just ask the “Fountain Lady.” Over 3.5 million viewers saw Cathy Cruz Marrero, 49, fall into a fountain at the Berkshire mall in Pennsylvania. Cathy was walking and texting and obviously not paying attention to where she was going. Cathy should have had the Road SMS app installed on her cell phone. It overlays the texting screen as it uses your camera to give you live video of where you’re walking. So now you can be a texting pedestrian. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: Green Burial

The average American household has 25 electronic gadgets. According to an article by Mickey Meece, NYTimes, a November report, “Tackling High-Tech Trash,” from Demos, a public policy organization focused on economic fairness and sustainability, cited government data showing that Americans owned three billion electronic products, with a turnover rate of about 400 million units each year. The astounding news is that the report states that less than 14% of these gadgets are recycled. We are being very irresponsible with our e-trash. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: Uncle Sam is Watching

You most likely carry a tracking device everywhere you go. For those of us with GPS enabled cell phones, our locations (even when the phone is powered off) are being tracked by cell phone towers. Law enforcement wants to access this information without showing probable cause, however may have to obtain your private records by showing “probable cause” standard. At least this is what the 3rd US District Circuit Court of Appeals in Pennsylvania ruled in September 2010. Read the rest of this entry »

photo credit: My Mobile Watchdog

Are your kids protected from sexual predators? Do your kids have cell phones? While this is a major convenience for most of us, kids and cell phones can pose many dangers. Are you concerned about a stranger texting your kids? Worried that inappropriate photos being sent back and forth? My Mobile Watchdog may be a viable solution for you and your kids. Read the rest of this entry »