Verizon Wireless invites cell phone owners to showcase New Year’s greetings in Time Square

Every year, droves of people head to Times Square, regardless of weather conditions, to watch the ball drop. This year, Verizon Wireless is providing a way for anyone with a U.S. cell phone to send New Year’s greetings and pictures to appear on the Spotlight Live Jumbotron overlooking Times Square from 1 p.m. ET on Monday, Dec. 31, 2007, through 4 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2008.

Want to see your greeting in lights? Simply send a message from any text-capable phone, from any wireless carrier, to 81878 or a picture message to NYC@pix.vzw.com and look for it to appear on the 75-foot Jumbotron in Times Square.

Note: Your regular messaging fees still apply.

More startling stats about texting and teen drivers

This New York Times article discusses two things we’ve been covering recently here at PhoneTalk: texting teen drivers and voice services for your cell phone. Besides pointing out interesting voice services for reading and sending text messages, it also has some interesting stats about teen drivers and their texting habits. According to the New York Times:

A survey this year by AAA and Seventeen magazine found that 46 percent of drivers 16 and 17 years old said that they text-message while driving. It’s an alarming statistic, given that 37 percent of teenage drivers said they believed that text messaging was the most serious driver distraction, according to a survey this year by the Liberty Mutual Insurance Group and Students Against Destructive Decisions.

Those are some pretty interesting stats about new drivers. While it’s great that there are voice services available for texting, I wonder if teens will actually use them. They are part of a generation that leans toward texting before calling. The good news is that there are many states that have been adding/amending driving and talking on a cell phone laws to include a ban on texting while driving. One of the first states to pass such a law was Washington, and many others are following suit. More and more laws are going into effect monthly. For example, Nebraska, Oregon, and Washington will all have new cell phone driving laws in January. You can find out more about cell phone driving laws in your state by checking out our Cell Phone Driving Laws by State article.

Using Wi-Fi to IM on the go

Many cell phones have the capability to send instant messages (IMs), which is pretty cool. You can be logged on to your IM account and send messages back and forth in a very similar manner to texting. When I’m asked how to describe the phenomenon of IMing, I often say, “It’s like texting, but on your computer.” There’s a new device from Zipit Wireless called the Z2 (sounds a little like a sports car model, but if it makes IMing fast and easy, that’s OK by me) that’s dedicated to sending IMs (the Z2 supports AOL, Yahoo, and MSN accounts) using a Wi-Fi network. It’s a cool idea, especially if you’re in an environment with a Wi-Fi network – whether at home or even at your local Starbucks. In addition, to sending messages, the Z2 will save all your past IM conversations, play music stored on a MiniSD card or streamed over the Internet when connected via Wi-Fi, and even has a spot to store and view pics.

At $149, it’s not exactly what you’d get for someone who has a tendency to lose things, but it is a good idea if you have someone in your life who needs to IM on the go, and since IM applications are on cell phones, you can send/receive an IM to the Z2 from your cell phone as well.

Deal of the Week

What is it? YouGetItBack security sticker, which gives you the peace of mind of knowing that 75 percent of the time if you leave your cell phone behind or lose it that it’ll make its way back to you.

How much? Free with the purchase of a new smartphone or select multimedia handsets.

Why is it such a good deal? You’re getting this cool new phone, but if you misplace it while hitting the slopes this winter or getting away to the sun, we want to do our best to get it back to you. You’ll get the security tag (a $10 value) for free with your purchase. We’re sure once the tag comes in handy, you’ll be back to get tags for everything from your iPod to your TomTom.

Deal of the Week

What is it? The first-generation Curve, the BlackBerry 8300.

How much? Free out the door (no rebates!) + $50 rebate from AT&T.

Why is it such a good deal? What’s the why? It’s since been passed by the 8310, which tosses in two new colors (Red and Titanium) and also lacks GPS. To be sure, GPS on a cell phone is a pretty sweet add-on . . . especially when it’s cold, raining and you weren’t really paying attention to your father-in-law’s directions. If blue is cool with you, and you’re not keen on GPS on a cell phone, then this is a steal! We need to move these out, so have at them: once they’re gone, they’re gone. The offer is only good on an individual line or the first line of a family plan.

Answers to frequently asked cell phone questions

In this installment of Questions and Answers, we asked our call center about the most frequently asked questions they receive during the holiday shopping season, and here’s what they said. To get more gift ideas, check out our holiday gift guide. Got a question you want answered? Submit your question here. Got something to add to the answers below? Leave a comment.

Can I upgrade one of the cell phones in my family plan?

The short answer is no. You can, however, upgrade all the phones in a family plan if you’re with AT&T or Verizon Wireless. You may be able to get a great deal on new phones for all family plan members if your existing contract is expiring in two months and you’re willing to sign another service contract.

How do I keep my cell phone number when I switch carriers?

You can keep your cell phone number when you change service providers. Due to the way we facilitate this change, you’ll need to be in the same general location. For example, if you live in San Francisco and are changing your service provider and keeping the same cell phone number, it’s no problem. However, if you live in San Francisco and are moving to say, Chicago, you will not be able to transport your cell phone number. If this is an important feature for you and you want to keep your San Francisco-based cell phone number when you move to Chicago, you should make the switch before you move and update your billing address when you move to Chicago in order to keep your existing San Francisco cell phone number.

Note: When you move service for one cell phone number to another service provider, it’s the entire number including the area code. You can’t just take the 7-digit aspect of the phone number and change the area code.

Can I send text messages if I don’t have a text message plan?

Typically, you can. However, there is the rare instance where some cell phones don’t support this feature without a texting plan activated. We should note that texting plans are considered feature-added options, which means you will not have to renew or extend a service contract to add or remove a texting plan. On the whole, it’s typically much more inexpensive to get a text messaging plan than to start sending/receiving text messages without one.

If I get an unlocked phone, can I use it with any provider?

No. To date, unlocked cell phones work strictly on GSM networks. There are two major GSM service providers in the United States: AT&T and T-Mobile. If you get an unlocked GSM cell phone, you can use it with either AT&T or T-Mobile service.

When I buy something from LetsTalk.com, how long will it take to receive it?

LetsTalk.com offers standard shipping on all products, unless otherwise noted by a special. If you select ground shipping, you’ll receive your package in 2 to 5 days (this includes Saturday delivery). If you need the cell phone by the next day, you should choose overnight delivery.

If you want to receive your package by December 24, you should place your order no later than December 20. You can view complete details on our holiday shipping offers on our Free Shipping page.

Holiday gifts for the women in your life

We know finding the perfect gift is no easy accomplishment. In our final installment of holiday gifts, we have picks for the women in your life. You can see a complete list of holiday picks in our Holiday Gift Guide.

What to Get the City Chick: She’s got a sense of style that comes straight off the pages of Vogue and Elle. So why not give her the cell phone that complements her fashion savvy? That’s right: the LG Shine. It’s a slick-looking cell phone that’s as shiny as a mirror, so she can easily touch up her make-up in a pinch.

A Little Something Extra: Since she’s so stylish, she’s probably got a social life to match. Help her find the best places to dine with a year subscription to Zagat To Go, available right on her cell phone.

More holiday gift picks to help complete your shopping list

Everyday we’re bringing you more cell phone and accessory picks for everyone on your holiday gift list. In today’s edition, check out gift ideas for the man about town and multimedia lovers. You can see a complete list of holiday picks in our Holiday Gift Guide.

What to Get the TV Junkie: They were probably the first person you knew to own a TiVo, and years later, they likely have a DVR for each TV in the house. Simply, put they just can’t get enough TV. The TV watching experience doesn’t have to end when they leave the house. They can take it with them and watch some shows on their cell phone. Get them the Verizon LG VX9400 and they’ll have Mobile TV on the go.

A Little Something Extra: Help them watch TV or take calls in stereo with the Nokia BH500 Bluetooth headphones, which are comfortable to wear and deliver audio in full stereo.

What to Get the Stylish Stud: He looks like he walked right off the pages of GQ or Details. He’s got it all: good looks, his own style, and a penchant for the good life. Give him the Motorola Razr 2. After all, it’s a lot like him: easy on the eyes and superslick.

A Little Something Extra: Even hot guys use Bluetooth headsets, but they’re stylish enough to remove it once they’re done using it. That’s why the BlackBerry Bluetooth headset is a good fit. When not in use, it can be stored in a nifty pen case à la James Bond.

Holiday gift picks for the kids

We know finding the perfect gift is no easy accomplishment. Of course, we’re here to help. So, we’re bringing you cell phone and accessory picks for everyone on your holiday gift list. You can see a complete list of holiday picks in our Holiday Gift Guide.

What to Get for Texting Tweens: The kids love to text, so why not help them out with a Samsung Blast cell phone? It sports a SureType keypad, which has just two letters on each key, which will ultimately make them faster texters.

A Little Something Extra: A cool thing about the Samsung Blast, besides that it comes in a black and red casing, is that it plays music too. Give them something to listen to with a $25 eMusic gift card.

What to Get for Cool College Kids: They went off to school with trunks of clothes and new dorm room bedding. The one thing not upgraded on their college list of must-haves was probably a new cell phone. Why not give them one that will help them get to class on time and look good doing it, such as the LG enV? You might even get a few extra text messages next semester since they’re so quick to tap out on the hidden QWERTY keyboard.

A Little Something Extra: There’s nothing like releasing a little extra energy after weeks of studying for finals. Why not give them a way to funnel their creative juices by signing them up for an account at ToneMine where they can mix their own ringtones? Best part about this gift: It’s free to use and share new tones with other community members.

Deal of the Week

What is it? The Body Glove Scuba Case for iPhone. This rubberized casing is shock absorbent and water-resistant.

How much? It’s $14.99, down from $18.99.

Why is it such a good deal? It’s a pretty inexpensive way to keep your iPhone protected from daily wear and tear. Remember, replacing an iPhone isn’t exactly cheap.