Family plan basics and cell phones for jet-setters

In this installment of Questions and Answers, we tackle family plans and International travel. Got a question you want answered? Submit your question here. Got something to add to the answers below? Leave a comment.

If you have a family plan, can you change from that family plan to a single line plan? – Eric

The short answer is yes; however, you will ultimately end up with a new plan. The good news is that keeping your existing cell phone number shouldn’t be a problem. Basically, what you have to do is separate your existing family plan into two separate plans: one plan for the single line and the other plan for the remaining lines in the family plan. This would give you a separate single line plan. If you would like to keep just one line from an existing family plan and terminate the other lines on the plan, you can do that, too. However, if you’re not at the end of your existing family plan contract, you will have to pay an early termination fee to turn off service to the other lines.

I’ll be doing extensive international travel over the next couple of years and am searching for an international phone and service plan, which ideally would work back in the United States. I’ll rely heavily on e-mail for routine communications, and so shouldn’t be chatting a great deal. I will be uploading to my blog frequently (text and pix), and want ready access to the Internet so that I can upload a pic and some text wherever I am (within reason – not looking for satellite phone). The main requirements are: a good-quality camera, an easy-to-use keyboard (probably QWERTY), a dependable connection abroad, Wi-Fi, and a plan that won’t break the bank. Any suggestions? Thanks. – John

Wow, this is a hard question. The first phone that comes to mind is the Nokia N95 because it has the great 5-megapixel camera, Wi-Fi, VoIP software so that you can place calls over a Wi-Fi network, which would be the cheapest way to make an international call. You can post text and images to your blog easily. It supports multiple e-mail accounts, and it even has document software if you wanted to write anything lengthy and store it on the cell phone. The only thing it doesn’t have is the keyboard; however, you can get a collapsible wireless keyboard that you can use, and it won’t take up much room in your bag. As for plans, if you’re going to be out of the country extensively, I would get service cards in the countries that you visit. You can get prepaid cards or monthly plans depending on where you are visiting and that will be much more affordable for making calls locally. If you want a U.S. number for texting purpose, you may want to consider T-Mobile. You can get a prepaid service that allows for international calls or send/receive U.S. messages for about 15 cents each. This way you have a local U.S. number for when you’re in the United States, but have the flexibility of using a local service when in another country.

Are all-you-can-eat cell phone plans from Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, and AT&T a good deal?

AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and T-Mobile announced “all you can eat” plans this week. Here are the basic details of each plan. Just because these are “all you can eat” offers, it doesn’t mean they offer what you want and use most.

The T-Mobile unlimited calling and messaging plan: Starting Thursday, Feb. 21, customers can talk and text (even picture messages and IMs) nationwide all they want for $99.99. This would be a good option for heavy texters and talkers who don’t consistently call the same group of people.

Verizon Wireless’ $99.99 plan include all calls, Mobile Web (so you can check your web-based e-mail such as AOL, Yahoo, or MSN), and Internet access. So you’ll need to add a messaging plan if texting is your thing or step up to $119.99 plan, which includes all of the above and unlimited messaging. There are more unlimited plans that include global travel and data services. If you’re a big texter and talker and like browsing the Web a lot from your cell phone, the $119.99 plan is probably the better deal.

There’s AT&T’s $99.99 plan, which just offers unlimited calling with no domestic roaming or long-distance charges. I think it’s good for people who are heavy talkers and travel a lot.

But are these good deals?
In short, with all these plans, there are pros and cons. In some ways, it makes picking the right plan for you a little harder and not necessarily easier. I don’t know about you, but as a shopper, I’ve been trained to think anything with 99 cents at the end is a great deal. Thus, as a shopper, I know that’s not necessarily the case. A great deal is only a great deal if you’re getting something you want and use at the best price possible. So I’ll cut to the chase–if you already use way too many minutes, then consider one of these plans; if you don’t, you’re probably better off with the plan you currently have. Still not sure what to do? Here’s some help when picking a plan:

The best thing you can do is start with your existing bill. It will tell you exactly how many minutes you use and when. It may turn out that an unlimited plan isn’t going to be the best deal for you. Also, you should be able to see who you’re calling. If it’s the same few people, get a plan that allows unlimited calling to those people.

Next, look at your messaging behavior. Do you go over a lot? Remember, any text you receive is counted toward your allotted number of messages. If so, unlimited messaging is the way to go. Messages aren’t cheap; at as much as 25 cents each, they can add up to dollars pretty quickly.

If you’re the kind of person who doesn’t like sticker shock at the end of the month and like to know exactly how much a bill will be, then even though an unlimited plan might not be the best value for you, it will give you peace of mind, and as they say in the credit card commercials, that’s “priceless.”

Deal of the Week

What is it? The Alltel LG AX8600 full-featured cell phone, which sports a MP3 player with external controls so that you can change tunes without ever having to flip open the phone, a 1.3-megapixel camera, GPS to keep you from getting lost, and of course, Bluetooth. The LG AX8600 is available in green, red, and blue. As expected, this Alltel cell phone is available with the company’s MyCircle Plans.

How much? Free with a new 2-year service plan, plus you make $50 after mail-in rebates.

Why is it such a good deal? We’re offering this great deal on all three colors, but if you still want the blue one, you better get one while it’s still available since Alltel isn’t offering that color.

Get better acquainted with your Nextel Motorola cell phone

In this installment of Questions and Answers, we tackle Nextel Motorola cell phones. Got a question you want answered? Submit your question here. Got something to add to the answers below? Leave a comment.

Can you provide me with information and instructions on how to utilize the voice-record feature on the Nextel i560? – msloop

Your Nextel i560 can save up to 20 voice recordings. Creating a recording is as easy as selecting the VoiceRecord option from the Main Menu. Once there, you’ll need to choose New VoiceRec, then you simply speak your recording into the microphone. When you’re finished, press 0. To play back recordings, you’ll need to be in the VoiceRecord menu, then you simply highlight and select the recording you want to play back.

I am a new user of the Nextel Motorola ic502, and I was wondering if it is possible to change the memory card on this phone? I read on the Sprint-Nextel specifications that the memory card is not removable; do you know if I am able to do it? – edgar

That cell phone doesn’t support removable memory. The only thing that may be removable is the SIM card, but you really shouldn’t touch it. The SIMs in Nextel phones are not exactly like SIM cards for GSM phones. While the SIM card does provide a way to store additional contacts for your cell phone, that’s where the similarities end. Therefore, other SIMs wouldn’t work with the Nextel model, and you shouldn’t try to use one with this phone. In short, the closest thing the ic502 has to removable memory is the SIM card, which shouldn’t be removed and doesn’t act like traditional MiniSD and MicroSD memory cards.

10 ways your cell phone can spice up Valentine’s Day

Whether you’re going out with a new crush, an old flame, your true love or you’re just flying solo this Valentine’s Day, your cell phone can help you make the most out of the holiday. These applications and services are geared to help you in all aspects of dating.

1. Get the 411 on your date. A new service called PlayerBlock lets you use your date’s cell phone number to find out just what kind of person you’re going out with. For $4.99 a month and your potential date’s cell phone number, you can find out what others think of your date and post your own thoughts on the way they conducted themselves with you.

2. Ditch the traditional card and send a comic instead. If you have a Verizon Wireless cell phone, you can log onto “Create your own comic” (located under the Get It Now Pix or Wallpaper menus) and say how much you care in a artsier way. This application lets you create a comic of your very own and send it off to anyone who can receive picture messages on their cell phone.

3. Release your inner love song. Create a custom ringtone for the one you cherish. Simply log onto ToneMine.com and start mixing your own track. You can even upload your own sounds to make it even more meaningful and then send the newly created ringtone off to your date.

4. Never underestimate the allure of flowers. Don’t have time to make it to the florist? No worries — send a virtual flower to your sweetheart’s cell phone. This origami rose is free and it never wilts.

5. Picture perfect. It’s said that a picture is worth a thousand words, so why not send one to your sweetie’s cell phone? Simply visit Yowgo.com, and either upload your own photo or use the search engine to find a picture of something you want to send. Once you choose an image you want, click “Send to phone,” enter the phone number, and voilà — in seconds, a text will appear on the cell phone with a link to download the picture right to the handset.

6. Brush up on dating etiquette. Been a while since you’ve been on a date? Your cell phone can help. Simply sign up for the Dating Tips service (50 cents a tip) and you’ll receive tips to help you on your date via text messaging.

7. Start flirting now. Find someone to flirt with on your cell phone using the Txt2Flirt service. Just sign up for the text service on your cell phone and start texting with potential hotties in minutes.

8. Set up your own blind date. Don’t have a date for Valentine’s Day? No worries. There’s still time to get one on CrazyBlindDate.com. As the name implies, this is a blind date service that matches you based on a minimal set of criteria. If there’s someone in your area that matches your requirements in a date and they’re free as well, an alert is sent to your cell phone informing you of the potential date and details of where your rendezvous will occur.

9. Find out if your date is sincere. LoveDetect is a service that means never having to ask “What are you thinking?” again. Just use your cell phone and call the service while you’re speaking with your partner, and the service will be able to tell you based on their voice patterns if your partner really is into you.

10. Forget Cosmo, your cell phone holds the key to your compatibility. Want to prove that you and your mate are a perfect match? Download FlyLove to your cell phone. Take three quick tests to see if you are compatible.

Deal of the Week

What is it? The Motorola Q Global for AT&T is the latest version of the popular Motorola smartphone that runs Windows Mobile 6 and has HSDPA so that you can surf the Web on the Q while simultaneously taking a call. This smartphone even works with BlackBerry Connect, so you can get all types of work e-mail on it.

How much? Just $49.99 after rebates with a new 2-year service plan.

Why is it such a good deal? When I try something I like a lot, I want to do everything I can to give everyone a chance to check it out for themselves. I took the Motorola Q9 Global with me to the Super Bowl and couldn’t get over how much I used it for both entertainment and work — thus, the good deal on this high-end smartphone that users love.

Get nutrition information fast on your cell phone

First spotted over on Textually.org, Nutrition on the Go from Diet.com got my attention. It’s a great new service for your cell phone that can provide calorie count, fat grams, and more info about the food you’re either wondering about consuming or are about to start eating. All you need to do is send a text message to DIET1 (34381) of the food you’re about to eat, and you get back basic nutritional information. To get quick results, include the restaurant name and food choice. For example, you should text Starbuck’s blueberry muffin to receive the information shown below.

The service is free to use, meaning there’s no charge from Diet.com. However, as is the case with all text messages, you will pay for the cost of the message, and in some scenarios you may receive more than just one text for a given topic. If you don’t have a text messaging plan, this can be a costly service to use.

One last thought: If you think you’re going to use this service and have a smartphone or SureType keypad (two letters to each key), add the text code as a contact in your address book. If you try to type out DIET1 on a QWERTY keypad or SureType keypad, it doesn’t sync up and you won’t get a response.

Saving songs as ringtones and resolving cell phone syncing issues

What cell phone models allow you to download your own music (CD, etc.) and use them as ringtones on the phone? – Mjmjs

The short answer is that in many cases, you’ll be able to download and use your own music for ringtones on most Sony Ericsson cell phones and BlackBerrys that support music, such as the Curve and the Pearl. There are other cell phones as well, but saving songs as ringtones can vary by models. For example, you can absolutely save songs as ringtones on the Nokia 5300 XpressMusic. To learn more about getting music on your cell phones, check out our “How to Turn CDs into Tunes for Your Phone with a PC” story.

How do I get my computer to recognize my Samsung Blast is connected? I’m trying to copy songs from my computer to my cell phone using a USB cable. I have installed the driver that came with the cable, but I still can’t get my computer to recognize the cell phone is connected when trying to sync. Thank you. – Family

It sounds like you have a driver problem, which is easy to resolve, and you should be able to connect the Samsung Blast to your computer using the cable that you purchased. Since you bought the USB cable separately, the software you loaded probably wasn’t for the Samsung cell phone you have. In the future, if you find yourself in the same situation before loading the software on your computer, first go online to the phone’s manufacturer Web site, download the correct drivers for your cell phone, then connect the phone via the USB cable. However, no worries, this can be remedied. It’ll take a few steps, but basically you need to update the drivers on your computer so that the Blast can talk to your computer. Here’s access to a list of steps to follow; select “Updating USB Drivers for Samsung Mobile Devices and PC Studio,” and it shouldn’t take longer than 5 or 10 minutes. Good luck!

Mobile ads coming to Loopt cell phones

Last week, we asked guest bloggers to discuss what they think it would take for mobile ads to take off on cell phones. This week, there’s news of just such a venture from Loopt and CBS Mobile. According to this New York Times article, mobile ads should start rolling out on the CBS Mobile News and CBS Mobile Sports sites on Loopt-enabled cell phones. These ads will be geared toward specific locations via GPS-enabled phones that are currently using the Loopt service. The ads will be opt-in, meaning that a user will have the option to view the ad or continue on with their mobile experience.

I’m particularly interested in finding out how consumers respond to this mobile ad strategy. There’s been much talk that mobile advertising is inevitable, and perhaps it is, but what this news really tells me, besides the fact that mobile advertising is finally happening (I’ve heard the gospel of location-based mobile ads for years), is that more and more consumers are using mobile services and logging onto mobile sites from their cell phones. This in itself is exciting, but I still worry about the potential bill a consumer can face if they don’t have the right data or messaging plan to support these initiatives. Ultimately, unlimited data is the way to go since you won’t have any bill shock at the end of the month, but I know that’s not realistic for everyone, and each person will have to find the data plan that works with their budget. I’m just saying we have to start thinking about all the effects of mobile advertising.

Perhaps Cyriac Roeding, who runs CBS Mobile, said it best in the NY Times article: “The key is to add value. At the end of the day, if the consumer doesn’t win in this game, there is no game.”

Deal of the Week

What is it? The Motorola Rizr (available in blue or rose) is a slick, sleek, sliding cousin of the Razr. It plays music, sports a 2-megapixel camera, and is just fun to use. It comes with a great $39.99 monthly T-Mobile value plan, which includes 1,000 minutes. Add $10 for 1,000 text messages monthly.

How much? Free with a new 2-year service plan, plus you make $50 after mail-in rebates. We’re even including a free 1GB MicroSD memory card, so you can load it up a with a ton of music.

Why is it such a good deal? The Motorola Rizr has a lot going for it and is a great fit for parents and kids alike, so we wanted to give you a reason to try it out for yourself.