Mobile phones are now a part of everyday part of life not only in the developed world but increasingly in many developing countries. However, these modern day necessities have also become a major source of environmental degradation.

Every year, millions of people around the world upgrade their mobile phones often discarding the old phone rather than recycling them. Discarded mobile phones, computers and other electronic devices usually end up in garbage dumps and landfills creating a major high tech waste problem.

Electronic waste often contains highly toxic materials that can negatively impact the environment for decades or even generations. A CRT monitor, for example, can contain between four to eight pounds of lead, a highly toxic heavy metal. Flat panels do not use lead but contain mercury, an equally dangerous toxin.

Recycling mobile phones

One of the easiest to help with the electronic waste problem is to recycle rather than discard your old mobile phones and computers.

A number of companies will even purchase your old phones allowing you to make a little money in the process. You can use major search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing to find companies that specialise in purchasing and recycling or refurbishing old mobile phones.

Most of these companies will include lists of phone models that they purchase on their web sites. If you have a phone on the list, you complete an online form to request a purchase. The company then sends a special padded envelope for you to send in your mobile phone. Once the phone is checked to make sure it is still in satisfactory condition, the buyer will promptly send you the payment.

In addition to selling your mobile phone, you can also donate the phone to worthy causes. Many charities, manufacturers, community organisations, retailers and network carriers accept old mobile phones for recycling programs. Old mobile phones may be refurbished and provided to low income or other needy communities. In many cases, you will not have to worry about your private data either as facilities are provided that allow you to erase all personal information from your old phone.

SIM Only Deals

Even greener than recycling your phone is keeping you existing mobile phone which you can do with SIM only deals. SIM only deals work by keeping your existing phone and moving to a new tariff (which is usually much cheaper as there is no expense of a new handset bumping up the monthly price) by inserting a new SIM card in to your mobile phone and keep your existing phone number and.

Using a green mobile phone

Another way to help protect the environment with your electronic gadgets is use a eco-friendly mobile phones, computers and other electronic devices.

For example, T-Mobile’s MOTO W233 Renew is made entirely from recycled water bottle material. Motorola, the Renew’s manufacturer, claims this is the world’ first carbon neutral phone. Samsung offers the Reclaim phone that is made of 80 percent recyclable material in addition to using organic materials and packaging.

The Samsung Blue Earth S7550, like the MOTO W233 Renew, is also made of recycled water bottle plastic and, in addition, is equipped with solar mobiles. The German company Puma also offers a mobile phone that can be charged with solar energy and that features an eco-metering system that lets users know how much energy they are saving.

Green applications
A wide range of green apps are available that can help you reduce your carbon footprint and contribute to a more sustainable planet. For example, there are apps that you can use to monitor your home’s electricity usage and remotely control thermostats, lights, security systems, and other devices in your home from your mobile phone.

I must get sent details on 10 new  iPhone apps every day. Everything from animal feeding to wind speed calculations and I find I end up getting swamped in mediocrity with most failing to deliver. Every now and then I get one that I consider worth looking at but its rare that I get one that blows me away. The new Spread Betting app from CMC did just that..

What’s spread betting ? I hear you say… Well it’s a huge billion dollar growth industry were individuals and institutions can invest a small sum of money with the potential of making a huge profit by betting not on the result of a particular outcome but the accuracy of the result. Primarily set up for the financial market where you can deal in anything from the price of gold to the value of the Dollar against the Yen but its now evolved into the sports market with millions of investors betting on scores , home runs , golf shots and hundreds of other options.

So how does it work ? Well lets use an sports analogy and assume Team A are playing Team B in Basketball. Team A are riding high in the league where as Team B are struggling and have lost every game this season. The chance is that Team A will win , but the Spread Better will wager by how many points they will win by. The market also realised that Team A should win so they may offer the spread  that Team A will win by somewhere between 20-30 points . Customers use this spread and can place bets that Team A will win by more than 30 points or less than the 20 points offered.. The more accurate their prediction is the more the wager will pay out.

And so to the App.. I had a copy of the press release sent to  last week ( see Spread Betting App News for more details  ) , I downloaded it directly from iTunes as normal and within 60 seconds I had the app in my phone and started wandering through the menus. At first I was struck by the way it all hung together , the menus were easy to read and simple to follow. I had very little knowledge of the Spread Betting market and was I must admit a little flummoxed by all the data at first but after playing with it for a while longer it all started to make some sense. I showed the app to a colleague of mine who worked for a number of years in the London Stock Exchange and he immediately took to it like a duck to water. He spent another 10 minutes looking and was mightily impressed with the huge amount of up to the minute relevent national and international news that was available remarking that he wished he would have had that much information when he was trading !

After a quick 10 minute tuition I decided to open an account with CMC and chose my user name , passwords and punched in my credit card details and I was up and running. At this stage its important to mention if you already have a CMC account you can use your current account number and password directly from this app. I must admit my knowledge of the world of finance is somewhat limited and I have not been brave enough to have my first punt yet but I will. If like me you are a little reticent in jumping in feet first into the heady world of spread betting they do have a really cool online demo facility where you can bet in credits rather than money if you want.

CMC themselves are a truly global success having  been around for over 20 years and are the undisputed market leader in the Spread betting industry turning over about $300 million and doing in excess of  2 million trades every month.

In short if you like investing and you have some grasp of the financial markets I think this is a cracking app and recommend you have a look. Of course read the small print and only bet with money you can afford to lose.

When people receive their monthly cell phone bill, most admit that they do not understand them and just pay the amount due, no questions asked. Understanding your cell phone bill can go a long way to saving you money and ensuring that you are not paying charges that you have not incurred.

While the first section of your phone bill usually itemizes the various minutes that you have used, the second section is usually the Calling Charges section. The first listing in this section is the charge for your Monthly Plan. This is the amount of money that you agreed to pay when you signed up for a plan with your cell phone service provider. Although you may have not paid this exact amount for some time, this is the amount that your bill should be.

The next listing on your bill is probably the Minutes Overage Fee charge. It is this charge that can make your bill astronomical. These are the additional minutes that your provider has charged you that are beyond the limits set up by your service plan. These include any additional minutes that you exceed as well as the fees that are charged for such features as downloads and text messaging. Some service providers charge up to $.45 for every additional minute that you have gone over your preset limit and the fees for text messaging and data service can be expensive also. The best way to avoid these higher fees is to keep track of your minutes and the services you use. For example, if you use your text messaging often and this service is not included as part of your existing plan, you may want to upgrade to a plan that includes this feature. The extra cost now may save you quite a bit of money in the future.

The next section of your bill may be the Domestic Roaming listing. Some cell phone calls that you make when traveling outside your local area may not be included in your plan. This fee is charged for those calls and some providers charge up to $.50 per minute for such calls. You can control these costs by looking at your cell phone when you are making a call. Most of the phones will alert you if the call is roaming. You can also change from your cell phone plan to one that includes free roaming. You should know, however, that even if you have free roaming, you may still be charged for analog calls and calls made out of your provider’s area since you are using another provider’s network.

You can also be charged for Domestic Long Distance calls. While these fees are less expensive than roaming fees, some companies charge you $.10 a minute as well as counting the Anytime minutes that you are using during the call. You should change your local plan to a nationwide plan if your charges in this area become too large.

International Roaming call fees are much like Domestic fees except that the charges to your account are much higher. Some companies charge as high as $5 per minute for these calls. While certain cell phone companies may offer lower rates for these calls, there is always some kind of charge for them.

The final listing in the section of Calling Charges section is the charge for the 411 service. While this may seem like a convenient way to find addresses and phone numbers, a charge of $1.50 per minute plus the minutes that you use when calling this service makes it impractical.

By understanding the charges that your cell phone provider bills to you for these various calls can help you decrease the amount of these calls that you make. This can save you a lot of worry when your cell phone bill arrives

If you are on the lookout for your next mobile phone, there are several things that you need to take into consideration.

Gone are the days when heavy and bulky mobile phones were kept hidden because of their unsightliness.   Despite the usefulness of the devices back then, they were still considered to be an eyesore because the form factor of the very first mobile phones were not yet refined.

However, over the years – more and more companies have joined the craze in creating the best-looking phones with the niftiest features.  Everyone needs a mobile phone to stay connected to the outside world.

As such, they have become a necessity as much as a fashion accessory. So when your contact with your local mobile phone carrier is about to end – how do you choose what your next mobile phone would be?

Now is as good a time as any to take advantage of the latest that technology has to offer – so that you can show off your latest mobile phone find to your friends and co-workers.

What You can Learn from Mobile Phone Reviews

The Internet is a veritable source of information – and if you are looking for information about the mobile phones that you are planning to buy, you can get them all online.

With mobile phone reviews, you can learn about the opinion of the professional mobile phone reviewers who know what to look for in a handset. Here, you will also gain an insight when it comes to the opinions of other users who have actually bought and used the mobile phone that you are planning to buy.

Factors to Consider when Buying Mobile Phones, Based on Mobile Phone Reviews

Here is a quick list of the factors that you need to consider when purchasing your next mobile phone, as based on the mobile phone reviews online:

1. Features of the handset

Mobile phones are electronic devices. As such, you need to look for the nifty features that you can use on a daily basis. Depending on the brand of the mobile phone that you are planning to buy, you can check out information about the following when you read mobile phone reviews online:
- Accessories
- Battery life
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Camera
- Colour screen
- Ergonomics
- GSM/GPRS
- Music/media player
- MMS
- Predictive text
- Ringtones
- Services
- WAP
- 3G

2. Mobile tariff choices

In the United Kingdom, there are two types of tariff choices that you can have. First, you can go for the Pay-as-You-Go scheme. Here, you can purchase the handset itself and make calls as long as you have credits.

Second, there is the monthly contract which may offer lower call rates – but it will require you to agree to a long-term contract. This can be a minimum of 12 to 18 months.

No matter which set of features and mobile tariff choices you have selected – the important thing to know is that you can use mobile phone reviews to your advantage. By reading these online mobile phone reviews, you can make an informed decision when buying your next handset.

VOIP telephone and voice over ip systems are changing the way people talk on the phone. A VOIP telephone is now helping corporations change their global communications policies and is putting them more in touch with international business partners.

A VOIP telephone is changing the way personal users talk to their families and giving them more time to share and communicate like it was originally intended. Distance no longer needs to mean cost thanks to VOIP telephone services.

Having a VOIP phone may make you the most popular person in the office. Imagine having the capability to use your VOIP anywhere in the world and still get excellent rates, possibly even pay no money at all, for long distance phone calls.

Incoming calls can be automatically moved to your VOIP phone, regardless of where you have decided to connect to the VOIP network. This gives the VOIP phone user a great deal of mobility and functionality, on the road or abroad. The VOIP telephone is certainly the thinking person’s communication device, enabling the entire world to draw closer as the user continues to move through it.

Business VOIP is one of the most popular services available from VOIP providers. Most providers offer free VOIP telephone numbers to use nearly everywhere in the world. These numbers are arranged through organizations that compile and connect people on VOIP networks.

VOIP User is one of these organizations and it enables customers the ability to connect to any network and at time anywhere in the world for free. This mobility makes VOIP telephone systems the wave of the future for corporate users and for business VOIP plans.

You can also use a VOIP call center to enable connectivity for customer service at all hours of the day, every day, any day of the year. This type of service is unique to VOIP users because the VOIP call center can actually be mobile, too. As long as the VOIP call center user has a good connection to the internet or to another network, helping out with customer service calls is possible.

Many VOIP systems or providers also provide a series of bundled extras for no extra charge. This PSTN features include great items like 3-way calling, call forwarding, call waiting, automatic redial, and the ever-popular caller ID.

The services VOIP call centers provide are also bundled with these great features, making VOIP an even more popular choice among people looking for a great deal with great service features as well. It is a program that seems too good to be true to many people, but the technology is real and the programs work just as they say they will.

The future in terms of VOIP telephone systems is here. Without a doubt, VOIP telephone technology is on its way to taking over the communications work and establishing new trends within a matter of mere years.

As systems change and evolve to offer even more capabilities to customers, the customer base of companies like Vonage VOIP will grow significantly and people will flock to VOIP providers to upgrade their existing telephone services to something better. VOIP will change the way we communicate once again.

Telephone is now become the part of our life due to its features and popularity. Now it has become as a part of our life. Due to popular features people have to come to rely on, such that as caller ID, direct dial to long distances, voice mail and other many more feature. But when at the end of the month when people receive the bill they are shocked. The bill is too high and out of their budget. So, there are some tips and tricks through which you can easily low down your phone bills.

First you have to check the package, which package you are using. After checking the whole packages select the package do you need? Select that package which can easily fulfill your need. For selecting package follow these. After that check weather the package has any monthly fee. Mostly the monthly fee is charge for those packages in which long distances calls are included. Now check that is your package has the lowest call. Now compare the rates for day, night and also for the weekend. After following these rules and tactics you can easily find the reliable connection but keep on thing in mind that you also have to pay connection fee. So, keep all these things in mind to lower your phone bill.

Telephone has now become the part of our life due to its features and popularity. However, the bills are really affecting people’s life. There are ways which can save you from higher bills and you can eventually save your time and money. Kill cell phone bill is a website where you will be able to know all methods to lower your cell phone bills.

You are just a CLICK away from the ultimate solution to lower your cell phone bills.

Android Facial Unlock Criticised

Possibly the most controversial feature in Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) was the ability to unlock the handset by face alone, commonly referred to as “face unlock”. While undoubtedly fun, it has been lambasted as a very weak security mechanism that can be fooled simply with a photo of somebody’s face. After it debuted on Android many videos were posted online demonstrating the inherent flaws. To alleviate such concerns, Google have said that facial unlock is only a beta version with improvements on the way, and should not be used as the main security method to access the phone. It’s still advisable to use a PIN or password for maximum security.

Android’s facial unlock is undeniably much less secure than a password, and it’s not suitably robust to protect your sensitive files and personal information. There are additional methods to enhance security such as waiting for the user to blink before matching their face, but it’s really just a novelty for now. There are also concerns about the impact on battery life, as it requires the camera to be active.

iPhone 5 Facial Recognition

How does all this relate to Apple? The innovators at Cupertino have a history of innovation and it’s likely that facial recognition will find its way to the iPhone eventually. Owners of jailbroken iPhones can already use a similar application called RecognizeMe, but it’s inconsistent at best and only provides a means to unlock the phone – hardly innovative. In 2011 it was revealed that Apple had filed a related patent in the US, but while this doesn’t mean that facial recognition is destined for the iPhone 5, more creative and unique ways to interact with the device would help differentiate iOS from Android and Windows Phone.

What might facial recognition be used for on the iPhone 5? Besides questionable phone security and its inherent risks, certain applications could really take advantage of the technology. iPhoto and the camera could automatically detect faces and make an association with pictures already on the phone. FaceTime could instantly recognise callers and add new faces to the Address Book and your iPhoto library. The possibilities are endless, but it remains to be seen whether it’s more than a gimmick.

As a novel way to complement technologies already rumoured to be in the iPhone 5 (such as gesture and motion control – similar to Microsoft’s Kinect system) real-time facial recognition could be genuinely useful if implemented well and used effectively. And as frequently demonstrated, Apple excels at applying existing technologies to original uses, often in quite unexpected ways

One upshot of this popularity is that many websites have started charging for their best games; even those which are initially free may require money once you have reached a certain critical point. In short, it has become increasingly difficult to find quality games which are good value for money; here is a list of some of the best around.

If you want to play your favourite slot game, but have already reached your betting limit, many online slots offer the option of playing for free. One of these is even based on one of the world’s most popular trilogies: The Lord of the Rings. This game is a five reel video slot which allows you to immerse yourself in all things Lord of the Rings as you meet beloved characters and enjoy cinematic footage between rounds. You can even enjoy the betting experience and place a stake as low as 1p to be in with the chance of winning in this exciting and iconic slot game.

Another game straight from the screen is Deal or No Deal; though this screen is slightly smaller! Much like the television programme, the player chooses boxes at random, hoping to be left with those containing the largest possible sums of money. Offers are made by the elusive banker based upon the boxes which remain and the player can take the deal or play on in the hopes of being offered more money. To be in with the chance of winning a cash payout, place a bet as low as 50p; although you can just play for fun without having to bet any money at all.

Chain Reactors is a unique and exciting puzzle game in which the player is paid when a chain of five animated symbols match up. Three different progressive jackpots can be won, or you can try the game out and play for free. Two variations of this game are also available: Royal Reactors, in which the animated symbols are given a regal theme; and Chain Reactors 100, in which the player tries to make a chain of six or more animated symbols to signify a win.

Aztecs n’ Adders is a modern twist on the classic board game Snakes n’ Ladders; it is an interactive game, where the aim is to have your counter reach the top of the board within six rolls of the dice. Be careful not to hit any snakes though, as they will hinder your journey by sliding you down to a lower square. Again, this is a game in which you are given the option of placing a bet for a cash prize, but can also be enjoyed for free.

One of the most popular flash games online is Bejeweled Blitz; a gem-swapping game in which players must create a group of at least three matching gems to eliminate them and score points. Additional point bonus can also be earned by creating a combo or cascading multiple gem trios at once. This is another free game that can be found on many online gaming websites.

The best things in life are free, and this is true for some of the most popular online games. Now that you don’t have to worry about breaking the bank to indulge in your favourite game, all you have to do is sit back and enjoy yourself!

Mobile marketing

Listed below are just five reasons why your company should target mobile advertising to expand its business during 2011:

1. The mobile advertising market is about to experience rapid growth

Now may be the best time to join the mobile advertising revolution. Enders Analysis reported in the Financial Times that it expects to see mobile advertising investments grow from £46 million in 2009 to £419 million within six years. You can be sure that this vast new market is one that your competitors will be very keen to adapt to.

2. The increasing popularity of smartphone technology

The reason for this expected growth is simple: the rapid increase in the uptake of smartphone technology. Gartner’s mobile market report found that over 100 million smartphones were sold during the first quarter of 2011, an increase of 85 per cent year on year. Furthermore, Gartner also predicted that smartphone sales will reach 468 million units for 2011. The fact of the matter is that customers and businesses are both rapidly replacing their traditional mobile handsets with the next generation of smartphones, and are doing so very quickly.

3. The increasing diversity of uses people are using their phones and smartphones for

No longer do people just use their mobile devices to make calls and send text messages. Increasingly, smartphones are developing technology that can impact on many aspects of the user’s life. From providing music and storing photographs, to using navigation systems and the Internet whilst on the move, smartphones are being used more frequently, which means advertisers have more opportunities to present their products to the consumer.

4. Unlike other forms of advertising, mobile advertising is welcomed by the majority of users

Research conducted by the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB), revealed that in contrast to the negative opinion people have of some forms of advertising, such as cold calling, 70 per cent of mobile users have stated that they view mobile advertising as informative, clever and innovative. 89 per cent of respondents stated that they liked or were neutral towards advertisements, and 88 per cent said they would be happy to receive mobile marketing, especially if it included free or discounted content.

5. Mobile advertising is specifically targeted

Whilst these are appealing factors, the biggest bonus for any business using mobile advertising is not that it is cheap, scalable to size and immediate, but instead that it has the ability to target key demographic customers who will receive the ads. Specialised technology allows companies to target their marketing towards those customers most likely to want and need their products. This is of two-fold benefit to the company, firstly, they only spend their precious advertising budget on customers most likely to make a purchase and secondly, it vastly increases the likelihood of the money they spend on advertising being returned to them in the form of a sale.

This flexibility of being able to target specific demographics makes mobile advertising not only powerful, but cost effective. For the modern business, it is a perfect way to contact customers to inform them of your services or products.

The mobile advertising market is set to boom in the next few years. As mobile technology allows people to interact more intuitively and within increasing everyday situations, the chance to have your business take advantage of this is an excellent opportunity to increase your business’ profile and profitability.