OT: Am I the only one who doesn’t have a cell phone?

[briansd1]

[quote=flu]Or get yourself a nice android based tablet…. like the Samsung Galaxy Tab…

http://galaxytab.samsungmobile.com/
[/quote]

I want to get one unfortunately it won’t be subsidized by AT&T.

Not a bad price at T-Mobile.
http://www.t-mobile.com/shop/phones/Cell-Phone-Detail.aspx?cell-phone=Samsung-Galaxy-Tab&Wt.z_searchCategory=Site+Search+Summary&Wt.z_searchZone=Products&WT.z_searchTerm=tablet&WT.z_searchProduct=Galaxy+Tab

I’m getting weary of the Evil Apple, I will buy the competition instead.

I think that a smart phone is very useful. There are many other ways to cut cost, like not having cable or sharing internet with your neighbors. My cousin in NY shares Internet with the whole street using a network of wifi repeaters (which you make using used routers from Craigslist at $20 each).

[briansd1]

[quote=Ren]
Then you’re a lot luckier than I am. As recently as a year ago (before I broke down and got a cellular modem), I was able to find free wi-fi about 10% of the time when looking for it, which was far less than a few years before that.
[/quote]

Cellular modem is a rip off, you can tether most cell phones with a 3G data plan to your computer and have internet that way. Same thing. Why pay the carriers extra? You just need to learn how to do it.

[briansd1]

[quote=Ren]
Then you’re a lot luckier than I am. As recently as a year ago (before I broke down and got a cellular modem), I was able to find free wi-fi about 10% of the time when looking for it, which was far less than a few years before that.
[/quote]

Cellular modem is a rip off, you can tether most cell phones with a 3G data plan to your computer and have internet that way. Same thing. Why pay the carriers extra? You just need to learn how to do it.

[briansd1]

[quote=Ren]
Then you’re a lot luckier than I am. As recently as a year ago (before I broke down and got a cellular modem), I was able to find free wi-fi about 10% of the time when looking for it, which was far less than a few years before that.
[/quote]

Cellular modem is a rip off, you can tether most cell phones with a 3G data plan to your computer and have internet that way. Same thing. Why pay the carriers extra? You just need to learn how to do it.

[briansd1]

[quote=Ren]
Then you’re a lot luckier than I am. As recently as a year ago (before I broke down and got a cellular modem), I was able to find free wi-fi about 10% of the time when looking for it, which was far less than a few years before that.
[/quote]

Cellular modem is a rip off, you can tether most cell phones with a 3G data plan to your computer and have internet that way. Same thing. Why pay the carriers extra? You just need to learn how to do it.

[briansd1]

[quote=Ren]
Then you’re a lot luckier than I am. As recently as a year ago (before I broke down and got a cellular modem), I was able to find free wi-fi about 10% of the time when looking for it, which was far less than a few years before that.
[/quote]

Cellular modem is a rip off, you can tether most cell phones with a 3G data plan to your computer and have internet that way. Same thing. Why pay the carriers extra? You just need to learn how to do it.

[UCGal]

[quote=flu]Most of you folks suck. You aren’t helping me out financially. Go buy a nice android smartphone today, because you deserve to have one. Or get yourself a nice android based tablet…. [/quote]

I hear you… my employer makes money on cell phones, tablets, etc. (Although I work in a different group.)

But – they give the mobile group FREE cell phones and service… Until my employer starts sharing the love – I’m going to carry my non-smart, non-android, non Mot (gasp!!!) phone. I’m a rebel like that.

(We had a previous CEO try to tell us we should all be “ambassadors” and carry only Motorola stuff… My group had just been acquired. There were universal rasberries returned to him, behind his back.)

[quote=flu][quote=Scarlett]

When you have kids, you do want to be able to be reached at any time in an emergency by the school teachers. Also useful if you get stranded somewhere, an accident or something, where you may not be able to reach easily somebody with a phone.[/quote]

…Unless you have att…Then you have better odds using your phone as a brick and throwing it as a passing car to get them to stop…[/quote]

Scarlett – I have kids… The phone number I have as the first contact is my desk landline. I rarely take my cell phone into meetings – unless it’s a conference room without a clock.

Actually – I use my cell more as a clock/watch than I do as a phone. Not worth the money since I should go buy a cheap watch.

[UCGal]

[quote=flu]Most of you folks suck. You aren’t helping me out financially. Go buy a nice android smartphone today, because you deserve to have one. Or get yourself a nice android based tablet…. [/quote]

I hear you… my employer makes money on cell phones, tablets, etc. (Although I work in a different group.)

But – they give the mobile group FREE cell phones and service… Until my employer starts sharing the love – I’m going to carry my non-smart, non-android, non Mot (gasp!!!) phone. I’m a rebel like that.

(We had a previous CEO try to tell us we should all be “ambassadors” and carry only Motorola stuff… My group had just been acquired. There were universal rasberries returned to him, behind his back.)

[quote=flu][quote=Scarlett]

When you have kids, you do want to be able to be reached at any time in an emergency by the school teachers. Also useful if you get stranded somewhere, an accident or something, where you may not be able to reach easily somebody with a phone.[/quote]

…Unless you have att…Then you have better odds using your phone as a brick and throwing it as a passing car to get them to stop…[/quote]

Scarlett – I have kids… The phone number I have as the first contact is my desk landline. I rarely take my cell phone into meetings – unless it’s a conference room without a clock.

Actually – I use my cell more as a clock/watch than I do as a phone. Not worth the money since I should go buy a cheap watch.

[UCGal]

[quote=flu]Most of you folks suck. You aren’t helping me out financially. Go buy a nice android smartphone today, because you deserve to have one. Or get yourself a nice android based tablet…. [/quote]

I hear you… my employer makes money on cell phones, tablets, etc. (Although I work in a different group.)

But – they give the mobile group FREE cell phones and service… Until my employer starts sharing the love – I’m going to carry my non-smart, non-android, non Mot (gasp!!!) phone. I’m a rebel like that.

(We had a previous CEO try to tell us we should all be “ambassadors” and carry only Motorola stuff… My group had just been acquired. There were universal rasberries returned to him, behind his back.)

[quote=flu][quote=Scarlett]

When you have kids, you do want to be able to be reached at any time in an emergency by the school teachers. Also useful if you get stranded somewhere, an accident or something, where you may not be able to reach easily somebody with a phone.[/quote]

…Unless you have att…Then you have better odds using your phone as a brick and throwing it as a passing car to get them to stop…[/quote]

Scarlett – I have kids… The phone number I have as the first contact is my desk landline. I rarely take my cell phone into meetings – unless it’s a conference room without a clock.

Actually – I use my cell more as a clock/watch than I do as a phone. Not worth the money since I should go buy a cheap watch.

[UCGal]

[quote=flu]Most of you folks suck. You aren’t helping me out financially. Go buy a nice android smartphone today, because you deserve to have one. Or get yourself a nice android based tablet…. [/quote]

I hear you… my employer makes money on cell phones, tablets, etc. (Although I work in a different group.)

But – they give the mobile group FREE cell phones and service… Until my employer starts sharing the love – I’m going to carry my non-smart, non-android, non Mot (gasp!!!) phone. I’m a rebel like that.

(We had a previous CEO try to tell us we should all be “ambassadors” and carry only Motorola stuff… My group had just been acquired. There were universal rasberries returned to him, behind his back.)

[quote=flu][quote=Scarlett]

When you have kids, you do want to be able to be reached at any time in an emergency by the school teachers. Also useful if you get stranded somewhere, an accident or something, where you may not be able to reach easily somebody with a phone.[/quote]

…Unless you have att…Then you have better odds using your phone as a brick and throwing it as a passing car to get them to stop…[/quote]

Scarlett – I have kids… The phone number I have as the first contact is my desk landline. I rarely take my cell phone into meetings – unless it’s a conference room without a clock.

Actually – I use my cell more as a clock/watch than I do as a phone. Not worth the money since I should go buy a cheap watch.

[UCGal]

[quote=flu]Most of you folks suck. You aren’t helping me out financially. Go buy a nice android smartphone today, because you deserve to have one. Or get yourself a nice android based tablet…. [/quote]

I hear you… my employer makes money on cell phones, tablets, etc. (Although I work in a different group.)

But – they give the mobile group FREE cell phones and service… Until my employer starts sharing the love – I’m going to carry my non-smart, non-android, non Mot (gasp!!!) phone. I’m a rebel like that.

(We had a previous CEO try to tell us we should all be “ambassadors” and carry only Motorola stuff… My group had just been acquired. There were universal rasberries returned to him, behind his back.)

[quote=flu][quote=Scarlett]

When you have kids, you do want to be able to be reached at any time in an emergency by the school teachers. Also useful if you get stranded somewhere, an accident or something, where you may not be able to reach easily somebody with a phone.[/quote]

…Unless you have att…Then you have better odds using your phone as a brick and throwing it as a passing car to get them to stop…[/quote]

Scarlett – I have kids… The phone number I have as the first contact is my desk landline. I rarely take my cell phone into meetings – unless it’s a conference room without a clock.

Actually – I use my cell more as a clock/watch than I do as a phone. Not worth the money since I should go buy a cheap watch.

[Ren]

[quote=northparkbuyer]True. But I have dialed 911 in my life exactly 0 times. Odds are I never will. And if “they” can find me in an emergency, they can probably find me anytime, which doesn’t seem like privacy.[/quote]

I’ve called 911 once. Suicidally crazy Corvette driver. I may never need it for an emergency again, but if I was laying alone at the bottom of a cliff with a broken leg and I didn’t have it, at that moment I’d probably be thinking that I would happily pay $25,000 to have one (40 years worth of cell bills).

[quote]That is cool (is this capability really available for civilians? Wow). But again, I must cite the odds. It may be a legitimate use of a mobile phone, but I’ve had my car stolen exactly 0 times in my life, and odds are it never will be. Plus, I keep hoping somebody steals my 1990 Volvo.[/quote]

Yup, you just need to have an alarm that’s integrated with it and your ignition. If it’s a newer car with bluetooth (and there’s a microphone), you can even talk to the thief through the stereo, or just listen in to any conversations that may be taking place.

[quote]But I think some people are turning off their brains to depend on these devices. I have friends who cannot remember a single phone number or address, because all this information is in their device and omitted from their brain. Why even bother trying to remember bread or any other groceries when shopping? –Just call up the house and find out what you’re out of (and try to not annoy the other shoppers with one side of a banal grocery discussion — chances are they’re on their phones, too, so no worries).[/quote]

This is true. The only numbers I remember are my own and my wife’s (barely).

There are some unspoken rules. You don’t talk on the phone in the checkout line, or anywhere else where the people around you can’t escape. Grocery store aisles are okay.

[Ren]

[quote=northparkbuyer]True. But I have dialed 911 in my life exactly 0 times. Odds are I never will. And if “they” can find me in an emergency, they can probably find me anytime, which doesn’t seem like privacy.[/quote]

I’ve called 911 once. Suicidally crazy Corvette driver. I may never need it for an emergency again, but if I was laying alone at the bottom of a cliff with a broken leg and I didn’t have it, at that moment I’d probably be thinking that I would happily pay $25,000 to have one (40 years worth of cell bills).

[quote]That is cool (is this capability really available for civilians? Wow). But again, I must cite the odds. It may be a legitimate use of a mobile phone, but I’ve had my car stolen exactly 0 times in my life, and odds are it never will be. Plus, I keep hoping somebody steals my 1990 Volvo.[/quote]

Yup, you just need to have an alarm that’s integrated with it and your ignition. If it’s a newer car with bluetooth (and there’s a microphone), you can even talk to the thief through the stereo, or just listen in to any conversations that may be taking place.

[quote]But I think some people are turning off their brains to depend on these devices. I have friends who cannot remember a single phone number or address, because all this information is in their device and omitted from their brain. Why even bother trying to remember bread or any other groceries when shopping? –Just call up the house and find out what you’re out of (and try to not annoy the other shoppers with one side of a banal grocery discussion — chances are they’re on their phones, too, so no worries).[/quote]

This is true. The only numbers I remember are my own and my wife’s (barely).

There are some unspoken rules. You don’t talk on the phone in the checkout line, or anywhere else where the people around you can’t escape. Grocery store aisles are okay.

[Ren]

[quote=northparkbuyer]True. But I have dialed 911 in my life exactly 0 times. Odds are I never will. And if “they” can find me in an emergency, they can probably find me anytime, which doesn’t seem like privacy.[/quote]

I’ve called 911 once. Suicidally crazy Corvette driver. I may never need it for an emergency again, but if I was laying alone at the bottom of a cliff with a broken leg and I didn’t have it, at that moment I’d probably be thinking that I would happily pay $25,000 to have one (40 years worth of cell bills).

[quote]That is cool (is this capability really available for civilians? Wow). But again, I must cite the odds. It may be a legitimate use of a mobile phone, but I’ve had my car stolen exactly 0 times in my life, and odds are it never will be. Plus, I keep hoping somebody steals my 1990 Volvo.[/quote]

Yup, you just need to have an alarm that’s integrated with it and your ignition. If it’s a newer car with bluetooth (and there’s a microphone), you can even talk to the thief through the stereo, or just listen in to any conversations that may be taking place.

[quote]But I think some people are turning off their brains to depend on these devices. I have friends who cannot remember a single phone number or address, because all this information is in their device and omitted from their brain. Why even bother trying to remember bread or any other groceries when shopping? –Just call up the house and find out what you’re out of (and try to not annoy the other shoppers with one side of a banal grocery discussion — chances are they’re on their phones, too, so no worries).[/quote]

This is true. The only numbers I remember are my own and my wife’s (barely).

There are some unspoken rules. You don’t talk on the phone in the checkout line, or anywhere else where the people around you can’t escape. Grocery store aisles are okay.

[Ren]

[quote=northparkbuyer]True. But I have dialed 911 in my life exactly 0 times. Odds are I never will. And if “they” can find me in an emergency, they can probably find me anytime, which doesn’t seem like privacy.[/quote]

I’ve called 911 once. Suicidally crazy Corvette driver. I may never need it for an emergency again, but if I was laying alone at the bottom of a cliff with a broken leg and I didn’t have it, at that moment I’d probably be thinking that I would happily pay $25,000 to have one (40 years worth of cell bills).

[quote]That is cool (is this capability really available for civilians? Wow). But again, I must cite the odds. It may be a legitimate use of a mobile phone, but I’ve had my car stolen exactly 0 times in my life, and odds are it never will be. Plus, I keep hoping somebody steals my 1990 Volvo.[/quote]

Yup, you just need to have an alarm that’s integrated with it and your ignition. If it’s a newer car with bluetooth (and there’s a microphone), you can even talk to the thief through the stereo, or just listen in to any conversations that may be taking place.

[quote]But I think some people are turning off their brains to depend on these devices. I have friends who cannot remember a single phone number or address, because all this information is in their device and omitted from their brain. Why even bother trying to remember bread or any other groceries when shopping? –Just call up the house and find out what you’re out of (and try to not annoy the other shoppers with one side of a banal grocery discussion — chances are they’re on their phones, too, so no worries).[/quote]

This is true. The only numbers I remember are my own and my wife’s (barely).

There are some unspoken rules. You don’t talk on the phone in the checkout line, or anywhere else where the people around you can’t escape. Grocery store aisles are okay.

[Author]

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