[This message has been edited by doombug]
This is an awesome new trend--and I can't wait 'till it catches on, here on the west coast:
"Shut the cell up!"
"Unsuspecting cellphone users may find themselves saying that more often now that cellphone jammers — illegal gizmos that interfere with signals and cut off reception — are selling like hotcakes on the streets of New York.
"'I bought one online, and I love it,' said one jammer owner fed up with the din of dumb conversations and rock-and-roll ringtones.
"'I use it on the bus all the time. I always zap the idiots who discuss what they want from the Chinese restaurant so that everyone can hear them. Why is that necessary?'
"'The interest has gone insane in the last few years. I get all sorts of people buying them, from priests to police officers.'
"Their sole goal is to zip inconsiderate lips. The smaller gadgets emit radio frequencies that block signals anywhere from a 50- to 200-foot radius. They range in price from $250 to $2,000."
The complete article is available here:
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/40168.htm
When the price drops, I'm grabbing one. I get people every day at my work who'll use their cell phones WHILE I'm talking to them, and haven't a clue as to how rude it might seem. And the ringtones people use... What ever happened to vibrate!
Time to discreetly (and insidiously--BROOHAHAHA!) stop their music.
It'd be great in the cinemas, too. In addition to smuggled candy, it'll be standard theater-going equipment.
By the way, has anyone noticed the trendy way "hip" youngsters talk on their cell phones nowadays? It's as if their is no coordination between listening and talking simultaneously anymore; it's too "main stream," too "grown up." To be "in," you have to talk into the cell phone's mouthpiece without the earpiece resting against your head. Then, listen with just the earpiece at your ear, then pull it away and talk into the mouthpiece, then listen to the earpiece, then talk to the mouthpiece...
As disruptive as poor cell phone manners have become, it's more shocking how many people think those steep bills they receive from the wireless providers are worth it in the end. My car payment (AND the insurance premium) is less than many of these teens' monthly bills (Thanks, mom! Thanks, dad!). People seem to be STILL hooked on the sense that it's "cool" to be seen on their cell phones in public.
When my wife arrives from Peru, maybe I'll get a cell phone again. But, it'll be the cheapest plan available.
Here's some other cool stuff--on the PRO-cell-phone front:
Rescue Rings
"For years, people on blind dates have asked pre-designated friends to call them on their cellphones in case they need to bail out of an unpleasant situation. If it turns out the date is working out fine, then the caller can just be brushed off.
"Virgin Mobile calls the service 'Rescue rings' and Cingular calls it 'Escape-a--date.' At a pre-determined time your phone will ring and you just pretend to carry on a conversation. More than just bad dates, you can use it to get out of meetings or a session with your boss."
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/technology/wabc_techguru_081204rescue.html
Also, wanna send free text messages to your wife/novia in Colombia, Peru, or other countries? For those with a wife or novia in Peru, here are two sites that offer free text messages from your PC to her mobile (these sites are in Spanish):
I use this one frequently, though it is limited to free messages only in the evening hours. Sign up is simple. Limited to 160 characters/message:
http://www.terra.com.pe/mensajes/
The other Peru option has a very simple format, no registration, and apparently no restrictions. 120 characters/message:
http://www.telefonicamovistar.com.pe/mensajes/movstar.asp
Some Colombia sites:
When you click on this site, the service is tricky to find at first. Just look to the right of the screen, and you'll find the image of a cell phone. This is the "device" you use to send text messages. 159 characters/message:
http://www.comcel.com.co/
The other Colombian site. 105 characters/message:
http://www.ola.com.co/
Other countries are listed here (Argentina and Guatemala are the only other LA countries on the list):
http://www.textmefree.com/Rest_of_World/
Gotta go. Lawrence Welk's on!
Peace out!
