Why I Hate Touch Screens and the LG Dare

Touch screen cell phones are in... the stylus is out. This is a convenient change that saves me money. I cannot tell you how many times I lost the stylus from my Palm Treo, but I can tell you that I've never lost my thumb.

It seems like every new phone is turning touch-screen.

So.. why do I hate touch screens?

I hadn't used the LG Dare yet.

I think that touch-screen phones are like girlfriends.. you have to be sensitive and patient with them to get the most out of them. The more time I spent with the LG Dare the more I became familiar with the finger movements used to navigate. Other than reviewing the phones, I had not spent enough time using touch screen phones to in the past to enjoy them. Just like my BlackBerry and most consumer electronics.. if you know how to use it you'll probably like it better. I think that's why my mom still hates the VCR.

Check out the LG Dare: http://project-wireless.com/phones/28

Learn touch-screen now in preparation for The Google Android and have a nice day.

Read Your Voicemails - Visual Voicemail, Speech-to-Text, Voicemail Options

Did you know that you can read your Voice mail messages instead of listen to them? I hate listening to voicemails because most of the time they are "Hey Paul, It's _____. Give me a shout. Thanks, bye." The process of retreiving and deleting voicemails with Verizon is lengthy and inconvenient and I would usually let them pile up.

I now subscribe to PhoneTag, a company that transcribes my voice mails to e-mails. Basically, it converts the sounds of people talking to text. The e-mails get delivered to my Black Berry with a .wav sound attachment. That way I have the option of listening to the actual message if the e-mail doesn't make sense. PhoneTag accurately transcribes about 95% of my messages.

The service costs $9.99 a month which includes 40 messages. Additional messages are $0.25 each.

There is also the unlimited voicemail plan for $29.99 a month.

Use the link below to receive 1 month free service with PhoneTag and give it a try.

PhoneTag-Voicemail to E-mail or Text Message - One Free Month


PhoneTag, originally called SimulScribe, uses advanced technology to convert voice to text and is a pioneer in the industry.




I have used PhoneTag services for almost a year and I strongly endorse the company and their services.

What should I do with my old phone?

There are four things you can do with your old cell phones:

1. Keep them as backups incase your new phone breaks. Store the old phone, chargers, and accessories in the same bag as a favor to future You. Only save one generation of back-up phones. Get rid of the really old ones that you know you'll never use.

"But I have Insurance on my new phone." Even if you have Insurance, a back-up phone can provide a weekend of relief while waiting for the replacement phone to be shipped. You can reactivate your old cell phone temporarily via customer service or through My Account.

2. Donate your old cell phones to charity. What do these charities do with the phones? Depends on the charity, but mostly they provide phones for emergencies. You can dial 911 from any cell phone whether active or not.

Here are some good ones:

http://www.shelteralliance.net/

http://www.gooddeedfoundation.com/recycle

http://www.charitablerecycling.com/CR/home.asp

http://www.donateaphone.com/CallToProtect/index.cfm



Most the major carriers like Verizon and AT&T have boxes set up at the main stores to donate phones. Also the police or sherriff's department usually have a donation box.

Be sure the phone goes into a box and not a salesman's bag for resale. If anyone is going to make a dollar off your phone, it should be you. Which brings me to #3.

3. Sell your old phone. eBay will find you the most buyers... but at a competitive price. Do a search on eBay to see what other people are selling the same model phone for.

http://www.gazelle.com/ is another option to get cash for your phone via the web.

4. Recycle your old phones. Every charity I listed above in #2 will recycle your phone and battery if they are too old to re-use.

Ready more info about recycling at: http://www.recyclemycellphone.org/recycle.cfm

***Never throw old phones in the trash or you'll destroy our landfillls and kill the planet. Can you live with that? I can't! So recyle your old phones instead. ***

Important information about donating your old phone:

Clear the phonebook and restore the phone to default settings.

Erase all pictures and remove memory cards if applicable.

Donate your phone, not your personal information. Find out how to erase the info from your phone by finding your phone here.

Also read:

Upgrade or replace your cell phone