Although many schools ban them, a frequent debate among parents is "Should teenagers have their own cell phones?" and if so, the debate continues to "What age is best?"

No one knows your teen better than you do. Children mature at different rates and the 13-year old in one home may be ready to handle the responsibility of owning a cell phone while the 16-year old in the next house is nowhere near ready. The first thing you need to do is make the judgment call on whether or not your teen is ready.

Next, what will the phone be used for? Talking with friends, text messaging, instant messaging or (d) all of the above. If you add your teen to your own cell phone plan, make sure you read the fine print and find out if there is a limit to data (ie: text messages, instant messages and downloads) or you could get a very shocking cell phone bill the following month.

One solution many parents use is to get their child a "Pay as you Go" type of cell phone plan and then let the child earn their cell phone minutes through chores and other activities such as mowing the lawn, getting straight A's, babysitting, and more. The phones available on the pay as you go plans generally are bare bones and many don't have cameras, instant messaging capabilities or other "extras". You can usually get around that by purchasing an unlocked cell phone and switching the SIM card (little card inside the cell phone usually under the battery) with a better quality phone and using all the features on the pay as you go account.

If your child is showing a level of responsibility that shows he or she is ready to keep up with a cell phone and use it responsibly, give your child a chance to show you how mature they are and let them have a cell phone of their own.

Labels: cell-phone, gifts, unlocked-cell-phone, unlocked-phones

Since the very first moment that you purchased a cell phone, have you noticed that it has been quickly becoming your most cherished accessory? Many people have even gotten rid of their landline phones due to lack of use so they could just use their cell phones as their primary form of communication. Because of this, they end up putting many different bells and whistles, otherwise known as extra features, on their cell phone in order to customize it the way that they want it.

There are just so many different ways that you can customize your cell phone in order to make it one of the most important accessories that you own. When you enjoy using your cell phone, the chances are that you are going to be purchasing mobile ring tones, specialized ring tones and even mp3s that you can listen to on your cell phone as well. Depending on the phone that you have, you may even be able to play games, connect with others by sending videos and even searching throughout various spots on the internet.

Customizing your cell phone as your favorite accessory has gone well beyond simply purchasing a new case or even adding gems to it to make it stand out. With a great amount of features, your cell phone can actually become your lifeline, making it one of the best accessories that you could ever own. Ease of use, great features and a quick way to connect, the cell phone is a great asset for anyone today.

Labels: cell-phone, gifts, mobile-ringtones, unlocked-cell-phone, unlocked-phones

Because your wireless phone is one of the best ways to make your life easier, the last thing that you will want to think about is getting scammed whenever you are looking to purchase a brand new one. Basically, in order to stay ahead of the game and to keep yourself clear of the threat of any sort of cell phone scams, the best thing that you can do is arm yourself with the knowledge of how some of these scams work.

When you are looking for features to add to your cell phone, you may want to be leery of any ads that will offer free music downloads or even free ring tones. While some of them may be free initially, you could end up getting dragged into a variety of charges on your phone over time. Additionally, some cell phone users have even noticed a number of incoming calls to their phone that produced high connection fees.

Many of the headaches of cell phone scams can be avoided by simply using your cell phone provider for any of your extras. Whenever it comes to downloads, added features and programs, using your cell phone provider will help to ensure that you are not placing anything harmful on your phone. Just as you may notice spam messages that can come into your email, you can also get the same junk filtering into your cell phone through text messages. All of these things can be avoided by simply paying attention to where you are giving out your number as well as where you choose to get any of your features to add to your cell phone.

Labels: cell-phone, gifts, mobile-ringtones, unlocked-cell-phone, unlocked-phones

Having noticed previously that the search term "mosquito ringtone" was bringing people to the site, I decided to investigate exactly how a mosquito ringtone worked, or rather *if* it worked at all.

I started searching for a number of sites and finally found one that had samples of various ringtones. You can put a mosquito ringtone on any cell phone, locked or unlocked. The ringtones were split up supposedly as to what someone 14-20 could hear, someone 21-29 could hear and so on. I called my 14-year old daughter in the room and started playing them.

At we could both hear the ones that were in the 14-39 year range. Then when we got into the supposed range that people 40 and over can't hear, it got interesting. I heard a faint "click" and nothing more. My daughter however heard an annoying high pitched sound (hence the mosquito). Suddenly I felt like she had the acute hearing of a dog and my own ability to hear was seriously diminished.

We decided we needed a qualifier. I called up my daughter's best friend and asked if her mom was busy, they both came over and we repeated the test. Again we all heard the 14-29 range. At 30 and over, the other mom and I were cut out of hearing the ring tones after that but both girls described them as high pitched and annoying.

So there you have it, mosquito ringtones are actually the real deal but for how long? Guess I'll stick to Modern Age by the Strokes as my ringtone, at least I can hear it!

Labels: cell-phone, gifts, mobile-ringtones, unlocked-cell-phone, unlocked-phones

Want to give the one you adore a really fun and unusual holiday gift? It all starts with upgrading their phone.

Plan a fun night for the two of you after the festivities are over and put together a bag to be opened when the two of you can be alone after the party guests have gone home.

First of all, get a better phone for your gift recipient. They may like a flip phone or a slide model, with or without a camera, it doesn't matter you can find a phone with all the bells and whistles and if you want to get a really good deal, forgo the high prices of your wireless carrier and go for an unlocked phone.

An unlocked phone is just a cell phone that will work on any network. It's just a matter of inserting the SIM card from the current phone into the new phone and it will work beautifully. Then make it a little more special and download a special ringtone. It could be the song that was playing when you first met, the song that you consider to be "your song" as a couple or just a current fave that you both have. From the most obscure to the most popular songs, you can find it as a ring tone and load it onto the phone before you give it.

Include a couple of scented candles and maybe a little cell phone bling for a fun touch. A cell phone charm or cover will make a great accessory. For added smiles, as you hand the bag to your love, slyly dial the number on the phone you're giving them so the song you're set up will play.

After the craziness of the holidays winds down, give the one you love a gift they will appreciate and use all throughout the year and when you give it to them, make the occasion as special as they are.

Labels: cell-phone, gifts, mobile-ringtones, unlocked-cell-phone, unlocked-phones

Want to get someone a great gift this holiday season and you want it to be something they will both appreciate and use? Make it an unlocked cell phone!

You've probably seen the term "unlocked phone" around and most unlocked phones are a really good deal. You've probably seen the Subscriber Identification Module or SIM card in your phone at one time or another and a locked phone will only recognize that SIM card from a specific carrier. The "lock" is what keeps the phone only communicating to one specific carrier for which the SIM card was made. The beauty of an unlocked phone is that it will recognize any SIM card from any carrier. This means if you want to get someone a really terrific cell phone and upgrade from what they currently have - it can allow someone to have a much better cell phone with that heft "direct from the carrier" price tag. The major brands are all available including Motorola unlocked phones, LG, Samsung, Nokia and more.

If you decide to get someone an unlocked cell phone as a holiday gift, along with their new cell phone, get them some mobile ring tone credits and maybe a little cell phone "bling" to let them add accessories to their cell phones like charms or unique cell phone covers. Another great gift you can toss in their stocking is a gift certificate for a few mobile ring tones.

An unlocked cell phone can make a great gift for that hard to buy for person on your holiday list this gift-giving season.

Labels: cell-phone, gifts, mobile-ringtones, unlocked-cell-phone, unlocked-phones