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5 Things You Never Knew Your Cell Phone Could Do

By
Real Estate Agent with Success Real Estate

5 Things You Never Knew Your Cell Phone Could Do 

For all the folks with cell phones. (This  should be printed and kept in your car, purse, and wallet. Good information to  have with you.)

There are a few things that can be done in times of grave emergencies .

Your mobile phone can actually be a life saver or an emergency tool for survival. Check out the things that you can do with  it:

FIRST
  
Emergency

The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112. If you find yourself out of the coverage area of  your mobile network and there is an Emergency, dial 112 and the mobile will  search any existing network to Establish the emergency number for you, and  interestingly, this number 112 can be dialed even if the keypad is locked. Try  it out.

SECOND

Have you locked your keys in the car?

Does your car have remote keyless entry? This may come in handy someday. Good reason to own a cell phone: If you  lock your keys In the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cell phone from your cell phone. Hold your cell phone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock  button, holding it near the mobile phone on their end. Your car will unlock.  Saves someone from having to drive your keys to you. Distance is no object. You could be hundreds of miles away, and if you can reach someone who has the other 'remote' for your car, you can unlock the doors (or the  trunk).

Editor's  Note: It works fine!  We tried it out and it unlocked our car over a cell phone!.

THIRD
  
Hidden Battery Power

Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370#.  Your cell phone will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery.

This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell phone next time.


FOURTH
  
How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?

To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the following Digits on your phone: *#06#.  A 15-digit code will appear on the  screen. This number is unique to your handset.

Write it down and keep it somewhere safe.  

If your phone gets stolen, you can phone your service provider and give them this code. They will then be able to block your handset so even if the thief changes the SIM card, your phone will be totally useless. You probably won't get your phone back, but at least you know that whoever stole it can't use/sell it either. If everybody does this, there would be no point in people stealing mobile phones.

And  Finally.....  

FIFTH
  
Free Directory Service for Cells

Cell phone companies are charging us $1.00 to $1.75 or more for 411 information calls when they don't have to. Most of us do  not carry a telephone directory in our vehicle, which makes this situation even more of a problem. When you need to use the 411 information option, simply dial: (800) FREE411, or (800) 373-3411 without incurring any charge at all.

Program this into your cell phone now.

Comments (54)

Thomas Tolbert
Better Homes and Gardens® Real Estate Legacy - Savannah, GA

Thanks for some really great tips!  Who knew?

Oct 29, 2008 09:02 AM
Alan May
Jameson Sotheby's International Realty - Evanston, IL
Home is where the hearth is.

Bobbie... you should probably post a correction in the original post, or delete the post... cause as you can see, it's already been reblogged 3 times, and people are spreading misinformation.

I recognize you didn't do it intentionally.... but leaving it up without a correction is doing people a disservice.

Oct 29, 2008 09:22 AM
Pippa Mac
Chevaux Group Realtor, The Woodlands and Spring - The Woodlands, TX
The Woodlands TX Real Estate

Thanks Bobbie .. I already use the 411 free call feature but thanks for the new tip *3370#

pippa

Oct 29, 2008 09:50 AM
Kris Kombrink ~ The Kombrink Team
RE/MAX Excels - Chicago's Western Suburbs - Geneva, IL

Wow, excellent tips Bobbie!  It's a timely post as I just learned last night how to use my BlackBerry as a wireless modem on my laptop.

Oct 29, 2008 10:02 AM
Connie Harvey
Pilkerton Realtors - Brentwood, TN
Realtor - Nashville TN Real Estate

I've been using the free directory assistance for a couple of years now. The other stuff may not work but this does. I didn't check her number for it, if it doesn't work find me. I'll give it to you.

Oct 29, 2008 10:58 AM
Marian Goetzinger
Pine Knoll Shores Realty 252-422-9000 - Pine Knoll Shores, NC
Crystal Coast Real Estate NC

Bobbie, Thanks.  I didn't know any of this.  I tried the car key thing.  It works. Wonderful to know.  I'm definitely saving this one.

Oct 29, 2008 11:16 AM
Shannon Gilmore, CRS
Long and Foster Real Estate - Warrenton, VA
Real Estate Sales Associate with Long and Foster

Hmmm - I'm with a few comments on the cell phone lock thing - for the most part I think the consensus is it does not work....  I'm not sure about the battery charge but I'll try anything... I needed it earlier today.  My tip is by another charger and keep it in your console that way if your at an open house or in the office WA - LA - charge your phone :-)   Finally  for another 411 option I like google's

1-800-GOOG-411

(1-800-466-4411)

About GOOG-411
Google's new 411 service is free, fast and easy to use. Give it a try now and see how simple it is to find and connect with local businesses for free. (*)

Thanks for generating this discussion :-)

 

Oct 29, 2008 11:20 AM
Courtney Cooper
Cooper Jacobs - Seattle, WA
206-850-8841

i tried the car thing because i think it sounds cool, but no luck:(

Oct 29, 2008 11:54 AM
SacramentoCommercialLoans Bank Turn downs welcomed
Sacramento commercial loans - Sacramento, CA
Quick closings 916-847-7212

Wow and I thought it was just good for pics. Thank you I like the car one

Oct 29, 2008 11:54 AM
Emily Lowe
RE/MAX Homes and Estates, Lipman Group - Nashville, TN
Nashville TN Realtor

Looks like some interesting responses you've gotten on this one. Works for some and not for others.  Thanks for sharing anyway!

Oct 29, 2008 12:03 PM
Harley Ramsey
Keller Williams - Chatsworth, CA
Chatsworth, CA Real Estate

Bobbie, These are all awesome tips!  Thanks for sharing...I'm telling my driving teens about this right now too!  Cheers, Harley

Oct 29, 2008 12:04 PM
Julie A. Black
KAUAI DREAMS REALTY Kauai Real Property Specialist - Kapaa, HI
CLHMS, CRS, GRI, Realtor, Broker

Heres' the Snopes link address for the keyless remote http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/keyless.asp. It has the reason while it may of worked for some. I will probably try all the tips. Thanks Julie

 

Oct 29, 2008 12:14 PM
James Engel
Keller Williams Realty Beverly Hills - Beverly Hills, CA
KW Beverly Hills

Are you serious, all this time I carry this thing around - and I did lock my keys more than once in the car - and I never knew it. I love the sharing on AR, awesome post

Oct 29, 2008 12:18 PM
Wendy Lockhart
Lockhart & Associates Real Estate - Saint Pete Beach, FL

Excellent!!!  I love this!   Another trick I use is TextingGoogle for phone numbers and directions:

Text: 46645 (GOOGL)  with the name and city/st or zip and it will return an address and phone #.

If you text 46645 with "from address" to "to address", it will text by line by line directions.

 

Oct 29, 2008 12:55 PM
Diane Hudzik
Keller Williams - Ann Arbor, MI
Washtenaw/Livingston/WesternWayne

I hope this isn't too far off topic but don't forget to put ICE as a contact in your phone. I.C.E. in case of emergency. Your ICE number of choice can be easily dialed. My understanding is that emergency support people are wanting all cell phone users to do this. I suppose this works as long as your phone isn't password protected.

Diane

P.S. I agree no need to be harsh with comments or corrections.

Oct 29, 2008 12:57 PM
Bill Gillhespy
16 Sunview Blvd - Fort Myers Beach, FL
Fort Myers Beach Realtor, Fort Myers Beach Agent - Homes & Condos

Evening Bobbie,  i had heard of some of these but appraciate the update !   Thanks !

Oct 29, 2008 01:17 PM
Brad Andersohn
Retired Executive Director of Education at eXp - Boulder Creek, CA
ActiveBrad - 707.646.1876
J. Hollis Jensen
Ooltewah, TN

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/cellphones.asp is the specific part of the snopes site that addresses this post.  Snopes is a great site, and there are others as well for fact checking. 

I apologize for some folks and thier rude behaviour.  It would seem that the ability to be rude is amplified when some less intelligent humans are on line.  Can you imagine these people in real life?  Or maybe they are merely having a bad day.

The internet is unarguably the most advanced communication device ever devised by man.  The potential to communicate to a virtually unlimited number of people at the click of a button is an awesome tool.  As such a tool, we need to use it responsibly, checking facts before blasting them across the globe.  (Look how many emails we have seen about Obama.  Now fact check 'em.  Then wonder....)

Good luck out there!

Oct 29, 2008 02:37 PM
Ann Allen Hoover
RE/MAX Advantage South - Hoover, AL
CDPE SRES ASP e-PRO Realtor - Homes for Sale - AL

Hi Bobbie!  These are good tips, hope you don't mind if I reblog this for my local readers.  Thanks!

Nov 02, 2008 12:07 PM
William Collins
ERA Queen City Realty - Scotch Plains, NJ
Property and Asset Management

Bobbie,

Thanks for the post with these great tips. I did not know that I had reserve power in the battery, likewise, I did not know I could access this code that could be used to disable the phone. Thanks!

Nov 05, 2008 10:53 PM