Most seniors prefer to have their independence of living on their own as long as possible but most live on a very tight fixed income so extra funds cannot be allowed for such a luxury as a cell phone.  However, falls and accidents can happen while the are getting their daily exercise walking around the block or driving to the grocery store.  Also, the elderly are very vulnerable to abuse, theft and attacks.

Even without a connected wireless service plan, a donated used cell phone is perfect for them because they can still dial 911 for an emergency.  Therefore, your recycled phone could ultimately save the life of a senior citizen that cannot afford their own phone.

Your recycled used cell phone can also be an emergency link to be used by victims of domestic violence for women shelters, giving them a peace of mind of having access to emergency service.

Preparing Your Phone

Before donating your used or refurbished cell phone, erase all stored information including text messages, incoming and outgoing numbers, contact list and pictures.  Many phones will have a master reset you can use to make it easy.  You should also verify with your service provider that the phone service is canceled.

Cell Phone Donation

Place your phone in a padded envelope and mail it to your local iPhones For Life center or you can drop it off, if a location is close enough to you.  They will distribute them to seniors, giving them access to emergency help when needed.

Additionally, you could send them to The Wireless Foundation who will distribute them to domestic violence shelters.

Cell Phone Recycling

Phones that are a bit too old to be reused should be taken to a recycling center to stop poisonous lead, mercury and other toxins from hurting the environment.  Many electronic stores offer recycling centers that you can toss your phone in and they will dispose of it according to EPA guidelines.

Environmental Impact of Throwaway Cell Phones

Each year, discarded cell phones account for approximately 65,000 tons of horrible toxic waste every year.  It is imperative that everyone participates in cell phone recycling because every one of them can potentially pollute 132,000 liters of water.

Over 500 million used cell phones are either sitting at home or leaking hazardous mercury, lead, arsenic and flame retardants into the environment.

Since 18 months is the average cell phone lifespan, that means that an additional 125 million cell phones will be added to landfills each year.  Thankfully, most mobile phone manufacturers are aware of the recycling needs and will accept unwanted phones at their retail location or provide mail back envelopes to make it easy for you.

Next time you upgrade your phone, don't throw your old one away.  Donate it to a senior citizen or someone in need of an emergency access line. If it is not reusable, recycle it at a location that will assure that it won't end up in a landfill.

The cell phones you find at retail outlets or from the Tracfone website are generally refurbished cellular phones that were repaired and placed back on the market. They are in a nearly perfect state and similar to the phones they once were when they were contract phones. These phones have an average release age of six month to two years; this is based on the place you obtained the phone and the cell phone stock available from one season to the next.

In addition to enjoying the glorious release from the headaches involved with contracts, this provider's customers have an enormous amount of freedom and a surprising degree of simplicity when deciding how much they would like to pay for their phone service.  To load minutes onto your phone, you simply purchase a card that you can redeem for a specified number of minutes by following the easy instructions on the card.  Customers also have the option of paying less than ten dollars, extending their service for another month, and getting an extra thirty minutes.  One of the greatest options this company offers is the option of paying a one-time fee that will double the number of minutes you get every time you buy a minute-card during a set period of time.

The coverage area for these phones is better than most of the big name contracted phones out there today. Tracfone has leased bandwidth from many of these providers to enable you to make and receive calls from almost anywhere. In a recent cross country flight, I was able to make a clearly transmitted phone call from inside the terminal at Ohio Airport! How many big name phones can make that same claim?

By choosing a refurbished cell phone, you save yourself tons of money especially when you realize the fee of a new phone. Yet, you also do something else by purchasing refurbished cell phone models and that's saving the planet. After all, used cell phones tend to go into the landfill, adding to the waste we already have on our planet. If more people were to use these refurbished phone models over the newer ones, it would be a way to reduce our waste and control how high the cost of the newer models being introduced.

It is easy to get caught up in the frenzy of a culture that is fascinated with progress and obsessed with the new.  Phones are becoming more complicated at a staggering rate, offering more features every time we turn around, and the drive to always have the latest and greatest is strong enough to drive many people to spend over $200 on their phones.  However, with the rapid rate of change that is always increasing, it can be assumed that the phone you are lusting after now will probably be considerably cheaper in just a few months.

1.  Google Nexus One – If you like to take photos you will love this phone with its 5.0-megapixel camera.  You can even record up to 30 minutes on it.  The amazing 1GHZ Qualcomm Snapdragon processor creates the fastest phone you could ever dream of.  Applications load immediately and web pages open up fast.  It is a solid design but not necessarily the groundbreaking “superphone” that it was intimidated to be.

2.  Motorola Droid – The crisp 3.7 inch touchscreen makes this one a winner.  Of course, you could just slide out the QWERTY keyboard too.  Excellent call quality and fast hardware with accelerated graphics are reasons why people fall in love with this phone.

3.  Apple 32GB iPhone 3GS – This one has new core components and has been fully redesigned from the previous model.  Applications open fast and respond faster and graphics for games are definitely appreciated.  Calls sound adequate but some people feel it lacks the crisp clarity, however, that would really depend on what you're comparing it to.

4.  Motorola Cliq – A slide out, comfortable keyboard accompanies this touch screen.  Set up of widget and applications seem to be overwhelming at first but once you spend a bit of time on it you will find it quite pleasant.  Web pages load quickly but it doesn't support Flash so there are certain pages and videos that won't load.  Call quality is top-notch.

5.  RIM BlackBerry Bold 9700 – This handset is light and pocketable.  Call quality can be a bit spotty at times but the new responsive touch pad certainly makes up for it.  The keyboard is roomy, ergonomic and comfortable and the camera is superb.

6.  Palm Pre Plus – 16GB of internal memory and a more secure keyboard from its previous model are welcome changes for this model.  The music player and graphics are phenomenal, making this a top pick with the Gamers.

7.  Palm Pre – Surprisingly, here you find a Smartphone with a full QWERTY keyboard that actually fits in a woman's jeans pocket.  Thoughtful notifications let you know when you have calls and messages without fully interrupting your application.  Easy features allow you to transfer from a locked to an unlocked cell phone with ease.

8.  Samsung Behold II – Animations are smooth, colors are vivid and this Smartphone has one of the best cameras you will find.  Additionally, its music player integrates harmonically with Amazon's music store making it a headlining feature.

9.  RIM BlackBerry Tour 9630 – This keyboard exemplifies the best of BlackBerry.  It is spacious yet compact and very user friendly.  Call quality is good and the speakerphone quality is impressive.  The music player is solid and organized and the camera is a definite upgrade over previous models.

10. HTC Droid Eris – The phenomenal GPS and 5.0-megapixel camera are great features but this Smartphone is really built for business.  Also, pre-installed is an application for Footprint and Twitter that allows you to capture images and attach comments to share.  HTC's proprietary user interface that is installed on top of the Android operating system takes what is already a powerful phone and makes it more user friendly.

Many of these phones are fairly new and are hard or impossible to find in the used or refurbished cell phones market right now.  But, as time passes and "better" phones are released, keep an eye out for any one of these phones.  You'll be able to get a top of the line used phone for a great price and will find that they are more than adequate for 99.99% of users.

Will Cellular Phones Work On Airplanes Flying At 30,000 Feet?

For the longest time, we were told cell phones had to be turned off and left off while we were on an airplane. There were a variety of reasons for this including that the signal would interfere with the plane's computer and it would cause the plane to crash. Another reason was that cell phones would be unable to receive a signal while the plane was in the air. The final reason is that the electronics of the plane make getting a cell phone connection impossible.

However, we now know that several people took it upon themselves to try their cell phones to say goodbye to their loved ones when they realized they were not going to see them again on September 11th. There were dozens of phones making multiple calls all over the country and while the clarity of the calls are uncertain, many on the ground reported that they were able to stay on the phone for a long time and calls were not dropped from lost service. More food for thought on this concept:  many airlines have telephones built into the seats. With the swipe of your credit card and about $5 per minute you can use their phones!  But how do you get a connection???

Will I have service when I am in the middle of the ocean on a cruise ship?

Anyone who has ever taken a cruise knows that passengers of cruise ships are told a similar story as that told to passengers of airplanes: cell phones will not work while aboard.  While this is not always the case, and while there are even cruise companies that offer global satellite cellular service to passengers, you should always do research about the rates you will be charged if you make a call at sea to the mainland.  Fees for such calls can be outrageously expensive.  It is typically cheaper simply to wait until your ship reaches an island, most of which have normal cellular coverage, and make your call from there.  This may not apply if the island you are visiting belongs to another country, which would typically mean extra connection charges.  Your local or online cell phone retailer should be able to provide you with specifics about International rates.

The first thing I suggest you do is talk with your provider's customer service. You should find out what kind of timeframe you have before you can upgrade your used cell phone for a newer one… of course, for a discounted rate. Bear in mind that you can always buy a new phone for your account if you want. Some providers have a set time before you can purchase a new phone (usually around 18 months) or else you'll be paying full retail price for the new phone. This is the price that people, who don't want a contract, would pay for the phone. For instance, you pay $50 for a contracted phone; however, you desire to have one without a contract or without waiting until you're allowed an upgrade, then you'll pay $200 for it.

If you are too far from that allowable upgrade time, I would consider finding a refurbished cell phone dealer either locally or online. This is the most common way that people choose to upgrade their phones. Your phone typically has a SIM card in it that contains the data needed to link your phone to your service provider. This card can usually be exchanged between most models of phones that are supported by your cell phone provider. For example, if you were an AT&T customer, then your SIM card would fit in any other used AT&T phone they support.  You will need to give your current phone to the dealer to trade in (or keep it and get no credit on a new phone) and pay them a discounted price for the used cell phones that you want to upgrade to. Simply replace you SIM card in the new phone and you are ready to go!

Ultimately, the best way to save money on switching phones is to do research.  The number of people who use cell phones is steadily and quickly increasing, and companies that provide cell phone services are desperate to win customers.  If you have been locked into your plan for more than a year, it is likely that the rates you are being charged are out-dated, and that there is another company out there offering cheaper ones.  In many cases it is even worth abandoning your current contract and paying the cancellation fees to sign with another company that will save you more money in the long run.  With the rapid changes taking place constantly in the industry, anyone thinking about signing any long-term contract should look carefully at the alternatives.

The Waiting Room at the Dentist's Office

You are trying not to focus on the faint sound of the dentist's drill, when suddenly the man next to you gets a call on his heavily used Blackberry.  Seemingly delighted at the idea of a distraction, the man answers his phone.  He starts talking about his wife and how he caught her cheating on him, and you notice a little boy across the room staring at him, swinging his feet.  The man starts going into more explicit details, and you cannot help but think that this situation is not right.  Well, you are correct.  There are certain subjects that are inappropriate for certain situations, and texting offers a great alternative to talking when you are in an intimate setting like this with people who are most likely perfect strangers.  If you must talk on your phone in a situation like this, avoid subjects that might be offensive or disturbingly personal.

At the Game

Your team is down; they need you.  The guy in front of you has been reporting the details of the game to someone on the other end of his refurbished cell phone since the game began. Now he has started arguing intensely with the person on the other end, intermingling swearwords and name-calling.  Everyone around you has lost track of the game, and again, you see a child watching the man.  While a sports event is not exactly the dentist's office, rules still apply.  At a ball game there is a higher level of acceptance when it comes to cell phone usage, but you still have to be mindful of everybody that is around you and be sensitive to how they are reacting to your behavior.

Further Advice on Public Cell Phone Use

If you are concerned about being a polite cell phone user, a general rule for public conversations is that texting is preferred to talking unless you can get at least ten or fifteen feet away from other people.  Accepting a call in a crowded place may be acceptable if you simply tell the person you cannot talk right now and will text them, but the acceptability of doing this in a crowded place depends greatly upon the specific details of the crowd.  Ultimately, the most general rule that can be offered is this:  always be conscious of your surroundings if you choose to have a conversation in public.

Over the past several years, other service providers began to adopt the unlimited voice plan into their service. After all, they saw it as a tremendous impact not just on phone usage but also on the company. In fact, providers are now offering unlimited texting between users. In the beginning, it was only for people who shared the account but now texting is available for any cell phone.

Again, the Sprint phone company led the way by dropping the unlimited voice plan and creating an unlimited everything plan. This means the Sprint user can make/receive unlimited calls, text and picture messages for flat rate. This flat rate used to be $149 but is currently $99 a month. Many of us who chose the unlimited voice plans realized it was time to throw out our used or refurbished cell phones and get on board with new plan.

During the past few months, the cell phone industry has changed once more. Many refurbished cell phones have made their way to the landfill since people are watching for prices to fall again on the unlimited voice plans. If you choose a refurbished cell phone, go into a local retail store, you may find their prepaid unlimited plan for around $60 per month. If you want to stick with an unlimited plan on a contact, you can find some for as little as $49 per month and the unlimited everything plans for around $99 per month.

Due to the cell phone competition and the boost in popularity for cell phone electronics, the industry is much more reasonably priced and necessary for life. My personal feelings to the whole matter is…I am waiting for the day that cell phone service no longer needs that credit history to hand out phones to their new customers. I see for the future where plans for unlimited everything will be a mere $49.99 a month.

If you're in the market for a used cell phone or perhaps a refurbished cell phone, go by your local used or refurbished Sprint phones store and find out what kinds of unlimited plans they have to offer. Most retailers want customers to go with an unlimited plan since the representatives are often paid on commission.

What Is The Real Problem With Excessive Cell Phone Use?

These days, no matter how diligent parents are about keeping tabs on what their children are doing, the rapidity with which technology is evolving simply makes it impossible for parents to keep up with everything their children are doing with their refurbished cell phones.  As much as they may hate to admit it, parents have no idea what their kids are doing or who they are talking to when they are not around.  Meeting up with people on the Internet has never been easier, and sex offenders know this fact.  While Internet chat rooms are sometimes monitored, unlocked cell phone conversations usually are not, making teens or preteens with their own phones particularly vulnerable.  It is very important for parents to know exactly to whom their children are talking and, if anything seems suspicious, what is being said.  Even if you think your child does not have a cell phone, it is important to keep in mind that kids can get used AT&T cell phones and prepaid plans without you knowing.

The communicative dangers of teen cell phone use are especially prominent in text and photo messaging.  Many people do not know that these kinds of messages can be copied and posted anywhere on the Internet to be seen anywhere in the world.  Your entire family's safety could be compromised if your child unwittingly gives out private information to the wrong person.

What Steps Can You Take?

Unfortunately, once private information is on the Internet, there is no way to effectively prevent it from spreading to anyone who might want to take advantage of it.  Pictures of your child could be circulating throughout the Web as you read this and there would be nothing you could do.  It is essential for parents to talk to their kids about the dangers of sharing private information and the dangers of talking to strangers on the Internet.  If you suspect your children are spending too much time on the phone or computer, check the contents of their phones.  If you suspect your child of deleting the contents of his or her phone, there is probably a reason he or she is doing this, and you should contact your service provider to have your child's sent and received messages and calls retrieved from the company's database, so you can determine who your child is talking to.

When cell phones first appeared on the market, they cost so much that they were only realistic for a select few people, and everybody else was simply content using landlines and payphones to stay in touch.  Likewise, there was a time when everybody simply accepted having to write letters to communicate and wait weeks to months to hear a response, if the letter even arrived at all.  Things, however, have changed.

Nowadays, society could scarcely function without its beloved cellular devices, which have become so systemic that they are even found in schools and other public places, and are used by all types and classes of people.  The degree to which new and used cell phones have gained prominence in our lives has made having one the standard, leaving those who do not have one at a very significant disadvantage.  Whereas a normal response time to a business call used to be about one business day, it has now been reduced to a few hours.

These days, everyone needs and is expected to have a cell phone - even your kids.  The world is changing as fast as events are happening, and people simply cannot stay in touch and change with society unless they have the ability to communicate with the world instantly and at will.  Imagine what would happen if you broke down on the side of the highway without a cell phone.  Sure, fifty years ago, people might have thought, 'Gee, that person looks like they need help.'  They might even have been brave enough to pull over.  But we live in different times now.  People are less trusting, and they assume every stranded motorist has a cell phone.  You could end up stuck on the highway for a very long time.  Not having a cell phone is downright dangerous.

If money is your concern, it should be noted that affordable used AT&T cell phones can be purchased from local or online retailers, and that, if you do not intend to use your phone very often, prepaid plans offer a thrifty alternative to signing long-lasting contracts with service providers.  It is time to get out from under your rock and start feeling connected with the world before it leaves you behind entirely; you will be glad you finally did.

Teenagers have enough distractions to worry about while driving. By talking on their used cell phones, they are putting everyone at risk on the roads. Typically cell phones require that the driver hold the phone with one hand and the steering wheel with just one hand. This provides very limited control over the car and the direction in which it travels. Having no real experience with the control of the car, teenagers need to have both hands on the wheel at all times.

Most cars on the market today that our teenagers could afford to drive do not come with built in cell phone holders. This means that when the phone rings within the car, the driver will again take a hand off the wheel to feel for the phone and potentially take their eyes off the road to locate the phone and see who is calling. Even at speeds under twenty miles an hour, taking your eyes off the road long enough to check your phone to see who’s calling is long enough to lose control of the car and cause an accident or death.

Many retailers of refurbished cell phones now sell Bluetooth devices that enable the phone to work without having to hold the phone while driving. While that solves one problem, it fails to prevent another. Drivers that are watching the road should not engage in conversations on the phone. If the conversation goes on it will cause the driver to focus on the call at the expense of being able to focus on the road. Even if the driver can see the road and has both hands on the wheel, if their mind is on that conversation, they will not be able to respond to road conditions nearly as fast, resulting in accidents.

Being a new driver is hard enough for teenagers, there is a lot that they need to learn to pay attention to on the road and the last thing they need is another distraction to take their attention off of the road. It used to be that our biggest distraction was turning the radio on in the car and talking with friends. Now, these cell phones have added a whole new degree of distraction to our young drivers. There is one final reason why no one should be using cell phones while driving their cars, in many states it’s now against the law. Put the phones down and focus on the road!