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| "Daffodils": photography & digital. |
An apology ...
Thankfully, my cousin Dr. Scott caught my errors in yesterday's blog about the i-phone. And, unfortunately, I had copied what had been sent to me as accurate, but didn't check on it. Anyway, an email titled “Five Things you Never Knew Your Cell Phone Could Do” went viral; everyone was talking about it and sharing it with their friends and family. Since then, it randomly makes its round in various versions and with different subject lines.
Here are some corrections: 1. 112 is the European emergency number. In addition to Europe, it’s also used by some non-EU countries and available on GSM networks.
If dialed from a GSM network (devices from AT&T and T-Mobile) in
the United States, your call will be redirected to 911. In contrast,
this tip does not work with CDMA networks (devices from Verizon and
Sprint). So, if you're in the United States, you're better off dialing
911.
2. Suggests you can unlock your car through a cell phone. If you lost your
keys or locked them inside the car, use your cell phone to call someone
at home that has access to the spare key. Hold your phone about a foot
from the car door and have the person at home press the unlock button
near their cell phone to successfully unlock the car. False. That is simply not how cars with remote keyless entry systems (RKE) work.
3. Hidden Battery Power: Promises to increase your phone’s battery life by 50%. Simply press the following digits to activate the "reserve battery power": *3370#. False. This tip has been misinterpreted in the email.
4. Disable a Stolen Phone: Dial *#06# on the keypad of your smartphone to see your mobile phone’s serial number – a 15-digit code that is unique to your handset (also known as IMEI or MEID) – and write it down. If your device is ever lost or stolen, call your service provider to report the device and give them the IMEI number. They will block the phone and the thief will not be able to activate it with a different company's SIM card or sell it. Partly true. Dialing *#06# only works on some devices. Besides, you don’t NEED the IMEI code to block a phone, all you have to do is give your service provider your account information and tell them the phone was stolen.
5. Free Directory Service for Cells: Since not everybody has a telephone directory handy, people usually call 411 for information. Unfortunately, cell phone companies charge the user for using the 411-information option. To avoid 411 information call charges, dial (800)-FREE411 or (800)373-3411. People who try this should know that FREE411 provides directory information to callers at no charge, BUT cellular providers might still charge for such calls.
Visit snopes.com to check out the complete email.
Again, I apologize for not checking, you can bet I will in the future. Thanks Dr. Scott Sanders.
Celebrate ...
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| Red-capped Robin |
Thanks for coming by today.
