Cell Phone Tricks

[ArmorOfGod]

I recieved the below email and want everyone to look at this and verify the facts listed on it. Many of these could save someone's life, so everyone please read them and tell if they are true.
BTW, number five does work. I have been using it for a while from non-cell phones.

__________________________________________________


Subject: FW: Things You Never Knew Your Cell Phone
Could Do.



THINGS YOU NEVER KNEW YOUR CELL PHONE COULD DO.


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
Subject: 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.



SECOND
Subject: 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. It 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
Subject: Hidden Battery Power


Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate,
press the keys *3370# Your cell 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 next time.



FOURTH
Subject: How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?

To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the
following digits on
your phone: * # 0 6 #. 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.



FIFTH


Subject: INFORMATION CALLS

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)
FREE 411, or (800) 373-3411 without incurring any
charge at all. Program this
into your cell phone now. This is the kind of
information people don't mind
receiving, so pass it on to your family and friends.

SIXTH

Subject: 911 from a non-active call phone

A cell phone that is not activated can still call 911. As long as a phone has a battery charge, it can still call 911, even if it is not activated by a provider.

 

[michaeledward]

My karate instructor hunts in a very exclusive private reserve here in New Hampshire. He managed to lock the keys in his Durango at one of the lodges in the reserve this past winter.

The cell phone / remote clicker thing worked for him there.

Almost like magic.

 

[Kacey]

#6 is definitely true - women's shelters (among other organizations) collect used cell phones to give out for just that purpose.

 

[exile]

Some of these work under limited circumstances, some are in effect urban techno-legends. The whole package is dissected here: http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/cellphones.asp

 

[fireman00]

Some of these work under limited circumstances, some are in effect urban techno-legends. The whole package is dissected here: http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/cellphones.asp

beat me to it... unfortunately in the <SEND> and <RECIEVE> world of today I'm suspect of almost everything that comes my way.

 

[Andrew Green]

It's the "forward" button that causes most of the real misinformation...

 

[Kacey]

beat me to it... unfortunately in the <SEND> and <RECIEVE> world of today I'm suspect of almost everything that comes my way.

It's the "forward" button that causes most of the real misinformation...

All too true... the FCC, however, validates #6 (scroll down about 2/3 of the page):

The FCC’s Basic 911 rules:

• Require wireless carriers to transmit all 911 calls to a Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP), regardless of whether the caller subscribes to the carrier’s service or not.

• 
  

 

[Carol]

:

FIRST
Subject: Emergency

The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112.

This is *only* for GSM cell phones. In order for this to work, one must have a GSM cell phone, on a GSM service plan, and be using it in an area where there is GSM service.

Response will be contingent upon your ability to communicate with the dispatcher (including language differences), your ability to commuicate your location, and the support infrastructure of the locale.

SECOND
Subject: 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: I
(Editor's Note: It works fine! We tried it out and it
unlocked our car over a
cell phone!)

Urban legend. The encrypted RF used to unlock your car can't reliably be carried by a cell phone. When these tests pass, its generally been because the other person with the key fob has been close enough to the vehicle to unlock it.

THIRD
Subject: Hidden Battery Power

It would depend on the phone. These commands typically drain flash memory. It may reduce the power drain by a tiny amount but not enough to make a difference. It may also wipe out something you want, or it can do nothing.

FOURTH
Subject: How to disable a STOLEN mobile phone?

To check your Mobile phone's serial number, key in the
following digits on
your phone: * # 0 6 #. A 15 digit code will appear on
the screen.

(EDIT)
No need. Just call your carrier, give them your moble number and report it lost/stolen. They know which phone you have and what it's ESN is.

FIFTH


Subject: INFORMATION CALLS

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.

With such a charge, however, your air-time and an auto-connection is included. An 800 number will still result in an airtime charge and may not automatically connect your call. I'm not sure about how well the service works....or...what they do with your cell phone number once they get it. (By calling an 800 number you are automatically sending your number to the other party...whether you have caller ID blocked or not. They pay for the call, they get your phone number.)

SIXTH

Subject: 911 from a non-active call phone

A cell phone that is not activated can still call 911. As long as a phone has a battery charge, it can still call 911, even if it is not activated by a provider.

TRUE, for American cell phones getting reception from American cell towers. This is an FCC mandate. I keep an old inactive phone (and charger) in my glovebox for just that reason.

 

[bushidomartialarts]

thanks, carol, for the skinny.

 

[Carol]

Anytime. Glad to put some of this stuff I have to know to good use outside my industry

 

[jks9199]

In the US, 911 can be dialed from any cell, as others have said.

Free 411 is a service; it's also available on the web. (www.FREE411.com) It's a reverse directory, too... Gotta put up with ads, but it's free.

DO note your cell phone serial number. Without it -- it can't be entered as into NCIC as stolen property. In fact, record serial numbers on all your valuable stuff (like tvs, computers, cameras, etc.) for the same reason. But... if your cell phone is stolen -- contact the provider and they'll cancel it.

 

[Carol]

e.

DO note your cell phone serial number. Without it -- it can't be entered as into NCIC as stolen property.

Good call jks :asian:

However, not all phones display thier ESN with the keystrokes above...which look like a manufacturer-specific code. Better to check with the manual or call the carrier for help.

 

[MSTCNC]

Carol Kaur...

Martial Talks answer to Ma Bell!

Nice to put that knowledge to use for the forces of good, eh? :jediduel:

PBWY & Amituofo!

Your Brother,

Andrew

 

[jks9199]

Good call jks :asian:

However, not all phones display thier ESN with the keystrokes above...which look like a manufacturer-specific code. Better to check with the manual or call the carrier for help.

Sorry,
I wasn't clear.

Whatever digital number comes up IS NOT your serial number, generally. The serial number is on a label on the phone, usually in the battery compartment. It'll probably list the model number, too. The more of those specific details you can record, the better. You can also add your own "owner applied number", which might be anything that makes sense to you, from your first car's license plate to a random string that you come up with.

 

[Carol]

Sorry,
I wasn't clear.

Whatever digital number comes up IS NOT your serial number, generally. The serial number is on a label on the phone, usually in the battery compartment. It'll probably list the model number, too. The more of those specific details you can record, the better. You can also add your own "owner applied number", which might be anything that makes sense to you, from your first car's license plate to a random string that you come up with.

Ohhhh... *dopeslap* duh. You're talking about the actual serial number of the product itself, I'm thinking of the ESN....the electronic serial number of the device that gets embedded in to every transaction the cell phone makes with the towers.

 

[bluemtn]

I had #6 work for me, when I had to call home. My parents # was stored on the "emergency list" (as well as 2 other #'s). However, my new phone doesn't have that feature...

 

[ArmorOfGod]

The funny thing about number 6 is that I actually added it from the original list that I was emailed.

AoG

 

[bluemtn]

I just figured out something about my phone- it already has 911 and 112 programmed into the emergency #'s list (not editable).