Christmas is just around the corner and there will soon be a mad rush to all the stores to purchase all of those items everyone on your Christmas list is wishing for. But do you know what they might be wishing for? After all, there are thousands of different types of gifts you could buy someone on your list. Unless you come right out and ask everyone what he or she wants, it is really kind of hard to know. You can certainly ask your kids and they will tell you, but what about your mother, sister, brother grandpa or friend?

Considering all this, there are some items in the marketplace that are very popular and, in most cases, would do well with anybody if they received one of them. In light of that thought, this article presents the five hottest gift ideas for Christmas this year. These ideas are not young kids toys, but are items that would surely be enjoyed by almost everyone, so you are going to be safe if you choose one of these items for someone on your list.

The first item is an Ipod or another good MP3 player. The Ipod has been on the forefront of technology for about two years and has the advantage of being portable and desirable. The Ipod has always sold well, especially during the holidays. It’s a unit that is extremely functional yet minimal and sleek in design. It comes with the capacity to hold thousands of songs or video and can even play DVD movies after a conversion process.

The second item would be books. Books are essentially timeless and good stories always capture the interest of those who read. Reading a good book has always been a favorite pastime, even in today’s technological society where everyone is glued to the computer or to the TV. Excellent book gift choices might be in the self-help area or possibly in the inspirational category. Good novels and religious books are favorites also.

The third item is a digital camera. Almost everyone wants to capture precious moments on film and now digital cameras make it so easy. Film is no longer needed and high quality digital images can be obtained with a digital camera capable of taking very nice images. All of the pictures you take can be saved to your computer or on a CD ROM. You can also make pictorial slides shows with background music and the list goes on.

The fourth item is a mobile phone. Cellular phones are just about everywhere now and almost everyone has one. More often than not, they are not expensive to purchase, even for the brand new ones that come out with all the latest features. With a mobile phone, of course, the gift idea of being able to keep in touch with some easily goes a long way. If all your friends have a phone in their pocket, it is much easier to keep in touch.

The last item is clothes. Whether it is a coat, shoes, socks, pants or dresses, clothes are always in need. Everyone loves looking good and having new clothes helps one attain the look they desire for themselves. Sometimes clothes are given as gifts for a need, other times because a cool looking item was found and you just had to have it for someone. Whatever the case, clothes will always be a popular gift.

Choosing a gift for a special person is not easy. You can dwell on what to get that special someone for days without making a decision. So if you are really stuck, consider one of the items on this list. No matter which one you choose, you will not go wrong.

Tags: Christmas Gifts

There’s a mind-boggling amount of cell phone plans and services available these days. Cell phone ads promising bigger, bolder and better features blare at us every day. The question then becomes, “Which plan is right for me?” In this article, I’ll give you tips on what to look for in a plan, what to ask your service provider and how to avoid common mistakes that new subscribers often make!

First, ask yourself “What do I want in a plan?” Finding the right cellular plan is just a matter of deciding what, when, where and how you plan to use your phone:

- Will you be using it only for emergencies, or to chat with friends or family often?

- Will you make most of your calls during the day, evening, or on weekends?

- Will your calls be coming from your local area, or will you phone while traveling?

- What is your monthly budget for telephone services?

Getting the Most Minutes for your Money

Cell phone plans often come with a pre-allotted set of minutes per month (which may or may not correspond with an actual “minute” of time depending on factors such as where you are when you make the call, calling a long distance number and so on).

When you use up your minutes, you may be faced with paying an overage fee or paying a higher amount for the extra minutes. With many plans, the minutes you don’t use do not automatically roll over to the next month. So if you only used 30 minutes out of your 90 minute monthly allotment, you don’t get to keep the 60 minutes you didn’t use that month. You simply start over at 90 again.

Some other important differences to note in cell phone plans (as versus traditional telephone service) that you’ll want to keep in mind when comparison shopping include:

- You may find that your minutes are used up for both incoming and outgoing calls

- Calling a toll free number can cost you minutes

- The actual amount of time you’ve spent on a call is usually rounded up. So if you spent 3 minutes and 5 seconds on a call, you may find that 4 minutes have been used.

- The clock starts ticking on your minute usage the minute you press the “Call” or “Send” button, not the moment the other person picks up.

Most cellular service providers have a special phone number or web site address where you can login to check the number of minutes you have remaining each month. Keep in mind though, depending on how often the accounts or web site is updated, the numbers may not always be current.

Long Distance, Dropped Calls and Roaming – Oh My!

When choosing a wireless plan, keep in mind where you’ll be using your phone most often. Some service providers have nationwide coverage, while others target a specific “home area”. If you make or receive a call outside of this area, you’re “Roaming”, and your minutes may run out faster or you may face an extra charge. Know the boundaries of your calling area – you could be charged for long distance and roaming on top of the minutes that are spent during the call!

If you have a set of numbers that you dial frequently (such as friends, family, doctors and so on), ask the wireless provider if the cell phone plan you’re interested in will work in those locations without accruing long distance or roaming charges.

What To Ask Your Service Provider

If you’ve got a handful of good plans you’re considering, these questions may help narrow down the field of choices:

- Can I use my minutes anytime? Can they be used during “peak times” or am I charged more during those hours? (peak times usually occur on weekends). When do “peak hours” start and end?

- How much extra am I charged if I go over my monthly allotment of minutes?

- How much will I be charged for long distance and/or roaming? (Some nationwide carriers do not charge for these services unless you call out of the country)

- What is your cancellation policy? What happens if I cancel early? Will I be charged a cancellation fee after my plan has been activated?

- Can I make any changes to my plan (such as increasing or decreasing the number of minutes) after my service has been activated?

- What other features are included on my plan? (such as voice mail, caller ID) and if not included, how much would they cost to add to my service?

Remember, get all of these answers in writing. That way, if you suddenly find a $100 Early Cancellation charge on your bill, and you have a written document that states that there is no early cancellation fee, you’ll have an easier time of disputing the charge.

If you have several plans you’d like to try out, ask the service provider if there is a grace period where you can cancel your service without being charged (or being charged only a small amount) if the service doesn’t meet your expectations. Chances are, many wireless providers will be eager and happy to help you compare plans. Just remember to read the fine print before you sign!

Tags: Cellphone plan

Have you ever had your cell phone fall into water? For example you take a bath and suddenly you receive a phone call and your cell phone falls into the water. This can happen in every place where water is the main element like the shower, the washing machine when you forget to check your pockets before washing, the kitchen sink, the pool area, or the ocean side when you are on vacation.

The possibilities are endless and if you accidentally drop your phone into the water the situation is really terrible - especially if you dropped an expensive designer phone with all your valuable information stored inside. This is a real disaster situation and it has happened to folks that went crazy because of not only the loss of their precious phone but the emotional value and the informational value stored inside the phone is lost forever.

Be aware that this scenario can happen to you as well. But the good news is that you do not have to go through this painful experience yourself because you can use the handy step-by-step action plan to rescue your cell phone from water damage. If you follow the step-by-step plan below you will be able to repair your wet cell phone in a very short time period.

Step 1: Turn off your wet cell phone. Remove the SIM card and the battery.

Step 2: If the wet cell phone was in salty seawater, carefully rinse it with fresh water before drying it.

Step 3: Dry the wet cell phone. First, use a towel to dry the phone. Then use toilet paper and an ear pick to reach the places a towel cannot reach.

Step 4: Let the wet phone dry for at least 3 days. Keep it uncovered in a warm and dry place.

Step 5: Do not try drying it in the sun, the oven, and the microwave or with any appliance that can possibly melt it.

Try using any absorbing substance that will not harm the phone, such as rice, ungrounded salt or silica packs that come with vitamin packs, clothes and electronics. This step is critical to the success!

Step 6: If the cell phone screen is still foggy after 3 days, wait a few more days.

Step 7: Try to turn the cell phone on. If it seems dry and ready, re-attach the battery and Sim card and turn it on.

Step 8: If it does not work, you can either attempt to dry it more or take it to the manufacturer.

Note that it is possible for them to know if the phone has been dropped in water due to special stickers that respond to water. Warranties, unlike insurance, do not cover water damage.

Step 9: Even if it still does not work, it might be possible to rescue important information that is not on the SIM card. Consult a technician from your cell phone company about your possibilities.

That is the simple 9-step action plan. Critical to success is a quick action on your part and your cell phone will be repaired and functional sooner as you think!

Tags: Cellphone

When cellphones became available it seemed that they would fill a need for instant communication - any time, any place - that would help people be more efficient and thus save time.

Then email became a mainstream method of business communication. Marvelous - now telephones wouldn’t ring off the hook, messages would not have to be stored and retrieved as verbal communications, which took time. Instead, information would be clear and concise and could be retrieved and answered any time, any where - again the promise of more freedom.

With email, internet and cellphones, was it really necessary for workers to be restrained to the office? Maybe shorter work days would ensue. Perhaps parents could collect their children from school and be contacted at home via either of these methods.

The work world was changing.

This truth came about as more workers were able to take their jobs with them. The travel from home to work and back again was no longer a barrier for actually DOING the work.

Telecommunication was making itself an integral part of conducting business. With cellphones and email, distance, time and travel were no longer barriers to conducting business effectively.

For some, this meant that coming to the office every day was an option - not a requirement.

Mothers and fathers found new freedom to take care of their children while still collecting the paycheck they needed to support them. Work could be done at home, at the park, at the grocery store, at night…

Unfortunately, this ability to work anywhere has become a nuisance instead of a luxury for some individuals. The fact that they are ABLE to do business any time, any where, means that they actually ARE doing business all the time.

Rather than free them, they found that they cannot get far enough away from work to really put it away for the day. Illness and emergencies do not stop the phone from ringing or the email from piling up - and because you can access it, there is no excuse for not dealing with it.

So for some, the convenience has become a ball and chain - creating longer work hours and constant stress. For these individuals it is necessary to commit themselves and their work mates to guidelines such as turning the phone off. Not accessing email regularly. Sticking to these rules and telling other work mates your new practices should help.

Remember that you were supposed to be ASSISTED by these devices. It is in the best interest of your health and the well-being of your family if these tools keep their proper place.

Tags: Cellphone

We’ve come a long way from the days when phones were a luxury item viewed with suspicion by the masses and used mainly to report bad news. Today, cellphones are a fashion accessory and used for entertainment, recreation and to impart good news - or none at all, but simply to say “hi”. Everything about the phone has changed - its size, shape and colour too. It’s appropriate then that the dial tone can be changed to play your favorite tune. Simply log on to the appropriate website and click on your choice.

But more than that, cellphones also perform a variety of other functions. Not only can you take photos with them, but the results are visible immediately. You can even download them to your computer. You can download wallpaper and screensavers, listen to your favorite music, find out the date and time, use it to make shopping lists and reminders, and use it as a PC… Dick Tracey, eat your heart out!

While the younger generation has accepted the invention of the cellphone, older people who have trouble adjusting to new inventions may take a while coming to terms with the necessity for its use. After all, haven’t they survived most of their lives without one? Perhaps, but at what cost? What about when dear Uncle John died and you didn’t even know until after you’d sent that letter inviting him to stay for a while? What about the last time your car broke down and you had to walk several kilometers in the heat or rain to find a phone?

Now, you can remain in the safety and air-conditioned comfort of your car and get help – or conduct business. And cellphones are becoming even more sophisticated. Some phones are now about the size of a credit card. Soon they’ll be able to perform the same functions, no doubt. Already the latest word in smart cellphones, Samsung won the GSM award for best Mobile Handset in 2005. Its model SGH-D500 has video recording with 60mg of storage space, an MP3 player, camera with flash as well as 64 ring tones to mention just a few features. And it is still small. You want smaller? The latest model is only as big as an ear-piece.

But the ultimate in women’s cellphones is the natty little hot pink and silver, clam-shaped beauty that is scented, comes with a calorie counter, lets you know when you are ovulating, chooses the perfume best suited to you and gives you a height/weight ratio, as well as all the other features. Yes, with today’s cell phone you can conduct business, have heaps of fun and hold the whole world in your hand.

Tags: Cellphone