PhoneTalk

Q&A: Removing numbers from a reject list and phones that don't require a data plan

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Thursday, January 05, 2012 (permalink)
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In this installment of Questions and Answers, we'll tell you how to remove numbers from the reject list on a Samsung Rugby and Verizon phones that don’t require a data plan. Got a question you want answered? Submit your question here. You can also ask me on Twitter. Got something to add to the answers below? Leave a comment.

How to take a number off the reject list Samsung Rugby? – lw

To remove a phone number from the reject list follow these steps:

1. Select Adress Book from the Menu

2. Choose Reject List option and use the navigation keys to highlight the desired entry.

3. Once highlighted, select Options and then Delete and choose Selected.

4. Confirm that you want the number removed from the Reject List by selecting yes.

I am looking for a basic Verizon messaging phone that doesn’t require a data plan. What are my options? – RB

There are quite a few options that don’t require a data plan, however, these four phones have a slide-out tactile QWERTY keyboard making them ideal for texting:

• LG Cosmos 2
• LG Octane
• Pantech Jest 2
• Samsung Intensity II

To find other Verizon cell phones that don’t require a data plan check out this blog post.

Q&A: Removing automatic signatures and organizing contacts

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Friday, December 02, 2011 (permalink)
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In this installment of Questions and Answers, we'll tell you how to customize the contact list on a DROID Pro and remove the automatic e-mail signature. Got a question you want answered? Submit your question here. You can also ask me on Twitter. Got something to add to the answers below? Leave a comment.

How do I change the way contacts are listed on the DROID Pro? I want the contacts listed by last name, first name. - KCanada

That can be done in just a few easy steps:
- Select Contacts

- Press the menu key at the base of the Android phone

- Choose Display options

- Press the down arrow next to View Contact names as

- Select Last Name first

- Press Save at the bottom of the screen

How do you remove the "sent from Verizon 4G LTE smartphone" from the emails sent from the phone? - James

That's a great question. It can easily be adjusted in e-mail settings, since it's essentially a pre-created signature. Here's what you need to do:

- Open the Email application on the phone and press the menu key and look for an "Account Settings" option. Depending on the phone you have the option you want may be immediate apparent or you'll have to select "More."

- Once you find Account Settings you'll need to scroll down until you find an option for Signature.

- You can either select to remove the signature completely from emails by unchecking the box for signature or select the Signature option and a screen will pop up where you can edit what the text says.

Q&A: Syncing phones with cars and Sprint's Nextel iDEN phones

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Friday, September 09, 2011 (permalink)
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In this installment of Questions and Answers, we'll define iDEN and tell you about syncing a phone with a car via Bluetooth. Got a question you want answered? Submit your question here. You can also ask me on Twitter. Got something to add to the answers below? Leave a comment.

What's an iden phone? - gkrichardson

An iDEN phone works on the Sprint-Nextel iDEN network. The special feature in IDEN phones is the walkie-talkie functionality. It lets people with other iDEN phones communicate without placing a call. These phones also work on Sprint's CDMA network so they can be used to place calls and everything else you might do with a typical cell phone.

If a cell phone can do Bluetooth syncing does that mean it will sync with Toyota vehicles? – gdstubble

Bluetooth syncing refers to the phone's ability to sync with other Bluetooth devices. Typically, if it says 'yes' to Bluetooth syncing you can usually sync it with the Bluetooth feature in a car. Although, depending on the degree of compatibility all features may not be available.

Q&A: Bluetooth synching and transferring pictures

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Thursday, August 04, 2011 (permalink)
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In this installment of Questions and Answers, we tell you what Bluetooth synching means and how to transfer pictures from a phone to a computer. Got a question you want answered? Submit your question here. You can also ask me on Twitter. Got something to add to the answers below? Leave a comment.

On the LetsTalk website where it states Bluetooth Synching under phone features does the “Yes” or “No” response indicate if the cell phone is compatible with Toyota vehicles? - gdstubble

Bluetooth syncing refers to the phone's ability to sync with other Bluetooth devices. Typically, if it says 'yes' to Bluetooth syncing you can usually sync it with the Bluetooth feature in a car. Although, depending on the degree of compatibility all features may not be available.

How do I transfer pictures from the LG Octane to my PC? -trainer

There are a couple of ways to transfer pictures from the LG Octane to a computer. Perhaps the easiest way is via Bluetooth. If your computer has Bluetooth and accepts images (it most likely does), turn the feature on and make it discoverable. Do the same with the LG Octane and pair the two devices. Next, go to the picture in your phone that you want to transfer to your PC and choose Send and then pick Bluetooth. The picture should appear on the computer in minutes. If this doesn't work, you can upload the images to an online album and then view the album on your computer and download them that way. Finally, if you have a microSD card and stored the images on the card instead of the phone's memory you can use a microSD card reader attached to your computer to transfer the images from the card to the computer.

Q&A: Value Lock and SMS errors on the HTC EVO 4G

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Friday, February 11, 2011 (permalink)
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In this installment of Questions and Answers, we tell you how to keep from dowloading apps to a BlackBerry smartphone and what you can expect to get from a 2GB data plan. Got a question you want answered? Submit your question here. You can also ask me on Twitter. Got something to add to the answers below? Leave a comment.

Sometimes when I send a text on my HTC EVO 4G the letters won't come up. I have to keep going back to it and exiting out a few times before I see what I am writing. Is this a common issue? - Intelligence

You're not alone, this does happen occasionally. It's a bug in the HTC SMS program. One of the easiest ways to handle it until a fix becomes available is to simply hit the back button and try again. The good news is that since it's an Android phone there are updates available for download over-the-air periodically and there are usually fixes for these random bugs.

I would like learn more about Value Lock. What is it and how does it work? - mmtt

Value Lock is a feature offered on the LetsTalk site when buying a new phone. Essentially it works like this: when buying a new cell phone click on the Value Lock banner and enter the manufacturer and phone model (ex. Samsung Fascinate) you want to buy. You'll then find out how much that phone will be worth a year from now. Value Lock "locks" in that amount and in a year or so when you want to upgrade that phone, you'll need to send in your old phone (the one that has the original Value Lock) and as long as it's in good working condition, the value will be applied to the purchase of your new phone from LetsTalk. You can find out more about Value Lock by clicking this link.

Q&A: BlackBerry App World and understanding data plans

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Friday, January 28, 2011 (permalink)
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In this installment of Questions and Answers, we tell you how to keep from dowloading apps to a BlackBerry smartphone and what you can expect to get from a 2GB data plan. Got a question you want answered? Submit your question here. You can also ask me on Twitter. Got something to add to the answers below? Leave a comment.

How do you block app purchases on a BlackBerry Torch? -Daw

You need to create a BlackBerry App World login to purchase apps. If you don't want to buy them yourself, just don't create one. If you want to prevent someone else from buying apps on your cell phone, just stay logged out of the app world.To do this, when you're within app world, go to "My World" then press the BlackBerry button and select "log out." If someone wanted to buy apps on your Torch they would need your BlackBerry app world password to login.

Have more questions about a BlackBerry cell phone? You can ask us on BlackBerry Messenger. The LetsTalk PIN is: 22f53f18. Click this link to learn more about BlackBerry Messenger.

What can you do with a 2GB data plan? -Mdgrlio

There are a approximately 1,000 megabytes (MB) in one GB.Though it might not sound like a lot you can actually do a lot with a 2GB monthly data plan. Consider this: Streaming about an hour of video on your cell phone requires about 260MBs of data, while sending and receiving about 1,500 emails without attachments only uses about 15MBs of data. That said, it really depends on how you use data with your cell phone. If you like to watch YouTube videos or TV shows offered by carriers, streaming music from sites like Pandora, and uploading a ton of photos to different sites, you'll likely use the 2GBs of data. If you simply surf the web and check e-mail on your cell phone, you may not need a 2GB data plan.

To learn more about what you can do with a data plan and what the carriers off, check out our Data plans in plain English: How to pick the one that’s right for you post.

Q&A: Bluetooth phones for Toyotas and how to easily upgrade to a new cell phone

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Friday, November 19, 2010 (permalink)
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In this installment of Questions and Answers, we tell you where to find Bluetooth phones that will work with a Toyota and how to keep your number when switching carriers. Got a question you want answered? Submit your question here. You can also ask me on Twitter. Got something to add to the answers below? Leave a comment.

How can I find out which phones are compatible with the bluetooth in my 2007 Camry Hybrid? -Seg

You can use this link to the Toyota site to find out which cell phones are compatible with your car. Google Android smartphones are still being tested for compatibility, however, it's likely some of the features will work with the car, but not all.

When I get a new cell phone will I be able to retain my current phone number? - Dan

If you're buying a new cell phone with the same carrier you'll just be transferring your number. If your buying a new cell phone with a different carrier you can still take your cell phone number with you. You can find out more information about number portability by clicking this link.

Q&A: Bluetooth basics and keeping your phone number when switching carriers

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Friday, October 22, 2010 (permalink)
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In this installment of Questions and Answers, we explain Bluetooth technology and keeping your phone number when switching carriers. Got a question you want answered? Submit your question here. You can also ask me on Twitter. Got something to add to the answers below? Leave a comment.

I plan on changing carriers next month, will I still be able to keep my phone number?-Econ

Yes, you will be able to keep your number when you switch carriers. You can find out more about number portability by clicking this link. You also might want to think about backing up your phone numbers in your address book on the cell phone since that isn't always the smoothest of transitions.

What is bluetooth and how does it work? - Arillary

Bluetooth is a universal technology that lets you connect a Bluetooth device to another Bluetooth device wirelessly. This is done by first making the devices discoverable (meaning they can be seen by other Bluetooth devices and are available to make a connection) and then pairing the two devices to each other. Most Bluetooth devices walk you through the steps on how to do this. (Read more)

Q&A: Switching contacts between Verizon phones and G2 ringtones

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Friday, October 15, 2010 (permalink)
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In this installment of Questions and Answers, we talk about transferring contacts between Verizon cell phones and setting ringtones on the T-Mobile G2. Got a question you want answered? Submit your question here. You can also ask me on Twitter.

How do I transfer my contact list to a new Verizon phone? - Bets

Verizon has a service called Backup Assistant. You can download the app on your current cell phone and backup the contacts in your phonebook. When you get your new cell phone simply run the application on your phone and it will load your backed up contacts on the new phone. Additionally, depending on the cell phone you have and the cell phone you get, you can also transfer your contacts via (Read more)

Q&A: Service plans without contracts and cell phone upgrades

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Friday, October 01, 2010 (permalink)
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In this installment of Questions and Answers, we talk about service plans and phone upgrades. Got a question you want answered? Submit your question here. Got something to add to the answers below? Leave a comment.

If I get the basic 500 minute plan for $39.99 a month with T-Mobile, will I have to sign a contract?- Syls

You can get a $39.99 Flexpay plan with T-Mobile. This is a way to get a monthly service plan without signing a contract. However, you'll need to pay the first month's bill upfront and the cell phone may cost a little more.

Is it possible to upgrade just the second line on an account or does it have to be done with the primary simultaneously? - Conan

Yes, you can upgrade the second line on an account without upgrading the primary line.

Q&A: Handling pictures on the Samsung Gusto and managing calls on a LG phone

by Joni Blecher Follow me on Twitter    |    Friday, September 17, 2010 (permalink)
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In this installment of Questions and Answers, we discuss how to handle calls and pictures on cell phones. Got a question you want answered? Submit your question here. Got something to add to the answers below? Leave a comment.

How do I transfer pictures from the memory on the Samsung Gusto to my computer? What format are the pictures? - Dowaldo

Typically the pictures should be saved in the jpg format, which makes them viewable in a multitude of programs. The easiest way to transfer pictures from the phone to a computer is to simply send the pictures via e-mail or multimedia message to an e-mail address. However, if you don't have an unlimited messaging plan that can be costly. The other option is to use a USB-to-microUSB cable to connect the phone to a computer and transfer the pictures using Verizon's V CAST Media Manager since the Gusto supports V CAST Media Manager. You can find out more about that feature by clicking this link.

People receiving calls from my LG AX390 cell phone get "restricted" appearing as the caller ID even if my number is in their phone. Is there a phone setting that I can change to eliminate this? - Anno

It sounds like one of two things is happening. Your phone number may be listed as restricted with your carrier. If so, it doesn't matter if people have your phone number listed in their phone, the call will always appear as restricted. To stop this you need to get your phone number listed as unrestricted with your carrier.

The other possibility is that your cell phone may be locked. If that's the case then you would only be able to dial phone numbers listed in your contacts or emergency numbers. If you can place calls to numbers other than those mentioned, chances are the phone isn't locked. That said, here's how you unlock the phone: Menu -> Settings -> Security -> Enter Lock Code (if you haven't set it, the lock code is the last 4 numbers of your cell phone number) -> Restrict Calls -> None -> OK.