Starting June 1, 2009 at least one service provider will require a data plan be placed on the account for the life of the contract agreement. This means that even if you loose the phone and purchase a non-data device as a replacement, the feature must remain. Removing the feature before the agreement is satisfied will cause a breach of contract, the number will be canceled and any early termination fees will be applied. Prior to June 1, 2009, you can remove or add the data feature at will with no changes to your agreement. Data features can range anywhere from $20 to $40 in addition to your rate plan’s monthly fees.

Let me explain a little more because this can be confusing.

Let’s say you get a Blackberry phone on or after June 1, 2009. As part of the agreement you have to have the data feature. Two weeks later you loose the phone and do not have insurance. Since you are not eligible to get a discounted upgrade you buy a non-data device from somewhere at full price which means you are still bound by the original contract agreement. Since it is not a data device, the feature on the account is useless so you call to have it removed. You will be informed that removing the data feature from the account will cause a breach of contract and cancellation of the line with early termination fees.

There are options though. If you get a data phone on or after June 1, 2009 and you elect to pay full price for the phone (For a Blackberry it can be as much as $500), you will not be bound to a contract and will be able to add and remove the feature at will.

Similarly, if you upgrade your phone and choose a non-data device as the new phone, you will then agree to a new contract but since the device is a non-data phone, the feature will not be required.

This has come about because service providers have discovered that people are buying data phones at a discount and agreeing to contracts, but they are not adding the data feature for the extra costs. This is causing a huge loss of revenue. The logic the providers use is “We are requiring the data feature be applied because we want to ensure our customers get the most out of the device as possible.”

One more thing before I complete this post. If you have Family Unlimited Messaging on your account for $19.95, DO NOT remove it. Any family messaging added after June 1, 2009 will be $24.99. Also, keep an eye out for a family (shared) data feature sometime in the near future.

If you have any questions please leave me a comment!

It’s been about a year since my last post and I have decided it was about time to start writing again.  There have been many changes in my life, not the least of which was the move I made from Mississippi to my childhood home of Tennessee.  I am loving it and love being close to my family.

When I left the Lockergnome blog I seemed to be posting about random things.  I have decided that from this point on I will focus on my passion, cell phones!  The wireless industry has been a part of my life since the first “bag” phones and about 6 years ago I was afforded the opportunity to work in it.  It has been a great time and I look forward to retiring from it.  I started as a customer service agent with Cingular, then a technical support agent when AT&T took over.  Late last year I was offered a job at T-Mobile and I must say that it was probably the best move I have ever made in my working career.  I have never worked for a company that pays you so much extra for doing your job well.  I will elaberate on this more in another post.

So, keep an eye out for future posts that will give you the knowledge you need to keep your cell phone working well and maybe even save you a little cash.  I have another blog I recently created dedicated to cell phones and I will be posting the same things here as well.  If you have any questions about the cell phone industry, please leave me a comment and I will respond as soon as I can.

It’s good to be back among the “Gnomies” and I look forward to getting back into the blogging game!

A survey by the National Center for Health Statistics says 16% of U.S. homes are now cell phone only.  The use of household landlines has reduced to the level it was in the late 1960’s.

The survey showed that a third of the people aged 25 - 29 live in cell phone only homes, for those 18 - 24 the percentage rises to 34%.  For 30 - 44 year olds, the percentage drops to 15%, for 45 - 64 it was 8% and for 65 and older it was just over 2%.

As cell phones continue to improve in quality and coverage, the trend is likely to continue.  Cable companies now offer land-line phone service while at your home, which will extend to the wireless network when you are away.

What are your thoughts?  Are landlines going the way of the Dodo?  Where do you think the future of communication devices lie, and why?

1.  Have your ducks in a row:  Before you even pick up the phone, be sure to get as much information as possible about your device.  This includes serial numbers, IMEI numbers, model numbers, what you were doing when the problem occurs, what you have tried to correct the problem, information needed to access your account such as a password, etc.

2.  Keep it relevant:  Be brief in your explanations, using yes or no answers when possible.  Avoid over explaining the issue.  “I cannot send picture messages.” is allot better than “I cannot send picture messages and I need to send a one to my lawyer for a multi-million dollar lawsuit because I fell in the grocery store and broke my face.”

3.  Be patient:  With some companies, you are routed to the basic customer service first.  Don’t get upset if that person needs to transfer you to a department that can better assist you.  In the long run it will speed up the process.  Companies have a system in place that requires a department to do a certain amount of troubleshooting before transferring the call to prevent un-needed transfers.  You may be asked to do the same troubleshooting steps more than once.

4.  Use the system:  If the system asks you to listen to the prompts before making a selection, do it.  They are designed to determine what your problem is and route you to the correct department.  If you just press 0 to speak with an operator, you are immediately transferred to the first available person who may or may not be able to assist you.

5.  Don’t Lie:  If you have had the problem for 2 hours don’t say you have had it for 2 months in hopes this will expedite the resolution, it won’t.  Companies can generally see the last time you were able to use the service.  As a customer service rep, it drives me crazy when a person says they are loosing $10,000 an hour because their cell phone hasn’t worked in 3 weeks, when I can see usage in my system 2 hours ago, plus they have an overdue balance of $300.  Honestly, that is not what the problem is about and telling a customer service person that just makes them roll their eyes at you.  We understand that you might be upset, but please, don’t claim issues that aren’t relevant or true.

Sometimes, ok, a lot of the time, speaking with customer service for any company is nerve racking.  Try to keep your cool and remain calm.  The nicer you are, the more likely your issue will be given higher priority.  If you are rude, curse at the rep or act like a jerk, chances are the rep will not use all the resources available to him and this will cause more problems.

Now, I’m not saying if the rep is rude to you that you should just take it.  Ask to speak with a manager or call back to get another rep.  Make sure to get the rep’s name before starting any conversation and write it down.  This will give you ammunition should you be treated without respect.

For a preview of MEdia Mall 2.0, go to www.att.com/mediamall2.

1 cup milk

2 medium eggs

1/4 cup oil

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/3 cups corn meal

2/3 cup flour

1 to 1-1/2 pounds hot dogs

flour for dusting (about 1/2 cup)

Hot Fat for Deep Frying

Popscicle sticks

In a large bowl combine the milk, eggs, oil, sugar and salt. Mix it very well. Sprinkle in the baking powder, corn meal and flour. Stir it all up to make a slightly thick batter.

Take your hot dogs and dry them off on paper towels. Dust the hot dogs with flour, coating them completely. The cornmeal batter won’t stick to the hot dogs unless they are coated in flour. The batter just slides right off of the wieners naturally slick outsides. Shove Popsicle sticks into the flour coated hot dogs. Set the hot dogs aside.

While all of this is going on, it’s a good idea to get your hot fat to heating up. You want the temperature to be about 375°. Allow the fat to preheat so it is almost smoking by the time you are ready to add the corn dogs.

Now, to coat the floured hot dogs with batter you have two choices. You can swirl the hot dogs in the bowl of batter until they are coated, and then drop them into the hot fat. If this is a little difficult I know of an easier way. Scoop some of your corn meal batter into a narrow jar or cup which is as tall as your hot dogs are long. Fill the jar or cup about 3/4 of the way full. Dip your hot dog into the batter while you hold onto the stick. Swirl the hot dog to coat it evenly. Be careful or the batter will overflow. Raise the wiener above the cup and let any excess batter drip off. Quickly place the battered dog into the hot fat. The fat will bubble up and cook the outside of the batter, making the corn dogs the exact same shape as the ones you buy at the store.

Only fry a few corn dogs at a time. If the corn dogs crowd each other they don’t fry very well. I only fry 2 or 3 at a time. Turn the corn dogs when the bottom side is well browned. Use tongs to remove the cooked corn dogs from the fat. Allow them to drain on paper towels. Repeat the process, coating and frying a few at a time, until all of the corn dogs are cooked. Refill the narrow jar or cup with batter from your bowl as necessary. Continue until all the hot dogs are coated or until you no longer have enough batter to coat the hot dogs efficiently.

If you don’t want to waste any unused batter, it can be dropped by small spoonfuls into the hot fat, and fried until brown. Serve these along side the corn dogs.

If desired, you can make small corn dogs by cutting hot dogs into thirds, or quarters. Poke a toothpick up into the end of the hot dogs. Coat and fry them as described above. These are nice for fancy days, and for kids parties. Provide plenty of ketchup and mustard for dipping.

This recipe makes about 12 to 14 corn dogs.

The nation’s broadcasters on Feb. 17, 2009 will be turning off their analog over-the-air broadcasts. Cable and satellite TV providers said they will ensure their subscribers continue to view programming after the switch.

Starting Jan. 1, an estimated 13 million to 21 million households that rely on an antenna to watch TV can contact the government to receive two coupons worth $40 each to buy converter boxes which will enable them to view digital television signals.

The $1.5 billion program - which is enough to fund 33.5 million coupons - ends March 31, 2009.

Retailers such as Wal-Mart will begin selling the devices, which translate the digital signal for such TV sets, in mid February.

However, Congress has criticized the government for not having a comprehensive plan to ensure a smooth transition to digital TV.

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Las Vegas is building a museum about some of its founding fathers and most influential figures - guys with names like Bugsy, Lefty and Lansky.

The mob museum will stand as frank acknowledgment of the major role mobsters played in developing Las Vegas into the gambling capital of America and giving the city its rakish glamor during the 1940s and ’50s.

“Let’s be brutally honest, warts and all. This is more than legend. It’s fact,” said Mayor Oscar Goodman, a former defense attorney whose clients once included mobsters Meyer Lansky and Anthony “Tony the Ant” Spilotro. “This is something that differentiates us from other cities.”

The project has gained the support of the FBI and is guided by a retired FBI agent. They say they are involved because you can’t tell the stories of Benjamin “Bugsy” Siegel, his banker, Lansky, casino boss Frank “Lefty” Rosenthal and others without telling the story of the lawmen who pursued them.

“This is a way to connect with the public and show the results of our work,” said Dan McCarron, a spokesman for the FBI in Washington.

Ellen Knowlton, who retired in 2006 as FBI agent in charge in Las Vegas and now heads the not-for-profit museum organization, said FBI officials have offered to share photographs, transcripts of wiretaps and histories of efforts to kneecap organized crime in the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s.

“Despite the sort of edgy theme, this museum will be historically accurate and it will tell the true story of organized crime,” Knowlton said. “The plan is to give people a kind of gritty taste of what it would have been like to be not only a person involved or affiliated with organized crime, but also what it would have been like to be in law enforcement.”

Officials expect to open the museum by 2010 in a brick federal building that was the centerpiece of this dusty town of 5,100 residents when it opened in 1933. In 1950, the three-story building hosted a hearing by Tennessee Sen. Estes Kefauver’s special investigating committee on the rackets.

Goodman, who showed his own willingness to play up Las Vegas’ mob past by making a cameo in the 1995 Robert De Niro-Joe Pesci movie “Casino,” has pushed the idea of a mob museum from the time he was elected mayor in 1999.

He brokered a deal for the city to buy the building in 2000 for $1, with the understanding it would be turned into cultural center. Officials expect the final cost, including renovations, to reach almost $50 million.

About $15 million has been raised through grants, city funds, contributions and the sale of commemorative license plates that marked Las Vegas’ centennial in 2005.

It was Siegel who pioneered the transformation of this one-time desert stopover into a glittering tourist mecca, opening the $6 million Flamingo hotel on the fledgling Las Vegas Strip in 1946 with financial backing from Lansky.

The movie-star handsome Siegel was rubbed out six months later in Beverly Hills, Calif., perhaps because he angered the mob with cost overruns on the hotel.

Spilotro and Rosenthal were associates in the 1970s, when Rosenthal ran several casinos, including the Stardust. Spilotro was killed in 1986 and buried in an Indiana cornfield.

Organized crime eventually was driven out of Las Vegas in the 1970s and ’80s by the FBI, local police and prosecutors, state crackdowns and casino purchases by corporate interests.

Many of these stories have been dramatized by Hollywood in such movies as “Bugsy,”"The Godfather” and “Casino.” But documenting mob history isn’t going to be easy.

“If anybody out there finds a memo saying: ‘To the boys, from Meyer. Re: Bugsy. Kill him,’ We’d love to have it,” said Michael Green, a College of Southern Nevada history professor who is researching exhibits for the museum. “But we doubt it’s there.”

“Because of that, you have to do a lot of reconstructing, inferring and implying,” he said. “There’s a lot of winking we’re going to have to do.”

Green pointed to stories about Moe Dalitz, a Cleveland businessman who rescued the Desert Inn and Stardust casinos in the 1950s and ’60s and built a hospital, golf courses and shopping centers.

“Was he tied to the mob or involved with the mob? Yes,” Green said. “A mobster? Harder to explain.”

Dennis Barrie, who directed the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and the popular International Spy Museum in Washington, said he will design the as-yet-unnamed Las Vegas museum to show how organized crime and the fight against it shaped modern life.

“Whether it’s running the casinos in Las Vegas, or controlling cigarette sales or numbers or trash collection in any city, organized crime is part of the American culture,” Barrie said. “Everybody has a mob story or a brush with the mob world. Or they at least say they do.”

Organizers say paying visitors might be asked to decide as they arrive which side of the law they want to be on, and then be given a story line tracing the life of a famous lawman or mobster or a street cop or numbers runner.

“Were you a hit man? Were you a prosecutor? What choices do you have to make?” Green said. “We’re telling a story of things that are multi sided.”

Organizers also hope to have an oral-history area where visitors “can sit down in front of a camera and say, ‘I knew Bugsy,’ or ‘I saw Meyer,’ or whatever,” he said

Note the title states “When” not “If”. Parents today realize that cell phones are pretty much a way of life for today’s communication needs. The question is, when should you give your child one? I have seen kids as young as 6 with thier own cell phones. Others don’t get them untill they’re 14 or in high school.

There’s really no one answer to this question. The parents have to judge their children’s ability to take care of the device and their responsibility level. Some 8 year olds are alot more responsible than some 18 year olds. We’ve all seen it.

Personally, I think Middle School is a good place to start. It is at this stage in a child’s life that they start having to make their own decisions, and determine for themselves which actions are appropriate for which situation. They also tend to start extracurricular activities at this point and staying after school unexpectedly or having a practice spur of the moment tends to occur. A cell phone would be a great way to communicate changes in schedule to the parents.

This is also the age where kids tend to be away from their parents or family members and more susceptible to the whole “stranger danger” thing. The ability to call your parents and or family member should something occur is a great tool and creates peace of mind for the care giver(s) of the child. Children at this age tend to want to be on their own and having a cell phone allows them the freedom to take care of a situation on their own or calling mom and dad for help.

Now, this is all Dependant on how “mature” the child is. This is something the parents will have to judge for themselves. they have to be honest with themselves as well. Did they raise their kids by spoiling them and giving in to every little whiny cry for something just to quiet them up?, or did they teach their kids that you don’t get everything you want and when you do get something you take care of it?

I used to own a magic shop and one child in particular I remember. He was no more than 9 years old and was browsing the store. When I approached him to see if he needed help he politely declined saying he was just looking and waiting for his mother to return from the other side of the store. When she came back (she bought some magic tricks) she asked him if he was ready to go get his camcorder. She must have seen the look on my face as if to say (You’re buying this kid a camcorder?) and explained that for months the boy had saved his allowance to purchase it. This type of child is a perfect candidate for a cell phone.

Ultimately, the parents will have to judge their child and themselves. I highly suggest a prepaid phone initially. This will allow the child to use the phone allot that first month or so without worrying about the charges. We all know what it’s like when you get something new, you use the heck out of it just because it’s new and cool. Soon the “newness” wears off and it becomes just another tool. It is at this point when you can consider a postpaid account.

Each child will get a cell phone at a different age. It is the responsibility of the parents or care giver to decide when the time is right.