Cell Phones and the Internet

Since you’re reading this webpage it�s safe to assume you know a little bit about the internet and how it can make your life easier. If you�ve ever gotten lost and needed directions or movie times you�ve probably thought it would be a great idea to be able to pull that information up on your cellular phone. In many cases you now can.

First you need to make sure your cellular phone is internet compatible. Then you will need make sure your cellular carrier provides that type of service. There is usually an extra charge associated with this feature. It can be on a per megabyte (mb) on demand basis, or you can buy a block of data at a reduced rate. The next thing to be aware of is the internet on your phone is not going to be the same as the internet on your computer. The biggest limitation is the screen size and lack of a keyboard or mouse. If you have a specialized phone it will come with a keyboard but most phones on the market aren�t equipped with one.

As the screen size is smaller less information is shown. Most phones will automatically eliminate any pictures but this will make the surfing experience difficult at best. The best solution is to work with websites that were designed with cellular phones or other portable devices in mind. They deliver text friendly versions of pages and let you perform a lot of essential searches. Many web portals like Yahoo or Google have developed specific sites for this purpose. While most of these services are free, some of them do come with a subscription fee. After a 30 day trial you will have to pay for the ability to get directions, find movies or restaurants close to you.

Another recent addition to the online service offerings is text messaging. This allows you to �chat� via services like AOL Instant messenger, Yahoo Messenger, or MSN messenger. Again if you plan to use this service you will find yourself somewhat limited if you don�t have a full size keyboard.