Bristol /Plymouth County Realtor

great information - I am going to have to try and unlock the car with the cell phone! Thanks

This is a great little post -- full of lots of information.  I will print this out -- and keep it in my purse.  I also found that the cell phone has an emergency gps -- I reported an accident and told the operator to call for an ambulance (a bike rider was hit by a car) and she knew exactly where I was.  Amazing!

3370?  Well, I sure never knew this option was available.  It will save me much aggravation sometime when I forget to charge my cell.  That was an excellent post.

I'll have to try to car thing but the battery thing doesn't seem to work on my blackberry...great ideas though.

Comforting though it may be to imagine you can unlock your car door in an emergency by receiving a distant signal via your cell phone, it can't possibly work - not with the technology as it now stands, at any rate.

Here's why:

Your remote car key operates by sending a weak, encrypted radio signal to a receiver inside the automobile, which in turn activates the door locks.

Since the system works on radio waves, not sound, the only conceivable way a signal from your spare remote could be picked up by one cell phone and relayed to your car's onboard receiver by another would be if both phones were capable of sending and receiving at exactly the same frequency as the remote itself - which they can't be, given that all remote entry devices operate at frequencies between 300 and 500 MHz, while all mobile phones, by law, operate at 800 MHz and higher.

It's apples vs. oranges, in other words. Your cell phone can no more transmit the type of signal needed to unlock a car door than your remote key is capable of dialing up your Aunt Mary ... though no one can predict what miracles the future may bring.

This is a collection of half-truths and outright ignorant falsehoods...I bet you believe the emails that say if you forward to 100 people, microsoft will send you a check, because of their email tracking program, right?   And you actually forward them to all your friends, with their email addresses in the subject lines?  Spammers love you guys!  way to go!

Let's check the facts before we post, (or actually re-post thngs like this from 2006...saw a couple of posts from then that this was copied from)

I have tried the second one and could never get it to work. The theory behind is that it's using a sound frequency to unlock the door and that's not the case. Thanks for the post.

I'm pretty sure this is scam/farce (unintentional of course) and that something like this made the rounds awhile back....

j

Thanks for the info.  A local radio station had these tips this past summer.  I feel so much safer with my cell phone.

This email has been floating around the Internet for a little while. I checked with Snopes and here are the facts about these cell phone features.

Thanks, Mike.

Once you've been on the internet awhile you getter a better smell test for stuff like this.  Sort of like the bogus banned books on Palin 2 months ago.  Anybody with a brain would have said to themselves, that doesn't sound right; I better hold of on believing this till I know more....

The smell test works often online and in basements :)

j

Great tips I like the one about locking your keys in the car.  I will use it if I have to.

I've done the door lock thing, but the battery reserve trick is brand specific.  It won't work on a Samsung.

I agree with Fred. But I will give it a shot at some point to see if it works. Sounds like a joke though.

Another little trick is to dial %451*965*, tap your knee twice and spin around in a circle and then throw your phone as hard as possible on on  ground and it will stop all incoming calls.

It works, I tried it......lol...just poking fun.

:)

I am going to try these, I have used the key pad and it works.

I can honestly say the key lock thing did not work on my car through the cell phone BUT it did work on my husband's truck.  So different years of technology and different systems will allow for some things to work and others not to.  And the battery power thing did work on my husband's basic cell phone but not on my blackberry or my son's palm.

free directory assistance saved and ready

Wow! I didn't know about the unlocking the door through your cell phone. I'll have to try it.

Hi Bobbie,

I like the idea of free 411 calls, those 1.50 charges do add up! Thanks for the tip. :)

I really have to wonder why some people feel they have to intentionally put out false information so that others will hopefully, unknowingly spread it around.  Why strange pleasure do they get by doing this?  I have posted similar things in the past not knowing that the info was false, and then had people jump down my throat for not knowing about sites that expose these lies.

Just as bad as those who start the lies, are those who jump on others who share the info thinking they are helping someone.  Why jump on people for something they don't know...just share the truth, show them how to find the truth in the near future and wish them a nice day!  Yes, it really is that simple!!!

Thank you for your great information. I will share it with my friends and clients.

Do you feel as if you might just have been Punk'd?  One of those unfortunate things that happen with the internet and the information age.  I've learned to google a lot of these reports that get sent out and realize how much of it is false.  However no one needs to jump down your throat about it :-)

The free 411 calls are great, EXCEPT you have to listen to 8 minutes of ads before you get the number. I will try the unlock thing on my wife's car, my truck has roll down windows** and regular locks.

**OK there WAS a reason this truck was sitting like an orphan at the very back of the car lot. I saw that I could save BIG bucks with this truck...last years model (new ones just came out), no radio, roll up windows and no power door locks. I thought, how big of a deal is that? Well, I have been driving it for 10 years and not having power door locks and windows has been a pretty big deal. However, since it is a Toyota and it only has 160,000 miles, it will probably last quite a while longer. And it's been paid for, for 7 years.

Sorry for the thread drift.

Honestly I did't know your cell phone could do this. There is just so much new technology out there. i am forever catching up.

Great information!  I love tech tips! Thanks

Not true. Go to snopes.com!

No go on unlocking the car...but I wish it did, its James Bond like.

I had no idea that you could adjust your battery power level -- I'm always running low, so that will be a BIG help.

Many thanks,

Kerry Lucasse -- www.ATLhomesearch.com

Hi Bobbie, I have tried the unlock your car door and it does work!  Good information.

Gregory: THANK YOU for saying it! Why be so rude? I think that Fred and Aaron were rude. There's no need to be. Just express the truth and move on, no need to be rude! Thank you for pointing that out. Trouble is, I don't think people read previous posts, and I don't think people that don't sign in and leave rude posts, won't check back either!

Cindy: Right you are! No need to jump down anyone's throat! Thanks for saying that.

Bobbie: I think not all of these 5 items work for everyone. I think it's a great blog as you got my attention and a lot of other people's attention. It got you a featured spot! WTG! And just ignore the rude people that attach and then are too ashamed to leave a link back to themselves!

I have always wanted to see if that would work with unlocking the car...

This is for Jack with the Toyota truck ~ That truck will go 300,000 miles!  Keep on Trucking! They are like the once famous tank, the Oldsmobile.  LOL!

Bobbie, As far as the cell phone tips, I think they sound good.  I would print this out, stick it in my purse and then, end up writing on it someday to give someone directions:)  Just me.  I am jealous of people who can keep track of this stuff!  I am working on it!  I have heard that you can email google for phone numbers?

It's a Good Life!

Fran

No reason for people to get up in arms....in a pinch any of there is AT LEAST WORTH A TRY!!!

Lori Cofer, Beasley Realty

Thanks for some really great tips!  Who knew?

Thanks for some really great tips!  Who knew?

Bobbie... you should probably post a correction in the original post, or delete the post... cause as you can see, it's already been reblogged 3 times, and people are spreading misinformation.

I recognize you didn't do it intentionally.... but leaving it up without a correction is doing people a disservice.

Thanks Bobbie .. I already use the 411 free call feature but thanks for the new tip *3370#

pippa

Wow, excellent tips Bobbie!  It's a timely post as I just learned last night how to use my BlackBerry as a wireless modem on my laptop.

I've been using the free directory assistance for a couple of years now. The other stuff may not work but this does. I didn't check her number for it, if it doesn't work find me. I'll give it to you.

Bobbie, Thanks.  I didn't know any of this.  I tried the car key thing.  It works. Wonderful to know.  I'm definitely saving this one.

Hmmm - I'm with a few comments on the cell phone lock thing - for the most part I think the consensus is it does not work....  I'm not sure about the battery charge but I'll try anything... I needed it earlier today.  My tip is by another charger and keep it in your console that way if your at an open house or in the office WA - LA - charge your phone :-)   Finally  for another 411 option I like google's

(1-800-466-4411)

About GOOG-411
Google's new 411 service is free, fast and easy to use. Give it a try now and see how simple it is to find and connect with local businesses for free. (*)

Thanks for generating this discussion :-)

i tried the car thing because i think it sounds cool, but no luck:(

Wow and I thought it was just good for pics. Thank you I like the car one

Looks like some interesting responses you've gotten on this one. Works for some and not for others.  Thanks for sharing anyway!

Bobbie, These are all awesome tips!  Thanks for sharing...I'm telling my driving teens about this right now too!  Cheers, Harley

Heres' the Snopes link address for the keyless remote http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/keyless.asp. It has the reason while it may of worked for some. I will probably try all the tips. Thanks Julie

Are you serious, all this time I carry this thing around - and I did lock my keys more than once in the car - and I never knew it. I love the sharing on AR, awesome post

Excellent!!!  I love this!   Another trick I use is TextingGoogle for phone numbers and directions:

Text: 46645 (GOOGL)  with the name and city/st or zip and it will return an address and phone #.

If you text 46645 with "from address" to "to address", it will text by line by line directions.

I hope this isn't too far off topic but don't forget to put ICE as a contact in your phone. I.C.E. in case of emergency. Your ICE number of choice can be easily dialed. My understanding is that emergency support people are wanting all cell phone users to do this. I suppose this works as long as your phone isn't password protected.

Diane

P.S. I agree no need to be harsh with comments or corrections.

Evening Bobbie,  i had heard of some of these but appraciate the update !   Thanks !

http://activerain.com/blogsview/764194/ActiveRain-New-Hire-Welcome-Harlen-The-Copyright-Crusader

http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/cellphones.asp is the specific part of the snopes site that addresses this post.  Snopes is a great site, and there are others as well for fact checking. 

I apologize for some folks and thier rude behaviour.  It would seem that the ability to be rude is amplified when some less intelligent humans are on line.  Can you imagine these people in real life?  Or maybe they are merely having a bad day.

The internet is unarguably the most advanced communication device ever devised by man.  The potential to communicate to a virtually unlimited number of people at the click of a button is an awesome tool.  As such a tool, we need to use it responsibly, checking facts before blasting them across the globe.  (Look how many emails we have seen about Obama.  Now fact check 'em.  Then wonder....)

Good luck out there!

Hi Bobbie!  These are good tips, hope you don't mind if I reblog this for my local readers.  Thanks!

Bobbie,

Thanks for the post with these great tips. I did not know that I had reserve power in the battery, likewise, I did not know I could access this code that could be used to disable the phone. Thanks!