Make your website friendly for cellphones

MakeUseOf recommends Google Mobilizer for adapting any website for use on a cellphone.

Google Mobilizer will take “any website and make it viewable on your mobile phone or PDA. Simply go to Google Mobilizer and enter the website URL, indicate whether you want images on/off, and click ‘GO’. Mobilizer will present you with a neat, add-free and stripped down version of the website. You also get a navigation menu to easily browse through website’s pages.”

Note: this is a very brief page with a place to enter the URL, and a checkbox if there are no images.  This does not actually change the website; it just reformats a copy of it and makes it available.  Handy if you need to see something on a page intended for a full screen view only, and checking the HTML may give you some ideas on how to create a mobile-friendly version of your own website.

thePickApp for handy utilities

thePickApp is loaded with handy utilities like a free iPod video converter, a free audio CD creator, and many other useful items, many covering media but also some like a Registry cleaner.

Fight cell phone spam!

Consumer Reports has an article on how to fight spam (voice or text) coming in on your cell phone.

1. Depending on your cell plan, you may be able to remove the charges if you call your carrier immediately.

2. Your plan may allow you to go online and block certain addresses.

3. Report the spammer to the FCC: File a complaint with the FCC by filling out online form 1088.

4. Register your cell phone number with the National Do Not Call Registry.  Yes, it is for cell phones, too.

5. Be wary of downloading anything from the web to your cell phone.  This could open you up to spam and even worse problems, such as viruses!

and, in this blogger’s suggestion:

6. Thinking of transferring your home phone number to your cell phone?  Be warned: a spammer can legitimately claim that they didn’t know that was not still a land line number, and therefore did not, as far as they could know, call a cell phone.  Think about biting the bullet and switching to a totally new phone number for your cell.  If you do switch your number from land to cell, be sure you register the landline phone with the Registry (above) first!

Which cell phone do you prefer?

Finding the phone with the right combination of features, that is convenient for the way you use it… not an easy choice.  MakeUseOf reviews a new site that lets you test drive phones, called  TryPhone.

The site is adding more phones soon but has a number of them already.  You can see:

• For each phone view: dozens of demos and howto video (ex. how to download music), full specs list (battery life, dimensions, weight …), user reviews and ratings, etc.
• Compare multiple phones side-by-side.

Putting your blog/site on a phone screen

MakeUseOf has reviews of services to convert your blog or pages into a format for phone screens.  Both services are free.

“Want to make your website mobile friendly? Andanza is a fully automated service that can mobilize any type of blog that offers RSS or Atom feeds. It takes about a minute and consists of three easy steps: Type in the URL, personalize the site’s look and feel and validate. Once finished, make sure to add the URL to your mobile bookmarks, OR if you’re a blogger then add it to your website.”

Another review:

“Another similar service is Mofuse. Mofuse offers pretty much everything you get with Andanza plus ad revenue sharing and an option to automatically redirect mobile users to mobile-friendly version of the website.”

Google’s 411 service for your phone

Google has a 411 phone directory service. Just dial 1-800-GOOG-411 (that’s 1-800-4664-411) and “say where. Say what you’re looking for. GOOG-411 will connect you with the business you choose. This is a toll-free voice service.

If you are calling from a mobile device, GOOG-411 can even send you a text message with more details and a map. Simply say “Text message” or “Map it.”

BTW (By The Way): this has a hidden motive.  Google’s speech recognition people are using this as a way to collect samples of lots of people talking, to create better speech recognition software for the future.  It’s not intended for tying information to people, but just to give software all the variations people have in pronouncing things.

Podlinez for podcasts on your phone

Podlinez is a free service that lets you listen to podcasts on your phone.Enter the RSS feed URL for a podcast in the box on their site to get a phone number you can call to hear it, or browse their directory for a number to try. If your favorite podcast isn’t already in the directory, you can add it immediately and it’ll be available to call within minutes.

Recommended by SmartComputing magazine.

Buymytronics wants your old stuff

Buymytronics wants “your used, new or broken Electronics today! We offer a fast, simple, and eco-friendly way for you to get money for your iPod, iPhone, Nintendo, Microsoft, Zune, Sony or PSP Game Console. We accept iPod Classic, Touch, Video, Photo, Nano, Mini, 4th to 1st Generation iPods, iPhone, Zune 2 and 1, Wii, DS Lite, Game Cube, Playstation 3, 2 and 1, X-Box, X-Box 360, PSP game consoles. We don’t care about the condition of your electronics. We will accept a Bricked iPhone, a Sad Faced Hard Drive iPod, a New PS3, an X-Box with a Disk Read Error or an old Wii. We will pay you top dollar for your unwanted electronic devices – guaranteed! Keep your eWaste out of the landfill and get some quick cash in return!”

Also cell phones, PDAs, laptops, camcorders and digital cameras.

They will send a quote on what you want to sell. This might be a good way to recycle your old equipment. Suggested by Coolsites newsletter.

Glide for uploading and managing data by computer or phone

Glide lets you upload and manage your data, as well as use online software. “Glide Welcomes PC, Mac, Linux, RIM BlackBerry, Palm, Windows Mobile, Symbian and iPhone Users.” Up to 2GB free, more with monthly or annual billing.

Google Talk for chat and IM

Google Talk is the chat and instant messaging client, and offers a Google Talk gadget for web pages.

IM without being specific

If everybody used the same Instant Messaging system, it would be simpler. But we don’t, so
other ways to cover all the systems are available. No matter what systems your friends use, you can still catch all their messages.

• Miranda is an open source (free!) Miranda IM is a smaller, faster, easier instant messenger with support for multiple protocols. Miranda IM is designed to be resource efficient and easy to use while still providing many features including support for AIM, Jabber, ICQ, IRC, MSN, Yahoo, and more. Supplemented by hundreds of plugins and other content, Miranda IM is very flexible.
• Trillian for Windows allows users to communicate with AOL, MSN, Yahoo!, and other networks.
• Pidgin (formerly called Gaim) allows non-Windows users to communicate with multiple networks.
• “Use Instant Messaging Without an IM Client: I don’t use IM at all and don’t even have an IM client installed on my PC. On the very rare occasions I do need to send a message I use a free web service from meebo.com. They support a wide range of systems including Yahoo, Messenger, Jabber, AIM, ICQ, MS and more. It also comes in handy for IM users trying to contact friends on incompatible networks. Meebo” — recommended by Gizmo’s Tech Support Alert.Meebo also has the “Meebo Me” widgit for use on web pages, and Meebo Rooms for chat.

Google for Email = Gmail

GMail - Google Email

GMail Google’s GMail is a popular free email system that is accessible from anywhere you connect to the Internet, and has good anti-spam filters too. You’ll need access to a cell phone with text messaging (this is part of keeping out spammers) to receive the confirmation code, but not after that.

To get Gmail on your mobile phone, just go to m.gmail.com on your phone to access your inbox.

Lifehacker has an update on Gmail and a new Better GMail Firefox add-on for it, which adds a menu of the optional features for it.  (Note: the Firefox extension requires you to already have the Greasemonkey add-on installed.)