Why I Love My Phone
I recently purchased a Nokia 3650. Internet-enabled cellphone. Man is it cool.
It is so cool, in fact, that when I showed it to Angela, she made me buy her one too. (A mere one week later the 3650 was replaced by the 3660. It is basically the same phone, but with a standard keypad layout - the 3650 has an unusual semi-circle layout - and a screen with more colors.)
We publish a book called Wireless Profits: How To Start Up A Profitable Mobile Phone Content Business. It is written by Alex D’Anci, a consultant in Finland, who is on the front lines of the Internet cellphone boom in Europe and Asia.
Though I accepted the book for publication, it really didn’t click with me then as to why anyone would want to access the Internet through their cellphone, much less develop mobile-specific content. Now that I have one, I get the attraction.
I never realize before owning the phone how much time I wasted twiddling my thumbs while out doing my everyday business, like standing in line or waiting for an appointment. Now I fire up the Internet browser in the phone and read the news.
The screen is about twice the size of a traditional cellphone, and in color, so the eyestrain isn’t overwhelming.
I’ve even started think of ways to use it for running the site. For example, I have it setup so I can check the support email address to see if anyone is waiting for help. And I’m working on setting it up to see if there are any orders being held by the system (To prevent fraud, we have a list of checks each order goes though before it is sent to the credit card processor. If it fails any of them, the system puts it on hold until I can manually review it.)
Since we are small, automation is a big part of keeping our business running. So I’m always trying to think of ways to improve our efficiency without having to sit in front of the computer everyday.
But wait, there’s more!
The phone has a built-in camera. Coupled with this absolutely awesome piece of software - PixOmat Serie 60 - I can create web-based photo albums on the fly. The software takes the picture, builds the pages, and uploads all the files. It is how I’m doing all our trip photos. Here is a hint, though. Buy the Pro version. It is only 10 bucks more and lets you manage multiple albums at the same time.
But wait, there’s more!
It is BlueTooth-enabled. So you can connect the phone wirelessly to your computer and store your contacts, schedule and to do lists in it. Plus you can use it as a modem to dial into your ISP.
But wait, there’s more!
It can run software written in the Symbian OS.
This phone has rekindled my love affair with the idea of cellular phone service.