Economic History Today » digital cameras

Looking for a new cell phone deal

warrenh — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 16:30:44 +0000

How To Find The Best Cell Phone Deal

After bringing you the best cell phones in the world the we would feel irresponsible if we didn’t tell you how to find the best deal for the phone, service provider and calling plan.

Cell phones rock! But if you thought choosing your last piece of Star Trek spawned technology, service provider, and calling plan was tough as asking a Klingon to refuse a physical challenge, just wait until you use the list of the world’s best cell phones to find one and try it. The convoluted puzzles that are the latest plans are confusing to figure out and the multitude of phones themselves have become complex beyond comprehension to the average Mary or Joe. Digital camera are commonplace on even the most basic of models, and MP3 players are increasingly popular. With each new feature hatching new services and new costs as manufacturers rush to be the first to bring new, innovative, features onto the marketplace and reap the financial benefits.

This is where we can help by providing you with the information to make your own informed choices about the cell phone, service provider and calling plan you choose. If your planning on replacing your phone check out my hub “The Best Web Browsing Phones In The World”, but if your looking for a better deal on your service provider and calling plan then the last one you had, stick around we have what your looking for here.

If your just looking for a new cell phone because the contract with your carrier is up, check to see which cell phones will work with your present carrier. Unless your familiar with the model your considering purchasing, there is no substitute for visiting a walk-in store and assessing the feel of the model your considering with your own hands. Surveys indicate readers experiences have been better with online transactions, so you might get better results completing the deal online.

In a recent survey of 18,000 subscribers of Consumer Reports, 65% of respondents to the survey bought a cell phone from a service provider’s Web site and were completely satisfied with the service, compared to 55% who bought at the provider’s walk-in store.

When browsing for a new cell phone or carrier, don’t be swayed by someone offering you a discount, discounts have become the standard, with 89% of the people involved in the survey saying they got one.

If you want to try a new provider, competition is a good thing. In a separate survey conducted by industry experts; nearly twenty-five percent of respondents reported switching to a new carrier during the first three years, mostly due to poor service. If this struck a nerve then start looking for a new provider here.

A prospective buyer should note that even if your happy with your current cell phone, chances are you won’t be able to take it with you when you go to a new provider. This is because providers sometimes use incompatible networks, but also because providers “lock” their phones electronically to discourage customers from going to another provider. A recent federal ruling allows consumers to unlock their cell phones for use with other networks, but this can only be done easily with a few cell phones.

If you have a cell phone that works on the GSM network, used by T-Mobile and Cingular, ask the new provider whether your old phone will work on their network. Even if you can keep using your old cell phone though you may have to pay your new provider or a third party, such as www.unlockmyphonenow.com, $10 to $40 to free it up. Unfortunately, if your phone works on the older CDMA network if probably can’t be transferred to your new provider, so your next option may be to donate or recycle it. For more information on what to do with an old cell phone, visit the website www.GreenerChoices.org.

If your under contract currently switching providers in the middle of the contract can have financial consequences, with you paying around $200 in early termination fees per phone number. If you can tolerate your existing service, try living with the contract until it is over, it will simplify you’re life.

If the price is the issue, remember you can usually make a deal with the provider to move to one of your current carrier’s other plans, without additional financial penalties. But be aware that switching can mean having to extend your current contract, pay new activation fees, or surrender any rollover minutes you’ve accumulated while using your original agreement.

Surveys indicate that nearly half of respondents who switched plans did so because they wanted more minutes, a move that can save you nasty charges for exceeding your monthly allotment. But, if you don’t use your cell phone much, consider switching to a more basic monthly plan with fewer minutes and this will save you money.

Replacing your cell phone is usually not a good idea while your still under contract with a provider, unless you absolutely need to, because the carrier or other authorized dealer won’t be as generous with discounts. If you have lost or broken your cell phone and don’t want to pay through the nose for a replacement, don’t worry, you can often find a less expensive replacement on eBay or other related websites.

That’s it for this hub, look for additional hubs on related material to this article in the next few days, I will be talking about my survey of carriers and which one maybe the best for your needs and purposes. Happy phoning!

Economy models included

warrenh — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 17:18:12 +0000

Digital Cameras Record Moments with Versatility and Control

Throw away your film camera! Digital cameras let you take control of all aspects of picture taking.

Remember the old film camera you have stored in the closet that gave you so many beautiful pictures with which to record and remember the best moments of life. If you’re still using this old friend to record the moments of life you want to remember the most, it might be time to upgrade to the next generation of cameras and purchase a digital camera to make recording the precious moments of life easier and fun.

Digital cameras provide superb picture color and quality and give the user unprecedented control over all aspects of producing their images. You can transfer images to your computer so you can crop, adjust the color and contrast, and add textures and other special effects. Make prints at home on a color ink jet printer or snapshot printer, and then drop off the memory card at one of a growing number of photofinishers. Or use a self-serve Kiosk at a local drugstore to select, edit and print pictures instantly, or upload images to an online photofinisher for processing. Once processed you can use the final images to e-mail to friends, print them onto cards or T-shirts, or upload to a digital picture frame or photo-sharing Web site for storage, viewing, and sharing with anyone you wish.

Digital cameras have LCD monitors for composing shots or viewing those you have already taken and many can also shoot video with sound components included for better viewing. This gives a digital camera a major advantage over camcorders which while they still shoot photos, have a resolution that is no match for a digital camera.

The leading manufacturers making brands on the market today are Canon, Casio, Fujifilm, HP, Kodak, Nikon, Olympus, Samsung, and Sony, but competition from consumer-electronics, computer, and traditional camera companies is beginning to increase.

Digital cameras come in big or small packages and depending on where you plan to use or store you’re digital camera you may want to choose the size carefully. Smaller digital cameras are around 5 to 8 ounces and can fit easily into your pocket for around $185 to $450 while bigger models typically weight around 7 to 14 ounces for around $140 to $480.

Digital cameras of a serious, professional, nature typically have a versatility and power able to capture fast action or create photographer art under the most demanding light conditions possible for a digital camera. Advanced compact digital cameras are larger and heavier than less advanced compact models, and come with versatile controls and long zoom lenses for far off shots, but you will pay from $280 to $850 for a space-age digital camera.

Digital cameras referred to as Super-zoom cameras are characterized by a very long zoom range – 10x or greater for most models. While usually larger and heavier than compacts, a few new models sold today are actually designed to be smaller and lighter than older models, all for around $250 to $700.

SLR’s (single-lens reflex), traditionally the largest and heaviest type of digital camera, offer the most versatility and power in the industry, with features that include interchangeable lenses. Unfortunately SLR’s are also the most expensive digital camera to own and operate with costs being around $600 to $1,700 for consumer models, while professional level SLR’s will set you back thousands.

You need to match the digital camera to you’re needs and below we have listed the existing factors to help you decide which digital camera is best for you’re uses. In a later hub we will have a list of the best digital cameras on the market today to help you decide which is best for you.

1. Compact cameras are best for everyday use around the home, and at family gatherings because they are easier to use for the uninitiated user. Unfortunately compact cameras have limited manual controls for exposure and composition, two photo characteristics that have a lot to say about picture quality. Price $150 to $300.

2. Subcompact cameras are the best digital cameras for carrying around to out of the spots or to picture taking occasions. They are small and light for ease of transportation to picture taking spot to picture taking spot. Unfortunately these models also have limited manual control capability and their small size can make operation awkward. Price $200 to $350.

3. Advanced compact cameras are designed for challenging lighting conditions, such as sunsets, dimly lighted environments or subjects. Versatile controls allow for greater control of picture quality and they usually come with long zoom capability. They allow the user to capture the moment on film in its raw format. Price $280 to $850.

4. Super-zoom cameras are the best for taking pictures while traveling, recording nature on lonely walks or for capturing you’re sons winning goal in the local soccer championship. They come with a long zoom range for long distance shots and powerful telephoto settings for important shots. They are usually larger, bulkier, and far heavier than the compact models so prepare to work a little harder. Price $250 to $700.

5. SLR cameras are the best for all conditions and subjects of you’re artistic photography and they are the favourite of professionals around the world. They have instant start-up, minimal shutter lag, interchangeable lenses, and large image sensor, are fast, shoot continuously raw images and provide far better battery life. Price $600 to $1,700.

Well that’s it for our first hub on digital cameras. Join us next hub as we will list the best digital cameras in each category and the features present on the digital cameras today to help you decide which model is best for you. Happy hubbing!