Telecom Blog

Archive for the ‘Opinion’ Category

Okay, so before you watch this video and panic, not all cell phones in this video are as radioactive as the one you may be holding, especially the newer models. I will be updating this post with the more safe phones in some time. In general, the rule of thumb is to find a cell phone with a low SAR rating. I will be posting cell phone models that are the lowest in this rating to help you out, for now just know that this is the deal with this video. I still don’t know if this works like they show on the video, but it can be discouraging for any regular cell phone user. I will get back to you all with that list as I compile it.

Cellular & Mobile Phones: How Safe Is Your Cell Phone?

Wow, so while I sell you these devices (cell phones) I also feel that I am obligated to always share useful information to protect the consumer (you). I was somewhat amazed to see this video. I cannot vouch for it’s authenticity in reporting and facts but all the same think it should be watched, especially if it’s true. If anyone has verified facts with links to scientific data on this video subject matter, please comment this post.

Notice they mention older cell phone models but do not exclude today’s more modern smartphones. They claim because our smartphones are all made in China that our safety is at risk due to lack of regulation. Again, if you have relative information, please post!

Cell Phone Safety

Do We Have a GoogMart On Our Hands?

Goo-Mart

Looks like Google is muscling on into the telecom scene. Not that telecom companies should worry … oh wait … Microsoft and Yahoo did that one already. Anyhow, Google is on it’s way into a new venture that looks fun for it’s users and maybe not so great for some VoIP  or phone providers.

Through a company named Grand Central, Google will be giving free phone calling with free phone numbers, voicemail, international calling, conference call services, and more. What does this mean to my business? Well … umm … anyone have a shotgun I can borrow real quick?

Seriously though, this obviously shows a trend in the future of Google’s acquisition of advertising sources and how services will be provided in exchange for some of our personal freedom.

My question is, how long before Google puts enough businesses out where they no longer can compete or pay Google? Will we allow that? Will Google eventually tumble? I think it’s possible, and I am just as guilty because I continue to use Google for everything and obviously am helping build their unyielding power.

I am scared and am curious for what the future holds. Google fills a demand and there is nothing much anybody can do about it with the power Google now has. 

What are your thoughts on this? Do you feel Google is grabbing more than it’s fair share, not to mention outside it’s own niche?

Phone sex used to be something more of a paid service for adults. It wasn’t uncommon for a male teenager to engage in this activity by dialing a 1-900 number after looking through his father’s adult magazine while home alone. This was mainly an impersonal experience and usually the perceived voice was never more than an overweight housewife with 15 children. We all know the cliche jokes on phone sex operators, no need to dig too deep on the subject. Simply, it was more impersonal and costly.

These days, there are no $3.00 a minute fees, phone sex is free. This activity also no longer belongs to those employed by a sex agency and some unwitting teenage boy, but is now being done by teenage girls, college women, professional women, and housewives that are probably more attractive than the era gone phone sex operators of the past.

What has changed more than who engages in the act of phone sex is the technology it is performed on. Modern day cell phones are acting more and more like personal computers and with camera phones capable of snapshots and video, phone sex is more interactive than ever before. Smartphones allow easier interaction with voice, Internet, video, and text.

What makes phone sex more dangerous than at any other time in the past is the fact that many of transmitted images can be stored and shared with others. The wrong images in the wrong hands can be  giving fuel to predators, stalkers, and sex traffickers online, making this dangerous for females as well as males. If your image can be shared with others, then there is a chance your phone number and other personal information can be shared as well making you easy prey. You don’t need to have phone sex with a stranger for a stranger to have your private photos and videos, remember that.

To protect your teenagers from this threat, it may take more than just talking and trust. The only 100% way to make sure your teen is not transmitting x-rated photos of themselves is to not have text or Internet enabled with their cell phone service. Sounds harsh, and it won’t prevent your teen from engaging in this activity on the Internet at home, but then they are at least safe at home, right? Yes, your teenager can still use their phone and say lewd things, but minimizing the tools available to them that enables them to enrich the act with additional media is at least one measure towards protecting your child.

The act of text messaging over a cell phone for sexual purposes is an act now dubbed “SEXTING”. This method can include photo exchanging with image enabled text messaging phones, or phones with the service activated.

The threat with cell phones is that your teen can easily be away from home while engaging and even arranging sexual encounters over the phone. Mobility is the threat and can become much more dangerous when coupled with additional technology. A predator can now verify a victims appearance beforehand, use fake photos of himself to lure the child, and meet up without the child even knowing the truth of that persons age or demeanour.

The scariest statistic on sex predation is that the majority of the rapes that result from the practice of phone and Internet sex are teenage males. The majority of these crimes go unreported due to either humiliation or the fact that the child is exploring their sexuality. Parents tend to keep a more blind eye when it comes to teenage males believing that it is mainly females that fall victim to sexual predators.

Be cautious and aware. This is a new era, and the same old games may result in a bigger loss than a large phone bill.