Car-Tel Communications

2009-03-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

College basketball fans can now catch all 63 games of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship from the first round through the national championship even when they’re not in front of a TV. AT&T^* (NYSE:T) today announced live NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball coverage available on AT&T Mobile TV as the result of AT&T’s agreement with CBS and FLO TV , which powers AT&T Mobile TV.

Beginning March 19 – the beginning of the first round – AT&T Mobile TV subscribers will be able to catch every shot, steal, slam dunk and buzzer-beater directly from their cell phones through up to four additional seasonal channels aired by FLO TV. Coverage will include game highlights, score recaps and analysis from CBS Sports in broadcast quality on users’ cell phones — similar to the experience of watching from their home TVs.

AT&T is offering new AT&T Mobile TV subscribers a two-month free trial**, as well as a special promotion on one of its most popular AT&T Mobile TV compatible handsets, the LG Vu, currently on sale for $49.99 after mail-in rebate.

In addition to exclusive coverage of the men’s tournament, subscribers enjoy mobile access to full-length television programming and sporting events from several leading entertainment brands.

Introducing the NEW HTC FUZE!!

2009-01-12T06:29:00.001-08:00

Go the next level with the HTC FUZE(TM) now featuring a sleek new touch screen design. The multi-faceted HTC FUZE(TM) is a 3G Windows Mobile® smartphone brought to you by AT&T, allowing you access to the world and a host of world class features. This powerful smartphone fuses technology with style. The large 2.8 inch VGA touch screen includes HTC's one touch TouchFlo(TM) 3D user interface for quick access to your favorite features. The FUZE is capable of supporting up to 32 GB in expandable MicroSD memory, so storing music, video, pictures, and any other file is no problem! This powerful smartphone is equipped with a productivity software suite, including Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional and Microsoft Office Word Mobile, Excel Mobile, PowerPoint Mobile, and OneNote Mobile. Wi-Fi, E-mail, Bluetooth®, and GPS navigation add to the rich feature set making the HTC FUZE(TM) the ultimate mobile smartphone.
Want to know more?
Visit, call, or e-mail your local Car-Tel representative and ask how the HTC FUZE(TM) can meet your needs.
Happy Texting!

Blackberry Application Alert!

2008-12-26T09:50:00.000-08:00

SlingPlayer™ Mobile lets you watch and control your home TV and DVR via your Slingbox™ on your BlackBerry® smartphone. The Slingbox™ is a home device from Sling Media that lets you watch your television programming via the internet on connected devices such as computers and cell phones. Picture watching your favorite shows and movies on your Blackberry® during the morning drive to work, or waiting for the kids’ soccer practice to end!

It is strongly recommend that when connecting to your Slingbox you use a 3G cellular or WiFi connection that meets Sling Media’s minimum network download speed requirements.

Currently recommended Blackberry® handsets include:

· Blackberry® 9000 Bold

· Blackberry® 8820

· Blackberry® 8320 Curve

· Blackberry® 8120 Pearl

Requirements:

· A PC on your home network with SlingPlayer 2.0 for Windows installed for:

· Setting up Internet Viewing on your Slingbox

· Managing Slingbox and Mobile Favorites with your Sling Account

· A high-speed (broadband) Internet connection of at least 256Kb upstream speed at home

Note: SlingPlayer 2.0 for Windows is required for creating and editing your Mobile Favorites lists. If you have a Mac OS computer, you are welcome to download and use SlingPlayer Mobile for BlackBerry®, but you will not have access to Favorites within the application.

Just one more way Blackberry® makes life easier.

Come in to Car-Tel and ask about the others!

Until then, Happy Texting!

Your Driver Just Hit a Tree....

2008-12-15T07:12:00.000-08:00

Vehicle tracking is an old trick at this point, but that's not to say there's no demand out there in the enterprise space. Announced today, the TeleNav Vehicle Tracker has been added to the carrier's portfolio of enterprise mobility services. Said GPS-enabled device can be hard-wired or embedded onto a vehicle to provide "companies of all sizes with a hassle-free method for monitoring and managing fleet operations." Specifically, it can log and report via email or SMS (on AT&T's network, obviously) when an employee violates an established policy (speed, stop time, mileage, etc.) and provide "detailed information about vehicle activity, including whether the engine is turned on or doors are open." The tracker will run customers $399, with a monthly service fee of around $34 per device. Happy Texting!!

2G Network Gets a New Set of Wheels

2008-12-08T13:10:00.002-08:00

There’s a light for people who haven’t upgraded to a 3G phone yet!!! The EDGE network is receiving another power boost. Nokia Siemens Networks has successfully tested a software-only upgrade to the 2G network. “Downlink Dual Carrier” software should increase the legacy EDGE network speeds to 592kbps on the downlink. This is the second upgrade the EDGE network has seen in its’ existence, and it promises to be a quick, easy, and painless conversion. Although 3G is still far faster, this upgrade will improve network speeds in areas where the newer networks haven’t reached as of yet. So, your wait will become slightly easier if you haven’t reached the date for your upgrade eligibility. Need to know when you can upgrade? E-mail contact@car-tel.com with Upgrade Eligibility in the subject line for more information. You can also visit www.car-tel.com for store contact information, and speak directly with your local Car-Tel communications representative. Happy Texting!

2008-11-19T11:01:00.000-08:00

The luxury time piece creator Cartier has teamed up with Motorola on a project of shiny and expensive significance. The Motorola A1600 Luxury Gold Edition PDA boasts an 18 karat gold Stylus, a faux Crocodile Skin backing, built in GPS and Satellite Navigation, a 3.2 Mega Pixel Camera, and a touch screen. The phone utilizes a Linux based Operating System and can hold a memory expansion of up to 4 Gigs! This Motorola flip phone is the excess of excess. Keep an eye on MTV or E! to see if you can catch a star sporting this ultimate luxury PDA flip phone. Gold, Crocodile Skin, and GPS…who would have thought the three had something in common? Haha Happy Texting!

Blackberry Bold Launch Party!

2008-10-29T12:32:00.000-07:00

Thursday, November 6^th 2008 Car-Tel Communications’ Center City location will be hosting a launch party for the brand new Blackberry Bold 9000. Whether you are an experienced Blackberry user or have never touched one in your life, this event is a great way to learn why so many people depend on these devices. Limited handsets will be available for purchase until the end of the party. There will be complimentary drinks and hors d’oeuvres available, and also a limited number of FREE complimentary Blackberry Gift Bags at the door. The party will take place from 6:30pm-8:30pm on 17^th street between JFK Boulevard and Market Street at Car-Tel Communications. Come out and learn about Blackberry, the new Bold, and anything else about AT&T Wireless from our professional representatives.

Until then, HAPPY TEXTING!

Quicksilver Laptop Connect Card

2008-10-24T09:00:00.000-07:00

As Laptop Connect cards go, you should know AT&T is cream of the crop. AT&T rightfully boasts the fastest Laptop Connect service of the 3G Network. So how do we top that? We give you amazing accessories too! The AT&T USBConnect Quicksilver is the first USB mobile broadband device worldwide to use the Icera Livanto(R) chipset, providing the latest features in one of the world's smallest HSPA USB devices that weighs just 1.2 ounces. This card can be used in 150 total countries around the world, and 60 of them have the 3G network.

The heart of the AT&T Quicksilver is its intelligent design. The smart design provides a protective cap for the USB connector, and with its unique textures and rounded edges, the AT&T Quicksilver is a reliable mobile broadband device that projects a confident and refined image. The AT&T Quicksilver is Mac and Windows compatible.

Too Bad this clock doesn't turn back for Fall.

2008-10-10T08:03:00.000-07:00

People today don’t really spend any time worrying about the national debt, mainly because you never see it unless you live in New York City. The National Debt Clock in Time Square was installed in 1989 by Seymour Durst to keep a running tab on how much debt our government had accrued over the years. At that point in time, the figure sat at roughly 2.7 trillion dollars. Yesterday, October 9^th2008, the operator of the clock was forced to drop the dollar sign from the figure which has exceeded 10 trillion dollars, because the clock has run out of space!

The Durst foundation plans on replacing the clock with a 15 digit updated version next year, but dropping the dollar sign will work until then. 10 trillion dollars is such a large number to imagine though, so allow me to put things in perspective. A 10.25 trillion dollar debt in our country, with roughly 305 million citizens, equates to about $34,000 per person. Good thing you have a personal sales representative at Car-Tel to analyze your wireless bill and save you cold hard cash. Happy Texting!

ATTENTION: New AT&T Phone Releases!

2008-09-05T07:32:00.000-07:00

Drum roll please. AT&T would like to introduce three new handsets for your mobile entertainment. Two releases from Samsung have hit the market running. The first of Samsung’s new handsets is the A237 Passion. This compact flip phone comes in black, red, or light blue and is priced at $49.99 with a $30.00 mail in rebate. The Passion has a built in VGA camera, is Bluetooth enabled, makes use of mobile e-mail, and is fitted with EDGE/GSM Quad Band technology for faster media downloads.

Samsung’s second model is the A837 Rugby. The Rugby comes in both black and yellow, and is what all hard hat wearers look for in a cell phone. The Rugby, aptly named, is a tough Push to Talk handset. The phone is expected to be released to stores September 15^th at $179.99 with a $50.00 mail in rebate. The Rugby has a 1.3mp camera, Push to Talk, conference call support for up to 6 members, Video Sharing, AT&T Navigator, aGPS, and is built tough with a rubber gripped solid design.

The last release rounding out this edition of the Car-Tel Wireless Blogography is the LG CG 630 Invision. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the Mobile TV era. The Invision is the smallest Mobile TV handset created to date at just a little more than 4 inches tall, 2 inches wide and less than one-half an inch thick. LG has also packed in a 1.3mp camera with video share, XM Radio, an MP3 player with AT&T Mobile Music, and Bluetooth 2.0. Oh wait, did I forget to tell you it’s also on the 3G network for blazing fast internet?

Car-Tel is very excited to add these new handsets to our repertoire and we hope you will come in to check them out in person. Until then, happy texting!

Football Fans Go Mobile!

2008-08-25T07:58:00.000-07:00

With the anticipation building over the upcoming football season, would you expect anything less than to watch football on your phone? I know I will be.
Mobile TV has a great line-up for football coverage this season, so traveling won’t get in the way of all those huge hits and major upsets.

Coverage for the season will include:

CBS Mobile

Up to 40 live College Football games from CBS and CSTV

ESPN Mobile TV

Up to 100 college football games including games from every conference
21 College bowl games
Daily College Football studio show
Coverage of NFL to include: Live Fantasy Football Show, Monday Night Football studio show, and Press Coverage

Fox Mobile

Big 12 College Football
Fantasy Football Show
Morning Sports Recap
Weekend Sports Recap
Sport Analysis

NBC2GO

Notre Dame College Football

NBC Sports' presentation of Notre Dame Football games starts 9/6 on NBC 2Go
Can Charlie Weis and the Irish have a dramatic turn around after a disappointing 2007 season?

SEC football games start 8/30 on CBS Mobile
Is Georgia the best team in the nation? Can LSU continue to succeed even with the loss of Ryan Perrilloux? Will Tim Tebow repeat as the Heisman trophy winner? Time will tell for many of the questions plaguing the SEC this year.

Countdown' till the Preseason Polls
Who will be 2008's #1? Georgia, Ohio State, Oklahoma, and USC all make good cases for themselves, but a lot can change before the polls come out. And tune in to all the great ESPN sports you'd expect on ESPN Mobile TV.

BlackBerry Bold now available -- in Chile?

2008-08-19T11:03:00.000-07:00

Movistar's Chilean outpost has now become -- somewhat surprisingly, may we add -- the very first carrier in the world to launch the BlackBerry Bold and put it into subscribers' hands. The carrier's making sure everyone knows what a coup they've managed to pull off, too, proudly proclaiming "FIRST ONES IN THE WORLD" with a red banner draped across the Bold's image on Movistar's site. Pricing seems a little high at 299,990 Chilean pesos (about $588) on a two-year contract, but hey, you've gotta pay to play; just how badly do you want to be one of the first people on the face of the planet (John Mayer notably excepted) to put this thing to use?

Keep an eye out for launch details at www.Car-Tel.com

--Article written by Chris Ziegler of Engadget.com

Mobile TV Olympics

2008-08-06T12:36:00.000-07:00

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Every one of us stood at attention during grade school and focused on our nation’s flag while we recited our pledge of allegiance to our country. This includes every athlete who is about to represent the United States’ pride in the 2008 Olympic Games. About now you’re probably asking, “What do the Olympic Games and cell phones have to do with each other?” The answer to that pressing question is A LOT!

The MediaFLO Network is proud to be an official sponsor of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China. This means that on 8/8/2008 the NBC2GO channel of the AT&T Mobile TV Network will begin its’ 24/7 coverage of the Olympics. This coverage is exclusive to the MediaFLO Network and therefore will not be aired on any other Mobile Video Network. Kudos to all of you proud Mobile TV subscribers :o)

If you are interested in watching this coverage, you will need a Mobile TV ready phone, Mobile Internet and the Mobile TV subscription feature. All of these can be provided for you at your local Car-Tel Communications store. Also, check out www.car-tel.com/Videos.php to see a brand new commercial featuring an extremely supportive Michael Phelps fan.

GO U.S.A. !!!!!

What a Vu!!!

2008-07-08T14:22:00.000-07:00

Recently I was handed every cell phone enthusiast’s dream responsibility in the form of the LG Vu. My mission, since I chose to accept, was to personally discover the ins and outs of LG’s newest touch phone and compare them to that of the released information on the 3G iPhone. This was no small task, but now all of you special people can reap the benefits of my research in your upcoming purchases. For this I am happy :o) Anyway, back to the comparison at hand.

First, we’ll begin with the LG Vu. It’s easier this way because it’s sitting in front of me. The Vu is an extremely impressive phone. The picture quality and touch response on the 3” screen are very good. This makes watching the Mobile TV network, browsing the internet, viewing movies, and navigating the menu simple and enjoyable. A major test for most internet capable phones is the use of YouTube Mobile, and the Vu handles it just fine on the 3G Network. Oh wait, I forgot to mention you can do all of these, along with calling, simultaneously.

The Vu’s capabilities are very impressive and the Mobile TV is flawless! Music can be uploaded via USB by syncing to Windows Media Player 10 (or above) and simply dragging them to a built in sync panel. Once saved to the Vu, all music is searchable and played through the AT&T Music Player. The built in player is equipped with the ability to sort music by Artist, Album or Genre, can produce playlists, and also has a built in equalizer for playback options. Although, what's audio without video? Mobile TV offers 12 channels of streaming television programming from names such as: ESPN, Nickelodeon, CNN, Fox, and more. Every channel comes in just as good if not better than basic cable on the 3G Network. Differences between the LG Vu and the 3G iPhone are pretty extensive, but anyone interested in upgrading should know at least a select few.

The 2008 iPhone does utilize the same 3G network for fast internet speeds and data transfer. Although, the iPhone does not have a replaceable battery to solve charge memory issues, a removable SDcard to open space for saved data, the ability to take videos, or the ability to send picture and video messages. On top of having the ability to actually DO all of this, the LG Vu has 12 channels of streaming quality television. If you ask me, this is a no brainer.

We Want To Help Save You Money (and Trees)!

2008-05-14T13:23:00.000-07:00

Today I came across an article on PCMAG.com about a popular trend in Southern Korea that could potentially be a great way to not only immediately save customers money, but save a few trees as well. What is this trend? Coupons, or I should say “mobile” coupons.

Customers have a bar code sent to their phone (similar to the plane ticket concept I wrote about a few months back) via text message and have it scanned at the register. It saves paper and also keeps customers’ wallets full.

When I stumbled upon this article, it reminded me of our website. Although our coupons don’t reach our customers via text message, we still give the option to print out coupons and bring them into our stores. Plus, Car-Tel believes in being green and knowing we save a few trees by having our coupons online puts a smile on our faces.

Currently, we have our "Refer a Friend and Receive $20" coupon on our homepage. Just have your friend print it out, have them fill in your name (if you referred them to us) and then have them bring it to any of our seven convenient locations. When we check our system and see your name listed as a referral, we will send you $20 as a thank you.

We want to know what kind of coupons you would be interested for using in our stores. Comment on here or write us at contact@car-tel.com and let us know what kind of awesome deals you want to receive.

—Kimberly Salesky
Marketing Assistant

Third World Countries Receive Emergency Services Via Free Mobile Services

2008-05-14T13:10:00.000-07:00

Technology has slowly been increasing in Third World countries with the help of charities (such as One Laptop Per Child, which happens to be part of our Project P.H.O.N.E. donations), but what about companies with profit motive? Ericsson, one of the top Telecommunications providers in the world, has teamed up with Zain (Kuwait-based wireless carrier), Sony Ericsson and the Millennium Villages Project at Columbia’s Earth Institute to bring toll-free mobile service to remote areas in Africa.

These toll-free services are intended to save lives of these African citizens in order to provide emergency services, such as medical care. Up to 5,000 citizens in Dertu, Kenya that have been given temporary mobile services so far, a first for the region.

According to Richard Martin’s article “The Next Billion: Mobile Technology Saves Lives In Sub-Saharan Africa” on Information Week’s blog OvertheAir, the project intends to provide a solar-powered network to approximately 400,000 citizens in 10 countries.

Although these services will not make a dramatic decease of Africa’s impoverished conditions, I believe it will make a positive difference in mortality rates. Having mobile connectivity to emergency services and health personnel could potentially save lives and help maintain a higher population density for these countries.

How do you feel about this wireless service project? Do you think it will help these countries in any way?

—Kimberly Salesky
Marketing Assistant

Spring Into May with Car-Tel Communications!

2008-05-05T13:55:00.000-07:00

May is here—the flowers have bloomed, the trees are green, the weather is beautiful and Car-Tel Communications already has quite an active month.

To start off the month, we have two new phones from AT&T to add to our variety of devices—the LG Vu and the Sony Ericsson Z750a (comes in gray, pink and purple).

The LG Vu is very similar to the iPhone—very attractive, interactive touchscreen, 2 megapixel camera with autofocus and video record, affordable and much more. If you’ve been dreaming about the iPhone, but aren’t able to afford it, I recommend the LG Vu. It’s literally the iPhone’s long-lost twin and won’t hurt your wallet.

The Sony Ericsson Z750a also has a very tasteful design, easy-to-navigate and a great battery life. I just purchased the Z750a (in purple) and love it. I think it’s one of the best phones I’ve owned yet (and I’ve owned a lot of phones). If you’re looking for a very practical and easy-to-use, yet unique device, I recommend the Z750a.

I also would like to congratulate our Marketing Manager, Toni Verdi, and our Broomall Store Manager, Hooman Mobasser on winning Most Informative Booth at the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce Business Expo!

Hooman is also featured as the Spotlight Member in the Delaware Chamber of Commerce’s May/June issue of Business Connects, check it out!

Be sure to visit your Car-Tel Communications this month for awesome deals and excellent service. We hope to “connect” with you soon!

—Kimberly Salesky
Marketing Assistant

Uncle Sam Wants You to Text

2008-04-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

It seems like texting your vote has become quite commonplace with television shows, such as American Idol. When you see your favorite Idol on the screen, you open up your phone, text “7” to “1234” and your vote is tallied. Simple, right?

What if the same concept was used for voting in the Presidential Elections? According to Eric Zeman’s article, “People Would Use Cell Phones to Vote For President If They Could” on Information Week’s OvertheAir Blog, a poll taken by Samsung proved this idea to be very popular among its participants.

While I see this as an easy solution for voters who can’t make it to the polls on time (let’s face it, many of us have a long commute these days), I just don’t see it working. There are several sections on the ballot in which the citizens vote for (state, county, city, ect.) and text messaging would either overlook these sections or cause a huge mess. There are several other questions that lead me to believe text-voting for the Presidential Election is not a fool proof plan. How would they tally these votes? Also, how would they identify that citizen?

This concept seems like a lot of work and if it were to appear in our lives, it wouldn’t be for several years. If it did exist, I don’t think I’d do it. I prefer to go inside a booth, review my choices and vote, knowing that I did my job as a citizen of this country.

What do you think about voting for President via text message? Would you do it? Do you think it will work?

—Kimberly Salesky
Marketing Assistant

Your Cell Phone Could Be a Real Lifesaver

2008-04-11T12:29:00.000-07:00

When the horrific events of September 11^th unfolded, we found ourselves distraught, confused and torn as a nation. Many of us heard the terrible news a few hours after it had happened. While we were lucky to have countless heroes to aid our country during that time of crisis, it was unfortunate we were not alerted sooner. Imagine if there was an alert system that had been established that could have been transmitted immediately and possibly protected more lives.

Fortunately, an alert system has been created and recently brought to our attention. On Wednesday April 9^th, 2008, the FCC announced that a nationwide alert system will be available to cell phone users. Major cell phone carriers, such as AT&T, will be offering customers these national alerts via text message.

The alerts include:

-Disasters that could endanger the safety and health of Americans (i.e. terrorist attacks);
-Natural threats, such as a hurricane or tornado;
-Amber alerts.

Soon your cell phone could be a hero, whether it saves your life or the life of another. As many of us take our cell phones practically everywhere we go, this alert system will keep us up-to-date on crucial events taking place in our country. This feature could even potentially prevent the jeopardizing of lives as well as preparing us for the worst in advance.

Imagine the possibilities. You’re alone in the woods—no radio, no television—and you receive a text message stating that we’re under a “Severe Risk” for terrorist attack. The immediacy this text message would give you in such a situation will prime you to find a safe haven.

I know I will be subscribing to this feature—I will be prepared and could even spread the word to others who may not be aware of any potential/current disasters. If we all subscribe to this feature and “alert” one another as well, perhaps we could all help save a life. Perhaps it will help us unite as a nation during times of crisis.

What do you think about this national alert system? Do you think it will make a difference? Are you thinking about adding it to your current cell phone plan?

—Kimberly Salesky
Marketing Assistant

Sources:

1. “Cell phone alert system proposed” CNNMoney.com, 9 April 2008.

2. “Emergency Alerts Via Cell Phones Move Ahead” Chloe Albanesius PCMag.com, 10 April 2008.

3. "Coming To Your Cell Phone: Text Messages From Uncle Sam" Eric Zeman Information Week: Over the Air, 10 April 2008.

Help Our Environment and Community

2008-04-07T06:49:00.000-07:00

While April showers bring May flowers, the Car-Tel recycling project promotes a better environment. We have launched our cell phone recycling project, Project P.H.O.N.E. (Protecting the Health of Our Natural Environment) and hope to see many of your old cell phones enter our recycling bins.

Why? Cell phone recycling is a growing concern, which I addressed in a previous blog entry, “Is Your Old Cell Phone Eco-Friendly?”. Did you know that the cadmium from a single cell phone battery can contaminate up to 600,000 gallons of water? This startling statistic from EnviroSmart is just a fraction of this issue. There is something you can do to help reduce this statistic and many others. Bring your old cell phones and accessories to any of our seven convenient locations and just drop them in the recycling bins inside. Easy, right? Not to mention you won’t have to worry about all those old phones lying around the house anymore.

Project P.H.O.N.E. not only supports a healthier environment for everyone, but also helps contribute to the community. For every phone or accessory we receive, we will donate $1 toward helping these charities:

-The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
-Earth Island Institute
-Habitat for Humanity
-Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund
-One Laptop Per Child
-Partners in Health
-SPCA

With such an easy and rewarding way to help your world, you can’t go wrong with Project P.H.O.N.E. at Car-Tel Communications. Help us spread the word by telling your friends and family. You can even email us about receiving posters and brochures to hang at your facilities, whether you’re a school, library, business, doctor’s office—anyone. For more information on Project P.H.O.N.E., visit our recycling page or email contact@car-tel.com. Together we can make a difference!

Don’t forget Earth Day is April 22^nd—perfect for helping the environment and community by recycling those old phones!

—Kimberly Salesky
Marketing Assistant

Now Boarding All Flights Via Text Message

2008-03-26T13:38:00.000-07:00

Believe it or not, your cell phone may be just the “ticket” to ending those long lines at the airport. According to Eric Zeman’s article, “Coming Soon: Mobile Phones As Boarding Passes”¹ on InformationWeek.com, airlines will be using text messaging as the new form of communication to their passengers. Boarding passes will be sent via picture message; information regarding flight delays, rescheduling flights, baggage pickup and more can be done right from your cell phone. Flying will have less “baggage” on travelers as all these tasks will be more yielding than ever.

The feature of this unique plan that intrigues me the most is the ability to contact each passenger directly on their wireless devices about delays and cancellations. As a holiday traveler, I usually find myself in long lines for security check-in and almost always having to run around the airport to flag down an attendant only to find out if my flight’s delayed. I feel this new form of communication will do wonders for airline customers, as attendants will be more available and individuals such as myself won’t have to waste their time running a marathon around the facilities searching for an available attendant.

As for the picture message boarding pass, I think it will save time since many passengers crinkle their tickets to the point of being incapable of scanning or losing their ticket all together. I am quite guilty of destroying my boarding pass by twisting it and wrinkling it out of sheer boredom from standing in line. If this new process goes through, I won’t have to worry about destroying my ticket, but I will have to find a new way to pass the time (although hopefully there will be less time to pass).

With your traveling expertise, do you think this is a positive step forward for airlines or do you think nothing will change? How do you think this will affect you as a traveler?

—Kimberly Salesky
Marketing Assistant

¹ “Coming Soon: Mobile Phones As Boarding Passes,” Eric Zeman, Information Week, 18 March 2008.

Hands-Free--It's the Law!

2008-03-03T09:46:00.000-08:00

I’m sure many of you have noticed the flashing signs on Interstate 295 reading: “Put the Cell Phone Down: Go Hands Free or $100 Fine.” While these signs were spotted as early as last Monday, the law didn’t go into effect until this past Saturday, March 1, 2008. The law states that drivers talking or texting on their cell phones could receive a $100 fine with a $250 surcharge unless they are hands-free.

Since 2004, it has been an offense to drive and use your handset, but it was a secondary offense up until now. A secondary offense means an officer can only fine you for being on your phone if he pulled you over for driving recklessly and places your cell phone as the culprit. Now it is a primary offense meaning you can get fined for just being on your phone and not driving recklessly at all.

As this is frustrating for many of us, there is a solution—Bluetooth®. I, too, am guilty of not owning a headset, but I’ve begun browsing our awesome selection of Bluetooth® headsets. I’ve got my eye on the Jawbone and the Motorola H700. Both have fantastic noise reduction and an abundance of talk and standby time. All of our headsets are easy-to-use and are compatible with most AT&T phones. Your headset will be worth every penny, saving you a traffic ticket and possibly your life.

We believe in keeping our customers not only happy, but safe as well. Please be careful while out on the road and remember to go hands-free. We hope to “connect” with you soon!

—Kimberly Salesky
Marketing Assistant

Grand Opening--Just in Time For Spring!

2008-02-25T09:48:00.000-08:00

We are proud to announce that as of Friday—February 22^nd, 2008—we are now open for business with our brand new store located in Haddon Heights, New Jersey. We moved from our headquarters at 1749 Marlton Pike Route 70 East in Cherry Hill, New Jersey to 501 Station Avenue in Haddon Heights, New Jersey (conveniently located at the corner of Station Avenue and the White Horse Pike). Our retail staff is settled in the new store as of Friday, while our administrative staff will be joining them in March.

We are very excited about this transition for Car-Tel Communications. Haddon Heights is a quaint and picturesque town—perfect for a day of shopping or a leisurely stroll. There is free parking both at the rear of our store and across the street. We hope that our new location is more convenient and a more pleasant experience for many of our customers. Although you may prefer being helped by your personal service representative, you may want to visit our other Cherry Hill location, just across Route 70 (1840 Route 70 East) for your convenience. Either store will be happy to assist you.

Come celebrate with us by visiting our new location:

501 Station Avenue
Haddon Heights, NJ 08035

View Larger Map

There’s plenty to do around town, so why not stop by your new Car-Tel Communications store and “connect” with us. See you soon!

—Kimberly Salesky
Marketing Assistant

A Long Distance Call

2008-02-21T07:58:00.000-08:00

We’ve had man on the moon, but what about man with wireless service on the moon? That’s right—according to Information Week¹, NASA and the British National Space Centre are collaborating on a mobile phone system for a future moon colony, said to be built sometime after 2020 on the south pole of the moon.

The mobile phone system—MoonLite—is planned to be a system of satellites that bounce radio signals around the moon in order to send voice and text messages between colonists and robots. Director of space science at the British National Space Centre states that the mobile phone system will resemble the “satellite phone network of the 1980s and 1990s on Earth.” It is also possible that the system could send information around the entire moon as well as to and from Earth. Imagine that for a long distance call.

Unlike our current wireless network here on Earth, the system will be extremely slow. GPRS can transmit data around 80 Kbps (Kilobytes per second) and EDGE can receive data around 200 Kbps. MoonLite will only be able to transmit data at 3Kbps and receive data at 2Kbps. That makes our network look as if it moves at the speed of light.

Although MoonLite’s downlink and uplink speed capacities aren’t exactly ideal, it’s a start. Do you truly think man will be living on the moon after 2020? How do you think MoonLite will hold up in the moon’s atmosphere? I think there is a possibility man will be colonizing the moon after 2020 and I do feel MoonLite will evolve into a faster system over time, just as cellular services have since the 1980s. Perhaps this will be a different world after in about 15 to 20 years, but I’m sure cell phones and good wireless service will still be a part of our everyday lives.

—Kimberly Salesky
Marketing Assistant

1. “MoonLite, Moon Bright: NASA To Build Wireless Phone Network On The Moon” by Eric Zeman, Information Week: OvertheAir.

Cellular Love

2008-02-14T07:25:00.000-08:00

St. Valentine’s Day has arrived and I’m sure many of you are planning the perfect way to tell that special someone how you feel. A homemade card, flowers, a romantic dinner, a poem—the possibilities are endless. While these traditional methods are truly from the heart, there are lots of ways you can use your cell phone to make your Valentine’s Day unique, fun and of course heart-warming.

Today, text, picture and video messaging are the new greeting card. You can send a quick, heartfelt text message to your crush. A picture is worth a thousand words, so why not make that special guy or gal speechless with a loving picture message. Take your devotion a step further with a video message and sweep your sweetheart off their feet.

Be super-creative with these awesome features. Use the messaging features to give that special someone clues to find their gift—like a scavenger hunt—or send a video singing a romantic song and even show-off your talented dance moves. They’ll be sure to say, “Be mine.” How would you use your phone to send love on this romantic holiday? Do you have a sweet or funny story about using your phone’s features to tell someone how you feel?

We at Car-Tel Communications wish you all a Happy Valentine’s Day—we love our customers and what better holiday to tell you that we appreciate your loyalty. Have a safe, happy and heartfelt holiday!

Spread the love with these sweet text messages:

♥FTBOMYH -- From the bottom of my heart

♥ILU -- I love you.

♥IMU -- I miss you.

♥KOTC -- Kiss on the check

♥KOTL -- Kiss on the lips

♥QT -- Cutie

♥TOY -- Thinking of you

♥XOXOXO -- Hugs and kisses

—Kimberly Salesky
Marketing Assistant