When you hear about applications for your cell phone, do you wonder just what people are talking or writing about? They are referring to other tasks your phone can perform besides just being a phone. One example is GPS (Global positioning maps that use satellites to tell you where you are and where to turn next to get to a specific destination)), which can take many different forms depending on what you buy or what your phone has preloaded on it.

To fully make use of your cell phone by using applications, you will need to get an internet/data feature from your cell-phone provider, so you don’t get a big bill after you’ve used a new application. Your provider will have a variety of plans to choose from, but unlimited date is the best way to go if you use very many applications. You can then use the internet and e-mail on your cell phone at any time as well, and can download wallpaper and ringtones without worrying about those pesky internet charges. Of course, there is a separate charge for the actual application, but those charges are usually about $9.99.

Another fun application is cell-phone radio, which includes, but is not limited to, XM radio. You can also get mobile TV, and either view TV show clips or complete TV shows on your cell phone.

Podcasts are another application that you can use to get special radio broadcasts on demand, including music, news, comedy, NPR, and sports. Podcasts are very convenient because you can listen to them immediately, or you can download them to your phone to listen to later at your leisure.

So take full advantage of all the things that mini-computer called a cell phone can do, and start using those apps!

One of many ways to customize and also have fun with your cell phone is by downloading games. Although some phones still come with games preloaded, many do not. There is a wide variety of games to choose from, but you will need to make sure your phone supports the type of game you want before you buy it.
In addition, some games are designed to be played online only, so you will need an unlimited internet/data feature on your calling plan to play these, or you will run up huge internet charges playing your game online on your cell phone with your friends.
Be aware you will also incur internet charges just for the download process, but the cost is minimal for the five minutes or less it takes to download most games. Many games cost $9.99 and stay with the phone, so if you upgrade or lose your phone, you will have to buy and download the game again on your next phone.
There is a huge selection of games available on many different websites, including word games, puzzles, action games, adventure games, children’s games, sports, and strategy games. Because today’s phones support so many types of games, and have so much memory, you can download a variety of games and still have room to download wallpaper and graphics—and don’t forget those ringtones!
To download a game to your cell phone, you need to go to the website by putting the URL (website address) into your phone, then choose, purchase, and download the game right from your phone. Most websites will also allow you to play the game free for a certain amount of time before you buy (just don’t spend too much time testing unless you have an unlimited data plan), so you can make sure you like how the game works and looks on your phone before you download it. In fact, because there are so many games to choose from, just testing them can be a lot of fun.
So customize your phone with games as well as graphics, wall paper and ringtones, and have some fun with your cell phone!

A great way to download ringtones for your cell phone is by internet. This method may seem complicated, but after you have done it once, it will be much easier the next time. If you do have problems, the website’s customer service, your cell-phone user manual or your cell-phone company can help.
When you go to a website to buy ringtones, it may show this method as using WAP. For those who wonder what those letters mean, WAP stands for Wireless Application Protocol, and it allows cell-phone users to access the internet with their phones.
So you will be using the internet to download the ringtone to your cell phone if you use WAP. Just be aware that there are usually extra charges to use the internet on your phone, and you may need to contact your phone provider to get the internet service turned on so you can use it on your phone. Then make sure you have at least two or three bars of signal on your phone, or you won’t be able to connect to internet long enough to download your ringtone.
After you have taken the above steps, you’ll need to go the space on your cell phone where you can enter the internet address, also known as the URL, of the website from which you will purchase your ringtone. Then choose your ringtone and purchase it. You will be given step-by-step instructions on how to do this by the website. Make sure you save the ringtone in your Downloads folder on your phone so you will know where to find the ringtone when it is delivered.
When you locate the ringtone in your Downloads file on your phone, you can assign it to different phone numbers in your Address Book or Contact List.
Another way to get ringtones is by the USB method, which actually downloads the ringtone by internet to your computer instead of your phone. You’ll need a USB cable to transfer the ringtone from your computer to your cell phone; if you don’t have one and don’t want to pay for one, you can use e-mail and send the ringtone to your phone that way. If you send the ringtone by e-mail, your cell phone will still need access to the internet.
Again, you need to make sure you know what file you saved the ringtone to on your phone so you can find it. One great advantage of downloading ringtones to your computer is that you will never lose them if you lose your phone or upgrade to a new phone. They are on your computer forever—of course backing up your computer files is always a good practice, as well as backing up your cell-phone information.
So get those ringtones by internet and have some fun with them!