Friday, July 15, 2011

Free Medicaid Cell Phones

I have had many people who are on Medicaid ask me if they could apply for free cell phones for Medicaid recipients. I always tell them that it is possible to do that because these types of phones are for people with low income and resources. In fact, it would be easier for someone on Medicaid to apply for a free cell phone than a person who was not on Medicaid because their income is already verified. They would only have to show proof of their Medicaid coverage.

Once these people find out that they could apply for a free phone, they always ask how to go about doing that. There are several companies that provide free cell phone service. The one that I am most familiar with is Safelink Wireless. You could go directly to their website and fill out the application for a free phone. If you are approved, you would get a free cell phone and free minutes. You get about 250 free minutes each month. Some of the people that I talked to were worried that 250 minutes may not be enough to use for a whole month. I reminded them that the cell phones were not meant for them to be talking to their friends all day long. It is supposed to be used for emergencies and for taking care of personal business. But I also informed them that they could buy more minutes if they do run out of the 250 minutes. Another thing about this program is that each household can only get one free phone. Extra cell phones will cost money.

I think this is a very good program for those needy families and individuals who really cannot afford to get their own phone service. However, this program should not be abused as with any other government assistance program.

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Free Cell Phones for Disabled People

Ever since I was disabled on my job, I have been unable to work ever since. I collect government disability checks in order to survive. It is a pretty tough life. In order to get by, I have also applied for other government benefit programs. Although I do not really like to do that, I feel that if I do not, I would not be able to survive in the society. One of the government programs that has really helped me was the free cell phones for disabled people program. Through this program I got a free cell phone plus 250 free talk time minutes per month. The cellular company that I went through was Safelink Wireless.

I went to their website and put in my zip code. It will then show whether your area has the free cell phones available. Not every place has this available yet so that is why you have to check your area. Lucky for me my area was eligible for the program. I then printed out the application and filled it out. I had to provide proof of my income which they would use to determine if I can get a free phone. The overall process was pretty simple. Once you submit your application, you can check their website and see how far along your application is. You also have to submit annual verifications if you want to continue using the free cell phone service for the disabled.

Once you join the program, you have the choice to add more minutes if you feel the free minutes that they give you are not enough. For me, I never use more than the free minutes that they give me. I use my phone mainly for business reasons and rarely use it for chatting. For example, I recently used my phone to help find a new job. The job that I applied for required a phone number on the application. They later called me to inform me that I got the job. If I did not have the phone I am not sure how I would be contacted. This is definitely a very good program for the disabled people that are poor.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Free Cell Phones for Senior Citizens

My dad is a retired senior citizen and he collects social security benefits. That is his only source of income. He tries pretty hard to save money but the money just is not enough for him to survive on. He applied to several government funded programs like housing assistance and the food stamp program. One day he was complaining to me about how much his cell phone bill cost. He pays nearly 50 dollars a month. Although I think that 50 dollars a month is pretty low for cell phone service, it is eating up much of his budget. I wanted to help him out so I started looking online for an even cheaper cell phone service plan.

After much searching, I found out that my dad could apply for free cell phones for senior citizens. This is another government funded program that helps low income people have a cell phone. Through this program, people should be able to get a free cell phone with free minutes. I was able to find one company called Safelink Wireless that gives 250 free minutes per month. That would be enough minutes to make a few calls to family and friends and also to handle personal business. There are also some other companies like Assurance Wireless or Reachout Wireless. Because my dad was already receiving food stamps, all he had to do was send documents to Safelink proving that he received food stamps. Then he was able to get free phones for seniors. If someone was not getting government assistance then they would probably need to provide information on their income and assets in order to qualify for the free phone.

I am glad there are government assistance programs like this one. Without such a program, I would have no idea how my dad would be able to pay for phone service. This program allows me to keep in touch with him and I don’t have to worry too much because he is only a phone call away.

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Free Government Phone Service

I have been working a low wage job most of my life and I barely make enough money to support my family. Many times the money I make does not cover our family expense. Needless to say, I have had to apply for government help. One of the government programs that I applied for is the free government phone service. Through this program, our family was able to get a free cell phone with free voice minutes. This program has been really helpful to us because we would not be able to afford home phone service otherwise.

I had found out about the program through a friend that was also using the program. There are many cell phone providers that have this service. Some of these include Safelink Wireless, Reachout Wireless, and Assurance Wireless. These carriers may not operate in every state so you would need to check their website to find out whether they provide service wherever you live. In order to apply for the free phones, you have to be within 135% of the federal poverty level. If you already get other government service like Medicaid, food stamps, subsidized housing, or subsidized energy then you should be able to get free government assisted phone service too. Just go to the cell phone provider’s website and fill out their application. Each service offers differing amounts of free minutes. For example, Safelink would offer 250 free minutes per month. If you happen to use all the minutes before the month is up, then you could opt to buy more minutes.

Having a cell phone is really important to us. It allows us to contact our family and friends so that we can keep in touch. If we had no phone service, I think life would be pretty difficult and also it would be unnerving. You never know when an emergency may happen and you need to call for help.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Free Government Cell Phones

A few days ago I was driving on a country road when I hit a nail on the road which blew out my tire. I live out in the countryside and the road that was driving on had very few cars passing by. The nearest gas station was probably about 20 miles away. I did not have a cell phone with me to call for help because cell phones are too expensive for me. I work as a hired help on a farm so money is hard to come by. I save every last penny that I make and I still have a hard time getting by on life.

After waiting for several hours, a car finally passed by and helped me by letting me use his cell phone so that I could call the tow truck. When I finally got home, I realized that this kind of situation could easily happen again. I needed a cell phone for sure. Due to my current financial situation, I did not think it was a possibility to get a cell phone. That all changed when I heard about the free government cell phones program. I was reading an article online that said that people were getting free government phones through companies like Safelink Wireless, Reachout Wireless, or Assurance Wireless. In order for these people to receive the free cell phone, they have to be within 135% of the poverty level in their household income. With the government phones for free the people also get free voice minutes which could be as high as 250 minutes per month. Some of the people that have applied for this program include seniors, disabled people, people receiving Medicaid, food stamps, housing assistance, energy assistance, or just about any other Federal assistance available. I knew I would be able to get a phone because I do receive some of the other government assistance. In order to find out if this program was available where I lived, I had to call up each wireless company. You could also go to their website and enter your zip code to see if their service is available in your area. From their website, you could also print out the application.

I sent my application in and soon thereafter I received my free government cell phone. Now I do not have to worry so much when I am out driving on a lonely road. Plus I could always dial 911 even if I use up the 250 free minutes. For those people who end up using the 250 minutes before the month is up, you could also purchase extra minutes. I have never used up all my minutes in a month. I think the amount of minutes given is pretty generous if you use it only for emergencies.

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Jitterbug Cell Phone for Seniors

My mom is just turned 80 years old recently. Her eyesight and hearing isn’t what it used to be. She has problems using her cell phone complaining that it is too hard to hear, make calls, and use. She has all but given up on using cell phones because she thinks they are too complicated. I did not want her to give up using a cell phone because that is the primary way I can keep in contact with her. So I did some research and found out that there are cell phones made just for senior citizens.

The Jitterbug cell phone for seniors is a cell phone designed specifically for seniors in mind. The key feature of this cell phone is that it is easy to use without the complications. The volume is loud and clear and the buttons are large so that seniors can see them. The screen also shows big numbers so that it does not cause you to strain your eyes. I knew this was exactly the type of cell phone my mom would want. So I bought the phone with prepaid minutes and gave it to her. My mom seems to really like using the phone. She has told me that the phone is pretty simplistic and it is not hard for her to use. She could also dial 0 to reach an operator if she needed help. Some other features on this phone include a calendar with reminders. It helps my mom keep to her schedule because she is pretty forgetful sometimes.

All in all, the Jitterbug is a good easy to use phone for seniors. It has a pay as you go plan so it is pretty flexible. My mom really likes the phone and I am able to contact her more often. That is what matters most.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Samsung Star GT-S5230 Unlocked Phone

I like to get a new cell phone every two years just to keep up with everyone else. This year, I planned on getting a cell phone that has everything in it. I shopped around for a bit until I found the Samsung Star GT-S5230 Unlocked Phone.

The reason I wanted to buy the Samsung was because it had some features which I wanted in a cell phone. These features include quad band capability, 3.2 MP camera, and the fact that it is pretty compact. Once I bought the cell phone and tried it out, I immediately liked it. The phone has pretty good reception and the sound quality was good too. I called up my friend after getting this phone and I was able to hear him crystal clear. He was also able to hear me very well too. I did not experience any dropped calls either. I was able to take some pictures with the camera and the photos came out decent. When I tried the video record, the playback was not that good though. The FM radio only works with the headphones plugged in. This is a bit bothersome but I guess I can deal with it. There are a few games that come with this phone. One of the games is Sudoku which is pretty fun. The one thing that really bothered me about this phone was the short battery life. If you plan on using this phone around town, then that should not be a problem since you could charge your phone every night. However, if you plan on traveling often it may not be a good phone to have.

Overall, I think this is a pretty good for what it is. It is not too expensive and has all the features that I want in a phone. I only wish the battery life was better but it has not been too big of a deal since I charge the phone every night.

Nokia N900 Unlocked Phone

I have been thinking about changing my phone for awhile and recently I decided to take the plunge. This time, I wanted to get a phone that was not carrier specific meaning that the phone would be unlocked. That way I would not be tied down to one specific carrier. Since I am a fan of Nokia phones, I decided to buy the Nokia N900 Unlocked Phone.

The reason I bought the N900 was because it had so many features and it was also constructed quite nicely. Since this phone is quad band, I can travel to most places in the world and still be able to use this phone. It makes traveling pretty easy. The smart phone can also run on 3G networks meaning I can access the internet anywhere as long as there is a cellular signal. But if there were no cellular signal, I could still use the Wi-Fi connectivity in the phone. Another cool feature is that the phone has an internal GPS. I can now drive around without having to bring my separate GPS with me. It’s all in the phone which makes life so convenient. The GPS also works when I am out of my car and just walking around town. Of course all good phones should come with a camera and this phone definitely has a good camera. The camera is a 5 MP autofocus camera which allows me to capture pretty high quality sharp photos. I could edit the photos on my phone if I chose to.

I really like the web browsing ability of this phone. In fact it is probably one of the best out there. The browser supports Adobe Flash, video and applets allowing you to play flash games. A final neat little feature about this N900 is that it has an FM transmitter. This allows me to play the mp3s from the phone wirelessly through a receiving radio. It’s a nice feature to have especially if you do not want to use headphones.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

BlackBerry 9800 Torch Unlocked Phone

When I buy a cell phone, I usually decide whether I will be using it for business or pleasure more. If I am planning on doing business, then I would always go with the Blackberry. The Blackberry is easy to use for typing long emails. I have the iPhone and using that to type emails is really painful.

Since I wanted a smart phone that I could use for business purposes, I decided that the BlackBerry 9800 Torch Unlocked Phone would probably be my best bet. Some of the features on this phone include the Blackberry 6.0 OS, a slide out QWERTY keyboard, a 5 MP camera, 3G, and Wi-Fi. I use this phone for emailing and it really is pretty easy to use. It’s almost as easy as using a real computer. The other features of this phone are nice enough too like the camera, and music and video playback. It’s nice to have these features if you are traveling so that you can listen to music or watch movies. But mainly I use the phone for business. If you want a phone where you can play games and download apps, then you are better off with the iPhone. However, if you are looking for a phone that does some real work, then you need to get the Blackberry.

Since I have been using this Blackberry for several weeks, I have not run into any problems. I noticed that the screen resolution is not as good as the iPhone but it is still good enough for my purposes. I’ve used the camera on several occasions and I think I would just use that instead of my digital camera. Overall I am happy with my purchase. I would highly recommend it for working professionals in need a hand held computer.

Nokia E5-00 Unlocked GSM Phone

I’ve had my cell phone for several years and had never bothered to change it. I have seen some of my friends with newer cell phones with a lot of features. I thought then that it was time I changed my aging cell phone. After looking around a bit, I figured I would buy the Nokia E5-00 Unlocked GSM Phone.

Some of things that I liked about the Nokia E5-00 were that it had an integrated GPS, camera, and Wi-Fi. The GPS is good because I hate having to carry a separate GPS when I go traveling. Now that my phone has the GPS, I never have to take my standalone GPS with me. Another thing is that the GPS works even when you are out of the car and just walking around. The phone has the ability to set the GPS to pedestrian mode. The 5-megapixel camera isn’t half bad either. It has a 3x digital zoom and has flash. In fact it really acts like a real digital camera. I never carry my digital camera anymore because my phone’s camera does the job well. The web browsing feature was good too. The cell phone uses the Symbian OS which I am not that big a fan of. I also like that this phone has the FM radio. I usually take this phone with me when I go running and just use it as a radio.

I really like Nokia cell phones and the E5-00 is no different from their other phones. It is a well designed phone and is easy to use. The phone is very user friendly and all the menu options are intuitive. There is one thing that I did not like about this phone though. The volume button was kind of difficult to adjust. But that is just a minor issue with this otherwise great phone.

Nokia N8 Unlocked GSM Touchscreen Phone

Since my cell phone contract was coming to an end, I wanted to switch to another carrier. But this time I did not want to sign up for a contract. So I opted to buy my own unlocked phone. After doing some research, I finally decided that I would buy the Nokia N8 Unlocked GSM Touchscreen Phone. I had seen some pretty good reviews on this phone so I figured it was worth the money.

The Nokia N8 has 3G capability through the AT&T and T-Mobile carriers. The phone also comes with a GPS. I really like this feature because I often get lost when I am driving. It is nice that the phone has the GPS so that I do not have to buy a separate GPS. You could even set the phone to “walking” if you need a gps while you are out walking around an unfamiliar area. Another feature that is pretty cool is that it has a 12-megapixel autofocus camera with Carl Zeiss optics. The phone’s camera is better than the digital camera that I have right now. I could even edit the photo on my phone. Of course this Nokia also has other standard features that you would find on most phones. For example it as an FM radio, digital audio/video player, and Wi-Fi capability.

After owning this phone for about a month, I can say that I really love it. I have learned all the ins and outs of this phone and I think the design is very good. It is not so big and clunky but in fact is quite sleek. I was also able to download some apps. The apps are obviously not as good as the iPhones but it’ll do. I’m not so big on apps anyways. I just need a phone that has GPS, camera, and wireless capability.

Friday, March 25, 2011

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BlackBerry 8520 Unlocked Phone

I have had my old phone for a long time and have never bothered to change it because it works well enough for me. One day I accidently dropped my cell phone in the toilet and it was ruined. I had to buy a new phone. Since I have not been in the market for a new phone, I had to do a lot of research. I never knew there were so many phones out there now.

After looking around a bit I finally set my eyes on the BlackBerry 8520 Unlocked Phone. I wanted an unlocked phone because I did not want to get trapped into one service provider. I figured I might switch my cell phone plan someday. This Blackberry is compatible with GSM carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile. Some features included on this cell phone include the 2.0MP digital camera, high resolution display, and Wi-Fi. The battery life of the phone lasts up to 5 hours for talking and has a standby mode of 17 days. This is a quad band phone with GSM 850/900/1800/1900 and GPRS capabilities. I thought this was exactly the phone I needed because it acts as my mp3 player, computer, and of course it’s a cell phone.

Once I bought the cell phone, I played around with it for several days trying out the new features. I called up several of my friends just to see the voice quality. I quality was pretty good and I heard my friend’s voice pretty well. They also heard me well too. I had no issues with calls dropping either. The web browsing was also great too. It was easy to surf the net and it was just intuitive to use. The full QWERTY keyboard is easy to use and I like it better than other types of keyboards.