Free Republic

does anyone know where to get some that are legit? it seems lately that ones bought locally in Spain or Greece work for 5 minutes when they were allegedly loaded with 30 minutes worth of time to be able to call the US. are there ones that can be purchased at a legit source here in the US ? do they have any that allows my actual cell number to come up on caller ID so people will know it is me?

A former FBI counterterrorism agent has hinted at a vast and intrusive surveillance network used by the U.S. government to monitor its own citizens. Tim Clemente admitted as much when he appeared on CNN Wednesday night. Discussing the Boston Marathon attack and past telephone conversations of Katherine Russell and her now deceased husband, suspect Tamerlan Tsarnaev, Clemente said that those conversations would be available to investigators. Clemente discussed the issue in this exchange with host Erin Burnett, as recorded by the CNN transcript...

I’ll say it once again, when you tax something, you get less of it.When you subsidize something, you get more of it.This is a fairly commonly known economic belief. So why are these politicians so surprised the government’s free phone program has grown out of control: What started out as an effort by President Reagan to help poor people in rural areas have a phone in cases of emergency has mushroomed into what critics suspect is a new welfare program.“The cost has gone from $143 million a few years ago to $2.2 billion today,� Republican Louisiana Sen. David Vitter said,...

I have 2 BR-5C Nokia phone batteries sitting here, they were sent by mistake. If you can use them let me know.

A new store has opened in Livonia that serves as the Michigan headquarters for a distributor of the "Obama Phone." The Obama Phone is a refurbished cell phone with 250 monthly voice minutes provided free to low-income and disadvantaged families by the federal Lifeline Assistance program.

Tampa – A man living in New Port Richey, Florida, phoned into the nationally syndicated Schnitt Show [Click Here for Audio] after he was dismissed from nursing school, all because of a gun app on his smart phone.During a routine break in a five-hour long sociology class at the Ultimate Medical Academy in Tampa, 33-year old “Dan”, who has asked that his last name be withheld, showed his recently downloaded “Gun Club II” app to a fellow classmate. The app supplies detailed pictures of various firearms, and produces the sound each gun makes when you hit the screen. Dan says...

The Department of Justice supposedly just called and a man named "Jerry" who sounded of Indian or Pakistani origin (thick accent) asked if a V.M. (name obscured in case this is real) were here. I was busy and got his number to call him back. The phone number is 814-289-8211. I called back and got another foreign-sounding individual on the phone. He transferred me to "Agent Jerry's" office. Upon reconnecting with "Agent Jerry", I told him she doesn't work here (never heard of her). I asked him how a foreigner could get that kind of work in the DOJ and...

After the Federal Communication Commission reported this week that 41 percent of those receiving free mobile phones don’t meet the requirements — some because they’re dead — the proponents of the so-called “Obama phone” program are firing back. But they still miss the point. Ever since GOP Rep. Tim Griffin of Arkansas announced early this week that Lifeline, a free phone service for low-income families that costs taxpayers $2 billion a year, was rife with fraud, conservative lawmakers and pundits alike have jumped on the bandwagon to bash it. The program’s supporters are now fighting back. “Allow me to set...

As of Saturday, your options for owning an unlocked phone become far more limited. You can ask your carrier to unlock it—and good luck with that—or you can pay a premium to manufacturers like Apple or Google for a new unlocked phone. You just can’t unlock your phone yourself—at least, not legally. That decision was made not by voters, the courts, or even Congress. It was made by one man, 83-year-old Congressional Librarian James Hadley Billington, who is responsible for interpreting the meaning of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Billington decided last October that unlocking your phone yourself is...

Tomasz Paczkowski from the northern Polish town of Elblag now sports bandages around his head after a request from his wife to help with the housework while he enjoyed a few days off work backfired. “My wife had gone to work and asked me to help with the housework,” the 32-year old told the Polish newspaper Fakt. “After breakfast I started to work. I turned on the boxing channel on the TV, opened a beer and started ironing. “I was really getting involved in the boxing and was not really thinking about what I was doing,” he continued. “Suddenly the...

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A 24-year-old woman was killed in a Thanksgiving Day murder in Northwest Jacksonville. The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office is accusing her ex-boyfriend of shooting her in front of family members.

Additional Contact Information: In addition to the Washington, D.C. office, Congressman Boehner has two 8th District offices easily located for constituents in Butler County and Miami County. You may contact us via phone, e-mail or fax. Due to security procedures, mail sent through the Post Office could take up to 3 weeks to arrive in the Washington, D.C. office. Butler County Office 7969 Cincinnati-Dayton Road Suite B West Chester, OH 45069 (513) 779-5400 Miami County Office 12 South Plum Street Troy, OH 45373 (937) 339-1524 Washington, D.C. Office 1011 Longworth H.O.B. Washington, DC 20515 (202) 225-6205 (202) 225-0704 fax Toll-free...

No matter how many times I brought up this issue about Mitt Romney during the GOP primaries, it didn't get any traction. Conservatives should be appalled by this but if the 95% of African-Americans who voted for Obama believe it is government's job to take care of them, they should be informed: (2 min. video)

I bought a new Android Captiva over the weekend to replace my slooooooow Blackberry. I have the 300 Mb plan since I rarely use any thing near 200 Mb worth of data a month. However, I checked and I have already used almost 45 Mb. I have download some apps and updates but not 45 Mb worth. It is not a big deal to get the unlimited plan, but if there is something I am doing wrong I can fix it. I turned off the "W-Fi" button, will this have anything to do with it? thank you,

If anyone reading this owns a ZTE Score M Android smartphone, your device has been found to include a backdoor allowing root access without user authentication.The discovery of the backdoor comes via a post on the text storage website Pastebin. It has since been confirmed via Reddit by Justin Case of Cunning Logic and TeamAndIRC. He has confirmed with someone at ZTE that the backdoor does indeed exist and that a fix is in the works.The question that needs to be asked is, why is it there at all?Apparently the handset includes a hard-coded password that allows access to a...

Just got off the phone with a guy that can only call about once a month. He's very redneck. My browser just crashed11

OPINION Updated May 3, 2012, 7:41 p.m. ET 'Press 9 for More Options' Companies claim automated phone-answering systems save them millions. I have my doubts. By STEPHEN MOORE One of the deep mysteries of modern life is why, in a nation with some 14 million unemployed people, it has become nearly impossible to call a store, a business or a government agency and speak to a live human being. I'm not a Luddite; I don't rage against the machine; and I've always argued that the digital age is making life better in almost every way. But there are some things...

Got weird phone call (Clearwater, FL number), someone (foreign accent) claiming to be working for company doing support for Microsoft. Verifying that I am running legit Win 7 and they are having problems with my computer sending messages. Asking me to run some program, seeing warning and then asking me to allow them to access my computer remotely and "fix" the problem. Red flag went up, I asked how he got my phone number, apparently from Win 7 registration, which I don't remember providing. Smells like takeover of my computer. Anyone else experienced this? New scam to take over our...

We have around 15,000 calls that need to be made to Delaware before Tuesday's primary. If we can get Champions for Newt who will make as many calls as they can between Friday and Monday, or Tuesday, we can do it! As much as the political and media establishment would like to declare this race over and coronate Mitt Romney as our inevitable nominee, it just isn’t the case. This campaign has had its up and downs, and we’ve seen the momentum shift on a dime. And within the next week, we believe we have a real opportunity to upset...

The AIRE mask is a onceptual device that allows you to charge your iPhone with the power of breath! "The AIRE mask is a concept that hails from the mind of Joao Paulo Lammoglia, where it will rely on the power of your breath, converting it to electricity thanks to tiny wind turbines. All you need to do is ensure the AIRE mask remains connected to an iOS-powered device, breathe as usual, and you are good to go."

Hilarious music video about self-absorbed phone zombies in public.WATCH: PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN

The current crop of iPhone killers failed to kill the Apple iPhone. Many of the iPhone’s competitors are really great phones with incredible screens, amazing cameras, powerful processors and advanced user interfaces. On most specs, the iPhone has been bested by several competitors. But still the iPhone reigns supreme in the market.Apple made more money on iPhones alone in Q4 than Microsoft did on every product it sells.What will it take to stop the mighty iPhone?Don’t look now, but the competition is getting ready to hit Apple’s super-villain iPhone with something akin to the X Men or the Avengers --...

Do you feel anxious if your cellphone isn't nearby? Does just the thought of losing your phone make your heart pound? Do you keep an extra phone on hand, just in case your primary phone breaks? Do you sometimes take it to bed with you? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then you may be a nomophobe, and you are not alone. Nomophobia -- the fear of being without your cellphone -- is on the rise, according to a new report sponsored by SecurEnvoy, a company that specializes in digital passwords. Using the online polling service...

Strange Verizon Ad

Newt's campaign has made national phone banks available for contacting voters in Iowa.  It includes an online call access center, and a simple script to follow.   This is one way to offset Romney, and Paul's ground game in Iowa.  If you do not have unlimited long distance (the campaign is not able to pay for the calls), there are several excellent long distance cards available at Wal-Mart and other such retailers.   I, along with 5 friends, purchased the $45 card, which is 30 days' unlimited LD and texting.  My share was only $9.00.  They send you a pin number by...

The Newt Gingrich campaign has opened its national phone banks for supporters nationwide to make calls to Iowa voters prior to the upcoming caucuses. You just have to join the Newt 2012 campaign, and then are provided access to the call center, with the name and number of a potential Iowa voter. A easy-to-read script is provided. This is a great way for Freepers nationwide to participate in the Iowa campaign, even if they are out of state. They don’t provide an 800-number, I guess they can’t afford it yet. What I have done - and others too - myself...

The Newt Gingrich campaign has opened its national phone banks for supporters nationwide to make calls to Iowa voters prior to the upcoming caucuses. You just have to join the Newt 2012 campaign, and then are provided access to the call center, with the name and number of a potential Iowa voter. A easy-to-read script is provided. This is a great way for Freepers nationwide to participate in the Iowa campaign, even if they are out of state. Please help Newt's Iowa campaign go National!!

WILMINGTON, Del. (CBS) – Local attorneys have filed a federal class-action lawsuit against smartphone makers and a company accused of snooping on tens of millions of consumers. The software under scrutiny is called Carrier IQ, More at link

GUTHRIE, Okla. -- Guthrie police launched a "sex offender" investigation following a blocked call to Willow Creek Nursing Home. The woman who answered the phone was disgusted and troubled by what she heard on the other end. According to Lt. Mark Bruning, "When they answered the phone they heard a male voice saying the name Kimberly. He went into a lot of sexually explicit things. Part of the conversation was this person wasn't in school and the consequences for not being in school." Because the calls seemed so graphic and authentic, police launched a search for the caller and victim....

I'm Getting Arrested is a creative Android app that, according to developer Quadrant 2, was inspired by a real-life "Occupy Wall Street" incident. It lets you quickly notify your family, friends, and crack legal team (if you have one) of your situation with a single tap of your finger.

White House kept Democratic senators hanging on phoneBy Alexander Bolton - 10/04/11 05:30 AM ET President Obama’s relations with Senate Democratic leaders are deteriorating along with his poll numbers. With Obama’s approval ratings at record lows and the 2012 electoral map favoring Senate Republicans, the president and Senate Democrats are, in many ways, on divergent paths. Vulnerable Democrats from red states see Obama as impeding their chances of winning reelection, while the president often seems aloof to their concerns. Obama, focused on winning a second term, has distanced himself from Congress altogether, at times not making the distinction between Republicans...

I've noticed that I have a charge on my home phone bill from ILD Teleservices. I already have Long distance service from ATT. Anybody know what it is and how to get rid of it? Thanks

Lacey said he first found out about it when the calls started coming into the restaurants. 'It was a series of phone calls for several weeks where it was either people in earnest asking us to come and remove carcasses or prank calls,' Lacey said. The listing was reprinted in other printed and online telephone directories last year and this year. It circulated on the Internet and in forwarded emails, and a reference to the listing ending up in a customer review on the restaurant's Facebook page. .in January,Jay Leno joked about it on the the Tonight Show... Lacey's lawsuit...

In a bizarre repeat of a high-profile incident last year, an Apple employee once again appears to have lost an unreleased iPhone in a bar, CNET has learned. The errant iPhone, which went missing in San Francisco's Mission district in late July, sparked a scramble by Apple security to recover the device over the next few days, according to a source familiar with the investigation. Last year, an iPhone 4 prototype was bought by a gadget blog that paid $5,000 in cash. This year's lost phone seems to have taken a more mundane path: it was taken from a Mexican...

“Rapper could face charges tied to flash mob calls,” the Associated Press reports. The Game is alleged to have sent a message from his Twitter social networking account that resulted in hundreds of calls to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Compton station, effectively shutting down communications for over two hours. The authorities are not amused. A sheriff’s captain reports “Public safety was absolutely compromised” and they were “delayed in responding to calls.” They’re going to turn over their assessment to the District Attorney for potential criminal prosecution. If The Game is prosecuted, there are other Californians who should also...

San Francisco - Transit officials said Friday they blocked cell phone reception in San Francisco stations for three hours to disrupt a planned demonstrations over a police shooting. Officials with the Bay Area Rapid Transit system, better known as BART, said they turned off the electricity to cell phone towers in four stations from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday. The move was made after BART learned that protesters planned to use mobile devices to coordinate a demonstration on train platforms. (Snip) The statement noted that it’s illegal to demonstrate on the platform or aboard the trains. BART said it

I know there are smart people here. May I pick your brains to get an answer for a very simple office set-up issue? Unfortunately it is not simple for ME so I am tearing my hair out. I'm a technology-challenged paralegal opening an office in a few weeks with an attorney who is equally inept at this stuff. We will have a lot of initial start-up costs and want a dirt-cheap phone system for a very small office. (Mostly just me as the attorney will only come around every week or so.) All we we want is an old-fashioned landline...

Did you know that some of the fees that you pay on your phone bill may actually be providing free cell service to people with low incomes? A debate started in Pennsylvania after people became aware of the program, which offers a free phone and 250 minutes a month. Here's how at works: The FCC requires all phone companies to pay into something called the Universal Service Fund. Companies get the money they send to the fund by charging you on you bill. Money from the fund goes to companies who provide the free service to help offset their cost....

oogle Android captured 48% of the smartphone market in Q2 of 2011, hitting an all-time high, according to a report by market research firm Canalys. The platform has been making big strides during the past year, overtaking Symbian in Q4 of 2010 to become the top smartphone platform, representing a 32.9% market share at that time. Smartphone adoption continues to grow rapidly across the world, reaching a total of 107.7 million units shipped in Q2 of 2011, a 73% year-on-year growth. Android was the biggest driver of smartphone shipments in Q2, as Android-based smartphone shipments were up 379% year-over-year, coming...

As if it isn't hard enough to get to sleep on overnight journeys, one group of unlucky passengers shared a carriage with a woman who talked loudly on her mobile phone for 16 hours. In the end she was arrested. Lakeysha Beard of Tigard, Oregon, was charged with disorderly conduct after police were called by Amtrak staff following continued complaints from passengers. Police said the 39-year-old became aggressive and was involved in a 'verbal altercation' when asked to be quiet during the journey from Oakland, California to Salem, Oregon. Fellow travellers said Ms Beard refused to put the phone down...

I have a friend who just started a job selling cars. Used to be a stock broker. This is a desperation move. Problem is one of the other salesmen sits with his finger on the phone and insta-answers every incoming call on the first ring. That means he gets all the leads. Management knows and doesn't care. Once upon a time, I read that the phone line actually has a change in voltage before the first ring. Any Freeper know of a box or program that detects that and could answer/forward a call BEFORE the first ring? (I figured if...

Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759 A couple of days ago, I read an article about how police in Michigan (go figure) were forcing motorists to surrender their cell phones upon being detention for traffic violations. They are using the common tactic that most liberals and anti-constitutionalist morons use that "if you have nothing to hide, you'll do what I ask." This, of course, is false logic. "If I've done nothing wrong, there is no reason to ask" is the proper...

Two of the most important players in the mobile industry, Verizon and Motorola, have essentially called Windows Phone 7 a failure, with a Verizon exec going so far as ... This is clearly not what Microsoft hoped for when it launched Windows Phone 7 to great fanfare late last year. The statements from both executives were surprisingly blunt. ... I do want a strong third OS out there. ... But I still have doubts whether Microsoft will get the traction they are hoping for with Windows Phone 7. Melone was equally unimpressed with the Nokia-Microsoft deal, explaining: If you look...

A bill to reform the state’s 1991 Telecommunications Act regulating landline providers has moved to the Michigan House Energy and Communications Committee. House Bill 4314 was introduced February 22, 2011, amended, and referred to committee on March 7. Introduced by Ken Horn (R-Frankenmuth), chairman of the House Energy and Communications Committee, on February 22, 2011, and cosponsored by Roy Schmidt (D-Grand Rapids), the Michigan Telecommunications Modernization Act (MTMA) updates, deletes, or repeals many provisions of the Telecommunications Act last revised in 2006. “AT&T strongly supports House Bill 4314 and the work being done by Representatives Ken Horn and Roy Schmidt,”...

What invention most improved women's lives during the past century? The birth control pill for granting women greater control over child bearing, and modern, electric clothes and dish washers for freeing them from time-consuming housework likely spring to mind. Here's another candidate to consider: the creation of the internet and wireless technologies. Certainly, everyone has benefited from the dawning of the information age, but women have been uniquely touched as these technologies make it easier for women to perform critical tasks—from generating income to getting an education—while at home. That makes it all the more important that policymakers at all...

At one time, having a dedicated land-line phone in your house was a requirement. Like heat or air conditioning, every house had it. With the advent of cell phones I have found it impossible to justify the cost of keeping a land-line phone—I just don't use it that much anymore. When you include taxes, the minimum cost of having a land-line phone in the house (in my state) is $45 a month ($540 ayear). I only used the land-line phone for 5-10 calls a month, which worked out to be over $5 per call. I thought about getting a land-line...

Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski on Monday unveiled a plan to overhaul a much-criticized program that helps provide phone service to far-flung rural areas, proposing to focus it on expanding high-speed Internet access to those same locations. The $8-billion Universal Service Fund is paid for by telecommunications companies, who must contribute a percentage of their long-distance revenue, often passing those fees on to their customers. The decades-old program has successfully spread phone service to residents in hard-to-reach areas that often are unprofitable for companies to serve, Genachowski said in a speech to the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation. But...

On Monday, a bill banning talking on the phone while driving will be introduced in the North Carolina Senate. The bill would ban using hands free devices while driving as well. Highway Patrol Trooper Beckley Vaughn said it boils down to being distracted while driving. Vaughn said at only 55 mph, a driver goes about 88 feet per second. He said the average reaction time is only .75 of a second.

Analysts at Ovum have announced a number of predictions for the telecoms industry in 2011, with expectations that Windows 7 will become the fastest growing platform for smartphones, while the mobile landgrab in emerging markets will begin to slow down with emphasis shifting to broadband. It is thought that telecoms markets in the emerging markets of Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America will see intensified competition that will lead to lower prices, slower growth and indeed lower margins. It is noted by Ovum analyst Angel Dobardziev that the “land grab phase” which occurred in the last decade will begin...