(OT) What are these cellphone calls?

If you're retired and on Social Security (like me), you can get a free Tracfone, paid by the govt. Before I retired, I bought the cards. Then I got on this program. I get 500 minutes per month at no cost. They provide the phone, but do not allow smartphones on that program. I dont need or even want a smartphone. They provide the phone too, either a flopphone or similar non-flip type.

There is a browser on my flip phone, but it's pretty useless. I can google something like the meaning of a word or how to convert metric to SAE, or even find a picture to use for my phone wallpaper, but sites like youtube, ebay, amazon and stuff like that dont load. Also, since many websites have switched to HTTPS (secure), none of them work at all. I cant even get the weather reports anymore.

But the price is right. I really only need a cellphone for emergency calls and to call a friend or business when I am not at home.

I dont use my phone to get drugs, except when I call the pharmacy for refills of my prescriptions..... .

Having a Tracfone thru that free service makes it not be anonymous. They require all your legal personal information to make sure the person is really getting SSI. Actually, anyone who is low income can get these free phones, if they can proive their low income. SSI is not required.

Go to

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to signup. (USA only, as far as I know).

Or

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also works.

(Signing up is kind of a pain in the ass though).

Reply to
oldschool
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I don't use a lot of mobile data anyway, mostly for the nav system app for Android Auto and the app that shows chargeport availability and status for the ObamaCar:

Reply to
bitrex

I hope to "retire" at about 45 if things keep going well but not like, retire retire. They'll have to pull the soldering iron from my cold, dead hands

Reply to
bitrex

I didn't know Obama had a car company.

Reply to
oldschool

At 67, I'm retired from the working world, but I live on a farm and still do some small scale farming. It dont generate much money, I just do it cuz I'd feel useless if I just sat around watching the tube all day. Plus I love animals, and could not be without them, espially the horses.

I will admit that on days like today, I almost wish I did not have animals to care for. We had an ice storm and it's very dangerous walking outside and until they sand/salt my over a half mile long driveway, I cant go anywhere.

I could not live the city life (I tried it), but rural life can be tough in winter. (Only 30 days till Spring as of today.... I cant wait)....

March 20 is the official first day of Spring !!!!

Reply to
oldschool

There are fashionable restaurants and supermarkets catering to yuppies and urban hipsters that'll pay $100 a bushel for them apples. You're not "small scale farming" you're "Sustainably-grown organic native produce."

Marketing.

Reply to
bitrex

My advice: Let go now if you have the change.

If you get to 55 and still have that soldering iron, you'll find you want t o jab your eye with it! :)

Back to the SMS thing. First -- f-'ing spammers. I hate them!

But, (and this is cob-webby as all hell), isn't this SMS thing a long-lost step-child born of the CDPD days of AMPS Cellular. (Or is that Twitter?)

You know, the short messaging service (SMS) that was available (way back wh en) to eat up the portion of AMPS spectrum guaranteed not be ever be used b ecause of the way the signally technology worked on AMPS. You could "fill

-in" the unused spectrum with this short messaging stuff.

Reply to
mpm

Have you spoken to a psychologist about this urge? :)

Reply to
oldschool

A nearby town has one of them "organic food stores". the prices are outrageous, and the fruit and vegges look identical to the stuff at the regular stores. I could not afford to shop there, but I do like buying peanut butter there because you grind your own. You get to choose the organic peanuts for $8 a pound, or the common ones for $2.50 a pound. They look identical. I choose the common ones and the price per pound is close to the same as pre packaged peanut butter, but I like the freshness of the grind your own stuff.

On my farm, I only grow hay for my animals, and if I have more than I need, I can sell some of it. Other than that, I have my own garden, which is just for my own use.

Reply to
oldschool

Yes! And she suggested I use liquid solder flux from now on instead of eye drops.

Reply to
mpm

That seems punitive. The going rate for that in the UK would be about

Shop around for data only SIM deals and you get 50p/GB over here(UK). You can get special offers on contract SIMs (and negotiate even better deals by threatening to leave - customer loyalty is never rewarded). If you aren't talking to customer retention at least every other year then you are paying more than you should be for an inferior service.

UK PAYG SIMs are everywhere at supermarket and pound store checkouts.

Are there no US SIM only PAYG deals where the paid for value stays on the phone forever until you use it up? (provided you make at least one chargeable call every six months) They are best for UK light users.

Also at least one UK mobile company offers a free data SIM with a

200MB/month cap for people who only want email and text access.
--
Regards, 
Martin Brown
Reply to
Martin Brown

If you said under 25's I might agree. SMS has its advantages and you generally get an infinite number of them included in any contract.

The main advantage is that you can have an asynchronous short conversation with someone who doesn't need to answer their phone.

Banks here still use it as part of 2FA protocols. Bit of a nuisance if you don't have a reliable mobile signal at home.

--
Regards, 
Martin Brown
Reply to
Martin Brown

Bring up your call log and block each one.

No more car warranty upgrade spam calls.

Reply to
Long Hair

No, but he watched "Under Siege 2" whenever he gets the chance.

Reply to
Long Hair

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The Do Not Call list doesn't apply to cell phones because it is already ill egal to spam a cell phone. These days with the total deregulation of the ph one system, it's virtually a given that the spammers will spoof their calle r ID, and you haven't got a hope of stopping them. It truly sucks.

I use nomorobo (google it) on all my numbers and it does a pretty good job of intercepting spam calls. There still are many, though, that make it thro ugh with fake caller ID. The bad guys have f***ed the world up for the rest of us.

Reply to
rangerssuck

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