We'd been contemplating getting rid of our land line permanently after reading Abby's post awhile back, but we just haven't made the leap...yet. However, this morning we got an interesting email entitled, "Five Things You Never Knew Your Cell Phone Could Do" and frankly, we WERE surprised. Who knew you could unlock your car with your cell phone? Read all five things after the jump...
1. Worldwide Emergency number is 112, so if you find yourself in a pickle and out of your coverage area, dial those three lucky numbers. The phone will search any existing network to establish the emergency number anywhere in the world. Also, it can be dialed even on locked keypads.
2. Locked your keys in the car and the spare is at home or with a friend? Call that person on their cell phone with your cell phone, then hold your phone about a foot from your car door. Have your buddy press the unlock button holding it near the cell phone on their end. Your car will unlock, no matter how far away your buddy is. Beats waiting for AAA...
3. If your cell battery is very low, press *3370# to restart with the reserve. Next time you charge your phone, the reserve will get charged.
4. Got your phone's serial number? If not, key in *#06# to get it. This may come in handy if your phone is ever stolen because you can give this unique serial number to your cell phone provider to disable your phone--even if the SIM card changes.
5. Sick of being charged for 411 directory service calls? If you dial 800 FREE 411 (800-373-3411), you won't incur any charges on your cell. Or call Google by voice by calling 1-800-GOOG-411 to get a street address or phone number.
Bonus, since 2. was duly shot down as absolutely false: Consolidate all of your phones with Google Voice, so you won't miss calls dialed to the office while you're home or vice versa. Google Voice is free (beta) and the number provided will allow all your phones to ring at once from one number or from pre-selected phones. One voicemail box and conference calling is making this one killer online app for cell phone users.
Originally posted at Los Angeles/Grace Shu
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Comments (14)
Most of these are more or less true,
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/cellphones.asp
but #2 (remote unlock?) is most definitely not going to work:
http://www.snopes.com/autos/techno/keyless.asp
sorry to ruin the fun :(
LOL! i was going to comment on the exact same thing for number 2. figured that would be one of them with the picture in the header. such a joke. how can people seriously still believe this?
#3 didnt work for me. :(
The sequence *3370# code to activate "hidden battery power" in a cell phone initially posted by Grace seems to be an option only available to some brands of cell phone (such as Nokia) for Half Rate Codec, which provides about 30% more talk time on a battery charge at the expense of lower sound quality. However, this option is enabled by pressing the sequence *#4720# -- the sequence *3370# actually enables Enhanced Full Rate Codec, which provides better sound quality at the expense of shorter battery life.
#4 doesn't work for me. I have a voyager on verizon wireless.
Before I did it, #2 would have sounded ridiculous. But I did it with my mom's PT Cruiser. I can't tell (or type) a lie. It works.
For those of you who think #2 will work - why not record your remote access fob beep (um, mine doesn't beep, the car does) onto your phone. Then you could just use your phone to get in without calling anyone.
There are two different kinds of keyfobs for cars. It could be that one type does work and the other doesn't. However, I don't think recording it would work for either. If I understand the way these fobs work (thanks to a howstuffworks podcast) a new code is "selected" each time you lock the car, meaning the signal would be different each time. Therefore a pre-recorded signal should not work. (If doing this works at all.)
#2 DOES WORK! I'VE DONE IT AT LEAST THREE TIMES, ONCE WITH MY TOYOTA SIENNA AND TWICE WITH MY FRIEND'S GMC SUBURBAN
Yes, I have to say, I've witnessed #2 work with my own two eyes, as well. My father and I (skeptically) tried it just 3 months ago when I was visiting them. My mother took the dog for a walk and when she was about 5 blocks away, she called my dad (we were in the driveway) and with her spare set of keys, activated the unlock button. Much to our surprise, the doors unlocked. Never laughed so hard!
This was with a 1998 Chrysler mini-van.
Seriously. It actually worked.
No it doesn't. You weren't far enough away. All modern key fobs except the very high end operate at around 300 MHz. This is neither audible, nor able to be picked up by a cell phone or any other microphone. It is also impossible (and illegal) for cell phones to transmit under 800 MHz and if your cell is GSM then the signal further goes through digitization and compression which would also break the signal.
There may have been a time (best info I can find says early 80's), but doesn't anymore.
Also high end systems and the better aftermarket use multiple back and forth encrypted signals with frequency hoping and splitting. Not gonna work either.
maybe we need to recommend #2 to mythbusters.
ugh, it's so annoying to have someone tell you you're lying.
#2 definitely works. It may just be specific cars, but my father unlocked my car (a Volvo) over the phone from about 200 miles away. Just because it doesn't work for every car doesn't mean it doesn't work at all.