As the nation's fourth largest carrier, T-Mobile tries to one-up its competitors by being innovative and cheap.

Here's another example of that spirit: T-Mobile has a new add-on service called HotSpot @ Home, which allows your mobile phone to serve as your home phone.

HotSpot works with a special router that puts your calls through via an Internet connection. The call quality is nearly perfect. The cost? A mere $10/month add-on to your T-Mobile service – probably much less than you're still paying for a landline.

A whopping 97% of people who signed up for HotSpot went on to disconnect their landline and drop their monopoly local phone companies. That's very telling about how effective HotSpot can be. Another fringe benefit is that you no longer have any need for 2 phone numbers!

But beware, there's a serious danger if you disconnect your landline: You'll save hundreds of dollars every year! There's almost no reason left to have a home phone from a monopoly local company in today's world. Clark thinks about his 19 year old who certainly won't ever have a landline in her life.

Finally, Clark's Internet access glossary is now live.

The cost of operating a cell phone keeps going down, down, down. Right now, Clark has a deal to share that goes into effect July 1.

Virgin Mobile has been losing customers like mad since the Big 4 carriers started offering unlimited calling plans at $99/month. So they're going to introduce a $79/month unlimited calling plan -- with no roaming charges, no long distance charges and NO CONTRACT! If you want unlimited texting and all the frills, you'll pay an extra $10 monthly. (Editor's note: Pricing accurate as of 06/24/08.)

Virgin has actually never done the contracts that the other Big 4 cram down your throat. In fact, the FCC may restrict how contracts work in the future. They won't be able to "trick" you into entering a new contract when you call them to ask a question. Meanwhile, Verizon has been putting its toe in the water by pro-rating contracts on a monthly basis.

Next year, the offers on unlimited calling could be much cheaper than they are right now because of Google's Android. Your mobile device's capabilities will leapfrog what we have now and the pricing will drop. That's why the Big 4 always want to lock you into a contract.

Christa is excited about her new Samsung Instinct, which is basically an iPhone lookalike. It has high-speed web browsing, e-mail, GPS, TV, radio…oh, and it makes phone calls too!

Of course, these are all things that phones have done for awhile now. But the Samsung also has a sleek interface and a slim body. As Christa says, we'll have to get her final verdict on the phone in a few months. She's still in the "initial dating phase" with her Instinct.

The wireless industry would love for consumers to get in the "mobile device" mindset -- a term denoting that it's not just a phone, it does so much more.

Soon wireless networks will support unlimited international calls for free. Skype has been trying to get the government to force the cell carriers to let you use Skype on your handset. But there's been pushback because the carriers make too much money ripping you off on international calls. Expect this to change with the arrival of the next wave of cellular technology -- called 4G (fourth generation) in industry lingo.

Skype, meanwhile, has released its 4.0 beta version, and it's heavy on video calling.

When he attended the 1964 World's Fair, Clark recalls that AT&T demonstrated a picture phone. Back then, it seemed like that technology was just around the corner. But video calling never hit the mainstream. Maybe people don't want to be seen on a video phone call. But Clark thinks Skype may be the one to take it to the next level.

Clark's long term goal is to have the capability for show callers to be seen, not just heard, on ClarkHoward.com.

Regular listeners know that Clark often trashes the nation's cell phone companies because they gain so much profit from spam texts. But he never likes to just harp on a problem without offering a solution.

Today he's pleased to tell you that David Pogue, a technology blogger for The New York Times, has unearthed some hidden procedures for eliminating spam texts that should help AT&T and Verizon customers. T-Mobile is working on ramping up similar opt-out capabilities, while Sprint has no procedures in place at all.

So check it out today and stop paying for every spam that comes to your handset. Of course, those who are on unlimited texting plans never have to worry about paying for spam.

There's been so much press devoted to Apple's iPhone being lowered to $199 and beefed up with faster web-surfing capabilities. But here's the gotcha: The data plan is going from $20 to $30, with a 2-year contract required. So you'll actually wind up paying more than if you bought the iPhone when it was more expensive.

Meanwhile, Clark thinks there's a bigger telecommunications story that got wholly ignored: T-Mobile's new Family Time Unlimited plan. The upshot of this plan is that you can add additional lines for $49, which makes it perfect for small business and families. That includes unlimited calling, texting, IM and picture and video messaging.

There's no doubt that the trend is moving toward unlimited calling when it comes to cell phones. Metro PCS offers a family plan that's $100 total for 4 lines. That's perhaps the best deal in cities that Metro already serves.

Unless you're a heavy cell user, Clark advises you to skip the traditional Big 4 carriers and check out Net10.com. There's no monthly fee and all calls are 10 cents/minute. This is particularly great if you use under 300 minutes/month.

If you're between 300 and 1,500 minutes/month, T-Mobile may still be the best for you -- not AT&T, Verizon or Sprint. T-Mobile is the smallest of the Big 4 and has high customer satisfaction ratings.

The concept of paying for long distance is disappearing slowly, and someday there will no longer be any toll-free numbers. That's because cell phones, which usually include long distance, have become so prevalent.

Almost 1 in 3 of us exclusively uses a cell phone. That's presented a problem to government organizations like the CDC that rely on an ever-shrinking sampling pool of telephone users for surveys.

Of the 30% of us that exclusively use a cell phone, about half of us have a home landline but never touch it. For too long, landlines have been shoved down our throats if we have DSL or antiquated burglar alarm systems. But your monopoly local phone company's day in the sun will be over when the Clearwire initiative happens. Meanwhile, your alarm company can usually install wireless monitoring -- that burglars won't be able to cut -- for cheaper than the landline option.

In related news, cell users may have noticed that spam texts are an increasing nuisance. Americans will get 1.5 billion spam messages on their cells this year, according to Ferris Research.

The cell carriers make a cut of the profit each time a spam comes to your handset, unless you're on an unlimited plan. Clark gets about 2 of these a week, but he's already gone unlimited.

Cell carriers would be wise to switch everyone to unlimited plans. There are virtually no infrastructure costs, and the price of not doing so may be people completely shutting off their text messaging out of frustration.

Clark also believes a financial deterrent might rein in the carriers. If they were charged double -- 40 cents every time you dispute an errant spam text that costs you 20 cents, for example -- that might straighten things out.

Cell phones are central to how we communicate. Qwest's latest numbers show they just lost almost 8% of their installed phone lines. More and more people are deciding to go wireless only. Verizon's initiative for unlimited wireless plans starting at $99/month has really helped the push. Their deal was soon matched or one-upped by the other major wireless carriers. Numbers now show that Verizon's wireless subscribers recently jumped from 4% to 15% on the strength of their $99 plan.

Metro PCS -- one of the smaller wireless players -- has responded with its own Family Unlimited deal. They're offering 4 wireless phone lines for $100/month. No credit check, no contracts. This includes unlimited local and long-distance calling, voice mail and text messaging. You don't even get text messaging with the comparable AT&T and Verizon plans. Metro's deal can also be prorated: A family of 2 would pay $70 and a family of 3 would pay $90.

What's the catch? Well, Metro only works in select markets, so this may not be a deal for people who travel around the country frequently. But it's a no-brainer if you're a homebody. It's also a great way to completely dump your monopoly phone company landline.

Clark predicts that wireless is just going to get cheaper for minutes in the future. The iPhone and Google's Android are helping the push for these "all-you-can eat" minute plans.

Clark loves free services and has 2 new ones to share with you. The first comes from a company called HauteSecure.com, which protects your computer if you mistype a web address. Too often criminals will register bogus domains that may be just one letter off from a legitimate address. When you hit those fake sites, your computer may become infected with a keylogger program. So the free download at HauteSecure.com protects you by blocking sites that could threaten your computer.

The second service Clark has discovered is called ChaCha.com. This free mobile phone service allows you to ask a question by calling 800-2-CHA-CHA. You then receive a text with your answer. It's like Google for your cell phone. So far the results have been hit or miss. While it worked well during a pre-show meeting, it returned a wrong answer when Clark tried it out on air by asking, "Who won the 1964 World Series?" He received a dud answer via text message -- The New York Yankees -- in about half an hour. It was the St. Louis Cardinals who beat the Yanks in 7 games!

Here in the United States, cell phones are controlled by the Big Four carriers (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile) with an iron fist. But that may soon be coming to an end. Sprint has entered into a new settlement that will allow you to keep their phone after you finish your contract. You can then go to another provider that runs on a compatible network -- such as Alltel and Virgin Mobile -- and you won't have to buy a new phone!

The old business model where cell phone companies tie you into their phone and their network makes no sense. Most of the world runs on a network called GSM. We are actually one of the only countries with two competing networks -- GSM and CDMA. Meanwhile, public revulsion over the Apple/AT&T iPhone deal is really helping to bring about a new day in the industry. Isn't it funny that with all the talk of smart phones our mobile devices are actually much dumber than the phones people use overseas? In fact, Verizon takes smart phones and dumbs them down on purpose to disable functions that they can't figure out how to monetize yet! So Clark loves the outcome of the Sprint lawsuit because it will really help open things up. Soon we'll buy phones like we do any other piece of technology. You don't buy your computer from your Internet service provider, do you? No, you buy it elsewhere and then hook it up. Cell phones will one day be like this.

Some of our recent callers have alerted us to cell-phone horror stories when traveling overseas. They've been burned for charges ranging from $5/minute on a cruise to an $8,500 bill for a variety of international calls. A slightly cheaper option is to enroll in your carrier's own international calling plan. If you choose to go this route, make sure you get an e-mail confirmation of your enrollment before you travel. A better and cheaper option still is to buy a prepaid SIM chip online. You might want to use Telestial.com, which is good for when you're doing a single-country trip. Check out RangeRoamer.com if you're going to be traveling to multiple nations. What if you're taking an action adventure trip in uncharted terrority? Try buying or renting a satellite phone, which will still cost less per minute than the usual charges from your carrier. Another tip for travelers: Get an unlocked world phone. T-Mobile will unlock your existing handset after 90 days, while AT&T requires you to complete your contract before they unlock you. You can also try going on eBay and buying an already unlocked world phone on the cheap.

The whole text messaging phenomenon is really misunderstood by many adults. Clark recently heard a government regulator in the telephone industry admit he's not familiar with texting. Parents are often similarly oblivious. That's why unlimited text messaging is a real help. If you have text-happy teens, it helps ensure that your kids don't run your bill into the ground every month. But those unlimited plans don't cover all text messaging services -- especially some premium services that are advertised on MTV and elsewhere. There was a recent news report about one developmentally disabled teen that ran up a $10,000 bill in one month using these services. The sad thing is that the child's parents had an unlimited text messaging plan through Sprint. The cell phone carriers get a kickback for doing the billing, so there's no real incentive for them to modify their practices. Parents need to be aware of this danger and teach their children not to give into alluring services that offer dating opportunities, a joke of the day or horoscopes sent directly to their handsets, among other things. But there's a larger problem here. How can you even get the FCC on this issue if the commissioners don't know what text messaging is?!

If you were expecting Google to announce the rumored Gphone today, you might have been disappointed. But Google did announce a new platform called Android that promises to shake up the traditional cell phone monopolies. Soon you'll be able to take any wireless device you want and access phone calling, e-mailing, web surfing, music and TV on your digital device. This is not a Star Wars thing that's 10 years away; this should start happening late next year! Google found support for Android among a lot of big-money players. They all see the financial advantages of busting up monopoly cell phone companies who want to control everything on their platform. What the future holds from here on out is almost limitless. But free cell phone calling will probably be one benefit!

Good news for some cell phone customers who thought the industry's contract termination fees were too heavy-handed. AT&T recently announced that it will begin prorating its cancellation fees. Right now you have to pay the full cancellation fee if you want out at any time before the standard 24-month contract ends. But under the new rules, you'll be able to just pay a fraction of that cost because it will be pro-rated. AT&T is simply following Verizon's lead here. No word yet if T-Mobile and Sprint will follow suit, but it all begs the question: Is the cell phone industry ready to usher in a new customer-friendly age?

The dominance of the iPhone has really blackened the eye of the industry as people saw how the major carriers pervert capitalism by locking people into two-year contracts. Think about it: Each carrier forces you to buy a cell phone from them and then they make it usable only on their own network. Clark believes this is idiotic; it's like the power company telling you that you can't use a toaster that you didn't buy from them. Walt Mossberg, a usually chipper Wall Street Journal columnist, recently wrote with vitriol about the four carriers' stranglehold on the industry. He compared it to you buying Internet access and then the provider saying you can't visit a certain website. We need to bust this chokehold because it's bad for the country and consumers alike.

Do you remember when it was free to call directory assistance? Some free services are making a comeback thanks to a new ad-based business model. Clark's teenager recently called old-fashioned directory assistance and was charged a $1.80 before he told her about 1-800-FREE-411. Google has also launched a free service (for business listings only) available at 1-800-GOOG-411. Meanwhile, AT&T has its own service through 1-800-YellowPages.

People sometimes gripe that the numbers they get from these free services aren't always correct. But there was a recent study that found the numbers you get from paid services are just as likely to be wrong. So why pay extra for the chance of a wrong number? Clark often turns to the Internet when he's looking for a number. He practically never looks in a phone book anymore. Remember the 1979 move The Jerk starring Steve Martin? There was a scene where the new phonebook arrives and Martin goes running for it, looks up his name and shouts, "I am somebody! I'm in the phonebook!" Pretty soon people won't know what the whole phonebook phenomenon is about. In the future there may not be any phonebooks, because the costs to print and distribute them are so high. The bottom line is that you shouldn't be paying for directory assistance when there are so many free options out there. On a related note, Clark was talking to someone who lost their cell phone just a few days ago. The person discovered that thousands of dollars in international calls had been made by the thief. Under the current law, that person is responsible for those costs. To avoid a scenario like this, call your cell phone provider and get an international calling block.

All around the country, state laws are being passed that ban teens from talking, texting and e-mailing on cell phones while driving. But what about adults who are still doing all this stuff while behind the wheel? Clark has a self-imposed rule that he tries to follow with varying degrees of success: If he needs to make or take a call, he pulls off to the side of the road. Clark is also acutely aware of the addiction some people have to their Blackberrys. He's set his Blackberry so that he only receives e-mail 16 times throughout the day instead of every time a message comes into his inbox. That helps prevent him from becoming a "Crackberry" addict. But for some people it gets to the level that they have to shut down their Blackberrys for weeks at a time to break the addiction. In fact, one in five people feels "tech gadget remorse," according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project. Meanwhile, text messaging is so much a part of our culture that there have been lawsuits against Deal or No Deal, The Apprentice and 1 vs. 100. These shows charge you roughly a dollar to text in and win prizes related to the program. Isn't that like illegal gambling?

China is a communist country that has many capitalist tendencies. Mobile phone technology like text messaging now allows people to express opinions to each other without the fear of censorship. Just as modern technology makes it possible for there to be a variety of voices, it also makes it harder for one person or political party to have a huge influence. Books like 1984 were filled with fears that technology would aid dictatorships, but China is showing the opposite proves true. China's fellow communist neighbor in North Korea is now frightened that its people will revolt after hearing radio ads from South Korea where there's a free-market economy pushing new cars, appliances and so much more. It seems like there's always skepticism about technology. Now there's even a question in the medical field about whether video games can be addictive. But the reality is that technology is so useful to us in so many ways.