Google Voice is a free service with great promise for penny-pinchers.

When you sign up for the service, you get a new phone number. That new number rings simultaneously on as many of your existing numbers as you want.

(Editor's note: This service is being rationed out slowly, with groups of new users added from time to time. That's why Clark encourages you to sign up today.)

Google Voice also transcribes voicemails and converts them into text messages. Other features include free call forwarding and conference calling.

But FierceWireless.com recently reported on something that didn't occur to Clark.

Google Voice may allow you to stop paying big bucks for unlimited calling to a select group of "favorite" numbers. You'll be able to route your calls through Google Voice for nada, thereby freeing you up to cut your plan down to the lowest level for unlimited calling. See FierceWireless.com for more details.

Editors's note: This segment originally aired July 2009

David Pogue of The New York Times has unearthed a disturbing phantom fee on some Verizon Wireless bills.

It turns out certain simple keystrokes on Verizon phones will launch web applications that automatically ding your account for $1.99 a pop.

It is possible to have these keystroke features blocked, but a Verizon insider tells Pogue the company is doing what it can to prevent that.

"They have started training us reps that too many data blocks are being put on accounts now," the source wrote to Pogue. "They're actually making us take classes called Alternatives to Data Blocks."

These phony charges reportedly generate $300 million/month in alleged stolen revenue! Clark plans to call Verizon to question them about this and give a spokesperson a chance to come on the air and tell their side of the story.

It seems like every week there's a new price point being set in the telecommunications world.

There's an all-out war going on between the traditional Big 4 wireless carriers -- AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile -- and smaller Tier 2 operators such as Metro PCS, Cricket, Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile, Straight Talk and others.

The Big 4 have historically pushed expensive "bucket of minutes" business models with 24-month contracts. That's allowed the Tier 2 operators to carve out a market niche by offering cheaper unlimited calling plans with no contracts.

Which would you rather have?

The success of the smaller players is now actually forcing the Big 4 to come around with better deals for customers. That's the point of our new guide to cheap cell phone plans.

Clark wants to keep you updated with the best deals out there so you can have the cheapest possible cell phone bill in your life with the fewest strings attached.

Technology companies love to hook customers into contracts (euphemistically called "agreements") because they're scared of competition.

For example, both Clark and his executive producer Christa are Clear customers for high-speed Internet. Christa signed a contract, while Clark went the non-contract route.

Now Christa can't get a signal in the townhouse where she and her family are temporarily living. So she has to pay $5/month to suspend the service for an anticipated nine or 10 months while flood damage in her main residence is repaired.

Clark, meanwhile, is not getting a decent signal at his house. As a non-contract customer with Clear, all he had to do was cancel his service and go back to a cable or phone provider for high-speed Internet.

In related news, Verizon Wireless has raised its termination fee to $350. That's simply outrageous!

The key rule here is that when you sign up for any service -- cable, satellite, home phone -- you must find out if there's an "agreement." You may have to sort through 40 or more pages of legalese to find out like Clark recently did. Why can't we have a simple, one page plain English disclosure about this stuff?!

MONEY-SAVING MOMENT: T-Mobile's Project Black marketing initiative will offer customers basic unlimited calling starting at $49/month. It's yet another nail in the coffin of the "bucket of minutes" model, where you pay for a set number of minutes each billing period.

Unlimited calling is the future of cell phone calling. If new stats that Clark recently saw are to be believed, more people are now signing up for unlimited non-contract plans than for contract plans that offer a bucket of minutes.

We're approaching the day when you'll buy a phone and then be able to bring it to any provider you want. No more being handcuffed to a 24-month contract in return for having your phone subsidized.

AT&T and Verizon will keep pushing contracts hard because they remain central to their business models. However, you as a customer want to be the a free agent and avoid contract plans so you can benefit from the savings to come.

In fact, the new issue of Forbes has a cover story titled The $10 Phone Bill. Metro PCS is being touted as one of the players that may drop your phone bill to this ridiculously low level in the next few years.

Already, it only costs Metro about $16/month to provide phone service for a customer and it's dropping as technology improves.

So, it all means you should be very wary of signing a contract with anybody. Be a free agent and benefit as the price points in the industry change.

AT&T has backed down on preventing customers from using Skype on its network.

There's still no deal on Google, however. AT&T remains under federal investigation for alleged dirty dealings because it won't allow people to use Google Voice on their network.

The use of Google Voice would allow customers to make calls using AT&T's data network, not its voice network. And that would blow up AT&T's standard "bucket of minutes" business model.

In five years, no one will understand those AT&T commercials about rollover. Rollover of minutes is an archaic, Neanderthal notion beloved by monopolies.

Interestingly, Verizon realized this sooner and went to open standards, which means their newest handsets have no restrictions on use. It was a smart move on their part.

Finally, Comcast is reportedly trying to buy a controlling interest in Hulu with an eye toward ending all free TV on the site. This case may require all-out action from citizens to raise a ruckus with elected officials and the FCC to counteract Comcast's alleged designs on Hulu's future.

MONEY-SAVING MOMENT: Straight Talk service will be available nationally through Wal-Marts around the country beginning Oct. 18.

For those of you who haven't heard of Straight Talk, the wireless carrier offers plans starting at $30/month for 1,000 minutes and 1,000 texts, plus an unlimited plan at $45/month.

It operates on the backbone of the Verizon network, though it is not branded by Verizon in any way.

One drawback of Straight Talk is that the phones are decidedly low-tech. You won't find any compatible smart phones for the network. Some people, however, are doing what's called "flashing" phones, where you take a fancy phone and tweak it to work on the Straight Talk network.

In another boon for cheap cellular service, we're beginning to hear word about something from T-Mobile called Project Black. This cryptically named market thrust will reportedly usher in much lower price points for unlimited service starting at $50/month. But for now, this is just a rumor until it goes public.

The key takeaway for you is that if you're trying to decide whether to sign a new contract with your provider, don't do it. We will have much lower price points around the country coming soon.

Remember, this is the time of year leading up to Christmas when important new pricing initiatives are rolled out. It's a great time to go re-shop your service. The best deals are generally from second-tier providers like Cricket, Metro PCS, Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile and Straight Talk. All of them offer unlimited calling from $30 - $50 per month.

This is the future of cell phones. The "bucket of minutes" business model is going away.

Consumers have flexed their muscle on T-Mobile, effectively shutting down the wireless carrier's plan to charge a monthly fee of $1.50 to get a paper copy of their cell phone bill.

The T-Mobile proposal immediately resulted in threats of legal action upon announcement. The carrier encountered additional interference when the attorney general of New York said T-Mobile would have to negate all customer contracts in order to go through with their plan. Magically, the $1.50 fee proposal disappeared!

"We'll be taking more time to determine the fairest way possible to encourage people to go paperless," T-Mobile said in a statement. But wouldn't it be nice to hear, "Gee, we messed up. We're sorry" just once?!

How often in life do we allow a company to take advantage of us and we roll over and play dead? Well, here's a case of people voicing their unanimous anger and getting a bully to back down. Remember, you have the power if you choose to use it.

For years, there has been a debate about whether cell phones are dangerous. Much of it has centered on the question of whether or not the radiation they emit can cause brain tumors or other health problems.

Late GOP strategist Lee Atwater was one of the early adopters of cell phones. He was often photographed with a cell glued to his ear. When he died of a brain tumor at age 40, many started speculating about the long-term dangers of cellular technology.

What level of radiation does your cell phone emit? The Environmental Working Group has compiled a new list of radiation levels across a variety of phones.

Some phones like the Samsung Impression emit next to no radiation at all. But Clark's T-Mobile G1 emits 1.11 W/kg, according to the list. He's still within the "safe" range, which is capped at 1.6 W/kg.

Check out the list and make a smart choice when you give a cell phone to a child or young adult.

MONEY-SAVING MOMENT: Still stuck with one of the Big 4 wireless carriers? AT&T and Sprint are making some new tweaks that may allow you to drop to a cheaper plan without losing touch with the people you call most often.

AT&T will introduce its "A List with Rollover" plan on Sept. 20, 2009. A List allows you unlimited free calling to the 5 numbers you call most -- regardless of whether they're AT&T customers or not. A minimum $59/month calling plan is required.

The ink wasn't dry on the AT&T plan when Sprint came out with its "Any Mobile, Anytime" plan. It offers unlimited calling to any cell phone on any network for $69/month. No need to designate "favorite" numbers or worry about which carrier your friends and family have.

Both the AT&T and the Sprint plans are clearly customer retention efforts. They're trying to preserve headcount without completing discounting to the $40-$50 range offered by Tier 2 providers like Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile, Straight Talk, Metro PCS and Cricket.

Most important of all, know that you must ask AT&T and Sprint for these plans if you're eligible. They probably won't tell you about them!

It seems like every week there's a new price point being set in the telecommunications world. Clark recently told you about the GetPeek.com device for teens that also appealed to small business because it offered unlimited texting and e-mail for $16/month.

Now Kajeet has a September special where you can get unlimited texting and 150 voice minutes for $20/month. (Editor's note: This special is for the month of September 2009 only.)

Kajeet also allows parents to track the movement of their teens with a built-in locator for an additional $10/month.

Meanwhile, T-Mobile is offering 1,000 minutes and unlimited nights/weekends for $39/month in select areas. Check their website for availability.

Finally, Fierce Wireless reports that Verizon has been mistakenly billing some customers for inaccurate data charges of $1.99 listed as a broadband access charge. You must call to complain to have the money refunded. What's up with that?

New developments in the banking world will make it possible to deposit a check via your smartphone. No more waiting in line at the branch or an ATM!

This service is being offered by USAA, a one-branch bank in Texas that serves military customers all over the world. It is among the 25 largest banks in the country.

Clark's brother is a retired naval officer living in Arizona who has been a USAA customer for decades. A few years ago, he started making his deposits by scanning checks into his computer and e-mailing his deposit, instead of doing it by traditional snail mail.

Once you've received credit for a check that's submitted in this way, you can either file it away or destroy it. Other banks have since followed USAA's lead and adopted similar systems.

Now USAA is experimenting with another groundbreaking deposit option for iPhone users. You can now take a picture and e-mail it in to deposit the money!

Clark loves these kinds of things. They're now possible because of the Check 21 law. Isn't it great to be able to live in one part of the country and use a bank or credit union in another part? This opens up competition to seek better rates or continue banking where you used to live if you wish.

It also opens up the possibility for a "branchless" bank, much like ING Direct.

Half of all children aged 12 and up now have a cell phone, according to global connectivity research outfit Yankee Group.

That means parents have to be especially wary of what are being termed "off deck" deals. That's where the cell phone provider partners with marketers who offer supposedly free ringtones, jokes of the day and other services.

A recent article in The New York Times reported one consumer had a child who responded for a free joke of the day that cost $20!

The cell providers split the money in half with the marketers. Cell providers particularly love those $9.99 add-a-phone offers for kids because the parent accepts responsibility for any charges that are incurred.

It's incumbent on you to teach your kids that they are not to respond to any "free" offers that are being pitched on the cell phone.

If you get hit with "off deck" charges, call up your cell phone company and tell them to remove the charge. Explain that you know they're in cahoots with the marketer.

Our own executive producer Christa got taken in one of these rip-offs. But it was Clark who gets the monthly bill for her cell phone! It took the consumer champ 3 months of bills and calls during each of those months before he finally got the cell phone company to behave.

In addition, be sure to read through your cell bill page by page. Don't get taken advantage of because of how confusing the bills can be.

Meanwhile, The New York Times also reports that some cell providers offer a $60/year service where they agree not to rip you off with all these "off deck" charges. Why should you have to pay a fee to prevent a company from ripping you off as a customer?! That's outrageous.

Google Voice is upsetting the business model of AT&T, Verizon and others by offering free everything!

This service is a real game-changer. Google Voice offers users a single number for their cell, home phone, office phone and more to ring on. Other features include free voicemail, call forwarding and conference calling.

It also offers free unlimited long distance calling in the continental United States and cheap calls overseas. This could be very beneficial for someone with a monopoly landline who has to pay for expensive long distance calls.

In addition, Google Voice has unlimited free text messaging. That means you don't need to pay for it from a cell phone provider. As you might imagine, texting is a massive profit center for the cell providers.

When it emerged that Google Voice was banned from the iPhone, Clark and many others immediately automatically blamed AT&T. Now a recently revealed filing from their contract with Apple proves that assumption correct.

While that's bad enough, what's really troubling is the net neutrality angle. What gives your cell phone carrier the right to be judge, jury and executioner and prevent you from accessing what you want online? And who says they'll stop at your cell phone? Imagine getting internet service through a monopoly company and being told you can't visit a website that they're blocking.

There's a real donnybrook going on between AT&T, the federal government and Google. Google has figured out a way to let iPhone users text and make unlimited calls with the cheapest AT&T data plan.

It's all possible with Google Voice. You can bypass AT&T's block of Google Voice and use the iPhone web browser to access this free service. Google Voice requires an invitation to join. Sign up today because there is a waiting period of 4 to 6 months to get your invitation.

This is just one of the new telecommunications changes coming in the near future. The idea of a company charging you per call is so yesterday's news -- whether the cellular providers like it or not. In short order, Clark predicts we'll be making all calls for free!

If you travel overseas, the consumer champ wants you to know about VoxOx.com, which is in beta and still having the bugs worked out.

VoxOx makes it possible to use your cell phone to call back to the United States for mere pennies a minutes -- instead of $1/minute or more. Once you signup for this free service, all you need is a local SIM chip to start saving.

One man is paying as little as 2.2 cents/minute to call from Thailand to the United States using VoxOx.

Now that's cheap!

Zer01Mobile announced back in the spring that they would offer an extraordinary plan for wireless phone service. But new details that have emerged about the company suggest it's all too good to be true.

According to NetworkWorld.com, Zer01Mobile is worse than just vaporware; it may be an out-and-out fraud involving multi-level marketing. No word yet on if this allegation is true or not.

One of the company's key players has been in trouble with the law over securities fraud, has filed for bankruptcy and allegedly diverted money that he collected for investments to spend on jewelry.

Clark's advice is be very wary of this company until they prove they're an actual legitimate business. Where there's smoke, there may well be fire.

Meanwhile, in more positive news, people have been signing up for the $45/month unlimited calling and texting plan through StraightTalk.com like gangbusters. This is about a third of the price you'd pay with Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint or AT&T for similar service.

Straight Talk actually uses Verizon's network to place calls. So you can go with Verizon and pay $125/month for unlimited calling and texting or you can go with Straight Talk and use Verizon's infrastructure for $45/month. You do the math.

The biggest complaint about Straight Talk so far? A limited selection of phones.

If you don't need their unlimited plan, they also have a $30 monthly plan with 1,000 minutes and 1,000 text messages. That generous offer has prompted T-Mobile to respond with a similar $39/month offer in many markets.

Are you a talkaholic who wants to save money? Google Voice is a free service with great promise for penny-pinchers.

When you sign up for the service, you get a new phone number. That new number rings simultaneously on as many of your existing numbers as you want.

(Editor's note: This service is being rationed out slowly, with groups of new users added from time to time. That's why Clark encourages you to sign up today.)

Google Voice also transcribes voicemails and converts them into text messages. Other features include free call forwarding and conference calling.

But FierceWireless.com recently reported on something that didn't occur to Clark.

Google Voice may allow you to stop paying big bucks for unlimited calling to a select group of "favorite" numbers. You'll be able to route your calls through Google Voice for nada, thereby freeing you up to cut your plan down to the lowest level for unlimited calling. See FierceWireless.com for more details.

Last month, Clark told you about Straight Talk, a new company offering 1,000 minutes and 1,000 text messages for $30/month.

Now Straight Talk is offering unlimited calling and unlimited texting for $45/month! Verizon, T-Mobile, Sprint and AT&T all charge between $100-$145/month for their unlimited services.

Interestingly, Straight Talk actually uses Verizon's network to place calls. So you can go with Verizon and pay $125/month for unlimited calling and texting or you can go with Straight Talk and use Verizon's infrastructure for $45/month. You do the math.

However, one drawback with Straight Talk is that it won't support any smart phones.

In related news, Metro PCS customers can pay $5 extra for unlimited international calling.

If you're like most people, chances are you're overpaying for your cell phone service. So Clark has yet another idea to share if you're looking to trim that monthly bill.

Straight Talk offers a new cellular plan for $30/month. You get 1,000 minutes, 1,000 text messages and 30MB of data (web surfing) for that price. No bills. No overage charges. No activation fees.

Very few people use more than 1,000 minutes/month. The typical person clocks in at 790 minutes and pays an average monthly contract bill of $67, according to Nielsen Mobile studies of U.S. adults on individual cell phone contract plans.

What happens if you go over your limit with Straight Talk? They simply shut you off until next month, or you can start your billing cycle early.

Finally, they're owned by the same company that operates Net 10 and Tracfone.

Sometimes eating humble pie is painful but necessary.

AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson has now admitted that the company's network is not up to snuff with the rollout of all the iPhones. In addition, the honcho has pledged that AT&T will spend billions of dollars to get it together with increased speed and capacity.

This confirms the bevy of complaints Clark has gotten about any smart phone on the AT&T network. Too bad the company was stonewalling for this long.

Stephenson's public about-face likely has to do with the fact that Apple is rumored to be talking to Verizon about offering the iPhone. That would mean AT&T no longer has an exclusive on it.

That's got AT&T scared. So in addition to upping the speed and capacity of their network, AT&T is also set to roll out 4G (fourth generation) data networks much earlier than originally intended. Within 2 years, AT&T's 4G deployment will take place in one city as a trial. Once the bugs are worked out, it will then be rolled out city-by-city.

Looking into the future, the popularity of text, e-mail and IM will gallop past traditional cell calling. For example, Clark's 20 year old almost never talks on her cell; she just uses it to text and visit Facebook.

That shift in usage means that the "bucket of minutes" business model being pushed by T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon and AT&T will go away, probably within 12 months.

The dam has burst: suddenly millions of people are dumping their monopoly-company land lines, and going cell-phone only. This is especially true for those under age 45. It's due to the economy: As people look for ways to trim bills, the land line seems the most redundant, and it's becoming one of the first things people choose to cut.

Monopoly phone companies know this. There have been allegations that they've been making it hard for you to port your land line number over to a cell or internet phone service. But the Feds have recently addressed this with a new sanction that requires them to port (transfer) your number over in one business day. Now, this doesn't include weekends -- so here's a tip: don't port your phone number over on a Friday, as you may find yourself without any phone service at all until the following Monday! Port your number early in the week.

Executive Producer Christa dumped her land line this week, which was tied to her DSL modem. She and her family are now cell-only, and chose to get their internet through Clear, a wireless high speed service that's now in the Atlanta area. She said it was fast and easy to make the switch. And bonus? Her download speed is faster than before. Clear is a new 4G Wi-max service that's newer and faster than Clearwire's previous service, but is only offered in some markets right now. You can check Clear.com to see if it's available in your area.

So is dumping your land line right for you? There are some issues to take into consideration when making your decision. Christa was warned by the phone company that 911 service is not always 100% reliable from cell phones. And if you have a home security monitoring, you'd need to switch to a wireless system.

Finally, try to avoid getting into any long-term bundle contracts with your phone company, as there are a lot of options coming just around the corner.

Clark and his wife were recently watching Coming to America on Bravo and he was struck by how much communication has changed in the world since the movie was released in 1988.

In one scene, Arsenio Hall goes to send a wire -- as in a telegram. When was the last time you heard of anyone doing that?! Later in the movie, another actor makes a call from Queens to Manhattan and it's billed at a long distance rate!

During the commercial breaks, Clark saw a few current spots that were just as outdated in their mentality as the movie was in it's portrayal of communications.

AT&T Wireless' commercial was about rollover minutes. An ad from Verizon Wireless, meanwhile, bragged about how you can call friends on their network and it won't count against your minutes.

Both companies are really lost in time. The idea of charging customers per minute to use a cell phone is antiquated. We're very rapidly moving to a world where all you'll be charged for is service such as voice and data.

Do you want to make a clean break from the dinosaurs of the cell phone world?

The consumer champ has frequently recommended no-contract cell phone carriers like Metro PCS and Cricket. He also likes some of the monthly pre-paid unlimited plans such as Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile.

In addition, for those who are still tethered to the major cell phone carriers, T-Mobile's loyalty plan may benefit those who have been customers for 22 months or longer.

Clark has been harshing on AT&T Wireless over a New York Times report that suggested recent changes to the company's terms of service (TOS) will block access to free TV sites like YouTube and Hulu.

Mark Siegel, Executive Director of Media Relations for AT&T Wireless, came on the show today to offer some clarification. Siegel says you can use your AT&T Wireless phone to go anywhere you want on the Internet; there are no restrictions.

There are, however, certain applications that clog bandwidth so they have been banned. These include Slingbox and other services that redirect a TV signal from its source to your wireless phone.

To summarize Siegel's position, this is a capacity issue, and it has nothing to do with AT&T Wireless' desire to violate net neutrality.

MONEY-SAVING MOMENT: The second-tier operators in the cell phone industry are in an all-out price war that can directly benefit you.

These include a host of smaller companies all competing against the Big 4 cell carriers by offering great deals with no contracts.

The Big 4 -- AT&T, Sprint, Verizon and T-Mobile -- all have a business model that's based on cowardice. They've developed lousy, stinking, rotten 2-year contracts because they're afraid to compete in the marketplace.

But the scrappy players don't fear the marketplace. Now the latest salvo in the price war has been fired by a second-tier operator called Virgin Mobile.

Virgin Mobile is offering $49.99/month unlimited calling -- no roaming charges and no contract. If you want texting, you'll pay an additional $10/month for unlimited service. If you want high-speed Internet, you'll pay another $10/month for 50 megabytes.

This is a direct response to Boost Mobile with their unlimited $50 plan, which includes everything for one low rate -- even junk fees!

Other second-tier operators include Metro PCS and Cricket.

Compare the Boost Mobile and Virgin Mobile plans alongside the offerings from the Big 4. A similar unlimited plan would be $135/month on AT&T or Verizon; $100 on Sprint; or around $115/month on T-Mobile.

Why would anyone want to pay that much money -- other than maybe an iPhone and Gphone user?

Even if you decide to stay with one of the Big 4, Clark recommends at least trying to re-shop your plan with your existing provider. You can often get substantial savings by making that simple tweak. And it generally won't extend your contract. Just double-check to make sure!

Clark is excited to report that he recently read Metro PCS increased its subscriber base by 50% over the past year. For those of you who are unfamiliar, Metro PCS is a no-contract cell phone carrier. All their plans range from $25-$50 and all offer unlimited calling.

The difference in price points is based on how many other features you want -- texting, web surfing, etc. But there are never any contracts or overages.

At a time when people are feeling pinched, companies like Metro PCS, Cricket and Boost Mobile -- all unlimited with no contracts -- are the future of telephoning in the United States.

So that begs the question: Why do you still have a home phone that you don't use that costs you $360 to $600 annually? Why are you with one of the Big 4 cell providers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint or Verizon) who give you a block of minutes and eat you alive if you go over those minutes?

For light cell phone users, there's always Net10.com. No roaming charges, no long distance charges, no monthly fees and a flat 10 cents per minute for calls.

You can see why Clark is pushing you to think outside the box. When your contract with the Big 4 is up, break out of your inertia and examine the alternatives before you sign another 2-year contract.

How would you like to have one device that combines the best features of a GPS, an MP3 player, a digital camera and a smart phone?

That's the scenario currently being enjoyed by 17 million iPhone users, but it comes at a hefty price. What about the rest of us who don't want to pay big bucks every month for the iPhone's AT&T data plan?

Thankfully, 2009 is poised to be the year of the smart phone as Swiss Army knife. They will have functions for just about everything you could want.

A recent Wall Street Journal article detailed what's in store, including the fact that GPS manufacturer Garmin is readying a new line of mobile phones for release later this year.

Elsewhere, Clark also read that Google is getting ready for the second generation of its Gphone.

What a concept. A device that's good for web surfing, e-mailing, as a music player, as a GPS and, by the way, it's a phone too! This will now be affordable for the rest of us non-iPhone users.

After recently harshing on Verizon Wireless over their privacy policy, Clark today heard a rebuttal from Steven Tugentman, the company's SVP/Deputy General Counsel.

Tugentman maintains that Verizon Wireless is not spying on its customers as Clark originally stated. The privacy policy recently sent to customers was done so under federal requirement. Its purpose was to let customers know that the company will share info within its Verizon family of businesses, but you can opt out.

Customer info is not being sold to 3rd parties, nor will the company just designate anyone as an affiliate and then share your info, according to Tugentman.

An example of how Verizon Wireless might use your info is by sharing it with Verizon FiOS for the purpose of pitching Wireless customers on a high-speed Internet bundle.

Clark also discussed the issue of smart phones and triangulation with Tugentman. The consumer champ voiced his reservations that triangulation would allow Verizon to compile dossiers on customer locations.

Tugentman explained that triangulation will only be used to locate a customer for emergency purposes. Other Verizon location-based services -- such as where you can use your GPS to find a restaurant -- require a customer opt in.

Google is beta-testing a new free service called Google Voice that builds on their existing GrandCentral technology.

Google Voice offers one number for all your calls. That means you have one number that rings from all your lines -- no need to give out a home number, an office number, a cell number etc.

In addition, Google Voice offers free calling, voicemail, conferencing and more. There are no monthly fees, no minimums and no sign-up fees. As always, this service is likely to be monetized with ads going forward.

With the voicemail feature, you're also able to listen in as voicemails are being left and pick up in the middle of the call -- just like you would with an answering machine. You can also have voicemails automatically converted into a text message.

But the real market disrupter here is the free conference calling. Companies pay big money for this, and here Google Voice has it for nada!

The service is currently only available to existing GrandCentral customers, but you can also sign up to be notified when Google Voice is fully launched.

Are you a customer of Verizon Wireless, the nation's largest cellular company? If so, heed this special warning…

Verizon Wireless' new privacy policy actually allows them to sell info about your location; who you talk to; how long you talk to them; what websites you log onto when using a smart phone and on and on.

But you don't have to take it. You can opt out online by following these instructions or simply by calling 1-800-333-9956. (Editor's note: Users have reported intermittent problems accessing this link.)

Clark recently went crazy when there was a move to tax motorists based on when they drove; where they drove; and how far. He was upset over the potential invasion of privacy that would result from government snooping around on you to collect taxes.

And you know what? A private industry like Verizon Wireless doing it doesn't make it any better!

There's a fare war going on, but it's not with the airlines. It's with the cell phone carriers!

It all started with Sprint's discount division called Boost Mobile. Boost Mobile offered an unlimited talk/text/web plan for $50/month -- and that includes most of the taxes and junk fees.

The impact on competitors was immediate. Industry reports have suggested that T-Mobile suffered the most defections to Boost Mobile. So T-Mobile has now introduced a loyalty plan to counteract its competitor's pull.

If you've been with T-Mobile for at least 22 months, you're eligible to switch to their all-new $50/month unlimited talk plan. T-Mobile's system supports a lot of great handsets that Clark thinks will appeal to consumers more than Boost Mobile's antiquated hardware. However, T-Mobile charges an additional $20/month for texting and web access vs. Boost Mobile's all-inclusive $50/month deal.

If you're eligible for the T-Mobile loyalty plan, you should see the offer when you log in to your account online. If you don't see it, go to a store and tell them you want to convert.

Verizon and AT&T both have yet to match the $50/month unlimited offers, but Clark thinks loyalty plans should be used industry-wide.

Are you overpaying for your cell phone service? Carriers love to lock customers in contracts because then you're obligated to a much more expensive plan than you typically need.

There are a variety of non-contract plans out in the marketplace that can be a real benefit to consumers.

If you use less than 300 minutes/month, you'd probably do much better with a pre-paid plan where you buy minutes as you need them. Net10.com is one service Clark particularly likes in this arena. There are no roaming charges and Net10 only costs 10 cents/minute.

If you're use more than 300 minutes/month and travel from time to time, you might want to consider Metro PCS or Cricket.

Finally, for heavy cell users, Clark likes Boost Unlimited. They have an all-inclusive $50/month plan that beats many of the big carriers. The only drawback is slightly outdated web surfing capabilities.

Of course, you can port your existing number over from any of the Big 4 carriers -- whether you're currently with AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint or Verizon. Just watch for those early termination fees!

Jitterbug is one company that's had a real corner on the market when it comes to selling senior-friendly cell phones to an aging population. Clark's 85-year-old mother has become a heavy Jitterbug user. Unfortunately, many of their service plans aren't exactly designed with the talkaholic in mind, so it's becoming an expensive habit.

Now there's a new cell phone on the market for seniors that promises to be a more cost-effective option for the heavy user.

Clarity may be expensive at $269, but it allows you to sign up for service -- no contracts necessary -- with T-Mobile or AT&T. (It is not compatible with Sprint or Verizon). If you choose to sign a one-year contract, then the phone only winds up costing you $184.99 out of pocket to purchase.

Clark is going to try the Clarity for his mother (on a T-Mobile plan) because it could very well work out financially for her. The Jitterbug, however, still remains a Clark Smart choice for light-volume calling.

There are so many new products ideas out there for an aging population. It's a real sweet spot in the market that entrepreneurs should be looking to serve.

In another example, LoJack is now making a location-tracking wristband for those with Alzheimer's, autism, Down syndrome, dementia and other cognitive disorders. The cost for service is around $20-$30/month.

Clark's HLN producer Scott is a bona fide Blackberry addict. When his Blackberry started running out of power the other day, he had to scramble to look for a compatible charger. He found someone who had just switched over from the Blackberry to an iPhone, but she still had her old charger on her desk.

Fortunately, Scott's crazed search for a compatible charger may soon be a thing of the past. Some of the cell phone industry's major players have agreed to standardize chargers by 2012, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Approximately 50 million chargers end up in landfills each year as people change phones and have to get rid of their old equipment. So that's a massive reduction in e-waste just around the corner!

Meanwhile, a single cell phone charge may soon last for up to two weeks thanks to new processor technology and new display screen technology. That's great news to someone like Christa who travels with two batteries because she uses her smart phone so heavily!

The Better Business Bureau has released its annual tally of consumer complaints for 2008 and one industry stands head-and-shoulders above the rest for stinking it up.

The envelope, please…and it's…the cell phone industry!

How can a competitive industry with four big national players do so lousy? Clark believes the answer is twofold.

First, the stinking two-year contracts that the industry enforces on its customers are the obvious reason for all the complaints. The providers typically call it an "agreement," but it's really a contract. Verizon recently started getting a little bit kinder and gentler by prorating their contracts and that's created some headway in the industry.

Thankfully, there are also a handful of smaller players like Boost Mobile, Cricket and Metro PCS who are all contract-free.

The second reason is more rooted in speculation than fact: You've got to understand that the cell phone industry grew out of regulated monopoly telephone companies. So contempt for customers is practically imprinted on their DNA, according to Clark, as it is in all monopolies.

As the father of a teenager, there are times when Clark would have liked to have known where his daughter was at a given moment. But high-tech location services have always been very expensive.

Now Google has launched Latitude, a free application compatible with most smart phones -- excluding the iPhone. Latitude allows your cell phone (and you) to be located and positioned on a Google map for others to see.

What Latitude is not is a stalker service; it's a permission-based program that requires you to voluntarily agree to be tracked and lets you control who can track you.

Google is positioning Latitude for the social networking crowd. As Clark says, the idea is that you and your buddies can locate each other on a Saturday night if they sign up for this service.

In a separate development, Google has made 1.5 million public domain books available for free download to select phones -- including the iPhone.

This could be great if you're stuck at the airport gate and want to read a chapter of a book. But there's nothing more annoying to Clark than reading an entire book on a cell phone screen. Unless, of course, you're doing it on a Kindle -- the electronic book reader from Amazon.

Looking to get out of your cell phone contract? CellTradeUSA.com offers you the chance. The type of phone you have is very important when you're looking to swap -- that is, the "hotter" your phone, the more likely someone else will want it.

Sprint contracts are typically the hardest to exit. The reason is twofold: First, they have abysmal customer no service. Second, many of their phone choices lack in the coolness factor and that makes them harder to unload. On the flip side, if you're looking to take an existing contract over from someone else, you may have luck with Sprint users.

As always, if you're looking for a new cellular provider, Clark advises people to check out Net 10, a smaller carrier that's been great for those who do minimal talking. Right now, however, Net 10 also offers an unlimited calling plan for $79/month -- that's unlimited calling and unlimited texting. Another possible alternative could be Virgin Mobile USA.

How can Net 10 afford to just throw in unlimited texting while the bigger carriers charge up to 20 cents/text if you're not on an unlimited plan? Because the actual cost of texting is zero; there are no incremental costs, no marginal costs, nada. The technology piggybacks on the existing voice system. In fact, there's currently a Congressional investigation into why the big providers raised the price from 10 cents/text to 20 cents/text.

Finally, Clark suggests trying to go the femtocell route if you're looking to dump your home phone.

MONEY-SAVING MOMENT: Does Clark have a deal for all you talkaholics! A new shot has been fired in the price war over unlimited cell phone plans.

Most of the Big 4 carriers have plans that hover near $100/month. But on Thursday, Jan. 22, Boost Mobile will roll out a nationwide unlimited calling/texting/web plan with no contracts for just $50/month.

There are, however, some downsides. The cell phones available through Boost are antiquated, according to Clark. And they're not subsidized, so be sure to look on eBay or Craigslist for a deal on a used one. In addition, Boost operates on the Nextel network, which doesn't always offer the best call quality.

Clark's hope is that the Boost deal establishes a new competitive price point that will put pressure on the Big 4 to match.

In related news, AT&T actually spammed their own customers with unsolicited texts by the millions telling them to watch American Idol! Thankfully, they didn't charge those customers who weren't on unlimited texting plans, but there's been no formal apology for the spam text as of yet.

Finally, AT&T and Verizon customers looking to stop spam texts will benefit from reading New York Times technology blogger David Pogue's tips.

Looking for an easy way to reduce your monthly budget in 2009? Consider dropping your landline and going cell phone only. About 1 in 5 Americans have disconnected their home phone, while an additional 13% say they have a home phone that they never use. That's about one-third of all Americans who are cell phone only or very near to it.

Whenever Clark discusses this issue, he hears from those people who say, "Well, what do I do after a natural disaster when my cell phone doesn't work?"

The consumer champion recalls doing medievac work down in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. There were no working cell phones. However, the cable operator was still working. Vonage saved the day for many people who would have been otherwise cut off. Today, many emergency personnel even have satellite phones in the event of an emergency.

Can you go cell phone only -- with a VoIP service like Skype as a backup -- and get rid of your home phone?

Another common objection to dropping the landline is that people say they need it for their burglar alarm system. But professional burglars will simply cut the phone line before going in. That's why security consultants routinely recommend wireless monitoring instead.

Remember, the typical local phone bill is between $30 and $50 each month. That could be $360 or $600 back in your pocket annually if you make the jump.

Are you one of those people who forget to charge your cell phone, music player or laptop? Gadgets have a way of running out of juice just when we need them most. But power drains may no longer be an issue for consumers in the next year.

A new generation of fuel cells that promise days and days of power are being readied for the marketplace. A charger the size of a cigarette pack will use butane to power a fuel cell that can, for example, plug into the USB slot on your laptop. Just a teaspoon of butane gives the fuel cell 20 times the life of a traditional battery.

One Massachusetts company founded by former MIT researchers hopes to have a fuel cell on the market in some 12 or 15 months.

Clark wants to unveil the results of Consumer Reports' annual survey of the cell phone industry -- just in time for the flurry of activity in December and January when people switch carriers.

We get so many complaints about the nation's cell phone companies. It used to be that our complaints were all about cable, cable, cable. But recent customer satisfaction surveys from the University of Michigan find the cable and cell phone industries neck-in-neck at the bottom of the heap.

Cable providers are monopolies so it's natural for them to specialize in customer no service. But what gives in the cell phone world -- where you have multiple players competing for your business?

Sprint is again rated the lowest on customer satisfaction, dropped calls and customer service. Yet the new survey also finds that middle-of-the-pack AT&T has dropped to low Sprint-like levels for the first time when it comes to customer service.

In another surprise, Alltel has been singled out for great rates and customer service. However, Alltel is only available in certain areas for about 60 million Americans.

T-Mobile holds steady with good customer service and very competitive rates among the national players. And Verizon continues to be the best overall company, but they're very expensive.

Are you in a non-Alltel area and looking for a compromise? Clark suggests T-Mobile -- the only carrier that will work with the Google Phone.

Looking for a "poor man's Blackberry"? Try the Peek, an e-mail/texting device available at Target and online for around $79. There's also a $20 monthly fee for unlimited e-mail/texting service.

If you have a teen that is eating up your wallet with texting, the Peek could present a solution. While the Peek is targeted to a younger market, Clark also thinks the device's ease of use would appeal to senior citizens.

In related news, the latest polling shows that people are generally opposed to fellow passengers using cell phones on planes. Who among us hasn't sat next to someone yapping on a handset?

Britain has come up with an interesting solution to the problem. In the U.K., all trains are required to have quiet cars where cell phone chatter and other loud noises are banned. To make sure no one violates the quiet car rule, they've put a film on the windows to blocks cell signals!

Clark has a big announcement for your wallet that may make you want to rethink cell phone contracts. Metro PCS and Cricket -- 2 smaller players living in the shadows of the Big 4 carriers -- have teamed up to create what Clark calls the "poor man's" nationwide network.

For $45/month, both now provide unlimited calling in extended areas of the country. Previously, Metro and Cricket wouldn't tread in each other's market territory. But now Metro customers can use their phone in Cricket markets and vice-versa, thanks to a new agreement. So you can pay effectively half the price of what the Big 4 charge and get unlimited calling with no contracts.

With Metro and Cricket, all they do is save you money. You won't get the kind of sleek handsets you would with AT&T, Sprint, Verizon or T-Mobile. But who couldn't use some extra cash in their pockets every month? A typical person can save $1,000 annually by making the switch from the Big 4 to either Metro or Cricket.

As AT&T has begun offering TV in more and more markets, they're also exploring the idea of metered Internet usage in Nevada. Why? They want to discourage customers from firing them for TV and getting their content for free over the Internet. Clark previously railed about Time Warner doing the same thing.

Contrast this kind of approach with what you find in South Korea. Their Internet costs one-eighth what it does over here and it is typically 20 times faster than ours. For those under 35, they all use the Internet or Internet-enabled phones for free TV content. Nobody pays for TV.

Our Internet experience is one of the worst in the developed world. It's the monopolies that prevent our Internet experience from becoming robust and affordable. Hopefully, Clearwire will change all that.

In related news, many AT&T and Verizon customers are disconnecting their DSL service and going to cable modem. Look for the phone companies to do some serious discounting in an attempt to keep their customer base. For example, Verizon has a triple play bundle with a lead price of $79/month.

Meanwhile, Clark wants to remind you about the femtocell services that are available. Back in June, he discussed T-Mobile @ Home -- where for $10/month you can fire your phone company and get unlimited calling using your cell phone. Sprint has a similar thing called the Airave -- which he discussed in August -- but there's no unlimited calling with their service. Now Business Week reports that both AT&T and Verizon are planning to offer their own femtocells too. No word yet on the roll-out date.

Clark is amazed at how quickly the prices on tech items keep dropping. Right now, he wants to shares a historical note that he's actually very embarrassed about. Back in the '80s when he owned a chain of travel agencies, he had a pager that would go off all the time. So he'd pull off the road, find a payphone and drop in a dime to make a call.

He later got a huge, clunky carphone secondhand for $1,025. Getting it new would have cost him nearly $2,500! Then he had to pay an installer a few hundred dollars to wire it up in his car. In addition, he paid $35/month for service, plus 35 cents/minute for usage. There were no free minutes back then and he couldn't call long distance.

Contrast that with Clark's experience when he was recently in England and had to get a new worldphone. He went to the Carphone Warehouse chain and bought an unlocked phone for $14. He also purchased a chip to go in the phone that let him call back to the United States for 6 cents/minute. Wow!

If you're going to Europe, you should know about LycaMobile.com. They sell ultra-cheap chips that you can use to call back for practically zip -- some 6 or 10 cents/minute.

In related news, T-Mobile is releasing the first phone that will operate on the Android platform. Clark compares this to the next revolution after the iPhone. Whereas the iPhone is a closed system, the Android phones allow the use of open-source software with its limitless possibilities. T-Mobile is selling their phone for $148 at Wal-Mart.

Meanwhile, Clark's been hearing about iPhone customers using their phones as a substitute for home Internet service and disconnecting the latter. The penny-pincher loves that they've found a way to take a money burner like the iPhone and turn it into a money saver!

Clark has long coveted the iPhone, but he's too cheap to get one. Recently, his wife has been hinting that she'd like one as a present.

But Clark may be able to stave off his wife's iPhone fever thanks to a new website called Kinoma.com. If you have a Palm-based or Windows-based phone, you can use Kinoma's software -- for a onetime fee of $29 -- to enjoy video, audio and pictures on your handset. Kinoma can simulate an iPhone-like user experience on a non-iPhone device.

Cellular technology is advancing so fast that your mobile phone may soon replace your wallet. Clark thinks that within 12 month, we'll begin using our cells to pay for things here in the United States.

It's already the preferred way to buy at vending machines in Japan. In Africa, meanwhile, cells are used to pay for everything via text messaging. In fact, many African currencies are so unstable that people transfer minutes as currency instead!

Clark's new Sprint femtocell has really improved his cell reception at home. He and his wife are now getting 9 bars on their cells! The ads show 5 bars -- who knew you could have 9?!

Sprint's femtocell retails for around $100 and there's a monthly fee of $5 for the service.

It's similar in concept to T-Mobile's HotSpot @ Home, which Clark recently discussed on the show.

With the T-Mobile solution, you can ditch your landline, transfer it to T-Mobile and get home phone service via your cell with your pre-existing number.

Now let's take a closer look at prices. With Sprint, you have to pay an additional $10 for unlimited calling -- and that's just for one cell. So if you're a family with 2 cell phones, you could wind up paying $25/month ($5 monthly fee + $20 for 2 numbers) vs. $10 for unlimited calling from HotSpot @ Home.

In related news, Clark routinely trashes "add-a-cell" plans because of the danger they pose to your wallet. Watch out if you're a parent and you add a teen to your plan. Thankfully, both Verizon and T-Mobile now are setting up parental usage controls online. They can be used to prevent your teen from subscribing to costly 3rd party text messaging services.

Sprint may not be beloved for its customer service, but Clark thinks they've done a good job of embracing cutting-edge technology in the mobile world. He's now able to get live TV on his Sprint cell phone -- much to the joy of his 9-year-old daughter who loves to watch Hannah Montana!

The only drawback is that Clark finds he's constantly in need of his charger because the TV function drains his battery.

Last year, Clark revealed how Sprint was experimenting with "femtocells" in select cities. Femtocells are essentially tiny cell towers you can put in your home to improve reception.

They should not be confused with "fembots" from Austin Powers!

Sprint now is readying a national rollout of a new femtocell product called Airave for around $100. Think of it as a home-based cell tower that -- for a connectivity fee of $4.99/month -- will use your broadband connection to deliver a reliable, crystal-clear connection. This should help Sprint customers who have spotty reception at their homes.

And it's just the next step in the evolution of the cell phone destroying the need for an antiquated landline!

With cell phones becoming so commonplace, the cell carriers are wondering where to get their next million customers. Clark thinks they may tap the preschool market after they get done with the elementary school kids! In reality, they're focused on taking things that have become popular overseas and bringing them here.

Throughout Asia, you can go up to a restaurant that you don't know anything about; hold your phone up to the window; and photograph a barcode of sorts. That will bring up customer reviews and other information about the restaurant on your handset. The San Francisco Chronicle reports a similar service has now launched in the Golden Gate City. Look for it to become more widespread during the next 18 months to 2 years.

This business model won't just apply to restaurants. Let's say you're reading a magazine. There's an ad for a new release from your favorite musical artist. You'll soon be able to hold your phone up to a barcode on the page and cue up a sample of the artist's latest music. You'll also be able to click a button and purchase their new album. The cell carriers will, of course, get a cut of any e-commerce transactions.

Ultimately, you'll be surfing the web on your cell phone -- if you don't already do so. Clark recently got a Sprint PPC 6800 when his old cell broke. It turns out the PPC is the first cell phone to surf the web at high speeds like DSL or cable modem. When the Crackberry first came out, almost no one used it. Today 14 million Americans are Crackberry addicts. So the web will be huge on cell phones, and the barcode business model will be a part of the coming revolution.

People love their cell phones, but hate their cell phone providers. The Better Business Bureau now reports that the cell phone business has received more complaints than any other industry for 3 consecutive years. There are now 22 states with bills in various stages of consideration or adoption all seeking to establish a cell phone users' bill of rights. The response of the cell carriers has been to spend millions to fund lobbyists who are trying to get rules bent in the industry's favor. Why not just fix the bad business model instead? We're not talking about dropped calls here; we're talking about those rotten 2-year contracts. Clark is hard-pressed to find another country in the world that does these contracts.

For the longest time, the cell carriers argued that contracts were necessary because they helped subsidize the cost of cell phones. But this explanation turned out to be bogus; iPhone customers had to pay full market price for their phones, and then they were still forced into a contract! Clark has long thought consumers should be offered the choice to either buy a phone at market value with no carrier strings attached, or sign the 2-year contract with one carrier and get a free phone.

Meanwhile, all of the carriers are in cahoots with crooks. If you're not on an unlimited text messaging plan, they get paid every time you receive an unwanted spam text message. They're also ripping off teens (and their parents) by billing on behalf of third party carriers that offer ring tones and other premium services.

Why is there no movement in Washington, D.C., on the issue of a cell phone users' bill of rights? Simply put, the members of the U.S. House and Senate are in their Capitol Hill bubble. The cell industry is trying to get a preemption law that will make it illegal for any state to pass a rule governing the industry. Sounds like they're taking a cue from the airlines who managed to get New York's air passenger bill of rights overturned!

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.

RIP-OFF ALERT: AT&T has just settled (and T-Mobile is facing) a lawsuit over 3rd party aggregator charges. These are the stray charges on your bill for Internet services, ringtones or what have you. Your carrier gets a split of money from the crooks that post these bogus charges on your statement, a practice now being called "off decking."

The sad thing is that most people don't even notice the charges. That's because their bills are automatically charged to a credit card or auto-debited from a checking account. It's as if you give the crooks permission by not checking your bill.

The simple solution is to get a copy of your statement and vet it carefully every month. Clark goes through his bill page-by-page and calls his carrier if something doesn't make sense.

The carriers feel they're caught in the middle; they don't initiate the charges, they only act as billing agents. But Clark has trouble with this rationale because they're getting money from off decking.

On a related note, do you have teens added to your cell plan? Tell them not to respond to any texting offers for free ringtones, games, etc. These offers are all hazard and no opportunity.

Many Americans are so addicted to their Blackberry devices that they've become "Crackberry" addicts. In fact, Clark knows that he could easily become one -- but he's taken preventative steps to ensure it doesn't happen.

Recently he was at the dentist when his smartphone began buzzing with incoming calls. So he actually took it out -- while the hygienist was hovering over him -- to see who called him. He'd be done in if he had a Blackberry that delivered e-mails on constant feed!

A new English study finds that 1 in 3 Blackberry users show addiction signs similar to alcoholism. While out at a restaurant, Clark noticed a couple both on their Blackberries during a candlelit dinner. That's definitely not a good way to earn brownie points with your date.

Some 14 million people now have Blackberries because they think it frees them up. But really it's more of a burden that makes you less productive, according to the study. You work more, but you're not necessarily more productive.

While Clark likes the convenience and portability of a Blackberry, he vows never to have a portable phone device that automatically feeds e-mails as they arrive. Christa, however, has wagered $1 that says Clark will have to eat his words in a few years. She expects all handheld devices to auto-deliver e-mails as a standard feature in the near future.

Clark has set his smartphone to deliver e-mail about 14 times a day. That way he doesn't get oversaturated. But Kim has already noticed that Clark is conditioned to look at his phone whenever it vibrates with an incoming call. Is he moving slowly but surely toward Crackberry addiction? Only time will tell…

The number of landline disconnects continues to spike as Americans ditch their monopoly phone company service. That can be a very smart financial move. But what do you do if your cellular gets a lousy signal in your house?

There are a couple of marketplace solutions. T-Mobile offers an At Home service (for $10/month extra) that allows unlimited calling through your high-speed Internet line.

A device called zBoost, meanwhile, works like an early car phone with a booster and antenna to get a better signal at home. That one costs about $169 and is available through Wi-Ex.com. (Editor's note: Link no longer active as of June 4, 2009.)

Over the next few years, there will be more competitors and zBoost will get cheaper. Then you'll really have no excuse to not disconnect your landline!

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!

The iPhone has been the phone to beat since it first came out. During a recent trade show, many companies rolled out plans for their hot new iPhone killers. Samsung has gotten a lot of buzz with a new model called the Instinct, which supposedly surfs the web at 10 times the speed of an iPhone. The Instinct should be available for Sprint customers at the end of the spring.

There's so much good stuff just around the corner. Clark's phone is from a Taiwanese company called HTC. It has a built-in GPS as a standard feature. Unlike other GPS systems, this one works off cell towers instead of satellites. Meanwhile, American cell phone companies have blocked Skype from their units so they can continue ripping off people on international calls. The FCC has upheld the block, but they're bound to lose in a few years when the case works its way through the courts.

Clark's executive producer Christa is walking on air because the penny-pinching guru recently converted their company cell phone plan to unlimited minutes. No longer will Clark and Christa have to fool around with 2 phones -- they used to carry one with unlimited minutes for local calling and another with a leash of minutes for all other calls. Clark decided to go with a Verizon plan that includes web surfing, texting, IM, music, e-mail, GPS and TV capabilities all for a flat rate! As a self-proclaimed flake, Christa says she's excited that she now only has to hold on to one phone.

Just days ago, Clark told you about Verizon's unlimited calling plan for $99. Verizon's move prompted AT&T and T-Mobile to match or best their offer in subsequent days. Sprint, meanwhile, took its time before jumping into the fray. Sprint was busy reporting a $30 billion loss and a projected drop of more than 1,000,000 customers over the next quarter. But if you're into deals, boy, does Sprint have one for you. They're offering unlimited calling, web surfing, texting, e-mail, GPS and TV for $99 per month. Each additional subscriber will pay $5 less per month on a family plan. This is a real long pass and Sprint is hoping it doesn't bomb. This move represents a real seismic shift in the cell business. Cell carriers have historically made big money on overages. But the future will be all about unlimited calling in different tiers (local, domestic, and even international). Meanwhile, new stats show that 33 million Americans are now exclusive cell users. That figure is up 50% in a year and will only grow.

Many years ago, Clark switched his mom's phone service to a non-traditional company that offered better rates and more features. That worked out fine for years. Then his mom recently moved, and an unreal odyssey began when they tried to get her phone service moved from the old address to her new one. Now his 83-year-old mom is without her landline. This is really laughable in 2008 when it takes just hours to move a phone number between cell phone companies. Clark had been trying for years with no success to get his mom to use a cell phone, but they aren't always senior friendly.

Recently Clark signed his mom up for a cell phone service called Jitterbug that's designed for senior citizens. Now she's a cell user for the first time in her life -- so much so that it will now be a big expense! In fact, she may no longer care about her landline when it does eventually get hooked up. There's a real business opportunity out there for entrepreneurs who can develop products that take modern technology and make it easy for elders to use. After all, seniors have all the money; why should technology exclusively be geared toward young people? Someone will make a bundle creating simplicity out of complexity.

Clark is a frequent traveler, and it's not too long ago that he recalls people queuing up in airports at endless banks of payphones. The mad rush for payphones in the pre-cell phone days gave rise to a dangerous crime called shoulder surfing. Criminals would pretend to videotape family members near the gates, but they'd really be filming people punching in their long-distance calling card numbers. The crooks would turn around and sell those codes all around the country within minutes of filming.

The days of shoulder surfing are now long gone; payphones may be the next to go. AT&T has announced that it's getting out of the payphone business. There are some 300 million people in our country and more than 250 million of them have cell phones. The 50 million that don't is largely made up of children, such as Clark's 2-year-old son and his 8-year-old daughter. But while we no longer have to worry about shoulder surfing, we can still fall victim if our cell phones are stolen. Clark gets tons of calls from people who get stuck with a huge bill when criminals make international calls on their phones. So it may be wise to get your international long distance blocked. At the very least, be sure to report your phone stolen as soon as possible. That way you'll be able to avoid this costly mess. On a related note, Continental Airlines in Houston now allows you to check in with your cell phone just by showing your e-boarding pass.

The Super Bowl is the biggest moment of the year for the ad industry. The cell phone industry, meanwhile, has the holiday season as its annual pinnacle. This is the time of year when people who are just getting out of their 2-year contracts look to switch carriers. So you'll see the Big Four advertising everywhere in an effort to woo new business. T-Mobile is one company that tends to give an early Christmas gift to the people every year. T-Mobile is like the weak sister of the Big Four, which is a shame because the Jan. '08 issue of Consumer Reports ranked it just behind Verizon in overall satisfaction. The irony here is that Verizon is the most expensive and T-Mobile is the cheapest of the bunch. In fact, T-Mobile is like the great compromise: You get the best rates and it's the one carrier people hate the least.

T-Mobile's current sale is a real winner. They're offering 1,500 peak minutes for $39/month. Notice that $40 is a real price point in this business; all the companies offer comparably priced plans before junk fees and add-ons. But 1,500 minutes is what makes this offer a keeper. For $10 more a month, you get the 1,500 peak minutes and unlimited free calling after 9 p.m. and on weekends. Just grab these T-Mobile deals fast because they probably won't be around for long. On a related note, Consumer Reports says that Sprint came in dead last in 20 major markets across the country. AT&T didn't do too much better; they came in just a hair above Sprint. But AT&T has a new leader that Clark thinks will turn things around, while Sprint remains leaderless.

There are a number of new developments in the cell phone world that have Clark excited. There's a low voltage price war between a few smaller carriers that most people don't know about, plus Verizon has an exciting new development. Let's begin with the Verizon news. Starting next year, you'll be able to bring any phone to their network and use it without having to buy a Verizon phone. You can thank Google for this. It turns out that Verizon is scared of Google launching an open wireless market. So they're trying to make themselves more competitive.

The other big news involves buying cell phone minutes, which is part of an outdated business model that may be on its way out. The move started initially with Cricket and Metro PCS, who both offer unlimited calling for a flat rate starting around $35/month. But traveling with these companies has always been a problem. Now Sprint's sub-brand, Boost Unlimited, is offering unlimited calling plans for $45/month in a dozen or so new states. Boost has an edge over Cricket and Metro because they only charge 15 cents/minute if you travel and leave your home calling area. If you're a business traveler, you may also want to check out Helio.com, which offers unlimited Internet, texting, calling and more for $119/month.

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.

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.

Some of you may recall when Clark mentioned that Google is trying to develop a cell phone you can use for free in return for watching ads on it. It's been one of the worst kept secrets in the electronics industry. Google is getting ready to bid on spectrum at an upcoming federal auction to facilitate the proposed build-out. Mind you there's be no confirmation from Google of all this. But Verizon is terrified that Google will launch free cell phone service and destroy their costly pricing model. In fact, Verizon filed suit against the federal government trying to invalidate the rules for the upcoming auction.

How realistic is it that cell phone use could be free? Well, in Britain there's already a company called Blyk that offers free calling and free text messaging. The initial Blyk rollout is only for people between the ages of 16 and 24 -- so they can tightly target them with certain ads. Coca-Cola was one of the first advertisers to sign up. So what Google is talking about behind the scenes is already happening overseas. Meanwhile, Clark thinks Verizon is foolish to try to use the courts to block innovation. The truth is that they run a good company, and they shouldn't be afraid to compete in the free market.

What's the price of web surfing nowadays when you travel abroad? Whatever it is, Clark doesn't like to pay it! That's why he was excited in 2003 when he first heard about some vaporware from FON. This Spanish company now offers a router that allows consumers to share their Internet connection with travelers passing through their area. In return for sharing upfront, they too get free Internet around the world from other members when they travel. This is a big deal in Europe where British Telecom is installing 2.7 million FON routers across England. If you become a phone member here in the United States, you will routinely have access to free Internet when you travel overseas. So what's the cost? FON sells their router for a one-time fee of $40 -- that's it! Some cable and phone companies in the United States are hostile to this sharing model, but Time Warner is among those who have embraced it. Clark plans to order a FON router for his condo building in Florida and make his Internet connection available to his fellow residents for free. FON's routers even come with security so others can't eyeball your financial info. On a related note, The Los Angeles Times recently reported that both AT&T and Verizon reserve the right to fire customers if they say anything bad about them. Why should they monitor free speech? Clark thinks it's shameful what these monopolies are doing.

The iPhone has been a huge hit for Apple. It's also left a lot of people disgruntled because of Apple's exclusive deal with AT&T. Users of the iPhone are handcuffed to a two-year contract with the phone carrier. Apple released the iTouch to quell some of the criticism. The iTouch has the look and feel of the iPhone and all its bells and whistles. But it is not enabled for phone service! Now Verizon has become envious of the iPhone's success and done something it never does. The company has announced some vaporware in the form of competing products that are due around Christmas. They're supposed to be like the iPhone or even better, but we'll have to wait and see if they materialize. No word yet if T-Mobile or Sprint will do the same.

Clark recently was in an Apple store in a mall and it was packed with people on a night when other the stores were empty. Customers were playing with Macintosh computers, iBooks, iPods, nanos, iPhones and more. The sleekness of Apple products looks like something from a science fiction movie of the future. Clark is really impressed with Apple's design sense. For example, Clark's wife has a Mac now for her business. It cost a fortune, and Clark could have bought four desktop PCs running Vista for the price his wife paid. But his wife has a connection with her Mac like it's a person. That's because Apple's Steve Jobs is a creative genius who knows how to really make products pop. Look at Pixar. Also co-founded by Jobs, Pixar combines artistry and electronics in a way that's warm, exciting, colorful and stylish. Most people are willing to pay for all the pizzazz -- but not Clark!

Do you get spam text messages on your cell phone? Clark recently got the same spam message on both of his cell phones from two different carriers. It was a text message for a "hot" stock that he later read was making the rounds. This whole field has become a new battleground in the cell phone business as spammers have moved from e-mail to text messages. The cell phone companies benefit whenever you get spammed because most people are on metered plans and pay five or 10 cents for every text they receive. If this sounds like you, call your carrier and ask to be reimbursed or credited for every spam text that hits your phone. After all, it's your money -- no matter how little it is. You may also want to get unlimited text messaging if you have teens on your plan. Some teens use text messaging a hundred times a day! Finally, you might also want to have international calling blocked on your cell. This will protect you from hefty expenses if your phone is stolen and someone tries to call overseas.

As the nation's third largest cell-phone provider, Sprint has caught a lot of heat from Clark over the years. He often cites the company as perhaps the worst example of customer-no-service in modern American capitalism. But Clark isn't the only one slamming the company. Consumer Reports, the American Customer Satisfaction Index and J.D. Power have all given Sprint the lowest ranking in their surveys of the four major cell-phone providers. The company recently went through a quarter where they lost a lot of customers, but now they're slowly gaining some back.

Today Clark gave Jerry Adriano -- Sprint's VP of Customer Experience -- air time to outline how the company is trying to improve itself. Adriano explained that after many requests, Sprint is now confirming all customer transactions via e-mail to ensure there are no misunderstandings when you speak to a representative. They're also going a step further by rolling out "transaction wizard" software on their end to guide customer service reps through all transactions steps. On the retail level, Sprint wants to address its understaffing problems so that customers will be served whether they're at a store to make a new purchase, have a phone repaired or get some help with routine account maintenance. A lot of these changes have been in the works for the past three or four months, so if you're not already seeing them in place you should in the next 60 days. Adriano also advises customers to use the existing tools online for help, such as the rate plan advisor tool and the network coverage tool. Finally, he shared an e-mail address Sprint has set up to help customers get their issues resolved. Customers should send their problems to customerresolutioncenter@sprint.com and include name and contact info.

The Apple nation is in an uproar because the computer giant has slashed iPhone prices by $200. When the iPhone first hit the market, it sold for $600; now it's selling for $400. All the Apple loyalists who stood in line and camped out to buy the iPhone on the first day feel the company owes them back their extra $200. Early adopters always get their wallet emptied out for them. They pay big money to deal with the bugs of something that's new so the rest of us can benefit from it down the road at cheaper prices. No word yet from Apple if they'll make any concessions to those who paid $600. Meanwhile, one big gripe from iPhone users has been that the whole system is built on AT&T's outdated Edge system. So now Apple is offering the iPod Touch. For the same price, the Touch features all the iPhone capabilities except for the phone service! It works on wifi networks, so savvy customers who use Skype and other VoIP providers will still be able to use it to make calls.

In other tech news, there's a new product out there being marketed under the Vudu brand. Vudu is essentially a $400 box that hooks up to your TV and allows you to watch movies on demand instantly. There are 5,000 titles at your fingertips ranging in price from 99 cents for older films to $3.99 for new releases. When you hit play, the movie starts with no download delay. This is possible because the first few minutes of all the movies are stored in the Vudu box. The remainder of the film you select is then downloaded while you watch the flick uninterrupted. Best of all you don't have to leave your home to rent a DVD or wait for it to come in your mailbox. This is very convenient, but you'll be a beta tester if you buy this now. Historically, whenever you shell out for new electronics you're always at a disadvantage. Clark recalls paying $499 for his first GPS unit and now he sees sleeker models that are easier to use for $149!

Metro PCS and Cricket may be getting ready to merge. These companies are like the Southwest Airlines of the cell phone business. They run extra-lean operations and undercut traditional cell phone operators by a handsome margin, passing the savings on to customers. With Metro and Cricket, flat-rate calling usually starts at $30/month for unlimited calling. The only problem is that if you travel, you may or may not be able to use your phone because Metro and Cricket don't have coverage across the country. Metro is now looking at the possibility of buying Cricket's parent company. If this happens, it would create a fifth major player in the telecommunications industry. Metro and Cricket together would offer an all-you-can eat buffet, so to speak, instead of having customers sign terrible contracts and pay all kinds of fees like the other four major providers do. Clark is guessing that Sprint or T-Mobile will be the first to cry uncle and start offering more customer-orientated plans if the merger takes place. Sprint is already offering some such plans through their Boost Mobile division. Things can only get better for the consumer!

Do you need yet another reason to dump the three monopoly phone companies -- Verizon, AT&T and Qwest -- and their outdated landlines? Well, here it is: Verizon is playing dirty pool by getting into the AT&T game of charging customers a fee for long distance even if you don't use long distance. The Verizon fee is a couple of bucks a month, but AT&T had been charging people between three and five dollars to not use long distance! So unless you absolutely need a landline, why not liberate yourself? Here's the problem the phone companies are facing: They fought very hard to be able to sell long distance, but then people started using their cell phones, pre-paid cards, the Internet and/or cable phone companies to make their long distance calls. In fact, the cable companies usually offer unlimited long distance. So now the monopoly phone companies are fighting a losing battle.

Clark advises anyone who has older parents to go through their phone bill and see if you can save them money by enrolling them in Lifeline, which is a much more affordable tariff-rated service that seniors can get. Also be aware that if your parents have been in same residence since the early '80s, they may be paying a lease for telephones they had back then. Those fees could cumulatively amount to thousands of dollars, so be on the lookout on your folks' behalf. Finally, one last tip for saving money when it comes to your landline: If you pay for an unlisted number, why not just change it to a listed number and make up the name in the listing? Clark doesn't care if you call yourself Abraham Lincoln, the point is just to stop paying extra and unnecessary fees!

Few industries have higher dissatisfaction rates than the cell phone industry. That's probably because Verizon, AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile continue stubbornly to force people into lousy two-year contracts. When you sign up, you get a phone for a very little or free that comes with a two-year agreement, usually printed in mice type. The contract is like a handcuff that forces you to stick with the carrier whether they're doing a good job or not. Fortunately a lot of the growth in the cell phone field has been with under-the-radar players like MetroPCS, Cricket, Boost Mobile (a division of Sprint) and others. Many of these companies offer unlimited calling with no contract. Verizon is staring to wise up slightly and now pro-rates its fees for cancelling a contract. But AT&T still claims that contracts subsidize the cost of free phones. So how do they explain the fact that the iPhone, which retails for between $500-$600, has a two-year contract? There's no logic here.

AT&T recently lost a lawsuit in a federal court of appeals that will now pave the way for a number of class-action lawsuits. The company had hoped to prevent customers from going the class-action route by forcing them into kangaroo court arbitration. But the courts ruled this practice is illegal. Now one of the class-action suits coming down the pike alleges AT&T continued forcing customers into contracts even when its network couldn't handle the number of subscribers and the company's call reliability dropped. Keep in mind that you can try getting out of your contract by trading it away if you're not the class-action type. CellTradeUSA.com is one company that charges a fee of about $20 to transfer your contract to someone else. And remember that when you get some mice type in the mail saying the service fees are changing, that is your opportunity to exit from your contract without paying a cancellation fee.

The United States has fallen to around 45th in the world in Internet availability and use because our government allows the phone and cable companies to monopolize the field as Internet service providers. But there's something really good coming down the pike, according to Clark. With TV switching its signals from analogue to digital, the stations are giving back their analogue spectrums to the government. The licenses for these spectrums will soon be auctioned to new players who will use them for all kinds of new communication possibilities. So the feds will be helping to create a licensing opportunity for an open system -- a high-speed network that Google may own if it wins the auction. This open system will accommodate cell phones that surf the Internet at high speeds for extra cheap, plus it will host new devices that we can't even imagine yet. Once that day comes, we'll leapfrog from 45th place to much higher. Then the phone and cable monopolies will have to innovate or become obsolete in the marketplace.

Already there's been a lot of talk in the cell phone industry about how America is one of the few places where you can't just use any brand of cell phone you want on any carrier of your choice. Verizon in particular is hostile to any open-market changes. In fact, many cell phones manufacturers have to remove factory-enabled functions in their phones before Verizon, Sprint and other will adopt their product for their systems. AT&T, on the other hand, took the opposite approach when it allowed Apple to pack all kinds of goodies into the iPhone. Maybe soon Verizon, Sprint and the others will smell the coffee and open their systems. On a related note, look for companies to offer unlimited cell phone calling for free in the future -- in return for delivering ad content to your mobile handset. Virgin Mobile is already experimenting with this business model, and it's going to be great for people on a tight budget.

There are some new technological developments that Clark is very excited about. Say, for example, you want hi-speed internet. If you call your phone company to get it, you'll find out that you must purchase a landline as a prerequisite. The phone monopolies think they're smart pushing obsolete landline technology on consumers who want modern DSL. But the phone companies are just outsmarting themselves. When younger customers seek DSL, they don't even think about installing a phone line. They simply go through their cable companies and sidestep companies like AT&T and Verizon completely. So AT&T is now experimenting with offering what's called naked DSL that stands alone without having the requirement of a landline.

The Chicago Tribune reports AT&T will roll out a naked DSL trial service -- priced between $20 and $24 -- in Chicago; Austin, Texas; and Jacksonville, Florida. If it succeeds, look for it in other markets soon. Meanwhile, if you're a former Bell South (now AT&T) customer, you'll be eligible for naked DSL by December at the latest. That's as per a contractual agreement between the two companies. On another technological front, The New York Times reports that Time Warner is going to offer free DVRs in South Carolina that allow you to watch TV when you want -- only you can't skip the commercials like you would on TiVo. It's like renting your eyeballs, so to speak, to advertisers in return for free DVR service. Will this business model survive in the marketplace? Only time will tell.

There are “moisture” strips inside cell phones that show whether your phone has gotten wet or been submerged. Cell phone companies use these like law to void your warranty and deny you repair service. The cell companies claim they are “foolproof,” but in fact, according to the New York Post, they are faulty lots of times. It’s been proven that just by putting a damp cloth next to the phone, you can change the color of the strip! So if you have a problem with your cell phone, and you were told your warranty is void because you got it wet (when you know you really didn’t), here’s what Clark recommends. Find an old cell phone you’re not using anymore, take it back to the store, put a damp cloth near the strip on the battery, and prove to them right there that the strip is not accurate!

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.

Sprint manages to be at the front of the cell phone industry pack for the world’s worst customer service. Sprint has fired 1,000 customers because they asked for too much customer service! What kind of company fires customers because they want to talk to customer service too often for billing problems and technical problems? The real problem is that Sprint runs a lousy business—they are the only major cell phone company losing customers. If you call customer service too often for their taste, Sprint lets you out of your contract! So if you’re unhappy with Sprint and don’t want to pay the cancellation charge just call a lot for help and you’ll get dropped! This is your way to get rid of Sprint: by making them want to get rid of you.

One more trick of the trade: If the four major cell phone companies -- Verizon, AT&T (formerly Cingular), Sprint and T-Mobile – send you some legal mumbo-jumbo and try to change your contract, and you are unhappy with them, you can deny the new terms of service and get out of it without having to pay a penalty. On a related note, Clark says the new iPhone is absolutely neat. That’s mostly because Apple demanded to be in charge of the cell phone’s abilities. Apple went to the various carriers and demanded control over the phone. AT&T was the only one that took them up on the offer. However, Clark doesn’t like the iPhone contract AT&T insists that you sign.

T-mobile has just released a new technology where your cell phone can switch over to wifi automatically when it senses it in range. They have a new plan where you can get unlimited minutes in a wifi spot for $10 a month as the introductory rate. This means that when you make calls from a wifi spot it won't count against your minutes. As of today, the service is available nationally. This also would make calls based out of your home, if you have wifi, totally free. So check it out, it might save you some dough.

People are already lining up to buy the iPhone, even though it doesn't go on sale for a few more days. To get it, you're going to need to sign a two year contract. AT&T always claims they make you sign contracts in order to subsidize the phone, but this time, they're just lying--you're purchasing this phone from Apple! Apple's made the iPhone as sleek and easy to use as their other products, and it's packed with features. In other countries, there are no restrictions on what features a phone can have, but in the U.S., the cell phone companies control what a cell phone is allowed to do. Let's say you want GPS....U.S. phone companies want to be the ones to sell you that service, so they make cell phone makers deactivate the GPS feature. Apple has been aggressive towards these cell phone companies, and maintain that no one can say what the phone does except them. Apple has made this a true consumer purchase, letting the consumer decide what it will do, as it should be. So ultimately the iPhone is going to democratize the cell phone industry.

What if you have a regular old cell phone that doesn’t get e-mail and you want it on your phone without all the extra fees and having to buy a new phone? There is now a service called Teleflip that sends your emails to your regular cell phone for free. You can also send e-mails for free. Make sure you have unlimited text messaging when using this program though because each e-mail is logged as a text. Go to www.teleflip.com and try getting free e-mails on your regular phone.

It’s the time of year when cell phone companies get together and introduce their new ideas and gadgets. The one clear pattern is that it’s no longer about the phone or how many minutes one gets with it. It’s about all of the “extras” that the phone can do. Think back to the early ‘80s when cell phones were so rare and so large that they had to be part of a “bag” in the trunk of your car. Typically, plans cost $35 a month with no minutes included. You couldn’t roam with your phone and if you made a long distance call, it might cost you an extra $1.50. It was so expensive because there were only two phone companies in each city. Nowadays, people have way too many minutes and phones are a dime a dozen. The latest craze is what accessories come with the phone. Helio, for example, has a device that centralizes your text messages, your e-mails and your instant messages. Verizon and Cingular are into television on cell phones and GPS location capability. In addition, Sprint has reduced prices on loading songs onto its new phone, the “Upstage.” It has a keyboard for texting and on the other side is a music player. Songs are now 99 cents.

The Virginia House of Delegates and the Senate have both passed bills that ban cell phone use by teenagers in a car. That includes hands-free talking and text messaging, as well. The state has seen a number of horrific accidents due to the carelessness of teens on cell phones. Teenagers lack experience behind the wheel, so adding the distraction of a cell phone to the mix makes it even more dangerous for people on the road. If you know that you are not paying attention because you’re on a cell phone, rethink using it. We all think we are good drivers and everyone else can’t drive. But consider the possibility that you’re wrong about that.

Clark has gotten a lot of calls lately about cell phones. This time of year, that is typical. From Thanksgiving into January, people feel the need to switch phones and plans. With so much interest, Clark wanted to tell you about new enhancements and technologies cell phones have. T-Mobile, for example is experimenting with phones that switch from cell phone networks to wireless Internet networks. It eliminates the need for a home phone. In addition, there are a ton of services out there that offer free directory assistance on your cell phone. You may have to listen to a 20-second ad and then you get the number you want, but it's free! Another service allows you to create personal messages for different people who call your phone. It’s called “YouMail.” If it’s work related, you might a want a more serious message. But for your sweetie, you can create a fun, light-hearted one. Another service, Frucall, allows you to compare prices on phones and plans while you’re in a store. Links to these services are above.

If you have aging parents and want them to have a cell phone for emergencies, there aren’t many viable options out there. Today’s seniors didn’t grow up with cell phone technology, so they have trouble dialing and seeing the screen. Now there is an option for seniors that could save them in an emergency. It’s called the “Jitterbug.” The phone has an extra large screen with large letters and only three buttons on the phone. So, seniors only have to hit one of three buttons and they can see the screen. It’s not cheap. The first year of use is $299 and includes the phone. After that, it’s $180 a year. So, it’s pricier than most plans, but it may be worth it to you. Check it out at gojitterbug.com. On the other end of the age spectrum is the Firefly. It too has very few buttons and is designed for kids who need to call Mom, Dad or an emergency number. It’s sold at Target and looks like a little video game. There are pre-paid plans and monthly plans you can check out at fireflymobile.com. So at what age should a child have a cell phone? Tell us what you think on our latest poll.

You may have noticed that your cell phone bill has declined in price of the years. And, cell phones continue to get more affordable as the years go by. Remember when you paid roaming charges? Before that, we had huge boxes that had to be installed in our cars. Both of those have been eliminated as cell phones got more sophisticated. Well, the next wave of change is upon us. Soon, you are going to be able to make a call on your cell phone without using your minutes. That’s right. Your cell phone is going to get even smarter. How? Depending on where you are in the country, cell phones will soon come equipped with wireless Internet service. Your phone will switch to built in Wi-Fi in your phone when you are in an area with a wireless network. Therefore, your phone will use Internet phone service instead of cell minutes when you’re in those areas or cities. Cell phone companies are fighting this move, of course, because it means less money for them. But it’s going to happen and companies better catch a clue. This move will pretty much eliminate the need for a home phone. Boston, Philadelphia and San Francisco are all moving to free wireless networks in their cities. So you’ll only use cell phone minutes when you’re on a trip or are “roaming,” as we used to say.

Years ago, Clark talked about a service called Freeway that offered free long distance if you listened to ads first. That was how Clark made all his long distance calls. Then, as the 90s moved on, long distance got drastically cheaper and people didn’t care about listening to ads to get free service. Freeway went away, but fast forward to 2006 and something similar is here. Virgin Mobile will soon offer free cell phone minutes if you listen to ads. You’ll get 900 minutes over the course of a year with the program known as “Sugar Mama.” It’s not ready yet but we’ll let you know!

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Have you heard about the cell phone war going on in schools? Governments are trying to ban cell phones in schools because it is causes distractions, but parents are adamant about their kids having phones. In New York City especially, parents are in an uproar because they want their kids to be able to call home in emergencies. It started after the September 11, 2001 attacks and hasn’t let up since. But politicians say it’s a distraction and schools are buying devices to scan kids’ belongings for cell phones. If one is found, the cell phone is destroyed. That has parents even more upset. Clark thinks it’s fine for kids to carry cell phones, as long as they don’t use them in school.

Cameras in cell phones are getting much better these days, Clark wants you to know. In fact, there is a Japanese manufacturer that sells amazing digital camera phones online before they’re released in the States. Check it out at dynamism.com. You can either buy them early and just use the camera, or you can wait until you can use the phone and camera together. The first two to have the phones will probably be Cingular and T-Mobile. And Clark predicts that by Christmas 2007, you’ll be able to e-mail your pictures from your phone straight to a photo lab and print them out. Eventually, it will replace the need to take a digital camera with you on trips.

T-Mobile is offering a new cell phone deal that may be perfect for you. The deal hasn’t been advertised much, but Clark wants to make sure you know about it. T-Mobile gets great reviews in terms of customer service and quality, yet their plans are much less expensive than Verizon (often rated the best). So, T-Mobile is offering 1500 anytime minutes for $39 a month. That includes long distance and no-roaming charges on T-Mobile’s network. It’s a one-year contract and you may want to buy a phone. The free ones are usually pretty bad. The company’s data plans are also pretty poor. But if you’re looking for the plain old phone plan, this could be it. Just go to T-Mobile’s site and enter your zip code first, to see if you get coverage.

Clark talks about Loki and Slingbox - new GPS and television gadgets. Just remember to disable your pop-up blocker if you have one in order to listen.

Clark has gotten lots of calls from people who learn the hard way that they can’t get out of their cell phone contract unless they pay a huge fee. All that is about to change. Let’s say you’re with company A and you want to be with company B. As luck would have it, someone else wants out of company B and wants to be with company A. It is possible now to swap without having to pay any fees. According to Money Magazine, celltradeusa.com acts as an intermediary between the cell phone company and the two parties. Clark has checked it out and says it all looks legit. Of course, the best deal of all is to go with the two providers that do not require a contract in the first place. Those are Cricket Communications and Metro PCS. Having no contract beats having to get out of one any day.

Clark is obsessed with his cell phones. Yes, all three of them. He has one local phone, one other general use and travel phone and a third that he uses overseas. He doesn’t respect people using cell phones in public places, especially when they talk loudly. He was at a funeral recently when someone’s phone rang several times and they actually answered it. Crazy! Movie theater owners are actually trying to get cell phones blocked in theaters. It’s illegal to do that in the United States, but companies are actually doing it overseas. Clark likes the idea, but he doubts it will happen. Worse yet, the FAA is considering the okay of using phones in the air. What a nightmare that would be!

AOL and Yahoo have both announced that they will offer preferential treatment if you pay for your e-mail. What does that mean? Well, those e-mails appear first, which is a good thing. But the e-mails also don’t go through spam filters. Clark is not at all happy about this move, so we’ll keep you posted. In other bad news, Craig’s List is now thinking of charging in some areas. The site has always been free to list on, as a way of bringing people in communities together. San Francisco, LA, San Diego, Boston and Seattle are a few areas where the fee-based model will be tested. Well, that didn’t last long. Even more bad news is the proposal to start “network neutrality.” Monopoly phone companies are planning to charge Web sites a fee if those sites don’t pay them a cut of the pie. They plan to give customers very bad customer service on their Internet lines if the sites don’t pay them a toll. It’s ridiculous. Some people aren’t making money off their sites. They’re just offering information and having to pay for that domain name. So, the phone companies are trying to control freedom of speech.

Should you buy cell phone insurance? Almost always the answer is no. But most people agree to pay for cell phone insurance when they sign their contract. They end up paying about $5 a month for the insurance, plus a deductible if your phone gets damaged or you lose it. One current lawsuit is even alleging that cell phone insurance is fraud. The suit states that you’re paying insurance on a used phone. That’s right. When you turn in your damaged phone and get another one, it’s usually “refurbished” anyway. Consumer Reports weighed in on this topic and said the only reason people should get cell phone insurance is if you own a very expensive phone. Insurance rates are the same for a $500 phone and a $50 phone. So, it makes no sense.

Tens of millions of Americans have a need or desire to make phone calls overseas. With students abroad, deployed military personnel and international workers, the numbers may even be in the hundreds of millions. Traditionally, international phone calls have been very expensive though, and it’s made it difficult to stay in touch. That was before Skype. The business plan of Skype is to use the Internet to make international phone calls for free or nearly free. The company has nearly no revenue at this point, but eBay is buying Skype for about $4.1 billion. Internet phone calling is getting so popular that eBay wants to buy into it. You don’t have to know anything about computers or the Internet because it’s so easy. In addition, new computer phones are coming on the market that will be used with your computer while making calls. The phones are about $100 and they fit in your pocket. You can take the phone to any Wi Fi spot and call locally for free or nearly free!

Clark has been thinking of changing his high-speed Internet service because it’s getting so expensive. For most people it’s a two horse race, and Clark is one of those folks. Right now, it’s either the local monopoly phone company or the local monopoly cable company. Recently, the phone company cut the rates and he was about to switch, but he decided to call his current company first to see if they would offer him a better deal. He’s currently paying about $43 a month, which is outrageous. When he told the “customer retention specialist” that he was about to cancel, she offered him three months for $9.99 a month. She told him to call back again in 90 days to see if he could get the same deal. He was so excited about saving $100 in a four minute phone call that he told everyone. Then his Smart Money magazine arrived and knocked him down a notch. The issue, which is about saving on cable and Internet service, says not to take any three-month offers and to keep fighting for more. The reporter was able to get a discount on service for an entire year! Phone companies are also reducing costs, so you may want to consider switching companies all together, as Clark was about to do. Also, if you can, cut your home phone line to the minimum line cost. You don’t use it much anyway, thanks to cell phones, and you can usually get it down to between $17 and $20 a month total. Also, consider scaling back your cable or satellite service. Get just the broadcast channels. You may also be paying way too much for your cell phone service. Now that you can take your number with you, consider switching to Metro PCS or Cricket. They offer unlimited calling in your local area for one low price.

How would you like to pay for things with your cell phone? You wouldn’t have to swipe your card over and over again or even carry it with you. All you would have to do is hand over the phone and the item is charged to your cell phone account. It’s called a “Quick Pay” system and it’s already happening in Japan. It will probably create a whole new era of questions on Clark’s show, but it will make paying for things much more convenient. American Express is launching its version to be called “Express Pay.” The transactions will happen in the blink of an eye, and the company will send you this new card if you just call and ask them. Master Card’s version is called the “Pay Pass.” Because things will be much easier to buy, you should be careful.

Ford is about to equip 8,000 employees with traceable cell phones, so the managers will always know where employees are. In fact, the company is trashing all of those employees’ desk phones, so people are always in reach. This is a growing trend with companies these days, and it can be both good and bad. Wireless phones are much less expensive and much more effective. With this move, there also will be no need for call centers, which can also save money. The idea of always being reachable may not appeal to some people, however. Sometimes employees need a break from the office.

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In other cell phone news, did you know that pets are now carrying cell phones? That’s right. Special cells are being made for pets that can be worn around their necks. Owners can call the dog when they are away at work or on vacation and see their pets through a Web site. The phones also have GPS so owners will know where their pets are in case they get lost.

Clark has an Internet phone line, two cell phones and a traditional home phone line for his digital video recorder. That is a lot of telecommunication and Clark hates paying the $400 it all costs each month for all of the gadgets. Because of a change in the law, Clark recently had to switch his local phone service back to a different company. And, within a week or two, he’d already been “slammed” by another company. He’s not even a customer of the company, yet they’re billing him for long distance calls. There is a terrible level of service from these phone companies. The good news is that we have so many alternatives for telecommunications that there is no need for a home phone line. Clark would like to ditch the line all together, and he’s constantly working on ways to do that.

Fast food is going high tech these days. Phone services have become so cheap that there are now “call centers” taking your order at the drive through instead of an employee in a cute hat. So, you may be talking to someone across the globe who then relays your order to the particular store where you are. Pizza Hut, Chuck-E-Cheese and Hardees are all experimenting with it right now and many more will jump on the bandwagon. It’s a way for the restaurant to save money because they don’t have to staff so heavily for certain peak times of the day. We’ll see how well it works.

Clark loves gadgets, as you might know. He doesn’t always buy them because sometimes they can be quite expensive. But he loves to check them out. One gadget that got a lot of hype in the fall was the Motorola V700 Series cell phone. People paid $500 plus for one of these phones because they had tons of neat features. For instance, it could talk to your home computer, make contact through IM and many other features including Bluetooth capability. Motorola ran tons of ads about this product, so people rushed in cell phone stores to buy them. Well, unbeknownst to its customers, Verizon disabled nearly 100 percent of the phone’s special features and required customers to pay extra for the features that were already included. Verizon has consistently ranked tops in terms of customer service, but, with this move, the company completely fouled up with this one. Cingular, on the other hand, hasn’t gotten the best reviews in the past, but the company did not disable anything when selling its version of this phone. As you might have suspected, Verizon is now being sued, according to the Wall Street Journal. Clark doesn’t understand what the company was thinking, but he’d like to give them a chance to talk about this.

Americans love to talk on their cell phones. We also love to gripe about our cell phone companies. According to Consumer Reports, people about as unsatisfied with their cell phone company as they are with their cable company. So, are there any redeemable companies out there? Verizon and T-Mobile are doing better than the others and they are growing faster than any other, according to the magazine. T-Mobile has very competitive prices and many people like that. Verizon is credited with being the best in service. But that means the best in a bad lot. Clark wants to remind you that the local only companies sometimes offer the best rates for unlimited calling. These companies – Cricket Communications and Metro PCS – are often forgotten in the game. But they are great deals, as long as you can keep your conversations to your “home service area.” Another option is pre-paid cell phones. If you don’t use your phone very much, but you pay $30 or $40 a month, a pay-as-you-go plan might work great for you.

You may have heard that most of the big cell phone companies have made evenings, weekends free, and many have made calls within their network free. So, if one Cingular customer calls another Cingular customer, it doesn’t cost either person a cent. But if you go outside the network, and call on a landline or other cell phone, you are charged for the call or deducted minutes. Well, one company has found a way to circumvent that exclusive system. The name of the company is Xcelis. It has made it possible to call members of other networks with unlimited calling, by leveraging your unlimited minute plan. So, you’re a Cingular customer, you would call another Cingular number, which is a free call. That number is actually an Internet computer switch that is rerouted over the Internet to anyone you want to call regardless of his or her provider. It blows apart the business model of per-minute calling, and has the big companies furious. It’s available right now for Verizon and Cingular customers, and the others will soon be added. So, what does Xcelis get out of it? The company charges a $10 monthly fee for the service. The folks at Verizon claim they will cut off phone service to anyone who uses Xcelis. We’ll see what really happens. For right now, if you’d like to try out Xcelis, the company is offering a 7-day trial period for free. Go to xcelis.com.

Boost Mobile, the Australian based pre-paid cell phone company, is now spreading its wings in America. Previously, we had Tracfone in the pre-paid market and that was it. Then Virgin Mobile came along. And now, Boost is here. Boost’s prices are better than Tracfone’s and similar to Virgin Mobile’s. It’s 25 cents a minute to use the phone with no monthly fee. If you go beyond a certain number of minutes in a day, the rate drops to 10 cents a minute. No roaming charges apply, and that includes long distance. So, it’s a great deal for anyone, including older people who just want a phone for emergency purposes. Boost was formerly only in Nevada and California, but they have expanded to Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas, Minnesota, Illinois, Texas, Washington D.C., and New York. There is one wrinkle in the Boost plan that makes it different than the others. It comes with “push-to-talk” technology, which can get very expensive at about $45 a month. So, stay away from that capability if you go with Boost. Every once in a while, Virgin Mobile discounts its time cards. You may find them at 10 to 20 percent off in some electronics stores and often in warehouse clubs. This means that the peak calls go from 25 cents a minute to 20 cents a minute, and the off-peak calls go from 10 cents to 8 cents a minute. Good to know!

Several new reports out today say AT&T is still a wounded duck in the wireless industry and is basically waiting for someone to bail them out. AT&T has had the worst problems porting people who want to switch companies and take their cell phone number with them. About half of the complaints about poor porting service were lodged against AT&T. That is due, in part, to the fact that AT&T refused to use the industry standard system for switching companies as all the other companies did. Number portability is supposed to happen in about two and a half hours, but that is just a guideline. The FCC made a terrible error in allowing the cell phone industry to regulate itself in this area. It’s more like 24 to 48 hours and sometimes longer. The good news is that there are some decent companies out there if you’re looking to switch companies. According to the Washington Post, Verizon Wireless has been consistently ranked as the best wireless company out there, although the plans are quite expensive. Verizon has had about a third of all the “porting” complaints, but you must consider that the company has 50 percent more customers than AT&T. T-Mobile has been adding huge numbers of subscribers because they’ve been dubbed as the bargain provider. The company has received complaints, but they are considered decent. Nextel is the company that people fire the least often, so that is a good sign too. This is the third time Clark has talked about AT&T in recent weeks for a reason. He doesn’t want you to be handcuffed to an unreliable company, especially if it’s a sinking ship. If you want help choosing a plan and learning more about cell phone portability, go to our Wireless Phone Kit.

The latest wrinkle in the cell phone wars could be a great asset to you. It’s known as “sticky services,” and it’s been very successful in some markets. The idea is to create a web of reasons to stay with a particular company. The cell phone industry has a terrible problem with turnover. Companies lose about three percent of their customers every month, which is a massive loss. So, they’ve started promoting family and network plans. The original family-to-family plans, which allowed you to talk to family members only, were not that successful. So, now companies have come up with network plans, whereby you can talk to anyone on the same network for nothing. The deal is that you can talk to someone on your same plan and it doesn’t count against your minutes. You’re essentially “off the clock.” It creates an incentive for discipline in a family or corporation to use one plan. All of the employees are on the same plan, so it costs less. That is the carrot. But the stick is that companies will require you to sign a one- or two-year contract. You just simply decide whether it’s worth it to you. Clark carries two cell phones – one for local calls and one for long distance. Two companies, in particular, specialize in the local calling plans, and Clark loves their business models. The companies are Cricket Communications and MetroPCS, and both offer unlimited calling. The unlimited talking model is slowly growing with other companies, and soon the block-of-minutes plans will be a thing of the past. They all range between $40 and $45, and that is the sweet spot that people are willing to pay.