LilSugar

Pregnant Women's Use of Cell Phones Linked to Babies' Behavioral Problems

LilSugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 14:49:05 PDT

My son shrieks on occasion - can I attribute that to having used my cell phone while pregnant? The findings of a study of expectant mothers conducted in the late 1990s linked mobile phone usage with behavioral problems in their children. An Independent article about the results, which will be published in the July issue of the journal Epidemiology said:

A giant study, which surveyed more than 13,000 children, found that using the handsets just two or three times a day was enough to raise the risk of their babies developing hyperactivity and difficulties with conduct, emotions and relationships by the time they reached school age. And it adds that the likelihood is even greater if the children themselves used the phones before the age of seven.

To finish the story,

read more. Surprised by the findings, scientists ruled out some biological and environmental factors that could have influenced the results and found their mobile phone correlation strengthened. It said:

They found that mothers who did use the handsets were 54 per cent more likely to have children with behavioural problems and that the likelihood increased with the amount of potential exposure to the radiation. And when the children also later used the phones they were, overall, 80 per cent more likely to suffer from difficulties with behaviour. They were 25 per cent more at risk from emotional problems, 34 per cent more likely to suffer from difficulties relating to their peers, 35 per cent more likely to be hyperactive, and 49 per cent more prone to problems with conduct.

But before we all hang-up our earpieces and ban our BlackBerrys, the article also noted there are "explanations that they did not examine – such as that mothers who used the phones frequently might pay less attention to their children." Will these findings affect your cell phone usage? Source

iPhone 4S Shown to Guzzle Most Data: Here's How to Check Your iPhone Usage

Kristy Korcz — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:01:06 PST

Bloomberg released a report today detailing how Siri has caused a jump in data usage for iPhone 4S customers. Utilizing Siri's voice recognition abilities to send texts, emails, get directions, and more, iPhone 4S users have been shown to use double the amount of data than that of iPhone 4 owners. AT&T and Verizon customers are familiar with the pain (and cost) of going over data limits, so staying on top of usage has become an important part of owning a smartphone. How can you check your iPhone's data usage? Read below to find out!

There are a few ways to check your usage, one being to head to AT&T's wireless website, log into your account, and create a billing report (under " Bills and Payments," click "Create Billing Report," and "Data Usage Trend"), which gives you a detailed graph on how much data you're using. You can also estimate how much you use with your provider's online data calculator. You can find your usage for Verizon and Sprint by logging into your accounts, but you can also check your data usage right on your phone.

First, head to your iPhone's settings app. Scroll down to "General," then click on "usage." You'll see your minute breakdown, but at the very bottom you'll see your data usage (sending and receiving) over the cellular network. If you've never reset your stats, you'll find that this number will be fairly high. You can reset your statistics today (by hitting the "Reset Statistics" button at the bottom of the screen), and check back in a week to get a rough estimate of just how much bandwidth you're eating up each month.

Apple Confirms Battery Life Issues, Software Update Fix Coming Soon

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 02:11:32 PDT

Apple confirmed some users are experiencing "lower than expected battery life on iOS 5 devices" yesterday, and promised that a software update can be expected in the next few weeks, which should wipe the problem clean. Can't wait that long cause your battery drains too fast? Below, a few tips to save your battery life until the problem is resolved.

Lower your screen brightness - Just like on your laptop, you can lower the screen brightness on your iPhone to increase battery life. Just head to Settings > Brightness to adjust.
Use WiFi where you can - Instead of downloading apps, making Google Voice calls, or browsing the web over your cellular or 3G connection, find a WiFi hot spot or use your home's WiFi network instead. This will keep your data charges down and will improve battery life since your phone won't be searching for a data signal.
Block GPS tracking in apps - If you're using lots of apps that include automatic GPS location and tagging (à la Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter), your phone is working overtime to locate you. If you don't need to geotag your posts and updates, keep the GPS off.
Turn your iPhone's "Fetch" and "Push" off - I have my iPhone set to "fetch" my data every 30 minutes and a ton of apps set to push new messages and alerts as they happen. This is great for keeping up with news and messages when I'm at home, but bad for your data and battery. To turn your "fetch" functions off on your iPhone, just go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, and Calendars > Fetch New Data > Manually. You can also turn off your email and calendar "push" from this screen. To turn off app "push" notifications, head to Settings > Notifications, then switch to off.
Shut down apps often - Do you shut down your apps after you're done using them? If not, you're using up lots of battery by allowing those apps to run. To shut down apps after use, double tap on the home button to get to your app drawer. To close open apps, just hold down on one until you see the wiggle, then click on the "X" to shut down.

Battery-Saving Tips For Your iPhone 4S

Kristy Korcz — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 03:11:25 PDT

Over the past week, iPhone 4S owners have been complaining about poor battery life on their new devices. Apple is currently investigating the issue by reaching out to customers for information, but there are a few things you can do to lengthen the life of your iPhone 4S battery (or any cell phone) in the meantime. See our tips for prolonging your iPhone 4S battery life below.

Lower your screen brightness - Just like on your laptop, you can lower the screen brightness on your iPhone to increase battery life. Just head to Settings > Brightness to adjust.
Use WiFi where you can - Instead of downloading apps, making Google Voice calls, or browsing the web over your cellular or 3G connection, find a WiFi hotspot or use your home's WiFi network instead. This will keep your data charges down and will improve battery life since your phone won't be searching for a data signal.
Block GPS tracking in apps - If you're using lots of apps that include automatic GPS location and tagging (a la Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter), your phone is working overtime to locate you. If you don't need to geotag your posts and updates, keep the GPS off.
Turn your iPhone's "Fetch" and "Push" off - I have my iPhone set to "fetch" my data every 30 minutes and a ton of apps set to push new messages and alerts as they happen. This is great for keeping up with news and messages when I'm at home, but bad for your data and battery. To turn your "fetch" functions off on your iPhone, just go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, and Calendars > Fetch New Data > Manually. You can also turn off your email and calendar "push" from this screen. To turn off app "push" notifications, head to Settings > Notifications, then switch to off.
Shut down apps often - Do you shut down your apps after you're done using them? If not, you're using up lots of battery by allowing those apps to run. To shut down apps after use, double tap on the home button to get to your app drawer. To close open apps, just hold down on one until you see the wiggle, then click on the "X" to shut down.

Have any tips of your own to keep your iPhone battery juiced up?

iPhone 4S Buying Guide: Pros and Cons, and Who Should Buy

Kristy Korcz — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 12:40:31 PDT

Still debating whether or not to spring for the new iPhone 4S tomorrow? While it does come with some shiny new hardware (and software) inside, not everyone will benefit from an upgrade. Debate no more - here, the pros and cons of the new smartphone, complete with a verdict on who should buy it and who should skip it.

Pros

New camera - The 8MP camera with simple editing features (crop, rotate, enhance, and red-eye reduction), a backside illumination sensor, and larger aperture (for better low-light and white balance correction) make the iPhone 4S's camera one that competes with regular point-and-shoots. It will also come with face detection and image stabilization and the ability to capture HD 1080p video.
Faster processor - The custom A5 chip in the iPhone 4S is the same one you'll find on the iPad 2, which means the iPhone 4S will be faster in processing speeds, games, and downloads.
More carriers - Since the iPhone 4S is compatible with CDMA and GSM cellular bands, you can use it in more places around the globe. Even on Sprint's network, if you're looking for a change.
Siri integration - Apple's new Assistant feature basically turns the iPhone 4S into a voice recognizing personal assistant. The demo during the keynote was impressive and highlighted some interesting uses for the blind, hands-free texting, and more.
Wireless syncing - Raise the roof for wireless sync! This will be an iOS 5 feature that will be compatible for the iPad and iPod Touch as well, but I couldn't help but mention the fact that you'll soon be able to set up your devices and get updates without connecting your iDevice to a Mac or PC.
Airplay - If you've got an Apple TV, the iPhone 4S will allow you to stream what's playing on your device to your HDTV with Airplay, which is built right into the new iPhone.
Fingerprint resistant - The iPhone 4S has an oleophobic coating on its glass exterior, making it resistant to fingerprints by repelling oils in your fingers.

Read through our iPhone 4S cons, who should buy, and tips for upgrading when you read more.

7 Reasons to Get the iPhone 4S

Kristy Korcz — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 10:31:52 PDT

The iPhone 4S was finally announced yesterday, and while some are disappointed that there wasn't a bigger, more shocking reveal, there are some reasons to pick up the new iPhone 4S, priced at $199 (16GB), $299 (32GB), and $399 (64GB).

New camera - The 8MP camera with simple editing features (crop, rotate, enhance, and red-eye reduction), a backside illumination sensor, and larger aperture (for better low-light and white balance correction) make the iPhone 4S's camera one that competes with regular point-and-shoots. It will also come with face detection and image stabilization and the ability to capture HD 1080p video.
Faster processor - The custom A5 chip in the iPhone 4S is the same one you'll find on the iPad 2, which means the iPhone 4S will be faster in processing speeds, games, and downloads.
More carriers - Since the iPhone 4S is compatible with CDMA and GSM cellular bands, you can use it in more places around the globe. Even on Sprint's network, if you're looking for a change.
Siri integration - Apple's new Assistant feature basically turns the iPhone 4S into a voice recognizing personal assistant. The demo during yesterday's keynote was impressive and highlighted some interesting uses for the blind, hands-free texting, and more.
Wireless syncing - Raise the roof for wireless sync! This will be an iOS 5 feature that will be compatible for the iPad and iPod Touch as well, but I couldn't help but mention the fact that you'll soon be able to set up your devices and get updates without connecting your iDevice to a Mac or PC.
Airplay - If you've got an Apple TV, the iPhone 4S will allow you to stream what's playing on your device to your HDTV with Airplay, which is built right into the new iPhone.
Fingerprint resistant - The iPhone 4S has an oleophobic coating on its glass exterior, making it resistant to fingerprints by repelling oils in your fingers.

Geek Tips For Keeping Your Cell Phone Bill in Check

Kristy Korcz — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 09:30:51 PDT

We never need an excuse to save a few bucks, and if your cell phone bill has been spiraling out of control recently, it's likely that you're going over your data allotments and sending too many texts. Keep it all in check by following these simple tips every day in order to save some cash each month.

Use WiFi where you can - Instead of downloading apps, making Google Voice calls, or browsing the web over your cellular or 3G connection, find a WiFi hotspot or use your home's WiFi network instead. This will keep your data charges down.
Turn your iPhone's "Fetch" and "Push" off - I have my iPhone set to "fetch" my data every 30 minutes, and a ton of apps set to push new messages and alerts as they happen. This is great for keeping up with news and messages when I'm at home, but very bad if I'm out and about (or worse - traveling abroad) since it uses 3G data instead of my known WiFi networks. Turn your "fetch" functions off on your iPhone, just go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, and Calendars > Fetch New Data > Manually. You can also turn off your email and calendar "push" from this screen. To turn off app "push" notifications, head to Settings > Notifications, then switch to off.

See more tips when you read more

5 Companies With Bad Customer Service, 5 With Good

Emily Co — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 13:23:56 PDT

If you've ever been so frustrated with a customer service rep that you hung up the phone in anger, you're not alone. According to a Consumer Reports survey, about two-thirds of consumers say that they've walked out of a store or ended a phone call before the issue was resolved because they were so frustrated with the customer service. Some of the top gripes include not being able to get a real person on the phone, dealing with a bad mannered sales rep, too many phone steps required, and having to wait on the phone for a long time. July's issue of the consumer magazine listed some of the companies and rated them as having the worst customer service:

Walmart
AT&T
US Airways
Dell
Charter

And some of the companies with the best customer service include:

How to Cash in on Spring Cleaning

Kiplinger — Mon, 09 May 2011 10:10:28 PDT

We're thrilled to present this smart Kiplinger story here on Savvy!

After about a year and a half of marriage, my husband and I have finally unpacked the boxes of his stuff and our wedding gifts that had piled up in every corner of our apartment. In doing so, we organized the whole place - finding a home within our home for all our "new" things while purging the old.

Through the whole process, we've unearthed a veritable trove of potential income sources littering our former wasteland. If you invest some time in spring cleaning, be sure to take stock of these six possible treasures disguised as trash:

1) Receipts

My level-one hoarding issues have finally paid off… big time. (Kiplinger’s does not encourage or condone hoarding in any way.) Shuffled amid our apartment’s piles and piles of papers, we located receipts we were able to use for Flexible Spending Account claims amounting to nearly $2,000.

You just missed most employers’ March 15 deadline by which you needed to spend 2010 FSA funds. But you may still have time to file your claims: My company, for example, gives participating employees until June 15, as long as the receipts show services were rendered or purchases were made before March 15. If you don’t drain the account in time, you’ll have to kiss that cash goodbye. (See ASK KIM: Make the Most of the New Flex-Account Rules for more about how FSAs work.)

Also keep an eye out for receipts you can use to claim tax deductions, such as for charitable donations or job-hunting expenses, if you itemize. For more write-offs you may have forgotten, check out our slide show: The Most-Overlooked Tax Deductions.

2) Gift Cards

Be sure to sift through your clutter for unused gift cards. Even if you don’t care to use them yourself, you can still gain value from them before they expire. Exchange sites such as Gift Card Granny or Plastic Jungle will buy gift cards for a portion of their value (see KIP TIP: Get Cash Fast for more information).

Read on to find out how to deal with your electronics.

Cell Phones to Be "Possibly Carcinogenic," Experts Say

Heather Dale — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 17:17:13 PDT

As someone who is regularly glued to her cell phone, this isn't the greatest news of the day: the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) warns that cell phones may increase the risk of cancer. Panel chairman Jonathan Samet, MD, chair of preventive medicine at the USC Keck School of Medicine says:

"After reviewing all the evidence available, the IARC working group classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans . . . We reached this conclusion based on a review of human evidence showing increased risk of glioma, a malignant type of brain cancer, in association with wireless phone use."

Scary stuff. The cell phone industry responded to these findings by saying that it "does not mean cell phones cause cancer." While this study doesn't prove that the radiation from cell phones cause cancer, it does show that there is certainly a correlation, but that more studies need to be conducted to further prove or disprove these conclusions. In the meantime, here are some ways to minimize exposure to cell phone radiation.