Some Necessary Cell Phone Accessories

Many of you are in the process of a cell phone upgrade as the holiday and tax seasons rapidly approach, along with a nice selection of new phones. I recently upgraded my own phone from the Samsung Galaxy GS4 to the GS5. My carrier handles upgrades in a way of allowing you to bundle extra bells and whistles in the form of accessories. I was given the option of picking out so many accessories for a discounted fee. Some were easy, others took some quick thinking into my needs and wants. These vary from person to person. Nevertheless, being on my fifth different smartphone in almost as many years has me in touch with these needs and wants. Here are some accessories I believe one must or should have with their mobile device.

1. A nice case.

This can range from a simple $10 case from a mall kiosk, or a fancier one such as an OtterBox or a BodyGlove. I have had each and can say both are good and will protect your phone well.

2. Extra charger for work, travel, etc

Smartphones use more data and battery power than ever. Therefore, one may need to charge it midday, and particularly at night. Therefore, an additional charger (or two) may be necessary. Get yourself a good, quality one that can also hook into a car charger or a USB cable. Wal-Mart is a retailer that sells these sorts of chargers for around $5 or less for Android and iPhones. They tend to last a little while also.

3. Sims card

Yeah this seems pretty obvious and many phones come with one already. However do not confuse the SD card (required for many phones to function) with the SIMS card, which gives you additional memory, allows you to backup and carry your information with you. The amount of memory you desire is completely up to you and how much you use your phone for pictures, videos, apps and such.

4. Bluetooth device.

Yes those new Bluetooth devices that are headsets are quite fancy and not as funny looking as the ones that stick out of your ear. They also come in handy and are required in many states. Many of you may have automobiles with this feature already built in. However, it still doesn't hurt to have one while you're out and about.

5. Earphones

Your phone usually comes with these also, and the aforementioned Bluetooth can serve as an additional set. However, you may want some bigger, fancier headphones for outside activity or for viewing videos in private. Beats By Dre are popular and pricey. However, one can find plenty of good headsets and earbuds that will not break the bank.

6. Screen Covers.

You want your screen protected from grease and scratches. All of that swiping and touching puts quite the wear and tear on a screen. Choose to protect your device, and at a typically cheap price.

7. Car Charger

Especially if you ever get stranded or if you like to listen to a lot of music from your phone, this is pretty much necessary. They are usually no more than around $5 , and fit in most any vehicle's cigarette lighter.

Other goodies of note: auxiliary cord/connector to car stereo, speakers/hub for the phone, extra cell phone battery, portable charger (these are neat) and even a backup phone.

Which accessories are the most necessary for your cell phone?

Revenge Of The Nerds: Social Media

The series on the intellectuals and geniuses continues with social media. I have spoken about social media often, but not really about its origins.

Social media really came out in the late 1990s with BlackPlanet and College Club. Basically if you were a programming wiz with web development and HTML experience, creating a social network was very possible.

During the 2000s, MySpace and Friendster came on the scene. Then a 19 year old sophomore at Harvard named Mark Zuckerberg created Facebook in 2004.  The initial purpose was to make it exclusive for Harvard students only. They then started expanding to colleges around the country and the world. You could not get an account prior to 2006 unless your college was listed and you had a .edu email. Now the entire world can sign up for an access Facebook.

While Facebook eventually became the world's #1 network, there has been more competition from Twitter, Foursquare, Instagram, Google + , LinkedIn, and Pinterest. Despite all of their various efforts, Facebook has remained strong and Zuckerberg is worth billions.

Now this is not bad at all. A so called "geek" and "loner" created a site to help others connect with their friends worldwide and became wealthy from it. It appears being smart definitely paid off for young Zuckerberg, who isn't even 30 yet.

Social media, as I have also mentioned before, seems here to stay in our culture. We should encourage our youth to learn about computers and web development so they develop great sites and apps to assist the world. Knowledge is definitely power now.

Text Neck Is Serious

Usage of cellphones has increased hundred fold over the past few decades. The introduction and expansion of smartphones into mini computing and texting devices that are often touchscreen or tailored to heavy eye and finger usage have been popular.

There are always side effects obviously. Outside of contract committments, data capping, and the overall expenses, you cannot forget the wear and tear physically. And no this is beyond carpal tunnel. There is a condition called text neck.
Trust me, text neck is very real. Often many of us do it out of habit. This goes along with proper poise and posture. Several people drop their necks while playing with their cell phones. This causes tension on the back neck tissue and muscles and can even cause nerve damage in the upper back.

However, awareness and prevention is key. An ounce of preventiom is worth a pound of cure. What you want to do is try to hold your neck and back in an upright position. Then hold your phone in front of your face to avoid even slumping your eyes. Also, use both hands if possible to increase comfort.

I have practiced these techniques personally and the differences in comfort is astounding. Lying down and holding your phone over you is also effective.

Many of love our iPhones, Galaxys, Notes, and other mobile devices. Therefore, we deserve to use them without fear of suffering permanent damage to your upper body torso. 

Balance is key in achieving goals and living a healthy life. Apply this balance to your cell phone usage and you can avoid those annoying neck pains and cricks.