Can this possibly be true?

[Loose rivets]

4 important tricks from your mobile phone.



I received this from someone that is most positively not a tekkie. Some of it works, the SN or some such pops up on mine, and I know there is the possibility of locating a specific number by links to local antennas, but just how far does this go? I assume GPS issues must be when the phone has that device.

I daren't try the ATM thing...not here, I would be surrounded by men, and indeed women, with big guns in a minute.

Sorry about the >>>>'s (why does some software do that?)





4 important tricks from your mobile phone.

The first emergency number, is one a health advisor told me about when **** was born. He also said it acts as a GPS, so services can locate you.



> > 4 THINGS YOU PROBABLY NEVER KNEW
>
> > YOUR MOBILE PHONE COULD DO
>
> > There are a few things that can be
>
> > done in times of grave emergencies.
>
> > &nb sp;
>
> > Your mobile phone can actually be a
>
> > life saver or an emergency tool for survival.
>
> > Check out the things that you can do with it:
>
> >
> > FIRST
>
> > Emergency
>
> > The Emergency Number worldwide for Mobile is 112.
>
> > If you find yourself out of the coverage area of
>
> > your mobile; network and there is an emergency,
>
> > dial 112 and the mobile will search any existing
>
> > network to establish the emergency number for you,
>
> > and interestingly this number 112 can be dialled
>
> > even if the keypad is locked. Try it out.
>
> >
>
> > SECOND
>
> > Have you locked your keys in the car?
>
> > Does your car have remote keyless entry?
>
> > This may come in handy someday.
>
> > Good reason to own a cell phone: If you lock your
>
> > keys in the car and the spare keys are at home,
>
> > call someone at home on their mobile phone
>
> > from your cell phone.
>
> >
>
> > Hold your cell phone about a foot from
>
> > your car door and have the person
>
> > at your home press the unlock button,
>
> > holding it near th e mobile phone on their end.
>
> >
>
> > Your car will unlock.
>
> >
>
> > Saves someone from having to
>
> > drive your keys to you.
>
> >
>
> > Distance is no object.
>
> > You could be hundreds of miles away,
>
> > and if you can reach someone who has
>
> > the other 'remote' for your car, you can
>
> > unlock the doors (or the trunk).
>
> > &nbs p;
>
> > Editor's Note: It works fine! We tried it out and
>
> > it unlocked our car over a mobile phone!'
>
> >
>
> > THIRD
>
> > Hidden Battery Power
>
> > Imagine your mobile battery is very low..
>
> > To activate, press the keys *3370#
>
> > Your mobile will restart with this reserve and the
>
> > instrument will show a 50% increase in battery.
>
> >
>
> > This reserve will get charged when
>
> > you charge your mobile next time.
>
> >
>
> > FOURTH
>
> > How to disable a
>
> > STOLEN mobile phone?
>
> > To check your Mobile phone's serial number,
>
> > key in the follo wing digits on your phone: * # 0 6 #
>
> >
>
> > A 15 digit code will appear on the screen.
>
> >
>
> > This number is unique to your handset.
>
> >
>
> > Write it down and keep it somewhere safe..
>
> >
>
> > When your phone get stolen, you can phone
>
> > your service provider and give them this code.
>
> >
>
> > They will then be able to block your handset
>
> > so even if the thief changes the SIM card,
>
> > your phone will be totally useless.
>
> >
>
> > You probably won't get your phone back,
>
> > but at least you know that whoever stol e it
>
> > can't use/sell it either.
>
> >
>
> > If everybody does this, there would be
>
> > no point in people stealing mobile phones.
>
> >
>
> > ATM - PIN Number Reversal - Good to Know
>
> > If you should ever be forced by a robber to
>
> > withdraw money from an ATM machine, you can
>
> > notify the police by entering your PIN # in reverse.
>
> >
>
> > For example, if your pin number is 1234,
>
> > then you would put in 4321.
>
> >
>
> > The ATM system recognizes that your PIN number is
>
> > backwards from the ATM card you placed in the
> machine..
>
> >
>
> > The machine will still give you the money you
> requested,
>
> > but unknown to the robber, the police will be
>
> > immediately dispatched to the location.
>
> >
>
> > This information was recently broadcast on CTV by
> Crime Stoppers
>
> > however it is seldom used because people just
> don't know about it.
>
> > Please pass this along to everyone.
>
> >
>
> > This is the kind of information people don't mind
>
> > receiving, so pass it on to your family and friends
>
> Share your photos with Windows Live
> Photos – Free. Try
> it Now!

[jimtherev]

(1) works. In Europe, anyway, where 112 is the standard. And on most mobiles. However 911 is the standard in N. America & 112 isn't recognised everywhere there.

(2) might have worked in some cars a long time ago in a universe far away. However, with RF controlled key which many are nowadays, not a chance.

(3) Nope. It is a valid code for older Nokias, but does something other. In fact, it turns off the 'half-power' mode, and therefore uses your battery faster. (or mostly, at the same rate, as not many people use their phones in 'economy' mode.)

(4) Yes. Often works. Depends on how important your phone service provider thinks security is.

Sorry 'n that :*

Jim

[Saab Dastard]

From Snopes:

The message reproduced above is (with one exception) a compendium of topics we've already covered in separate articles, so we'll just provide a brief summary for each entry with a pointer to a more detailed explanation:

1. Calling 112 on your cell phone will (in some parts of the world, primarily Europe) connect you to local emergency services, even if you are outside your provider's service area (i.e., even if you are not authorized to relay signals through the cell tower that handles your call), and many cell phones allow the user to place 112 calls even if the phone lacks a SIM card or its keypad is locked. However, the 112 number does not have (as is sometimes claimed) special properties that enable callers to use it in areas where all cellular signals are blocked (or otherwise unavailable).

2. Cars with remote keyless entry (RKE) systems cannot be unlocked by relaying a key fob transmitter signal via a cellular telephone. RKE systems and cell phones utilize different types of signals and transmit them at different frequencies.

3. The claim that pressing the sequence *3370# will unleash "hidden battery power" in a cell phone seems to be a misunderstanding of an option available on some brands of cell phone (such as Nokia) for Half Rate Codec, which provides about 30% more talk time on a battery charge at the expense of lower sound quality. However, this option is enabled by pressing the sequence *#4720# — the sequence *3370# actually enables Enhanced Full Rate Codec, which provides better sound quality at the expense of shorter battery life.

4. Entering the sequence *#06# into a cell phone may display a 15-digit identification string, but that function only works with some types of cell phones, and the efficacy of reporting the ID number to a cellular service provider to head off unauthorized use of a lost or stolen phone is limited.

5. FALSE

Loose Rivets (and anyone else) - please do your research BEFORE posting these kinds of "I was told that" stories. Snopes.com.

SD

[Loose rivets]

Believing e-mails?


The above's nothing...Patricia Johnson says that I can be a sexual giant all night long, and that's true. :}

[hellsbrink]

Patricia Johnson says that I can be a sexual giant all night long, and that's true.

I am one, but have never met her so god knows what she would say about me!! :}

Yeah, "112" is the only one that is even vaguely true there (even works in UK where "999" is the emergency number, that goes back to the days of "pulse" dialling before we use buttons so it was easy to find the number as you found "0" with one finger and then used the finger next to it to dial).

Mythbusters even did one on "can you unlock your car with a cellphone" and it was TOTALLY busted. It failed miserably because, surprise surprise, it's a different frequency!

Oh, and typing in the code to get your IMEA number doesn't do squat unless you have written down the number IF your phone gets stolen. But if you want to find that number out all you have to do is actually look at the box your phone came in or turn it off, take the battery out, look at the label there. You do the same thing by typing in the code.

The PIN number malebovinefaeces? Sorry, but get a grip.. Sure, do what I do when it comes to PINs, stick them on my phone. But I make it look like a genuine phone number and add other false entries into phonebook. I know what they are, but potential thief (if he REALLY thinks he can get a chance of getting a Scotsman's money) only knows I looked at my phone. He has 3 shots out of *ahem* numbers so he doesn't kow which name and actual combination of numbers is the right one. But I do, and that is what is important.

[BOAC]

To round off the trashing of poor Loose rivets:) this (http://www.snopes.com/business/bank/pinalert.asp) from Snopes re reverse pin numbers (NB only references US systems.)

[Saab Dastard]

After a PM to Admin suggesting a possible problem with the link to Snopes.com in BOAC's post, I did some investigation.

While I could not find any problem with FF2 / IE7 on 2 different PCs, I put this down to adblocking / Noscript-like protection. Nothing reported by Sophos, Adaware or Spybot on either PC.

I then checked with vanilla IE7 on a 3rd PC and was "rewarded" with a pop-up "ad" for a dodgy AV program that "scanned" my PC (it's just an animation, folks!) and showed me to be infected with 128 trojans! Now that particular PC is an 833MHz PIII, and it couldn't even launch a virus scanner, let alone run a scan in that time. :}

If you fall for that... :rolleyes: :O

I managed to avoid downloading the so called anti-virus software it told me that I couldn't survive without by just closing the browser window. No drama, no problem. There certainly isn't a problem with Snopes.com itself, but there is definitely a link via one of their ad servers to a dodgy ad.

Snopes - the irony! :)

Anyhow, I'm passing this on so that you can be cautious.

SD

[Bushfiva]

Indeed. Snopes is notorious for the dubiousness of its advertising partners.

[BOAC]

GULP! Never thought of myself as spreading nasties:) Swine flu here we come..............

Interestingly enuf, I get no sign of that in IE6 with pop-up blocker on OR off, nor in FF. (I have adbocker and noscript running on that.)

[Saab Dastard]

BOAC,

Not your fault, and I really, really had to try very hard to get it to happen. Allow pop-ups, permit Active-X controls etc.

Default settings on most browsers would protect you, and with AdBlock / NoScript etc. you wouldn't ever even see that the pop-up is being blocked.

Perhaps a timely reminder to ensure that your defences are up to the mark - AV is kept up-to-date, that sensible precautions are adopted when connected to the internet - firewall(s) in place, Adblockers, pop-up blockers and java / scripting / activeX controls set to a secure level. Also consider running as a non-admin account to prevent anything that does get through the net from being able to do any damage.

SD