There are few things that can be done in times of great emergencies. Your cellular phone can actually be a life saving or emergency tool for survival. Listed below are some helpful features for cell phones that many have no idea exist. Don't believe me, go try them out! If nothing else, you might find a new way to entertain friends at your next gathering.

ChaCha (242242)

Probably one of the greatest inventions to reach the cell phone world since the Internet. ChaCha is like Google through Text Messaging only BETTER! Anytime, anywhere, you can send ANY question about ANY topic to ChaCha at '242242'. This FREE service only requires you to have a text messaging plan through your current cell provider or you would incur the same per use charge for sending/receiving any text message on your phone without a plan. Unlike sending a question to 'Google' itself through texting, this service is not answered by a computer or server but a real life person. Upon receiving your question, the rep will research the answer for you online and reply back with the a complete answer that feels up one text. If you ask more than one question in the first text, then you will receive a seperate text to answer each question.

Example: If you asked who was #54 on the Dallas Cowboys, your response would include the players name, height, weight, position, years in the league, & college he attended. All when you only asked the players name. 

Don't be afraid, if you already love texting or you would like a reason to try texting, this is the perfect way to try. Never fight over a problem or difference of facts again, just ask ChaCha!!    

Worldwide Emergency Number

The emergency number worldwide on cell phones is 112. This number works all over the world even if you are out of your companies network. By dialing 112, the phone will search out any local existing network and connect the emergency number for you. The cool part is you can even use this feature when the phone is locked.

Cell Phone Keyless Entry

One very cool thing that works with cell phones is the ability to use a keyless remote for a vehicle over the phone. Ever find yourself locked out of your car or truck?? I would say it happens to someone every hour of every day. Should you find yourself in a similar situation with your keys locked in your car, as long as you have a spare keyless remote at home, all you have to do is call the location where the remote is. If the person at home presses the 'Unlock' button over the phone while you have the phone right up against the car, it will unlock. The signal from the remote can travel over the cell towers. Distance is no object. This trick can save you money with a Locksmith, plus save the trouble of the other person having to drive you the extra keys. It will work hundreds of miles away, as long as you can get in touch with someone who has the spare remote, you can unlock the doors or truck over the phone.  (This doesn't work if the car is running & locked OR if you have a special alarm system on specific models)  

Hidden Battery Power

Many have no idea that their cell has a back up power supply. Should you find yourself with your battery being very low, simply dial *3370# and hit send. Your cell will then restart, and the battery icon will show a 50% increase in battery power. This reserve will get refilled the next time you charge your phone. (This feature is also not on ALL model phones all over the world, the best way to find out is to try it yourself to know if your model phones has this extra battery power feature).

Disable Stolen Phones

Cell phones in general are probably the dumbest thing to steal. Much like credit cards, they can only be used until they are reported stolen. When you set up your phone, if the company who provides you the service sold you the phone, most of the time they already have your phones ID number or IMEI number on GSM phones. When the phone is reported stolen, the company will put a lock in the system on that ID number restricting it from being used EVER. No SIM active or not will ever work in the phone again. If you purchased your phone from someone else or here on Ebay, you only have to put your active SIM card in the phone for it to work. If your phone was then stolen without the company knowing the IMEI number, it is important that you have that number written down in a safe place to give them if you want your phone to be unuseable. Besides the box and the back of the phone behind the battery, the IMEI number can shown to you on the screen by pressing * # 0 6 #. A few seconds later, and the 15 digit IMEI number will appear on your screen. If you don't want the company to know you have a different phone, simply keep this information seperate to be reported to the company if you phone is lost or stolen. If everyone did this, the rate of stolen phones would drop since it would completely a waste of time.

FREE 411 Directory

Cell phone companies currently charge a $1 or more for their 411 service on your phone. This feature is very popular since most cell phone users don't have a phone book or directory in their vehicle when they need a specific number. For people that use this service on a regular bases, it can be very very expensive over the course of a month. Well, those days are gone because there currently exists a FREE 411 option that you can use the same way. Simply dial 1-800-FREE-411 or 1-800-373-3411. This number is paid for by an independent company that asks you to press 1 after hearing their commercial. Once that option ends, the regular 411 feature comes on the line, no different from the $1 411 you used to use. Just save this number in your phone book, and you will NEVER have to pay for 411 service again. This is not told to you by the cell companies because they are losing money.

Well, there you have it. I know at least one of these things you didn't know about while you were reading this Guide, so please make sure to hit the YES button to show that you thought this Guide was helpful.