Urban legends go mobile

In the murky nether regions of the Web, urban legends about vanishing hitchhikers and alligators lurking in sewers abound. But another category of techno-legends that sound quasi-plausible also proliferates in cyber-space. Are stories about mysterious cellphone capabilities true?Googling a search term such as "5 things you may not know your cellphone could do" will result in a cornucopia of hits and tips. Cellphone manufacturers bemoan the headaches this type of misinformation creates for them. "Once they start, these myths take on a life of their own," says Keith Nowak, NY-based spokesperson for Nokia. "There's been a hoax promotional email going round for over eight years with some Finnish-sounding contact name, saying Nokia will provide free service if you pass the email on to 10 friends. We've never had such a promotion, but to this day, we get calls about it."It's beyond the purview of Telus Corp. to speculate about the origins of these myths, says Julie Smithers, spokesperson for the Vancouver-based communication service provider. But Nowak takes a stab at this sociological phenomenon. "Some have some slight basis in truth, others are just silly - but some are malicious, almost like computer viruses," he says, noting some "helpful tips" may cause people to inadvertently reprogram their cellphones. "Someone is making these up to mess with people."Nowak urges consumers to check with their cellphone manufacturers or operators before trying tips of this ilk:Fact or fiction?First tip: Emergency numberThe 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.Mostly fiction: "Dialling 112 is an emergency number which works on GSM and IDEN phones," says Smithers. "But if the phones are completely out of all wireless coverage areas, customers will not be able to complete the call."Second tip: Unlocking keys in your car Does your car have remote keyless entry? If you lock your keys in the car and the spare keys are at home, call someone at home on their cellphone from your cellphone. Hold your cellphone about a foot from your car door and have the person at your home press the unlock button, holding it near the 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).Totally fiction: Telematics systems such as General Motors' OnStar that can unlock cars remotely are hooked into the actual inner workings of the car, explains Nowak. "OnStar sends a code via a radio frequency (RF) signal to the vehicle's computer," he says. "While a cellphone works on RF as well, it's not the right frequency and your cellphone wouldn't have the right codes. The only thing the phone picks up to send over the network is sound. It can't take the frequency of the key fob and send it over the air and then make the frequency happen again."Third tip: Hidden battery power Imagine your cell battery is very low. To activate, press the keys *3370#. Your cellphone will restart with this reserve and the instrument will show a 50% increase in battery. This reserve will get charged when you charge your cell next time.Totally fiction and potentially malicious: People should be very leery of any "tip" that recommends inputting star and pound sequences into their cellphones, says Nowak. "Some of these will reset your phone and erase everything," he says. "Similar keystrokes are used by technicians in repair centres to initialize phones."Fourth tip: How to disable a stolen mobile phone To check your mobile phone's serial number, key in: * # 0 6 #. This will generate a 15-digit number that is unique to your handset. Write it down and keep it somewhere safe. If your phone is 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.Mostly fiction: While the code may generate the serial number in some handsets, there's nothing magical about it, says Nowak. "It's the long way around, as you could just as easily look it up under the battery or the box your phone came in." Whether usage of the phone can be blocked based on the serial number even if the SIM card is changed is a carrier question, he adds. But Telus' Smithers says this is not possible. Fifth tip: Free directory service for cellphones Cellphone companies are charging us $1 to $1.75 for 411 information calls when they don't have to. Most of us do not carry a telephone directory in our vehicle, which makes this situation even more of a problem. When you need to use the 411 information option, simply dial: (800) FREE 411, or (800) 373-3411 without incurring any charge at all.Mostly fiction: This may be true in some select areas of the US, says Nowak. "The deal is an ad-based service where you call a toll-free number, listen to the ad, and then it gives you directory assistance." Although he recalls hearing of this type of service, he can't confirm the specifics - but says this is definitely not a universal service.

Urban legends go mobile

News | August 30, 2007

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