Samsung Electronics and a research team in South Korea joined together last year to create a cell phone that could think, feel evolve, and reproduce. No word yet on the living phone, but until my Samsung mobile begins climbing atop the Empire State Building, feeding on scantily clad women as unsuspecting passersby scream words that don't match their mouth's movement, I am going to stick with the standard features like voice dialing.
And, if you're sick of reading yet another article about the Apple iPhone or a new feature to some five hundred dollar BlackBerry, have no fear, you don't have to be a Biz Fast Tracker to check your email on your mobile.
Solutions by Google, Yahoo, Teleflip, and Consilient Push have brought the luxury of email to regular non-smart cell phones, giving the financially conservative a reason to obsess over their phone just as much as those Treo hotshots.
Consilient Who?
Consilient Push offers one of the most thorough applications, supporting five different email accounts including AOL, Gmail, Hotmail, and Yahoo, as well as POP3 or IMAP4 accounts. The service is free with ads, or $5 per month for the premium version, which runs no ads and includes an unlimited data plan.
Singing up for an account is fast and easy. To get started, you have to create a Consilient account by visiting www.consilient.com and entering your mobile number and email address. On the following page you can add four more email accounts.
Note that the first address entered will act as the primary email account. For each address listed, you must include your username. Then answer some registry questions, agree to the terms of service, and a confirmation along with a SMS link will be sent to your mobile phone for installation. If you fail to receive the SMS link, you can manually download the software on the last page of the registration link, however, your phone may not support the application.
After receiving the link on your mobile phone, select your manufacturer and a language, click submit, and the application will then download to your cell. To access your messages, select the inbox folder and you're ready to go. The service is compatible with most Nokia, Samsung, and Sony Ericsson phones. The service allows users to receive, forward, and save photos and messages.
Gmail Enters the Fray
Gmail, the Socialist-like email service from Google that offers free, universal, emailing to all, is dipping its feet into cellular waters. Install Gmail for Mobile free onto your cell phone by visiting mobile.google.com and entering your phone number. Google will send a text message to your phone with a downloadable link or notify you that your service is not compatible.
After installing, users will notice a miniature Gmail screen that is exactly the same as the web based version. Gmail's mini me not only allows users to read messages instantaneously, but also enables users to open attachments in Microsoft Word, view PDF files, and send/receive photos.
Just operate Gmail in the same way that you use it on the computer. Features like keyboard shortcuts, Reply, Forward, and search commands are all included. But keep in mind that the application does not magically convert your cell phone into a BlackBerry, and therefore you cannot passively wait for message alerts. Instead, only by refreshing the application will you be able to see if any new messages have been sent since your last view. The program is compatible with AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile phones. If you have a Verizon phone, an optimized version is offered through m.gmail.com, but is slower than the Mobile service.
Yahoo to Go
Yahoo Go 2.0 is an application much like Gmail Mobile. Visit mobile.yahoo.com to get the software. Yahoo Go offers a wider variety of Internet functions like Flickr photos, maps, and weather updates. Unlike Gmail for Mobile, the service will intuitively notify users when new messages are received. Nonetheless, only a few nonsmart phones can enjoy the emailing privilege, like newer Razr and Nokia models.
Flip Your Mail
If you are looking for the most non-discriminating emailing application, look no further than Teleflip's flipMail. FlipMail converts messages into texts, and can be installed in the same way as the other three services. Just visit www.teleflip.com and enter your email account information and phone number.
Through flipMail, users can receive and reply to emails sent from any POP, IMAP or webmail account. Users can add personal contacts, manage the length of each message, and will soon be able to manage the time of day in which they want to receive messages, as well as set up calendar alerts. Remember to close out of all other email applications before you use the Teleflip service. Note that text messages are limited to 120 characters so emails may be less eloquent and a bit choppier than otherwise desired. You should also sign up for a texting plan with your service provider in order to avoid getting slammed with major texting fees.
So until Samsung and the Korean research team invent a phone that can tap you on the shoulder and read your messages to you, services by Consilient, Google, Yahoo, and Teleflip can satiate your chronically connected appetite for free.