US – Friday, July 30

Got smart-phone envy?

 

The Motorola Clutch looks just like a smart phone but is half the price.

 

 

 

 

 

You’re in an elevator, on the subway or waiting in a line, and while those around you are tapping away on their BlackBerrys and iPhones, you take out your plain old cell phone and can’t help but feel a little … inadequate. Worry no more. Here are a handful of phones and programs that will help you quash those feelings of cell phone shame.

YellowPin
www.yellowpin.com
For 99 cents a month, YellowPin offers a hook up to Facebook so that you can let your friends know your whereabouts — and you can find out where they are, as well. Though your friends also have to join in order for it to work, this application lets you search for pals in your area.

Boost Mobile
www.boostmobile.com
For a flat rate of $50 per month, Boost Mobile is offering an unlimited plan, which includes calling, texting, Internet access and walkie-talkie functions. No contract, credit check or activation fees are required. Though the plan can work on a variety of simpler model phones, the premiere cell that goes with this plan is the Motorola Clutch ($129.99) which sports a QWERTY keyboard — bearing a striking resemblance to any BlackBerry on the market.

TruPhone
www.truphone.com
Convert your iPod Touch into an iPhone by downloading TruPhone’s free software. Though TruPhone also requires that you purchase headphones with a microphone or a microphone adapter for your iPod headphones, the system promises to offer calls for only pennies a minute. The program also allows users to use Skype and Google Talk for inexpensive global calling.

TeleMessage
www.telemessage.com
For those of you with no cell phone at all (um, we really need to talk) you can use TeleMessage to send texts to and from landlines and personal computers.