Before you discard your cell phone in the trash, take a moment to learn about Collective Good. These folks have a nice model that benefits charities and the environment.

Have you ever tried to get rid of a cell phone? The last time I purchased one, I couldn't find anyone that wanted my old one. It seems my old phone didn't have all the required "bells and whistles" of the newer models. A few stores provided trade in options, but they were few and far between. Today, there are more options, but one stands apart — Collective Good.

Collective Good is a for profit company that buys donated cell phones from over 200 charities and resells them to cell phone carriers or brokers in developing countries. They've also partnered with eBay and Staples to recycle cell phones. This model works well as the charity gets money, you get a tax deduction, and the end-user gets an affordable cell phone. The recipient is often someone who could never afford to buy a new cell phone.

The process for donating a phone is pretty simple. Collective Good's web site lists over 200 different charities participating in this program. Each charity has its own page and PDF donation form that you can print. The form includes instructions on how and where to ship the phone and accessories. Tax deductions are available from the charity as well, but they take longer to process.

Another appealing aspect of recycling the phone is the environmental angle. According to news reports, we improperly dispose large quantities of cell phones every year. The EPA estimates we will discard 130 million phones per year by 2005. These phone contain materials such as lead and brominated flame-retardants that are harmful to the environment and need to be disposed of properly. If a phone isn't serviceable, Collective Good salvages whatever parts they can and properly disposes the rest according to EPA guidelines.

Additional Resources

• URL: Collective Good
• URL: EPA and Electronics Recycling

Cell phones offer a great convenience and we wish all the services worked similarly to our landline. Depending on your mobile carrier, you may have comparable features. Usually, you don’t. There are some other options to assist when trying to block Caller ID or unwanted callers

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Blocking Your Cell Phone Number from Being Sent

Like residential service, there are two ways you can block your cell number from being sent to another party. The first and more permanent solution is to request a line block from your cell carrier. This feature is offered by most carriers, sometimes for a monthly fee. If you then need to display your phone number for a specific call, you dial *82 and then the phone number.

The second way to block your phone number from displaying is on an individual call basis. This may be best when you're asking about a product or service and you don't want to provide your number. To block your phone number from being sent, press *67 and then the phone number you wish to call. One way I remember this is *OS for Off Screen.

Your number can't be blocked in all situations. For example, your cell number will be sent if you dial most emergency services. Also, if you're dialing toll-free prefixes such as 700, 800 and 900 your number is also sent. These systems rely on a technology called ANI .

Blocking Telemarketing Calls to Your Cell Phones

A big problem people face is getting unwanted calls. We can attest to how distracting calls can be during work hours. You're in the middle of the project and someone calls you trying to sell a service. One option US residents have is to register your personal cell phone number in the National Do Not Call Registry. Your registration is good for five years and should take effect 31 days after you register. To verify your number is in the Do Not Call Registry, dial 1-888-382-1222.

There is still is some confusion about who can still call you. The NDNCR will not stop all telemarketing calls. The FTC provides more information in a FAQ publication. The following groups are still allowed to call:

• Political organizations
• Charities (limitations on people calling on behalf of charities)
• Telephone surveyors so long as they don’t offer to sell anything
• Companies with which you have an existing business relationship
• Companies you agreed in writing to get their calls

Blocking Unwanted Callers

This is the weak link with cell phones. Most landline and broadband phone carriers offer call management packages that allow you to define who can call you. If you're not on the approved list, you have to go through a series of extra steps. This same functionality is rare with mobile carriers.

An area where the mobile carriers do offer help is with harassment. Most states have laws defining what is phone harassment or cyber stalking. Your carrier may prefer you file a police report before contacting them. Some may only proceed if a subpoena is issued.

Your phone may provide some built in options such as filtering based on the Caller ID. For example, some Nextel phones allow you to block Private Callers. You should check your phone’s owner manual for these options or find an online cell forum that has a group for your phone. A good resource is HowardForums.

If you have a Smartphone, you may have more options. You may be able to install third party programs that can block calls. Usually, these options are reserved for Palm OS and Windows Mobile p

hones. Some examples include MagiCall, which works on Windows Mobile and CallShield Pro, which works on Palm OS devices. The feature set can also differ based on your carrier because of differences in the network.

Faking Caller ID Numbers

Caller ID, like many identification systems can be faked by people. There are services that offer to change your Caller ID and send fake information. This is known as Caller ID spoofing. Some of these systems may be able to bypass your software and get through. Although the practice isn't new, it is coming under scrutiny. According to a recent Wired article , the FCC has opened an investigation into these services.

Silencing the Unwanted Callers

You may not be able to stop the call, but you may be able to silence the ring. This requires that your phone allow you to assign ring tones to contacts. A good example is a tip I saw from the owner of a Samsung t809. He or she assigned a silent MP3 file as the default ring tone. For known contacts, the author assigned an audible ring tone. The result was the phone could only be heard when a known contact called. Your phone may have a built in silent ring tone.

While your cell phone may not work exactly as your landline, these steps can improve the situation. Hopefully, you can make your cell phone a productivity tool rather than a ringing annoyance.

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