The LG Rumor Becomes Available to Alltel as the 'Scoop'

A couple of weeks ago, I gave you a sneak preview of the LG Scoop, which recently made the switch from Sprint to Alltel Wireless. After seeing this close-up shot on

Electronista, I've decided that it's going to be a popular little handset. With a slide-out QWERTY keyboard, a 1.3-megapixel camera, bluetooth and Alltel’s Axcess Voice2TXT, this phone is going to get "scooped-up" fast (hee hee) with so many great features. It also comes in other colors like orange and black, but this blue is really calling my name.

Get Bouncing Bravia Bunnies on Your Cell Phone

What better way to count down to Spring and Easter then by having the Sony Bravia Bunnies hop across your cell phone?! Extending from the recent Bravia "Play-Doh" ad, Sony has designed a new moving animation screensaver of their Play-Doh bunnies available for download on your phone. To get the screensaver, download the video to your desktop and transfer the video to your phone via a USB cord. I can honestly say my phone is a virgin to screensavers, but I must admit that this one is so cute, I just have to test it out!

To see the bunnies in action,

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Would You Use Your Cell Phone as a Boarding Pass?

Continental Airlines has launched a test program in Houston that allows travelers to board flights using their cell phone or personal-digital assistant instead of the usual boarding pass. If it works, the program could expand to airlines and airports nationwide. How will it work? According to USA Today, instead of a traditional pass, Continental Airlines (CAL) and the Transportation Security Administration will let passengers show a code the airline has sent to their cell phone or PDA. Here's more:

The two-dimensional bar code, a jumble of squares and rectangles, stores the passenger's name and flight information. A TSA screener will confirm the bar code's authenticity with a handheld scanner. Passengers still need to show photo identification. The electronic boarding pass also works at airport gates.

I always email myself flight information so I can open up my email on my BlackBerry when I get up to the check-in window, so I love the idea of being able to use my cell as a boarding pass. It means one less step, right?

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Sony Ericsson Z310 Phone: Love It or Leave It?

I can't decide whether I'm digging this phone because of my early obsession with Rainbow Brite or Jem and the Holograms, but the giant star and colorful stripes make this gadget absolutely adorable! Designed by fashion designer Ágatha Ruiz de la Prada, the Z310 special edition Sony Ericsson phone was recently launched in Europe by Vodafone. Gizmodiva also reveals that the phone comes with interchangeable face plates and wallpapers designed by "la Prada." Priced around $132. What do you think?

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Cell Phones Seem Cheaper, But Are You Paying More?

The 8G iPhone went on the market for $599 and was slashed down to $399 just a few months later. It's a trend that is more than common in the tech world — it's expected. Despite the lower cost (or quick price drop) of cell phones, people are still dishing out loads of cash for the hottest device.

According to new data from the NPD Group, people are actually spending more on cellphones than a year ago. Americans spent a total of $3.2 billion on phones this year, up from $2.2 billion a year earlier. The phone cost this year is about $82.8, up 40 percent from $58.95 a year ago. The thing is, it's not just the actual phone consumers are paying for — we are also paying for all the added goodies. The New York Times reports:

"Half the phones sold in the period could play MP3 music files, compared to one quarter a year ago. Bluetooth capability was on 72 percent of phones sold, compared to 50 percent a year ago. And 11 percent were those digital Swiss Army knives called smartphones, up from only 4 percent a year ago."

I am guilty of buying in to the latest devices and services regardless of price so the trend of paying more seems like a no brainer. What do you think?

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Cell Phone Software Threatens Gropers

"Excuse me, did you just grope me?" "Groping is a crime," "Shall we head to the police?" These are just a few of the messages included in the Anti-Groping program by games developer Takahashi, according to ABC News. In Japan this free download ranks as number seven in a top 10 cell phone applications list, as many women are flashing these messages to warn subway gropers to back off. They can also press an anger icon which plays a warning chime with the message.

First off, I had no idea that there were alot of dirties on congested subway trains in Japan. Secondly, since when does a message on your cell phone scare off perverts?! I'd love to try it out here and see how effective it is!

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Simple Cell Phone Tips, Part 1: Use Your Alarm

As you've probably noticed, the pay phone booths of yesteryear have been replaced with free WiFi and cell phone charging stations. According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, in 2007, 81 percent of the U.S. population owned a cell phone, a 20 percent increase compared to 2002.

While we all use our beloved mobiles for phone calls, texting and even dating, we often overlook our phone's most simple functions and features. I've detailed some of my favorite cell phone tips in the past, but I decided to share a handful of easy ways to use your celly. For the first part in my new series,

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