Cell phones have become ubiquitous. Now it is rare to find someone who has one of the little beasts. The obvious next step was to find a way to make sure your mobile phone is unique and different from all others out there. A variety of features in different combinations and there are the usual tricks like customizing the picture on the screen or ring tone. These are almost all more style than substance.

We've all experienced the tone outstays its welcome and then just not go away or a ring tone that is particularly bad for some reason. There are also stories of just the bad wallpaper cell phone that shows the relationship managers or other potentially embarrassing sight. Some people actually use those phones for something other than a status symbol. Here are a few tricks for those.

A potentially useful trick is the dog whistle. For mobile phones that allow multiple ring tones, inaudible to using a dog whistle provides a useful method to deter pesky dogs can chase as running, walking or harass any other discomfort.

Another useful trick is to routinely lock mode when you replace it in a container of pocket, purse or other. The random button presses that would otherwise occur are a drain on the battery unless the phone is said to ignore the lock command, and can save money if the phone might accidentally hit the right combination to a call. Another useful feature for saving energy is the airplane mode for those times when you do not want to answer the phone, but you expect to need other phone functions, such as a scheduler function, or even the clock.

Finally, cell phones are terribly convenient. Carrying around a phone book is not. However, conventional costs can add up directory assistance. The alternative is the 800-FREE411, or 800-373-3411. This is an ad-supported directory assistance that can be used to find numbers that are not stored on the phone without incurring charges for directory assistance.