Cell phones are not really telephones -- they're radios. More like walkie-talkies in fact, except you can both make and receive calls. Not to mention conference calls, 3 way calls, receive voice mail and now surf the Web. So you never have to say you're away from the phone -- even if you want to!

Picking a plan

Cell phones seem to be everywhere now. Including, of course, the 'Net. If the number of phone and calling options seems overwhelming, you can go online, compare plans and purchase at your leisure. Some sites to try are Absolute Mobility, Bell Mobility, Clearnet, Radio Shack, and Shop Wireless. On these sites you'll find product information and a calling plan that's right for you. For more information on calling plans, try Rogers and Fido.

Before you sign up, however, think about how you would use the phone so that you can get the most out of the plan you choose. Frank Wankam, a sales manager at Radio Shack, says that instead of only using cell phones for emergencies, like getting stuck in your car, everyone is routinely using them for lesser emergencies. You're running late for work. Or you're supposed to pick up some milk on your way home. "Mainly," he says, "cell phones have become more convenient and cheaper."

Wireless wonderland

Cell phones come in either digital (Digital PCS) or analog (portable) models. With digital, your private conversations remain exactly that -- remember the embarrassment both Charles and Diana suffered when their analog phone conversations were picked up and transcripts were published internationally. And because digital phones use the same language as computers, you can pick up e-mail on your cell phone. Analog, however, has a wider roaming range, meaning that the towers that pass the signals for analog calls cover more area. Luckily, you don't have to choose between digital and analog phones, because some cell phones offer both.

When choosing your phone, you have to consider talk time; standby time and battery recharge time. We know you think you're going to barely use that phone, but it's amazing how quickly they can cut out. High capacity batteries will increase how long you can talk and how long the phone will stay charged for, meaning you need fewer batteries and shorter charge times to keep your phone constantly juiced.

When I'm calling you

Just as important as choosing the right cell phone is choosing the right calling plan. There are lots of them, so you need to choose carefully. You have to start thinking in terms of minutes per month, even seconds, now with Roger's billing by the second plan. How many minutes a month are you going to be using your cell phone? During the day? On the weekend? At all hours of the day and night? Do you want extra features like call forwarding and caller ID? Visual call waiting? Minutes during the day are peak time and cost more. Minutes outside of business hours cost less.

Save your money

Cell phone prices are dropping quickly but that doesn't mean having one is cheap. Truth is, the phones are cheap -- it's in the service plans that the cost will add up over the long term. There are ways, however, to save money with your cell phone. Some service providers give you one free minute. So just talk for a minute. Surf the Web from home. That can eat up precious minutes, if not hours. And pick up your phone messages from a landline. First, you save minutes, and second, you don't hit a pole while writing down that phone number.

Safety first

Drinking coffee, eating breakfast, putting on makeup, talking about last night's game and picking up stock quotes are all important activities. However, while you're driving, paying attention to the road comes first. Kids run after balls. Cyclists pass on the inside. Idiots cut in front of you without signaling. A site called http://www.insweb.com/ has a learning centre for cell phone safety tips. Be careful out there.

Glossary

Analog systems use 2 way radio transmitters to transmit voice and data in electrical signals. Because analog has more transmitters, it covers a wider area for calling.

Digital systems use 2 way radio transmitters to transmit voice and data in a series of binary digital pulses. This allows for advanced features such as text and e-mail messaging.

Prepaid cellular allows you to pay in advance by buying time in 60 minute allotments and use that time within a specified period. This means no credit necessary or monthly fees charged.

Quirks

Check out http://www.phonebashing.com/ is a site dedicated to...well, you can figure that one out. Some people just don't like hearing those beeps and rings going off all over the place -- in restaurants, at the symphony (always at the quietest moment), in fact, pretty much everywhere under the sun. They don't really want to take your phone away. They just want some peace and quiet.