14 DAY TRIAL // Your mobile phone, be it high-end or only basic-featured, can do more things than you might be aware of. We're presenting some of these "tricks" below, hoping that they will be of help, although some of you might already know one or more of them.
The GSM emergency call is the same all over the world: 112. This number can be dialed even when your keypad is locked and, on most handsets, even without a SIM card. Just try it - it works anywhere as long as a GSM network is functional.
In case you locked your car key(s) inside the car and you don't have spare keys with you (let's say you're on vacation and the spare keys are at home), your mobile phone can help. Call someone that has access to the spare keys (a relative from home, maybe) and ask him/her to get the keys close to his/her cell phone and push the unlock button. Meanwhile, you have to keep your cell phone close to the car's door (at about 8 inches or 20 cm). When the other person pushes the unlock key, the car's doors will open. It even works with the trunk door - we've tested it!
Of course, the "long distance door opening" is only applicable as long as your car has a remote keyless system (but most of the new cars do).
In the unfortunate case your mobile phone is lost or stolen, there are little chances to ever get it back. Usually, someone else will get to enjoy the handset's functions, as putting a new SIM card in it is an easy thing to do. But there's a way to completely block the use of your "ex-phone" and not only that of your "ex SIM card".
Every GSM cell phone has an IMEI code that's unique in the world and usually consists of 17 digits. This will appear on your display after dialing *#06#, without pushing any other key - not even the dial key. Sure, most of the handsets (if not all of them) also have the IMEI code written inside their cases, usually under the battery, but it's way simpler to just dial *#06# in order to find out the code.
Now, assuming you know the IMEI code, when your cell phone is lost or stolen, contact your operator, give them the code and ask them to block the handset. After this is done, the device will become non-functional, regardless of the network that someone else might try to use it on. Imagine if everyone knew this "trick" - thieves would have no reason to steal cell phones anymore.