Personalizing your cellphone is not just a game

It is truly amazing to see how the cellular phone has evolved. In the beginning, it was used for communication purposes only. It allowed other people to call us wherever we were, as long as there was network coverage. It also enabled us to make calls without having to frantically look for a public phone. In fact, in places where the rate of cellphone penetration is high, public phones are not so widely available.

Today, the cellphones are everywhere. The pre-paid arrangement has enabled a lot more people to have their own cellphones. Moreover, the ease at which the cellphones get stolen, robbed or bought at a lot of stores with questionable ethics is also responsible for the jump in the number of cellphone users in Indonesia. Today, it is estimated that we have around nine million cellphone users throughout Indonesia. Eighty percent of them are using pre-paid SIM cards. We simply have no idea how many of them are using stolen cellphones and stolen SIM cards.

If you lose your cellphone, someone may buy the SIM card and feel no guilt when you tell him that he is using a stolen phone. A friend once had this experience, and because she still wanted to use the same number she had to buy another SIM card for the person who had bought her stolen card after her cellphone had been snatched from her hand. Such is the level of ethics in this country that people do not feel the least bit of guilt or shame even when they know that they have something that belongs to someone else.

Anyway, what can you do to make your cellphone more personalized and make it a bit more difficult for other people to use. Of course, you can physically change the appearance of the cellphone by changing the plastic housing or adding a slew of accessories. A lot of models, such as Nokia 8310, have colorful covers that can change how they look. A high-school student once even went so far as to hand-paint his cellphone in a color of his choice. Of course, it is not recommended that you go to this extreme of personalization.

You can personalize the ring tones, and it may serve you more than just distinguishing your cellphone from the crowd. You can buy the ring tones from almost any cellphone store or you can download them from the Internet. They are available in an infinite variety.

Once, at our infamous Soekarno Hatta International Airport, a cellphone suddenly took wings and disappeared from the tray as the owner went through the metal detector gate. Luckily, he had another cellphone. He immediately dialed the number of the runaway cellphone, and it responded with its unique tone. He was then able to get his stolen cellphone back. Do not think that the person who had it for a few seconds in his pocket would be arrested, though. That is not the way the law works in Indonesia.

Yet, the most important personalization is perhaps the use of a secret PIN code. It adds a bit of hassle to using it, and therefore a lot of cellphone owners do not take advantage of this security feature. Once you set the PIN, you will be asked to enter your PIN each time you turn on your phone or move your SIM card to a different cellphone. But, at least, it will not allow a thief to readily access it. They do have ways to crack your PIN, but at least it will require some effort and inconvenience.

So, do not hesitate. Although you have to compromise convenience, it is better to be safe than sorry. Personalize your cellphone by setting up the PIN number. -- Zatni Arbi