These days you can purchase memory sticks and SD cards with capacities exceeding 1GB, surely there is the possibility that a sim card can store all the registered numbers in one specific city (eg. London, New York). This would easily be determined by the user according to which city s/he is presiding in, duhh

This maybe too many numbers to look through when calling a close friend you speak to often, on the other hand very useful when calling unknowns, but there is a solution to that: you just have a msn messenger kind of buddy list made before hand.

Some (established in your city) companies providing various services like restaurants, taxi companies, groceries deliveries etc. may want to sponsor this technology and gain a place in the services phone number list on this sim card therefore lowering the cost of producing this product and enhancing the capabilities. Places would be limited therefore getting the highest bids and at the same time the best services, proportioned to each sector.

This product would kill the traditional paper made phone books and directory services (eg. Yellow Pages, 118118[U.K.]) and save A LOT of paper. Please ask yourself this: how heavy is my phone book and how often do I use it. HINT: VERY, NEVER.

I realize that not all phones use sim cards but its not specifically sim cards I’m talking about it’s the actual memory bank. This could change the way mobile phones work, it could be an encrypted memory stick (allowing you to use any phone and even update your numbers on your computer quickly and swapping numbers with friends will take seconds)

Another additional function could be that when you get home you can place the eg. memory stick into your landline reciever and the calls to your mobile and your home number will be directed to one place, also your phone book will be available.

In reference to neilp's comment (thank you) yes the phone book would be updated either through the phone by means of GPRS or WAP or through your PC and even through your home phone.

This is my first idea so go easy on me. me me I
-- artificialeye, Nov 01 2004

Welcome to the HB.

Unless you're continually calling people whose numbers you wouldn't otherwise have, surely it would be cheaper just to call directory enquiries. Since you say you never use your phone book, I think it would be difficult to justify the expense of the card.
-- Thod, Nov 01 2004


hmmn. the numbers need a way of being updated too.
I admire any idea that tries to save paper, but I'm not sure that this is going to help, as it will instead just mean we use lots of plastics, silicons and chemicals making memory cards. I think the answer is probably cheaper directory enquires (have you tried Google SMS?), given that if you're gonna make a phone call, you're online already anyway.
-- neilp, Nov 01 2004


Seems that there should be a cell phone service that looks up phone numbers without having to speak with a human (the expensive portion of 411). I'd pay a quarter per use for such a service built into my phone. Doesn't seem like it would need to be a memory stick though - it would be better if downloaded on-demand. Select city (city database stored on phone for speed), and start typing the last name. Once you've reached a fairly unique combination (say 4 letters), a list of last names are downloaded.
-- Worldgineer, Nov 02 2004


quite a lot of 'phones already on the market can do that [world], what with WAP, GPRS, WIFI etc.
-- neilp, Nov 02 2004


Not bad artificialeye...like yellow pages on your phone...croissant.
-- shinobi, Nov 02 2004


well i have this feature on my phone already, its called the internet.. good one though
-- thejaredfanclub, Jan 14 2005



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