ChickSpeak

Whether we like it or not, our cell phones have become as essential as our clothes and food. We invest money in personalizing them with the right plan, the right color, and the right features, yet the ringtones and wallpapers leave something to be desired. 

Hearing  “Boom, Boom, Pow” when your friends call or “Womanizer” when your ex-boyfriend calls takes a toll on a your finances. Unless Top 40 Hits is your thing, let’s face it, choices are slim.

But ARE they….enter Myxer.com. Founded in 2005, this website was started  “to be the champion for indie bands and musicians that want their voice heard in the mobile space.”  And considering that most of Myxer.com’s content is free, the website is also a champion for all recessionistas out there!

HOW IT WORKS

Come along now for one of the easiest techno processes around. Here’s all you do: (1) Create a personal account and profile, which will require your e-mail address, cell phone number, a log-in password, and limited personal information that will be used for advertising purposes (don’t worry, it’s only your name, sex, age and zip code).

Browse, browse, browse Myxer.com’s catalog! There’s everything from Kings of Leon to Flo-Rida songs and wallpapers. Narrow your ringtone options by music genre, most popular, recently added, and more, then select your song, picture, or game, click “send to phone,” and Myxer.com will send you a text with a link to download your content. That easy and that FREE!

One word of caution:  be sure you understand your phone messaging plan since everything is done through text messaging.

EVEN MORE COOL STUFF

While Myxer.com’s catalog features over 1,000,000 items to choose from, if you’re still not satisfied, the website offers a “create your own” service for wallpapers, ringtones, and videos. Using your music files, pictures, and videos saved on your computer, customize your phones!

For example, let’s say I want to have “Strange Times” by The Black Keys as my ringtone. I’ll click on “Ringtones” menu, select “Make Your Own…” and click “Choose File.” I choose “Strange Times” from my iTunes library and wait for Myxer.com to upload the song into its database. I can further customize by choosing the length of song, what part of the song plays, if the ringtone will fade in and out, and volume. (Now this does take a little effort to get your tone just right.) 

Once my ringtone is just right, I click “Send to phone,” I name my file, when prompted, and almost instantly, Myxer.com creates my ringtone and texts a link to my phone’s browser to download it. Taa - Daa!  Done!

Creating your wallpaper follows similar steps, except that you upload a .JPG file. You’ll  have options to crop or use the whole image for your background. If you want quality pictures of your friends and family as your background, you can do that, too.

Say “good-bye” limited, generic, and expensive phone extras, and “hello” to a phone that is uniquely you!

Kathryn Smith is a recent graduate from Boston University with her B.S. in Magazine Journalism. She loves working out, shopping, is a magazine junkie, and hopes to one day contribute to a Women’s health and fitness publication.

Photo by Sara Rosenblum. Sara will enter her junior year at Columbia College in Chicago in the fall where she is studying art and photography. She has been passionate about photography since a young age and won a Gold Key for her photography portfolio in high school. In her spare time Sara enjoys playing soccer, exploring new places, and cooking. Sara can be reached at sarajill@gmail.com.