It was a coincidence that I had to shop for a new cell phone on Earth Day. But buying  the Samsung Reclaim from Sprint seemed like a good way of marking the occasion. Sprint says that the Reclaim is “both eco-friendly and…feature-rich.”

Reclaim’s hardware is made from bio-plastic materials extracted from corn, making 80 percent of the phone recyclable. Reclaim’s eco-friendly features extends to its packaging and support materials, which include a link to an online user manual in lieu of a print version, use of soy-based ink on enclosed printed materials, a phone box and phone tray made from recycled materials, and an Energy-Star approved phone charger.

In honor of its green-ness, the Reclaim is available in a “Earth Green,” but the color is too bright for my tastes. I opted for “Graphite Grey,” which, in light of the recent news, looks rather like volcanic ash. On the whole, it’s a nice-looking gadget.

The Reclaim is considerably lighter and thinner than my old Treo. Its screen is bright and clear, and it seems to be pretty sturdy. I’ve dropped it a couple of times with no adverse effects. The covers for the slots for the charger plug and the MicroSD card seem awfully flimsy, though, and I suspect they may break easily.

I prefer full keyboards with vertical layouts as on the Treo, Palm Pre, and many BlackBerry phones. Keyboards that slide out sideways don’t work too well for me, since I’m left-handed, and the navigation keys are invariably on the right side of the keyboard. The Reclaim’s keyboard is well laid out, but the keys themselves are flat, close together, and not easy to type on.

Incoming sound quality is very good; one person said I sounded a bit “electronic,” but otherwise, outgoing voice quality seems to be fine. Signal strength has been excellent, even in places with marginal reception.

The volume of the ringer, earpiece, and speakerphone can be set quite loud, which I appreciate. I haven’t had the phone long enough to really test its battery life, but Sprint claims 6 hours of talk time. I also haven’t tried some of its other features, including a 2-megapixel camera, voice recognition and stereo Bluetooth.

The software isn’t bad, as long as you know what you’re getting. The Reclaim comes with Sprint’s “One Click” interface and basic productivity apps, including a mail app, a web browser, a calendar and an address book. It also has apps for social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and YouTube. The screen fonts on the Facebook app are so tiny I can’t read wall posts, even with my glasses on — I guess Sprint figured that oldsters like me wouldn’t be using Facebook.

Sprint claims that this phone can download 60,000 free applications through the “Digital Lounge,” which is the Sprint-branded version of the GetJar app store. I did find some free apps, but most of the useful apps I looked at carried monthly fees of $3-10. And the quality of apps is variable. The free version of Google Maps is almost illegible on the Reclaim’s screen, and didn’t pick up where I was, even after enabling GPS.

So compared to the one-time purchase costs that are common on the iPhone/iPod touch and Android platforms, apps for the Reclaim can get expensive very quickly. Sprint even charges a monthly fee for their service to back up one’s contact list — and it’s not even full sync. For me, this is the biggest limitation of the Reclaim’s software: its inability to sync address book and calendar data. (There are some third-party solutions that claim to be able to do this, but I have no idea if they work.)

Sprint is continuing its green efforts and has just announced the Restore, another eco-friendly phone, which is scheduled for availability this summer. Meanwhile, Sprint is offering the Samsung Reclaim online at no charge after rebates and with a two-year contract, which is a good deal. But for web workers who are used to smartphones like the iPhone, Treo, Pre, BlackBerry or Android-based phones, the Reclaim has limited functionality. If all you need is a phone that can make calls, send texts and do some light web browsing, it might work for you.

If you find the Reclaim’s green tech credentials appealing, you should check out our Green:Net conference, which takes place on April 29 in San Francisco — there are still a few tickets left.

Do you think you could get by without your smartphone?

Related GigaOM Pro content (sub. req.): Cleantech Market Overview, Q1 2010

Many web workers rely on their cell phones for work these days and some have even moved to handling their phone calls entirely through their computers, with services like Skype. There are plenty of ways to do without a landline at this point, which leads us to the question of whether it’s even necessary to pay for a telephone line anymore.

The Backup Landline

The best argument for keeping a landline for most freelancers or telecommuters is the fact that it can offer a backup way to get in touch with a client or an employer. If, for some reason, you don’t get cell phone reception in your home or your power goes out, you can still make a phone call. But for many web workers, picking up and moving your laptop to somewhere with reception or power is a valid option. If you aren’t tied to your home office for any other reason, a landline may not be a necessary emergency measure.

Furthermore, if you’ve got both VoIP on your computer and a cell phone, you already have a backup system in place: if you’ve got both a belt and suspenders, do you really need more?

Phone-Based Systems

Right now, I still technically have a phone line coming into my office. It isn’t hooked up to a handset, though — it’s plugged into my fax machine. Many companies still depend on fax machines in order to do business, although that number continues to drop each year. There are online options that can replace a fax machine and, personally, I’ll probably make the switch in the next month or two.

There are a few other systems that still require a phone line in order to work, such as certain security systems or health alert systems, however. If you rely on such a system, doing without a landline probably isn’t an option.

The Emergency Issue

The biggest drawback to doing without a landline is that in the event of an emergency, it can be harder to call 911 (or whatever your local emergency number is). The emergency response system depends on landlines to determine where to route calls: dialing 911 from a VoIP phone can end with you being routed to an emergency responder in another city. Some VoIP providers now have Enhanced 911 systems in place, which will correctly route your call, but not all providers have made the change over.

Emergency calls from cell phones can also be directed to regional emergency response centers, rather than local centers. The FCC recommends that anyone placing an emergency call from either a cell phone or through VoIP software should make a point of immediately telling the responder the location of the emergency.

Do You Need a Landline?

In the end, a landline may not be necessary for many web workers. There are exceptions, of course, and many people just feel more comfortable with having a landline in place. It isn’t necessary, however, and if you’re looking to cut back on your telephone service, the land line may be the best place to start. I know that my last landline — my fax line — is on its way out the door.

Do you still have a landline?

Image by Flickr user Esparta

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• The Future of Work Platforms: An Overview
• A 2011 Connected Consumer Forecast

Handling email through Voice on the Go is a relatively simple process: Once you dial into the system, you can have it read individual emails to you, as well as transcribe any replies you want to send. You can forward and compose emails with equal ease. The voice recognition software used by the system is fairly reliable — I’ve yet to find one that was completely without fault. In particularly noisy places, the system does have some issues, but you do have the option of using the keypad to give the system instructions.

Voice on the Go interfaces with most web-based email accounts, as well offering the option of accessing your email through POP3 or IMAP. The company has also gone to some lengths to provide encryption and security for email and other data. The price tag on a Voice on the Go account is $5.99 per month, plus taxes, and the site makes note that your calls are subject to normal carrier rates. In comparison, Jott offers a similar service for prices ranging from $3.95to $12.95, but has some limitations as to how much you can record.

There’s also some disparity between the services available from Jott and Voice on the Go that may tip the balance in favor of Voice on the Go. Jott does not offer an easy transition between checking your email and making a phone call, while Voice on the Go allows you to break into an email currently being read and have the system call a phone number in your address book. Voice on the Go also offers you the ability to access traffic, weather and travel information, along with news, through the same system that you use for email and text messaging.

It does seem like a smart move to invest in a headset if you don’t already have one, but what hardware you use is up to you. Even if you have the most basic cell phone, it will work just fine — you can even call into Voice on the Go from a landline if you need to or through Skype if you use a Skype-enabled phone.

At this time, Voice on the Go has local access numbers for approximately 40 U.S. area codes, as well as almost 20 Canadian phone numbers. There are also 25 international numbers available, for such countries as Australia, Mexico and even South Africa.

What’s your current in-car setup for handling calls, emails, etc? Do you think a voice over solution is something that you will make regular use of?

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC Era
• The Near-Term Evolution of Social Commerce

The organization sent letters to governors and legislative leaders in all 50 states, urging them to make the ban part of their motor-vehicle laws. This idea goes way beyond the efforts that have taken place in many states and cities to ban drivers from texting and using handheld phones. The NSC says that dozens of studies have found that using a hands-free phone while driving is no safer than using a handheld one. It’s a distraction issue, and the group says studies show that about 6 percent of all traffic fatalities are caused at least in part by drivers not paying attention while on the phone.

This shouldn’t be taken lightly. This is from a big organization with lobbying clout, the same group that devised the “click it or ticket” slogan, adopted in many places to warn drivers to follow the law and buckle up.
The AAA motor club, another group with influence, has a campaign of its own to educate drivers to the fact that using a hands-free phone isn’t safer than using a handheld. But AAA hasn’t endorsed the safety council’s more radical position.

What do you think of a ban on using a cell phone while driving?

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC Era
• The Near-Term Evolution of Social Commerce
• Content Farms: The Players, The Benefits, The Risks

Apparently the risk is higher for women, who have more tendency to develop nickel sensitivity due to jewelry. The dermatologists cite some published studies in urging their members to take this possibility into account. They also tested a bunch of popular phones to find out which ones were risky: affected models include the Motorola Rzr and Q, the BlackBerry 8700c, and some Sony Ericsson models. The BlackBerry Pearl, Palm Treo 650, and Kyocera KX444 were among those with a clean bill of health.

So how much should you worry about this? Probably not a whole lot. The incidence of nickel sensitivity in the general population runs around 8% in women and less than 1% in men; if you’re affected, you probably already know it. If you do end up with red skin and a rash on your cell phone using cheek, then it’s worth switching handsets – or just getting a bluetooth headset.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• Why iPad 2 Will Lead Consumers Into the Post-PC Era
• The Near-Term Evolution of Social Commerce
• Content Farms: The Players, The Benefits, The Risks