Cell Phones Ring Up Mobile Game Fun

April 2 -- In this week's Cybershake, we hear the ringing reasons for games on mobile phones. Plus, we note that determining the right levels of cholesterol can be found in the palm of your doctor's hand.

Ringing Up Mobile Entertainment

Remember when cell phones were good only for making telephone calls? Now, new phones with their beefier processors and sharper color screens can do so much more — including snappy video games.

Granted, the smallish screen and tiny buttons might not provide the same immersive experience as a full-blown game on a PC. But some say a good game, even on a small screen, can be a real gem.

"The designers can't design the same things as you would design for a PC game — it's a totally different experience," says Gary Letourneau of PaletSoft. "But there is enough room on the cell phone to give entertainment."

PaletSoft makes easy-to-play diversions, such as a virtual pachinko machine, for service providers. But phone games don't stop at just simple board games. At Gameloft.com, cell phone owners can find version of popular computer games, such as Prince of Persia, a graphic adventure game where players must save the from imaginary doom.

Letourneau says cell phone games can also really come in handy — especially for busy moms with kids.

"They can give the phone to the kids, say 'OK, play the game for awhile,' and the kids [are] entertained [and] mom can do her business," says Letourneau.

And that's the kind of cell phone distraction that many harried moms would probably welcome with open arms.

— Karen Chase, ABCNEWS

Cholesterol Calculator

Your doctor says watch your weight, exercise, and pay attention to what you eat if you want to manage your level of cholesterol. But how do you know what's the right level of cholesterol?

Figuring that out is a tricky task, even for physicians because there are so many factors to take into consideration. And the there's no one "safe" cholesterol rating for everyone.