Patent ID: 8825025

Claim:
A cellular telephone comprising: a communications interface operable to service wireless communications with a cellular network infrastructure of a network operator; and a user interface including a display and at least one input device; processing circuitry coupled to the communications interface and to the user interface, the processing circuitry operable to: establish default user interface settings for the user interface consistent with association with the network operator; determine desired association with a third party sponsor; based upon the desired association, retrieve third party sponsor settings; alter the user interface settings based upon the third party sponsor settings, wherein the altered user interface settings differ from the default user interface settings; communicate with a third party sponsor server computer via the communications interface to exchange information relating to operation of the cellular telephone indicating alteration of the user interface settings from the default user interface settings; communicate with the third party sponsor server computer via the communications interface information relating to one or more idle periods of the cellular telephone; and receive one or more communications from the third party sponsor server computer via the communication interface during the one or more idle periods of the cellular telephone.