when we are at it, limiting calls to only certain numbers is a standard GSM feature, it's just seldom used, as most people just forget their PIN2 ;)
Andreas * Dean Collins <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> [070227 10:41]: > Took 4 minutes of googling to find both Cingular and Verizon have kids > phones and restricted access plans. > > Stop your bitching and go save the world. > > > > > > > Cingular's FireFly phone has buttons for preprogrammed phone numbers for > Mom and Dad, along with a button for 911 emergencies. Up to 20 > additional numbers can also be programmed into the phone. Verizon's Migo > phone from LG also offers a dedicated emergency button, along with four > buttons that parents can program. > > Even though the big carriers' services and phones don't match the > functionality of newcomer Disney Mobile, they still may have an edge > over Disney. For one, most parents who'd even consider buying a cell > phone for their kids are already customers of one of the big cell phone > companies. It might be easier and more cost-effective for them to wait > for new features to be added to their current provider's packages. > > > Limits on kids > > Parents can designate the times when a kid can call particular numbers > or play games. With TicTalk, Mom and Dad can also limit the number of > minutes for calls to certain numbers - say to a best friend. > > As with Firefly, the phone operates on the GSM cellular network. For > some reason, the unit I had never properly updated the time. TicTalk > costs $99, plus a $10 activation fee. An hour of prepaid talk is $15. > The phone is available online now and in stores by year's end. > > > > > Regards, > > Dean Collins > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:community- > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Monday, 26 February 2007 6:27 PM > > To: community@lists.openmoko.org > > Subject: RE: Locked phones (was Re: A timely rant: Time for SIM-free > phones.) > > > > Dean... > > > > Its been a while since I looked, but I do stand corrected. The Disney > plan > > indeed launched last June. > > > > The Disney plan is not, however prepaid, and worse, it is Disney, the > folks > > who bought and paid for our Sonny Bono Copyright Tem Extension Act. > > > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonny_Bono_Copyright_Term_Extension_Act > > > > Which, of course, puts them on my "List". > > > > Thanks again. > > > > Alan > > > > > > Original Message: > > ----------------- > > From: Dean Collins [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2007 14:35:21 -0500 > > To: community@lists.openmoko.org > > Subject: RE: Locked phones (was Re: A timely rant: Time for SIM-free > > phones.) > > > > > > > > > > As a parent, one of my great angers with the cellular industry is > that > > > NO-ONE has offered a pre-paid plan that limits the child's monthly > use > > of > > > the air-time resource by cutting it off once the minute limit is > > exceeded > > > for the month. Calls FROM and TO the parent account would still go > > through > > > and be billed to the parent account. > > > > > > Alan, > > Totally incorrect, this was one of the main themes behind the Disney > > MVNO and I also think Verizon or cingular have this option as well (I > > know I saw a tv ad for one of them a few months ago but cant remember > > which one) > > > > > > > > Regards, > > > > Dean Collins > > Cognation Pty Ltd > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > +1-212-203-4357 Ph > > +1-917-207-3420 Mb > > +61-2-9016-5642 (Sydney in-dial). > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:community- > > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Sent: Monday, 26 February 2007 2:27 PM > > > To: community@lists.openmoko.org > > > Subject: RE: Locked phones (was Re: A timely rant: Time for SIM-free > > phones.) > > > > > > Sam... > > > > > > Thanks for posting that link. A great write up on the > "Fundamentally > > > Immoral" business practices in the cellullar communications industry > > today. > > > > > > What I expect from the "Operators" or "Carriers" (depending on which > > oceans > > > are nearby) is that they cease and desist using obfuscation and > > bundling to > > > hide the true cost of their services. Ala-carte pricing that can be > > > compared business to business. > > > > > > Another Mini-Rant of my own: > > > > > > Cell Plans That Help Parents Teach Responsibility > > > > > > As a parent, one of my great angers with the cellular industry is > that > > > NO-ONE has offered a pre-paid plan that limits the child's monthly > use > > of > > > the air-time resource by cutting it off once the minute limit is > > exceeded > > > for the month. Calls FROM and TO the parent account would still go > > through > > > and be billed to the parent account. > > > > > > But the cell industry in not interested in what is best for Society > as > > a > > > whole, namely young people who can demonstrate the ability to > > conserve and > > > manage resources. Thanks for being such good citizens, guys. (<< > > Sarcasm) > > > > > > Alan McSwain > > > > > > Original Message: > > > ----------------- > > > From: Sam Kome [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2007 13:18:59 -0500 > > > To: community@lists.openmoko.org > > > Subject: RE: Locked phones (was Re: A timely rant: Time for SIM-free > > > phones.) > > > > > > > > > > > > I think that the article I linked to really clearly covers all of > the > > > issues presented in the email responses. The price subsidies, the > > > locked/unlocked, the SIM buying, the phone w/o SIM buying, etc. > > > > > > That's why I brought it to this group, because I respect the > > > intelligence of the folks here, and I think they care about > furthering > > > the efficacy and usability of mobile computing and communication. > > > > > > I took it for granted that everyone on the list, including myself, > > knows > > > the difference between T/CDMA (also available with SIMs, but > > nevermind) > > > and GSM devices in terms of subscriber identity management. > > > > > > I _don't_ take for granted that anyone not working in or around the > > cell > > > phone industry can even spell SIM, let alone understand the > > implications > > > of whether or not their phone has a removable chip, or if that chip > > will > > > work in another device, let alone with another carrier. > > > > > > When my mother/brother/friend in the US wants to buy a phone, they > are > > > very likely to go to one or two cell phone outlet stores, RTFMA, and > > see > > > a plethora of plans with minutes and calling circles and > > > free-after-x-o'clock. They will not be able to reasonably compare > > these > > > to each other without performing sophisticated systems analysis on > the > > > fly. They will and do sign up for 2 year contracts _and/or_ locked > > > devices. > > > > > > This by the way, makes my job (creating mobile content) more > > difficult, > > > so I have both the philosphical and selfish professional incentives > to > > > try to both educate the general public and solve the core problem as > I > > > see it, which is a sea of proprietary devices that have lousy > software > > > and worse user interfaces. > > > > > > How'd I do? Still childish boring bullshit? > > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Shawn > > > Rutledge > > > Sent: Monday, February 26, 2007 12:51 PM > > > To: community@lists.openmoko.org > > > Subject: Locked phones (was Re: A timely rant: Time for SIM-free > > > phones.) > > > > > > SIMs are great - I don't like SIM-free phones like Verizon ones that > > > require somebody at Verizon to switch the service to a different > > > phone. With GSM you just switch the SIM yourself. Of course it > would > > > also be nice to be able to use different devices without having to > > > physically switch the SIM (like use the GPRS connection in a laptop > or > > > PDA). Anyway "SIM-free" is misleading as you are using it, because > > > you are actually complaining about locked phones that will only work > > > on one network. And BTW it's not so hard to buy new unlocked > phones > > > on the net if you are willing to pay unsubsidized prices for them. > > > > > > As for Jobs, I think he negotiated a lot of unique stuff that cannot > > > typically be negotiated with a carrier. It's too bad the phone > still > > > costs $500-600 even with a contract. Makes me wonder what the real > > > manufacturing cost is; is the hardware that super-duper or are they > > > just wanting to have even better margins than they get on ipods? > > > > > > On 2/26/07, Sam Kome <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > We should paper the world with (something like) this rant ahead of > > the > > > wide release of Neo1973. > > > > > > > > The fettered masses really don't get it yet. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Covers 8 myths which drive folks to buy locked phones and/or 2yr > > > contracts: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://www.allaboutsymbian.com/features/item/Its_time_to_buy_SIM-free_ph > > > ones.php > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > "How would Apple fans react if the latest Mac computer was > > exclusively > > > locked to a particular ISP, was only available to people who live in > > > that ISP's service area, and people had to sign up to a 2 year > > contract > > > with that ISP? The Apple fans would be mad as hell, so why on earth > > are > > > they having to put up with exactly the same restrictions on a > > portable, > > > pocket-sized Mac computer called the iPhone?" > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > "How is it that Finland, a poorer, lower-density country without > > phone > > > contracts, and with a law banning locked phones, developed far > better > > > phone coverage than America, the land of locked phones and 2 year > > > contracts?" > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Sam Kome > > > > UX Team Member > > > > > > > > www.motricity.com > > > > view corporate video > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > NOTICE: This e-mail message is for the sole use of the intended > > > recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information > > of > > > Motricity. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution > > is > > > prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact > the > > > sender by reply e-mail and destroy all copies of the original > message. > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > > OpenMoko community mailing list > > > > community@lists.openmoko.org > > > > http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > OpenMoko community mailing list > > > community@lists.openmoko.org > > > http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community > > > > > > NOTICE: This e-mail message is for the sole use of the intended > > > recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information > > of > > > Motricity. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution > > is > > > prohibited. 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