Locked phones (was Re: A timely rant: Time for SIM-free phones.)

Tue Feb 27 01:01:12 CET 2007

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: community-bounces at lists.openmoko.org [mailto:community-
> bounces at lists.openmoko.org] On Behalf Of alan at rotorgraphics.com
> Sent: Monday, 26 February 2007 6:27 PM
> To: community at 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 Dean at cognation.net
> Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2007 14:35:21 -0500
> To: community at 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
> dean at cognation.net
> +1-212-203-4357 Ph
> +1-917-207-3420 Mb
> +61-2-9016-5642 (Sydney in-dial).
> 
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: community-bounces at lists.openmoko.org [mailto:community-
> > bounces at lists.openmoko.org] On Behalf Of alan at rotorgraphics.com
> > Sent: Monday, 26 February 2007 2:27 PM
> > To: community at 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 sam.kome at motricity.com
> > Date: Mon, 26 Feb 2007 13:18:59 -0500
> > To: community at 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: community-bounces at lists.openmoko.org
> > [mailto:community-bounces at lists.openmoko.org] On Behalf Of Shawn
> > Rutledge
> > Sent: Monday, February 26, 2007 12:51 PM
> > To: community at 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 <sam.kome at motricity.com> 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
> > >
> > >
> > >
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> > >
> > >
> >
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