Q's xmas gift came... some advice please

buddy

New Member
Ok so I got the galaxy player that he will adjust to as his phone alternative. It is great, way faster than my phone which is the cheapest android phone you can get, luckily I got reimbursed for it, and I do like it, but his is better, it is really cool.

So I put an app lock on it so he can't get into the markets without me. I have no credit cards or accounts (used his gmail) to set things up so no way to charge anything anyway. I just dont want any apps that have in appropriate ads on them (would rather pay 2 bucks for the ad free versions for angry birds etc.).

I hate I have to be so proactive and defensive all the time, but I wont risk it.

So, I could block utube but I have let him do it on line and he does well.... he is so obsessed with sports that it is all nascar and baseball (I have norton family so get a list of all websites visited and can block any I am concerned about, haven't had to YET.... I know I will)

But can I track his internet use on the galaxy player? I want him to have a chance, not to do all this for the first time when he is an adult and can go hog wild. I want to learn his patterns and help him with mistakes now.

Do you know of any mobile website protections? I put the controls at the safest level but then tried to look up sex stuff and while boobs would not come up, breasts did and lets just say it was not medical information.

I will have no problem blocking the internet if I see it in his history by looking through the device... but getting it from him....I think I need a weekly check in built in a a behavioral plan. I will say we can add an ap per week maybe if he lets me update it (meaning I will snoop)

I have loaded a race app, angry birds, and several I know he wants.

I loaded the anti virus, the battery saver, lookout in case it gets lost so I can find it....

I put codes in so he can't get into anything except there is nothing to stop anyone from changing settings for level of items that come thru utube and internet. Even though I set them, and he may not figure out how to get into the settings, but wouldn't put it past him since kids just click on everythign to see what is there and figure it out.


any good ideas not only for that, but for anything else.

TeDo, it comes with skype. maybe I should try it with you guys when he is at school to make sure it works???? smile.

I am looking for a cheap micro sd card so he can have expanded memory. really has a good camera for a phone. way way better than mine and I like mine. I am prepared for words about it not being a phone at some point but he will end up loving it. been there done that
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Micro Sd cards will be all over from now till xmas. Probably this one wont take one over 8gig anyway. Most phones dont. And that is huge anyway...you will never fill an 8 gig, go for a 4. Thats all I have in my phone I think and I had a 2 in my last phone and didnt fill it. The only time I had an 8 gig or larger was in my camera's and that was when I was taking video's in HD of Keyana's recitals or pageants.

Yeah you can get parental controls. Go to the market place and type in parental controls and that will bring them up. Just look at each of them and you can decide based on the reviews.
 

buddy

New Member
Thanks Janet, it actually can take up to a 32! Compared to an Ipod when you go up to that level you pay hundreds because there is no external memory, you have to buy a much more expensive unit and the memory is the only difference. I think you are right though, I only have a 2 in my phone and it is not filled. I suspect he will do lots of video taping (so weird, he likes to video tv races, tee hee). And that will use up memory. But he wont be able to buy anything that will use it up.

I found lots of monitoring apps. and programs. what I can't find is anything that actually monitors the web usage. They will say it in the intro, but then you read more and it just monitors sms and text messages, phone usage, and you can turn web on or off. I did find live controls though, so I could remotely control it using the gps. and it willl allow tracking if there ever was a day he ran off.... and we needed to find him, I would never tell him it was there...then by the signal you can find the player. I have that on my phone and I tried it, really works.

HMMM, gonna keep looking I guess.

Thanks for the heads up for cards, I will look for a sale or something. In fact, I wonder if there is one in my old phone??? hmm... I can re-format it right?
 

TerryJ2

Well-Known Member
I am reading this with interest because you are way beyond me and I have no advice.
Except that you are NOT being too cautious. You are doing the right things. been there done that.
 

Lothlorien

Active Member
There are a couple of websites that I check daily. They have different deals each day and they do have sd cards frequently. One is 1saleaday.com and the other is woot.com You might want to check them out. They are off brand sd cards, but they are a really cheap alternative. I've gotten 8 and 16 gb cards for under 20 bucks.
 

buddy

New Member
we have just above the basic cable so he can watch some sports. Can't afford dvr. it isn't free with with cable here and we are not allowed to do dish. only one cable company comes to our complex which I still cant figure out given it is such a large city. I think the owners have a contract with them. such a rip off.
 

svengandhi

Well-Known Member
OMG! I did not understand one word of your post! Was it actually English?

I have what I call the "dumb" phone - no internet, no wifi, no apps, just texting and a basic camera.

My oldest son got an iphone and is in financial distress over it now; my D and another PC15 have phones identical to mine (as does H) and difficult child and youngest boy (17 and 12) do not even have phones.

I have basic cable with FIOS - no premium stations. I don't have Netflix or anything like that.

I don't understand why young kids need phones like this. My D has a phone because she lives 300+ miles away at college, oldest boy because he drives for a living and easy child because he actually keeps in touch with us and since he hangs out with difficult child, we can find him as well.

I hope you figure out how to use your new phone - I felt like I had "cable vision" face after trying to figure the post out.
 

buddy

New Member
lol sven, that is funny. It is not actually a phone, but it is the same as the phone with the same name, minus the phone. so it is an entertainment, portable game, camera, video etc . player. He wants a phone, just not really ready for it. Actually you can make phone calls with computer numbers, like google has or many places.... and he could put an "app" on his phone and make that kind of call...but I am gonna wait to see how he does. You can use skype too which is like a video phone call.

He has really wanted a phone and says he is "jealous" of the other kids. every single kid, no lie...there are 16 of them..has a phone and not him. they will never know this is not a phone because it looks the exact same as the phone version. I hope he likes it but if he doesn't , I DO. I have been playing with it to set it up for him and it is way faster than my phone.

and I do have a phone with this stuff on it... I LOVE getting my email all in one place. I love going on my bank account, listening to pandora radio which lets me pick the kind of music I like, and I even have a few games, not a big gamer but I do like them. I also have come on this site from my phone. It was great to do that when Q was in the hospital. I Loved getting to all of you when I felt so alone. I have a really inexpensive no contract phone and plan...but it includes unlimited internet, texting and 1600 minutes. (40 dollars and I get a stipend for 40 a month, 20 starting in january with budget cuts)
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
I have a really inexpensive no contract phone and plan...but it includes unlimited internet, texting and 1600 minutes. (40 dollars...

<whimper>
$40?
At least double that here... and that's with 3-yr contract, and NOT unlimited internet (can't get good coverage AND good rates no matter what we do)

No wonder so many of you Americans can afford internet access from phone!
 

buddy

New Member
yeah, I think the rate increased now but by 5 dollars. And unlimited is 55 dollars. It is no contract. the contract cheapest I think I saw 50 but most are around 70. The difference is they are the same (like I have virgin which is sprint) sprint contract towers...just the sprint ones though. the sprint store told me that on contract you also get the benefit of all their partner towers so the companies share towers... In the city, no biggie. If I become a long haul truck driver, I might need to change, lol.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Dont feel bad IC...my contract plan is much higher but we dont have to pay for the phones the way people do who have the no contract phones do. Its a 6 of one thing, half a dozen of the other kind of situation sometimes unless you are doing very cheap phones and then the pay as you go phones are probably better.

My 2 year plan for 3 smartphones with insurance is approximately $190 a month. I dont have insurance on my phone. I dont need it. I have my current phone and 2 back ups sitting in my house should I need them. I have to have insurance on Cory's new phone. I worry about him losing or breaking that phone...or Mandy. Same with the new upgrade for Tony though I could just give him one of the ones here if that happens to his phone. I probably wont add insurance to Tony's phone. We can get a phone on ebay for a hundred bucks easy.

I know almost $200 seems high but we get unlimited internet, unlimited mobile to every mobile, unlimited texts, share 1500 anytime minutes which start at 7 pm.
 

buddy

New Member
I had to switch to no contract because the state said they would only reimburse phone cards... now of course after doing that...just months later they reversed their decision..so I had to buy that darn phone. BUT I had calculated it out...and my phone (which now of course they reimburse up to 100 dollars, arrrgggg) after three months was paid off (meaning the difference between the contract plan-my portion- and the no contract plan added up to the cost of the phone) so now the difference between what I was paying and now is 50 dollars and I didn't have internet at all, and had limited texts and far fewer minutes. Which... I never had used even 400 minutes. since Q has been sick, I have gone over 1500 a month every month....myself. I am not a phone talker so much...but I spend every day on the phone now with school, docs, therapists, lawyer, etc.... just added up so quickly!

It is nice we have options, sorry you guys dont have that yet IC but I bet it will improve, every year here it does. Especially after the holidays for some reason... I am no marketing wiz but I guess they know people are going to buy in during the holidays.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
We have never gone anywhere near our 1500 anytime minutes between me and Tony. Mostly we call cell phones unless we are talking to businesses or happen to hit a roaming area which does come off our anytime minutes. Now with the three phones we may use a few more of them because Cory does live in an area that tends to roam a lot but he can text from there and its not roaming.
 
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