The first thought that comes to most parents minds when they think of Disney isn’t cell phones. But that may be changing soon with Disney’s release of their Family Mobile Plan that offers parents a way to control their children’s cell phone usage while offering a variety of features that thrill parents and kids alike.

The concept is simple. All family members get a phone that works with the Family Mobile plan. One family member, usually a parent, is the Family Manager who can set controls from his or her phone or from the web. While many cell phones that have been designed for children have parental controls and limiting calling, Disney seems to have reinvented the family plan and it is worth looking into.

What’s included in the Disney Family Mobile plan that parents will like?

– Family Monitor – This feature allows parents to set up monthly spending allowanced for voice, text and pix messages as well as controlling what content kids can download into their phones. In addition, the parent phone and the child’s phone will receive a message when the allowance has been used up. The parent can choose to add to the allowance or not.
– Call Control – Parents can restrict when their children can use their phones and who they can call and receive calls from. There is also the ability to program in “Always On” numbers such as parents or emergency numbers that can still be called even during restricted hours.
– Family Locator – This feature uses GPS technology to find the location of a child’s cell phone from the parent’s cell phone or from Disney Mobile’s website. This feature probably won’t help anyone find a cell phone that has gone missing under a pile of clothes in a child’s room, but rather help a parent find a child who has forgotten to check in or even perhaps a child who has truly gone missing.

– Family Alert – Parents can send prioritized messages to all family members at once that take over the phone’s main screen.
– Unlimited Mobile to Mobile calls – All calls to family members on the plan are unlimited.

What’s included in the Disney Family Mobile plan that kids will like?

– Disney Zone – Kids can download exclusive ring tones and wall paper from Vault Disney, the Disney archives. They can also check out music and artists from Radio Disney and play Disney Trivial Pursuit.
– Family Monitor – While kids may not like being limited in the amount of calls they can make, they will appreciate being informed when they reaching their limit so they can plan accordingly.

Other features that come with the Disney Family Mobile plan include:

– Unlimited Nationwide Long Distance
– Unlimited Nights and Weekends
– Caller ID
– Call Waiting

What’s the cost for all this? Considering its Disney, you might think it’s very expensive. However, the prices for both the phones and the plans seem quite competitive.

There are two phones available to purchase for the plan. The first is the basic model which currently costs $59.99 (after a rebate). The second more stylish model currently costs $109.99 (after rebate). Both phones come with a camera and the more expensive model also does video. The plans start at $59.99 (450 monthly minutes) for two users and more users can be added at $9.99 per month.

Jawahn Thompson
http://www.articlesbase.com/cell-phones-articles/disneys-family-mobile-plan-51762.html

Let’s face it. As parents, we want to know where are children are at all times. Many parents will purchase their child a cell phone to make sure their child always has a way to call them and vice versa. However, many parents often purchase cell phones that have too many advanced features for a child. For example, does your ten year old really need to have access to the Web all of the time? However, the makers have now come out with several cell phones that are more appropriate for the younger child.

One of the best cell phones out there for the younger child is the Firefly cell phone. This cell phone is perfect for children between the ages of eight and twelve. Instead of the normal keypad found on cell phones, it only has a few buttons, making it much more user friendly. There is even a “Mom” key and a “Dad” key which will give children just one button to hit when calling their parents. This cell phone also allows the parents to program in a third button and it has up to twenty other dialing options, each to be preprogrammed by the parents. Of course, the 911 button is a big selling tool, as well, as it will allow the child to call for help. The Firefly does not have any games, Internet access, or text messaging features, making them more acceptable by both parents and schools alike.

A little more advanced than the Firefly, the TicTalk by Enfora will allow parents to control how the phone is being used, as well as when the phone can be used. Generally, this looks more like a walkie-talkie but the fact is it is a standard cell phone. While there is not a keypad, there is an LCD screen that is easily navigated to find the phone number to dial and there is room for twenty-three numbers. Parents, of course, can allot a certain amount of minutes the phone can be used, but kids will forget about this when the games of Leap Frog, Hangmen and others are discovered.

The Wherifone GPS Locator Phone is another option for parents who want to get their child a cell phone and it comes with even more protection for the child. This will also allow the parents to preprogram telephone numbers and it also comes with a GPS-tracking to let the parent know where their child is. All they have to do is type their child’s cell phone number in on a website and it will let them know their whereabouts. While this may not be what a child wants, it will help Mom and Dad out a lot.

The fact is we are now in a time that requires people of all ages to have cell phones. If you have a child that is involved with a lot of after school activities, the cell phone can save you a lot of time. If you are going to be late, call your child on their cell phone and tell them where to wait. Even better, if your child is running late, he or she can save you from hurrying to get their on time. The cell phone has many uses and with the current parental controls out there, there is no reason why your eight or ten year old should not have one in case of emergencies.

Jawahn Thompson
http://www.articlesbase.com/cell-phones-articles/cell-phones-making-children-safe-and-secure-52952.html

The pet location system offered by RoamEO can be a helpful device for anyone who’s ever lost a dog. RoamEO allows you to accurately and quickly locate lost pets, using state of the art GPS technology. The handheld color LCD gives you location information in an easy-to-read format, letting you see where your pet is, and where he or she might be heading.

The RoamEO system consists of the receiver and a GPS enabled collar that your dog wears. While there’s no reason the technology can’t work on cats, the smallest available collar is too large for almost all cats, and a smaller system has not yet been made. The receiver picks up location information sent from the collar, including the speed of your dog, where he or she is, and how fast your pet is going. Every few seconds, you’ll get another update, offering a constant stream of real time information.

Except for the GPS technology, the RoamEO is much like a normal dog collar. Just put it on your pet and activate the system to begin tracking. Unlike some other pet GPS systems, RoamEO doesn’t require a membership or website access. That means that the initial cost of the device is all you are required to pay. However, RoamEO is limited to a one-mile radius from the handheld unit. If your dog leaves this area, the last known location will be shown, but there’s no way to track after this.

Once the system is activated, you can track up to three dogs at once, as long as all the dogs are wearing collars. You can also create a GPS fence by walking around the perimeter of the area where your dog is permitted to be while holding the handheld unit. Once your pet leaves this area, an audible alarm will sound to let you know there’s a problem. This electronic boundary is automatically stored, so it’s easy to wipe it out and replace it with a new area as you choose.

Both the dog collar and receiver unit come with their own rechargeable batteries, so you don’t need to buy new ones. However, these batteries last only eight to ten hours, which means you’ll need to use the included AC adapters to charge them regularly. Charging takes about three hours, and can be done overnight or in the morning before you let your dog out.

The five and a half inch by four and a half inch display unit is small enough to easily carry, but large enough for information to be read without a problem. The case on the collar that holds the RoamEO GPS unit is about two inches by one inch, and weighs a little more than two ounces - not enough to strain even a small dog. This case is water resistant up to a meter in depth, making it hard for your pet to break the GPS by swimming or being in the rain.

One big downside to RoamEO is the cost. Some of its competitors are half as much as this system, at a little over four hundred dollars for a handheld unit and collar. Additional collars are about a hundred and fifty dollars each. However, these competitors require monthly subscriptions, with a commitment of at least a year, so costs are comparable in the end.

Jennifer McVey
http://www.articlesbase.com/pets-articles/roameo-gps-pet-locator-using-roameo-gps-to-locate-your-dog-452284.html

So I was watching the local news the other day, and it revealed an Amber alert. Apparently a 4 year old child was abducted inside a shopping mall. Police did not know the whereabouts of the child just yet, and they hadn’t a clue who snatched him. This IS without a doubt a parent’s most awful nightmare come true. I couldn’t help but wonder where the child was and if the parent was watching him closely. When I’m out in public areas I spot so many nonchalant parents who’re barely keeping an eye on their tiny children.

It irks me to death, but what are you going to do about it? It’s essentially up to the parents and the parents alone to do their job right. It only takes a second for a kid to be abducted. Now, on the bright side, there are certain measures you can take to ensure this will NOT happen to your child. Ever heard of a gps child locator? They’re new on the market and offer a wonderful safety feature.

I’ll bet you’ve seen a few children out in public wearing leashes. This is fairly common now days. It’s a simply yet effective way to keep toddlers at you side in public places. Sure, they can prance about on their own, but they’re restricted from actually going anywhere. The leash is only a few feet long and ensures that the child stays close by. It’s much safer than letting your 2 or 3 year old run about on their own. Then there is the baby alarm. This is a simply gadget that attaches to their clothing. You keep the receiver so that you can press the alarm button at any time. This will cause the device on child to sound, and you can pinpoint their location. Pretty nifty indeed.

Now, the new-age child safety devices have been taken to a whole new level with gps child locator watches. This handy device simply straps onto your child like a wrist watch, and then you can proceed to monitor their whereabouts with your personal computer. Now that is SWEET! It’s similar to a vehicle tracking device. So basically if your child was abducted, the police could instantly pinpoint the child’s location. This would make retrieval much more likely.

My only question with the gps child locator is where to wear it. Should the child wear the gps child locator on his/her wrist, like a regular watch? Or, should it be worn under clothing somehow, so that an abductor could not spot it and remove the device? Just some food for thought.

Ann Marier
http://www.articlesbase.com/computers-articles/the-only-question-with-the-gps-child-locator-is-where-to-wear-it-122439.html