Are you coppin'?

So it drops in a month according to engadget mobile. I heard it's not going to have 3G but Verizon's wireless network is fast enough supposedly. It has 1GB of onboard storage with a 8GB micro SD card bundled in. The main problem is that I'm not a fan of touch screens even though I haven't messed with them that much. Either way I always liked Blackberry's for some reason. It's going to be on Verizon but i'm sure people will get to jailbreakin' when it drops (not that I condone such activity haha.)

I'll be in the market for a new phone this June anyway. It's probably gonna be expensive as hell. Either way I'll be keeping an eye out for this new line of Blackberries in the future.

"When you enable Mail Goggles, it will check that you're really sure you want to send that late night Friday email. And what better way to check than by making you solve a few simple math problems after you click send to verify you're in the right state of mind?"

This is a really good example of a company doing something that plays to people's amusement and interest...which resulted in some widespread press coverage. My only problem is that I don't know how well I'd fair at the math problems while I'm stone cold sober.

For you text messagers, try LG's cell phone with a breathalyzer installed, as told in the CNET post.

Serious iPhone Security Flaw. http://snurl.com/48mey

Can INQ Cell Phones Whack iPhone in the Knees? http://snurl.com/48ktd

Recently, the mobile compounds of Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, and the undercarriage, etc, launched a series of models with very new and the latest configurations 3G. The latest devices 3G include to call visual, visual recording, the numerical camera, MP3, manufacturing companies etc try to launch the latest models and devices to compete with the market demands. Motorola V3i, Nokia 6680, Nokia NR series, Samsung X660, Sony Ericsson W550i, chocolate telephones of undercarriage, etc, are among the latest compounds which are request much inside on the BRITISH market.

The latest devices 3G include the visual service calling where the visitor will be able to look at the person on other side during their maintenance. Other devices 3G include the high telephone of numerical camera of mega-Pixel to capture special moments, visual recordings, and the service of Internet to connect to you any time everywhere in the world, anywhere. Service MP3 enables you to listen to your preferred songs and to also download songs of your choice. The mobile suppliers of network also compete with the ones with the others. Although all are in same raveled material, the customers obtain advantages of these services. The mobile companies of network like three, T-mobile, Vodafone, the Virgin, O2, and the orange are available to RU with their high quality services. Being a user of cell phone, you can come into contact with no matter whom of your telephone and you do not need to seek a phone box to make a call. Same manner, no matter who can reach you with your number of cell phone. The new cell phones 3G are equipped with the latest configurations. The Internet is one of the most important devices. You can review Web pages and send email as you can receive email. For a business man this device is an advantage to remain related to the people.

To choose and see latest compounds having all the devices 3G and obtaining connected themselves to the network as well as with reviews of cell phone.

...but all in all, we have good times. :)

Laura & I are awesome and go for nerd glasses from Hot Topic.

The Twilight posters never stood a chance.

-C

How to know it’s time to delete them from your phone?

I can always stick to the same rule of thumb I have with my wardrobe. If it’s been a year and you haven’t worn it, go ahead and let it go. Or, if you have a tendency to drunk dial and want to rid your chances completely of an embarrassing, maudlin call, delete them. It's self-protection really.

It’s sometimes a tough decision, though. I often have feelings of regret after that phone deletion. I think; wait -- maybe I would want to call him in the future. Like clothes you know you aren’t ever going to wear again, but just can’t bring yourself to give away, because what IF they came back in style, and you wanted to wear them.

It's also possible that later you will want to make this contact part of the recycled goods list – the ones you tossed out, but then around the holidays think "well, they weren't THAT bad," and give them a call. (It's only once you acquiesce and go out with them again, you realize they were THAT bad.) Another reason for keeping someone in your phone contacts is so you will know it’s them in case they ever call you again. Likely the latter will not happen, but I like to keep it as a my purported reason even if it is really the former.

We tend to delete the ones who’ve harmed us. It’s like having a souvenir of your time with them, plugged into the one thing you carry around with you wherever you go. Whenever I scroll past the name, I don’t want to think of them, or worse, in a moment of weakness, slip up and dial impusively.

I’ll admit in my time I have deleted several numbers, one of which, I had such torn feelings about, I actually wrote his number down separately on a piece of paper and stuffed it in a drawer before deleting him from my phone. Thankfully, when my nostalgic reminiscing got the better of me, that piece of paper could not be found. Must have gotten lost in the shuffle between moves. Phew.

Well here we go again!

This time it does hit home Sanger, Texas (Denton County) 10/08/08

A 13 year old female student at Sanger Middle School sent a nude photo of herself to several male students. One of these poor guys has been singled out by authorities and was arrested and sent to a juvenile detention center for Possession of Child Pornography.

The boy is now, as I understand it, under house arrest. The other boys that received the photo have not been charged as of yet.

WFAA Channel 8 posted on their web site, "He's a 13-year-old child. He's in middle school. He's supposed to be out there having fun, hanging out and playing football, which he loves to do. Instead, he's having to sit at home with mom and dad," said his mother.

Bethany Mitchell, a classmate said "I know some girl was taking pictures of herself and sending it to multiple guys. Obviously, they've still got their picture on their phone because they are now getting in trouble."

OK now that you got the story, or at least what I found, here is my two cents!

If you are going to charge the boy with Possession of Child Porn, you need to charge the girl with making Child Porn. Next if the only charge is Possession of... get the records of the girls cell phone and charge everyone she sent the photo too, it's only fair to the poor kid that was charged.

BUT WAIT! Don't go getting all in a tither at me just yet.

First can they prove that the boy requested the photo? If not then it was unsolicited and how can you charge him for that, you should charge the girl with, not only making it but distributing it.

Next, for God sakes he's 13, is he old enough to even know about the laws regarding Child Porn? For that matter, do you the reader know what Child Porn is? Here is a recap of my research on the matter from Last year!

Federal Statutes:

Title 18 of the United States Code governs child pornography. Chapter 110, Sexual Exploitation and Other Abuse of Children. 18 U.S.C. § 2256 defines “Child pornography” as:

“any visual depiction, including any photograph, film, video, picture, or computer or computer-generated image or picture, whether made or produced by electronic, mechanical, or other means, of sexually explicit conduct, where -

(A) the production of such visual depiction involves the use of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct;
(B) such visual depiction is, or appears to be, of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct;
(C) such visual depiction has been created, adapted, or modified to appear that an identifiable minor is engaging in sexually explicit conduct; or
(D) such visual depiction is advertised, promoted, presented, described, or distributed in such a manner that conveys the impression that the material is or contains a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct . . .”

Sexually Explicit Conduct:

18 U.S.C. § 2252 prohibits the production, transportation, or knowing receipt or distribution of any visual depiction “of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct.” For the purposes of Title 18, 18 U.S.C. § 2256 defines a “minor” as any person under the age of eighteen years, and “sexually explicit conduct” as actual or simulated:

…….(E) lascivious exhibition of the genitals or pubic area of any person

Section (E) prohibits images of “lascivious exhibition of the genitals or pubic area.” Courts that have interpreted this section have done so broadly - “as used in the child pornography statute, the ordinary meaning of the phrase “lascivious exhibition” means a depiction which displays or brings forth to view in order to attract notice to the genitals or pubic area of children, in order to excite lustfulness or sexual stimulation in the viewer.”

Dictionary.Com defines Lascivious as:

las·civ·i·ous

Pronunciation[luh-siv-ee-uhs]

–adjective
1.    inclined to lustfulness; wanton; lewd: a lascivious, girl-chasing old man.
2.    arousing sexual desire: lascivious photographs.
3.    indicating sexual interest or expressive of lust or lewdness: a lascivious gesture.

Texas Penal Code Section 33.021 defines "Minor" as:

(A) an individual who represents himself or herself to be younger than 17 years of age; or
(B) an individual whom the actor believes to be younger than 17 years of age.

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OK all that being said, let me state for the record CHILD PORN IS WRONG! Also there is a difference between Porn and (Nude) Art. This line does get fuzzy I admit. Some Examples:

Venus de Milo (Art or Porn)

PersianKitty.Com (Art or Porn)

Ok Those are easy! Right? What about a little more on the fuzzy side Jock Sturges and David Hamilton. Both are acclaimed photographers (of art) but both have done work with nude minors. Both have been arrested and accused of child porn, both were cleared of charges, citing their work was that of Art ond not intended for sexual arousal.

Now my last thought on this particular story is WTF are 13 year olds doing with cell phones, let alone at school?!?!?

*********************************************************************************

In a related story to this and a close relation to my story from a year ago, lets go back to Ohio. Newark, Ohio thios time. Just this past week Fox News reported a story of a 15 year old girl, from Newark Licking Valley, accused of taking nude cell phone photos of herself and sending them to high school classmates.

The girl entered a denial of juvenile charges of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material and possession of criminal tools.

A spokeswoman for the Ohio attorney general's office says an adult convicted of the child pornography charge would have to register as a sexual offender, but a judge would have flexibility on the matter with a convicted juvenile.

OK, in this case the girl IS facing felony charges. Fox News also mentioned that local prosecutors are concidering charging those who recieved the photos. Again I think that charge is bullshit unless they can prove the receptants asked for the photos.

Maybe we should send nude photos to the authorities phones and then accuse them of invasion of our privacy!

*********************************************************************************

Well that is my two cents what is yours? Leave a comment!

And I think I'll pay for that new phone in cash, or at least debit. I'm about ready to throw my credit cards away after I saw my latest interest charge. The credit crisis has gone global. Iceland is practically bankrupt, Canada can hardly get loans, the Yen keeps slipping and the government is debating taking partial ownership in US banks. Oy. Whats up with Wall Street today? Nothing, hahaha. Bad joke, but seriously stocks fell again this Thursday. The DOW has been fluctuating all morning, along with the SP500 and NASDAQ.

I always like to see where sentiment lies for these major indexes every day. I find it so interesting how bullish investors can be about a particular index when everything in the market seems to be flailing. Lately, the bears have been dominating the bulls however. Checking the font page of PredictWallStreet, I can see sentiment for the SP500, NASDAQ and DJIA are all bearish, while the DJIA and SP500 are extremely bearish. This isn't too surprising after seeing and reading about the fears the credit crunch has sparked.

Harnessing the collective intelligence of the community, PredictWallStreet has published a bunch of forecasts today. Because of the accuracy of the forecasts (they outperform major indexes like the SP500), the more the better!

There are a few banks forecasted today, which seems appropriate given the recent headlines. Out of the four I'm looking at, only one is forecasted to close up and that bank is Bank of America (BAC).  In my opinion, this makes sense. Through all the dramarama regarding banks lately, Bank of America seems to have been the only one unscathed for the most part, staying out of the headlines and away from the eery B's-bankruptcy, bailout, buyout. This is not to say BAC isn't struggling, but maybe it's struggling less. Citigroup (C) is forecasted to close down, along with Morgan Stanley (MS) and Wachovia (WB). Sentiment for C, MS, and WB is all bearish. Looks like Wells Fargo and C can't save Wachovia right now. There down almost 17% right now at 4.21. This love triangle is more o no no, than o la la.

Apple (AAPL) has been seeing some gains the past few days, after a bit of struggling. AAPL is forecasted to close up today. Looks like Research in Motion's new Blackberry Storm did little to move King iPhone. Apple is also reported to be selling there new MacBooks under the scary $1,000.00 price tag; a good move in my opinion. Deals and steals are gonna be what consumers are mainly looking for now. Apple is up 2.5% to about 92.00. When I look at sentiment, I can see that it has been dragging slowly out of its down position and is becoming more bullish.

Wal-Mart (WMT) has been forecasted to close up today. This seems odd to me considering there has been a decrease in consumer confidence and thus a decrease in consumer spending. But I am led to the conclusion that consumers are turning to bargain super stores like Wal-Mart to save wherever they can. Looking at 1 month sentiment and overlaying the price quote, I can see that even when the price dropped for Wal-Mart, sentiment remained relativley strong. Right now sentiment has fallen along with the price but I expect both to be up soon as holiday shopping is right around the corner and is always a time of giant spending.

Ay, I'm off to buy a new cell phone :(

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There are some exception though and even a lot of old models do not have Bluetooth on-board. Until now if you really wanted or needed this technology your only choice would have been to buy a new cell phone. That can be pretty expensive so it’s great to know that now we have an alternative: the Movon MAG1.

This gadget was created by Movon, a South Korean firm specialized in Bluetooth devices. It is a Bluetooth dongle designed for all those cell phones that do not support Bluetooth.

Using it with the every kind of mobile phones is very easy. All you have to do is to plug the Movon MAG1 where you normally would plug wired devices. Then all it takes is the press of a single button (the big one in the center of the Bluetooth dongle) and your are ready to use the wireless technology.

Because it can be used with old cell phones that do not optimize their power consumption Movon also thought about that. The information about the MAG1 consumption is a bit misleading but this lightweight device (only 12 grams) can guarantee several hours of continuous use.

Unfortunately the Movon MAG1 will be available only in South Korea and there are no plans yet to market it elsewhere.

Multnomah County will now have collection points at several locations around the county where you can drop off those unwanted phones.  They've made arrangements with Wireless Alliance to take the phones and recycle them at no charge to you.  Locations include the Multnomah Building, Elections office, several of the big libraries and some health clinics.   See the news release on Commissioner Cogen's site for a list.  http://tinyurl.com/3rb6xm

Schwarzenegger said in a statement that he was "happy to sign" the prohibition against text-messaging, which surveys show is widespread among drivers...  "Banning electronic text messaging while driving will keep drivers' hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road, making our roadways a safer place for all Californians," said Schwarzenegger.

Oh, really?  Mitchell Rubinstein of the Adjunct Law Prof Blog commented:

The penalty? $20.00 for a first offense and $50.00 for subsequent offenses. Query whether this law will make any difference.

I've had my Blue Tooth set for a few weeks now and honestly, I've been just as distracted with both hands on the wheel and my attention on the conversation as opposed to one hand on the wheel and one hand holding the cell phone up to my ear.  Now, truth be told, my arm doesn't cramp up anymore when I have to have a long conversation but still...

When the hands-free law went into effect in July our local news media ran a story on the impact of the law on Fresno's youths - or should I say lack of impact.  Many of the highschoolers could have cared less and many expressed their intent to keep on doing what they were doing.  Driving around Fresno the past month or so I have seen the adults keeping in step with the kids.  Heck, I've seen Clovis and Fresno cops driving around with their cell phones pressed to their ears.

From the CA Labor & Employment Blog:

Gov. Schwarzenegger has signed a law making it illegal to read or send text messages while driving in California.  The bill imposes [fines for] "using an electronic wireless communications device to write, send, or read a text-based communication," which includes e-mails.

Schwarzenegger says the law he signed Wednesday encourages drivers to keep their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.

But if their minds are on the conversation and not on the road then what's the point?  Perhaps having both hands on the wheel allows you to free up the human brain's processing power and allow better concentration on the road as opposed to the road and keeping your arm up.  To me, what this law seeks to accomplish is indicative of the culture in this country.  We love to multi-task.  We can talk and drive at the same time; for some of us it is necessary to conduct business or stay in touch with our significant others.  But I guess the law is to remind us that we can multi-task but do it responsibility so no one gets hurt.

Oh, and our criminal law professor says it's easier to indict you for involuntary or vehicular manslaughter now that people are aware of the law's intent: that driving while distracted is dangerous and reckless.  While we may not have a specific intent to kill someone while driving because we were distracted on our cell phones, we can now be implied to have the general intent to perform a potentially dangerous activity while driving.  We didn't mean to kill a person but our negligence made it possible.

I'm not saying the new laws are bad and while I question their immediate impact, I think they are very necessary.

Stay safe!

Since it is still holiday season for some of you (Yom Kippur starts tonight, don't forget to stop eating), I figured this topic would be very appropriate, because Holidays = Family, whether you like it or not.  The idea of families goes back all the way to the creation of the earth.  Some species of animals form families as a means of self preservation, while other species are on their own the moment they hatch from their eggs/mother's uterus.  Humans began as a clan species, and are still ingrained to create families.  Of course the logic for such things has dissipated to nothing more than tax breaks and status symbols (I mean, really what else is the point of getting married and having kids).  But let's face it, you can't exist without having some kind of family (even homeless orphans have/had parents somewhere, and can also call those nuns and other orphans family if they felt so inclined), and you owe it to them to at least share.

When it comes to my family, I moved to the city to get away without going away.  My mom still lives in Islip, while my dad has gone on to a better place, Greenwich, CT.  New York City give me enough distance that I don't have to worry about seeing them all the time, and when they come to visit, we have things to do (like museums, sight-seeing, watching TV, etc).  And if I ever feel the need to escape city life for a bit, it's a quick trip out.  Also, NYC is a city they both know well, seeing as it is their closest metropolis for all this time.  This means I am not relied upon as "local guide", nor do I have to worry about them venturing out on their own.  This also means I am free to be my own creature without having to worry about sharing with my parents so often that it becomes more of a chore than a pleasure.  My siblings and extended family on the other hand, that's another story.

Sharing with family has a tendency to lend itself to choriness and obligatoridom before anything else, which can make one not want to do it.  Unfortunately, if you don't share with your family, it comes back to you, usually in the form of an unbalanced will, and/or a gun fight.  Let's say you have an younger sister who has finally decided to stop messing around with her life and finally finish college and get a real job, stop doing drugs and having sex for money, etc.  To her, you are the older sibling who represents stability, and you also happen to have a place where she can live while she goes through all this.  Since she is your sister, and you know that she would end up getting thrown out of a hotel in a matter of hours, you have no choice but to let her in (plus, I guess you love her, maybe).  So you put up with it, but since it is your apartment, it extends into your city.  You have control and it is up to you to maintain that control by selectively letting her learn about your town.  Of course if you ever have a personal "caller" over, make sure you establish that this person in your apartment is in fact your sibling who is staying a while.  Noisy, open-door sex will usually get this point across nicely.

If you ever find yourself running into a family member on the street, no matter where you are going, you must stop and say hello.  There are ways to do this though, and not be late to the dinner appointment with that guy you work with who you only agreed to go to lunch with because it was a good career move because otherwise you couldn't stand the sight of them.  First, you must establish you are in a hurry.  If you have time before the family member notices you, start staring frantically at your watch as though by doing so you can slow down time.  Maybe even talk onto your cell phone screaming things like "I know, I am on my way, sorry.  Hopefully I won't run into anyone who will distract me, no matter how much I might want to see them."  If you are lucky, the family member will not acknowledge you on the street, but instead see this as an opportunity to call you at home later to tell you they would have said 'hi' but you seemed busy.  If you don't want to stay on the phone too long, noisy, open-door sex usually gets them off the phone mighty quick.

Holidays are where things can get dramatic.  Often you will find as you get older, your friends will want to start hosting their own celebrations (sort of a step further into adult independence, surrounding yourself with people).  And of course, your friends will be so close, meaning you can get very very drunk and truly enjoy yourself without worrying about driving.  Your family, however, will also want to host a traditional family celebration, at their homes, which you will most likely have to rent a car and drive to.  You have two options here.  You can invite your family and friends to your own party (obviously have your friends come later so you can really get down to the meaning of the holidays), OR fake illness.  Just know that if you don't see your family, you will be attacked by guilt from all directions, for years and years to come.  So really, it is best to share your city however best they see fit for you to share it with them.

It’s actually becoming too distracting to watch on TV shows.

I started to notice it last week on FOX’s Fringe (not a bad show, but what the?).

Anyway, one of the main characters uses her cell phone A LOT to talk to other people.

So why should that bother me? Well, besides the nearly constant click of the phone clasping shut, I’m also noticing it’s simultaneously becoming a crutch – an easy channel of communication.

Dear God, imagine if it were like ten years ago, characters would have to use payphones (for the younger crowd – yes, they really existed outside of TV) or they would have to hold vital info until (gasp!) they saw the intended receiver.

As a writer it showed me that I need to be more creative with how to convey information.

Yes, a cell phone is quick and dirty, but is there another way?

How can I make my story stand out from the dozens of other cellular dramas?  

The other person that really made people sit up and listen was by Karim Khoja, CEO of Roshan, the largest mobile phone network in Afghanistan. The country, he said, had no mobile phone service five years ago. Several decades of war also meant that it had few landlines. Now, he said, 58% of the country has access to telephony. His service alone has 2.4m subscribers and he's currently adding new ones at 200,000 per month. The story is even more incredible when you know about the risks involved in keeping his network running. Not only is he working in war torn areas, his engineers are trying to build base stations and infrastructure in a country that has the highest density of landmines anywhere in the world (so far three have been injured). Also, he said, threats from the Taleban mean the company has to shut down 50 of its transmitters in the south of the country every night. Supposedly they will blow the towers up if he doesn’t comply; they do not want to be tracked as they go about their nocturnal activities. Yet, despite these factors, Roshan is now the largest private utility in Afghanistan. An incredible story...

First, one of my favorites is DiggNation. It's a weekly video that these two dudes put up. They mostly ramble which is pretty funny but for the most part they talk about top stories on one of my favorite websites Digg.

Another, which is connected to DiggNation, is Revision3. There you can watch all kinds of tv shows related to web, culture, tech stuff. It's cool. Check it out.

Oh and my phone is super slicky slidey. Check it. More photos to come. If you have any ideas for a pic I should do for the contest that I'm entering, holler at me. Cheers!
[caption id="attachment_141" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="My new cell."][/caption]

Why did he do this to me? How could he be so heartless? He used to be with me 24x7 from past two years. He didn’t even think once before leaving me alone like this.

But why I am blaming him? It was not his fault. He was helpless. It was this cruel world that departed us. The circumstances were not favorable enough for both of us I guess. That is why we are separated now.

Why I loved him so much? (and still I do love him) I couldn’t help loving him. He is so loving, cute & stylish and exactly of the qualities I was looking for. It was in my destiny that I am away from him now. (Or this cruel world?)

I still remember the day when I saw him for the first time. My heart said YES this is what you wanted. I took no long to be in love with him (yes, it was love in the first sight). When I touched him for the first time I got so thrilled. His name still echoes in my ears and heart. I think I should tell you his name too so that you get to learn the whole story.

Let me introduce him to you. (who is no longer with me). His name is Sony Ericsson Z530i. Yes I was talking about my mobile that I lost yesterday. Actually I didn’t lost it, It was two scrupulous guys (god knows who) who snatched my cell away. They were on their bike and absconded in a jiffy that I couldn’t even sense for some time that I had lost it. (my sweetu mobile)

Those fussy guys belong to the youth of today and these days 90% youth live for themselves. They snatch things rather working hard for them. They adopt shortcuts for success. They don’t care that they are hurting someone emotionally, financially and in most cases physically too. They ride on bikes in full speed breaking all rules as if the whole world is under their feet and they can do whatever they want to do. They have no ethics and humanity in them. I don’t know whether the education system or the society should be blamed for it.

Now you can think why I am over reacting just for a mobile, after all my cell wasn’t that costly? Is that? I know it wasn’t a costly model and I can purchase another cell for me too. But what about my emotions attached with it. Those images that I took on different occasions, smses of my lovely friends can not be retrieved again. Moreover it was my b’day gift from my dad. Its not all about the loss of an accessory or a worldly comfort. Its about the emotions (and in most cases hardly earned finances) attached with ones belongings too that can’t be regained.

So please guys live and let others live. Stop playing with others emotions just for fun or little money. Last but not the least we should never purchase a second hand mobile without authenticated documents. It could have somebody’s emotions with it.

It's not a surprise that HTC comes out with another sleek, touch, gorgeous phone that everyone wants. It's also not a surprise that the US doesn't get them. The Touch HD was officially said to never be shipped to the States. The only way you can get it is if you get it imported. Why? The way I look at it is why not make more money off these from America? 

There is a big debate about this.  Yes, cell phones can be used in an emergency purpose and it's beneficial for a parent to be able to reach their child at anytime they want.  Sometimes things happen, practice gets cancelled or they forgot their lunch in the car, and being able to reach them whenever you need to is definitely a luxury.  Schools aren't as safe as they use to be.  There are shootings and bombings and all kinds of crazy stuff going on there.  If a child has a cell phone they will able to call 911 or call their parents. I know they came out with some phones for children that only allow you to dial the parents cell phone, home, or another emergency phone number.  Another one even has a GPS locating device and has games on it from leapfrog.

There are definitely some bad things too.  The most obvious: Money.  Sure, adding another line to your plan is usually pretty cheap, around $10 a month.  But... what happens when they go over their minutes?  What about when they text?  What if they decide to use the internet on their phone or download games & ringtones? Things can definitely add up.  Kids can get in trouble with their phones.  They don't have a parent or authority figure monitering what they say or text or to whom.  Who knows what could be going on.  They will have pretty much complete access to the internet, messenger services, and email, and everyone has seen "to catch a predator" on NBC and knows what kind of things can happen.  That is a pretty scary thing.

Owning a cell phone use to be a privilege, but now they seem to be as common as an iPod or portable gaming device.  So I'm curious, what are your thoughts on this issue?  Those of you with kids:  Do your kids have a phone?  If so, how old are they?  If they don't, what are your reasons?  Those of you w/o kids:  Are you going to let your kids have a phone when they are young?  Why/Why not?  Share your thoughts with me!

GP chief executive officer Anders Jensen and BPO director general Mobasherur Rahman inked the agreement on Wednesday at the city’s Westin Hotel.

Special assistant to the chief adviser in charge of post and telecoms ministry MA Malek, secretary Iqbal Mahmud and other officials of ministry were also present at the ceremony.

In March, the BPO invited expressions of interest asking for solution that would help postal employees generate income and facilitate communications among them.

The GP’s proposal was picked as it was deemed as ‘the most economical’, said BPO chief Mobasherur Rahman.

Malek thanked the GP for the initiative that he believed would enhance the state postal entity’s services.

He however, said that GP should increase its infrastructure base since its subscriber base had almost touched 20 million.

“We get complaints especially from rural areas,” he said.

Jensen said he believed the partnership would usher in another ‘new dimension’ to the services provided by the postal services.

The connections provided by GP to the BPO’s rural post office employees blends recharging facilities, Flexiload, with voice and data services, Health Line and Bill Pay services.

The endeavor is believed to enable revenue-generating source for rural post office employees and the BPO headquarters as GP would share 5 percent of the revenue generated from these connections with the BPO.