After T-Mobile added their extremely cheap ($2 for the whole family) Family Allowance feature it was only a matter of time before other carriers jumped in. Verizon is next with a much more expensive offering of $4.99 per line for the ability to set limitations on voice minutes, messaging, schedules, content filters and whitelists/blacklists. Personally I think these limits features should be a free feature enticing parents to get their kids a cellphone in the first place.
They have also released a Chaperone 2.0 plan for $9.99 a month per line adds the ability to track the device and even track directly from VZ Navigator. Not sure if the Chaperone feature will work for tracking a BlackBerry but the VZ Navigator feature should. Just another way for parents to take the fun out of being a kid.
Check out the Usage Controls at this link and the Chaperone feature at this link.
BTW that kid looks way to happy…
via Engadget Mobile
Tom Not Registered
Posted: August 22, 2008 at 6:36 AM EST from my BlackBerry 8830
So, let me get this straight… You add on your kid as a secondary line for $10 or $20/month, and now Verizon Wireless wants you to add multiple features totaling another $15/month to be able to manage usage and to keep track of where the kid wanders. Absolutely absurd!
DavidB Not Registered
Posted: August 22, 2008 at 7:54 AM EST from my BlackBerry 8830
See? VZW cannot offer ANY “service” or “feature” without monetizing it. Do the doubters who didn’t vote that way on the Thunder poll want to reconsider their thinking???
RedNightHawk Not Registered
Posted: August 23, 2008 at 1:15 AM EST
“Personally I think these limits features should be a free feature…”
Couldn’t agree with you more. BTW, here in Canada we also pay a $6.95 a month ‘System Access Fee’ and a 50 cent a month 911 access fee. Yep, all those people wanting a cell phone just to carry around for safety get to pay 50 cents a month on top of other fees just to have the privilege of being able to call 911.
Bull ( View Profile) Newcomer - Posts: 22
Posted: August 23, 2008 at 11:36 PM EST
Verizon does have VZ Navigator for BlackBerry, but they haven’t built an app to integrate the Chaperone, unless you go to the Chaperone website, and that’s not very mobile friendtly.
robin niles Not Registered
Posted: April 1, 2009 at 1:54 PM EST
I have a curve and I cannot find the chaperone instructions