“Parental Control apps for mobile phones”

The development of parental control apps is getting wider and wider. Obviously companies face privacy issues, and can’t automatically send a childs texts through to their parents, but companies are starting to overcome this matter.

Parents Are Listening Company in the states, has started to develop an app that sends parents alerts when “messages containing keywords such as ‘suicide’ or ‘drugs’ are sent to their childs phone” and ‘WebSafety Inc’ have come up with a library of words deemed ‘innaproapriate’, including slang and abbreviations.

When I first read that, I was slightly aghast. Mainly because that seems quite far fetched. What if I texted someone saying “what up bro, how’s your crap homework going along?!”. That would then get sent to my parents – and to be honest, they wouldn’t care. Maybe they would laugh, though.

Okay, so my parents wouldn’t use it. It’s for the parents who think their little angel will end up using the wrong grammar whilst texting, or fear that someone will tell them to take drugs via text. But seriously… who does that?!

I remember reading an article in the paper a long while ago (when Gordon Brown was still PM), about how they will start monitoring all emails, texts and all that stuff. Now, if you’re the sort of person to text to people to take drugs, or go commit suicide or something, you would actually use those exact words, would you? You would use code words, or maybe a special way to personally tease and really hurt that person.

Although, in some cases it would be useful to know if your child texted the word suicide, or drugs. It might not actually mean they are thinking of doing those things, but perhaps sometimes it is.

I think the better solution, though, is to actually talk to your child, rather than spying on their text messages. If it was me being spied on I would feel violated and saddened that my parents would feel they need to spy on me to understand me, when they could just ask me how I am feeling.

Okay, so it isn’t easy for parents to ask how their kids are doing, and would get a reasonable answer rather than “fuck off”, or “I’m fine”, or something along those lines. But personally, it is better than being monitored.

-Jean x

Today’s youth are growing up in a world where mobile phones are commonplace at a young age and the internet is widely used in schools. This way of life has given you an unparalleled understanding of this space.

When I look back at when I was young, I realise that even then, technology and the World Wide Web were not completely popular, like it is now. Compared to 2010, when I know of some 8 year olds knowing how to use a Graphics Tablet with ease and understanding – when I was that age, knowing that kind of thing was embarassing… and well, I didn’t know WHAT a graphics tablet was when I was 8.

However, let’s not talk about the past. With technology, the past is only referenced when people talk about the good and bad points – perhaps with a hint of nostalgia – but if you want to really understand technology you need to know the present and the future… never the past.

Now, even though when I was 8 and all I could do was use a word processor to write and print out pages about the Power Puff Girls and how they were pretty and beautiful, I think I have a basic understanding of all the important things now.

I have an opinion on mobile phones, the network providers… social networking, micro blogging, blog providers (WordPress vs Blogger), internet memes (Trololololol being one), videos, gadgets…… I could go on and on and on!

Now, the big question is, when bombarded with advertisements, recommendations, videos, blog posts and such like… how do I make my decision about what I think is best.. and what is just not good enough?

I think it all comes down to the technology. Apple has managed to keep improving their products, and this decade have produced several products which are defining gadgets, and nearly everyone in the world knows their names – iPod and iPhone (Mac has also gotten incredibly good this decade as well, though – just not AS innovative, I think).

However, when you see an ad which catches your eye, and then you look it up and find good reviews all over, you know it has to be pretty damn good as well. When I heard about Windows 7 I was sceptical, but the reviews said it was better than Vista and HP… and as I had background knowledge of what both XP and Vista are like, I knew 7 was going to be pretty good.

Now, I think that when it comes to brands and why they stand out to me, I have to say that if the brand has a presence… a great brand identity, then they usually get the thumbs up from me (however, it has to be something I am interested in, first of all!). For example, one brand I look up to is Google. I use their products every day.. Google Mail, Google Search, iGoogle, Google Docs.. Why do I use them? First of all – I trust Google as they have managed to gain a lot of respect as a company. And secondly, they are so useful. Google Mail is unlike other mail clients. It has class and, it works perfectly! They created a NEW WAY TO EMAIL, and it made it easier.

If a company manages to make something old that was used well, and then make that something even better, then chances are that they will become well known for it!

Another example… communicating with people. So there’s email, snail mail and phone. The concept for a social network was first around with the website SixDegrees.com, which launched in 1997. However, Myspace managed to make social networking really boom – but it wasn’t until Facebook when now nearly everyone knows it’s name! Somehow, companies like Youtube and Facebook have taken the initial concept of communicating with people you know and managed to make it that much better.

Moving on to…. mobile phones. When I chose my network provider, Orange, I had reasons why I did choose Orange.

1. The rest of my family were on Orange. It meant it was cheaper to call/text them, and they were the people I called and texted most!
2. Orange had a good brand identity – I like their adverts. The style they go for is nice as well.. The indie of mobile phone network providers!
3. Good value and variety. I have a Pay as you Go phone which was very cheap, but they have both cheap/good phones as well as the expensive/awesome phones.
4. Trustworthy. My Dad had used Wanadoo, Orange’s ISP “imprint” previously, and when they rebranded it as Orange, I now knew that they were connected (when before I hadn’t). Wanadoo was good, so I decided to go for Orange’s mobile network too.

I’ve stayed with Orange for several years now, and it is unlikely I’ll ever change.

So what makes me choose a mobile phone? Not too many factors, really. I have had several phones, but overall they have always stood out to me as being both beautiful but useful, yet also very cheap! My phones have never cost more than £40, and I like it that way. It means I have money left over to buy other things, but I know that my phone still has all the things I need, such as internet, SMS, calls, a game or two, and a decent camera/video.

As long as it is cheap, has all those features but still looks nice, I am most likely to buy it. However, I don’t need one for another 2 years! It won’t stop me from lusting over an iPhone though (there is no harm in wishing!).

Technology keeps evolving, so ultimately I think that my opinions above, on mobile networks, mobile handsets, and technology in general, will keep changing and changing, so long as our knowledge keeps growing.

I LOVE this song. It is definitely my song for the summer!

Eliza Doolittle uses a bit from a song called “Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag” by George Henry Powell for the chorus

I think she has managed to combine the old with the new, but yet has managed to make it sound both new and old at the same time.

And have I mentioned how much I love her look and clothes?

]]> http://beanieology.wordpress.com/2010/07/22/pack-up-your-troubles-in-your-old-kit-bag/feed/ 1 eliza 2 Beanie eliza 1 eliza 2 http://beanieology.wordpress.com/2010/07/19/day-of-awakening/ http://beanieology.wordpress.com/2010/07/19/day-of-awakening/#comments Mon, 19 Jul 2010 09:50:39 +0000 Jean http://beanieology.wordpress.com/?p=321 Read more]]> HI! HI! HI!

I have missed this blog so much! I have missed my readers! Everyone! I just didn’t feel like posting…

So what has been happening since May 3rd?

Well, to save all the annoying “I didn’t really do much” (when I didn’t REALLY), I will start with that I am now an intern for an American YA author! I know right! I don’t know what I want to be when I am older so I am just grabbing opportunities when they sail past me. This is either a really good thing, or a really bad thing. Anywho – things are going well with that.

The last month or so of school was fine – I did a few tests… watched a ton of films.. to be perfectly honest I can’t remember anything interesting happening!

So I’m going to try posting once a week on beanieology again – so if I am not… come along to my house and SMACK ME WITH A FISH.

Please? Thanks

I ALSO GOT A JOB!

After a year of looking, I went into a sweet shop in my town’s high street on my mum’s recommendation, and thanks to that I’ve lived here my whole life and my mum’s friendliness they accepted me!

I now have muscles on my right forearm from scooping icecream xD I work roughly 3 times a week.. and what with me looking after chickens for two weeks… I might be able to afford a iPod touch in two weeks! Ikr?!

I spend far too much in the holidays. And it is because I have nothing to do! So what have i bought so far?

1. a book called fashion design drawing course - it has so far proved to be very helpful! In the front of the book it says it is similar to a college course on fashion design. Very good! ALSO – there are projects to do every couple of pages, and they are such good projects! The first one is to visit a museum to gain inspiration!
2. An A4 hardback landscape sketchbook (this was before holidays… but o well – I bought it since last post!). I looooove drawing in it. I make notes on all sort of things… Nautical style (and how it originated), 20′s fashion, African style, Cath Kidston, to name but a few! I am using some pages to work on some ideas for my S4 Art & Design folio.
3. Magazines! I have already got a Glamour, and two new Look magazines in the past 3 weeks! AHHAHAH.
4. And that’s…. it? I thought I had bought more, but I must have left something out xD

So in my last post, or the post before that, I stated my love of deviantART. That love is long gone, I am afraid. I am back to drawing for myself, and not for anyone else. I just thought I could restart dA again, but I HATE doing requests and having to post deviations! I am a procrastinator, deeeeefinately.

BLOG WISE – I am trying to get Auberjean off the ground again. It isn’t working too well, but I wrote a new post – Fashion Designing on a Teenage Budget. Check it out!

Magic Bean Review is doing very well! I have a ton of followers on Twitter, a Facebook page, two giveaways, interviews with authors planned, phew! So go check it out

Moving on to……..

TUMBLR LOVE

This new section is where I showcase some awesome Tumblr posts which I have come across in my time.

Usually pictures!

(is this section just for filling out the post? HELL YES!)

And that is all for now, cos then I run out of awesome pictures for my TUMBLR LOVE section! :O

Dancing cat-that-makes-faces-in-mirrors and CO2 guitars

Ciao xx

Jean

The title? Well it isn’t that “deep” so to speak. But it kind of goes with my mind set for the last few months. But I am sitting watching Grand Designs, and it’s a couple who remind me of Phil and Kirstie off of Location, Location, Location and Relocation, Relocation (that’s a lot of location’s), but they are no exactly like them, just sort of, in a slight way. Warped.

In the Easter Holidays my Grandpa (my mum’s dad) fell ill. He isn’t one to get ill. In all my time of being alive, I knew him to be ill once, from the shingles, and that is it. So to find him ill was very strange to get to grips with. He had bronchitis, then viral pneumonia. Then he collapsed. Just as he was bending down to put on his slipper. What had happened was, a few months back he was cutting the apple tree, and got a sore leg. More sore than normal. He went to the doctor who said it was muscle pain. Then a few weeks later he got a pain in his thigh. He just dismissed it as muscle pain, like the doctor said.

We found out he had collapsed because there were blood clots in his lungs. That was the pain. It was the clot moving. The specialist said “the biggest clot we’d ever seen”. Pulmonary embolism. Luckily he was put on drugs which, although there were chances that the side effects would be nasty, cleared it and he got better and we went to see them at the weekend. And he is back to normal. I hate to think what he looked like, felt like.

It was weird because one of the free books I got because I started my book blog, Magic Bean Review, called No and Me by Delphine de Vigan, where one of the non-main characters’ dies from a pulmonary embolism… I just thought. Wow.

So I don’t want to end this post all depressing, so I will end it with this picture:

**NOT ALL ARE FAMILY FRIENDLY **

Ciao xx

Beanie

• My S3 exams took up the 2 weeks before the week of 22nd of March – revision was the one thing that I did! (apart from the norm )
• Updating my room to match my age. My box shelves and my pinboard needed seeeeeerious updating. (Disney stickers?!)
• SCRAPBOOK:

aaaaand

(Click the pictures to be taken to the flickr page! )

• And also, the biggest one of all… I have recently gotten back into;Why? What? You may ask. If you’ve never been on deviantArt before, or never heard of it before (le gasp!) it is a site where you can post up art of any shape or form… photograpohy, drawings, pictures of art you’ve made (kawaii shops like doing that, it serves as great EYE CANDY! 8D). I went back into deviantART because I wanted to start practicing my drawing and art, and meet new people and to also get my work seen. It has also helped by showing me things to do – like there is a fashion design group where I am going to be entering a design competition called Centre Stage. They give you tasks and “ways” to draw new designs! It’s really good. The entrance challenge needs you to take three pictures..
• One of an object outside
• One of an object in your room
• A random garment from your wardrobe

Here is my pictures I have taken. I haven’t started on the outfit (which is a day one and a night (going out) one, all inspired by the photos):

And for the outside I am finding it hard to choose from these three(!):

And just today I paid a good friend of mine from TNO to make me a cute dAvatar! So now, when you visit my deviantART,

here!

my icon looks like this!!

Cute, huh? :

I have a load of things to do, lots of requests and trades to get to! And before I forget, I better update my 101 in 1001! I am soo bad at it ^^

Ciao x

Beanie

What’s you’re name/blog name: My name is Jean, but I usually go by Beanie. My blog’s name is Beanieology.

Blog address: http://beanieology.wordpress.com

What country do you live in: Scotland

What do you like about that country: The beautiful landscape and the amazing architecture.

If you’re not homeschooled do you want to be. Explain: I would not want to be home schooled for several reasons;
1) I have been in public school all my life (10 years)
2) My mum has to help work with my dad because my dad can’t do work as well as he could (rare eye disease). So no one would actually be able to teach me.
3) I wouldn’t see all my friends anymore
4) I have started my 2 year Standard Grade course with some really good teachers.

Are you in public school if so what do you like about it what do you not like about it:
Well some of my reasons why are listed above, but;
1) I have a lot of friends and they are all PWNSOME!
2) I love just having something to do
3) Most of my teachers are uber awesome

If you’re not in public school do you want to be.: Oh for sure!!

Favorite color: It has been purple and turquoise for a while, but I am starting to like blue and aqua.

Favorite sport: I do not watch sport but I love doing a lot of sports, for example, hockey, netball, badminton, cycling and walking. And ping pong. xD

Favorite food: Chicken and leek pie (mmm pastry :9)

Favorite season: Summer. We don’t have that much of an amazing summer, but it is slightly warmer than the rest of the year!

Favorite singer/band/song: Passion Pit & their song Little Secrets! (and Moth’s Wings). Also liked La Roux before she got mainstream, but not so much now. I like a whole load of songs but I won’t bore you with my interesting and different choices, haha.

Ciao x

Beanie

I was very confused… why was the link to my blog.. on the Threads website? So I went to investigate, clicked onto a couple of the pages, then came across the page, All About You. I thought it looked promising, then found this; :O

Please drag the above image to your address bar for FULL VIEW! ^_^)

I am very pleased… but also confused.. Sophia must have found my link when I commented on her blog, or maybe I gave her the link in an email I sent her… I can’t remember.. hm.

And Amber’s Mile Long Bookshelf is up there, too! Congratulations, Amber!

I should really be redrafting an essay on the Merchant of Venice for English, so I have to depart now :<

Ciao x

Beanie

Anywho, the reason why I have been so busy is that I had that homework to do over the holiday, and also I have started revising for my S3 exams! I’ve got them the whole week from the 22nd of March, and I am TERRIFIED! I’ve gotten out all my subject folders, written out a revision timetable (as seen below) and have ordered three books from Amazon:

• Standard Grade Bitesize French
• How to Pass Standard Grade Physics
• How to pass Standard Grade Modern Studies

Those are the subjects I would be most likely to get a lower mark in, so I bought these for help to revise for these exams and for my S4 ones too!

I’ve used an old Pucca divider folder thing so I am putting all my revision notes and tips inside there for most of my subjects.

And if you are nosey, here is my desk as of now. My Physics folder is there along with my Pucca divider pad, my iPod, my pencil case, my A2 revision sheet on the wall and my French dictionary (I was trying an old past paper for French). Try and ignore the Nintendo DS XD I was… umm… having a break? Haha!

Anyway- that’s been life for me the last few weeks!

Ciao x

Beanie