ReleaseWire

New Tool for Parental Monitoring of Cell Phones and Internet Use

Parents now have a convenient way to keep kids out of mischief when the kids are out of the house. New software tracks location, monitors messages, and even keeps a record of website visits made by mobile phones.

Posted: Monday, August 23, 2010 at 8:43 AM CDT

Seattle, WA -- (SBWire) -- 08/23/2010 -- Parents can install PhoneBeagle software on an Android or BlackBerry phone and monitor events from an internet connection. These events include SMS text messages, MMS Multi-media messages, Location displayed on a map, Call Logs and Website Visited History.

Smartphones, the cell phones with computer-like capabilities, have made it very difficult for parents to keep up with monitoring how their kids use the internet. Mobile phones can connect to the internet using wifi or data plans – and pose the same risks as the desktop computers and laptops.

Until now there have been few viable ways for parents to monitor kids using smartphones. PhoneBeagle has changed all that.

Simple to use, yet powerful and sophisticated, PhoneBeagle has two components – software installed on Android or BlackBerry smartphones (Phone Application), and a web-based user interface (Web Application). PhoneBeagle captures events, such as, phone location using GPS or network location, call logs, MMS Multi-Media Messages (images and video), Web History, and SMS Text-Messages, stores them on the phone, and then uploads to a web account database on a regular pre-defined schedule using WiFi or other data plans such as 3G, EDGE, GPRS, etc. Events are kept in an encoded secure database and can be viewed and printed. Encoded security means only the account owner can look at information. Nothing is installed on a computer, but files can be saved to the computer.

Multiple phone accounts (family plan) can be linked together so that all accounts are available from within the same login and user interface.

Knowing who, what, when and where are now easily accessible by parents.

Is someone a bully?
Are they "sexting" inappropriate (possibly illegal) images?
Are they at risk from predators?
Are they texting when driving?
Discussing depression and suicide?
Involved with drugs or alcohol?
Mixed up in gambling?
Using phones during class?
Surfing inappropriate websites?

Knowing the truth improves family communication and can actually give kids more freedom while improving their security. PhoneBeagle is not spyware, it requires permission to install it and the application is visible on the phone. It is for legitimate parental monitoring, employee monitoring and communication file back-up.

The average American teenager sends about 100 SMS text messages every day. Eighty percent of automobile accidents are caused by distracted driving – killing thousands of teens every year – yet polls show that only one-third of teens think that texting while driving is distracting. Sending sexually explicit images of underage youth is potentially a felony sex crime, yet over 20% of youth admit sending nude pictures of themselves. Forty percent of youth have experienced cyber-bullying. Legal authorities say parents are responsible for doing something about these problems.

http://phonebeagle.com