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Firefly (mobile phone)
Encyclopedia
Firefly is a cellphone aimed at parents to give to their child
ren aged 5-12 years. This phone is designed to give parents peace of mind and children assurance that they can stay in touch with the people that matter most (without having to remember any numbers).
button has up to 48 phone numbers in it. These are to be programmed in by the guardian/parent, who knows a PIN
which is intended to keep the child from changing the numbers. In this way, parents control who their kids are calling. The phone also offers a call screening option which, when activated only allows the numbers that are in the phones memory to call that phone.
The standard features are of the phone are up to 8.5 days standby time and up to 6 hours talk time.
Texting and download capability are unavailable, which allows parents to manage phone costs.
Firefly cellphones are blue or pink transparent plastic
and can be opened by gently pressing up on the transparent knob
on the top of the back side. The screen is a small LCD
display, similar to the one used in modern calculator
s (black and light green).
The various menu
s and sub-menus have the signal strength and battery
charge indicators. The menus are used in a similar fashion to setting a watch
. Entering DTMF (Tones) can be done during the call by pressing the green key. Entering letters and numbers is accomplished by selecting each character and then confirming it, which moves the cursor to the next blank space - this can also be done easily via the website.
The handset also contains animations, different colours and internal ringtones to entertain the child.
Some parents have complained about overly cute designs that do not "grow" with the child, although Firefly Mobile now offers several new face plates with a "cool" look.
Many have also pointed to the "Mom" and "Dad" buttons, which are reminiscent of bathroom signs, and depict "Mom" in a ball gown. Firefly offers no alternative button overlays to reflect families that are not nuclear, such as in a mother and grandmother household or a single-parent household, or families that are non-heteronormative, such as same-sex parents in the household.
Child
Biologically, a child is generally a human between the stages of birth and puberty. Some vernacular definitions of a child include the fetus, as being an unborn child. The legal definition of "child" generally refers to a minor, otherwise known as a person younger than the age of majority...
ren aged 5-12 years. This phone is designed to give parents peace of mind and children assurance that they can stay in touch with the people that matter most (without having to remember any numbers).
Layout
There are five main keys on the phone, along with several more secondary button:- A "Begin Call" button (visualized by a green phonePhoneWithin phonetics, a phone is:* a speech sound or gesture considered a physical event without regard to its place in the phonology of a language* a speech segment that possesses distinct physical or perceptual properties...
) - An "End Call" button (visualized by a red phone)
- An "Address book" button (visualized by a blue open bookBookA book is a set or collection of written, printed, illustrated, or blank sheets, made of hot lava, paper, parchment, or other materials, usually fastened together to hinge at one side. A single sheet within a book is called a leaf or leaflet, and each side of a leaf is called a page...
) - A "Call Mom" button (visualized by a blue woman-in-dressDressA dress is a garment consisting of a skirt with an attached bodice or with a matching bodice giving the effect of a one-piece garment.Dress may also refer to:*Clothing in general*Costume, fancy dress...
iconIconAn icon is a religious work of art, most commonly a painting, from Eastern Christianity and in certain Eastern Catholic churches...
) - A "Call Dad" button (visualized by a blue man icon)
- An emergencyEmergency telephone numberMany countries' public telephone networks have a single emergency telephone number, sometimes known as the universal emergency telephone number or occasionally the emergency services number, that allows a caller to contact local emergency services for assistance. The emergency telephone number may...
9-1-19-1-19-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
button (visualized by small button with crossCrossA cross is a geometrical figure consisting of two lines or bars perpendicular to each other, dividing one or two of the lines in half. The lines usually run vertically and horizontally; if they run obliquely, the design is technically termed a saltire, although the arms of a saltire need not meet...
) (right side button) - Two buttons to control the volume (visualized by two arrowArrowAn arrow is a shafted projectile that is shot with a bow. It predates recorded history and is common to most cultures.An arrow usually consists of a shaft with an arrowhead attached to the front end, with fletchings and a nock at the other.- History:...
s) (left side button) - An animationAnimationAnimation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
button which will display the animation set in the menu (left side button between the volume buttons)
Features
The address bookAddress book
An address book or a name and address book is a book or a database used for storing entries called contacts. Each contact entry usually consists of a few standard fields...
button has up to 48 phone numbers in it. These are to be programmed in by the guardian/parent, who knows a PIN
Personal identification number
A personal identification number is a secret numeric password shared between a user and a system that can be used to authenticate the user to the system. Typically, the user is required to provide a non-confidential user identifier or token and a confidential PIN to gain access to the system...
which is intended to keep the child from changing the numbers. In this way, parents control who their kids are calling. The phone also offers a call screening option which, when activated only allows the numbers that are in the phones memory to call that phone.
The standard features are of the phone are up to 8.5 days standby time and up to 6 hours talk time.
Texting and download capability are unavailable, which allows parents to manage phone costs.
Firefly cellphones are blue or pink transparent plastic
Plastic
A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...
and can be opened by gently pressing up on the transparent knob
Dial (measurement)
A dial is generally a flat surface, circular or rectangular, with numbers or similar markings on it, used for displaying the setting or output of a timepiece, radio, clock, watch, or measuring instrument...
on the top of the back side. The screen is a small LCD
Liquid crystal display
A liquid crystal display is a flat panel display, electronic visual display, or video display that uses the light modulating properties of liquid crystals . LCs do not emit light directly....
display, similar to the one used in modern calculator
Calculator
An electronic calculator is a small, portable, usually inexpensive electronic device used to perform the basic operations of arithmetic. Modern calculators are more portable than most computers, though most PDAs are comparable in size to handheld calculators.The first solid-state electronic...
s (black and light green).
Menu
In a restaurant, a menu is a presentation of food and beverage offerings. A menu may be a la carte – which guests use to choose from a list of options – or table d'hôte, in which case a pre-established sequence of courses is served....
s and sub-menus have the signal strength and battery
Battery (electricity)
An electrical battery is one or more electrochemical cells that convert stored chemical energy into electrical energy. Since the invention of the first battery in 1800 by Alessandro Volta and especially since the technically improved Daniell cell in 1836, batteries have become a common power...
charge indicators. The menus are used in a similar fashion to setting a watch
Watch
A watch is a small timepiece, typically worn either on the wrist or attached on a chain and carried in a pocket, with wristwatches being the most common type of watch used today. They evolved in the 17th century from spring powered clocks, which appeared in the 15th century. The first watches were...
. Entering DTMF (Tones) can be done during the call by pressing the green key. Entering letters and numbers is accomplished by selecting each character and then confirming it, which moves the cursor to the next blank space - this can also be done easily via the website.
The handset also contains animations, different colours and internal ringtones to entertain the child.
Criticism
The Firefly has garnered criticism for several issues since its release.Some parents have complained about overly cute designs that do not "grow" with the child, although Firefly Mobile now offers several new face plates with a "cool" look.
Many have also pointed to the "Mom" and "Dad" buttons, which are reminiscent of bathroom signs, and depict "Mom" in a ball gown. Firefly offers no alternative button overlays to reflect families that are not nuclear, such as in a mother and grandmother household or a single-parent household, or families that are non-heteronormative, such as same-sex parents in the household.