Comments on: AT&T’s Smart Limits for Wireless: Kids next hacking target?

By: Tiffany @ Salem 4G Wireless

Tiffany @ Salem 4G Wireless — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 23:27:06 +0000

Hi, just stopped by doing some research for my Salem 4g site. Lots of information out there. Not what I was looking for, but interesting page. Cya later.

By: D.Reading

D.Reading — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 14:01:22 +0000

This is ridiculous. i have the smart limits on my phone now and i am goibng to find a way around it no matter what! i hate this stupid thing!!!

By: Jon

Jon — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 16:19:35 +0000

Unfortunately, your statement "Block calls and text messages from/to specific numbers" is incorrect. There is no way to block any incoming call or text with the Smart Limits. I wrote about this major flaw on my own blog: AT&T Smart Limits for Wireless - Not so smart

By: Demexii

Demexii — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 17:40:52 +0000

Someone just needs to break it once. Once that happens the cat is out of the bag and anyone can bypass it. Just download it or follow a tutorial. There are kids who will find it annoying and be able to follow a simple tutorial and bypass something.

But it isn’t hacking that will be the problem. I doubt you can really hack your way out of this as the restrictions are probably on the company side. You can’t force the cell towers to give you info when they don’t want to. It will be loopholes or programming errors that will mostly do it. Maybe something like setting the phone to a different time might allow you to bypass it?

By: Jonathan Salem Baskin

Jonathan Salem Baskin — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 12:05:12 +0000

Cool. Let ‘em hack it. But counting past the half-dozen numbnuts who might have the skills and initiative to do so, the vast majority of other kid users will learn to live with it, as the payoff for being able to talk and text at all is still far greater than the cost of not being able to do so endlessly, incessantly, and perhaps inappropriately.

Philosophy aside, this is an issue of branding and marketing, and the point is to differentiate and sell to people what amounts to a commodity offering. AT&T is, in a small way, trying to break out of this box, although it still insists on wasting many millions on branding that does nothing more than use up natural resources and waste our time. Whether this offering is just a ‘give’ to a vocal user lobby, or a fundamental, grow-able aspect of its branding, only time will tell.

But it’s an intriguing effort. Even if some kid is inspired to hack it.

I’ve written about the branding aspects of the news at DIM BULB, http://dimbulb.typepad.com , if you want to check it out.