Afraid of damaging my smartphone.

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aim

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Topic # 66419 18-Aug-2010 19:24

Ok one major concern I have with dropping $900 on a phone is what happens when I'm out partying, on the town while otp or doing extreme sports where damage is a real concern (I do a lot of snow skiing and wakeboarding etc - i've dropped a phone off a boat before, I've also lost a phone on the mountain). What are your solutions? Are there people out there with the same concerns?

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Reply # 369489 18-Aug-2010 19:34

Desire fell out of my jacket pocket when getting out of a 4wd last week. Has a couple of scratches on the two corners.

I'm not using a screen protector or case. Both will help protect the phone against what you describe.
Just stay wary of what you're carrying.

aim

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Reply # 369496 18-Aug-2010 19:45

eXDee: Just stay wary of what you're carrying.

Yeah, I don't do that when I'm drunk... :P A case is a good idea, however still not fool proof, water or losing it is still gonna kill it.

What I'm asking is how do you protoect your investment? I thought of setting up a call/text forwarding and running a 2degrees phone that I can enable for a few hours. or a day or however long I decide to go skiing - is this possible in android?

eXDee

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Reply # 369514 18-Aug-2010 20:18

I just make sure I put it in a pocket I won't sit on or it won't slip out of.

I'm glad I took my desire on my last fishing trip. There was a massive risk of dropping it on a rock and smashing it or dropping it in the sea.
Instead I used it for looking up catch and size limits and the torch got us back in the dark.

Doesn't help your dilemma but yes a temporary 2degrees phone would work. Forwarding I think is possible on telecom simply via tworld.
But that means you'll miss out of a lot of photo opportunities if you don't have a camera phone;)

aim

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Reply # 369518 18-Aug-2010 20:25

I'm the type of skier that pushes my limits a lot, so I fall over relatively often. Not overly keen on exposing my phone to that kind of punishment... Indestructible $250 nokia? Yeah, sure my helmet costs about that, $1000 HTC? Not so keen :P

Also, do you take your smart phone drinking?

eXDee

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Reply # 369523 18-Aug-2010 20:32

Yup, results in some rather interesting photos :P

aim

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Reply # 369527 18-Aug-2010 20:35

Lmao! funny, guess it appears it can be done... I guess I've never lost a phone in town. Just pays to be a little careful I guess. I get quite careless when drinking though - which worries me XD I think a case could be a VERY worthwhile investment for me in any case.

Ragnor

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Reply # 369531 18-Aug-2010 20:38

Insure it?

eXDee

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Reply # 369536 18-Aug-2010 20:43

I should really have a case for it. Would help a lot.

In terms of losing it I have both text and email triggers in tasker which send back gps location and other info, and I can remotely lock the phone also. Simchecker informs me if a new sim card is inserted too.

This doesn't guarantee recovery of a lost phone but it helps a lot.

aim

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Reply # 369563 18-Aug-2010 21:37

Sim checker etc sound like interesting technologies, will definitely look into those when I get mine.

Ragnor: Insure it?

I assume it'll come under contents insurance?

Linuxluver

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Reply # 369566 18-Aug-2010 21:42

aim: Ok one major concern I have with dropping $900 on a phone is what happens when I'm out partying, on the town while otp or doing extreme sports where damage is a real concern (I do a lot of snow skiing and wakeboarding etc - i've dropped a phone off a boat before, I've also lost a phone on the mountain). What are your solutions? Are there people out there with the same concerns?

Dyckhed Voice of Experience ON:

Simplest solution is dont' be an idiot and look after your stuff.

If you can't do that, then *seriously* don't waste your money. Buy cheap stuff until you grow up.

Not the answer you want, I'm sure.....but it is the only real solution to the problem you pose.

One guy on here had a Nexus One in his (buttonless) shirt pocket when he jumped up to touch a sign......tossing his week-old $1000 phone onto the concrete and smashing it.

No phone can withstand the imaginative destructive capabilities of people who don't think before they act.

Dyckhed Voice of Experience Off:

1. Keep your GPS on no matter how it affects your battery. That means you can't lose it. Period. Look it up on Google Maps.

2. Leave in your car or at home and take a cheaper phone if you're gonna get rugged with it.

3. Any other time, keep it in case in a pocket with a button or zip on the FRONT of your body so you don't sit on it or bash it on anything. or maybe in a bag / backpack you always carry and NEVER lose.

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Reply # 369581 18-Aug-2010 22:17

Linuxluver:
aim: Ok one major concern I have with dropping $900 on a phone is what happens when I'm out partying, on the town while otp or doing extreme sports where damage is a real concern (I do a lot of snow skiing and wakeboarding etc - i've dropped a phone off a boat before, I've also lost a phone on the mountain). What are your solutions? Are there people out there with the same concerns?

Dyckhed Voice of Experience ON:

Simplest solution is dont' be an idiot and look after your stuff.

If you can't do that, then *seriously* don't waste your money. Buy cheap stuff until you grow up.

Not the answer you want, I'm sure.....but it is the only real solution to the problem you pose.

One guy on here had a Nexus One in his (buttonless) shirt pocket when he jumped up to touch a sign......tossing his week-old $1000 phone onto the concrete and smashing it.

No phone can withstand the imaginative destructive capabilities of people who don't think before they act.

Dyckhed Voice of Experience Off:

1. Keep your GPS on no matter how it affects your battery. That means you can't lose it. Period. Look it up on Google Maps.

2. Leave in your car or at home and take a cheaper phone if you're gonna get rugged with it.

3. Any other time, keep it in case in a pocket with a button or zip on the FRONT of your body so you don't sit on it or bash it on anything. or maybe in a bag / backpack you always carry and NEVER lose.

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aim

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Reply # 369584 18-Aug-2010 22:22

Linuxluver:

Dyckhed Voice of Experience ON:

Simplest solution is dont' be an idiot and look after your stuff.

If you can't do that, then *seriously* don't waste your money. Buy cheap stuff until you grow up.

Not the answer you want, I'm sure.....but it is the only real solution to the problem you pose.

One guy on here had a Nexus One in his (buttonless) shirt pocket when he jumped up to touch a sign......tossing his week-old $1000 phone onto the concrete and smashing it.

No phone can withstand the imaginative destructive capabilities of people who don't think before they act.

Dyckhed Voice of Experience Off:

1. Keep your GPS on no matter how it affects your battery. That means you can't lose it. Period. Look it up on Google Maps.

2. Leave in your car or at home and take a cheaper phone if you're gonna get rugged with it.

3. Any other time, keep it in case in a pocket with a button or zip on the FRONT of your body so you don't sit on it or bash it on anything. or maybe in a bag / backpack you always carry and NEVER lose.

Harsh, but nice to have someone type out a comprehensive response! It's not really a solution, not even really a temporary workaround. It's more a don't even try. Generally not a philosophy I undertake often ;)

Generally I look after my more expensive investments, but accidents do happen. No one (or atleast no honest people) intend to crash their car or break their friends vase. 'Stuff' happens, it's a fact of life - there are precautions we can take; flaw of character (which you refer to) is hard to recify, probably returns best results if done, but it isn't easy to change your life long habits. I'm not saying I'm careless, but I have lost one phone in the past, and owned perhaps 6. (The one where I said I dropped it off a boat wasn't actually mine, but an exchange student of ours. I was using it as an example and for simplicities sake, I said it was mine, the detail wasn't important). The phone was white and it fell out of my pocket in a terrain park on a mountain, the pocket was zip pocket but had developed a rip, it fell out somewhere along the course white phone on snow = lost phone. Fortunately it was a throw away nokia, used for when vodafone had free texts on weekends.

Simple precautions like leaving the GPS on or buying a cover are simple precautions that can yield good results. I do have a bag I carry with me near everywhere. However it'll probably end up living in my jeans pocket - for convenience sake.

A cheaper phone when getting rugged is a good suggestion, however I do not want everyone to have to keep two numbers for me - as they'll never know when to text either one. Having two phones with text/call forward is a better solution IMHO, and probably the option I'll opt for.

Linuxluver

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Reply # 369592 18-Aug-2010 22:36

Yeah it was harsh....but I've been there myself and realised eventually the only person who can prevent "stuff" from happening is me.

Most "accidents" aren't really accidents. They are the consequence of poor judgment or lack of fore-thought by someone. With respect to the fate of something as personal as a phone, it's usually the owner.

I follow one simple rule that is comprised of two steps:

1. What am I about to do?
2. Are the things of value I have with me at risk as a consequence?

Sounds dramatic.....but that's how my phone and iPod get into plastic ziplock sandwich bags in my pocket when I'm walking around on a day it might rain. I walk 90 minutes to and from work, so keeping my gear safe and dry is something that requires thought. No room for accidents.

As for two phones....swap the one SIM. No need for two numbers. :-)

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aim

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Master Geek
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Reply # 369614 18-Aug-2010 23:47

D'oh, never thought of using the same sim for both XD. I've been on Telecoms CDMA network primarily since day one, owned two Vodafone phones but used neither much at all. I need to buy an XT compatible phone for the sim switching to work however.

It's primarily during sports where there are always unforeseen circumstances. I don't want to constantly think is what I'm doing here going to ruin my equipment - I just want to do it. I bought that equipment to be used, if I don't take a new trail and pushing my boundaries, I'm probably not having as much fun as I could be :P I really enjoy back country skiing, it's a fairly high risk sport, so I bought a helmet in recognition you don't always have control over the situation.

That's largely the reason I asked, this isn't a debate on risk :P This is a discussion about how you protect your device. Zip lock bags? I could never be that... organised? I'm too laid back for that I think XD. I don't ever use rain jackets or umbrellas even when its pissing down - I come from a small country town. Woolen jersey and I'm away :P

Also, how well does android integrate with Linux, LinuxLover? Can you control programs remotely over the network? SSH? I use Ubuntu 10.04 on my desktop and server. I believe the server currently has webmin, but I prefer ssh and a terminal.

eXDee

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Reply # 369624 19-Aug-2010 00:20

You can install a SSH client on the phone, and i believe can also install an SSH server too? Probably requires rooting though.

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