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Originally Posted by frosty
I'm with the cool kids now! Got a Samsung Captivate FREE with the qualifying 2-year contract with ATT. Didn't know I had my Motorola Razr basic phone for 4 years before this upgrade.
Wow, I'm liking it already! I was offered the latest HTC with 4g for a very low price, but I really like the Captivate in terms of feel and design (and besides it was free). Anyway, fiddling with the phone and still learning. I currently don't have my own wifi at home. When I activate wifi on the phone (at home), it shows a number of wifi signals. Most require a password when I select them, and they appear private just based on the wifi username. But there is one called linksy (?) that seems to allow me to access the Internet. I don't need a pasword. I take it that this is what people call an open and unsecure wifi? On a security level, is it safe to use this wifi? Ethical level, okay to use the "free" wifi? I've been mostly using the built in 3g data to browse the net and have occassionaly used the free wifi, but security concerns prevent me from really spending too much time connected to it.
Do apps require a connection to use? I see that the preloaded apps that came with the phone and which are on the Home page require a connection. Are apps for sites like Facebook, Yelp, Google Maps really just "shortcuts" or "favorites"?
For those with a Captivate and subscribed to ATT. Is the GPS on the phone free of charge? Does it use data?
And anyone know of an Android app that tells me elevation when driving? Any speedo apps for my car?
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Pay careful attention to your data usage. If you set the phone up carefully it will try to use a wifi connection first, then use the 3g connection. As you noted, wifi should be free with your data package where 3g will count against your plan minutes.
If you work in a library, ask your IT department if there's a separate employee wifi net, or if you're supposed to use the general public net.
If you have broadband internet in your home, you may want to get a wifi modem/router so your phone connects to your connection for both security and savings of your data plan. Locking down your wifi connection is pretty straightforward. Connecting via an unsecured connection is riskier than using a protected link.
For basic surfing, security should be no big deal on the free links. If you're concerned, then don't use sensitive log-ins or credit card or banking transactions on them due to fewer layers of security and transmitting your data through additional systems.