GPS Wristwatch for Kids

1010011010 writes "A company called 'Wherify Wireless' has created a $400 watch with a built-in pager, GPS unit and wireless data connectivity. It's targeted at families with kids. According to their website, 'Wherify's GPS Personal Locator helps keep loved ones safe by combining Wherify's patented technology with the U.S. Department of Defense's multi-billion dollar Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites plus the largest 100% digital, nationwide PCS wireless network.' It includes a pager, clock, two-button '911' calling (parent can disable this), and remote-control keyfob (to lock and unlock it) for the parents. It is apparently water- and kid-resistant, and can be locked onto the wrist so that it cannot be removed (easily). $400 plus $35 a month... that's a lot more money than those stretchy wrist-leashes I see at the mall." There are so many things wrong with this that I don't even know where to begin.

Comments

To be fair...

[cperciva]

I don't think that the locking is intended to stop the child removing the beacon; rather, I think the idea is to ensure that any abductor would not be able to remove it.

Given that most of the market for such gadgets comes from the oh-no-my-child-is-going-to-be-abducted-and-torture d-by-a-paedophile market, I'd say that the locking makes perfect sense.

Re:To be fair... Maybe

[MasterBlaster]

I saw a story on the local news about this product and it does work indoors. They have their own PCS network that works with the GPS to track the location even without a clear view of the sky. If you dig into the web site far enough the information is there as well.
This thing is actually a 2-way device like a cell phone. We all know it doesn't take GPS to find the location of a transmitter. If your phone will work there, this thing can be located.

Re:It's this

[sphealey]

That's BULL! I don't care if your 15, 16, 17 or 18....if you are living with the parent then your subject to their rules. How is this an abuse???

I agree that the word "abuse" is overused and perhaps not applicable in this case. However, for a good treatment of this question you might read Neal Stephenson's The Diamond Age, which besides being a good novel with a poorly written ending has an extensive discussion of what happens to children who are raised in an over-protective environment and what risks it might be necessary for a parent to take to ensure that their children are successful in the long run.

Hint: no challenge + no risk = no growth.

sPh

RTFM Please

[Dirk Pitt]

Before spreading silly uninformed FUD, you might go read the website.

Whack the kid over the head from behind; remove watch at leisure. [etc]
The website clearly says that interfering with the device automatically initiates a tracking of the last location of the device and informs the parents.

possible abuses, not by law enforcement, but by psychotic parents
Again, RTFM. The parents must specifically request for the child to be tracked--I don't think they're going to sit in front of their computer and on the phone, constantly requesting for child tracking. No doubt this is only used for stress situations, like an alarm company does--my 10 year old was supposed to walk to my neighbor's house, and is nowhere to be found, etc. I don't think any parent's going to be locking these Pikachu-looking devices on a 17 year old's wrist. And if they are, the kid definately has bigger problems to worry about than privacy.

Look, all doubters who love to flame based on Michael's half-baked criticism, just read the damn web pages for these stories before you go on an orgy of digital/children's rights protesting.

Re:A Better and Cheaper Idea.

[Dominic_Mazzoni]

Also check out this website where you can purchase emergency cell phones, or reprogram an existing cell phone to work that way. Not only will it dial 911 (as all cell phones do, with or without a service plan), but with a credit card, you can dial ANY number for a little less than $2 a minute - but with no monthly service fee.

If you don't use it, it costs nothing, but if you're really in trouble, you can call any number you want, and pay only for what you use.

Re:To be fair... Maybe

[GSloop]

It was called SA. The Gvmt turned SA off a couple of years ago - there was even a story about it here. But even without SA, the GPS signal isn't good enough to get better than about 5-10m. Enter differential GPS. These are an additional set of sattelites that know their position exactly. They monitor the GPS network and then send out separate corrections to the GPS signals. This allows for much greater vertical accuracy, and gives a 1-5m accuracy.

Cheers!