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

Re:To be fair...

[yatest5]

oh-no-my-child-is-going-to-be-abducted-and-torture d-by-a-paedophile

So, these people who abuse and kill kids are gonna cut their arm off first and throw it in a river - GREAT!

Re:It's this

[rho]

That once parents get a hold of this kind of technology and use it with 4-year-olds, to track them down if they wander offthey're going to want to use it to monitor where their 15-year-olds go when they go out (which, IMHO, is a gross abuse of the technology).

Keeping an eye on a 4 year old is imperative--they don't have the experience to know that a street is dangerous and shouldn't be crossed alone, for example.

Keeping an eye on a 15 year old is just as imperative--they don't have the experience to know that the kid they're hanging around with might help get them in trouble with the law.

While some modicum of privacy should be allowed for teenagers, too much is dangerous. Too much privacy and you might not notice the danger signs of drug abuse, contemplations of suicide, illegal activities... any number of things.

Re:To be fair... Maybe

[arivanov]

They did not intend to do reasearch. This is a sell for the paranoic-pshychotic market. Any sane person will ask himself the question "does this really work".