Kids love to push buttons, whether on the TV, dishwasher, or Mom's patience, and cell phones are no exception. My granddaughter, who is only 16 months routinely calls me on her mom's cell phone. Of course, her mom doesn't know.
Cell phone companies are catching up with the trend of kids and cell phones - from preschoolers to high schoolers - and now they are marketing towards a parents greatest fear, losing their child.
Companies like Wherify Wireless Inc. (WFYW.OB), Verizon Wireless (VZ), Guardian Angel Technology, Sprint Nextel Corp. (S), and Disney Mobile (DIS) are including satellite-based tracking based on Global Positioning System (G.P.S.) technology in their cell phones, allowing parents to track their kids.
Wherify doesn't even use keypads but rather buttons with symbols that can be programmed to call mom, dad and even 911. The phone book button can hold up to 20 more numbers. In shopping for Christmas I came across another brand, Firefly Mobile.
According to this NYTimes.com article this is how they work: To pinpoint the phone’s location, you call up the Web site, enter your password, click “locate,” and presto: an icon appears on a map — either a street map or actual satellite photo. In the photo view, you can zoom in enough to see individual buildings. These are existing satellite photos —you won’t actually see your child standing there — but this feature is still creepy and awesome.
Read the full article to find out more about models, features and pricing.
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