Sarge Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Thoughts? http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/services/2006-04-13-sprint-child-tracker_x.htm KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Up until now, parents had to deal with a separate company or buy special equipment to track their children through their cellphones. Sprint Nextel becomes the first U.S. wireless provider to sell its own product when the Family Locator Service rolls out Thursday. Using the Global Positioning System, the service allows parents to track up to four cellphones over the Internet or on their own wireless device. Parents can periodically ask the service to find the child's phone, displaying the location on a road map. Parents can also set alerts, automatically warning the parent if the child isn't at a certain place, such as school or soccer practice, at a specific time. The child's phone also displays a text message, letting the child know they've been searched for and found. The software, provided through WaveMarket for $9.99 per month, can be downloaded on 17 existing phones and can locate 28 GPS-enabled models. Sprint officials insist their service isn't a "Big Brother" tool. "It's not about tracking. It's not about monitoring," said Dan Gilmartin, Sprint's marketing manager for location-based services. "It's about giving parents and caregivers peace of mind that they're able to find their children's location." He added that the service could let adults keep track of elderly parents. The demand for child-locating products is heating up, with several third-party providers, such as Wherify and Teen Arrive Alive, already selling location services. Last week, CATS Communication said it was releasing a service to warn parents if their child goes near the home of a registered sex offender, and The Walt Disney Co. is targeting children this summer with a GPS-enabled phone that includes a locating feature. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enter Apotheosis Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Creepy as hell. Honestly, I don't think anyone here (or anywhere else, for that matter) would have had as much fun as a kid if their parents ALWAYS knew EXACTLY where they were all the time. If you feel the need to be able to constantly look up on the whereabouts of your kids, you have serious issues. "It's not about tracking. It's not about monitoring," said Dan Gilmartin, Sprint's marketing manager for location-based services. "It's about giving parents and caregivers peace of mind that they're able to find their children's location." Spin much? "Oh, it's not a tax increase... it's a temporary refund adjustment..." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreamingwolf Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 if the kid doesnt like it he can leave the cell the parents are paying for at home, or at the place where they lied to their parents when they told them where they would be. I honestly dont understand leftists and why they want to defend wrong behavior by saying its fun, parents have the right to monitor their kids. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enter Apotheosis Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Heh... first thing that popped in to my mind after reading that was, "Wow, that would suck. I'd probably just leave my cell at home all the time or take out the battery when convenient". You can't really deny that the concept is still kind of scary, though. I hate controlling parents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dreamingwolf Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 eh write that down and read it in a decade or two Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enter Apotheosis Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Yeah, yeah... I know. By the time I have kids I'm definitely not gonna want them to do a lot of the stuff I did in high school in terms of sneaking around. I will also have NO faith in any of my offsprings' ability to drive like a sane human being if they take after me in the slightest. While I'm still young and naive, though, I'm allowed to be opposed to stuff like this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airborneskins Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 Oh great, now all the wives in America are gonna get one of these for thier Husbands because they are worried about them sneaking off.. :doh: Actually BRILLIANT Marketing scheme.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarge Posted April 14, 2006 Author Share Posted April 14, 2006 Actually, I busted Sarge jr in a similiar manner just the other day. I had intel that he was not where he said he was going to be, so I called him. "Hey buddy, whatcha doing?" "JUst hangin at Donny's house" "Really? Take a picture of his living room and email it to me" "Huh?" "Take a picture of his living room and email it to me" "well, uh, but , uhhhhhh" "Get your ass home" "Yes sir" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChocolateCitySkin Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 This is freaking awesome!!! When I have kids they are soooo freaking screwed!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renegade7 Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 That's why I have my own pre-paid cell phone. And it definetly ain't sprint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redskins Diehard Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 if parents have the right to monitor their kids. I agree with you. In fact I would say that it is their RESPONSIBILTY more than just their right. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky21 Posted April 14, 2006 Share Posted April 14, 2006 I honestly dont understand leftists and why they want to defend wrong behavior by saying its fun, parents have the right to monitor their kids. I really don't think this is a political issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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