Sprint Users Can Track Children Via GPS

["Richard M. Smith" <rms () bsf-llc com>]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060413/ap_on_hi_te/child_tracker_2

By DAVID TWIDDY, AP Business Writer Thu Apr 13, 3:17 AM ET 

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Up until now, parents had to deal with a separate company
or buy special equipment to track their children through their cell phones.
Sprint Nextel Corp. 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 cell phones 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 Inc. 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."

...

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