Let Goofy Track Your Children

Rio writes "The Walt Disney Company unveiled a new wireless phone service that allows parents to track their children on a map using Global Positioning System technology, according to Local 6 News. The new "family friendly" service, called Disney Mobile, allows parents to decide who their children can call and when, the report said. The phone service will launch in June and has not been priced yet."

coming next

implants based on GPRS/GPS to control where your kids go. if they leave their "safe zone", a tiny electric shock is delivered straight to their brain!! 1 year contract required.

Re:coming next

We have. Upon reconsideration we're increasing the voltage.

This is a great idea... for something else

I would LOVE to have a gps reciever that I can track remotely! I would put it in my car and if someone steals it, screw lojack; I'll wait till they cross the border and deliver my own brand of goofy-the-cop justice!

Good ol' Steve

Already innovating for his new pet company :o)

Just waiting for the rants about people should be looking after their children...not technology.

Oh great....

Queue the "queue the 'why the hell can't people parent their kids anymore'" posts...er....queue.....um.. here.

not sure about this...

I don't know why, but reading this gives me a funny feeling that this type of technology could be easily perverted for some nasty stuff it wasn't meant for at all.

Nothing in particular, but the concept of this thing sounds a bit....twisted.

Time will tell.

Z.

Re:not sure about this...

Actually I would argue that it has already been perverted.

A necessary part of being a kid is the ability to do an end-run around one's parents. This is necessary because it creates a balance of power that is very important to the development of that kid into an independent functional adult. Can you imagine how you would have turned out if your parents had actually been able to control EVERYTHING you did and experienced? Can you imagine the level of dysfunction? The disconnect from reality that would result? Just think of all the crap they tried to sell you that seems like a cold cruel joke and an insult to your intellect today. Now imagine being 30 years old and only just now realizing you've been had!

This kind of technology brings us one step closer to a world where parents really CAN make their children into vessels for their own neuroses. The only effective means of mind control is information control. Control what people see and hear and you control what they think because you control what they think about. Developments like this make me fearful for the future of our civilization. If the day ever comes when your average kid never realizes that his or her parents are full of shit, then I'm afraid we're done for.

Lee

Re:not sure about this...

Can you imagine how you would have turned out if your parents had actually been able to control EVERYTHING you did and experienced?

Great argument, wrong technology.

This service (probably!) does not beam mind control rays into your head; it tracks where your child has been, and who s/he has been calling.

"Stepfordism" and Trust but verify are two totally seperate concepts.

This isn't particularly technically innovative

Since 9/11, the government has mandated that all mobile phones be able to pinpoint their location. This is simply Disney extending their capability to see where you/their phones are to you.

From http://www.infowars.com/articles/bb/parents_bosses _gps_track_cellphones.htm [infowars.com]

A Government Mandate

In 2001, the Federal Communications Commission ordered mobile telephone carriers to add technology to handsets that pinpoint their location. The idea was to make it easier to track 911 calls.

Some carriers adopted technology that used signals from cell phone towers to determine location. Others, including national carriers Verizon Wireless, Sprint and Nextel, went with GPS.

Although Nextel is the only national carrier to offer GPS services, all new phones sold by these carriers are GPS- equipped. By the end of 2005, companies that chose GPS are supposed to have converted at least 95 percent of their subscribers to the phones, although some carriers have indicated they will ask the FCC for an extension.

Re:This isn't particularly technically innovative

So the idea behind this product is: The government is tracking your kids, why don't you?

Re:This isn't particularly technically innovative

You are correct, it was around before 9/11, but the overall phases of the E911 Program have been sped up/enhanced since 9/11.

In fact, it's now under the authority of Homeland Security:

http://www.iowahomelandsecurity.org/asp/E_911/Gen_ Assembly_Rpt05.doc [iowahomelandsecurity.org]

The 1998 legislature passed and Governor Branstad signed into law Senate File 530 (SF530). In 2004 this law was amended by the legislature. Code of Iowa Chapter 34A provides for a statewide surcharge on wireless communications, including cellular, personal communication services, and commercial mobile radio services. The original surcharge rate was $0.50 per month per telephone number. The surcharge rate was amended in 2004 to $0.65 per month. Under this law, the Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division is given the responsibility for the "wireless" E911 program.

This will be GREAT!

.... I can buy one for my daughter. While she is away for a day, just throw it into my shady islamic looking neighbors(the ones who let their dog shit in my lawn) no-windowed van. Call 911. Tell them I think I saw him take her... she has a DISNEY CELL PHONE! They find him. Mow him down without question. Everyone scratches their head in confusion. I have a shit free lawn.

The End

Re:This will be GREAT!

Only muslims don't generally take dogs as housepets because they're considered to be unclean -- but hell, who cares about details if they're really terrorists -- uhm, I mean muslim.

Re:This will be GREAT!

My wife is Arab and from a Muslim family, and many of her family friends here in the States who are also Muslim keep dogs as pets. Saying "Muslims don't generally take dogs as housepets" just because certain Muslims think they're unclean is like saying "Christians don't generally drink" just because some Christians think it's sinful. You can't make blanket statements about what Muslims believe any more than you can about Christians.

In summary...

Get the next generation comfortable with being tracked 24/7?

So I guess...

So I guess that kids will come to think of goofy as a big brother

Another false layer of security for parents that can't be bothered to actually raise thier children. All the kid has to do is to:

1. Tell parents that they'll be over at billy's house for a while
2. Parents see child over at billys house on thier GPS system.
3. Kid leaves phone on doorstep of Billy's house, proceeds to go to the overpass to drop rocks on cars.

That's the problem: its an easily defeatable system that makes it too easy to lull parents into a false sense of security.

Re:So I guess...

That's why they need to be implantable.

Re:So I guess...

and if you try to remove them they explode!

Re:So I guess...

      1. Tell parents that they'll be over at billy's house for a while
      2. Parents see child over at billys house on thier GPS system.
      3. Kid leaves phone on doorstep of Billy's house, proceeds to go to the overpass to drop rocks on cars.


4. Cops show up at door with child.
5. Child spends the next week in the bathroom trying trying to crap out my shoe.
6. Child never pulls that stunt again.
7. Child tells the story to his grandkids of the time he tried to pull a fast one on his Dad and ended up passing a size 11 Nike Field General...

Works for me.

Re:So I guess...

And without a GPS track:

      1. Tell parents that they'll be over at Billy's house for a while.
      2. Kid proceeds to go to the overpass to drop rocks on cars.

No system at all is more easily defeatable than a simple system.

I'm going to take a wild guess and say you don't have children. When parents want to use a tool to enhance the safety of their children, it's not because they can't be bothered to raise them; it's because they love them more than anything, and will try every avenue to make sure their kids are okay. Parents who can't be bothered to raise their children don't care whether the kids are dropping rocks off of overpasses or not.

For those of you keeping score at home, another way to tell when someone doesn't have kids - when the server at the restaurant puts the silverware, full adult-sized water glass and piping hot plate of food immediately in front of the two year old in the booster seat; it's safe to assume that person doesn't have children.

Typical ignorant response.

Another false layer of security for parents that can't be bothered to actually raise thier children.

Let me guess - you aren't a parent. Perhaps this service is worthless for parents that have poor relationship with their children. But don't you think that this phone could be a valuable tool for good parents, too? How about this:

1. Billy starts walking home from bus stop
   
2. Stranger grabs Billy and forces him into The Van With No Doors and No Windows
   
3. Stranger drives off.

So, is being able to track your kid's GPS-enabled phone still worthless?

There are actually some very good arguments in favor of giving your kid a cell phone. However, there are downsides such as

• kids can easily exceed alotted minutes (usually inadvertantly).
  
• too easy to sign up for costly services (ringtones, screensavers, whatnot) by pressing 4 numbers but often very difficult to cancel/unsubscribe
  
• not as much control over who your child is talking to than the home phone
  

So, a phone w/ parental controls and GPS goes a long way to addressing these concerns. I myself would have loved this phone back when I was a kid. When I was 15, my parents were pretty lenient about what I could do so long as I a) told them where I'd be b) who I'd be with and c) prove it (usually a phone call from me to check in). Not having a cell phone made it kindof a pain sometimes. Now parents can maintain the same rules but also give their kids a greater sense of freedom.

Okay...

I assume the kid would have to want their parents to see wherver they go, otherwise they could just turn the phone off? I know I always used to tell my mom that my battery died, when she couldn't get ahold of me (and I was up to no good =])

Are there other phones with GPS capabilities? I could see a lot of useful applications for that - if they make it tiny & easy enough, it would eliminate the need for GPS receivers (obviously) - if I am in a large parking lot, at a sports event or something, it would make for a pretty easy way to meet up with friends & whatnot, if I can just get my phone to send their phone my GPS coordinates.

It would sure make losing your phone a less painful experience...

Hate to be the bearer of bad news...

How long until the government ruins this and starts tracking all of us based on our cell phones?

Oh wait, they probably already do...
Beware...

Disney Mobile phones in Iraq?

This should make it easy for the US Army to detect IUDs set off by Disney Mobile phones.

Re:Disney Mobile phones in Iraq?

IUD's? Intra Uterine Devices?

I wouldn't like to see one of them blow...

This changes the meaning of the acronym entirely.

So...GPS is the "Goofy(tm) Positioning System" now?

I for one...

Welcome our new Disney overlords.

If only...

Now if only the government can install GPS under our skin when we are born we will be all set.

This will be fun

Sources of GPS signal errors

Factors that can degrade the GPS signal and thus affect accuracy include the following:

  The more satellites a GPS receiver can "see," the better the accuracy. Buildings, terrain, electronic interference, or sometimes even dense foliage can block signal reception, causing position errors or possibly no position reading at all.

GPS units typically will not work indoors, underwater or underground.

All I can see coming out of this is a bunch of already paranoid parents having panic attacks when Little Jimmy goes in his friends house, or jumps on a bus.

"No Child Left Alone"

Sigh. Big Bother gets a face lift, and big floppy ears. And Enjoy your Happy Meal! Damnit!

Young Jack

"Quick! Get the coordinates of the Bauer kid"

"Can't do it! He must have turned off the phone and removed the battery"

"Damn it!"

yet another service in search of a problem

Really dont see how this is anything but commidized peace of mind. Its not 1984 as some other posters have said, but its another example of a product in search of convincing potential customers that the value proposition really solves a currently existing problem.

Honestly? Not a bad idea...

...were this anyone other than Disney.

They are the most soulless company I can think of. They aren't doing this because they think they can make the service turn a profit, they want survey data on our kids so they can more tailor ( ie: bastardize ) stories to grab them in.

Privacy worry

The real problem isn't government agencies tracking you. In that respect you can choose not to enable the tracking service. Privacy in that area is at least to some degree protected by law.

The real implications to privacy are because there are probably people who you can't say no to. How do you explain to your girlfriend that you won't let her track your position? Of course, kids can forget about any privacy if the parents want to track them.

Still, this technology is bound to succeed big time as it is very convenient. In the end most people probably won't mind friends and family to be able to see where they are.

The execution will need to be done carefully...

If it gets hacked so that anyone can track the kids carrying these, it would be a child molesters dream come true, wouldn't it? Sure you can argue that all phones technically could be tracked but how many of you think Paris Hilton would be waving one of these around? The target audience that will be holding them will be kids so the demographic work for the hacker has been taken care of.

I for one have a handful of very young siblings that I wouldn't want this to happen to. If my parents ever get one for them, I will smash them.

Yeah, but...

Can your kid Drive and merge with Goofy into Valour form, and then wield two cellphones?! Because that would be awesome.

Hmm, nobody's noticed....

The best part of this phone is that you can limit who your kids call. Most (heck, all?) cell phone companies seem focused on making you pay for whatever absurd bill your kid can run up each month. Either pay it or resign yourself to not being able to call your kid.

If anyone can correct me on this, I really want to know.

In Soviet Russia

Do children track Goofy in Soviet Russia?

Car Theft

Toss one of these in the trunk of your car (or hidden in a wheel well or wherever) and it's that much easier to find if your car ever gets stolen.

And kids need this why...?

Yes, I can see the advantage of it being a GPS receiver. In the right hands, it can mean a lot more safety. I'd even consider it!

The thing that got me was allows parents to decide who their children can call and when... This isn't teaching your child anything, it's imposing it on them. They're limited by numbers as opposed to their common sense!

It's like my friend who was sent to bed by a (scarily) authoritive mother every night at 10pm. When he left home, he quickly hit a point of insomnia from his 'freedom' after staying up for days on end...

I'm just waiting for the chaos when these kids suddenly get these limits turned off...

Gentlemen start your lawyers

The detail of TFA does not work for me (maybe because I don't have Flash) so it's not clear if the child has control over the degree to which they are subject to being GPS tracked. Looks to me though that this product amounts to "arbitrary or unlawful interference with his or her privacy" and so is in violation of UNICEF Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 16.

Let Parents Track the Children

This piece of hardware and service seems to be very useless especially in cities, where it is supposed to be more useful. That's why (in my opinion).
1. The system should send messages with position data with increasing frequency when the child is in crowded places. This would lead to a wireless network (like GSM) overload.
2. Whe wireless network could introduce dangerous message delivery latency.
3. It won't work in almost all closed places because of either GPS or wireless network bad coverage.
4. Once you know that your child is somewhere he shouldn't be in, what would you do? Call the Police and wait? Run there?
5. The system can be removed and placed somewhere else.
6. Nothing can prevent your child from calling using another phone.
7. Nothing can prevent your child from being hurted.

So it'd be much better to have parents watching over their own children. In person, I mean!
Is your job, hobby, sport or shopping more important than your child's health and happiness?

secure is not a synonym for safe

Why all these wimpy half solutions?

Children should be chained down in the basement until the age of 25.

Only by serious security can one protect offspring from the EVIL world.

Price of Service

According to: "DISNEY MOBILE(TM) MADNESS SWEEPSTAKES OFFICIAL RULES"
The value of prizes is as follows:
Each Grand Prize will consist of a pair of Disney Mobile phone hand sets (approximate retail value ("ARV"): $260) plus an $80 per month service plan for twelve (12) months (ARV: $960). (ARV of each Grand Prize: $1,220).

technology and child predators

and what is to stop some pedophile from getting these
and giving them out to kids?

this kind of technology (in its current form) can be abused
in frightening ways.

consider a situation where such a child predator hands out
phones to unsuspecting kids. said phonmes are setup such
that you cannot make outgoing calls. at that point, its no
more than a "harmless toy" and most parents will see it as such.

then, at some future point (days, weeks, etc) said predator
snatches the kid(s).

I dare say it gives a person pause to think of the ugly
possibilities of abuse of such a potentially "helpful" technology.

how would we make sure that the right people (parents) get these
devices?

It's not really that difficult to track your kid..

... it's a small world, after all.

Japan has had this for years...

And yet again, I laugh at America falling behind.

Japan has had this pretty widely available for years. And it hasn't been used for pedophilia as far as I have heard, unlike say cell phone cameras, which now all make an unmutable sound when you take a picture.

The reason? Silent cell phone cameras are great for taking upskirt pictures on crowded trains, and the internet exploded with upskirts soon after cell cameras became popular here.

Back on topic, the tracking and limits are a tool for parents, not a replacement for parenting. Why is it a tool, not a replacement? Well, if you don't look at where your kids are, this new cell doesn't do much. It's not a border enforcing shock-treatment item (yet).

The most popular hack...

The most popular hack will be the "At the Library" mod.

Got An Unruly Kid?

Put your kid in the woods with the phone and put out the word to geocachers ( http://www.geocaching.com/ [geocaching.com] ). First geocacher to find the cache gets to keep said kid.

accuracy

Really, how accurate is GPS? You can't look at a satelite feed and say, "Holy crap, Jimmy is behind the school smoking pot!" I could see it being useful for abduction cases but not much else, unless your child is flying across the country behind your back. What these over-protective types REALLY need is those cool satelite cameras that can zoom right in on their child's nose, like they had in Enemy of the State. And a speaker implanted in the child's ear so they can yell at them remotely.

Uh, wait a second...

Family friendly indeed. Your Big Brother really loves it.

When I was a kid....

Back when I was a kid (1970s), we had something called "Moms." There were several of them in the neighborhood, and they all knew each other and formed an ad hoc reconnaissance network, to keep tabs on all the kids in the neighborhood. There was a chain of custody, maintained by requisite protocols, "Can I go play at Jesse's house?" The moms had devices called telephones whereby they could call the mom with current custody to verify location of a child, request said child come home for dinner, or just catch up on the latest neighborhood news.

Yep, when I was a kid we didn't need these new-fangled cell phone things. We had something far more insidious.

Easily defeated

Although I would be a bit suspicious if I saw one of my neighbors installing a faraday cage in the back of his windowless van.

One of the common misconceptions about GPS is the beleif that it works everywhere. It doesn't. Kids with the phone would be constantly disappearing from the map as they go through tunnels, into large buildings, get into cars, go into valleys or even walk between large buildings... and each time this happens, the parents paranoid enough to spring for one of these to track their precious offspring are going to go into panic mode.

Will they patent it ?

Being Disney, I expect they'll patent the idea of tracking your children with a GPS-enabled cellphone

And all this prior work [google.co.nz] will conveniently disappear overnight for them.

GPS Cellular Tracking

A company called PROCON has a GPS cellular device that gets installed in your car (can't be seen or detected). You can track your car online in real time. Works nation wide. If my car gets stolen I can track it on any pc and give the exact location to the police. It also has remote door unlock and starter disable. Their website is www.proocnlbs.com

Re:Copyright enforcement?

It's a cellphone, not a radio.