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."

This will be fun

[nickgrieve]

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.

Re:Oh great....

[Anonymous Coward]

Actually:
Both of the real dictionaries agree. A cue is not only a stick used to play snooker, but also "A signal, such as a word or action, used to prompt another event in a performance, such as an actor's speech or entrance, a change in lighting, or a sound effect." The whole "cue the people saying x" thing is taken from plays and film directors. Queue makes a bit of sense in the role as well, but cue was the original and best working word.

:P

Re:Oh great....

[ben0207]

Ah yes, but this is an example of cue as in the way a stage director might cue someone in. "cue Romeo", etc.

To use one of the very links you posted:
"To give a cue to; signal or prompt."

Re:So I guess...

[Anonymous Coward]

So, are you going to ground him every time his phone battery runs out? Goes to a movie theater? Can't get a signal? Listens to music and can't hear his phone ring? You can't answer a phone in every situation. There's a lot of places where cell phone use is rude, and frankly, I'd rather you teach your kid that than threaten to ground him when he doesn't answer. Or, hey, maybe you could just not treat him like a criminal to begin with.

Re:This isn't particularly technically innovative

[rolfwind]

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.

Re:This will be GREAT!

[YeeHaW_Jelte]

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 is a great idea... for something else

[kevinT]

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;

$299 - here http://www.gpsonsale.com/vehicletrackingdevices/in dex.htm/ [gpsonsale.com]

There are other models going up to several thousands of dollars - my favorite -->$595 uses SMS messages to communicate where its at. Cheap tracking with better transmission capabilities (SMS will often get through in bad cell coverage areas when a call would not).

Re:This will be GREAT!

[utexaspunk]

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.