Learn more about the tracking devices contributor
Janice Lieberman discusses on "Today":
E-911 TECHNOLOGY IN CELL PHONES:
E-911 is on its way to being available around the country.
Currently there are 6,000 emergency 911 centers in the U.S.
The goal is for all of these 911 centers to track the location
of the wireless phone user.
Cell phone tracking capability is coming into play for the
first time. So as the cell phone user, you can call 911, and
the emergency service can locate you. The problem is, the
emergency service you call has to have location reading capability.
By 2005 all cell phones will have this E-911 capability, but
this doesn't mean that the emergency service will have the
capability. This service is state or locally regulated.
WHERIFY:
This device looks like a watch, and can be locked to your
child's wrist. This product is targeted toward 4-12 years
olds. When you purchase the locator, you call to activate
the system and sign up for the service plan. Once activated,
you can check the Web site for the location of the device,
or you can call the 800 number for an operator to give you
a location. The Web site allows you to see the location by
map, or by real-time pictures from the satellites. If the
device is removed from the child without the key fob, an alarm
sounds at the emergency center. Also, if in danger a child
can press the two outside buttons on the device and it will
call 911.
The next step for the Wherify is gearing a locator for adults
and the elderly. The smaller device that will clip onto a
belt or a lanyard will be available in the second quarter
of 2004. This device will even allow verbal communication
with an emergency operator. The cost is $199.99 plus tax and
shipping. Service plans range from $19.95-44.95 per month.
$19.95 allows for 20 locates, and the top price of $44.95
allows for 80 located a month -- www.wherify.com.
SIDSA PERSONAL LOCATOR:
This device is the size of a deck of playing cards. It can
be easily put in a pocket or handbag. This product is used
primarily for Alzheimer's disease patients. The device is
comprised of a small battery-powered locator that is carried
by the Alzheimer sufferer whenever he or she ventures out-of-doors.
By a combination of GPS and GSM technology, this locator is
a permanent contact with a central monitoring station. The
monitoring station can keep track of a large number of locators,
each of which is programmed with a permitted geographic area,
and the duration of the excursion. If the person being monitored
strays outside his or her permitted area, or stays away from
home longer than the permitted time, an alert is sounded,
and the person can be retrieved.
SIDSA sells the SPL technology (device and control center),
but the service requires a Medical Call Center to manage it.
SIDSA has developed the technology but is not a service provider.
This device has to be set up with a local wireless service
provider that you can find in your area. SIDSA only provides
the device and the technology. The locator sells for $595,
plus monthly fees -- www.SIDSA.com.
ULOCATE:
These phones allow parents to track the location of their
child's phone, and allows them to see (either directly on
their own phone or via a secure Web site) their child's exact
current location via a Mapquest map. Parents can program the
service to notify them immediately as their child arrives
at a location (school, home, sports center, etc.) or leaves
an area (neighborhood, town, etc.) that they've defined. They
can even review past locations visited. ULocate's platform
takes advantage of cell phones that can establish and transmit
latitude and longitude using the government's Global Positioning
System (GPS). Currently, they support the Motorola i730, i88s
and i58sr on the Nextel network and all models of the Benefon
on the T-Mobile, AT&T, and Cingular networks. Additional
phones and carriers will be supported as they become GPS compatible.
ULocate is offering their service *free* now through 2003
as part of its official launch. You just need to go to their
Web site to sign up.
In 2004, the rates will be as follows:
-$12.95 per month for the first phone and $9.95 per month
for each additional phone through five, $7.95 for the sixth
phone. There are no set up charges. Rates are national. They
do not vary by location. And on top of this price, you'll
also need a cell phone carrier -- www.ulocate.com. |
TV: The Today Show - Tracking Your Child's Safety
