“Track and Treat” pilots safe Halloween
Posted by Judy Breck on October 29, 2007
One hundred families in Atlanta are participating in a cellular safety pilot project this Halloween. The idea is for GPS-enable phones to make it possible for parents to keep track on a map of exactly where their children are as they are out in soliciting treats. Roberta Rovetta, senior director of product management for QUALCOMM CDMA Technologies, the pilot program’s sponsor, said:
“Halloween is a great time for moms and kids to have GPS on their cell phones because trick-or-treating is the first time many kids venture out without adult supervision.”
More details of projects to use mobile phones for Halloween safety are described in the Marketing Daily article quoted above. In addition to the GPS pilot, there are these wireless approaches:
. . . Atlanta-based Cingular Wireless is providing tips for parents that can help them more effectively communicate with their kids via wireless messaging. The company issued a series of sample text messages parents could send to their kids while they are out trick-or-treating, such as, “Save ur candy till I chk it!” and encouraged kids and parents to use the picture/video messaging capabilities on their phones to keep in touch.
Cingular also sponsored a survey of parents indicating that 63 percent of the 1,175 parents surveyed said that text messaging has improved their communication with their kids.
