NTT DoCoMo launches a geotrackable mobile phone for kids
Akihabara News has been ripping into Japanese mobile operator NTT DoCoMo for its announcement of the Fujitsu F801i, a phone for kids that can be tracked by parents worried that little Johnny (well, the Japanese equivalent) has been spirited away by a stranger.
It’s waterproof with a built-in alarm, and a bracelet that alerts parents if it gets separated from the mobile phone. Oh, and the phone’s bright orange, which should ensure kids have high visibility when walking home from school (good: motorists will see it, bad: evil child-kidnapping motorists will see it).
Anyway, Akihabara News is of the opinion that rather than launching a new phone for kids, child safety issues would be better addressed by educating parents and making sure the police are able to do their jobs properly. “Are you sure that you are not giving the wrong message to any parents who will purchase this phone, by letting them think that their kids are now safe thanks to you guys?” they ask. Oof!
(via Akihabara News)
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