[via daily mail]A satellite tracking device that will plot a child's location to within 10ft is being launched by a British firm.
The Nu.M8 digital watch uses GPS satellite technology like car sat nav systems.
Parents who text 'wru', or click 'where r you' on the secure website, will be able to see the child's location on Google maps and the street address and postcode will also be displayed.
So-called 'safe zones' can also be set up in which children can play safely and an alert will be sent to the parent's mobile phone and computer if the child strays out of that area.
The watch has been launched against a background of increasing fears among parents about the safety of their children.
As a result, youngsters are ferried to school by car, rather than walking or taking the bus, while fewer are allowed out to play in the park.
Recent reports have indicated that one in four children aged eight to ten have never played outside without a parent or guardian present, and one in three parents will not even allow older children, aged eight to 15, to play outside the house or garden unsupervised.
Steve Salmon of the watch's Worcestershire-based developers Lok8u said: 'This product gives parents the reassurance of knowing where their children are, any time, anywhere.
'Hopefully girls and boys can now be given the freedom to play outside that I enjoyed as a child.
'The overriding aim of Nu.M8 is to give children their freedom and parents peace of mind.'
However this comes at a price. The watch costs £149.99 and there is a monthly charge of up to £19.99 depending on level of use.
Michele Elliott, director of children's charity Kidscape, has reservations about using satellites to track youngsters.
She said: 'Anything that makes children safer is a good thing but is the world really that unsafe that parents need to electronically track their children? I don't think so.'
The watch will be launched this week at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.Found this Post interesting? Receive new posts via RSS (What is RSS?) or subscribe via email at the top of this page...
