We're covering the CTIA Wireless conference this week because there have been many auto-related products released recently. Also, for most people, their mobile phone is the center of their lives. At this year's show, there were many applications to disable or use voice interaction for mobile phone communication.
TextArrest allows parents to control their children's mobile phone by disabling text messaging and calling while the child is driving. Many settings can be customized via the company's website such as speed threshold, day and time enforcement, and location tracking.
There's an override feature for the when the kid is a passenger or riding in a train, or in case of emergency. But a setting allows the parent to see when the override is enabled.
A geofencing feature even lets parents set geographic boundaries on a map, such as school, and notifies parents when the child goes outside these boundaries. I suppose this would put quite a damper on cutting class -- you would have to leave your phone behind.
TextArrest is free for a limited number of features, and $4.99/mo for up to 5 family member phone lines.
Hit the jump for the demo video with a very lame soundtrack.
Albert Austria, Senior Engineer, Edmunds, Inc.
TextArrest's Geofence.
audikrazy1 says:
02:40 PM, 03/24/10
I would kill my parents if they put something like this on my car/phone. luckily they trust me enough.... and whats to stop the driver from using the manual override while driving?
smilez says:
05:33 PM, 03/24/10
It sounds like they CAN use it while driving, it's just that it will notify the parents that the override has been activated.
Sure does seem like a lot of work to keep them from texting.
Not to mention, most kids today will find a work-around so that the parents don't get notified.
mrryte says:
07:11 AM, 03/25/10
smilez says:
"Not to mention, most kids today will find a work-around so that the parents don't get notified."
No doubt as we speak, some geek is working on a program that will do just that.
To quote the famous line: "There's an app for that." ;-p