When you think of the word “Taser”, you probably think of ne’er-do-well criminals on COPS being taken down to the ground in a heap of high-voltage. But the guys at Taser have a new trick up their sleeves, one that’s designed to let parents keep a watchful eye on their kids’ activities through the use of technology.
Later today, Taser will be revealing PROTECTOR, something they describe as a “revolutionary toolset that gives parents the ability to supervise their children’s mobile phone usage and driving behaviors. The system uses GPS technology and integrates with mobile phones to monitor calls, text messages, content, and to keep track of the location of young ones. The PROTECTOR will also allow parents to limit phone and text usage while driving, which should help cut down on accidents.
The system is going to work with multiple devices and will be accessible through an easy to use web-based interface. Taser says the system will be carrier-independent, and let parents monitor multiple children regardless of the network they’re on.
The whole invasion of privacy thing sounds a little too “Big Brother” to me, but then again, when I was a kid, all my parents had to worry about was me charging too many minutes on their phone bill while I surfed BBSes with my Atari 800.
At this point, there’s not much detail on the exact technology, but all should be revealed a little later today by the Taser guys. In the mean time, check back at the PROTECTOR website for updates.
