iKids to the rescue

Kidnapping children may become difficult now become more difficult with SiRF Technology India's gizmo that can track the movement of the person or kid using Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, reports Rupesh Janve.

The product is called iKids (intelligent kids) and is also known as a personal locator. The significant feature is that the mobile-sized instrument can be pre-programmed and has only six keys. The keys contain digits from one to five and the sixth key is an emergency number.

"As the product is targeted at children, it has only five buttons," Ashutosh Pande, MD, SiRF Technology India Pvt Ltd says. But in an Indian context, it can be of use to children, BPO employees and workers in remote areas, he added.

Before using it, a parent or an employer will have to pre-program the device by logging on to the website. One will receive the information either on a computer or cellphone.

Currently, the instrument is being successfully used in the Netherlands and Australia and is expected to be launched in India soon. Pande said the product will be priced at Rs 5,000 and the advanced version will be available at a price of Rs 25,000 to 30,000.

Parents can mark the zone in the map and programme the device. When kids move out of the area, parents receive an alert.

They can also get a repeated alert every 10 minutes on their system or mobile. Parents can also talk with their kids, while the kids can call their parents or guardians by pressing the pre-programmed keys.