Comments on: GBTV #589 | gdgt, Star Wars Force Trainer, bing Photo Contest, Kiddo Kidkeeper, Energizer USB Charging Clip

By: Kati Scoville

Kati Scoville — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 14:02:18 +0000

I like the idea. I’m giving this a thumbs up.

By: Brian Hanifin

Brian Hanifin — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 17:31:09 +0000

I was never comfortable with the idea of a kid leash. That is until we went to Knotts Berry Farm (an amusement park in SoCal) and my wife insisted on using it. I quickly realized with the enormous crowds at the park that day, it would be near impossible to find our 2 1/2 year old if he decided to explore!!!

Now I laugh at how judgmental I was of parents… before I was one. :D

By: Tom H.

Tom H. — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 16:19:16 +0000

Cali Cali Cali, you clearly don’t understand the terror that parents go through when they have a child that they can’t control. As a father of 4, I have 3 kids I can trust but one that for whatever reason, spent about three years of her life trying to get away from us. Turn around to put something back on a shelf and she’d be down the aisle and around the corner. Walking through the store having this alarm going off on my belt constantly is a good way of having security asking you if there is a problem.

We purchased a child leash and it was the best $10 peace of mind we’ve ever had. Of course we felt like horrible parents doing it, till we noticed other parents. It’d much rather feel the tug of my kid trying to leave then having to react to a beep and then trying to figure out which way to go. I feel horrible for that parent that barely got their kid back from the kidnapper, no parent should ever have to go through that. Analog kid holsters ftw.

By: Eric B.

Eric B. — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:14:46 +0000

DOH! Sorry, I meant “Energizer” instead of Duracell.

By: Eric B.

Eric B. — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:56:01 +0000

Hey all!
About the Duracell Charger thing… if it’s over $2, don’t get it! This is weird that Cali would mention it, but I just received 6 of these things that look identical to the Duracell pics (color and all). Oh, and free shipping! Go here:
https://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.15264

And no, I’m not making a referral off this. If you prefer, do a Google search for:
“USB Powered Universal Cell Phone Battery Charger Keychain with Auto-Polarity”

By: Jeremy L. (aka Phlegon)

Jeremy L. (aka Phlegon) — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:41:49 +0000

Gonna have to chime in with a vote for child leashes. They may be a tad disturbing, but I have a friend whose niece was grabbed from right next to her and her sister in a store, and after chasing them she was just barely able to dive and grab the child before the kidnapper reached the front door and the getaway car. True story.

By: Tom Layton

Tom Layton — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 22:31:14 +0000

If/when you have a toddler, you will get it. When my grand daughter get’s in her head to run, I simply can’t keep up.

By: PhilAm I the only one who saw G

PhilAm I the only one who saw G — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 07:44:03 +0000

I agree about the kiddo leash thing too. The first thing I thought of when watching this was the kid darting out into traffic. No amount of RFID will help with that.

By: El_loco

El_loco — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 01:19:11 +0000

I agree about the kiddo thingy. You need to physical restraint. Otherwise it’s a moot point.

It’s not being cruel. But kids sometimes think it’s a good idea to play hide and seek while in the mall or crowded street and if you have more than 1 kid then it can be challenging to keep an eye of each one all the time while you are shopping or otherwise distracted outside.

If you’re son/daughter has ever been lost, you wouldn’t think it’s “cruel” much worse is having your kid posted in a Child Lost poster at the grocery.

Just my 0.02

By: Steve

Steve — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:27:14 +0000

I once saw a kid attached to a wrist leash once. We were on a bus and I thought it was very strange and it made me wonder about the mother. After watching the kid for 10 minutes though I saw exactly why the mother wanted to keep him close. He wasn’t a rotten kid or anything but he was very energetic and seemed like he would talk to anyone. It was fascinating to watch this 6 year old try to make conversation with everyone around him and I found it a little strange too because at that age I was morbidly shy. I think the mother realized that her kid was far to trusting of strangers and wanted to be sure he wouldn’t walk off with one.

By: João Coutinho

João Coutinho — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 17:07:44 +0000

Great news from Portugal! Não sei quantos espectadores tens em Portugal, mas eu sou o 1º! Continua o bom trabalho.

By: Randy Grein

Randy Grein — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 15:50:46 +0000

Lots of others saw the same problem with the Kiddo Kidkeeper. The restraint systems seem cruel to the uninitiated, but they do give kids a sense of freedom with limits AND without the need to constantly hold the hand of a tugging toddler. I have seen kids attempt to dash into the street, approach unfamiliar dogs, and just plain keep running – and it’s amazing how far they can go in a crowd in just a few seconds.

My mother had to make one out of rope attached to the cothesline to keep me in the yard while she was hanging laundry and doing other outside chores. Yes, there were complaints from at least one neighbor but as I had already wandered to the end of the street and onto the highway several times while she was distracted with my baby sister, well, you get the idea. That was 1960….

By: geekbrief (GeekBrief.TV)

geekbrief (GeekBrief.TV) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 04:04:58 +0000

A new GBTV is up: GBTV #589 | gdgt, Star Wars Force Trainer, bing Photo Contest, Kiddo Kidkeepe.. http://tinyurl.com/mgxw7y

By: John M

John M — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 02:23:28 +0000

I only needed to use the kid leash once and it was at the Grand Canyon. It worked perfectly and kept my very active son safely away from the edge. For safety, a beeping keychain just doesn’t cut it.

By: Michael Chu

Michael Chu — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 01:17:44 +0000

With a nearly 10 month old, I’ve gotta agree with the others on the Kiddo Kidkeeper… It’s not enough to know that he has gone too far away, I need that ability to keep him physically from danger. Sometimes, those few seconds count! (we have a hard enough time keeping him out of trouble now!) :-)

By: Josh C

Josh C — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:10:05 +0000

Honestly, when my 3 year old was on his backpack leash thing, it was never because I wanted to know where he was. As others point out, it was to keep him from going where he shouldn’t. I don’t need a beeping beltclip to tell me my kid is too far away, because, whether he’s tethered to me or not, I actually watch him. Sorry, Cali, but I don’t even think it’s a question of high-tech vs. low-tech. I think the leash and the locator meet different consumer needs, they aren’t competitors to each other, imo.

By: amySoldier

amySoldier — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 23:08:19 +0000

The idea is to create a personal robot, a Murgatroyd, for every youngster who has parents able to afford one. This is the future, the ideal.

By: Dayks

Dayks — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:08:59 +0000

I have to agree with Chris about the physical child lead. My 2 year old love wearing his backpack with attached lead, and I know that if he starts walking/running towards danger I can stop him. Much safer than hearing a beep as he runs in front of a bus.

Sorry Cali, but this time low tech wins for me.

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:55:44 +0000

Can any of these child locators yank the kid back toward you if he wanders too far? Sometimes non-tech is the better way to go.

By: Doug Chapin

Doug Chapin — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 20:52:09 +0000

Brickhouse has a product like the Kiddo Kidkeeper. It is called the Brickhouse Child Locator. What is cool about this one is that the parent unit has a directional pointer.
http://www.brickhousesecurity.com/locator.html?gclid=COXgtePyt5sCFRZCagodC0UHAA