ct 31, 2000 - 12:39 AM
Kids, Pets, Luggage Outfitted With Device May Be
Lost No More
By Anick Jesdanun
The Associated Press
NEW YORK - Lost kids, lost pets and lost luggage could be a
thing of the past with the development of wireless technology that
could track their whereabouts.
The prototype for one such technology was unveiled Monday. The
Digital Angel technology would use existing wireless
communications networks and the global positioning system,
which can pinpoint a location to within the size of a tennis court.
But developers still do not have a working product to show off, nor
have they given specifics about cost. They need investment
partners willing to front cash for further development.
John Doss, a New York investment banker who watched the
demonstration, said the technology has potential, but "anyone
who's been involved with technology knows you can do a
demonstration under ideal circumstances."
Toni Nyquist, who runs the National Center For Missing Pets in
San Jose, Calif., said such a product would be welcomed, as long
as it is affordable.
Lost dogs can run for miles, while lost cats tend to hide nearby but
won't even respond to calls from owners, Nyquist said.
"People are very confused about where to go look," she said in a
phone interview.
The Digital Angel is currently in the form of a microchip the size of
a quarter. Worn as a watch or other form of clothing, the chip
would continually monitor the wearer's vital signs. During medical
emergencies, the chip would obtain location readings and notify a
service center.
The chip could also be triggered by the service center, so parents
could request the current locations of their kids.
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children, about 2,200 children are reported missing every day.
Some missing-children organizations worry, though, that such
products could give parents a false sense of security.
"Abductors will watch the news, too, and if they see the watch
they will just take it off," said Jenni Donnelly, hotline director for
the Polly Klaas Foundation, organized after the 1993 kidnapping
and murder of 12-year-old Polly Klaas.
Such devices, Donnelly said, may help in some cases but should
not replace the dialogue parents should have with their children
about good safety practices.
Kym Pasqualini, president of the Nation's Missing Children
Organization and Center for Missing Adults, said parents must
consider privacy. She wants assurances that potential abductors
won't be able to use such a system to find her children.
But she said such a system would have benefits. Missing children
often remain missing, she said, because no physical evidence is
available to point investigators in the right direction.
---
On the Net:
Digital Angel: http://www.digitalangel.net
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children,
http://www.missingkids.org
AP-ES-10-31-00 0006EST
© Copyright 2000 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Brought to you by the Tampa Bay Online Network
Kids, Pets, Luggage Outfitted With Device May Be
Lost No More
By Anick Jesdanun
The Associated Press
NEW YORK - Lost kids, lost pets and lost luggage could be a
thing of the past with the development of wireless technology that
could track their whereabouts.
The prototype for one such technology was unveiled Monday. The
Digital Angel technology would use existing wireless
communications networks and the global positioning system,
which can pinpoint a location to within the size of a tennis court.
But developers still do not have a working product to show off, nor
have they given specifics about cost. They need investment
partners willing to front cash for further development.
John Doss, a New York investment banker who watched the
demonstration, said the technology has potential, but "anyone
who's been involved with technology knows you can do a
demonstration under ideal circumstances."
Toni Nyquist, who runs the National Center For Missing Pets in
San Jose, Calif., said such a product would be welcomed, as long
as it is affordable.
Lost dogs can run for miles, while lost cats tend to hide nearby but
won't even respond to calls from owners, Nyquist said.
"People are very confused about where to go look," she said in a
phone interview.
The Digital Angel is currently in the form of a microchip the size of
a quarter. Worn as a watch or other form of clothing, the chip
would continually monitor the wearer's vital signs. During medical
emergencies, the chip would obtain location readings and notify a
service center.
The chip could also be triggered by the service center, so parents
could request the current locations of their kids.
According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children, about 2,200 children are reported missing every day.
Some missing-children organizations worry, though, that such
products could give parents a false sense of security.
"Abductors will watch the news, too, and if they see the watch
they will just take it off," said Jenni Donnelly, hotline director for
the Polly Klaas Foundation, organized after the 1993 kidnapping
and murder of 12-year-old Polly Klaas.
Such devices, Donnelly said, may help in some cases but should
not replace the dialogue parents should have with their children
about good safety practices.
Kym Pasqualini, president of the Nation's Missing Children
Organization and Center for Missing Adults, said parents must
consider privacy. She wants assurances that potential abductors
won't be able to use such a system to find her children.
But she said such a system would have benefits. Missing children
often remain missing, she said, because no physical evidence is
available to point investigators in the right direction.
---
On the Net:
Digital Angel: http://www.digitalangel.net
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children,
http://www.missingkids.org
AP-ES-10-31-00 0006EST
© Copyright 2000 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be
published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Brought to you by the Tampa Bay Online Network
