Worried parents can now track children with GPS locator watch

A British company has started selling a new GPS Locator watch that will detect a person's location to within 10 feet. If the watch is pulled forcibly from the child, it alerts the parents.

Worcestershire-based Lok8u has launched the Nu M8 digital watch, which carries a GPS locator hidden inside. From the outside, it looks like any other digital watch. This watch uses GPS satellite technology similar to car satellite navigation systems. Once a child puts on the Nu M8 watch, the parents can track his or her movements on a website supported by Lok8u. Parents send a text message “wru” or click “where are you” on the website and they will be able to see the child’s location in Google maps, including the street address and postal code or zip code. Parents can also set “safe zone” limits for their children and if the child moves out of the safe zone, the watch will send an alert to the parent’s mobile phone or computer. Steve Salmon from Lok8u told the Daily Mail:

'This product gives parents the reassurance of knowing where their children are, any time, anywhere...The overriding aim of Nu.M8 is to give children their freedom and parents peace of mind.'

The watch costs £149.99 and carries a monthly charge of £19.99 and up, depending on the amount of usage. While some parents are happy with the new gadget, others are not. Michele Elliott, director of children's charity Kidscape, told the Daily Mail:

'Anything that makes children safer is a good thing but is the world really that unsafe that parents need to electronically track their children? I don't think so.'

The watch will be launched this week at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.