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Google releases smart watch for kids

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Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#111

Post by canucker2016 »

rvnx wrote: post #64
philomath_mn wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Right -- why would I risk $229 on this when I know the Apple Watch will be around for many more years?

$229 plus mandatory subscription of $120 per year.

Or $60 if you pay annually instead of monthly - though who knows how long that annual discount will last.

[edit] and there's no buying the watch WITHOUT the Fitbit Ace Pass data plan, the watch setup REQUIRES a data plan.

from the Compatability section of Tech Specs page:

"Requires Wi-Fi and Fitbit Ace Pass data plan for setup."

[edit2]

though I guess you could buy just one month of the data plan, just for setting up the watch.

But the watch's WiFi supports only 2.4GHz.

[edit3]

the annual data plan deal is only good until before Aug 31. see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzDpo1t02yA&t=275s

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#112

Post by neilv »

How will this work out with grade school kids' socialization, when some kids in a class have the neat smartwatches, but some don't?

I remember very much noticing as a young kid that I didn't have some things some other kids had. But most of the time that was at home, rather than visible every day. And I was also a bit aware that some other kids had less than I did. (Parochial school uniforms helped.)

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#113

Post by standardUser »

prepend wrote: post #103
RobotToaster wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple is also an advertising company.

Google makes almost all their income from ads. Apple makes almost none.

Apple purposefully leverages its closed ecosystem to generate social friction amongst kids in order to drive hardware sales, making them persona non grata in my book.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#115

Post by surfingdino »

tamimio wrote: post #70
rvnx wrote: post #57

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's privacy-protecting; their location will be private, only you can track them all the time, the apps installed, Google and their SREs, the US government if they want to (but they most likely need to ask), etc.

> the apps installed, Google and their SREs, the US government Overseas contractors, third party apps that are used by said contractors, other cloud services and their contractors etc etc.

My heart sunk when I saw this on the cookie control panel for a popular website "We and our 796 partners..." Oh, do f*k off...

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#116

Post by bmoxb »

Achtunglskjdf wrote: post #49

I think we are crossing a boundary. If our world gets so broken, that parents need this, we should start changing our world

Am I missing something? Is it not just a glorified fitness tracker? I can certainly understand privacy concerns but I don't get how a smart watch is the signifier of a 'broken' world.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#117

Post by alooPotato »

This reminds me of an idea I've been noodling on for a bit about my kids. I want them to be able to take more risks and be more independent - but counterintuitively, I think this means putting them in a safer environment.

For example, I'd be waaaay more comfortable letting my young kids (6yrs old) roam around outside the house if will lived in a safe suburb rather than a city. I think the same is true for this type of watch, I'd let them do more stuff at a younger age if I knew I could always get a hold of them and knew where they were.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#118

Post by LordDragonfang »

philomath_mn wrote: post #72
gnicholas wrote: post #67

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is absolutely what I worry about for my kids, down the line. A boyfriend could easily pass her an inherited iPhone with a prepaid SIM card so they could keep in touch away from parental prying eyes. Most families around here (SV) have old devices lying around, and $20/mo for a cellular plan is nothing for many teenagers.

Fair enough! Something to watch for I suppose.

I think you've sort of missed the forest for the trees, here. If you've gotten to the point where the kid is hiding a phone from you, you're already in an adversarial relationship with a young adult who has lost trust in your ability to be a reasonable authority figure.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#119

Post by wmf »

bmoxb wrote: post #116
Achtunglskjdf wrote: post #49

I think we are crossing a boundary. If our world gets so broken, that parents need this, we should start changing our world

Am I missing something? Is it not just a glorified fitness tracker? I can certainly understand privacy concerns but I don't get how a smart watch is the signifier of a 'broken' world.

It's also a phone. Parents are demanding the right to say last goodbyes to their children during school shootings.

Re: Google releases smart watch for kids

#120

Post by wepple »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #106

Ugh, I threw up a little in my mouth just from the headline. This constant tracking of kids is unnecessary and dangerous. Generations of kids survived without their parents needing to know their location at all times. And yes, I totally admit, some kids (very few actually depending on the locale) didn't survive. But we've traded this false sense of "safety" for kids that are so risk averse it is seriously negatively…

> Generations of kids survived without their parents needing to know their location at all times.

And cars used to be safe even without seatbelts!

It turns out times change. Before you think I’m disagreeing with the entirety of your comment, my own kids are the most free-range in-the-dirt kids I know. But it’s location-dependent. I trust cities and their people far less than wild animals.

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