My partner is on one of the teams responsible for red tape and cost-cutting at Alphabet. After having frequent conversations about past failed projects, I'm surprised this project got the green light. Personally, I don't see this product taking off. As a parent, I think it looks quite lame, and I don't think anyone at Google knows how to break into product areas for kids. I've seen quite a few headlines concerned abo…
Just based on the UI, I can see the user age range being limited to 7-11/12 year olds. Teens won't want this on their wrist in high school.
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…
I don’t buy that tracking kids is necessary or increases their safety. This seems to be an American phenomenon.
My partner is on one of the teams responsible for red tape and cost-cutting at Alphabet. After having frequent conversations about past failed projects, I'm surprised this project got the green light. Personally, I don't see this product taking off. As a parent, I think it looks quite lame, and I don't think anyone at Google knows how to break into product areas for kids. I've seen quite a few headlines concerned abo…
> I'm surprised this project got the green light. To me, it looks just like another example of Googs missing the boat and attempting to play catch up in an attempt to stay relevant by imitating what someone else does. Maybe that's a gross oversimplification, but that's the way it comes across to me. This thing clearly chasing Apple's device. Googs+ clearly chasing Facebook. Of course, there's their rash attempt at an…
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…
In principle I agree we don’t need to track our kids. But when I was I a free range kid in the 80s, there were pay phones at every corner, I carried coins and a calling card so could reach my parents. Now they have to interact with an adult somewhere to use their personal phone. And the adult has to trust this isn’t a ruffian looking to swipe his phone for kicks. But a cell capable watch for $200 is pretty compelling…
Why not give them a cell phone but not install tracking software on it?
Does anyone else feel uneasy about the idea of children having to curb their behavior because they know they're being constantly monitored by their parents? This product concerns me not only due to corporate advertising surveillance but also parental spying.
Flip that around. My child has more freedom now, because I can let her walk further from home, unsupervised, to see if a friend can play - because she can immediately text me and let me know she's staying at the friend's house for the next few hours. She no longer has to wait for me to be ready to walk with her. She can text me if she wants to be picked up from aftercare early. Or if she wants to stay later. Or if sh…
I simply called using the landline back in the day, but I grew up in a small village in Germany where roaming the fields unsupervised was the norm.
> I'm surprised this project got the green light. To me, it looks just like another example of Googs missing the boat and attempting to play catch up in an attempt to stay relevant by imitating what someone else does. Maybe that's a gross oversimplification, but that's the way it comes across to me. This thing clearly chasing Apple's device. Googs+ clearly chasing Facebook. Of course, there's their rash attempt at an…
Which apple device? I didn’t know they made watches for kids. Couldn’t find it either.
You can attach a kid watch to your iphone plan. They get their own number and are part of your family management. It works really well.
At least one parent must have an iphone, though.
There is no watch specifically for kids, we just gave ours my wife's old one (I'm on Android, so ...)
My partner is on one of the teams responsible for red tape and cost-cutting at Alphabet. After having frequent conversations about past failed projects, I'm surprised this project got the green light. Personally, I don't see this product taking off. As a parent, I think it looks quite lame, and I don't think anyone at Google knows how to break into product areas for kids. I've seen quite a few headlines concerned abo…
I worked on Android Wear many, many, years ago. 2016ish. This segment and use case was quietly huge, massive, in at least China, and I bet it still is. (Left google late 23) I'd love to hear more about this team for cost cutting, it really messed things up*: external, or internal? * You may imagine I am finding some humor in "my SO is on the google cost cutting team and I don't get why this team exists, why would any…
My partner's team works across all of Google's products (e.g., Cloud, Geo, not Verily or Waymo) and is part of the green light process for those launches. I don't want to get into more specifics than that, but let's say a product is not growing year-over-year as expected. This is one of the teams involved.