The summer holidays are upon us and families everywhere will be heading away on their travels. For parents, this can be a tricky period, as you want to give your kids the freedom to explore and enjoy themselves, yet, you will be fully aware of the dangers that sadly, remain in this world!
Thanks to Technology, there are many options available to parents that I have already covered on the site, and will continue to do so, if it means providing parents with peace of mind and keeping their kids safe…and that seems to have been the blueprint for Techsixtyfour!
The Gator Watch
I’ve covered wearables, smart watches, GPS & Bluetooth trackers and even a purpose made child friendly phone, but this is a first. Techsixtyfour have created the Gator, a wearable phone and GPS tracker in one!
A Phone on Their Wrist
Yes, this is a full-on phone built with security in mind. It can make and receive calls, works off a SIM card and even has a “Listen in” mode when the SOS button has been triggered.
Unlike other phones though, this one is configured from your smartphone using the free app (Android | iOS). Here you can assign up to 13 numbers the Gator can call, and which numbers can call the device. This is called the whitelist. There is also the emergency number list. These numbers are able to access the Listen in mode.
These presets mean there is no need for a numeric keyboard, or your child having to remember any numbers. Just a long press on the volume controls is all that’s needed! It is worth noting that there is no text message capability either, but I would not expect anyone to use text in an emergency!
A mic and loud-speaker mean there is no need for a headset and will be clear enough to use outside or around background noise.
Another useful feature is voicemail. Unlike your normal voicemail when someone does not answer your call, the app gives you the ability to record up to 10 seconds of a message and then push it over to the Gator. Sadly, the message can only be listened to once!
The really beauty is in the design. Gator comes in 3 colours, Black, Blue and Pink. Take the Black option above. There is no indication that it is a phone! Just a great looking smart or digital watch. Security should be discrete and Gator has mastered that feature.
Tracking
Gator makes use of several different technologies to give you the best possible connection to your childs device.
GPS – This is the most accurate form of tracking as it uses trilateration or 3 satellites. The data point from the satellites is tracked every 90 seconds when your child is outdoors and moving around.
WIFI – Similar to GPS, trilateration also applies, which means you need 3 WIFI hotspots in your area to be able to pick up the most accurate location.
Location Based Services (LBS) – this uses cell towers in your area to detect the location of the watch. This is used only when the GPS signal can not be picked up or when less than 3 WIFI signals are detected. Use of cell towers to track the watch is the most inaccurate as they can often be very far away from one another and from the watch itself. This is especially true if you live in a rural area.
Use www.opensignal.com to check the positioning of cell towers in your area. There may be instances when you check your app and see that your child is in a location that he or she will have never have been to or the app will show they are somewhere else and not in school as they should be. This is because they are indoors (no GPS), in an area with less than 3 wifi hotspots (likely in schools) and so cell tower signals are used to approximate the location.
Probably my favorite feature of the Gator is Safe Zones. Using your app, you can define up to 10 zones from any central point, ranging from 200-2000 meters in area for each zone. If your child leaves any of these zones are immediately notified.
Travel
The great news here is that Gator, when purchased in the UK, will work around the EU with the exception of a few countries (Switzerland, Isle of Man, Jersey, Guernsey, Andorra, Monaco, Gibraltar and Faroe). No extra charge will be made when roaming providing you are still within the 60min monthly allowance. For advice or help on support for other countries you should contact support@techsixtyfour.com before you purchase and/or travel.
*Gator Watch on YouTube, open site if unable to view in Email.
As a SIM card is involved there are additional costs beyond just the purchase price. The Gator Watch in Black/Blue/Pink is £99 direct from TechSixtyFour. Alternatively, if you are an Amazon Prime member you can purchase from Amazon at the same price for free next day delivery!
Once you have purchased the device you will need to activate it using 1 of the 2 Service Plans.
- 12 Month Contract for £9 per month
- Pay as You go Rolling Monthly contract for £11 per month.
Both plans include 60 minutes of calls FROM the Gator each month. You can call the Gator an unlimited amount of times from numbers in the white list!
