ionKids child-monitoring system reviewed
We've seen a lot of news about kid-monitoring systems over the past couple of years, but we haven't seen too many hands-on reviews, perhaps because it's hard to find parents who are willing to lojack their progeny in the name of science (or at least for a quick, semi-objective review). But Jay Allen of Engadget's sister site BloggingBaby has risen to the challenge, and used his own six-year-old son as a guinea pig for the ionKids monitoring system. According to Jay, the system — which consists of a watch-like monitor for the tyke, and a receiver for mom or dad — turned out to be "an effective solution for keeping your kids close and safe, while also giving them a degree of freedom." Jay found that the receiver reliably signaled him when his son was out of range, and that all of his kids liked the "wristag," which comes with stickers for a bit of personalization. Jay's biggest beef: the wristag itself, which was difficult to put on in a way that would keep it in place without turning it into a tourniquet. In the end, however, Jay's verdict is one we'd definitely agree with: "ionKids is no replacement for attentive parenting … I would probably opt for the good ol'-fashioned solution of keeping my head pulled out of my ass when I'm out with my kids."
