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T-Mobile intros DriveSmart Plus service to block texting while driving, FamilyWhere to track down your kids

Chris Ziegler
Updated ·6 min read

The texting-while-driving epidemic is starting to get a lot of carrier attention, and T-Mobile's taking it to the next level today by throwing its weight behind a new subscription-based upgrade to the DriveSmart app that's been available on the LG Optimus T since launch. DriveSmart Plus runs $4.99 a month for all lines on your account (provided the lines are attached to compatible devices) and upgrades the basic DriveSmart app by automatically detecting when your car's in motion -- no need to enable it by hand -- at which point incoming calls are automatically sent to voicemail and incoming text messages are met with an automatic response that the recipient is currently driving. Naturally, there's an emergency override built-in -- but to make sure young drivers aren't abusing it, DriveSmart offers parents the option of being contacted by text or email when it's overridden and can let them monitor overall phone usage through a web interface. The service is only available on the Optimus T initially, but more hardware support is "coming soon."

On a related note, T-Mobile is also introducing FamilyWhere, matching similar services already offered by Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint by letting parents see where their young'uns are and set up customized alerts by location and time; it's apparently compatible with "nearly any type" of phone on the T-Mobile network, so you shouldn't need to equip the tykes with superphones just to get this action set up. It runs $9.99 a month and covers all the lines on your account; follow the break for both press releases.

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Location Labs Launches First Carrier-Grade Solution to Help T-Mobile Customers Prevent Texting While Driving

Leader in Mobile Personal Safety and Communication Products Attacks Distracted Driving Epidemic by Launching DriveSmart Plus with automatic driving detections

San Francisco, California – January 19, 2010 – Location Labs, the leading provider of mobile location-as-a-service infrastructure and applications, today announced the launch of its DriveSmart™ Plus application on T-Mobile® devices, the industry's first carrier-grade service to help prevent texting while driving, specifically designed for T-Mobile customers with Android™ smartphones.

DriveSmart Plus is a subscription-based, opt-in service that automatically detects when a handset user is driving and sets the phone into a 'Driving Mode'. Once this service is activated, it disables most texting and calling features to the handset while the car is in motion, ultimately decreasing the possibility of unsafe, distracted driving.

"With our blazing fast network speeds, T-Mobile customers can do more on their phones than ever before while on the go," said Torrie Dorrell, vice president of applications, content and games, T-Mobile USA. "We feel strongly that with this freedom comes the responsibility to use their phones only when it is safe to do so. The T-Mobile DriveSmart Plus application is designed to keep our customers, their loved ones and the road safe."

"We continue to invest heavily in mobile personal safety services, for which we are seeing huge demand from consumers and families," said Tasso Roumeliotis, CEO of Location Labs. "We are thrilled to launch DriveSmart Plus on T-Mobile with our patent-pending drive-detection technology to help address the national crisis of distracted driving."


DriveSmart Plus
The industry's first carrier-branded service to help prevent texting while driving, DriveSmart Plus, automatically detects when a user may be driving and sets the phone into 'Driving Mode', sending incoming calls directly to voicemail and preventing access to text messages, except through applications specified by the customer. Additionally, an auto-response text message is sent to the person who phoned or texted alerting them the recipient is driving and unavailable to receive calls or messages.

In the event of an emergency or if the user is a passenger in a car, DriveSmart Plus allows the user to override 'Driving Mode'. Parents can choose to be notified by text message or e-mail when the override occurs and can view phone usage during the override from the DriveSmart Web interface.

DriveSmart Plus, powered by Location Labs, is available for download onto the LG Optimus T™, with support for more devices coming soon. T-Mobile subscribers can also visit http://www.my.t-mobile.com to learn more about the service.

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Location Labs Launches T-Mobile FamilyWhere™

New Family Safety Service Available to All T-Mobile Customers

San Francisco, Calif. – January 19, 2010 – Location Labs, the leading provider of mobile personal security applications, today announced the launch of T-Mobile FamilyWhere™. Powered by Location Labs, FamilyWhere is a service that allows parents to access location information for their child or other family members from a computer or their own mobile phone.

Leveraging Location Labs' technology, the T-Mobile FamilyWhere service can locate nearly any type of phone using the T-Mobile network, providing peace of mind to parents trying to keep up with their kids regardless of what phone they're using. Parents can also set up scheduled alerts, for example, to provide and update when their child arrives at school or an elderly parent arrives home safely after an appointment. The service is able to locate other phones within a T-Mobile family plan and location information is accessible through a customer's password protected account at http://www.my.t-mobile.com.

"We're excited to launch T-Mobile FamilyWhere, powered by Location Labs" said Torrie Dorrell, vice president of applications, content and games, T-Mobile USA. "As we continue to enhance our customers' lives with faster, richer connections, T-Mobile will take every smart opportunity to provide value-added services that help families stay in touch and stay safe. FamilyWhere is the latest T-Mobile service that gives families peace of mind."

T-Mobile FamilyWhere™, powered by Location Labs:
• Provides parents with a Web and mobile safety net that provides real-time location information and the option to receive location alerts via the Web, text message or e-mail.
• The FamilyWhere mobile application is also available on a wide selection of Android-powered smartphones from T-Mobile for easy access to a child's location information while parents are on-the-go.
• Allows parents to create scheduled alerts to help ensure a loved one is at home by curfew or arrived at school or other predefined location on time.
• Provides parents with a history of locations visited and other customizable alerts with a real-time Family Feed.
• Helps ensures parents are prepared in the event of an emergency; FamilyWhere's emergency profile pages allow parents to store critical information about their children including physical description and photo, allergies, family member contact details, child care or school location and contact details, all within the FamilyWhere environment.

"More than ever, family safety is top of mind for parents," said Tasso Roumeliotis, CEO of Location Labs. "We are proud to launch the T-Mobile FamilyWhere service, bringing peace of mind to the millions of families on the T-Mobile network. We continue to invest heavily in building solutions that improve communication among families and are on an aggressive path to expand our suite of products and services again in the near future."

Availability
Eligible T-Mobile customers can subscribe to FamilyWhere by visiting http://www.my.t-mobile.com or by downloading the T-Mobile FamilyWhere application from Android Market™.