Verizon's new kid-tracking smartwatches look all grown up
GizmoPal 2 and GizmoGadget aren't going to win any prizes for cool product naming, but the kid-friendly smartwatches come with noble intentions. Both products let you geofence your progeny, so you can get an instant alert if they wander farther than you'd like -- a staple feature of devices in the junior category of course. Both also let the wearer communicate with parents. GizmoPal 2 is more limited, allowing only Jnr to send pre-recorded messages and emoji -- perhaps no bad thing for younger children. Adults can, however, call the watch directly. On the plus side, GizmoPal 2 looks less like a child's hospital band than last time. Bigger kids will want the GizmoGadget, which has the way cooler ability to send messages and calls instantly between devices and a touchscreen display. Both are also waterproof to one meter for 30 minutes.
These two gadgets do sorta-kinda look like the Apple Watch, which might give them an extra dash of appeal among tech-savvy tykes. If that doesn't, the optional extra watch straps and stickers should. But, for parents it's all predictable less fun: Verizon (the exclusive partner for these LG-made devices) will slip $5 out of your pocket -- aka your wireless plan -- each month for the privilege of owning one. GizmoPal 2 is $79.99 and the GizmoGadet is $149.99.
