Phones find kids with GPS

The San Francisco Chronicle has another article on Sprint's new Family Locator Service that allows parents to track the whereabouts of their children via the handset.

IDC analyst Lewis Ward thought this "kind of service has great potential with parents because it's a visceral product, speaking directly to their concerns." He said, "One of the reasons adults buy cell phones for the first time is in the event of an emergency, you have a way to talk to someone. Fear is a powerful thing. I do believe that a lot of parents are going to find this somewhat compelling."

Ward remarked 'Sprint's service is a logical move as location-based technology and GPS become more available," am "the carriers are working to attract young users, who typically receive their first cell phone at the age of 13. In Britain, the average age is almost 8."

Gartner analyst Michael King said, "This is the carriers and (companies like Disney Mobile) looking at a saturated adult market and looking for what other opportunities exist."