Category: Technology News

Smartwatch for kids from AT&T provides a practical upgrade

| November 17, 2014

This wearable technology has been designed to be easier to use and more durable than previous versions.

As mobile technology becomes increasingly child friendly and kids become smartphone owners on a rapidly expanding basis, it also makes sense that wearable technology such as the smartwatch would also cater to the youngest demographic.

Though Pebble, Moto 360, and Samsung Gear may not be appropriate, there are several models meant just for kids.

Among them, AT&T has been selling the FiLIP 2, which is an upgraded version of the model that was first released last year. That smartwatch was meant to function as a phone that is worn on the wrist and that also works as a child locator for parents who are worried that their kids will go missing through miscommunication or other circumstance that can cause a child to end up somewhere that he or she should not be. So far, this year’s version has been receiving applause from the first consumers who have had their hands – and wrists – on these devices.

The newest version of this smartwatch is easier for parents to set up and is more practical in the real world.

The FiLIP 2 is meant to be simpler for parents to connect to their own smartphones through mobile apps, and is improved for use in the real world. For example, the screen on this wearable technology is now considerably more durable than the previous version, which is important when worn by children, who are notoriously hard on their belongings – particularly when they are being worn in the playground.

The wristband has also been improved in order to make it more adjustable for a better fit – even after the child has grown – and more comfortable overall. This was a complaint about previous models, as the wristband was not able to change sizes in order to allow for children to get bigger over time.

Though this device isn’t cheap, at a current price of $100 (which will be increasing to $150 after the end of the holiday shopping season), in addition to $10 per month to add this smartwatch to an existing phone plan (meaning that by the end of next year, more will have been spent on connecting it to the phone plan than was paid for the device, itself), it does have a range of features that many parents and kids find highly appealing, if only the peace of mind of always knowing where the child is located.

Mobile commerce check in kiosks expand in L.A. airport

| November 14, 2014

Passengers flying Alaska Airlines will now be able to use these new services at the L.A. International Airport

Travelers are already using mobile commerce based kiosks to be able to check in through certain airlines at the Los Angeles International Airport, but these services are about to start expanding quite significantly over the next three years, starting with Alaska Airlines.

Both airports and airlines are expected to begin making considerable investments into m-commerce.

A new survey has shown that mobile commerce kiosks are expected to take off at many different airports and through a range of airlines. In fact, the survey showed that almost 90 percent of airports intend to make an investment into this type of mobile technology within the upcoming three years. This will be good news for tech savvy travelers who are rapidly growing in numbers.

These kiosks use mobile commerce technology to allow a passenger to check in using a smartphone.

Mobile Commerce - L.A. AirportUsing this mobile technology, some of the largest airports in the world are giving travelers a way to obtain a boarding pass without having to check in with a gate agent. A recent survey conducted by SITA, a multinational technology firm, has shown that these kiosks are currently serving about 2.4 billion passengers every year. According to the chief exec at SITA, Francesco Violante, “This is the age of the connected traveler with nearly all passengers carrying mobiles, tablets and other devices.”

Some additional key findings from this survey have shown the following:

• Almost 90 percent of airport operators that participated in the study said that they had intentions to invest in kiosks, as well as self-boarding stations and self-serve bag dropping stations within the span of the next three years. This year, alone, airports are expecting to spend about $6.8 billion on tech.
• Nearly half of the airlines that participated in the survey are able to update passengers about flight issues – such as cancellations or delays – via mobile device. By 2017, that figure is expected to rise to 97 percent.
• Under 5 percent of passengers around the globe are currently using their mobile commerce to check in, but that rate is expected to reach the 15 percent mark by 2017.