Innovative watch by Telenor helps children alert parents when trouble strikes

Published November 20, 2015
The watch features a geo-fencing function which uses GPS to define geographical boundaries. —DawnNews screengrab
The watch features a geo-fencing function which uses GPS to define geographical boundaries. —DawnNews screengrab
Parents will be able to track their child's current location with the help of Google maps. —DawnNews screengrab
Parents will be able to track their child's current location with the help of Google maps. —DawnNews screengrab

KARACHI: It might look like an ordinary children's watch, but a closer look and the truly 'smart' features of the watch are revealed.

Created by telecom company Telenor, the watch called Companion can help children alert their parents or seek help in case they face an emergency situation or are lost - at the press of a button.

Advertised with the catchline "A wearable watch tracker for your child's safety", the Companion was showcased recently at a technology exhibition in the city.

On its face are two buttons — an SOS button and one for phone calls — which the child can press if he or she is in an untoward situation and alert a family member.

Moreover, the parents too can contact their child through the same watch as a GSM sim has been installed in it.

The watch, has been designed especially keeping young children in mind, who may not know how to use a cell phone and can therefore seek help by just pressing a button.

The watch — which costs Rs7,000 — features a geo-fencing facility, a program that uses the global positioning system (GPS) to define geographical boundaries. With the help of this feature, parents will be alerted whenever their child leaves a pre-determined radius while wearing the watch.

They will also be able to ascertain their child's current location with the help of Google maps.

The company has already started taking pre-orders through their franchises and says the parents will soon be able to buy it for their children from retail stores.

The product can prove revolutionary especially in Pakistan, where violence and abductions are regular occurrences.

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