My son isn't old enough to wander on his own, luckily, so I still have to experience the stress of worrying about where he is at all times. But when he's old enough, I'll probably want to track his every move..
Technology has spawned many ways to do this, some cheaper and easier than others. Here are 5 ways you can set up alerts that let you know your kids have made it home safely.
If This Then That (IFTTT) is a favorite of geeks around the world for its sheer power to connect disparate services in wonderful new ways, but the mobile app is a secret weapon in the automation arsenal. Q>
Specifically, you can use geofencing feature to trigger actions when your (or your child's) mobile device enters or leaves the range of a specific GPS location. After installing the mobile app, simply create a new recipe and search for “iOS Location” or “Android Location”, depending on your platform. From there, choose from the endless list of actions:a simple email notification when that mobile device enters the area; change the color of your Hue bulb; brew a relaxing cup of tea from your internet-connected hot drink device Piage Internet-controlled fridges and rice cookers:9 of the dumbest smart appliances Network-controlled fridge feet and rice cookers:9 of the coolest smart appliances out there a host of smart home devices that are worth your time and money. But there are also types that should never see the light of day. Here are 9 of the worst. Read more; Or... honestly, the possibilities are endless..
I recommend setting up a separate account for your loved ones so you can continue to use the location channel for your own automation needs; And if you want to keep it simple, here's a recipe that sends you to Twitter. This obviously requires that each member of the family you want to track has a smartphone with a data connection and GPS; so if you don't feel comfortable giving your child a phone, go to the other solutions.
There is now a range of GPS-equipped handheld devices, designed primarily to monitor children and the elderly, although none of the devices stand out as a clear market leader. Most of these handheld devices give you an accurate position on the map at any time, but the only disadvantage of a GPS handheld device is that it requires a mobile data connection, so there is always a recurring cost like a mobile phone. .
Here are a few options to get an idea of cost:PocketFinder costs $130 up front, with a $12.50 monthly service fee, which comes in a variety of designs depending on intended use. AmberAlert comes in at a similar price, and while it offers emergency voice calling, it's bulky enough for kids and styled more like an old-fashioned pager. The TBS3203 is a slightly cheaper upfront cost with a more kid-friendly design that also acts as a real watch (remember that?) and includes emergency calls to up to 3 guardian numbers. The tracking features are reportedly a bit complex to use, as most interactions require a text message to be sent.
PocketFinder GPS Child Tracker, compatible with iOS and Android to locate and monitor children PocketFinder GPS Child Tracker, compatible with iOS and Android to locate and monitor children Buy now on Amazon Amber Alert GPS Locator, Black (AT&T) Amber Alert GPS Locator, Black (AT&T) Buy Now On Amazon TBS®3203 Kids Real GPS Tracker Kids Wrist Watch Safe Security SOS SMS Surveillance Position Watch TBS®3203 Kids Real GPS Tracker Kids Wrist Watch Security insurance Position watch for surveillance with SOS SMS Buy now on Amazon
Of course, if your child owns an iPhone, there is no need for an additional tracking device, as the phone services already include a reliable way to track the device in real time through Find My iPhone> the app It is primarily designed to find a lost or stolen device How to Use Find My iPhone to Get Your Stolen iPhone Back How to Use Find My iPhone to Get Your Stolen iPhone Back Short story:My wife had her iPhone stolen when she misplaced it in the I work the other day. I was able to sign in to his iCloud account and finally get the device back. Read More Why it's not always bad to track the location of a significant other. Why tracking your significant other's location isn't always a bad thing. But is it really that wrong to track your partner's movements, assuming it's consensual? ? Read More
If you want a more family-oriented tracking capability that doesn't involve sharing iCloud passwords, the Life360 app also impressed me. Keep Your Family Safe With Life360 [iOS &Android] Keep Your Family Safe With Life360 [iOS &Android] Last time, I looked for a few more ways to track your iPhone, a hot topic as the iPhone continues to dominate criminal wish lists . I've come to the conclusion that... Read More intrusive as knowing your GPS location at all times..
The app works as a family messaging and emergency alert system, as well as offering smoother ways to check in or request a status update. It's not an automatic alert, but in my opinion it strikes a balance between privacy and security, and is a must-have for large families, often on the go.
The SmartThings Arrival Sensor is a small, inexpensive ($30) keychain that you can hand out to everyone in the family. The SmartThings hub will detect when this tag arrives home and perform any actions or notifications you set. Of course, this requires a SmartThings hub, which will set you back an extra $100, but this would make a solid starter foundation for your entire smart home. 
Even better news:Hub version 2 was recently released, offering a 10-hour battery backup in case your power goes out, support for Bluetooth 4.0, and an easier-to-use software interface.
I've already shown you how to make a DIY smart lock Making a Smart Phone Proximity Sensor Self-Locking Office Door Making a Smart Phone Proximity Sensor Self-Locking Office Door We'll be setting up a Raspberry Pi with a Bluetooth adapter for be on the lookout for when your smartphone is out of range and activate a relay to lock the door. Read More IFTTT Now Connects to Anything:Introducing the Maker The IFTTT Channel Now Connects to Anything:Introducing the Maker Channel The potential uses for IFTTT are endless. But until now, it has been difficult to interface with your own hardware projects. Today, all that has changed. Read More open source and mature home automation software that runs on a variety of hardware (protocol independent, meaning it can connect to almost any home automation hardware on the market today. Read More) , do almost anything. It doesn't have to be a smartphone either:any Bluetooth device can be used instead, such as an inexpensive tracking beacon.
You will need a Raspberry Pi with a Bluetooth adapter to get started. Follow the original guide. Make an auto lock office door with proximity sensor for smartphones. Make an auto lock office door with proximity sensor for smartphones. We'll be setting up a Raspberry Pi with a Bluetooth adapter that will listen when your smartphone is out of range, and trigger a relay to lock the door. Read More with the following code snippet to activate the IFTTT create channel (and don't forget to update the Blueooth address on your device!):
#! / usr / bin / python importar tiempo de importación de bluetooth solicitudes de importación desde requests.exceptions importar ConnectionError state = 'OUT' mientras True: imprimir "Comprobando" + time.strftime ("% a,% d% b% Y% H: % M:% S ", time.gmtime ()) result = bluetooth.lookup_name ('YOUR: BLUETOOTH: DIRECCIÓN: AQUÍ: 51: 1B', timeout = 5) if (result! = None and state! = 'IN' ): imprima el estado "Usuario presente" = 'IN' payload = '"value1": "My Kid", "value2": "Home"' try: r = requests.put ("https: //maker.ifttt .com / trigger / presence / with / key / YOURKEYHERE ", data = payload) excepto ConnectionError as e: print er =" No Response "state = 'OUT' elif (state! = 'OUT' and result == None): imprimir "Usuario fuera de rango" estado = 'OUT' time.sleep (10) You'll also need to set up the IFTTT side of things. Create a new recipe using the Maker channel. "Receives a web request" trigger and your choice of action:I set mine to send an email like this. Notice that in the Python script, we have defined the event name as “presence”, Value1 as the person, and Value2 like the location. You can of course change them in the code and duplicate the whole block to find other people too just by changing the Bluetooth address.
If you're considering incorporating other DIY smart home integrations and not just a simple IFTTT recipe, OpenHAB is definitely the way to go:our beginner's guide Getting Started with OpenHAB Home Automation on Raspberry Pi Getting Started with OpenHAB Home Automation on Raspberry Pi OpenHAB is a mature, open source home automation platform that runs on a variety of hardware and is protocol agnostic, meaning it can connect to almost any home automation hardware on the market today. Read More Simply use the existing Python presence sensor instructions found there, then connect with My.OpenHAB to set up IFTTT integration and more.
Sometimes I wonder if our children will ever know what privacy means. Should parents spy on their children? [MUO Debates] Should parents spy on their children? [MUO Debates] Do you spy on your children? If so, why? If not, why not? This is the question that concerns us today. These are the questions we are going to explore in this discussion. Read More Then I see something horrible on the news and go back to devising ever more ingenious ways to spy on it.
Whatever your thoughts are on tracking your kids, let's talk in the comments. What solution works for you??