Will the Little Buddy be parents' new best friend?
Best Buy's entry into the child monitoring market is aimed squarely at budget-minded parents with young children.
The concept isn't new -- Verizon Wireless and Sprint cell phones offered a similar service three years ago, but the child had to have a cell phone. Other dedicated tracking products are typically more expensive -- the Amber Alert GPS 2G, for example, costs $379, though it can do more than the Little Buddy, such as send an alert when a child reaches a destination or is in a car that is speeding.
"Child tracking is an established market, but we're offering a lower-cost dedicated device," said Ari Silkey, global product manager for Best Buy's in-house brand names. "We're focusing on the pre-cell-phone market, kids aged 3 to 10 that are too young to have cell phones.
"We've gotten pretty positive feedback from parents, who see it as a tool to help them manage their lives," Silkey added.
The Little Buddy, which hit Best Buy stores this week, retails for $100. A limited quantity sold out on the company's website after being available for about a week, with a one- to two-week back order.
Marketed under Best Buy's Insignia store brand, the device fits in a backpack or lunch box and broadcasts a Global Positioning System (GPS) signal to nearby cell phone towers. Using a computer or smart phone, you can get an online map that shows your child's location. If the child leaves a designated location at the wrong time, you automatically get a text message.
The device requires either a $14.99 a month subscription fee for unlimited use or a pay-as-you-go fee of 99 cents per request.