Location software developer Ubitrac is launching a system for young travellers to keep in touch with family and important services during long overseas trips.
Or, more likely, the other way round – a mobile app is hitting the market next month so parents of young jetsetters can monitor their every move.
The GPS technology is included in a range of smartphone apps that automatically send pings to a website so friends and family can plot the handset owners whereabouts on a Google Map-driven web service.
Gaptrac launches initially in the UK in July but is expected to extend to other markets through partnerships in the coming months.
Perhaps the more useful element of the Gaptrac service – given that the GPS system will need constant connectivity, perhaps incurring expensive roaming charges – is the ability for the user to call a central service for quick advice on services and emergency help in their location.
The app also has a number of social elements to it so users can pictures and other content to the map.
Officials say:
“Gaptrac was developed with the gap year traveller in mind. It provides much needed relief for anxious parents who can follow their offsprings travels around the world without imposing on their independence.”
Round-the-worlders might have something to say about that…
Ho hum, they might indeed Kevin. You can tell Gap Year booking season is coming up….Time to put the fear of God into poor parents worried sick about Wee Crispin and Charlotte on his/her RTW. Well my experience tells me todays RTW-ers are pretty sussed, and can see what’s important (a good universal plug, a Lonely Planet) and what’s, shall we say, a luxury app/item. Saying that if it’s only 59p. Doubt it somehow….
Remember when I went AWOL during Nepals revolution in 1990 and didn’t surface for 6 weeks during a curfew that my folks did tell me off by saying they were a “bit disappointed” but thought I probably would have got out to India (I didn’t – I played a lot of Backgammon with a recently sacked member of Dexys Midnight Runners in a very relaxed Freak Street bar in Kathmandu). Great days. Glad my Mum couldn’t have tracked me though. She’d have been worried sick.
Point being
1. RTW’s don’t always want to tell their parents where they are – a little geographical parental knowledge can be misconstrued….think about it in London. Ahh the Wee Wan is now in Kings Cross – noooo – that’s dodgy. Well no, it’s not all dodgy – parts are now very cool and St Pancras is now “well posh” (yoot speak).
2. That parents have to trust their offspring. They have to let them go. This could well be the greatest trip of their kid’s life. At the very least it’ll give them confidence to take on life head on. Yer Mum and Dad plotting you’re every move on Google Maps or on their iphones – well it doesn’t feel quite right (to me). But maybe the service number gets around the issues as it could be a genuine service? …am assuming its different from this system too?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5393421/Mother-fits-teenage-son-with-GPS-tracking-device-on-gap-year.html
IMHO if folks really want to help their offspring they should make sure they get decent RTW insurance and buy a decent RTW tix with reasonable flexibility and good back up from a good RTW company(IMHO).
Also agree a plan like a weekly email or livechat/Skype online. Or buy a cheapo throw away phone with a local sim card. On blog live. But the main thing is to see the world. Smell it, touch ii, eat it, drink it, feel it and learn from it. Then you can tell the folks back home all about it. With suitable embellishments….
Saying that as a new Father I can see the attraction. Just not sure it’s the right thing to do…
Cheers Stu
@stuart
believe me, it was a bi-monthly postcard from me if they were lucky, poor folks…