The dangers of the internet for a young child is real which is why it is understandable that some parents are a bit hesitant in giving their kids a smartphone or a tablet, especially if it is connected to the internet. However if you want a more modern device that helps you keep in touch with your family while being “safe”, then the ILY family phone might be of interest to you.
Created by a startup called Insensi, the idea behind the device came about when the company’s founder and CEO Ilan Abehassera felt like he was traveling too much and wasn’t able to stay in touch with his parents or his kids. “When I was working in California for Jive, I was traveling a lot, and I realized that it was hard to stay in touch with my kids. And then I thought about their grandparents as well.”
The end result was ILY, a communications device that was safe and simple to use. It comes with an 8-inch touchscreen, a camera, a microphone, a speaker, proximity sensors, temperature and quality of air sensors and while it obviously needs to connect to the internet, the lack of a browser ensures that your kids can’t use it to surf the web.
However there will be some kids-friendly features such as the ability to create pictures with the included app, or send pictures they might have drawn to their parents or grandparents who might be away. The good news is that even if the other family member does not have ILY, the accompanying smartphone app will still let family members stay in touch as long as one person has the device.
ILY is priced at $199 and is currently available for pre-order via the company’s website.
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