Cellphone jammer crammed into key fob, ends texting / talking while driving
Face it, kids. You missed the best time to be a teenager by around five or so years. As it stands now, technology is cutting into that adolescent fun, with device like Ford's MyKey and this one here ensuring that you're actually safe behind the wheel. In all seriousness, the terribly named Key2SafeDriving is a fine concept (at least in the parent's eye), as it fuses a cellphone jammer (of sorts) into a key fob in order to put the kibosh on freeway conversations. Essentially, the signal blocking kicks into action anytime the "key" portion is flicked out, connecting to a handset via Bluetooth or RFID and forcing it into "driving mode." No actual jamming, per se, is going on; it's more like a manual override of the ringer. Anyone who phones / texts you while you're safely driving will receive an automated response informing them of such, though we are told that handsfree devices can be utilized. Researchers at the University of Utah are hoping to see it on the market within six months via a private company "at a cost of less than $50 per key plus a yet-undetermined monthly service fee."
[Via Gadgets-Weblog]
[Via Gadgets-Weblog]
























Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
mchapman007 @ Dec 12th 2008 10:12AM
I saw this on the news last night. My son (15) will be getting one prior to getting a DL.
SoCoolCurt (PSN: KillaKornbread - XBL: SoCoolCurt) @ Dec 13th 2008 12:06PM
dont do it. this thing is a terrible idea. if it only uses Bluetooth, do you know how easy it is to disable Bluetooth on a phone? and even if you force him to buy one, what's to stop him from just unpairing the devices (and they do have to be paired if it's Bluetooth). this is a bad idea, save your money and just get him a hands free unit or teach him not to talk on the phone while driving.
carcomptoy @ Dec 12th 2008 11:08AM
If it's simply a Bluetooth device, what's to stop the user from just turning off the Bluetooth on his phone? Either something's being left out in the details, or the designers overlooked this simple fact.
GBot @ Dec 12th 2008 2:35PM
Released to market: 6 months
Workaround discovered by kids: 6 months + 1 day
minh @ Dec 12th 2008 11:27AM
Nice to know if they get in a car accident, they'll need to walk away from the key just to make a call to your parents....This is a stupid idea.
jdawg9 @ Dec 12th 2008 11:48AM
Agreed. Instead of spending tons of money on researching something this stupid...How about you just educate your kids or take away the phone's chip (911 would still work).
It would be like buying a device to put in the kids genitals and if they don't wear a condoms, set it it to explode the genitals.
No product can substitute good parenting. By driving age, if the kids can't be responsible enough, then they will get no keys.
slamEVIL @ Dec 12th 2008 12:12PM
"at a cost of less than $50 per key plus a yet-undetermined monthly service fee."
that's what it's all about. they know it's a lame idea. but that won't stop some ignorant, gullible, and desperate parents from giving them their money.
btw
i wouldn't call it, "crammed into key fob" when said key and fob is bigger than the phone.