Worst Idea of CES 2010: Taser’s Protector

Hello there! If you are new here, you might want to subscribe to the RSS feed for updates on this topic.

Written by: Ian Markowitz

With only one day down, I have already easily found the worst product idea of CES 2010. Taser at CES unveiled its new software/hardware combination with an application they call “Protector.” What is Protector you might ask, and why does it deserve its own post? Well, let me let Taser explain:

PROTECTOR by TASER is a groundbreaking toolset that gives parents the ability to supervise how their children interact in a mobile world. As technology advances and your children grow, so will their access to people, places, and information. PROTECTOR by TASER can help your family navigate the changing landscape, together establishing good judgment and safe habits on the phone and in the car.

Translation: Protector gives parents the ability to hover over their childrens cell phone giving them unrestricted control over everything their child does on their phones.

Protector can be installed on any smartphone including the iPhone, Android, and Windows Mobile, and it allows parents to screen calls, screen text messages, and even allows them to (with a hardware addition to their car) prevent their kids from texting or calling while the car is in motion.

When a call or a text message comes in, it will be sent to the parents phone first, where the parent can approve, deny, or permanently block the user and then it will either be connected to the childs device or not depending on the parents selection. On top of that, if a child is on the phone and ignoring the parents call, Protector will allow the parent to jump in on the call and speak directly to their child, and put the other party on hold. Taser has been billing this as a “transparent teaching tool” but in all honesty, it will just make children’s lives miserable and wins my prize for the worst product unveiled at CES. Pricing for the software hasn’t been finalized but is supposed to be around $20 a month for one license, and then pricing will decrease based on overall number of users.