Skip to main content

Child-friendly wearable smartphone gives parents a direct line to their kids

For parents of young kids, the decision to give them a smartphone can be a difficult one. One the one hand, the ability to give your child a way to contact you in an emergency, or vice versa, cannot be overstated in terms of importance. On the other, handing them a phone means potentially exposing them to unwanted communication — or simply carries the more mundane risk of being put down and lost.

A new Kickstarter campaign for the so-called “myFirst Fone” hopes to solve some of those issues. For starters, the 3G smartphone is worn like a watch, which should reduce the chance of it being misplaced. Despite this shift in form factor, it boasts a lot of the features you find on a regular phone — such as a pedometer and a 1.3-megapixel camera.

Recommended Videos

In terms of safety, the device lets parents plug in only certain numbers, so your kid will be able to receive only phone calls or text messages from numbers that have been pre-approved by you. It also lets you keep track of what your kid is up to. This can be done either through GPS or Wi-Fi-based tracking, or a feature which promises to alert you if your child leaves a geo-fenced area. Your child can additionally send an SOS message to his or her parents with a single button, while parents can listen in to what their kid is up to by accessing the device’s built-in microphone.

Image used with permission by copyright holder

MyFirst Fone certainly isn’t going to assuage the fears of all parents who are worried about gifting their kids a phone. It’s easy to imagine some parents strongly disapproving if the idea of giving their offspring a device which can be used for spying on them throughout the day — even if the spies are simply their well-meaning parents. However, if you’re looking for a straightforward way of keeping in touch with your young son or daughter, and don’t think a regular smartphone (or a more expensive call-making smartwatch like the Apple Watch Series 3) is the answer, this could be the gadget for you.

The device is currently available for pre-order on Kickstarter, with prices starting at $89. Shipping is set to take place in May.

Luke Dormehl
I'm a UK-based tech writer covering Cool Tech at Digital Trends. I've also written for Fast Company, Wired, the Guardian…
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more
Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

Read more