AT&T has just launched their new FamilyMap iPhone app for families looking to stay connected and, more importantly, for parents looking to keep an eye on their kids’ whereabouts in real-time. I have no idea what it’s like to be a parent, but I’d imagine that it’s a big ball of stress, what with having to worry where your hormonal and rebellious teen is spending his or her time. AT&T’s FamilyMap app might be just the thing to give you parents out there a little peace of mind. The app lets you track family members’ location, in real-time, on an interactive map, set schedules for families with hectic calendars, set up landmarks, and lets you send messages to family members from within the app.
The app is available as a free download on the iPhone AppStore, but it’s worth less than your kid’s macaroni art (I’m talking monetary value here, sentimental value has no place here) without a subscription to AT&T’s FamilyMap service. The service costs $9.99 per month for tracking up to two iPhones, if you need to track up to five iPhones, the service will cost you $14.99 a month. But, the first month of service is free, so you can try it out and decide if tracking your kids is worth an extra $10 bucks on your monthly bill.
Word to the wise, tell your kids this is a cool new social network that only your family is a part of. They might not take too kindly to being tracked. Or, if your kids are too tech savvy to fall for that, just remind them that you’re paying for their iPhone, damnit.
AT&T FamilyMap (FREE) [iTunes link]
