So those Usage Controls we'd mentioned Verizon was getting ready to launch have finally gone live, and though it's happening a few weeks later than we thought it would, something tells us the target audience wasn't complaining during the brief delay. The idea, of course, is to help parents lock down the phones of their little ones with support for voice minute and messaging limits, voice and data schedules, whitelists and blacklists, and content filters -- none of which Junior is going to enjoy, we suspect. The service can be had for $4.99 per month on top of a postpaid plan. Separately, Chaperone 2.0 has launched for a more princely sum of $9.99 per month, enhancing the original Chaperone tracking service with the ability to track multiple devices simultaneously and -- get this -- a feature that lets parents plug their offspring's location right into their VZ Navigator-equipped device for turn-by-turn directions straight to the kid. Both features are available now.

Read - Chaperone
Read - Usage Controls

Presumably taking a note from Japan, it's being reported that South Korean police are backing a highly controversial plan that would equip each new mobile sold in the nation with a GPS chip. Reportedly, Song Kang-ho, chief of the investigation bureau of the National Police Agency, has stated that the government has "already submitted a related bill to the National Assembly," and the general idea here is to crack down on the rise of kidnapping and various other crimes against children and women (not much different than we Americans having such a chip for E911, really). Granted, there's not a lot of supporting evidence that this is actually set to go down, so until we see it inked in stone, our skeptic hats are remaining in place.

[Via textually, image courtesy of The New York Times]

If your smartphone came with a built-in GPS receiver, you can choose to just overlook Google's latest technology, but if your mobile is among the 85-percent (or so) out there lacking an integrated GPS module, listen up. The search giant has revealed new software (dubbed My Location) that enables non-GPS-equipped phones to be pinpointed within three miles of their actual location. Google is claiming that it can provide "neighborhood-level" data, and that pressing "0" while in the app will enable users to skip the task of entering in a starting address when looking up directions. Notably, the system is not set up to collect phone numbers or any other personal details, and for those still paranoid, it can indeed be switched off. Currently, the tracking database still has a few gaps to be filled -- namely locales in Europe and all of China / Japan -- but Google could very well use the location data to eventually provide targeted ads to those who use it.

[Image courtesy of TracyAndMatt, thanks to everyone who sent this in]

It's not like the Japanese government hasn't dabbled in GPS (and RFID, too) tracking before, but the nation's latest idea involving Big Brother is (unsurprisingly) catching a fair amount of criticism. Reportedly, Japan wants to equip senior defense officials with GPS-enabled mobiles, and it's making no bones about the reasoning behind it. Quite frankly, it's looking for ways to keep a more watchful eye on officials' whereabouts after a higher-up was recently "treated to hundreds of expensive rounds of golf by a defense contractor." Reportedly, the handsets would only be given out to senior staff "required to report for duty in the case of a security emergency," but a number of anonymous individuals have already expressed disdain for the plan through local news outlets. Nothing to hide, nothing to fear, right?

We've seen prophets get their agendas past the marketing department a time or two before, but NTT DoCoMo's latest peek into the "future" seemingly forgets to look at what's actually available right now. The lengthy spot showcases how mobile phones will "one day" be even more tightly integrated into our everyday lives, and while the ideas of using mobile-based keychains and passwords, geo-locators, and video telephony are certainly novel, deeming them events of the future seems a bit ignorant. Additionally, it demonstrates the phone's ability to assist with grocery shopping, take care of hailing a cab, act as a tutor, and prevent children from straying too far away -- all of which have either already been implemented or are quite a ways along the development pipeline. Of course, the pen-sized handset with retractable holographic display certainly hasn't hit mainstream channels just yet, but otherwise it seems we're all way ahead of our time. The pseudo-futuristic video awaits you in the read link.

[Via PSFK]

In an announcement sure to make tweens scream and parents sigh, both AT&T and Verizon Wireless have seemingly simultaneously decided to stop featuring their respective kid-centric handsets. Folks interested in Verizon's Migo will now be shown LG's 3450L flip-phone instead, as the company claims that its texting abilities and Chaperone capability will lend itself to being an effective youth-oriented option. As for AT&T, its Firefly mobile will now be sold solely online, but there was no mention of what the carrier planned on offering when paranoid parents showed up looking for a highly controllable device in-store. Of course, both of these phones should remain available in other mass market channels for those still interested, but we're sure your nine-year old kid will be lobbying for something a bit more sophisticated in a few months anyway.

[Via PhoneScoop]

Look, if you haven't seriously considered one of the myriad of other exercise tracking applications for your mobile already, it's highly doubtful you'll start today, but for those looking for a streamlined program to work seamlessly on their Nokia S60 smartphone, now you've got it. The Nokia Sports Tracker unfortunately doesn't keep tabs on your favorite scores, but it does encourage owners of a Nokia S60 3.0 phone (with integrated or Bluetooth GPS) to get out and move those aging muscles a bit. As expected, runners will be able to view speed, distance, and time -- all of which will be automatically stored to your "training diary" -- but there isn't a mapping feature built-in just yet. Of course, the biggest boon to this here tracking software is the totally reasonable pricetag, so be sure and tag the read link to snap this gratis program up, but make sure you actually make good use of it, you hear?

[Thanks, Antti]

It's quite possible that you're at least somewhat familiar with Skyhook's ability to use WiFi in order to track down various objects, and while you've likely become desensitized to SiRF after seeing it in just about every GPS / NAV device ever produced, the two are teaming up to deliver a GPS / WiFi hybrid module for wireless carriers. Skyhook's WiFi Positioning System (WPS) will be getting a boost after inking a deal to get inside SiRF's Multimode Location Platform, which "promises to boost the availability and adoption of location-based services." The new duo will join ACCESS (among the throngs of others) at 3GSM next week in order to showcase the new technology, which is slated to provide a new level of accuracy by giving handsets the ability to find your way with two tracking protocols. Additionally, the inclusion of WiFi is said to help lock onto an initial signal much quicker than a typical standalone GPS receiver can, and if all goes as planned, we could see the hybrid technology alive and well in SiRF's Star III series of chipsets "later this year."

[Via GigaOM]

Considering how governments are suddenly feeling that tracking your every move, or at least providing the means for someone else to, is such a brilliant idea, it's no surprise to see the Bluetooth masters at Cambridge-based CSR buy up NordNav and Cambridge Positioning Systems. The new mishmash of companies now has consolidation on the brain, as it's developing an all-in-one microchip that will sport both Bluetooth and GPS functionality on a single module. Additionally, the chip would reportedly "drain less power and be cheaper for handset makers than having two separate chips in their devices," as both technologies would have one processor doing the work, resulting in a more efficient process. The company's CEO claimed that its combo chips would cost manufacturers "an extra dollar per chip as opposed to around $5 to $10 for putting in a current standalone GPS chip," and moreover, these devices are designed to be ultra-sensitive, giving it connection abilities indoors and in "deep urban areas" where current units fall short. Already being hit up by a few anonymous mobile producers, CSR plans to get these things shipping "during the first half of this year," and hopes to start turning a profit on them by 2008.

Just a few days back we told you how the Japanese government planned on tracking kids via strategically placed RFID locators in dodgy areas of town, and it looks like KDDI is already pushing the "beneficial" side of being able to follow your offspring's every step by offering up Sanyo's latest kid-tracker. The A5525SA handset was designed with children in mind, from the dainty colors right down to the "crime prevention buzzer," which calls a pre-selected number if a certain pull string is yanked. Additionally, the battery cover is purportedly screwed down with a proprietary bolt so kidnappers can't easily power it down, but unfortunately it doesn't sport any type of smash resistance for taking it offline the easy way. Nevertheless, it also boasts a 1.3-megapixel camera, 320 x 240 resolution screen, microSD card, but most important to the parents is the built-in "route notification" function that can track your youngster's steps via GPS and map it out on your PC back home. Of course, we wouldn't be apt to let our five-year old run rampant on the streets of Japan in the first place, but if you're the uber-lenient type, at least this here lets you follow right alongside, albeit virtually.

[Via Spluch]

In an effort to get hip to the times (read: stop hemorrhaging cash on unprofitable landlines), some colleges are now submitting to the reality that virtually all students prefer mobile phones as their primary form of contact by decommissioning or reducing reliance on campus and dorm phone systems in favor of wireless. Several are going so far as to provide their students with custom plans and mobile apps connected to campus systems. As we initially reported last year, one of the more ambitious projects is coming together at New Jersey's Montclair State University where incoming freshmen now receive obligatory LBS-enabled cellphones loaded with school software and services co-developed with Rave Wireless. The LBS aspect has apparently been a hangup for some students, though, weirded out by the concept of being tracked by their deans and professors until they're assured that the GPS tracking functionality of the phone is strictly opt-in only, which can be activated by individuals in an emergency to assist police. Morrisville State in New York even buddied up with Nextel Partners (yeah, that Nextel Partners) to beef up campus coverage in exchange for bundling wireless plans with students' room and board bills. It's always refreshing to see stodgy institutions wising up to these sorts of trends -- albeit late -- but as the AP points out, many students are likely to be coming in with existing phones and family plans that end up cheaper than what the schools are able to offer. Of course, if Montclair offers real-time tracking of every pizza delivery driver in town, well, there's your killer app right there.

Field report tidbits from Engadget's resident mobile insider, the Boy Genius.

"I received information from a source of mine and this kind of freaks me out. Basically Motorola has a new tracking system in all prototypes called M-Track, which will transmit all sorts of wonderful personal info on your phone directly to them. This includes, but not limited to: your phone number (obviously), SIM ID, location, cell tower, and more of the like. I understand the need to track prototypes, but c'mon Moto, some of us can't help ourselves. After all, what is better than going to the club and showing a hot girl your new unreleased Motorola phone? Nothing I say, nothing."

Thanks GlobalSat, we we're starting to think the worrying-parent market was drying up a bit. After that first wave of GPS kiddie phones hit, the feature set has been slowly sinking into the everyphone, which doesn't allow for that special self-importance that comes to a child owner of a stripped-down tracking phone. The TR-101 allows for calls to 3 preset numbers, and sends location data via SMS or over the Internet. It uses a full-on SiRF Star III chipset, and can be remote controlled via other phones or through Online software. There's also an SOS button for emergencies, Google Earth integration for visualisation, and quad-band GSM support to keep track of the little bugger all over the globe. No word on price or availability.

If anyone needed more proof that TV on cellphones and other portable devices is here to stay, one need only take a look at old media stalwart Nielsen Media Research's latest move, who are set to expand their tracking to just about everything that can pick up an episode of SpongeBob Squarepants. Not the least of which, of course, is cellphones. Nielsen plans to track all these devices with something the company calls "Solo Meters," which are independent of any particular portable media device. In the case of cellphones and other devices with WiFi or Bluetooth capability, the tiny meter will passively listen to communications from the device. For other devices, Nielsen will use a small in-line meter that's attached between the device and the headphones -- how that works exactly, we're not sure.

[Via The Wireless Report]

Instead of launching a separate child-friendly handset or just farming out the idea altogether, Sprint is launching their new "Family Locator Service," which involves software to enable existing Sprint phones for tracking. A total of 28 GPS-enabled Sprint phone models can be located with the service, and a bit of downloaded software is compatible with 17 of their phones to track up to four handsets, and even display a child's location on a map. The service is $10 a month, and it's based on software by WaveMarket Inc., which can also be used on your PC. Sadly, we missed the press conference, which somehow managed to involve Sprint getting all defensive about this being a "Big Brother" tool, and stating: "It's not about tracking. It's not about monitoring." Uh, right.