Drivers Little Helper

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TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
I wish they had a pic and dimensions of the sensor.

On one hand, I think it's a great idea, but on the other hand, what if the sensor fails? what if your notification is delayed or fails? what if you or one of your kids accidentally turned the bluetooth off on your phone? what if the bluetooth connection is flaky that day? what if the battery dies overnight because it's -45 outside and you don't get the low battery notification (assuming it has one) because when you're in your house you are too far away for the bluetooth to communicate?

I work in software and real time communications and I know the issues that arise and let's just say that this is not something I would want to become dependent on and end up forgetting about my regular, manual checks. If there was a way to make a human continue their manual checks and this was ad add-on for backup protection, then cool. But you can't force humans to do anything. :p

I dunno. I have enough trouble with bluetooth headphones losing connection or delaying communication at times...if they can't get headphones right...ha ha
 

joolsplus3

Admin - CPS Technician
But maybe being motivated enough to try to make the app work will make them less likely to miss watching out for their kid and seat better, whether or not the app works flawlessly? I have a keyfinder that disconnects, yet I've lost my keys less since I got it...psychology, I guess, lol.
Interesting idea, anyway....
 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
My daughter has one of those Bluetooth finder things attached to her car key. She lost the finder and still misplaces her key. LOL
 
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AllieK

New member
I think the sensor beeps non-stop if/when it disconnects from Bluetooth. At least that's the impression I got from the FAQs.
 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
I think the sensor beeps non-stop if/when it disconnects from Bluetooth. At least that's the impression I got from the FAQs.

Did they address what happens if the battery dies over night (especially in winter temps) and you don't realize it and your phone is in your purse so you don't notice it didn't connect? Okay, I just went and read their FAQ and they don't seem to address this.

I saw this too (none of this directed at AllieK, just random comments from me ;)):

Should the connection drop between your phone and the monitor, you will receive an alert to notify you of this. Note the app should automatically attempt to reconnect.

I hope they designed this alert to be able to be a different sound than the other alerts, and that it also sounds again on reconnection (and a slightly different sound like one beep for disconnect, 2 for reconnect). Because I sure as heck would be PO'ed if it was the same as every other alert sound and I pulled over thinking my kid had climbed out of their seat and I find that the alert said the app disconnected but had already reconnected while I was pulling over.

And this one:

Child left in seat alert:
Based on the reminder interval set in your Driver's Little Helper app you will be alerted after this time should your child still be left in the seat and the car is no longer moving.

Since typically people aren't sitting in the car when they forget their kid in the car, I don't quite get the purpose of this one. I am sick today so I may just be dense. ;) What if you get home, kid is sleeping, so you run into the house to grab something for the next errand while kid is sleeping in vehicle, it alerts you it disconnected from bluetooth but you knew it would since you were going into the house so you ignore that alert, then the house phone rings and you start chatting with someone...and forget your kid in the car on the driveway or in the garage.

And the above scenario is not far fetched in my world at all. I often get home on Friday evenings and my youngest is sleeping in her seat, I pull into the garage, shut vehicle off and run in and grab the key for the mail, then drive to the mailbox with her, or I pick up something we need to return or whatever as next stop is picking up DH and we'll typically run an errand.

I should probably download the app and see what settings are available and such or check if they have a more thorough user manual than just their FAQ.
 

LISmama810

Admin - CPS Technician
This sounds pretty much exactly like the iAlert sensor built into the TrueFit, which worked horribly when I tried it.

Yeah, it alerts you if your car isn't moving and it senses your kid is still in there. That means that if you're sitting in a drive-through line or stuck in traffic, it'll alert you that your child has been left in the car. And if you don't have your phone on you or aren't able to respond to the alarm, it'll automatically text your husband, who might be sitting in a meeting with his ailing father's doctor. Ask me how I know.

It might also fail to actually sense your kid is in the car in the first place, which renders the whole thing useless.

Sorry, venting about the iAlert, this one might be improved, and honestly I didn't spend much time reading their site just the comments here. I thought the iAlert was a great concept. Unfortunately it just didn't work consistently enough for me to be able to recommend that others rely on it.
 

TechnoGranola

Forum Ambassador
Yeah, it alerts you if your car isn't moving and it senses your kid is still in there. That means that if you're sitting in a drive-through line or stuck in traffic, it'll alert you that your child has been left in the car. And if you don't have your phone on you or aren't able to respond to the alarm, it'll automatically text your husband, who might be sitting in a meeting with his ailing father's doctor. Ask me how I know.

I think this one has a configurable time so you could set it longer to hopefully catch that sitting in line or traffic issues, but that being said, how long of a time before the feature of "car not moving kid in seat" becomes useless? Friday nights there is one light I sit at and it we don't go anywhere for 10 minutes. It's like NO vehicles get through the dang light, it's weird. Anyway, if I started getting alerts, knowing that it was due to sitting at the light, I'd start to tune them out.
 

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