Multimedia Devices Emerging as 'Wireless Babysitters'

United Press International ^ | June 24, 2005 | Gene Koprowski

[kerrywearsbotox]

Bert and Ernie, those beloved "Sesame Street" characters, are now seen via video streaming on mobile phones providing entertainment for young children while their parents drive around town doing their errands.

A new report by IDC, a research firm in Framingham, Mass., indicates that streaming -- such as the video service offered by Verizon Wireless -- soon may emerge as sort of a wireless babysitter for today's on-the-go parents. By Gene Koprowski

[kerrywearsbotox]

Looks like a new way to babysit the kids when you're on the go.

[Tax-chick]

I can see how one child could watch something on a cell phone, but more than one, on a 2"x2" lcd screen? Nutty.

Besides, what a waste of time! I spend more time in the car with my kids than I would like. We listen to music (classical, international, religious) or books on CD, practice math facts, go over Bible memorization, have spelling bees. Most children spend so little time with their parents anyway, you might as well make the best of enforced togetherness.

[Sender]

They're more like travelling executive babysitters for boredom in airports. I've seen VCAST, it's remarkably good video and sound for such a tiny screen, but how many 3-minute video clips would I really watch? I think it would lose its novelty quickly. Now maybe when they VCAST full-length movies on demand...