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Halloween was one of my favorite holiday’s growing up. Being a new parent, the thought of my child being abducted by an Ebola infested predator gives me nightmares. We understand that you have had the exact same thoughts, so we decided to compile a list of technology to help ease your woes and protect your children. We made sure that most of our recommendations are Amazon Prime eligible so that you can receive your purchases on time for Halloween. Enjoy!
Tracking – GPS Tracking Devices
Whether you’re trying to keep track of your younger children, or keep tabs on your teens from going to crazy Halloween parties; there are a variety of devices out there that utilize GPS to track where your child/teen is at.
The Sourcingbay Mini Waterproof GPS Location was by far the best bang for your buck that we could find for keeping tabs on virtually anything/anyone. The device is only $52.00 and comes with free shipping. What makes this an even better deal is that you can use a GSM carrier of your choice. For example, T-Mobile offers a $10 pre-paid card with text messaging for pennies on the dollar. The device uses text messages to notify you of the location of the GPS tracking device. You can even set up a boundary and have it notify you if the device leaves the established boundaries.
The device can also be set up for use in a vehicle and can be wired to the battery for ongoing use. You can even configure it to notify you if your vehicle goes over the speed limit. This tracker has utility that goes far beyond Halloween. View more details about the device here.
Communication – 2 Way Radios
With cell phones everywhere, you may not think that you need walkie-talkies. Think again. With most smartphones being value at $600-$800, the thought of a smart phone bouncing around in a candy bag gives me the shivers. Walkie-talkies are cheap and provide all the versatility that you need when you drop the kids off in a neighborhood and relax in the car to the tune of Michael Bublé. Just ensure that you purchase one with sufficient range to cover the entire neighborhood.
For example, Motorola has a pair of 2 way radios for less than $50.00 that have a 23 mile range. Unless you live in Hollywood, that should cover the neighborhood in which you’re trick-or-treating. These radios support 22 channels, and 122 privacy codes to prevent peeping Todds from listening in on your conversations.
The battery lasts 8-10 hours depending on the type of batteries that you use. It even has 11 weather channels for those moments when you son or daughter is tired of trick or treating and wants to know if tomorrow is a snow-day. Click here to order yours with Prime to get it in time for Halloween!
Examining Candy – Magnifying Glass
We dug deep looking for something fancy to check the safety of you child’s candy. The closest thing we found was an article about police departments allowing parents to run their kid’s candy through an X-ray machine. That’s a little extreme. However, we do recommend that you examine your kid’s candy prior to allowing them to eat it. A magnifying glass might be just the tool to make sure there are no tiny razor blades present in that chocolate bar. If you really want to go all out, Vivitar offers a magnifying glass that has built-in LEDs to give you a bright view into the crinkles of that candy bar. Check it out here.
Home Defense – Foscam Security Camera
With hundreds of people knocking on your door on Halloween night, it might be a good idea to get a decent security camera so that you know what type of individuals that you’re dealing with. Halloween is a night frequented with vandalism and pranks. These cameras can provide a level of comfort and protection against such actions at a much cheaper price than you would think.
Foscam offers cameras that you can move and control with you computer, smartphone, or tablet for less than $60. These devices require no wiring as they simply connect to your home’s WI-FI signal. They even allow you to talk back through the device to visitors at the door if you’re uncomfortable opening a door for one of those 25-year-old lone trick-or-treaters. They’re scary. Trust me, I used to be one.
The device also supports Infra-red night vision allowing a crystal clear picture even in the darkest of environments. Just remember, Infra-red does cause people’s eyes to glow, so keep that in mind before you call the cops on paranormal activity. Click here to check out the details on Amazon.
That’s all we’ve got. We thought about recommending pepper spray and tazers for self-defense, but determined that it is more accident prone than warranted. We love Halloween and hope you do to. Hopefully, these product recommendations will make your Halloween a safe and fun holiday.