Gizmodo Gifts
Yeah, there is actually a gift section for grandma on Gizmodo. It may be small and it may be stereotypical, but it is here. The Jitterbug is the perfect gift for those aging folks that are not ready to embrace technology. The Jitterbug is a cellphone available in two varieties. One phone includes a keypad so grandma can go wild calling 1-800 numbers. The other model is more tame and just includes a few buttons for an operator that keeps track of your phonebook and 911. It has a big screen and big font, you know, because all old people can't see worth a damn. Monthly rates begin at $10 with the phones going for $150. [Product Page]
I've begged and pleaded with Radio Shack to get into these, but to no avail.
-of course our store is adjacent to both an elder care facility and a senior housing development, so our experience is skewed somewhat, but still, look at the demographics man!
Whatever.
Great idea. Period.
Too bad it doesn't have an MP3 player, digital camera, QWERTY keyboard, WiFi, BlueTooth, corkscrew, jog wheel, touchscreen, holographic projector, GPS, Pantone colormatch system, grappling hook, USB hub...
Gotta have downloadable ringtones. Apple taught us that much.
Unfortunately this phone still has one feature my father-in-law and his wife (in their 80s) still can't master on their existing phones: a button you have to press and HOLD to turn the phone on. They can call numbers that I put in their phonebook for them, and they can dial numbers. They can't use voicemail, and if the phone runs out of battery and shuts down, they can charge it, but they can't turn it back on.
There definitely IS a market for this sort of thing, though.
These phones suck. They are still not user friendly for elderly people.
I think old people are the problem.
Prepare for the first cell phone you give your grandpa/grandma to be lost in a black hole.
@hakubak: So that means what? You think we should euthanasia everyone past 50? You sick sick bastard!
Oh and by that I mean you think that every old person would want to die too. Which is why your even sicker that I stated before hand.
Forgot your username or password?