The Amber Alert program organizes and distributes information about a missing child in the attempt to ensure that every organization and individual who may be able to aid in the search is notified. They are adding a new product to help make the job easierl: the Amber Alert Child ID Kit, a flash drive, pre-loaded with software that allows you to input your child's vital statistics, photographs, medical and emergency contact information. Furthermore, you can store information about your child's online habits: MySpace page, instant message handles, blog addresses. The ID Kit can be easily updated with new information and photos, and is virtually indestructable. It's also secure: the information is not stored on your personal computer where it could be hacked, and the drive itself is password protected (so if you're asking yourself why you couldn't just load this stuff on that USB drive you got for free at a conference, now you know).
The drive is just one more possible tool in your arsenal, and it makes good sense to me. I don't carry pictures of my kids, I'm lucky to remember their middle names off the top of my head much less their height and weight--what the hell would I do on one of our frequent flights to visit Grandma if one of the kids went missing at the airport? Unfortunately for me, the Amber Alert Child ID Kit is currently only available in a Windows format, although a Mac OS version is scheduled to be released soon. The ID Kit is just under $30, with quantity discounts for purchases of two or more, and the program feels strongly enough about it that they've partnered with sponsors to make sure it can get into the hands of people who can't afford it.
