Plugging a USB drive for missing children

The AmberAlert.com portal — which serves as an online resource for information about children who are reported missing — is pushing for more businesses, state programs and community organizations to sponsor efforts to buy its Child ID Kit USB storage drives.

The ID Kits — which are being built through a partnership with Kingston Technology, and retail from the site at $29.99 apiece — consist of a USB flash memory stick that is meant for use by parents to store information on their children, including their physical appearance and photos, along with any medical conditions.

The device, which fits on a key chain, plugs into any USB-capable computer and asks parents to fill out a series of forms that cover a wide variety of information, from their home address to their family relations, which is also protected from any unwanted eyes by a password and onboard encryption.

In the case that their children should ever go missing, parents using the AmberAlert.com ID Kits would be able to get their kids’ details into the hands of law enforcement officials more quickly, greatly abetting efforts to track down the missing individuals, according to the site.

One of the obvious but key selling points of the device is that it can be regularly updated with new information as children grow or change, including their latest photos and medical conditions. In addition to its portability, the USB device also figures to be fairly rugged (it is waterproof) compared to other forms of media, even traditional pictures.

As part of its pitch, AmberAlert.com also recommends that parents keep information on the devices up-to-date with their children’s MySpace pages, instant messaging accounts and blogs. Such social networking sites and online communities have been exposed as potential hangouts for pedophiles, and places where children might post information unknown to their parents that can be useful if they go missing.