Technology: Young and Wireless

While most Americans past eighth grade seem to consider cell phones as vital as air, kids under 13 have remained largely unfettered. That may be changing. The Walt Disney Internet Group announced in early July that it is teaming up with Sprint to develop a line of mobile phones, due out next year, aimed squarely at preteen children. Meanwhile, the market is already filling up. In March, Firefly Mobile debuted a model designed for the lunch-box set. Later this summer, a company called Wherify will debut its Wherifone, and in September, Enfora will introduce its version, the TicTalk.

These kid-centric-phone makers insist...

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