My parents live overseas and I'm in NC. I call them about 3 or 4 times a week, but with the time difference, it's not always easy to catch them at a good time. Sometimes I just want to know they're doing okay without having to call and interrupt whatever they're doing. I thought about different ways to check in, but I really didn't want cameras in their house or anything that felt like I was monitoring them. So I ended up building something called Kettle (heykettle.com). It's a simple app that uses their existing phone to let me and my sibling know if they've checked in with their usual routine. We get a short update like "Heard from Mom this morning" or "Nothing yet today." It doesn't track their location, record conversations, or read messages. They can also see what's being recorded and turn it off whenever they want. I added a shared family log too, so if I call Dad or someone takes Mom to an appointment, we can leave a quick note for everyone else. Right now, it's just me building this, and my parents are the only ones using it. The Android app isn't on the Play Store yet, so I'm helping people install it directly. I'm offering the first year free. I'm curious what other people think, especially anyone with aging parents who live far away. Would you actually use something like this? And what would make you hesitant to put it on your parent's phone?   submitted by   /u/ChckinJockey [link]   [comments]