Get your Dad a phone he can use

Let's face it. Today's mobile phones just don't cut it for the older folks. They're so packed with cutting-edge features, touchscreens, complex user interfaces, twisty bits and tiny fonts that they are just not suitable for the Luddite generation. So imagine my surprise when, having sung the praises of the farsighted Japanese for making phones for the elderly, a Singapore firm delivers such a handset.

So if you're planning to surprise dear old Dad with a phone he can finally use, check out the iNo CP09 from Foresight Technologies. Straight off, you can tell it's been designed for the elderly in mind: Gianormous buttons, large fonts and ringtones loud enough to wake the dead. The display may be one-line and in yesteryear's monochrome, but this helps extend battery life, plus the big fonts are really easy to read.

Keeping it simple and fuss-free, you can discount any onboard camera or fanciful features such as GPS, music player and Bluetooth. What the CP09 does have are a few useful functions that your Dad will appreciate. When we examined the phone, we found a switch on the left that activates the FM radio, another on the right that turns on a superbright LED torchlight. Even better, the FM antenna is built into the phone. So there's no need for pops to remember to attach a headset if he wants to tune in for some radio jiving.

The unique feature on the CP09, however, has to be the large, orange SOS button on the rear. When this is pressed in an emergency, it sends an SMS to a pre-determined number of contacts, followed by an actual call to the group, and to cap it, activating a loud siren. If that doesn't get anyone's attention, nothing will. Certainly a feature that those, worried about leaving their elderly parents alone at home, will appreciate for some peace of mind.

The iNo CP09 isn't the handsomest of phones, but it's at least compact and decent-looking enough, and even comes in black, white or gold. The handset was last seen retailing at the recent Singapore PC Show for S$78 (US$55.07). The standard package comes with an AC charger and headset. If this has your Dad's name on it, you can check out its availability and price from the company's Web site here.

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