Hi schd - I'm one of the creators of the Starling. We've designed the Starling for every family, including gadget distracted parents (like me). We're also working with a non-profit called Literacy Lab in Oakland to get Starlings into low income homes and have had a number of devices donated through our campaign.

On RF, the Starling uses Bluetooth LE, which uses about 1500 times less energy than a smartphone. We've also designed it so parents can tell it to only sync with their phones when they place it in its charging dock.