GPS Trackers Find Novel Applications

Pickens writes "Inexpensive GPS devices like the Zoombak (which costs just $200 plus $10 a month) have becomes so prevalent that some people are using them routinely to keep tabs on their most precious possessions. Kathy Besa has a Zoombak attached to the collar of her 5-year-old beagle, Buddy. If Buddy wanders more than 20 feet from the house, she gets a text message on her phone that says, 'Buddy has left the premises.' The small size made possible by chip advances over the last two or three years is enabling many novel uses of GPS tracking. An art collector in New York uses one when he transports million-dollar pieces, a home builder is putting them on expensive appliances to track them if they disappear from construction sites, a drug company is using them after millions of dollars in inventory turned up missing, and a mobile phone company is hiding them in some cellphone boxes to catch thieves."

Re:GPS bug detector?

[0100010001010011]

GPS is passive so probably not. You might be able to detect it sending but if it uses GSM or the old pager network you'd be flooded with noise.

You could (if you are that paranoid) block GPS traffic.

http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3623 [dealextreme.com]
http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.8758 [dealextreme.com]

Re:$200 + $10/mo!?!?

[jandrese]

You've been reading too many nutty conspiracy types about those RFID chips. They're basically just a slightly better barcode, not a movie style locater where someone with a box can pinpoint where you are from halfway across the city.

The box listed above is pretty much the minimum you need for a global tracking system for your stuff. A GPS receiver, battery, and one way pager (the one-way in this case is out! Probably is actually a stripped down cell phone sending SMS messages). It also won't work if the thief brings your stuff inside, and is iffy in cities or around lots of trees. Still, even a few hits could go a long way towards figuring out where your stuff is.

$10 a month seems a bit high for something that's almost never going to send data. I'd prefer something like $0.10 per message (which is pretty outrageous for the amount of data sent) with no fixed cost. Although if you can use the same account for a whole bunch of the receivers (probably not) it might not be so bad.

Re:GPS bug detector?

[Technician]

Ok, say I'm paranoid. Is there anything on the market that can detect these devices?

Use anything that can detect a nearby cell signal. If you think your car is bugged, take it through a few tunnels or parking structures so it re-connects to a cell tower. (turn off you phone first) You can only detect these either by the GPS Local Oscillator (if you know the frequency) or detect them while they re-connect to a cell tower. Detecting the local oscillator of the GPS isn't easy as it isn't strong and is often well shielded. The cell module on the other hand is designed to transmit a signal to a cell tower, but it isn't on all the time. The trick is to make it turn on so you can find it. Causing a signal loss and then returning to cell tower range is a way to get these to announce to a tower, I am here. That's how you find them.

Re:Inexpensive?

[legojenn]

Owners *really* need to monitor their pets, and ideally have them on a leash or enclosed in some area when their outside to keep them safe.

Spoken like a person with no experience with a beagle or other scent hound. I recently lost a beagle because a window in my house was open an inch. He managed to open the window and vanish. Some dogs are clever and quick. A GPS device might not stop a dog from running into the street, but it might make it easy to track him down instead of walking, biking or driving up and down every bloody street in the neighbourhood screaming the dogs name those rare ocasions he does a runner.

Re:I used to do this stuff

[denis-The-menace]

Thanks to Google maps half the work is done.
It does take bare latitude and longitude coordinates and displays you a map.

Re:Insurance

[Blimey85]

It's called LoJack and I have it installed in both of my cars. You get a break on your insurance and in the even the vehicle is stolen and not recovered within 30 days you get a refund of the purchase price. However, they have a very good track record of recoveries, usually within a couple hours. I talked with two police officers before buying it and they both said it was great to have. Only works if the police closest to your car have the equipment but it's become standard with most cop shops so that shouldn't be a problem.

They also have an early warning system which I have on one of my cars and it's more annoying than anything. Basically if your car moves without the little box you keep on your key chain being present within the vehicle, you get a phone call / email / or text message (your choice) alerting you. The only problem is you have to change the battery every couple of months or you get false positives.

After having my neighbors truck stolen from right next to my open bedroom window one night, I decided I wanted something more than just a normal alarm (he had an alarm, his truck was locked, we never heard a thing and he never got his truck back) so I went with LoJack.

you're a heartless bastard

[Anonymous Coward]

my dogs (which are the ages of 13, 11, 2) are worth a lot more to me than the $400 a year it will cost me to keep track of them, god forbid they get out. i'll piss away $400 in a weekend. to some of us they're more then justs "pets" and "man's best friend".

and no... i'm not with peta and i eat meat. i just love my mutts.

Re:Inexpensive?

[edmicman]

Just a follow up reply. Yes, I have a dog, and I still don't buy the excuses. Ehhhh, maybe it's because the wife is a vet and we're more cautious/overprotective of the dog or something.....but even with a fenced in yard we're pretty much monitoring her while she's out there. Dog digs under the fence? Bury the fence. I'd bet 90% of the troubles dogs can get into can be prevented by owners paying attention to whats going on. Just my $.02 :-P

Re:Old people

[Technician]

So as long as the alzheimers patients put their shoes on, they can't wander away? Or maybe the staff just ties the knots really tight so they can't get them off.

Many elderly patients have tender feet and don't make it past the parking lot. Most all always wear shoes. As part of my old tech job service calls was part of the job. I have seen it in action. The patients rarely venture off the carpet or tile without shoes. The hardier patients simply get the tags in other clothing items, walking aids, wheelchairs, or other essentials, but most monitoring can be done with the shoes and this reduces the tag inventory needed. It's very rare for patients to wander off without clothing or walking aids.

Re:Insurance

[Jeff_Jones2008]

There are other options to LoJack that are much less expensive. I bought a GPS tracking unit from DriveOK to track our 3 cars. They are under $200 and the monthly service is low.

The problem I found with LoJack is coverage area and it was really expensive to install. I was able to install the DriveOK units myself and I can go online to see where my cars are. If they are stolen I can call the police and give them the exact address my car is at and they can go recover it.

A good friend of mine is a cop, checked out the system and thinks it will perform better than LoJack in the long run.