Real Time Vehicle Tracking Made Easy

Makarand writes "The Washington Post has an article about a vehicle tracking system built by a start-up 10-20.com. The system uses low orbit satellites for exchanging location information making it available anywhere in the US. The tracking device, the size of a paperback, can be installed in any vehicle and powered by a battery. A small antenna installed on top sends signals to satellites marking its position on a web-based map. The equipment costs around $1000 and monthly fees range from $20 to $65. The service plan will determine how often your position will be updated by the system. The tracking system FAQ on the company website is pretty detailed."

Comments

Affordable Countermeasure

[Anonymous Coward]

Fortunately, it costs far less than $1000 to cover your entire car in tinfoil, just in case. Though depending upon your climate and average driving speed, you may still have to spring for the monthly upkeep of $20-65...

This is only the first step

[I Am The Owl]

Of course, now the CIA wants to track your vehicle movements so that they can send a drone to firebomb your car on your way to work, you know, if they think you're pirating MP3s. But that is only the first step!

The logical conclusion I have arrived at after reading Slashdot for 1 week straight without sleep is thus: your organs will be tagged and stolen by radioactive agents of the CIA who use their penises to transmit secret recipies for Swedish meatballs. Just look at the latest article on embeddable tagging and tracking devices. They are out to violate your privacy! Before long, all your Constitutionally-protected privacy information will be in linked up in a big government database so that deranged mechanicals can encase you in concrete and have their way with you before torturing you to death!

I can't stress enough the importance of stopping this technology now. You will not be able to sleep until this insidious global conspiracy is stopped.

New Economy

[KFury]

Gotta love a business high tech enough to rely on two-way satellite communications for realtime position tracking, but asks you to pay via Paypal because they don't take credit cards.

Yea dad...

[sdo1]

"We just went to the movie theater and then the coffee shop. Honest."

It's as if millions of hormonal boys suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.

-S

bummer

[djupedal]

I was tracking my car...on the PC...and it was like....

.....beepbeepbeepbeepbeepbleeeeep

And then...like...half my car was...gone.

And I was like....(wait...).... ghnuhhhuh?

It devoured....my car...

And it was a really good car.

And then I had to track it again, and I had to do it fast, so it wasn't as good...

It's kind of ...(long wait, stay with me...)

...a bummer.

Credit to E.F.. student :)

Re:APRS

[nurightshu]

License: ~$10 testing fee
Basic GPS: ~$100
APRS packet-capable radio: ~$300 (US)
A couple of cables: ~$20

Realizing you're never going to get laid again: Priceless.

Re:Serial Ports

[Ravenscall]

Yes, those are serial ports.

All the better to install Linux on them and then making a mobile Beowulf cluster.