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."

Comments

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.

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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: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.