GPS Tracking Device For Lost / Stolen Items

John Honovich

IPVM | 03/09/14 06:40pm

Anyone have any recommendations or experience for mini GPS tracking devices for lost / stolen items?

Take a look at this offering - size of a button, use BLE:

Here's the company website - TrackR.

Any experience? Any alternatives? Any thoughts?

Ultimately, a mini GPS tracker could be very interesting for security purposes.

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Ethan Ace

IPVM | 03/09/14 06:50pm

I backed Tile when they were on SelfStarter.

I think I have five of them coming (they were cheap for early backers). Fairly similar to the TrackR, though it also has a strength meter which it says you can use to determine distance and direction of the object.

The issue I see is that BLE only has so much range. Past that, you're hoping that other people have the app running and your stuff will be found. It's not true GPS tracking. If I needed exact location of something at all times, I'd be looking at something different. But for lost and found, these seem interesting.

J. A. 'Cal' Calcaterra

03/09/14 07:25pm

I suspect there will be a few uses. Bottom line. Who's tracking whom? Or What? Other than looking for MY 'bug' Would My phone know that I'm tracking -anything-? If not, how secure is it from a hack? That would allow anyone to fetch what's being tracked?

Then there is the X wife. Now X because she caught you using it on her car?

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Brian Rhodes

IPVMU Certified | 03/09/14 10:57pm

It's not GPS, but Trakdot is a GSM transponder designed to stick in your luggage, so you can confirm it made the right connecting flights with you. $90 to buy w/ 1 year service, <$13 per year afterward.

J. A. 'Cal' Calcaterra

In reply to Brian Rhodes | 03/10/14 05:34am

Brian, Terminology crossover? Tracking it does. Yes? From the video: "The button tracker takes a 'GPS' snapshot of the location".

From the Website: Find more. Search less. | TrackR "Unlike regular GPS devices, TrackR uses a new form of GPS technology called Crowd GPS. When an item goes missing with a TrackR device attached, all TrackR enabled phones will begin to search for the item. If another user comes nearby the item, that user's phone will ping our server which will then update the item's owner with the new GPS coordinates. The more people in our network, the more real time the GPS updates will be and the better our devices will work." Seems the X has a case still.

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Brian Rhodes

IPVMU Certified | In reply to J. A. 'Cal' Calcaterra | 03/10/14 05:40am

Hello Cal:

The Trakdot does not use GPS. The 'Trackr', like you point out, does.

J. A. 'Cal' Calcaterra

In reply to Brian Rhodes | 03/10/14 04:32pm

Hi Brian,Thanks for that clarification. And the difference is? AM vs FM? GPS vs ??

Finding how it works also serves to show the future X still might have a concern, of being tracked.... To the nearest city?

How Trakdot works: Uses advanced Location Technology.

(Wondering.... The cell tower is located how? Any patents involved? RE: recent IPVM discussions)

Product features: Works anywhere your mobile phone does.
Trakdot Advantages: Can be linked to multiple Cellular phones.

Trakdot™ Luggage is constantly monitoring the cellular network to determine its city location. When you fly, Trakdot™ Luggage knows and goes to sleep. Upon arriving at your destination, Trakdot™ Luggage wakes up and reports its new location."

One of the disclaimers: "Trakdot is dependent on the worldwide data base of cell tower information"

An aside: Just walking the walk. There is nothing on how it works if, lets say, ones luggage got on a different flight and wakes up at a different airport. Or, if the wake up notification is a one time event. Or, how it wakes up? (Air turbulence?) Or?

A claw hammer is normally used to hit a nail (or pull one). So it's use is dependent on the holder.

Same with the Trakdot. The device isn't responsible for how it got in the future X's luggage, travel vehicle, Purse? (gift to be opened later?) etc.

PS: I can see it (How did THAT happen) on Bones, Elementary, NCIS and on and on. :-)

Jim Hall

In reply to J. A. 'Cal' Calcaterra | 03/10/14 06:44pm

Well said.

Keefe Lovgren

IPVMU Certified | 03/12/14 01:31am

put one of those on the back of our roku remote so i can find it after my kids keep losing it...

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Ethan Ace

IPVM | 03/26/15 08:26pm

TrackR has added a map showing their "coverage", which looks awesome on paper, and I admit they got me to click through, because coverage seems good:

But let's take a look at my town and the truth is revealed...

Well played, Trackr. Well played. I guess they can only make those red dots so small...

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Ross Vander Klok

IPVMU Certified | In reply to Ethan Ace | 03/27/15 02:08pm

Why don't all these companies get a meeting together and merge? That way they have a chance of surviving and actually being adopted by more than a few hundred people. Even if they had 50K people under one platform it might be useful.

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