Tag: tracking

Categories
Imaging Organization

GearEye helps you keep an eye on your gear

Many people have become increasingly reliant on their smartphones, cameras and other electronic devices. One resulting problem is the difficulty in keeping track of all the various lenses, chargers and other accessories that are used in conjunction with devices.

GearEye is an RFID-based tagging and gear management system for ensuring that all gear is in one’s bag or close at hand and, if it’s not, that it can be easily found. It works in conjunction with an Android and iOS app, and uses a smartphone’s smart sensors and RFID GearTag labels to keep track of the user’s gear.

GearEye ships in July at $199 for a SKU that includes a choice of a case or dongle, along with five GearTags for metal items and 15 regular GearTags in a mixture of sizes, and $219 for a SKU that includes 10 GearTags for metal items and 30 regular GearTags in mixed sizes. But Kickstarter backers can order them now for pledges of $129 and $139, respectively. Its makers are out to raise $60,000 by Dec. 30.

Continue reading “GearEye helps you keep an eye on your gear”
Categories
Connected Objects Pets

Where’s Nellie? This GPS locator mixes radios to pinpoint your pooch

It’s a common nightmare for dog owners: their beloved pet has run out of the house and they can’t find the pooch anywhere.

Where’s Nellie is a GPS tracking device designed to ease a dog owner’s mind if their pet runs off and can’t be found. The Nellie Beacon attaches securely to a dog’s collar and works in conjunction with an iOS and Android app. The beacon communicates up to six miles away with the included Nellie Base unit. If a dog is missing, the owner just has to press the locate button on the app and, in a few minutes, Where’s Nellie will pinpoint the location of the dog on the smartphone. It costs $179 and will ship in January. Its maker is hoping to raise $100,000 by May 16.

The device has promise despite coming along after several similar products, including Lucky Tag and WUF. However, Nellie seems to be superior to several rivals in a few ways. First, it makes use of several radio technologies. If the base unit is near the beacon, it uses Bluetooth LE technology. But if the dog is out of range, Semtech’s LoRa long-range wireless solution is used instead. If the pet owner wants to pinpoint exactly where the dog is, GPS is used.

Second, there are no monthly fees involved. Third, its batteries will last more than 365 days because the Beacon’s patent-pending technology uses low-power components and software, according to its Kickstarter campaign. That’s far more battery life than most rival products.

Categories
Connected Objects Luggage and Bags

Trackase luggage offers GPS location services so you’ll never lose a bag again

One of the worst hassles of traveling is luggage. Some bags are expensive, but can barely hold up to a plane ride. Others are too heavy to tote around. And sometimes, even the perfect bag doesn’t prevent loss at an airport.

According to Trackase’s campaign, 21.8 million bags are mishandled each year. That’s why they’ve created a bag that will not only stand up to averse conditions, but one that also contains a tracker so the bag is never truly lost. Trackase is made from a type of plastic called polypropylene which is extremely durable. It can withstand temperatures up to 130°C and protects its contents from harmful chemicals. With a colorfast design, the bag won’t fade and can survive strong impact without falling apart.

The bag’s tracker uses cell phone towers to triangulate its position. There’s no need to fear about messing with the plane’s systems while in flight because the tracker only transmits a signal once the user’s cell phone is turned on. Using an accompanying app, it’s possible to see exactly where the bag is. This feature is especially helpful since some airports can take forever to locate a lost bag.

Luggage that can withstand the stress of travel is always welcome on the market. Not only does Trackase offer great design, versatile sizes and tracking capabilities, but it also offers peace of mind. One worry, however, is that the campaign doesn’t mention TSA regulations anywhere and claims that each bag has an internal locking system. Chances are, most airports won’t look kindly on a non-TSA approved lock. Still, backers can have their own super bag in the smallest carryon size for £160 (~$243). Trackase is hoping to raise £30,000 (~$45,500) on Kickstarter by early February.

Categories
Wearables

Tool2Find uses GPS to locate children, pets; more reliable than Bluetooth

The universal fear of not being able to find a child or pet has created a huge market for tracking devices like the new Tool2Find from the Netherlands.

Unlike many rival products, the small Tool2Find doesn’t depend on a Bluetooth connection, but rather much more accurate GPS technology. The device, which can be clipped onto one’s belt or other object, works in conjunction with an App2Find app for Android and iOS mobile devices. Backers who pay €165 (~$198) will get an App2Find with accessories including a clip and UBS charger and update cable. That’s 34% cheaper than the device’s regular price. Its maker is looking to raise €30,000 (~$36,000) on Indiegogo.

GPS is clearly a superior technology solution for such devices than Bluetooth. But the market is just too crowded with similar devices to project any great success for Tool2Find. It doesn’t help that the device is also relatively expensive. The similar Iota, for example, costs somewhat less.

Categories
Kids/Babies Wearables

FTRAC promises cheap and easy tracking of kids, others

Tracking solutions come in all shapes and sizes, but one thing you can be sure of is a hefty price tag associated with keeping connected to the bells and whistles these devices give you. A lot of the time, though, the device supposed to help you worry less makes you worry more because it doesn’t work as properly as it should.

FTRAC is a versatile and thereby more functional tracking alternative. It takes advantage of its GPS, GSM, and Wi-Fi capabilities to ensure that whatever is being tracked, a child, an elderly family member, a pet is always detected. The device comes in three models: the Superior boasts all the bells and whistles such as a microSD slot, the EXP can be worn in a multitude of different ways, and the Pets version comes with a collar. The FTRAC iOS, Android, or Web companion app allows users to set geo-fences, facilitates alerts for wet pets, and provides a map UI for easy tracking.

That usually fearsome monthly fee? It’s $2.95 through FTRAC, or users can opt for their own data plan through another carrier. Their $18,000 Kickstarter campaign is offering a free six month subscription for an early bird backing of anywhere from $69 to $89, depending on the model. They could’ve done more, though, when compared to the subscription perk Pip is offering. Start tracking beginning February 2015.

Categories
Automotive Sensors/IoT

Car Footprints plugs in to automatically calculate deductible miles

Ask anyone that’s ever had to log their mileage for tax deductions and they’ll all say the same thing: the numbers they put on their taxes are usually just best estimations. Is it possible to protect oneself from an audit and still get the maximum deduction back?

With Car Footprints, it’s easy to get an accurate, easy mileage log for tax season. Connecting directly to the car’s ODB port, Car Footprints communicates via smartphone from the car to a service that tracks and logs all mileage driven to make calculating deductions even easier. Any driving for medical, business, or charity purposes can be deducted, adding up to an average of thousands of dollars per year.

Without using GPS services, Car Footprints is secure and doesn’t report any information other than mileage. Turning a step predicated on meticulous bookkeeping or pure guesswork and making it automatic will save professionals both time and money. The Car Footprints tracker and three months of service is available starting in March for $47, if inventor Ney Torres can raise $35,000.

Car Footprints may be a niche product only for those who deduct their driving miles, but for eliminating the headache tracking those miles creates, it should be a must-own product for those groups.

Categories
Connected Objects Technology

Findster ditches cellular connection but lets you locate at long range

The Premise. Many people can remember the mind-numbing worry that comes along with losing track of a younger member of the family or a pet. Striking that balance between watching them while also giving them room to enjoy themselves has always been a tricky, but most would err on the side of caution. Although products now exist that help track people or pets, either their range or their costly monthly fees don’t make them very practical.

The Product. Findster is a proprietary tracking solution created so that users would never have to worry about losing a loved one while fretting about range or monthly fees while doing so. There are four parts to the system that make it what it is: a tracking module for both the guardian and the child or pet, a basestation, and a smartphone app tying it all together.

The product is simple: a parent or guardian uses the Findster smartphone app to mark a predetermined space. Once created, push notifications alert the guardian if a child or pet leaves that space, leading them in real-time so that both can reunite. The tracking modules have a range of one kilometer, but base stations can expand this range by two kilometers, with no limit on the number of repeaters. This allows guardians to stay connected with kids at school, or pets at home. Group monitoring adds more layers of security. In addition, other Findsters can act as anonymous relay points to aid in your search. Additional features, like fall detection for kids and a pet activity monitor, give you an extra pair of eyes where there are none.

The Pitch. The campaign’s professionally done style is clear, concise and super informative, doing a great job of explaining the many capabilities of this technology while being careful to avoid being heavy handed about it.

The Perks. If you want to get set up properly with Findster, $199 is the price of admission for either the kids or pets version. Either comes with a one base station, one guardian’s module, one Findster module, and a charging module. A package for $550 (retail $949) is available which includes four basestations and four Findster modules, while another for $649 includes one guardian’s module, 10 Findster modules and one charging module. Estimated delivery of all perks is slated for April 2015.

The Potential. One of the biggest issues with GPS-only devices is their inability to work well indoors, a problem Findster has addressed with its base station concept. This makes the potential range more or less unlimited, provided there are enough around to do the job — and that’s appealing considering there are no monthly fees. All in all, the range may prove to be an issue for some, but the Findster will shine in closed environments like local parks and campuses where an interested party can outfit them with the needed number of relay points.

Categories
Kids/Babies Wearables

TrackForce lets you chip loved ones so they never go missing again

trackforceMissing people are no joke, whether very young or very old, and the ability to find those who are lost is invaluable. A wearable tracking device that can be attached to clothingcan help address the problem. TrackForce is the idea in question, using multi-colored, water-resistant tracking “chips” to allow caretakers and parents to locate a missing person using GPS. A security layer will allow only those with the password to access the GPS data. While this project’s heart is in the right place, this has been done before, and it’s certainly been done better already. Backers can track down a TrackForce for $150 in December.

Categories
Fitness Wearables

Arcus is the one fitness ring to rule them all

The Premise. Many fitness-centric devices allow people to track their progress as they exercise. Most are worn on the wrist or arm and give information about time elapsed as well as distance travelled. For feedback on actual technique, most athletes resort to a coach.

The Product. Arcus is a motion analyzer that you wear as a ring. It provides feedback to you via its app about the activity or sport you are engaging in down to information on your tennis stroke or golf swing, for example. Other information provided by Arcus include stroke strength, speed, average accuracy, average time, distances travelled, impact, and the list goes on. There are no real limitations to the kinds of feedback or sport that Arcus is compatible with. This ring charges wirelessly and also comes with a magnetic sphere. The ring-wearer can roll this sphere around, allowing it to properly calibrate and gather information about the environment, making its data more reliable. In addition, wearing it on one’s finger instead of wrist provides more accurate motion information. As an added bonus, this smart little ring also allows lets the wearer control any Bluetooth Smart Ready device in the vicinity. The ring comes in many different colors, patterns and finishes and is also completely waterproof.

The Pitch. The Arcus video cuts right to the chase and explains how the ring works along with how many uses it has. For the remainder of the campaign, the Hungarian creators show examples of Arcus at work along with screenshots of the app. It also goes through the huge number of color options for the ring, testimonials, tech information, product comparisons and the prototyping process. The Kickstarter campaign has a huge $320,000 goal in its 35-day run. 

The Perks. Donation levels for one Arcus plus charger and app range from $149 – $230 based on color and finish. Higher tiers offer multi-packs at heavily discounted rates. Reward tiers climb up to $2,500 and all rings are expected to ship by February 2015. 

The Potential. We’ve seen a slew of smart jewelry on the market recently. The Ringly alerts wearers to calls and texts coming through to their phone. For fitness, the ever-popular FitBit tracks fitness performance with an app, similar to Arcus, along with sleep activity and food intake. The WonderRing tracks heart rate, temperature and sports performance and also allows the wearer to control surrounding electronics. While all of these wearables are certainly very cool, Arcus is the only one that actually provides feedback on technique. The fact that it can help an athlete improve upon their game is invaluable. In addition, its capabilities in working with Bluetooth Smart Ready devices make it especially unique. All in all, for the price and wide range of uses, it is clear that Arcus is the next big thing in smart wearable jewelry. 

Categories
Pets

Pawda promises to pinpoint pets in the perimeter

The Premise. Dogs can be some of the most loving and compassionate partners a person can ever have. They’ll be by your side through every corner of life, but sometimes tragedy strikes and they wander off. Losing a pet is one of the worst feelings a person can experience, but what if endless search parties and calls to the local pound were unnecessary? What if we could always know where our pets wandered off to?

The Product. The Pawda is the perfect solution that allows you to give your pet the freedom to roam, yet the peace of mind to always find them if they wander too far. The idea lies within a simple GPS tracking system that attaches to your pets collar. Designate a safety zone, and you’ll not only get notifications if your pet leaves the area, but you’ll also be able to track their exact location in the built-in map. The Pawda is also waterproof and durable so it can withstand all the adventures your pet embarks upon, but the battery life only lasts up to seven days.

The Pitch. Pawda’s video wastes no time explaining how the Pawda works. Not to be confused with devices like the Tile and Bringrr, Pawda is an actual GPS tracker. In simple and well-designed graphic simulations, the video shows how Pawda can help track your pet seamlessly with your iOS or Android smartphone. The video takes a brief break in the middle for a word from the two founders who voice their confidence and dedication to their prototype that they deem ready for mass production.

The Perks. To get your paws on a Pawda, the pledge price is $99 AUD (about $90 US Dollars). GPS tracking devices do unfortunately come at a steep price, but it could be worth the investment to have the peace of mind of keeping your pet safe. Those who are more enthusiastic about the Pawda can pledge $185 AUD to also receive a Pawda t-shirt and hoodie for their pet. Manufacturing and shipment for the Pawda has a quick turn around and can be expected to be delivered in April 2014.

The Potential. Pricing for the Pawda is in line with that of Tagg, the dog tracker that was spun off from wireless giant Qualcomm several years back, and is part of a new generation of products for tracking people and pets. Not every pet owner needs to know its dog’s destination, but built-in and attachable location devices for pets are certainly going to be more popular in the future.