Cimino believes that there will be a new “value proposition” that will replace internet tracking cookies once they’re killed off. He says that the new proposition will allow users to opt into the personalization of their ads and searches. He describes this as “tailor don’t target” advertisements, and it will be more welcomed by consumers compared to the invasive ads brought on currently by tracking cookies.

One reason that Cimino believes internet cookies is dying is because many people are beginning to use machines that are “non-cookieable”. These devices include smartphones and tablets, which account for 35% to 40% of overall data traffic received by Brilig. Because the number of tracking cookies is being reduced drastically, companies have to find new ways of identifying users and their data.

However, Cimino says that cookies aren’t the only way to identify people. He says even if consumers use a non-cookieable device like the iPhone or an Android device, he can still see the device’s IP address as well as part of their user agent. He can use that information to identify the person behind the phone, which he can then use with his 10 different matching agents to use for marketing campaigns. He says,

“With these 10 matching agents we’ve built a cooperative of matching, because most of the matching that you see out there is a single-circuit. It’s “A’ matching agent and “A” campaign and “A” advertiser.

While you will still see ads after the supposed demise of the internet cookie, at least they will be more targeted and more relevant to your preferences. Hopefully these new “value propositions” that Cimino talks about will be more secure and private compared to internet cookies. How do you feel about internet cookies coming to an end?

[via Ad Exchanger]

The actual launch date for the device will be late June. Pricing for the luggage tracker is $49.99 and it’s roughly the size of your palm. The idea is that you can slip this device into your luggage and keep an eye on your bag as you travel. The tracker doesn’t use GPS signals for tracking; it relies on cellular technology to triangulate an active device’s location.

All the user has to do activate the tracking is turned the device on and slip it inside the bag. The Trakdot is able to turn itself off just before the aircraft takes off and will then turn back on when the aircraft lands. It’s able to quickly determine the city where the bag is located and text that information to the owner.

Users of the technology can also go to a dedicated website to locate where their bag is. There will be an activation fee of $8.99 and an annual service fee of $12.99. People who pre-order the device before April 27 won’t have to pay that $9 activation fee.

[via Trakdot]

According to the New York Times, the new phone will watch where your eyes are looking and will scroll down the page for you when your eyes reach the bottom. It’s said that Samsung has trademarked the term for this technology and are calling it either “Eye Scroll” or “Eye Pause.” Eye Scroll sounds a lot better, but we’ll see what Samsung does come March 14.

The anonymous source, who is a Samsung employee and was not authorized to speak to media (tisk tisk), didn’t say what technology was being used to track eye movement, and we probably won’t know exactly until the Samsung press conference. However, the source said that software features of the Galaxy S IV will outweigh the importance of the hardware overall.

However, Samsung’s chief product officer, Kevin Packingham, noted that he disagreed that the software would take attention away from the hardware, saying that the rumored device is “an amazing phone.” Of course, we’ll ultimately find out come March 14, but unless the Galaxy S IV comes with better hardware specs than the HTC One or other recent devices, hardware may not really be a huge deal.

[via New York Times]

Essentially, the Leap Motion is able to change the pitch of the guitar chords based on the position of the guitar’s headstock, meaning that there’s no need for players to use a tremolo bar or bend the strings while playing. The device can also track specially-made drum sticks that allow the Leap to track the end points of the sticks to play the beats.

However, that seemed to be Bersot’s most difficult challenge. He says “it wasn’t easy to play drums with it,” and it actually needs more work to make it more stable. Essentially, Bersot used the velocities and positions of the drum sticks on the X axis, and had it play the note at just the right time during the down motion.

We’re assuming Bersot’s project is just for fun, since it doesn’t seem like he plans to release something like it anytime soon, but it goes to show the potential of the Leap Motion device. While it can be used to track your hands to move objects on a screen, the implications of such a device go way beyond what one might think.

[via MAKE]

The glasses also have “6D” head tracking, along with the 3D eye tracking. The company partnered up with Volfoni to bring the 3D portion to the glasses, which feature active shutter technology that you see in a lot of advanced 3D glasses today. The 6D head tracking is there to detect gazes whenever the user turn their head to point toward an object.

The glasses offer real-time gaze streaming in world coordinates by measuring the position and orientation of the user’s head within a defined space. The glasses are simply worn like a normal pair of glasses, and the eye tracking is made possible by two small cameras on the outer rim of the glasses while another camera records the field of view from the user’s perspective. The three orbs on each side allow for the 6D head tracking, and they’re detachable for easy storage.

While the Oculus Rift was a big hit at CES a few weeks ago, it’s going to have some stiff competition sooner or later once virtual reality starts taking off. The eye tracking system from SMI supports Microsoft’s Kinect, so it can already be used with technology that people already have. However, there’s no word on availability or pricing for SMI’s 3D glasses.

Of course, eye tracking tech probably isn’t going to sell millions upon millions of tablets in the blink of an eye, but it does have its uses. The ibeam uses the Tobii IS20, which is described as “the most advanced and compact eye tracker in the world,” in a statement released today. During CEATEC in Tokyo, NTT DOCOMO will be showing off examples of natural user interfaces for PCs and tablets that are centered around eye tracking integration.

One of the benefits of eye tracking integration is that users would potentially be able to control the ibeam tablet using only their eyes. This means that you could have true hands-free functionality, and we imagine that using eye tracking tech would prove to be a lot easier than using voice commands. At the very least, when using eye tracking tech, you won’t be caught in public shouting commands at your device.

The ibeam certainly sounds like an interesting tablet, but unfortunately we’re going to have to wait for the lion’s share of the details. Since it sounds like the ibeam is in the early stages of development – keep in mind that NTT DOCOMO will only be showing off a prototype at CEATEC – the tablet is probably still a ways off from hitting the market (if it ever does at all). Still, it will be exciting to see what the ibeam can do, so keep it tuned here to SlashGear for more information.

The Alpha 100 GPS tracking system can update the dog’s location as often as every 2.5 seconds. Hunters or trainers with multiple dogs can track as many as 20 animals with a single handheld from up to 9 miles away, depending on the terrain. The handheld device has a three-inch touchscreen that works while the user is wearing gloves and is designed to be easily viewable in direct sunlight.

The handheld device is also capable of sending preselected messages between devices in the field such as “help,” “come here,” or “go on without me.” The handheld can also give an audible or vibrating alert when a dog trees whatever you are hunting or goes on point. The handheld device is loaded with 100k topographical maps and the device works with other maps, including BirdsEye Satellite Imagery.

The Alpha 100 training features have to reconfigurable buttons that allows the user to set multiple combinations and levels of correction between continuous, momentary, or tone. The training method is described as “stimulation” which seems to be of the shock variety like some shock collars I’ve seen before. The handheld device is powered by a rechargeable battery good for up to 20 hours per charge and is waterproof to IPX-7 standards. The dog collar device is good for 24 hours of use per charge with a 2.5-second update rate. Additional collars can be purchased for $299.99 starting this month.

The new service mixes Google Maps and geolocation services along with some APIs and comes out with a dispatch system for mobile workforces it’s available online and on Android smartphones or tablets. The idea is that the service will allow dispatchers to assign jobs and deploy staff efficiently. It will also allow dispatchers and managers to see where everyone is any given time to ensure mobile workers are doing what they’re supposed to be doing and route workers to the next assignment.

Google says that larger companies will be able to weave Coordinate and existing systems with the help of full read/write API. Smaller businesses will be able to use the service without making any major investments. One interesting feature is that users will be able to enter large data sets as custom locations in the service. The example is that the utility company could enter the location of all the poles they need to service. Workers in the field will appear as blue dots on the map and the locations that need to be service can be entered on the map as points of interest allowing the closest worker to be routed to the location. The service will cost $15 monthly for each user until September 1, 2012 and in the price could change.

[via TechCrunch]

It was at this week’s Internet Week NY that the FTC’s CTO Ed Felten spoke up about Twitter joining in their support for a Do Not Track internet. Twitter verified this via Twitter, of course, and your Firefox setting for Do Not Track automatically includes Twitter in it from this point forward. For those of you that do not know how to activate Do Not Track – it’s simple!

Open Firefox (just the desktop version for now) and open your Firefox menu, head to Preferences, and find Privacy (the little mask.) From there it’s just a single button click away! From this point forward, Twitter will not collect any information from you unless you voluntarily hand it over to them directly. Sound like a fair deal to you?

Next we’re waiting on Facebook to agree to join the team, but we’re not holding our breath on it.

Kinect for Windows 1.5′s newest tracking abilities include the ability to track the head, neck, and arms of either a standing or seated person. This new feature will also work with both default and near models – whatever you need! This 1.5 release will be coming with four new languages for speech recognition including Japanese, Italian, Spanish, and French, and will be coming with a slew of new language packs.

Language packs released with Kinect for Windows 1.5 will help the system understand languages as they’re spoken in different regions of the world – French Canadian, English in New Zealand, and Spanish in either Spain or Mexico just to name a few. This system will be further detailed before its release – until then, note this one extra tip: Kinect Studio will be released this update for the Windows platform, this system allowing you to record, playback, and debug clips of users playing all types of engaging games!

[via Kinect for Windows Blog]

The data we’re speaking about here is of course online-based data, this data being the tracked results of what you search for, where you browse, what you buy, and more. The FTC will be showing this “Do Not Track” system as a “complete implementation” that they’ll be working with industry groups to complete within the next few years. The report reads in part as follows:

“Although some companies have excellent privacy and data securities practices, industry as a whole must do better.” – FTC

The FTC also includes a re-affirmation that they’d like Congress to inflict a ruling which would provide consumers with access to all data collected on them for marketing purposes. As for the privacy report on the whole, it was voted in with a 3-1 vote, the descent coming from Comissioner Thomas Rosch, who noted the following:

“Unfairness is an elastic and elusive concept,” noting that the recommendations were overly broad, he noted that they would instead, “[apply to] most information collection practices. … It would install ‘Big Brother’ as the watchdog over these practices not only in the online world but in the offline world.” – Rosch

We’ll see how this plays out in the coming months. How private do you feel you are at the moment online? Do you think you’re being treated fairly?

[via Washington Post]

Safety, that is, for the bears. There have been a number of cases where bears outside the two aforementioned parks were killed by trains on nearby tracks. By collaring the animals and monitoring their locations, they can help prevent them from wandering in that direction again. The plan calls for around a dozen bears to be collared, whose movements will be tracked for four years.

This comes as a direct response to a joint initiative between Parks Canada and the Canadian Pacific Railway. They’ve devoted $1 million to curb the unfortunate bear deaths. “Fine scale GPS data provides detailed patterns of use that can answer specific questions about how and why bears travel through certain habitats or routes, including the railway tracks,” explained Parks Canada biologist Tom Hurd.

[via Edmonton Journal]

According to an interview with a statistician working with Target since 2002, Target not only has their specialists working on deciding when its the right time to send you coupons for cleaning supplies, they’re going for the holy grail: the birth of your children. The use of Guest IDs has been going on in Target for “decades” and whenever possible collects data on every single person who “regularly” walks into their stores. The specialist mentioned here, Andrew Pole, noted the following on the baby situation:

“We knew that if we could identify them in their second trimester, there’s a good chance we could capture them for years. As soon as we get them buying diapers from us, they’re going to start buying everything else too. If you’re rushing through the store, looking for bottles, and you pass orange juice, you’ll grab a carton. Oh, and there’s that new DVD I want. Soon, you’ll be buying cereal and paper towels from us, and keep coming back.” – Pole

This all works with the Guest ID, a system which is not accessible to customers but is used currently by Target stores to keep records of all types of customers. Again, according to Pole:

“If you use a credit card or a coupon, or fill out a survey, or mail in a refund, or call the customer help line, or open an e-mail we’ve sent you or visit our Web site, we’ll record it and link it to your Guest ID. We want to know everything we can.” – Pole

Sound creepy to you? The New York Times is running a piece with additional quotes from Pole, this leading us to believe that Target may have one whole heck of a lot more advanced system behind its Big Red Living Room than they let on. What do you think of this, citizens? Are you happy that Target knows when you’re going to have a child even before you do?

I know it’s not keeping with the independence and resistance against big brother theme we’ve had going on since the dawn of humanity here, but I really don’t mind Target tracking my purchases. If I want to pick up a strange combination of items that I don’t want anyone to know about, I’ll do it with cash. If I really want to mess with Target, I’ll buy bleach, knives, and duct tape for the next few weeks exclusively with my credit card – see what kind of coupons they send me then!

Starting at 7pm on Christmas Eve OnStar subscribers, including FMV owners, will be able to request a Santa Update all the way through 5am on Christmas Day. OnStar and NORAD are working together to help kids track Santa on his trip around the world. I can only imagine the number of calls that OnStar will receive.

Considering my daughter updated the app roughly every 15 seconds last year. I suspect very heavy calling from any parent with an OnStar ride and young kids. The downside is that knowing where Santa is may mean some kids will stay up later. OnStar was showing off in car video call streaming yesterday.

The tracking tech uses some antennas installed around the mall to triangulate individual users’ locations and follow their path around the mall. According to the maker if the tracking system it can’t capture the shoppers phone number, data, texts, or any personal details. I’m not sure how much better that will make many privacy conscious shoppers feel.

The malls say the system will only capture anonymous trends. Presumably, they are looking at ways to arrange the mall that will bring more foot traffic to important parts of the mall. The management says that the shopper can opt out of tracking. The opt out method is turning off your phone. I very much doubt in today’s connected society people will be willing to turn off their mobile phones.

[via Mobileburn]

OnStar later came back with an announcement that the user could opt out of the tracking service. The mere thought of users being tracked after cancelling an account was enough to make three US Senators angry enough to call on the FCC to investigate. Two of the Senators are Al Franken (D-MN) and Chris Coons (D-DE) who called the tracking of users a violation of basic principles of privacy and fairness.

Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) raised objections of his own in a letter that he wrote to the FCC calling the new policy by OnStar, “one of the most brazen invasions of privacy in recent memory.” Apparently one of the sticking points for the Senators is that the opt out of tracking for the customers cancelling can only be done over the phone. There is apparently no other way to stop them from tracking users and sharing that data for whatever reason they want. The other worry from the Senators is how difficult it is to anonymize the user with this sort of data.

[via ArsTechnica]

The camera software allegedly tracks and transmits data to Microsoft even if the owner has specifically opted out of sharing information. In the past Microsoft has said they only track location data when the user has given consent to be tracked. The suit was filed on behalf of one user of a WP7 handset. There are details that are left to the imagination though including the name of the person filing the suit and how exactly this person found that the camera app was tracking users.

At this point, there is no more information the case. We know that tracking of people against their wishes with smartphones is possible. Apple has found itself in lots of hot water over the act in the past. Whether or not there is anything real in this suit remains to be seen. We will keep an eye out for updates on the case.

[via TheNextWeb]

Apparently, iOS 4.3.3 will stop the iPhone from tracking the user and will be here in the next two weeks, if not sooner reports BGR. BGR claims that it has received a copy of the OS already and hasn’t yet loaded it onto a phone. The update is said to address several different things. The update will keep the iPhone from backing the location database up to iTunes.

The update will also reduce the size of the location database. The update will also automatically delete the entire Location Services database when Location Services are turned off. Other fixes include battery life improvements and iPod fixes. I hope one of those iPod fixes keeps my iPhone from playing tunes in the background each time it connects to a Bluetooth hands free device.

[via BGR]

We reported last week that both the iPhone and Android devices were storing tracking details on the user of the phone is at set intervals and sending that data home. The iPhone stores the data, that data is sent to Apple intermittently, and Android shoots the location data over the Google. The WSJ says that the iPhone is collecting and storing that data using cellular towers and WiFi access points near the user. The WSJ also notes that over the weekend Rep. Edward Markey (D. Mass.) has called for a congressional investigation into the tracking row.

Markey says that the location information could be hacked by predators putting children who use the smartphones at risk. The iPhone stores months worth of tracking information according to security researchers. So far, both Apple and Google claim that the data that the smartphones stores and send in to them is anonymous and that users can turn it off by disabling location services. Apple will surely find itself in more hot water with the discovery that the data is collected even when location services are disabled by the user.

[via WSJ]

The small tracker is able to provide real time tracking details on a person or vehicle. It has a location history with full address, date stamp, and time stamp. The compact device is 4-inches long and 2.5-inches wide making it easy to store and hide out of the way in a vehicle.

The Ghost Rider has an internal antenna and internal memory that can store five days worth of tracking data. The tracking device needs a monthly service plan with 500 locates for $16.95 monthly. Up to unlimited locates for $79.95 monthly. The Ghost Rider sells for $395.

The GPS Watch is just what it sounds like, a wristwatch that tells time and allows big brother to keep an eye on you wherever you may go during your day. The watch is powered by a lithium battery and can be used for tracking kids, elderly patients, and employees in high-risk environments.

The tracking service is pay-as-you-go so you don’t have to pay a monthly fee for tracking you may only need once a week. Each search for the wearer costs about as much as two text messages according to the manufacturer. The search results are accurate to five meters, and the GPS Watch uses Google global mapping. The battery is good for 25 hours of run time per charge and the watch is available now for £199 (+VAT).

The wristband is intended to be used in settings where tracking people is very important. For instance, the wristbands can be used to track patients in a hospital or to track employees or visitors in secure facilities. The company also says that the system has been deployed in mining situations to allow workers to be found in the event of an emergency.

The wristband houses a push button that sends signals to the RTLS system that can process the button press based on a set of rules predefined by the administrator. A press could be a request for emergency help or a simple check-in procedure. The tag is waterproof and can be cleaned in different solutions and reused. The wristband can also vibrate to warn a user when they venture off an approved path. General availability of the T301W tags is set for Q4 with a cost of about $60 each.

The phone of choice right now is the Motorola C168i AT&T GoPhone, which you can find for around $20 at convenience and drug stores.  Into that plugs a straightforward breadboard with an Atmel ATTINY84-20PU AVR microcontroller, Tyco Electronics A1035D GPS module and a few other components, together with a battery supply.

Like the commercial units, the Open GPS Tracker can respond to movement or an SMS message, and sends out the exact GPS position so you can display it on Google Maps.  If it’s out of coverage then it caches the locations and serves them up once it finds another signal.

If you’re handy with a soldering iron, and fancy saving some money, this could be a really useful project to attempt.

[via Hacked-Gadgets]

An internal rechargeable battery is good for up to five days of continuous tracking, and the casing is waterproof and “extremely durable”.  Meanwhile the monitoring software allows you to set up automatic zone alerts – which send out emails and SMS messages when particular locations are entered or left - and can be accessed from a full browser or mobile device. 

There’s also speed alert monitoring, useful if you’re tracking a teenager or employee driving and the Spark Nano takes approximately 40 seconds to get a GPS fix when powered on.  The Lightning GPS Spark Nano is available now, priced at $299.95; service plans cost from $49.95 per month, with the panic button service a $5 extra.

Press Release:

Demand for tiny GPS Trackers has spread from police and military investigators to soccer moms wanting to keep an eye on family members.

http://wwww.lightninggps.com [Lightning GPS] , the primary supplier of covert GPS Tracking to military and law enforcement is moving aggressively to meet this demand.

http://wwww.lightninggps.com [Lightning GPS] announced today that it would release the tiny “Spark Nano” GPS Tracker to the general public. Venturing into the consumer sector is a radical move for Lightning GPS, a company well known as the main provider of covert GPS Tracking to Police Departments, the Military, and DHS.

Sometimes tiny just isn’t small enough.

“Everyday we field desperate calls from parents who are begging us for implantable GPS Trackers that they can use to track their family members,” says Jason Lazarus, VP of Research and Development for Lightning GPS. “There is a very real demand for this technology that is just not yet available to the public.”

With its “nano” size and friendly look & feel, the Spark Nano GPS Tracker has a strong appeal with everyone from parents to Professional Investigators who desire stealth tracking. About the size of a 9-Volt battery, this rugged, waterproof tracker can go anywhere and track anyone.

“We asked customers what they wanted and the message was clear,” says Lazarus. He explained, “Consumers want all the features and accuracy of a professional GPS Tracker without the cost or complex software associated with most military grade GPS Trackers. Our team successfully developed a system that combines all of the professional grade GPS Tracking features in the smallest possible, easy-to-use package.”

The new web-based tracking system designed for the Spark Nano is so easy-to-use, that http://wwww.lightninggps.com [Lightning GPS] launched a http://www.lightninggps.com/gps-tracking-devices/spark-nano-real-time-gps-tracking-device-4.html [Free Live Demo] that requires no training at all to get started.

This is the first “consumer friendly” military grade GPS Tracking system available to the public. Its versatile design and user friendly interface makes it perfect for tracking employees, vehicles, or family members. There is even a Panic Button to make this tiny GPS Tracker a personal safety beacon that alerts people when the wearer feels they are in danger, pointing out exactly where they can be found. The same powerful features professional investigators expect such as e-mail/text alerts, and even geofence to get alerts when entering or exiting geographic areas are built in.

http://www.lightninggps.com/gps-tracking-devices/spark-nano-real-time-gps-tracking-device-4.html [Spark Nano] Features:
* Smallest GPS Tracking Device Available to the public
* Panic Button For Sending Emergency Alerts
* Waterproof and Extremely Durable
* 5 Days of Continuous Tracking w/ Internal Rechargeable Battery
* Automatic E-mail / Cell Phone Alerts
* “Safety Zone” Technology Can Alert You Upon Entry Or Exit Of A Defined Area
* Track From Your Cell Phone or The Web

Availability: The Spark Nano is shipping as of today. Consumers and small businesses can contact BrickHouse Security (http://www.BrickHouseSecurity.com [BrickHouse Security] ) the exclusive retail distributor in North America. Corporate and government clients can contact Lightning GPS Directly for Server Licensing and large volume orders. Volume discounts are available as well as the ability for government and corporate customers to buy the server for use behind their firewall.

The XACT | TRAX, a GPS tracking device useful for keeping tabs on pets, people and property, uses a custom web portal to locate where on Earth the tracker is.  You can also set “geo fences” using the web portal, and you’ll be alerted via the web or SMS when your tracker leaves the fenced-in area.

We don’t have an availability date or a cost for this device as of yet, but we do know that there won’t be a recurring subscription.  Keep checking in regularly for more on the XACT | TRAX.

[via Engadget]

The Snitch unit itself is less than 4.5-inches long and surprisingly curvy for something intended to be discretely hidden away. On-device controls are minimal, with only a power button and ‘Arm’ button on the right-hand side, together with their indicator LEDs, and the power socket on the left-hand side. The Snitch’s non-user-replaceable Li-polymer battery takes 4-6hrs to charge and offers 5-7 days “typical use”. Both a 12v cigarette charger cable and hard-wiring kit are available, though not included in the box.

What you do get is the GPS Snitch itself, a wall charger, quick-start guide and two window stickers (to alert would-be car thieves that the vehicle is GPS protected). Build quality is fair, with decent plastics but we would prefer to see more solid construction.

Unlike many GPS navigation devices, the GPS receiver Blackline use is capable of working even when in the trunk or buried under shopping. For longer-term tracking, Blackline recommend hard-wiring the GPS Snitch or at least using the optional power cable. Not only will you be free of battery dependence, but when externally powered the Snitch automatically boosts its GPS reception for faster acquisition times, more tenacious signal holding and better accuracy. The 12v cigarette charger cable is priced at $34.99 while the hard-wiring kit is $14.99.

Since this is basically a GPS device hooked up to a cellphone, there’s a monthly service fee (and $29.95 activation fee) along with the initial outlay. Blackline offer a range of plans, each with a different number of included “tracking credits”. Think of these as bundled text messages with your regular cellphone; a credit is required every time you query the GPS Snitch’s location. Pricing starts from $14.99 a month for US and Canadian coverage, which gets you 50 credits, and rise to $25.99 a month with 500 credits. Alternatively there’s an annual plan, at $169.99 a year, with 1,000 credits.

Unused credits roll-over month to month; there’s also the option to buy booster credit packs, from as few as 30 to as many as 1,000 at a time. Unsurprisingly they’re cheaper the more you buy – $0.10 each for 30, versus $0.05 each for 1,000 – but they expire 90 days after purchase unless you top-up again.

Figure on crunching through more than you’d initially imagine, however; just about everything you do with the GPS Snitch demands a tracking credit. Powering up takes a physical press of the button, but after that all the functions can be controlled either via the web interface or using SMS text messages from your cellphone (which must be registered with the system beforehand; you can authorize two handsets). Blackline offer several different ways to use the GPS Snitch, depending on your tracking intent.

The cheapest way to use it is to manually query for a position. The online interface is built around Google Maps, with the usual zoom, satellite imagery and hybrid modes. A single locate command requires a single tracking credit, and you’re given position, speed and direction together with exact coordinates, GPS and GSM signal strength, positioning accuracy and battery level. Data, once recorded, can be loaded into Google Earth, and free guest accounts can be registered and invited to view tracking data. Pressing the ‘Arm’ button on the Snitch (or arming it either through the site or via a text message) causes the device’s internal motion sensor to send out an alert if it feels any movement. You can specify whether to receive that update as an SMS or an email, as well as set a “pet mode” which ignores the rocking motions caused by an animal in the vehicle and only reacts to driving movement.

If you’re feeling rich, “Continuous Tracking” instructs the Snitch to send out updates as fast as it can, which in practice means once every 20-30 seconds. On the basic $15 plan, then, you’ll burn through your inclusive tracking credits in less than twenty minutes. The middle-ground between continuous and manual modes is “Scheduled Tracking”, where you can set a period within which the Snitch is active (e.g. between 9am and 5pm on Monday) and how frequently it sends out location updates (measured in minutes). You can name individual schedules but there’s no apparent option to set up repeat, recurring schedules. Alternatively, a Perimeter Alert Auto-Tracking” setting automatically sends out location updates every five minutes for a 2hr period, if the Snitch crosses over a pre-defined geographical perimeter. This proved tricky to set up, however.

In use, we were impressed with the GPS Snitch’s accuracy, particularly when hidden inside the car with no direct line of sight to the sky. Continuous tracking is entertaining but financially ruinous, and we generally used scheduled updates and occassional manually-triggered updates. The motion sensor is useful, but it only sends out an alert, not a location update; that, then, costs you another tracking credit. We’d also like to see the Snitch send alerts if preset speeds are exceeded.

The Blackline GPS Snitch is flexible and, technically, very proficient. Whether you’re looking for a way to track your teenagers or your company vans, it’s a relatively straightforward way to do so. However the cost of tracking, while contract free, is expensive, and using the Snitch to the most of its abilities would soon add up. Temper your urge for real-time tracking, however, and it’s a great way to monitor your car and the people using it.

The consumer groups responded and argued that the network has breached the principle of Net Neutrality, in which all Internet traffic should treat equally. The Network uses of managing traffic aimed to protect its TV business and the competitive VOD services. BitTorrent, the guilty party according to Comcast, told the Washintonpost that the practice is not an ideal fix, Comcast should be upgrading and improving the network and bandwidth instead. The company defended and compared the traffic management to traffic control light uses to regulate vehicles, they aren’t blocking the content, just relaying one, briefly.

Comcast is urging your neighborhood network traffic could be affecting you because of files sharing service and it should be managed. But doing so would open the Pandora’s Box to allow reasonable management from similar services providers in the future.

What’s your thought?

It all works off of RFID and each Loc8tor comes with a few miniature RFID homing tags that you put on or in whatever you don’t want to lose. Some recommendations would be your wallet, cell phone, or other high end electronics that you take with you on the go.

Personally, I’d probably attach it to the TV remote, my Xbox 360 Media Center Remote (I am always losing that damned thing), and then I have a couple of RC flying vehicles that it would be nifty to have something to help me find their remnants when I crash and burn. All in, it seems like a very useful device, and it will only cost you $80 for one of the new Lite sets, probably less for the original model.

[via ubergizmo]

The PocketTrack is essentially a USB stick with GPS capabilities. After installing the software, it will use Google Earth to map out everywhere it’s been with an accuracy of up to 2.5 meters. It records time, date, location and even altitude. It comes with 4mb of memory so you’ll be good to go for a long bout of spying.

I’d say using this item will take some real guts. Mainly because it costs $269 and that’s a lot of money you could potentially lose. However, if I had this item I’d have to risk it just to test it out.

Super PocketTrack Covert GPS Tracker [via Chip Chick]

Apple could be using the data collected for any number of reasons. Maybe Mr. Jobs just wants to know when you buy or sell Apple stock. Some have suggested that it is a method of tracking the number of unlocked iPhones. Whatever the case maybe, I’m sure it’s nothing malicious. So I don’t want to hear anyone running around calling Apple “Big Brother,” or any of that nonsense.

If it bugs you enough to do something about, there are already many hackers who have found ways to send false IMEI numbers. Although you need a hex-code editor, and it will void your warranty if Apple ever catches your little modification.

Apple Secretly Tracking IMEI and Usage (with proof) [via 9 to 5 Mac]