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."

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.

Finally something to help me track my Time Vehicle

[Anonymous Coward]

This is what I've been waiting for... Something to easily help me track my Time Vehicle. No, it's not a fake, it's the real thing. Don't worry, you'll be seeing it in the future... or maybe the past ;-) I'd show it to you now, but I keep losing track of it... *shrug*

let's think twice about this

[NotAnotherReboot]

"Families can stay in silent contact with loved ones during long or uncertain trips - a beacon that works anywhere. Our unique "peek-proof" system allows parents to obtain emergency location information while giving young drivers the comfort of knowing they are not being constantly watched."

Sure, they're loved ones until they get this and the spouse figures out where they're really going on those "business trips."

har har.

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

wow

[lingqi]

so if i wrap this in double-side tape and shape it like a bat, i can go and throw it around on cars and track their location in the name of fighting crime?

(speaking of which, since this stuff was in superhero books for the longest time - was there anything remotely similar before this?)

thank Gawd

[Anonymous Coward]

now I'll be able to find my car (burp)

Re:Yea dad...

[Requiem]

In other news, coffee-shop porkings were up 1000% today.

This is a good thing...

[Spazholio]

I, for one, was getting quite sick of tracking all those "fake" time vehicles...=)

uh...

[Anonymous Coward]

dude, where's my car?

Re:hey!

[Guppy06]

"i had to back up like 5 feet and even then the resemblence was only barely there"

Please please please don't mention the goatse.cx guy and "backing up" in the same post!

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:let's think twice about this

[Ravenscall]

Not to mention where the kids are really going when they say they are going to Band Camp

Re:Serial Ports

[Ravenscall]

Yes, those are serial ports.

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

Another invasion of the rights

[Anonymous Coward]

Another invasion of the rights of car thiefs. What's this world coming to?

Re:APRS

[djward]

Speak for yourself. Chicks dig big antennas. If it ain't at least 5/8 wave for 2m, I recommend seeing a doctor.

Divorce rate will skyrocket

[BurKaZoiD]

This'll make it much easier for people to catch their cheating spouses in the act. Gotta be pretty upsetting to catch yer old lady humping her brains out in the back of your Durango high atop Makeout Point.

10-20 vs. 10-73 and 10-100

[morcheeba]

In other news, startups 10-100.com and 10-73.com offer much more needed services. [cybertron.com]

I feel a commercial comming on

[MadBurner]

12 pack of beer - $8.95(plus deposit)

folding paper map of countryside - $2.75

Paying attention to driving and where the hell you are - PRICELESS

Re:New Economy(seriously)

[btellier]

What sort of criminal would use a stolen credit card to buy a tracking device?

Re:Divorce rate will skyrocket

[Type_O_Negative]

Funny story...

A person that I know of has a tracking device in a vehicle that she purchased for her boyfriend (his credit sucked, so the loan is in her name). She installed the tracking device to make sure he wasn't doing anything stupid with the car. They end up breaking up and he keeps the car, but he's still making payments to her since the loan is in her name.

She comes to find out that said boyfriend had been cheating on her with someone she knows. Said boyfriend knows nothing about the tracking device (it's tucked away in the dashboard, so you wouldn't find it unless you tore everything apart).

Now the fun part...she keeps tabs on said boyfriend and waits for him to visit said woman. If she's feeling particulary mean that day, she disables the car's ignition while he's in the house. I can only imagine how pissed off this guy must be...how do you explain that to a mechanic?

Boyfriend: "Well, every time I make a booty call, my car doesn't start."
Mechanic: "Does it happen any other time?"
Boyfriend: "Nope, only when I go to her house."
Mechanic: *gives boyfriend the "you must be retarded" look*

Who said playing Big Brother isn't fun? :)