More on Loc8tor personal tracking system
posted December 15th 2005 2:25PM
When we first heard of the Loc8tor a few weeks ago, we were a little dubious of the tracking device, which claims it can locate pretty much anything that you can slap a tag on, within a 500 foot range. Of course, we didn't have a lot of info back then. Now that it's getting close to its unveiling at CES, some more details on the Loc8tor are starting to trickle out (ah, those PR folks; they love to trickle that info), including the fact that the device can work with up to 24 tags simultaneously, the tags themselves (pictured, above) are about the size of a postage stamp (also pictured, above), and tags can be affixed to both objects and people, the latter of which can use a panic button to alert the person holding the base unit. Pricing is set at $99.99 for a version that doesn't include panic-capable tags, and $169.99 for one that does. We're still not sure how well this works in the real world, but we'll do our best to snag one at CES to do a scavenger hunt test run, and will report back to you.
I have been pining for a system like this for ages. I wanted to invent it myself, but i figured that someone else already has (and they have). I'll attach one to my keys, my rented DVD's, my keys, and probably my keys.
I wonder how long it will take before people will actually need a picture to know what postage stamp looks like.
Insecure girlfriends, get your engines ready.
This is brilliant. I wonder if it could be used for crime fighting... For example, stick them in wallets and purses, then track down the bastards who steal them.
Well, if those are the actual regular tags (non-panic enabled) then its usefulness will be much less. I was hoping for tags that were something like a sticker so that they could be put into the battery compartment of a remote control, insise a wallet, etc. I'll hold off final judgment until there is confirmation on that, though.
Jeff
But if they were sticker like, there would be no place for the battery. If they didn't use batteries, the range would be more like 10 inches.
And what's that light on it for? You would only need a LED on the panic enabled ones. Cause if those are on the normal ones and flash when working, they would be very annoying and waste power. I want one of these for our cat that is always trying to run outside.
Pick me up one at CES! ;)
Something like this has been described in the story (novel?) themepunks, by Cory Doctorow (serialized some time ago in the Tech & Business section of http://www.salon.com ).
Wake me when they are 50%-75% thinner.
within 500 feet? that's almost useless unless your thinking state or countrywide scale.
Um....
Moron Locator?
thats funny.
I'm sorry, but does anyone else hate it when someone puts a T after 8 when trying to spell something? Sk8ter, Gr8ter. Eight has a friggin T in it! LocEIGHTor, not LocEIGHT-Tor!!
Someone please do a GMap real-time hack for this, PDA comp.
God Save.
This will be great for people that tend to forget where they parked their cars in large parking lots.
cell phone and car key tags. Not too much else you might lose track of in a 500 foot range, that this would not be an overly bulky wart upon.
Who is actually going to use these monsters? Parents on their kids?
FYI: For all you "Rainmen" out there: Since they are using postage stamps to measure the size of this thing, then using the same measurements of a USPS standard stamp, the range of this thing is not 500 feet, but rather 8000 side-by-side postage stamps. I will wait until they come up with one that is about 800,000 stamps.