New Zealand's Rakon develops world's smallest GPS receiver

So you think today's handheld, SDIO and cellphone-based GPS units are small? Get ready for a new generation of even smaller GPS devices, ranging from wristwatches to slim cellphones to -- and we just know this is coming -- implants. That's the promise held forth by what is being billed as the world's smallest GPS receiver, which was developed by New Zealand-based Rakon, a company affiliated with GPS-make Navman. According to Rakon, the chip is about the size of a baby's fingernail, and should be available in a range of devices within the next two years.

[Via TRFJ]

[Mark @ Jan 12th 2006 11:09PM]

Big deal. The government implanted one of those things at the base of my cerebellum last month while I was sleeping. And it's got an FM tuner.

[crzyjamaican46 @ Jan 12th 2006 11:15PM]

ThATS JUST SCARY. Combine this with that realy realy small japanese phone or better yet a tiny waterproof gsm pager and use the energy people or animals generate while walking to power a micro implantable tracking device so small that the victim would not even kno he was "infected". This could be good like in cat and dog collars but it could take a nasty big brotherish turn. Even without a clear gps signal you could triangulate the wireless signals from the pager/cellphone and combined with gps you would never be lost not even in mountaneous terrain or indoors. This has huge potential for good or evil.

[felix @ Jan 12th 2006 11:23PM]

mmm, implants

[Paulius @ Jan 12th 2006 11:36PM]

I just lost my lovely Scooter a a week ago and I can't stop thinking when these things is going to be available for afordable price to put them on anything you want and never lose anything in your life again.



I whish login somwehre on the website and jsut track each thing which I gave this device.



I can't understund why nobody is trying to make it available for everybody. Every single person who has wallet i am sure would love to have this litle device inside. It would make the life so much easier.

[furtim @ Jan 12th 2006 11:53PM]

Wow, and I thought the Lassen iQ was small.

[Jared @ Jan 12th 2006 11:54PM]

Why do I get the Feeling that for some odd reason The Model Number on this things is Probably going to be the "Rakon GSP18-X3"? or Better yet Simply the "Rakon GSP666" or Somthing to that Nature.



/me Wonders if the Anti-Christ is comming from New Zealand...

[quahogian @ Jan 13th 2006 12:49AM]

well...government like other users pointed out already had it what...hm the usual 5 yrs or so already? Those NSA guys prolly reading engadget and other tech blogs just to have a giggle and bet "how old is gonna be next gadget, this century or previous" :)

[Ben @ Jan 13th 2006 12:58AM]

I love it when announcements like this come out. Is it specifically labelled 'New Zealand' because like whoa NZ shouldn't be making electronics, just wool and sheep meat? Or is it 'New Zealand' as in 'Dubious Company from Small Country Announces Improbably Technology'?



If it came from USA or Europe it wouldn't have a qualifier, but hey, I'm a NZer so go us!!

[Mat @ Jan 13th 2006 1:40AM]

New Zealand!





ahahahahahahahaha



Ben's right!

[Geekpulp @ Jan 13th 2006 2:24AM]

Sweet! Go the kiwis!

[TZK @ Jan 13th 2006 6:12AM]

Got to love paranoid people.

[Vic @ Jan 13th 2006 8:23AM]

Come on now it doesn't transmit, just receives.

[no3rdw @ Jan 13th 2006 12:13PM]

The chip is about the size of a baby's fingernail, and should be available in a range of babies fingernails within the next two years.

[Winterfresh @ Jan 13th 2006 1:24PM]

The lassen IQ is and has been huge compared to a number of other gps modules already in production.

[furtim @ Jan 13th 2006 2:26PM]

Seriously, guys, just cover your implants with tinfoil if you're that freaked out.

[Mike @ Jan 13th 2006 4:29PM]

ITs about freaking time they invent this.



I like to use the timex speed and distance watches when i run (which tells me the distance I have run and other information using GPS)



The first models had a big clunky navman armband. The second models (which I own now) come with a smaller navman 2 arm band thats not to big or heavy but still a bother.



It would be amazing if I could run with just the watch (assuming one of these chips is insed the wath). Then I dont need to worry about the armband at all.



Garman also makes similar wathes without the armband (gps is built into the watch). But the watch is fugly and dis-formed because they chip is so big.



I cant wait untill 2 years from now to buy one :P

[Jack @ Jan 14th 2006 6:37AM]

The Rakon GPS receiver is amazing small, but another detail is left out .... it needs a much larger antenna, and a even larger battery! Thus the possibility of GPS implants should still be many years aways.

[ikkedus @ Jan 15th 2006 6:00AM]

Just make it a tiny little ball and shoot it into a leg. You'll just scratch but never know.

[ernest @ Jan 21st 2006 5:04AM]

Great work mate. Check out this awesome blog here.

[Chatelain Robert @ Feb 2nd 2006 10:14AM]

I'm dying to have a few components like this combined with a cell phone ,all in one chip.Small enough to be inserted to a waist bell ,a cap,to track individuals, money pack, cars, animals etc...
Kidnapping has become so common these days,i would sell a ton of them.Willing to buy a bunch of them right now.Have already wrote the program to track such thing right on the internet.