...I ran across this:



It's called "Wherify" and is a PCS-based wristwatch that has a built in pager and GPS. It's designed for kids, but I had an idea that it would be a great anti-theft device and is an alternative to Lojack. Here's how it works - it's $400 to buy and basic service is $25 a month. It's the size of a wristwatch, so you can hide it anywhere in your car. It runs off DC power (the unit includes an AC charger which you would hack the end off of and run that to any power source). So you would just hide it somewhere i.e. jammed down in the rear pillar, and run a power wire to it. You can even spray paint it flat black for super stealth mode. It always stays charged because it's always "plugged in" charging from the car battery. A fully charged unit has SIXTY hours of standby time once it's REMOVED from the charger (i.e. your car battery is cut for example).

So now let's say you wake up one morning as theives are driving your car away. Well, you simply log into the website and locate your car down to within a few feet - it gives you a real-time picture as the dumbasses drive it along as well as the cloest street address. You then calmly call 911 and report your car stolen and track it right there with the operator as the cops close in on the bad guys:



Personally, I think Lojack isn't very effiective and I have heard too many stories about theives finding it with a simple scanner. Plus they all know what it looks like and know exactly what to look for. Well this thing works totally different and if they "scan" you car looknig for Lojack they will not find anything. By the time they strip your car down and stumble upon the Wherify unit, they will looking down the barrel of a Glock 9mm. You can even hack off the wristband (since you don't need it) and make it even smaller. Lojack is the size of a pack of cigarettes - this thing is like 1/5 the size of that!

I don't know how much Lojack is to install, but I guarantee it's more than $400 + $25/month. I don't like the fact that you don't get to install Lojack yourself, and you have to call Lojack and have them "turn it on" if your car is stolen - by that time theives may have already found it and it's sitting in a sewer somewhere beeping away. With Wherify you can install it yourself (and you know it's done right because you did it yourself) and you can track YOURSELF it the instant you think something is up.

Hell, you don't even have to track it if your car is stolen - you can locate your ride anytime you want. Lent you car out to your little brother to "go to the library"? Look it up on the Net while you're @ home and make sure he's not doing doughnuts at the local drag strip. Or check to see if you car is safe and sound in the college parking lot while you are in class on your wireless laptop w/ net access. The possibilities are endless.

The ONLY downside I can see is coverage. But since it uses the existing PCS phone network, the coverage is already there. There's a PCS map on Wherify's web site that you can see coverage for your area:


Anyways, it's just something cool I ran across that I thought some of you would be interested in. It's definitely "thinking outside of the box", which is exactly what catches theives off guard. I'm sick of hearing of our cars being stolen by asswipes every 15 minutes, and I'm sick of constantly worrying that my chit is getting jacked or always peeking out the window to make sure my car is still there. I know others feel the same way.

The website is http://www.wherifywireless.com if you want to check it out.

- Slater


[Modified by Slater, 1:02 AM 11/9/2002]


[Modified by Slater, 1:03 AM 11/9/2002]

 

Now pay attention Double 0 seven. If your car were to be stolen you can track it with this wrist watch...

 

Cool, unfortunately, GPS requires "line of sight" to the satellites, so unless you place it under your window glass or somewhere that the antenna can "see" the sky, the GPS signal won't work.

 

very interesting idea.

 

...right from the web site:

Does the GPS Personal Locator work indoors or under dense foliage?

The GPS Personal Locator utilizes enhanced GPS to determine its location, so it may work in environments where traditional GPS products do not, such as inside some buildings, urban canyons and dense foliage. The Locator will work in most wood frame buildings or next to non-shielded (not coated) windows typically found in homes.

Remember, this thing is designed for a kid to wear as a watch, which is always facing DOWN. No one expects little Johnny to walk around with his arm always out so the watch can "see" the sky.

I think they do the location through triangulation on the PCS network. All new phones and PCS devices have to have this "location" feature according to federal law. I'm sure it uses a combination of GPS satellites and/or triangulation of the closest 2-3 PCS towers to determine the exact location. The web site says the range can zero down from 1-30 meters, so I'll bet the 1 meter is direct GPS location, and the slightly more innacurate range is from PCS locating perhaps.

- Slater


[Modified by Slater, 1:13 AM 11/9/2002]

 

Neat

 

you can always hide it where the rear windshield wiper would have been, but thats the only spot

 

expensive but for sure it'll make sales with the amount of cars getting stolen nowadays. even my friends 87 cressida got stolen coupel of days ago. how sad is that

 

Well remember, it's designed for paranoid parents to locate their kid who is lost at the mall or kidnapped or something.

That's the beauty of this thing - a car thief would not expect a child-locating wristwatch to be leading the cops to his ***.

Something else funny - I guess when you sign up for the service you give them the name of your "kid". "Uh yeah, my kid's name is #00319 sir" hehe.

- Slater

 

The consent decree to implement the E911 service for phones does not require compliance until 2005:

http://www.wired.com/news/wireless/0,1382,55064,00.html

Although you seem to be "sure" they're doing PCS triangulation, I wouldn't count on it.

 

Thinking more about this, it probably wouldn't be too difficlult for them to make a GPS antenna that looked like a license plate frame. I imagine they'd come out w/ a dedicated car unit if the have the capital to develop and market one.

 

Nah, you're right - I am just speculating on the triangulation method.

As you pointed out, E911 isn't required 100% yet, but phones produced as early as last year have the technology.

- Slater

 

Could this be another ITR driven product that goes on back order for months?

 

Interesting...I saw this kind of tech on tech-tv awhile back

 

Great, now you can watch your car being driven to the chop shop in real time! That, and/or you'll have a swell time finding whats remaining of your car w/ the help of GPS..

Seriously though, GPS is not much of an anti theft device.. but more of a 'post theft' device, if you can call it that.

 

Cool, so this is what kind of stuff we should expect more of in our future.

Hope these new technologies will bring theives down for good one day

 

wouldn't it b nice to be on the phone with their dispatcher reading off the streetnames from ur home i could see how this with a really loud alarm and pager would be fun-rob

 

i have a bad feeling cops would give you **** if you called up an explained this thing to them when your car gets stollen mabe i dunno i do think its a good idea !

 

im assuming theres a delay in the reading.

i.e. its not real time...for a thief in a car thats going to be hard to track.

 

**** man... hell of a lot easier to track than a kid

 

I dunno, he can't drive forever!

 

holly chit~

where to get it and how much?

 

I actually found it in an ad for a local computer store (Micro Center). But I'm sure tons of electronics places will start selling it to paranoid and techno-loving parents (i.e. Best Buy, etc).

Or you can try the web site - I think they have a link to places that sell it.

Let us know if you go and check it out or buy it.

- Slater

 

My buddy works for this company:

Autostart:
http://www.autostart.ca/

And they offer a similar product that is DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY for CARS:

AutoTrax

He told me he'd install it for my car. They have an RSX for a show car and have this unit on it. You can actually go on the net and lock/unlock it's doors. It will tell you the heat inside the cabin or how hot the seats are. How fast the car is moving, where it is. YOu can even SHUT off the engine while rolloing ( not sure if you'd want to do that.

In any case, check it out...

 

damn that is hardcore. Too much IMO. But whatever makes you feel better or more safe.


tj