$29 Anti-theft device

[fred cook]

Place the unit somewhere in your car and download the app! Then, if you car gets stolen, you can track it's current location.

Tiny Device Allows You To Track Your Car Using Your Smartphone

[CMYK]

Before anyone gets too excited.. please note that these are Bluetooth dependent and have no GPS capability. They're pretty handy for losing your keys in and around a house (we have a few) but there is no way you could drop this in your glovebox and track a stolen car with it.

[Pazuzu]

Actually, it's step up from the old bluetooth trigger devices. I remember hearing about the development of this one a few years ago.

The small print on the bottom explains why it's different:

When an item goes missing with a TrackR device attached, all TrackR enabled phones will begin to search for that item. When another TrackR app user passes nearby the lost item, that user's phone will anonymously ping the TrackR server to update the item's owner with new GPS coordinates of when and where it was last seen.

So, if someone *does* steal your car, and then later on someone who *happens* to have this app (running? they don't make it clear) walks next to the stolen car, your phone will ping it's location.
So, yes, it's a major step up from the passive bluetooth trackers, but it's highly dependent on a dense network of other users, which is unlikely.

[CMYK]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

So, if someone *does* steal your car, and then later on someone who *happens* to have this app (running? they don't make it clear) walks next to the stolen car, your phone will ping it's location.

Didn't know that (pretty cool actually) but yes, the dense user network is a little unlikely. I also think signal strength is an issue- it doesn't really pick up on anything out of a four foot radius.

[scottmandue]

I have a crazy idea (like I do).
What if you bought the worlds cheapest cell phone that had GPS and hid it in your car... could you then track it?
I know there are a lot of logistical problems but what if?

[wildthing]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

I have a crazy idea (like I do).
What if you bought the worlds cheapest cell phone that had GPS and hid it in your car... could you then track it?
I know there are a lot of logistical problems but what if?

This might. Just keep it powered. If it was an old iDevice you can even track using Find My iPhone.

But you have to hide it under the dash or something.

And that's an extra $20 a month on your plan at least.

[LakeCleElum]

In my mind, there is a difference between a "Anti-Theft" device and a "Tracking" device....I would prefer to prevent the theft and not worry about tracking......

[Jeff Higgins]

And if you do find it, then what?

We had a case just in the last year or so right here in my town wherein a minivan got stolen. A teenage daughter's IPad or something was in it, so she fired up mom or dad's computer and ran some "find my IPad" app or something. With dad driving, the family found their minivan in a 7-11 parking lot and called 911. They were told, very pointedly, to knock that crap off and quit following their van before they got hurt.

This went on for some time, apparently, with the mom or dad pleading with the 911 operator to just send someone out to help them as they followed their minivan around town. Half an hour, forty five minutes, an hour - no help forthcoming as they followed the damn thing around. The crooks who stole it finally noticed them and threatened them, so they broke off their "surveillance". The cops never came and the van disappeared. Unbelievable...

So, what would you do, honestly? Maybe you will get lucky and the cops will actually give a rip in your case, but don't count on it. Then what? You are the proverbial "dog that caught the car". If you are armed and attempt to recover your property and injure or kill someone, it won't be hard to prove it was a result of your pursuit - no "castle doctrine" or anything like that will save you from likely prosecution. If you are unarmed and attempt to recover your vehicle, how well do you think that will go?

Granted, vehicles have been recovered with this kind of technology. I'm with Bob, though, thinking it's better to actually prevent theft than try to react to it.

[widebody911]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

I have a crazy idea (like I do).
What if you bought the worlds cheapest cell phone that had GPS and hid it in your car... could you then track it?
I know there are a lot of logistical problems but what if?

A guy at my work did exactly that to document his wife having an affair. He used an old iPhone.

[widebody911]

Originally Posted by Pazuzu

dependent on a dense network of other users, which is unlikely.

You would have to convince zillions of people to install the app, and then actually keep it running.

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by scottmandue

I have a crazy idea (like I do).
What if you bought the worlds cheapest cell phone that had GPS and hid it in your car... could you then track it?
I know there are a lot of logistical problems but what if?

I thought of this a few years ago. Battery life was the limiting factor even when creating the most minimalist device necessary to transmit a signal even hourly.

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

I thought of this a few years ago. Battery life was the limiting factor even when creating the most minimalist device necessary to transmit a signal even hourly.

What if you hooked up the phone though a USB adapter to the 12 volt system in the car?

It would work as long as there was a battery installed in the car.

[pwd72s]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

And if you do find it, then what?

We had a case just in the last year or so right here in my town wherein a minivan got stolen. A teenage daughter's IPad or something was in it, so she fired up mom or dad's computer and ran some "find my IPad" app or something. With dad driving, the family found their minivan in a 7-11 parking lot and called 911. They were told, very pointedly, to knock that crap off and quit following their van before they got hurt.

This went on for some time, apparently, with the mom or dad pleading with the 911 operator to just send someone out to help them as they followed their minivan around town. Half an hour, forty five minutes, an hour - no help forthcoming as they followed the damn thing around. The crooks who stole it finally noticed them and threatened them, so they broke off their "surveillance". The cops never came and the van disappeared. Unbelievable...

So, what would you do, honestly? Maybe you will get lucky and the cops will actually give a rip in your case, but don't count on it. Then what? You are the proverbial "dog that caught the car". If you are armed and attempt to recover your property and injure or kill someone, it won't be hard to prove it was a result of your pursuit - no "castle doctrine" or anything like that will save you from likely prosecution. If you are unarmed and attempt to recover your vehicle, how well do you think that will go?

Granted, vehicles have been recovered with this kind of technology. I'm with Bob, though, thinking it's better to actually prevent theft than try to react to it.

Cops don't consider stolen cars a high priority. A decade or so ago, Portland TV news reported a rapidly spotted and recovered stolen car. Turns out the theft victim was a demolition expert, who told the cops he'd left explosives and triggering devices in the trunk. After the car was recovered he "remembered" that he had placed the explosives elsewhere.

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Cops don't consider stolen cars a high priority. A decade or so ago, Portland TV news reported a rapidly spotted and recovered stolen car. Turns out the theft victim was a demolition expert, who told the cops he'd left explosives and triggering devices in the trunk. After the car was recovered he "remembered" that he had placed the explosives elsewhere.

lol... I like his style.

[Geronimo '74]

Originally Posted by widebody911

A guy at my work did exactly that to document his wife having an affair. He used an old iPhone.

His wife should have bought one of these...

Mini GPS Satellite Blocker [J-0035C] - £38.00 : jammer4u.co.uk

It' all the rage with carthieves too....
Gps blockers, cheap and handy....
Better immobilise your car first and rely on some sort of tracking device as a last resort...

[Shaun @ Tru6]

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

What if you hooked up the phone though a USB adapter to the 12 volt system in the car?

It would work as long as there was a battery installed in the car.

My idea was a credit card-sized transmitter for your wallet, mini-fob for your keys, etc.

If you could do localized wireless charging, it would work. But you'd have to place your keys, wallet in a specific location each day or every few days to recharge (overnight) and have a charger in your garage for your car's transmitter or a bike.

Then it would work.

I didn't think it was viable at the time.

But wiring in a transmitter in your car is a very good idea.

[scottmandue]

Originally Posted by widebody911

A guy at my work did exactly that to document his wife having an affair. He used an old iPhone.

I upgrade (read that as break) my phone every one/two years so I have at least one old phone kicking around in a drawer somewhere, and now a lot of carriers have a four line flat rate plan. We only need three phones so we could get one as a throw away.

Originally Posted by Shaun @ Tru6

I thought of this a few years ago. Battery life was the limiting factor even when creating the most minimalist device necessary to transmit a signal even hourly.

Originally Posted by sc_rufctr

What if you hooked up the phone though a USB adapter to the 12 volt system in the car?

It would work as long as there was a battery installed in the car.

That would be my work around for the charging, but hook it to a circuit that is only energized when the car is turned on.

I also completely agree that such an item is foolish because of what Jeff said, what are you going to do if you find your stolen car?

I guess this is a perk of driving cheap econo cars, sure I don't look cool anymore but I have very little concern for auto theft.

My friend has a rather pricey Chevy diesel crew cab pickup, he has lojack.

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Cops don't consider stolen cars a high priority. A decade or so ago, Portland TV news reported a rapidly spotted and recovered stolen car. Turns out the theft victim was a demolition expert, who told the cops he'd left explosives and triggering devices in the trunk. After the car was recovered he "remembered" that he had placed the explosives elsewhere.

I love it. Reminds me of the joke about the old gentleman who called 911 to report someone breaking into his detached garage. The operator said they had no one to send right away and admonished him to stay inside. "Oh, that's o.k. ma'm, I'll just grab my shotgun and head on out there"... click.

Cops were there in less than a minute and managed to apprehend the burglar. The homeowner came out the front door of his house to thank them, and one of the officers said "we thought you were going out there with a gun", to which he replied "I thought you 'didn't have anyone' to send..."

[JQ911]

I have that in my 911 and could only go as far as the 100 away. Afterwards, I will depend on other users to locate my car. Hope it gets as many users as WAZE for it to work. I've had it for a year now. The battery is dead now. lol.