Last year Garmin released their first ever portable tracking device which is GPS enabled.  Being the World leader in GPS technology you would expect this tracker to really deliver on what it promises.  But how does it stack up against the other devices on the market?  Here’s a short review of the new GTU 10 product which might help you make your mind up.

What is the Garmin GTU 10 Tracker?

Garmin describe this product as a cheap and affordable GPS locator that will allow you to keep track on the things that you love.  You can track movements of your possessions online with their innovative web-based application – meaning you can keep a closer eye on your kids, pets, and most valued property – a common item being the family car.  The unit will also let you download free Garmin GPS updates to it with each new release of the packaged software.

Great Features of the Garmin GTU 10 GPS Tracker

One of the stand-out features about this new GPS tracking device is the free Garmin Tracker App.  This lets you track movements and location even when you are on the move – and this is all done via text and SMS messages straight to your cellphone or smartphone.

Essentially this works very easily, because you create GPS boundaries (called geofences) on the online map application and as soon as one of your GTU 10 units breaks the boundaries of your invisible line, then an SMS will immediately be delivered to a phone number of your choice.

Track and Protect Your Children with GTU 10

As a working example, let’s say you pack your kids off to school one morning.  If you place a Garmin GTU tracker in their bag and set up a geofence on their school route then you will get an SMS if they don’t arrive at the location or the GTU 10 breaks the boundaries that you set up.

More About the Garmin GTU 10 Tracker

The product is very small so can be used discretely.  The dimensions measure less than eight centimetres in length so it can be attached to a bag or placed inside your car (under the seat in the padding is usually a great method).

You will have to register the tracker on the Garmin website, which is then you will gain access to the online-based geofencing security system – and you can set up as many geofence boundaries as you want – there is no limit to how you use your GTU device.

What Exactly is a Geofence?

A geofence is a virtual boundary and should the GTU 10 enters or leaves the lines you draw then you can also receive an email as well as SMS messaging alerting you to the security breach.

Features of the Garmin GTU 10 GPS Tracker

• High sensitive GPS map technology from Garmin
• Small, light and waterproof
• One year free tracking subscription
• SMS and email messaging for Geofence breaches
• Track history and routes of your GTU 10
• No contract or activation fees applicable

The Garmin GPS Tracker is a very affordable entry level device should you want to start tracking what you value most in life.  It retails at well under two hundred US dollars.

Read more about GPS Tracker Device Reviews on my blog.

It is an awful feeling to know your pet is running loose, undoubtedly in some sort of danger, and you don’t know where to look for him. The longer he’s gone, the greater the chance he will be hit by a car, attacked by another animal or taken by someone.

In the past, the options were to drive around in the car looking for that beloved pet, put an ad in the paper and check the local animal shelters. Times have changed and a GPS tracking device offers a simple, practical and affordable solution.

The newest technology allows pet owners to set up a boundary for the pet and the small GPS tracking device alerts them when Fido or Mittens crosses that line. The owner is alerted via text message or email. The owner also receives a real time location for the pet and driving directions to locate him. This saves valuable time if you are at work or at a location other than home. Someone can be called to pick up the pet quickly even if you can’t get there immediately.

Some devices have a button that can be pushed if someone finds your pet which will then alert you to his location. If you have more than one pet, some units allow you to track up to three animals at the same time. Hunters also rely on the GPS systems tell them exactly where their dogs have run as they retrieve birds.

A veterinarian’s son remembered how lost dogs ended up at his dad’s practice and often lacked any identification to facilitate a safe return. As a responsible dog owner now himself, he is grateful to have access to a GPS tracking device for his four-legged family member. Animal control agencies and humane societies can attest to the fact that pets are lost every day. Many do not have identification or a microchip.

GPS tracking devices greatly increase the odds that you will find your pet quickly and safely. They are relatively inexpensive, certainly less than a reward you might have to offer to find a pet, and the peace of mind they provide is worth a fortune. The collars are light, come in variety of sizes and are waterproof and durable. If you ever have to use a GPS tracking device to recover your pet, you will certainly think it is well worth the expense.

Read more about GPS Tracker Device Reviews on my blog.

We are all over the ‘quick fix’ in our society.  Our hectic schedules and lifestyles lead to a tendency to cut corners.  This includes the use of technology.  We feel good when we can hand a GPS enabled cell phone to our kids thinking ‘they will be alright.’

Technology never replaces being there in person and performing your responsibilities as a parent.  However, we continue to go down this road.  Here are some things that you must never relegate to technology:

Spending Time. If you miss this one, then you are in big trouble.  Spending time with your kids to help them understand that they are loved and are important to you is the one task that you absolutely cannot avoid.  Using cell phones to text or talk to your kids is a poor substitute for being with them.  They get most of their security in life from being with you.  Plus, you cannot pass along values and important character traits any other way besides being there with them.  You must schedule time to be with your children in order to make it happen.  Busy lifestyles crowd out the important.  Make dates to be with your kids and you can accomplish the above.

Knowing Facts. You know your kids better than anyone else.  You should also know what they are doing and are capable of doing.  Unsupervised children who are not properly instructed on rules to be followed create an environment for disaster.  If you have kids that you know are followers rather than leaders, then you need to place higher restrictions on them.  Monitor the friends they hang out with and help them make wise choices.

Here are things that GPS Tracking devices can help you with when it comes to watching your children:

Knowing Location. There are small, unobtrusive GPS Tracking devices that can be placed into a backpack, small stuffed toy or even clothing that will allow you to track their location.  Also, vehicles that are outfitted with GPS Tracking devices will give you the location of your car by looking it up on the Internet.

Watching Speed. When teens drive, they are at risk and their age group is the most vulnerable for accidents due to lack of experience behind the wheel and distractions that take their mind off of their driving.  Also, they often exhibit an attitude that says ‘I know what I’m doing’ and that doesn’t help.  Again, GPS Tracking can help you with this by setting rules and standards for your teen drivers and then letting them know that they are being ‘watched.’  It can make a huge difference in the way they drive.

Monitoring Routes. Teens that drive on their own to a destination that you know about is worrisome enough without knowing the route they take.  You can see where they are going and how they are getting there with GPS Tracking.  Part of keeping them safe comes in the form of directing them on the roads and streets they drive upon.

Monitoring your children is a full time job.  But don’t turn over your responsibility to an electronic device.  Perform your functions as a parent and get involved.  Then, use technology where it makes sense to help you further your efforts.  Good luck.

Read more about GPS Tracking Devices on my blog.

This is a statement of the benefits of GPS Tracking.  One of the best ways to look at this is to realize that there didn’t use to be anything like this in our society.  Talk about vulnerability!  And, with the complexity of today’s lifestyles and difficulty with economic times in which we live, it is hard to think about life without tracking devices.

Tracking Anywhere Anytime. From the 24 satellites that are in orbit around the earth, we can track almost anything anywhere it goes at anytime.  That is, unless it goes into an area that is impervious to satellite signals.  But, even that is not completely hopeless, because the tracking history on an item can help at least provide a location of its last known address.  That gives a starting point for authorities to begin a search.  Think about how this could have helped Amelia Earhart in her effort to circumnavigate the earth in her airplane.  She could have been located and rescued.

Vehicle Tracking. We spend a lot of time in our cars.  And, some tragic events have occurred in them that could have been mitigated with GPS Tracking.  Would the outcome of Chappaquiddick been any different if a GPS Tracking device had been onboard?  Is it possible that Mary Jo Kopechne would be alive today?  Pure speculation, but the use of GPS technology has already produced results that have save people’s lives.

If only, if only, if only…but who wants to live in the past?  Let’s use technology that is available to use to better our lives and communities.

Safety and Security. People who place themselves at risk should use GPS Tracking devices.  This includes those who are involved in simple things like cycling and running for exercise.  It can be a dangerous thing to run or bike on the streets and roads around the cities and towns in which they live.  So, why not include a tracking device to help in case something should happen?

This also goes for people who enjoy long treks in the wild or repelling down mountainous crags from dangerous heights.  Extreme sports activities carry their own risk for the participants.

Even those who are just taking a vacation with family and do not plan dangerous activities would benefit, too.  During the summer, some of the worst accidents occur and GPS Tracking can be there just in case.

The old cliché applies:  it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Read more about GPS Tracking Devices on my blog.

It is fairly common knowledge that the police can use the GPS system to find a criminal, whether he is driving a stolen vehicle with a vehicle tracking device or has kidnapped a child who is wearing a tracking device. Now, it turns out, the police can be found with GPS too. They are keeping tabs on each other, and it’s not just for safety – it’s also to make sure they are doing their jobs.

Because they failed to correctly parole their area, Officers David Muniz and Matthew Prince were charged in Cleveland this week by their department because they were clearly not doing their job. They had been sent on April 5 to investigate reports of a dead body on I-90. They drove past the body and reported that it was a deer. Later, the body was found to be that of Angel Bradley Crockett, a murder victim.

The officers’ patrol car was equipped with a vehicle tracking device. A closer look at the GPS record shows that they never slowed when passing the body, and they sat in a cemetery the majority of the night. Other Cleveland patrol cars, EMS vehicles, and fire trucks are also equipped with vehicle tracking devices. Cleveland Safety Director Martin Flask says the system will be used even more thoroughly in the future, to prevent similar incidences from occurring.

Vehicle tracking devices use the GPS satellite system to log the movements of vehicles. They can be used to pinpoint the current location of the vehicle, or to see the history of the vehicle’s movements. They have all kinds of uses. Parents use them to keep tabs on teenage drivers; they can see where their teen is and whether they are driving too fast. Many employers use them to make sure their employees are going where they are supposed to go, driving safely, and driving efficiently. This includes trucking and shipping companies and any other company whose employees do a lot of traveling for work.

Cleveland is not the only city that uses GPS to track vehicles. The approach has typically been to use GPS to keep dispatchers aware of where everyone is and allow emergency teams to work efficiently and safely. Now cities may find another purpose for using vehicle tracking devices – keeping city employees accountable to their jobs.

Read more about GPS Tracking Devices on my blog.