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.

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.

Whether you want to send your fleet through Africa or through the North America, the Informer Lite is the perfect GPS fleet tracking device. The Informer Lite is not only easy to use, but it is also an affordable solution to any fleet tracking problem.

There are many different parts of the Informer Lite that are entirely appealing. Not only does the Informer Lite include geo-fencing capabilities, but it also includes:

• Rapid Tracking: when this feature is turned on, a high-quality map will refresh every 30 seconds. This allows for real-time viewing of any vehicle that is being tracked.

• Speed Alerts: find out how fast one of your trucks is going, and gain alerts via text every time the speed limit you set is broken.

• Routing and Re-routing: send any of your trucks to any destination by providing detailed directions.

• Color Graphs and Reports: forget about trying to decipher difficult graphs and reports – all of the reports and graphs that come with the Informer Lite are colored and highly detailed.

It’s also easy to view your fleet with our Virtual Earth satellite function, which allows you to view any vehicle from the viewpoint of a satellite. Since the Informer Lite works in conjunction with our servers, any information that you want to keep can be stored in our servers for up to one year. Additionally, the Informer Lite is U.S Military and SAE certified, which makes it easy to track any government vehicles.

Installing the Informer Lite is also easy to do, since we have more than 1700 professional installers located throughout the United States. This device is generally placed underneath a vehicle’s dashboard, and the internal antenna that comes with the Informer Lite is strong enough to work through a truck’s dashboard.

Presently, the Informer Lite can be purchased for $295 (plus a $35 activation fee) through Rocky Mountain Tracking, Inc. We accept various types of payment including PayPal, Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover. We also know that your privacy is important, which is why any package that we send to you will only be marked with a discrete “RMT” insignia.

If you’re looking for an inexpensive fleet tracking option, the Informer Lite is the best choice. There’s a reason why the Informer Lite is easily one of our most popular fleet trackers: this GPS tracking device is powerful, accurate, and easily affordable. Call one of our representatives today or order your Informer Lite online through our website.

Read more about GPS Tracking Devices on my blog.

Police officers get a lot of bad press. They are stereotyped as donut lovers who are continually taking coffee breaks and who abuse the speed limits. And many of the police officers portrayed on TV are either seen as unintelligent or lazy. Police departments around the country are cracking down on their officers, demanding that they be consistently working and not taking unauthorized breaks. But how are they doing this?

The answer comes in the form of GPS trackers. These days GPS tracking devices are used for more than just monitoring shipments and keeping young drivers from speeding. They are being used to monitor police officers too. Real time tracking systems placed on a vehicle will send out signals to satellites. These signals will then be used to determine the unit’s exact location, direct of travel, and speed. This information can be viewed on any computer with internet access. The information from GPS tracking devices can be viewed on a digital map to create a precise picture of everywhere the vehicle went in a day and how long it remained parked in a specific location. This digital map can be used to verify that individuals are in the places that they claim to be.

In April of this year, a policeman in Massachusetts was asked to resign because of information that a GPS tracker attached to his vehicle had collected. According to the tracker, Ronald Goulet had been running personal errands instead of patrolling. The tracker proved that the former police officer frequently left the car idling or parked at his home or other residences. After this information was gathered, the police officer was suspended and he eventually resigned. The police department that he worked for has since been tracking all of their officers with GPS tracking devices.

Because of the findings of this Massachusetts police department, many departments will likely begin using GPS trackers in the next few months. It is always important that employees are consistently working hard while they are on the clock, but this is even more important for those who are employed by the government. It is the job of law enforcement officers to keep the citizens of their town safe, and they cannot be doing that if they are using their working hours for social visits and personal errands. Companies all over the country are severely punishing the employees who misuse company time and company vehicles. Police departments should be no different.

Read more about GPS Tracking Devices on my blog.

Police dispatchers – the brains, eyes and mouth of the police force – are a crucial link in increasing police effectiveness. If the dispatcher can receive, process, and communicate information more quickly, then the police have a greater chance of getting to a crime scene in time to stop the crime. Police departments who have installed GPS tracking devices in their patrol cars give police dispatchers a tool so powerful that police can stop crimes that would otherwise occur too quickly for them to intervene.

Let’s illustrate the power of this tool with a walkthrough of relatively common crime: home burglary. First, we’ll look at how a police district that has not installed GPS car tracking in their police cruisers handles a home burglary.

A scared, frantic lady makes the call to 911, reporting the crime. The dispatcher spends 2 minutes recording information from to the call, before sending a radio call to officers on patrol. The dispatcher looks up the caller’s location on a map. 30 seconds later, the officers respond with their locations. The dispatcher frantically finds the officers’ positions on the map, and takes another 60 seconds to figure out which units to dispatch to the crime scene. The dispatcher then gets back on the radio, and dispatches the closest units to the scene. In 30 seconds, the called units confirm the dispatch. The police officers then take the next 60 seconds to look up the location on their own map, figure out the quickest way to get there, and start driving to the scene of the crime. If the police department is lucky, all necessary units are less than 8 minutes away from the crime scene.

In this scenario, the police who had no GPS car tracking were able to arrive and secure the situation in 13 minutes. While admirable, the thieves left a full 3 minutes before the police arrived, giving them a chance to get miles away from the crime scene.

Imagine the same scenario with a police department who has GPS car tracking installed in their police cars. The dispatcher still spends 2 minutes talking with the caller and records the situation information. This time, however, the dispatcher automatically finds the caller’s location on a map. The GPS tracking system allows the dispatcher to instantly see the locations of the officers in relation to the crime scene. Within 30 seconds, the dispatcher sends the GPS coordinates to the onboard navigation systems of the officers near the scene. All those officers have to do is follow the navigation directions, and 6 minutes later, arrive at the scene. Total time is 8 minutes, 30 seconds, which is enough time for officers to make it to the crime scene and apprehend the criminals.

GPS tracking allows police dispatchers to quickly and effectively coordinate police forces with zero guesswork, and zero wasted time. All of this means that police departments with GPS car tracking can provide a much safer place for all of us to live.

Read more about GPS Tracking Devices on my blog.

Emergency rooms across the nation overflow with patients, making efficient use of time a top priority for doctors and nurses. As hospitals look for ways to increase effectiveness, treat more patients, and make sure each patient receives excellent care, some are looking to GPS tracking to help monitor the process.

One hospital in South Carolina now utilizes GPS tracking to monitor patients from the moment they check in. As each patient arrives, he or she receives a GPS tracking device to wear on the wrist, allowing hospital staff to see where that patient is at all times. As the person progress through emergency care and eventually receives a room assignment, each nurse or doctor can see the patient’s exact location, enabling faster and more efficient treatment. So far, the technology has been well received among both patients and hospital staff.

Before a patient arrives at the hospital, the ambulance or helicopter he’s traveling in will most likely be equipped with GPS vehicle tracking, enabling faster response time and most effective use of the vehicles in the fleet. When emergencies occur, knowledge of which vehicles are in the vicinity and which ones can reach an injured person the fastest could save lives.

In addition to patient monitoring, GPS tracking can also help hospitals keep track of equipment before, during, and after surgeries or procedures. Nurses report an average savings of fifteen minutes per shift when they can locate equipment with GPS tracking rather than spending time tracking down the items themselves. In a hospital setting, fifteen minutes could make the difference between life and death.

Outside the hospital, GPS can help monitor patients who have a tendency to roam and become lost. Many Alzheimer’s patients benefit from carrying tracking devices which allow caregivers to keep an eye on them remotely. If a patient should wander from home and become lost, the caregiver can pinpoint his or her location immediately. More and more GPS companies have begun catering to Alzheimer’s patients, with life alert systems and even GPS equipped shoes helping to make the safety of these elderly citizens a top priority.

Advances in medical care save thousands of lives each year, giving families more time to share with one another and a greater appreciation for the value of life. As more and more hospitals implement GPS tracking into their daily routines, the new capabilities will give doctors and nurses the support they need to continue the work of keeping people healthy.

Read more about GPS Tracking Devices on my blog.

Have you ever shipped a package that never reached its destination? Perhaps a birthday present for your grandson or a Christmas card for your mother? The frustration that ensues from knowing that important mail has been lost can be enough to turn a person off from ever sending a package in the mail again. However, the days when nothing could be done about this problem are over. Today, a GPS Tracking Device can be utilized to pinpoint the exact location of mail trucks en route.

Many delivery companies are now mandating the use of GPS Tracking Devices in delivery trucks. These tracking devices, monitored via satellite, allow the location of a truck to be discovered at any time. If a package has not arrived on its designated date, it is thus possible to discern its location by checking the status of the carrying truck. Find the truck, and the enclosed mail has been found. And to the person whose package is missing, the piece of mind they receive when the item is located can be invaluable.

This same GPS technology put in delivery trucks is now also in many taxis across the US. In August of 2009 professional violinist Hahn-Bin left his $600,000 violin in a New York taxi. The understandably distressed musician never suspected that his expensive instrument could be found using GPS tracking devices. However, after only a few hours authorities were able to utilize the GPS in the cab to track down the missing violin and return it to its owner. Hahn-Bin was relieved, to say the least!

If GPS tracking devices can be utilized to find a violin left in a taxi, it can certainly be used to locate a package on a mail truck. And while a birthday gift may not seem as valuable as a $600,000 instrument, to the little boy who doesn’t get his grandmother’s birthday gift in the mail, money is not the issue. The heartbreak of losing items with sentimental value can seem just as traumatic.

The shipping industry is about to be revolutionized due to the utilization of GPS tracking devices. Just imagine the possibilities. If such devices track international mail, for example, no package shipped anywhere in the world could ever be lost again. This invaluable technology will soon take the world by storm.

Read more about GPS Tracking Devices on my blog.

For most companies, every employee represents that company.  A bad performance reflects negatively on the company, while a good performance will improve the company’s image.  This is just as true on the road as it is in the office.

When an employee drives a company car on company business, the employee is representing the company even if he or she doesn’t realize it.  Speeding and reckless driving may make other drivers believe that the company is careless and irresponsible.  Late or unpredictable delivery times increase the perception of disorganization and negligence.  What companies hope for is that their employees will drive safely and efficiently to their locations – giving customers and other drivers a positive impression.

With a GPS fleet tracking system, a company has the ability to increase the influence over employees’ driving habits.  A GPS tracking device will monitor vehicles’ location, speed, and stops, and will even notify the company if certain speeds are exceeded, indicating reckless driving, or if the vehicle leaves predetermined boundaries, suggesting that the employee may be using the vehicle for personal use.

Obviously, GPS fleet tracking allows a company more awareness and thus more control over its employees’ driving habits by permitting the company to practically be in the car with the driver.  However, GPS devices also help companies save money.  A GPS system will help increase efficiency and decrease fuel costs, in particular, by helping determine the most efficient routes.  Many companies find that GPS systems help decrease fuel expenses and increase efficiency, saving time and increasing customer satisfaction by being more predictable in arrival times.

Not only will the GPS system keep tabs on exactly where each vehicle is and what stops it makes, it will also keep track of mileage and mechanical condition, enabling the company to catch problems and perform mechanical work before it becomes an expensive issue.  Furthermore, GPS fleet tracking will help recover vehicles if they are ever stolen, possibly within just hours of being stolen, saving money since the vehicles won’t need to be replaced and will be able to be immediately returned to work.

Since employees represent companies no matter where they are, it is important that even when they’re on the road they’re being supervised to ensure that they are driving safely, are being efficient, and are using company vehicles correctly.  GPS fleet tracking enables companies to help monitor employees and ensure that the perception the employees give is positive, not negative.

Read more about GPS Tracking Devices on my blog.

Recently, a man in Ohio tried to use GPS technology to challenge his speeding ticket in court. His vehicle was supposedly timed from a police airplane at a speed of 84 mph, but the man claimed to be going only 50 mph, because of the heavy traffic in the 65 mph zone. But the GPS technology did not help and he was proven guilty. Why? He wasn’t using a vehicle tracking system.

Jason Barnes may have done his best to fight his ticket in court, but he needed the help of a GPS expert. Unfortunately, having someone to vouch for the accuracy of a cell phone GPS tracker may not have been helpful, given the problems with cell phone GPS.

Jason Barnes tried to fight his speeding ticket with information from the GPS tracker on his cell phone. However, cell phones with GPS capabilities have been known to be inaccurate and unreliable. One of the major problems with Barnes’s defense is that his cell phone could only give an estimated speed, because the cell phone only recorded his speed once every two minutes. But if Barnes had been using a vehicle tracking system, he most likely would have won the case.

Vehicle tracking devices beat GPS tracking cell phones in virtually every aspect. They are more reliable, because the battery is not also being used for many other functions. Also, signals are sent out to a satellite, not a cell phone tower, so the tracking is not reliant upon cell phone service. Traditional vehicle tracking units are also more accurate because they send signals every second. These signals create a detailed log and can prove more decisively how fast the vehicle was going, without any room for sudden un-tracked bursts in speed. These tracking devices can also place the vehicle within 5 feet, not 500 feet like many cell phone GPS systems.

A vehicle tracking system can also give more information than a cell phone tracker. Most cell phone GPS trackers cannot send text message alerts, but this is a common function of vehicle trackers. These alerts can be sent if they vehicle is exceeding a certain speed limit or if it has violated the parameters set up by the geo-fence.

Vehicle tracking systems have already been proven to be accurate and reliable in courts around the country. Don’t put your trust in your cell phone to get you out of a costly ticket, when you know that a vehicle tracking device can do the job with a better guarantee of success.

Read more about GPS Tracking Devices on my blog.