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.

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.

Some important trends to watch for in GPS Tracking devices are listed here.  These trends and movement towards more tracking can be viewed either positively or negatively, depending upon your outlook.

Personal Monitoring. We are witnessing more electronic devices that are intended for tracking as they infiltrate our society.  These include GPS enabled smart phones, small unobtrusive personal tracking devices that can be hidden easily, vehicular tracking devices, watches and more.  With the footprint of tracking devices getting smaller, their integration into more things will grow.  Small power consumption allows them to stay active for days between charges, too.

Tracking Things. With the global economy in a mess, people are getting desperate and are turning to thievery to get things they want and need.  GPS Tracking systems are being placed throughout the world to monitor things like shipment of products and large expensive assets that are motorized and/or mobile.  Many businesses with significant investment in assets understand how important this is becoming as a daily activity for them.  Desperate people often do not think through what they are doing, so a simple active tracking device is all that is needed to ensure that expensive items are able to be located within minutes of a theft.

Tracking and the Law. More court systems are turning to GPS Tracking to help mete out sentences to those who are convicted of crimes (often theft, etc).  Since prison populations are swelling and the cost of incarceration growing at mammoth proportions, GPS Tracking can offer less expensive home detention style sentences that allows a person to serve out a sentence while still remaining in society and being productive at a job.  Also, it helps reduce the chances that they will return to jail.

We live in a time that demands that those who own things keep a closer eye on them to help prevent or mitigate damage from theft.  GPS Tracking provides a way to do this in an inexpensive fashion.  For just a few hundred dollars (and really less than that), you can know where your important things are and if there is a problem with theft.  Security systems for houses have their place, but a GPS Tracking device attached to expensive items that are stolen will help recover them in hours, not days, weeks, months, or possibly never.

GPS Tracking gives you what you need to add a good measure of peace of mind to your life.

Read more about GPS Tracking Devices on my blog.

by Harriette Halepis / guest author

Curious about what your child or spouse is up to? RMT’s Tracking Key can provide you with low-cost peace of mind. This small tracking device records the time, date, speed, direction, location – and even stop duration of any vehicle. Not only will you be able to tell exactly when, where, and how fast someone is traveling, you’ll also be able to tell how long the person you’re tracking stayed at a particular destination.

How can you find out where your loved one is going? The Tracking Key comes with sophisticated software technology that takes accurate and colorful screen shots of a tracked vehicle on a second-by-second basis. You’ll also be able to follow a tracked car thanks to on-screen animation.

When you’re ready to compile the information you’ve gathered, all you have to do is print out a report. Printing the information that your Tracking Key collects is easy thanks to detailed reports that list the date, time, distance, and stop time in an easy-to-read chart. When it comes to having concrete proof, all the information that you need will be at your fingertips.

Even though the Tracking Key is incredibly small, it is capable of recording up to 100 hours of movement. Unlike other tracking devices, the GPS Tracking Key is powered by two basic AAA batteries. When the batteries run out, replace them with new ones – it’s just that simple. With RMT’s Tracking Key, you’ll never have to search for an oddly shaped battery. Standard AAA batteries are all it takes to power your new tracking device.

Place the Tracking Key under a front of back fender, or anywhere else – you’ll quickly discover that installing our Tracking Key only takes a few moments, no matter where you put it. As soon as you install your Tracking Key, the device will begin recording movement. By purchasing the RMT Tracking Key, you’ll be able to:

• Find out where your spouse or child travels.
• Discover true destination points.
• Record the speed of travel.
• Learn how long your spouse or child stays at a particular destination.

We know that discretion is important to you, which is why your Tracking Key will arrive at your house in a box that solely states “RMT.” We also offer many different payment options such as Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and even PayPal.

Through our secure Google checkout system, you can choose the payment method that works best for you. When it comes to keeping tabs on your child or spouse, it’s hard to beat the accuracy, software, and capabilities of the RMT Tracking Key.

Read more about GPS Tracking Devices on my blog.

by James Neely / guest author

The debate rages about whether GPS tracking of sex offenders is a good thing or not.  Meanwhile, incidents like the one in San Diego in which a teen girl was abducted and killed by a sex offender keep occurring with nightmarish regularity.

Sex offenders must be tracked while they are under a court judgment.  That is the bottom line.  Whether recidivism rates are low among them or not is not an issue.  The issue is the safety of citizens in our communities.

A GPS tracking device used in this manner must be viewed as part of the solution to help insure safety, not as an infringement upon rights.  When one is found guilty of a sex crime, their rights must be taken away as a result of their actions.

GPS tracking provides an effective method in the enforcement of court judgments against any who are convicted of crimes.

House Arrest

GPS tracking has been used for years in the form of ankle bracelets to enforce sentences of house arrest on those whose circumstances allow for this type of situation.  The only exceptions for remaining in the house are for work related activities.  Tracking helps ensure that these guidelines are being followed.

Location Verification

Sex offenders are required by law in most states to register their presence and address in the communities in which they live even after their sentence has been served.  Often, this does not happen.  So, here’s a valid question:  why shouldn’t sex offenders be required to wear a GPS tracking device for life?  The great thing about GPS tracking is that it knows state or local boundaries.

As a Part of a Program

GPS Tracking in this way must be a part of a larger effort to keep track of sex offenders and continue to work towards their eventual healing from their addiction.  But, make no mistake, once a person has committed a sexual offense, there must never be a time that defenses are dropped in thinking that they will not commit another act.

Community Safety

Being able to move freely within our communities with little concern for the safety and welfare of citizens is of utmost importance.  As methods and technologies are developed to help insure this goal, we must embrace them to help make sure that they have every opportunity to provide what we need.

GPS Tracking is becoming an important part of these methods and will continue to help make sure that sexual predators are kept away from those who are vulnerable.

If you are considering using GPS tracking device to track a person, you may be wondering if it is legal to track someone without their knowledge.

While the laws vary from state to state, in general the use of a spy GPS tracking device to track a person without their permission could be illegal or result in a legal action against you.

While small GPS tracking devices (such as UBI 4000 GPS tracking device) can be used for covert tracking, that is not GPS technology is all about. Even when using GPS tracking for safety of children or teenagers, I strongly recommend that they be made aware they are being tracked. This knowledge alone can serve as a sufficient deterrent to any misbehavior. Remember, that technology is not a subsitute for common sense such as teaching your children about personal safety, being a safe driver, etc. Also, never let technology replace your own judgment.

GPS technology makes it easy to track your employees for safety and efficiency reasons. It’s important to explain to your employees in a manner that allows them to understand the business savings and benefits of incorporating a personal GPS tracking system, and is not designed to compromise their privacy and integrity.

As GPS technology improves and the range of GPS devices and accessories grow, uses of GPS tracking devices will increase, while the prices will become more and more affordable. So whether you are looking for car or marine GPS, GPS accessories, cellular GPS, cheapest GPS tracking device, smallest GPS, or just want more tips for buying the right GPS tracing device for your needs, this GPS Tracking Device Reviews Blog can be a good source of information.

Covert GPS Tracking in the News: “It is a Gray Area”

(3:37 minutes, starts with a brief commercial)