There are lots of tracking devices available today, for everything from your keys to your suitcases, and even your kids, but the technology used for these devices is less than ideal. Most use either Bluetooth technology, which gives you limited range, or GPS plus cellular which is highly accurate but drains your battery and ups your data charges. Now, a new device called an iTraq is coming to the market that uses GSM cellular towers to triangulate locations and communicate those locations back to its owner.
iTraq looks like a credit card and comes with its own preinstalled SIM card, using cellular service, not GPS or Bluetooth, with no carrier accounts or nearby iTraq users required. Additionally, the battery lasts for about three years, or around 1,500 connections. An iTraq can be located anywhere in the world as long as it can detect a GSM signal. The free mobile app lets you locate the iTraq and tell it how often you want it to report its location. You can also set an alarm that will go off if the iTraq leaves a specified perimeter — for example, if your bike starts moving without you on it. The iTraq is available for the preorder price of $49 (or 10 devices for $370), with an expected delivery of late July or early August.