We’ve all been there – we go to a shopping center and leave our car in one of those mammoth parking lots only to completely forget where we’ve parked once our shopping goals have been achieved. We then spend the next hour or so circling the complex with our bags in a vicious cycle of endless frustration. It’s like something right out of Seinfeld.

Well, now you never have to endure that kind of torture again. Technology manufacturer Audiovox has developed a car locator small enough to attach to your keys. The device, dubbed the ECCO, stores a vehicle’s location at the push of a button and guide’s its owner back when they hit return. Through the use of a simple arrow-pointing display and distance counter system.

The ECCO can be configured to store the locations of up to three vehicles simultaneously and tracks the location of cars 9,999 miles away (though honestly this number strikes me as overkill).

The ECCO is also equipped with a built-in electronic compass that provides bearing information its user is standing totally still. The Audiovox is offering the ECCO persoanl tracker at $70 a pop.

A car-locator key chain is one of the more innovative and convenient uses of GPS technology I have yet encountered. Hats off to Audiovox for making leaving our cars in huge parking lots that much less annoying.

Mumbai security officials have decided to use GPS tracking technology during the Hindu festival of Genush Chathurthi, Times of India reported. The festival, for which preparations begin several months prior to the commencement of the festival itself, includes an 11 day procession known as Ganesh Visarjan. It is during this procession that 25 – 30 vehicles bearing government officials was affixed with GPS devices. This was the 1st time Indian police utilized vehicle-tracking technology.

“This is a pilot project. The cameras will either be still or video,” said additional commissioner Brijesh Singh. All zonal deputy commissioners were requested to submit a list of security risks in their district in order to enable effective tracking.

An electronic map displayed the time as well as a light representing each vehicle, which flashed as they progressed. Any deviation by vehicles from their previously assigned route automatically alerted senior traffic officials, who were then able to take rapid action to find out why the alteration occurred. The traffic control room was able to monitor vehicles through live feeds.

The cameras were weather resistant and small enough to fit on bikes, say traffic regulators. Singh proudly described the till cameras as being able to “take pictures every 30 seconds and can also use flashes. Data required by cops can be entered into the system.”

Mumbai is just another location whose officials have discovered the value of using GPS tracking technology for security purposes. Other municipalities and governments are sure to follow their example in order to increase the safety of their constituents.

The implementation of GPS systems in vehicles has been considered a major benefit for many reasons but what happens when it becomes mandatory? Judging solely from the number of cars in the world today, the thought alone is an expensive one. However, mandating GPS systems in vehicles may actually help rid countries of issues that plague societies and their economies.

Although the implementation of such a rule is still in its baby stages, countries like Bangladesh are seriously considering the proposition because it would drastically cut down on carjacking and ensure safety on the road. Because vehicles are usually unprotected, untracked, and basically unsecured, they are susceptible to round the clock attack and theft.

While the idea may seem legitimate and promising, its details are far from being worked out. Which companies should be allowed to operate and monitor the systems? Where would a majority of funding come from? And most importantly, would the system actually be enforced? These are all important questions when it comes to figuring out the plausibility of such a plan. This may or may not to be a solution to the high rates of vehicular crime in certain countries but governments must also consider the personal lives of residents. Intrusive government activity is never welcome but perhaps agreements and restrictions can be reached allowing for the existence of such a program.

GPS devices used to track teens and employees are proving to be extremely useful in several ways. By tracking and examining driving habits, parents and employers alike can identify problematic issues such as speeding. When utilized in this way, GPS trackers can help prevent accidents and save lives of drivers and passengers.

All parents worry about their teens when they finally hit the road and probably wish they could be in the car by their side at all times. Realistically speaking, this is impossible when you’ve got a job to do and errands of your own to run. With the help of GPS systems parents can however track their kids’ driving habits and instill safer ones if things aren’t looking good. Speeding, one of the major issues on the road today and a frequent cause of accidents, can be detected when looking at the data gathered by systems. By reviewing routes, parents can also help come up with safer alternatives by comparing the safety of other roads available. Directions and maps that come with GPS systems today also automatically negate most possibilities of dangerous choices on the road.

When it comes to fleet tracking employers can also help their businesses by examining the driving habits of employees. While teen driving may raise major concerns, adults tend to make some of the same mistakes and sometimes even greater ones due to overconfidence in experience. Since many businesses use fleet tracking  to keep tabs on shipments, they are surely looking out for the quality of their shipped products. By coaching drivers on safer driving habits already advocated by vehicle tracking systems, owners and managers can ensure that goods are not damaged while preventing situations hazardous to drivers. They can choose and develop safer routes for shipments thus implementing a set of habits, overall positive.

Alexander Smallwood,

You can’t put a price on peace of mind, but with GPS tracking devices, complete peace of mind can cost you just a few hundred dollars. The new generation of vehicle tracking systems allows you to view in real time where your vehicle may be, enabling the authorities to pinpoint, follow and retrieve your vehicle if ever it were to be stolen. If your car is shared with family members, you can also now supervise their movements.

For many of us, our cars are our pride and joy, and for just a few hundred dollars you can make sure your pride and joy never becomes permanently stolen property.

For those who are employers with a fleet of vehicles manned by your staff members, tracking devices can prove themselves to be more than just security measures. The Quantum QGPS-700 Real-Time Fleet GPS Tracking Device offers a whole host of possibilities that you, the employer, can execute in order to save time, money and wear and tear. Thanks to satellite and cell phone technology, this particular vehicle tracking device allows you to monitor the whereabouts of your fleet of vehicles in real time, with any wrongdoing on the part of your employees e-mailed straight to your inbox.

The tracker also offers you the ability to input information, including the vehicles’ VIN, insurance plans (including expiration/renewal dates), drivers’ license information, and employee pictures. Fleet tracking has never been so easy; you can even automate your fleet’s scheduled vehicle maintenance by receiving an e-mail every time one of your vans or trucks has driven 3,000 miles.

The Real Time GPS Tracker can also connect itself to numerous other electrical systems in your vehicles, meaning you are now able to monitor events such as airbag usage and when the ignition is turned on or off. You can even utilize the technology to lock or unlock car doors!

This device takes fleet tracking systems  to a whole new level with its Geo Fence creation capabilities. You can now draw up a virtual fence or zone on a map which, if violated by any tracked vehicle, will result in a message sent straight to your e-mail account or cell phone. This instant notification means you can get on with what you have to be doing, instead of monitoring a screen, whilst still in control of your employee’s movements.