How to use GPS to locate things and track people

 How to use GPS to locate things and track people 

By Karan Bajaj, ET Bureau  Last Updated: Nov 14, 2016, 06:30 AM IST 

Most of us think GPS is only for navigation. However, using various GPS-based devices and apps, you can utilize this technology to locate things as well as people. ET show you how you can keep track of everything important to you. 

Tied to the family 

There would be times when you would want to keep track of family members or let them know where you are. The simplest way is to use your phone’s built-in GPS combined with Find My Phone feature (Find my iPhone for iOS users, Find your phone on Android) to locate a person on a map. Keep in mind that you would need the Apple ID/Google ID to access these details. 

In case you don’t want to share your Apple/Google ID, you can use other free apps. Family Locator by Life 360 is a free app for Android and iOS that let’s you see where each family member is on the app. You make a private circle on the app with yourself and other family members and you can even put location sharing on automatic for constant use. The app even lets you chat with others in in the circle on one- on-one basis or as a group. Another no fuss app you can try is Glympse (free for Android .. 

For your pets 

There are dedicated GPS trackers available for your pets. The Tracksafe Buddy dog collar (Rs 9,000) uses GPS and GPRS to track your pet and even lets you create geofences. There is also the option of one way calling so you can listen in to surrounding noise if required. The price includes first 12 months of subscription service. 

You can also look at the Tagg GPS pet tracker on Amazon for Rs 9,500. It can work for most pets as it attaches to the collar and lets you see your pet’s location in real-time on a map. It even tracks your pets’ activity and rest to give you an overview of their health. 

An eye on young and old 

If you are not comfortable giving a phone to children or tracking the very elderly through apps, you can get a small GPS tracker like TrackID or LetsTrack personal to keep an eye on them. Priced at Rs 6,000 onwards, these are compact, ready-to-use GPS + GSM trackers that can be placed in a bag or clipped onto clothing.

You can monitor the location of the tracker on any browser, set up geo-fences (safe zones) and be alerted via SMS when that fence is breached. Keep in mind that there is a monthly subscription fee also involved that differs from device to device. 

Find stolen vehicles

 The LetsTrack Bike Series is exclusively meant for two wheelers and the price includes a one-year subscription. You can get real time tracking details of your vehicles as well as parking notification, over-speeding alarm, mileages details and 24-hours location history. You can set a geofence so that if your vehicle travels out of the authorized area, you will be notified. 

There is also a built-in battery that lets the device track location up to three hours even if the vehicle is not powered on. After the first year, the annual subscription is Rs 1,200. 

Keep the car safe 

The MapmyIndia MMI Rover 201 lets you track your vehicle in real-time using your phone or browser and gets house number-level map data for location. Moreover, you can get information like engine status, speeding, vehicle route and address. The waterproof tracker has internal battery for backup and an immobilizer to cut engine power if the car is stolen. You can set it to notify you for over speeding as well as if vehicle deviates from its route. 

Locate those keys 

Most of us have been in situations where we are unable to locate keys, spectacles, wallets, flash drives and other objects pof daily needs in the house. Instead of searching throughout the house, you can use a compact Bluetooth tag tracker. These trackers are usually tiny (as large as a coin) and can be easily stuck or clipped on to most objects. 

You can then use an app on your smartphone to locate the tag in your house. We recommend you check out the Portronics Tring (Rs 579), Nut mini (Rs 1,340) or Find by SenseGiz (Rs 1,899), 

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/wealth/spend/how-to-use-gps-to-locate-things-and-track-people/articleshow/55386722.cms?from=mdr

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