There are no shortage of tracking startup projects on sites like Indiegogo. and all of them claim to allow users to track valuables (or people) anywhere, with little or no cost, etc, etc. Most of them don’t get off the ground or have fine print that states that the only way that it would work as advertised is if everyone had that same device and could help you track your stolen or lost item. But what are the chances of that happening? Well, with the new tracking device, cleverly named TrackR, this idea might finally get off the ground.
I know what you’re thinking. What makes TrakR worth writing (or reading) about? Well, the device has many of the same sorts of functions like on every other Indiegogo project we’ve ever written about: location tracking, ringing your phone (or the tracker) if you lose one, distance indicator, etc. But it’s the crowd support and potential for a functional network that drew my attention.
Every tracker without a serious GPS chip (and some with) has some form of crowd location aid, but this little device might actually pull it off. The device has a ridiculous amount of backers, and the locations and amount of people currently signed up for the network (via backing on Indiegogo, I presume) is staggering. Just look at the map:
Crazy, right? The goal for the Indiegogo funding was $20,000 and with 11 days left in the campaign, 12,507 people have currently pledged more than $850,000. And that’s before the device is even completed—it hasn’t even hit the shelf! So I’d say that the chance of this slim, rather attractive device gaining enough of a following to be useful is quite a bit more likely than most of the other devices I’ve seen.
Another neat feature the TrackR has is a separation alert, where you can set an alarm to go off when you are a specified distance away from the device so you won’t leave the house without your keys or leave your phone at the office.
The sleek device is about the size of a quarter and features a metal casing that comes in four colors and can be engraved on the back with contact information or a message to give as a gift. When you purchase it, the device has numerous ways it can be attached to pet collars, keys, laptops or anything you’re likely to misplace or wish to keep track of.
So if you’ve been looking for the perfect tracker to throw your money into, definitely check this one out. The minimum backing to get a single device is $30, so it’s even pretty affordable and can be tracked using your smartphone. Check out this video from their site for a bit more of a sales pitch:
Great in theory, I ordered some through their indiegogo campaign with a promised delivery date of August of 13, it’s pretty much August 14 and I’ve yet to receive any product. Contacting their customer service has resulting in responses that production has been delayed, we will be shipping in a few weeks, that’s gone on for over 6 months. So sounds great on paper, but buyer beware.
You must be referring to a different device presumably from the same company–I know they have several. This particular tracker has not finished testing and is not ready to ship yet–and will not be ready for quite some time, their site says.