Figure 19: Microsoft Virtual Earth's Hybrid View

The Hybrid view is a 2D map that combines aerial photos with street names..

Figure 20: Microsoft Virtual Earth's 2D View

The 2D is less visually stunning than the Bird's Eye view, but provides a clearer view of the breadcrumb trail.

Figure 20: Setting a Geofence

A Geofence is a virtual boundary on the map that will trigger an alert if crossed. Geofence boundaries can be drawn on the map, and the email you want the alert sent to can be input on the same page. It is possible to configure multiple Geofences in as many locations as you want. You can also configure a Geofence in an area the vehicle is not currently in, and be notified when the vehicle enters that area. For example, you could configure an alert to let you know when your child successfully arrives on his/her college campus.

Figure 21: Viewing Monthly Driving Reports

WorldTracker GPRS keeps track of the speed as well as location, so the device knows the difference between a vehicle trip and walking around on foot. Time spent in a vehicle can be viewed as a monthly report that shows distance, drive time, idle time, starting and ending addresses.

Figure 22: Viewing Daily Driving Reports

Daily driving reports offer more granularity than the monthly report, showing the entire day's activity, including time spent parked, mileage driven, and addresses visited.

6. Pros

• Extremely accurate (uses SiRF's StarIII 20-channel receiver + Assisted GPS)
• Works inside buildings, movie theaters, basements -- anywhere T-Mobile has cellular coverage
• Easy to use setup and use the web portal
• Location reports can be viewed from any web browser with Internet access
• Microsoft Virtual Earth and Google Earth provide visually stunning location reports
• PDA/Smartphone optimized webpage available for viewing location reports
• Device sends location data every 15 seconds
• Powerful vehicle-related reporting, by month, day, hour
• Relatively small size
• Self-contained, requires no installation
• Optional vehicle tracking case provides 30-90 days battery life

7. Cons

• Short battery life (about 8 to 10 hours per charge using the included battery. About twice that for the optional extended battery)
• Expensive
• Requires costly monthly service plan ($69 per month)
• Proprietary power adapter
• Internet access required to lookup the device's location (no call center or other way to get location information)
• No battery life indicator
• Fewer alerting options than some competing devices (no way to alert multiple people, or configure escalation lists)

8. Conclusion

The WorldTracker GPRS is one of the most accurate tracking devices I've ever tested. The unit uses the same high-performance GPS receiver found in many automotive GPS models, SiRF's 20-channel StarIII receiver. Accurate to within about 15 feet, the WorldTracker GPRS uses Assisted-GPS, or AGPS to report its location every 15 seconds.

Location reports are accessed via a webpage, and position information is spectacularly displayed using Google's or Microsoft's 3D maps. Date, time, speed, heading, and street address information is displayed on the map, and breadcrumb trails show the path the WorldTracker has taken. Customers can choose to view the device's location either on a Google map, Microsoft's Virtual Earth, or a special webpage that's optimized for viewing on a PDA or smartphone (such as a Blackberry).

An on-screen calendar makes it easy to view historical tracking data by clicking on the desired date (any dates with tracking data available are clickable). Various driving-specific reports are only available, including daily and monthly mileage, time spent driving, and maximum speed reached for each trip.

WorldTracker's use of SiRF's high performance GPS receiver, Assisted-GPS for enhanced positioning indoors where GPS signals cannot penetrate, and Microsoft's Virtual Earth and/or Google Earth is a powerful combination that left me awestruck at the devices accuracy, ease of use, and reporting capabilities.

Geofences, or virtual boundaries, can be drawn on the map and WorldTracker will alert you via email if the virtual boundary is crossed. For example, you could leave the WorldTracker in a parked car and setup a Geofence to automatically send an alert if the vehicle moves. Or you might setup a Geofence around your home address and receive notification when the WorldTracker enters or leaves that address.

The WorldTracker GPRS' achilles heal is its short battery life. Trading battery life for GPS performance, my WorldTracker GPRS only got about 8 hours of use per full charge, seriously limiting the practical uses for the device. A slightly thicker battery pack can be purchased for about $200 that doubles the battery life, but even then you won't get a full 24-hours of use between charges. Those looking to use WorldTracker GPRS for vehicle tracking will want to consider the $250 optional magnetic vehicle mount that leverages a motion sensor and larger battery pack to achieve between 30 and 90 days of battery life (after 5 minutes of inactivity, the case's motion sensor automatically shuts down the GPS, saving battery life).

WorldTracker GPRS is also expensive. The device itself sells online for around $650, and carries a monthly service fee of $69 per month (plus a one-time setup fee of $89.95). That's about $830 per year -- money well spent if you have a serious need to track something, but might be prohibitively expensive for casual users.

If you can live with the relatively short battery life, and can handle the price tag, the WorldTracker GPRS is a durable, lightweight, water-resistant, Assisted-GPS tracking device that works spectacularly well both indoors and out.

WorldTracker GPRS is manufactured by TrackingTheWorld (trackingtheworld.com) and available for purchase at various retail and online stores.