3. Activating Zoombak

Before you can start using Zoombak you'll need to activate the device by registering it on Zoombak's website.

Figure 13: Zoombak's Website - Click Activate

To begin setting up Zoombak, go to zoombak.com and click on Activate, as shown above.

Figure 14: Creating an Account

Enter your email address, choose a password, and enter some additional personal information to create the zoombak.com account.

Figure 15: Registering the Zoombak Device

After setting up the account, you'll need to link the device to your account (BTW, you can link multiple Zoombak devices to the same account, if you have purchased more than one Zoombak tracker)

Figure 16: Locating the Device ID

Don't throw away the packing until you've setup the Zoombak tracker online. The Device ID and IMEI number, both of which are required to successfully register the device online, are printed on the label on the bottom of the retail box, as shown above.

Figure 17: Choosing a Service Plan

Zoombak's Car & Family Locator uses T-Mobile's cellular network to upload location data back to Zoombak's website. The service runs $14.99 per month, and Zoombak offers a $30 savings if you're willing to pre-pay the first 6-months at once.

$14.99 per month gets you unlimited location requests, 24 hour customer support, and the ability to locate the device using zoombak.com. Although $15 a month may sound expensive (after all, that's $180 per year), but Zoombak is considerably less expensive than other real-time GPS trackers I've tested. Some competing models carry monthly service fees as high as $60, $70, or even $80 per month.

Figure 18: Zoombak (T-Mobile) Coverage Map

Before buying a Zoombak Locator, it's a good idea to check Zoombak.com and verify that your area is within T-Mobile's cellular coverage. Zoombak only works within T-Mobile's coverage areas. T-Mobile is less expensive than other carriers, but coverage can be spotty in many parts of the US.

Figure 19: Your Locators

Once the account has been created and the device added, you'll see the locator listed when you login to zoombak.com. Each device can be given a friendly name, making it easy to distinguish multiple locators. For example, I have named my Locator "Fletch", as shown above.

Figure 20: Setting Device Options

After creating an account and registering the Locator, Zoombak's website prompts you to configure various device options, including the ability to setup email and/or SMS alerts for low battery and power off notifications.

Figure 21: Account Options

The Account Options page allows you to specify your local time zone.

4. Using Zoombak

Figure 22: My Devices

The "My Devices" screen appears when you first login to zoombak.com, shown above.

Figure 23: Communicating with your Zoombak Locator

To find out the location of your Zoombak Locator, click on "find now".

Figure 24: Viewing Zoombak's Current Location

After clicking on "find now" from the "locator center" page, shown above, the website communicates with the device for a few seconds and then displays the current location on a 2-dimensional map. The interface allows you to pan around and zoom in and out, and hovering over the pushpin on the map displays more detailed address information.

Compared to other GPS tracking devices I've tested, Zoombak's maps are relatively crude looking; there is no satellite or 3D view, nor can you export the maps to Google Maps or Microsoft Virtual Earth.

Figure 25: Continuous Tracking

One of the most disappointing aspects of Zoombak's Locator is that the device doesn't automatically update its location. That means if you want to know where the device is, you'll need to login to the website and click "find now". It also means you can't tell where the device has been earlier in the day.

Zoombak's website does allow you track the device continuously for up to 60 minutes at a time, with location updates being sent at 5-minute intervals. At the end of the 60-minute window, you can initiate another 60-minute countdown, if needed.

I would have liked to see the ability to configure Zoombak to automatically send location reports every 15 minutes or so throughout the day so that more detailed reporting and daily summary information could be obtained.

Figure 26: Viewing Continuous Tracking Data

Zoombak tracks the device for up to 60 minutes at a time, and displays a pushpin trail on the map of the device's location. The date range can be modified, and Zoombak stores up to 7 days worth of data.

Figure 27: Detailed Location Information

Hovering the mouse over any of the pushpins on the map displays a detailed location information box, as shown above.

Figure 28: Defining A Safety Zone

Zones are essentially geofences, or virtual boundaries on the map. Click "create now" on the "locator center" screen to begin configuring a safety zone.

Figure 28: Setting up Zones

To begin setting up a zone, give the zone a name that's easy to recognize (i.e. "Home"), and enter in the street address. Alternatively, you can use Zoombak's current location as a zone definition (click on "device location" to use the GPS device's current location instead of entering a street address).

Figure 29: Setting up the Boundary

Once the starting address (or location) for a zone has been specified, the boundary can be specified to either 1/8 mile, 1/4 mile, 1/2 mile, or a custom number of yards. The boundary is the maximum distance allowed from the specified address before Zoombak will send an alert.

Figure 30: Configuring Alerts

Zoombak provides a simple but powerful alert configuration page, allowing you to specify custom alert schedules for each day of the week.