Omniscout ships combo cellular/GPS tracker
updated 03:05 pm EST, Thu February 8, 2007
Omniscout Portable Pro
Omniscout has just launched the Portable and Portable Pro, two trackers geared towards drivers who want to protect against thieves or otherwise keep track of their vehicles. Both make use of a special hybrid of GPS and GSM-based phone data to notify the owner of trouble: while the former tracks movement, the latter automatically relays information to the owner. The GPS receiver itself is also intelligent, says Omniscout. Although the technique remains undescribed, the trackers each have an adaptive GPS system that can obtain a position even when indoors or otherwise blocked from a clear link with the navigation satellites.
The Pro separates itself from the base model by using the two-way phone link to its advantage. A driver can set flags for specific conditions that trigger an alert, such as excess speed or wandering outside of a specific radius. A dual-use car and USB charger is also packed in with the premium version. The pair of cellphone-sized receivers are already shipping to motorcycle dealers with prices starting at $499.
