{"id":10579,"date":"2012-01-26T18:33:36","date_gmt":"2012-01-26T23:33:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/rbach.net\/blog\/?p=10579"},"modified":"2021-07-13T17:37:22","modified_gmt":"2021-07-13T21:37:22","slug":"spot-can-run-but-he-cant-hide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rbach.net\/index.php\/spot-can-run-but-he-cant-hide\/","title":{"rendered":"Your Dog Can Run, But He Can’t Hide"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Your<\/a>There is a new pet-oriented Global Positioning Systems<\/strong> (GPS)<\/a> on the market. The new GPS system now makes it possible to constantly track your best friend<\/strong> according to a report<\/a> in MIT’s <\/a>Technology Review<\/a><\/em>. The GPS devices<\/strong> made just for pets are generally small enough to be attached to a dog or cat collar<\/strong> which allows Owners to track their furry companion\u2019s every paw print in real-time.<\/p>\n

\"GPS\"<\/a>The\u00a0<\/em>New Jersey Star-Ledger<\/a><\/em> points out<\/a> unlike microchips embedded in the skin of an animal which store identifying information, these devices aren\u2019t invasive, and owners don\u2019t have to wait for a stranger to find and bring their lost pet to an animal shelter to scan the chip.<\/p>\n

“This could easily be a multi-million-dollar category,” David Lummis, a “pet market analyst,” at New York-based<\/a> market research firm Packaged Facts<\/a>, recently told the New Jersey Star-Ledger<\/em>. Dog owners are now more “crazy” about their four-legged friends than ever. If the recession is any indication, Mr. Lummis told the paper that the $58 billion pet products industry has merely slowed a few percentage points during the recession.<\/p>\n

\"tagg<\/a>That kind of consistent growth has attracted the attention of Qualcomm<\/a><\/strong> (QCOM<\/a>) the biggest maker of mobile phone chips.\u00a0 San Diego-based Snaptracs, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Qualcomm, has released Tagg the Pet Tracker<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The rechargeable Tagg device can be attached to a collar (provided it’s not a spiked or bejeweled one), plus a home base unit. Owners are able to set a virtual perimeter for the dog to wander. TR<\/em> says a text message or email alert will be sent if Fido strays too far. The device has a battery life of some 30 days and is water-resistant; it’s intended for dogs (or cats) 10 pounds or heavier. The necessary hardware and one year of\u00a0Verizon<\/a> (VZ<\/a>) service cost $200 according to Technology Review.\u00a0<\/em>The service costs $5 a month after that. It\u2019s a small price to pay, Dave Vigil, president of Snaptracs told the paper, considering pets are becoming increasingly “like family members.” Users can also find their pets at any time through a computer or smartphone.<\/p>\n

\"Jessie<\/a>GPS giant Garmin<\/a><\/strong> (GRMN<\/a>), has also entered the dog lo-jack market. The paper says the Olathe, <\/a>Kansas-based\u00a0company released the GTU 10 device<\/a>, a 1.7-ounce gadget. Garmin users can also set up a perimeter and receive alerts, or track real-time from a mobile device or computer. The GTU 10 operates on\u00a0AT&T<\/a>‘s (T<\/a>) wireless network and costs $200 for the first year and $50 a year after that.<\/p>\n

Another competitor is Retriever<\/a><\/strong>. TR<\/em> says Retriever has similar functions with virtual fences and alerts but adds a social networking element<\/strong>. Retriever will share Spot’s location with a friend, presumably so if your dog gets loose while you’re out-of-town, you can help steer the on-site rescue. To judge from its site, Retriever appears to not yet be on the market, nor is a projected price listed.<\/p>\n

Technology Review<\/em> also notes other products in this niche. Global Pet Finder<\/a>, is not available any more on Amazon<\/a> (AMZN<\/a>) as of this article. The SpotLight<\/a> device costs $169.99 and is limited to T-Mobile<\/a> coverage. SpotLight costs $179.88 per year for a subscription. The Love My Pets<\/a> device and 1-year subscription cost $189.95 use the Sprint<\/a> (S<\/a>) network. The Love My Pets system costs $14.95 per month for a subscription according to a CSR.<\/p>\n

rb-<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Qualcomm’s goal is to encourage new uses of its radio chips, not to make a hit product. These products are part of the Internet of Things<\/strong>. As the\u00a0Apple<\/a> (AAPL<\/a>) iPod and iPhone have shown, people are willing to shell out a lot of cash for things, but it is in the services where the money is to be made on the Internet of Things. Content is still king.<\/em><\/p>\n

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