Use your smartphone to track your pet
You must have experienced that moment of panic when you were sure that you lost your dog at the park. But there’s no need to bite your nails while trying to locate your pet. Technology has provided a solution to this dilemma with GPS tracking devices designed specifically for our four-legged friends. But the latest offering in this regard comes from the company GEODOG, which claims to have improved on its former GPS-based positioning for dog collars, with a new slimline design that’s shockproof, easily-adjustable, user-friendly and unobtrusive.
The GEODOG system comes with the collar and a proprietary software which works with Windows-based PCs (XP/Vista/7) as well as Android or Windows Mobile-equipped smartphones.
When you notice your dog is missing, you ring the number for GEODOG and you’ll receive a text message with the GPS coordinates of the missing dog. The message contains a link to the coordinates on a map, which you can open on your smartphone and use to facilitate your search efforts.
The software itself also has a couple of intuitive modes that make monitoring simple. The “Zones” feature acts as a virtual fence, and sends you an SMS message when your dog leaves the predefined zone.
The text message includes the direction and the distance your dog traveled from the home. While you are tracking him, you’ll get updated messages every time he moves from his last position, mentioning the distance he has covered (for eg. 500 metres).
You can also define reference points — such as property boundaries or roadways — and “No-Go-Zones” to alert you when your dog reaches a defined point. For example, if you have a dog that likes to swim, you can set an alert when he reaches a pond or creek close to your home which gives you a pretty good idea of what he’s up to.
Moreover the system is completely waterproof. The company says that the battery will last for a whole week in Stand-by-mode and 24 hours in normal operating mode.
Source: gizmag.com
Published in The Express Tribune, January 21st, 2012.