This is a sponsored article and was made possible by FlipBook PDF. The actual contents and opinions are the sole views of the author who maintains editorial independence, even when a post is sponsored. When you’re trying to draw customers’ eyes to your product or service, presentation counts. We’re so used to how content looks on the Web these days that it’s very hard to stand out. If you can do something to make your material a bit flashier, it can make a big difference. There’s a reason so many businesses still print up glossy brochures –- they’re… Read more
How to Avoid Server Reboots with Ubuntu Livepatch
If you administer your own server(s), sooner or later you face this problem: you have to reboot the operating system, but the machine provides an important service that you can’t interrupt. But why reboot in the first place? Everything seems to be working fine after an apt-get upgrade command. However, things are not always as they seem. Even though the system happily continues to run after every upgrade, not forcing a reboot like Windows does, it might still need one. For example, when a vulnerability in the core of the system (kernel) is discovered, it is patched… Read more
How to Avoid Server Reboots with Ubuntu Livepatch
If you administer your own server(s), sooner or later you face this problem: you have to reboot the operating system, but the machine provides an important service that you can’t interrupt. But why reboot in the first place? Everything seems to be working fine after an apt-get upgrade command. However, things are not always as they seem. Even though the system happily continues to run after every upgrade, not forcing a reboot like Windows does, it might still need one. For example, when a vulnerability in the core of the system (kernel) is discovered, it is patched… Read more
SpyTracker Nano GPS tracker review
REVIEW – Wanting to track or find physical items by attaching some sort of small device is as old as suspicion. It’s taken until the advent of small wifi and cellular transmitters to make it happen at a price point that normal people can really consider. I’ve been testing out the Nano from SpyTracker, a wireless tracker which would have made for good science fiction just a few years ago.
What is it?
A closed box roughly 3″ x 1.5″ x 1″. There is a smooth face with three LEDs labeled for GPS, PWR, and CEL. On one of the long sides there is a waterproof covered charging port (miniUSB cable included) and on one of the smallest sides there is a power button, also weatherproof. Next to the power port is a SIM card port covered with a piece of plastic and secured by two very small Phillips screws. There’s also a weatherproof SOS button on the face with the LEDs.
What’s in the box?
- GPS unit itself
- USB-A to miniUSB cable
- wall charger
Design and features
The Spytrack Nano is a solid little black box that broadcasts its position every ten seconds. The service is available worldwide and, while it’s not cheap, it’s better than most phone plans. You can view the location of the Nano from within the website, or with a mobile app. This is where all the setup happens.
There’s an SOS button the user can trigger to alert you, or you can determine a geographical area you want it to stay in, and get an alert when it leaves. You can see velocity, position, and travel routes in real-time or as history. If you have serious gear (think video gear for a location crew, or scientific gear that you have to ship to a location for a project), you’re able to see exactly where it is while it’s being shipped. With a ten-day standby time, any but the longest travel times will be covered.
This device is dead simple. While it’s not the “James-Bond, hide-it-in-your-shoe-heel-size,” it’s still able to tell you where it is reliably every ten seconds from anywhere on the globe. Sure, there are creepy ways to use this technology, but there are also very legit ways that this could enhance your life. Say you’ve got a route manager servicing stores with whatever product you’re selling. Someone calls and says, “Hey, when is the guy gonna be here today?” You pull out your phone, check the location of the truck, and see it’s on the way to your caller. Or 20 miles away in traffic. Without bothering your driver, you can give your customer a heads up so they can plan.
Or, in my case, I have an aging mother who still cherishes her independence. She lives near one of my sisters, but if she was in town, you can bet this would be in her bag, and at 63 grams, she’d never notice it. But she’d be happy to know her son was looking out for her. Sure, I could track her iPhone, or get her an Apple Watch to wear, but this is much cheaper, has longer battery life, and even offers her an SOS button if she just wants me to check on her. (Better believe that would be worn out!) The screenshot below will show your location, and that of the tracker, and allow you to plot an intercept course. My phone thought I was across the street in the neighbor’s yard, but the tracker knew right where it was. Different service, different towers, different triangulation.
Setup
When the unit arrived, it was already activated and a login assigned. I was able to resign it to a different account with no issues. Loading the app and logging in worked without a hitch. You can purchase additional service time in the app when your plan expires. Prices currently range from £10/device for a month to £85/device for a year, purchased in advance.
Performance
The app behaved itself like a pro throughout my testing period. I was able to see historical routes by date and time, watch the progress in real-time or speeded up, and find my way to the device from my smartphone.
What I like
- Light and tough
- No real operational tasks
- SOS button
What I’d change
- Price for service is a bit high, but it is global and unlimited
Final thoughts
At some point in your life, there’s going to be something you want to track: a parent, child, vehicle, or shipment. This unit provides that service in a fairly inexpensive package, and you can just toss it in a drawer and reactivate it (top-up) when you want to use it. There is no setup, other than to pair it to the app, which takes all of a minute.
Price: £59.99 (US$72.82 as I write this)
Where to buy: Rewire Security
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Rewire Security.
Filed in categories: Reviews
SpyTracker Nano GPS tracker review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 12, 2019 at 10:00 am.
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Deal of the day – Save $70 off a Roborock S6 vacuum
DEAL NEWS – It’s time to put your fears of robot overlords away and embrace the convenience of having one do the chores you don’t want to do, like vacuuming the floors in your home. To help you get over these fears, Roborock is offering a $70 off coupon on Amazon for their S6 vacuum (black model) which is normally priced at $649.99 but through August 18th, the price is down to $579.99. If you’ve not heard of the Roborock brand, I can help you there too because we’ve reviewed several of their vacuums including the Roborock S6 which Samuel said
The RoboRock S6 has become a key appliance in our house, being run on pretty much a daily basis to help clean up the cooking mess that made it to the floor, the stray hairs and the pet dander/hair that accumulates in all the hard to reach places. We love using the mop feature in the kitchen, as it’s apparent that dirt doesn’t always show itself on these floors. With two humans and four 4-legged friends, we need to work to keep the floors clean so it’s very convenient to be able to hit one button on our smartphones rather than go through the hassle of getting the stand-up vacuum out on a daily basis. I would strongly recommend this vacuum for those who need a robotic being to clean up after them from time to time!
So head over to Amazon and make sure you click the $70 off coupon box when you put the vacuum in your cart.
Filed in categories: News
Tagged: deal
Deal of the day – Save $70 off a Roborock S6 vacuum originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 12, 2019 at 9:00 am.
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