The unyielding progress of technology has brought us another gadget that fully does away with the idea of personal privacy. Xact Technology's Xact|Trax provides a detail account of a person's location (or a cat or a package, or one inside the other, if you so choose). Like other GPS modules, it has a special tracking website set up for the obsessively compulsive.
According to Xact, the device uses tech from u-blox that boosts the speed needed to pick up a wireless satellite signal, through a 50-channel five-positioning engine. They claim this makes the receiver powerful enough to be used in the toughest places in the world where you couldn't possibly believe you could get a signal, like a cave, or the deep recesses of Alec Baldwin's ego.
One of the most interesting features is one what they call 'geo-fences.' With it, you are able to determine how far within a specific area an object (or a recently-met crush, if you want to make a distinction), is able to travel – if said object goes beyond the 'geo-fence,' you'll be immediately alerted through SMS texting. That's right.
The geo-fence feature is offered by a few other GPS devices, but Xact is the only one to offer a no-monthly fee subscription. That may be a good enough incentive for people who haven't tried this technology to jump in. As for me, I will continue to check under my car for any unwanted personal tracking hardware. These RFID groupies, man, they need to let it go.
