Watching your every move: Private use of GPS trackers is still legal
Amendment. The ruling means that – in most situations – they need to get a search warrant first. The decision has no effect, however, on private use of GPS.Last summer, a Milwaukee County woman – we’ll call her Lisa – suspected that her ex-boyfriend was following her around.
“I hadn’t golfed in a long time and I went golfing and then I get a text saying, ‘Don’t worry about your daughter, worry about your golf game,’” Lisa said.
That’s when she decided to seek help.
“And I talked to my attorney and he said, ‘Take your car in and have it checked out.’ He said, ‘There’s got to be some kind of tracking device on your car.’”
She took her car to Black Forest Mercedes in Glendale, where a mechanic put it up on a lift.
“We barely got it up in the air, looked underneath, and pretty much at the same time, we both pointed at it,” said Michael McKinney, owner of Black Forest.
They found a small black box behind the right rear axle, attached by a magnet to the car’s undercarriage.
'Money in pocket' for road users
A revolutionary product developed by a Blenheim man and his two sons is "literally money in the pocket" for road users.
John Marris helped host a workshop in Blenheim on Friday to show off the new e-ruc device, which automatically tracks when a vehicle goes "off-road" so truck operators can claim back the maximum rebate on their road user charge.
Mr Marris, along with identical twin sons Craig and Dean Marris and chief technical officer Ben Martell, founded International Telematics Ltd, which has developed the software, in 2003.
Dean Marris said the system works similar to an aircraft black box using GPS and cellular networks to pinpoint the vehicle.
The system also recorded driver behaviour and engine management, he said.
"You can also purchase your road user charge licence online and the device will display that digitally. So it saves the hassle of having to physically go and buy your licence."
The device has been designed to potentially hold other licences as well, he said.
It also records data, including GPS location and speed of the car. The makers say it can help to determine who is at fault in an accident. and more »
