For the average consumer, the hunt for a GPS tracking device can be quite daunting. With literally dozens of different products on the market to choose from, what should be a fun and exciting experience becomes overwhelming, and it can often seem as if one will never make any headway in trying to determine which product to purchase. Developed by Telespial Systems – a relatively new company that specializes in the manufacturing and production of GPS technologies, tracking, and data collection techniques – two Trackstick models, the Trackstick II and the Super Trackstick, will be the focus of this review, which will explore the overall benefit of and differences between them.
Although it should probably be fairly straight forward, let’s begin by discussing what exactly these products do. The Trackstick line (of which there are currently four different models) is a series of devices that are meant to record your every move, detailing not only your exact route, but also how long you spent in each place, as well as how long it took you to get there. In order to view the data, all you have to do is plug the device into your computer, and it quickly downloads.
Pros:
I am a big fan of these products, and here’s why. First of all, they work all over the world, which isn’t necessarily the case for all current GPS devices on the market. While they do admittedly need to have access to open sky, the ability to operate in areas of the world that don’t have cell phone coverage is a huge plus. Second, these devices are not only trackers, but also geotaggers. For those of you who aren’t familiar with geotagging, it’s the process of adding geographical identification metadata to various forms of media, such as photographs or videos. In this case, the way it works is as follows. Begin by making sure that your camera and Trackstick are set to the same time. Then, when going over your photos later on your computer, you can easily find out all sorts of additional information about the photos, such as the time they were taken as well as the exact location, including latitude and longitude. This ability allows you to remember your trips far better than you could have otherwise. The last thing I love about these devises is the fact that there aren’t any additional monthly fees; once you buy it, it’s yours and functional so long as you want it.
Cons:
I only have one big issue with these devices, and it’s the fact that you can’t track in real time. Meaning, even though the various Trackstick models provide many uses, they’re meaningless unless you actually plug one of the said devices into your computer. Remote tracking is not yet an option, and if ever you were to lose the device on a trip, all of your information would be lost as well. Perhaps this feature will be available in later models.
In short, both the Trackstick II and Super Trackstick are great products. With few differences between them – the main ones being memory size, battery life, and the ability to record temperature – these simple to use and intuitive devices will serve you well. Whether you’re a concerned parent attempting to secretly keep track of your teenager, or whether you’re a traveler/cultural connoisseur who merely wants to keep a more detailed log of your most recent vacation, these products might be exactly what you’re looking for.
