GadgetTrakTM, the patent-pending iPod and gadget theft recovery system, was recently featured on Dateline NBC’s “To Catch An i-Jacker” exclusive. In the story, a sting operation was conducted in which several iPods were planted to see who would steal them.
“Dateline NBC did a great job exposing the very real problem of iPod theft, however their tracking methods were not practical,” GadgetTrak Founder Ken Westin said. “No software was actually installed on the devices themselves. As they mentioned that is where we come in; we work at the device level.”
GadgetTrak allows owners of iPods®, USB flash drives, GPS systems and digital cameras to install tracking software on their devices. If a device is lost or stolen, the technology sends data back to GadgetTrak and the owner regarding the device’s location and other forensic information to assist in its recovery.
Westin developed the technology for his master's thesis, and the project became so popular that Westin turned it into a business. In addition to Dateline NBC, GadgetTrak has been featured in several top technology publications including Engadget, Wired, Sci-Fi Channel, Yahoo Tech, Crunch Gear, Geek Brief, Gear Fire and several others.
During the past few months, GadgetTrak has had several successful device recoveries. Recently in Newmarket, Ontario, a stolen iPod was returned to a subscriber after data was sent back to GadgetTrak regarding its whereabouts.
GadgetTrak's popularity has led to a few copy-cats, however. “They are mostly patent-pirates and scammers,” Westin said, “but luckily we have excellent legal counsel aggressively protecting our intellectual capital. We advise people to be cautious with anyone claiming rights to similar technology. It might be more than your device they are tracking and they may not be around when your device goes missing.”
The service currently works on a subscription model. Users can protect up to five devices for a yearly subscription of $19.95. For more information, visit www.gadgettrak.com.
