CES: Garmin releases GTU 10 into the wild and can follow its every move

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Garmin unveiled a new personal tracking device at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) with downright Orwellian capabilities. The GTU 10 is small -- 3 inches tall and weighing 1.7 ounces -- and you can track it live through a smart phone or computer.

Stick it in your teenager’s car, on your bike or in your child’s backpack, and you can instantly track the kid James Bond style. The device even allows you set up ‘geofences,’ or virtual borders, around any location. The unit will let you know whenever it passes into or out of a ‘geofence,’ which makes monitoring a child (or spouse?) particularly easy.

The unit relies on a built-in rechargeable Li-ion battery, which makes it ideal for short-term tracking (sorry, long-term covert operations are likely infeasible). The device has a suggested retail price of $199.99 and comes with one year of standard tracking service complimentary, or for an additional $4.99 a month you can upgrade to the deluxe tracking package to get more information.

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-- Tim French