"But what price can you really put on piece of mind?"

Since there's always someone willing to give me a piece of his mind for free (and unsolicited), I'd say "piece of mind" is definitely worth far less than $400.

I wish I had one of these in my laptop bag when it was 'lost' recently.

It will be brilliant to track walkers/climbers/sailors.

There's loads of possibilities for this technology, not all surreptitious.

If you have to resort to this, then you're in a failed relationship. Even if you find out your other half isn't getting their end away elsewhere, you have serious trust issues which need resolving.

Taking a different tact: most of the readers of El Reg are against the powers that be monitoring us, so unless we're hypocrites, we're hardly going to condone the covert surveillance of our loved ones by those that are supposed to trust them!

... & at £4p/m. It's not very practicable is it?

I'll just stick one in me bike then if some toerag tries to half-inch it I'll be able to wait till it's stopped moving and turn up with a van full of very angry bikers and some cricket bats.

What's the small print then about DPA? It's not out fault about anything blah blah blah

Hmmm , just the thing for all gougers and gold diggers for the extra cash !

Sadly though , since you can do the same thing with the common garden variety of mobile phone that every man , child and dog is carrying , why would you bother ?

Googling "piece of mind", the top hit was just as I suspected - A link to the Wikipedia entry on Iron Maiden's 4th studio album of the same name. As for a price? Well, I doubt I'd go much higher than about $25 depending on the condition.

trust your other half, enough that you need this product.

Just leave.

It'll cost you far less (depending on what bit you want, of course). Some bits might be illegal in some states and might get you a stay in Gitmo but only cos I think Bush is a kahnt. You're welcome to make me an offer though.

What a total utter waste of technology.

Far better installing this in your car so you know when its been nicked by our ever expanding society of miscreants.

I already have that CD, so no, thank you. Alien kinda looks like Eddie if you squint...

Get involved with partners you can trust, and save the $400.

These devices have been around for ages, what's new about this? Make some software for her N95 or something, at least you know she will keep it charged and running all the time for you :p

@Glenn Gilbert

And where is the mobile signal to relay the position of these sailors? and possibly climbers/walkers depending on the area?

If one is concerned enough about spousal extra- curricular activities to even consider this (the sad reality is that some divorces can be profitable, especially in states with community property laws), perhaps the GPS is cheaper than hiring a private investigator to trail the suspected cheater. As for tracking a stolen vehicle, I believe a product called the "LoJack" is similar and possibly cheaper.

Why not buy a proper, installed, dedicated GPS tracking device for your car instead. Kind of like the ones I've been working with for the past 7 years... This is just exactly the same thing shrunk down a bit with an internal battery. Not really new.

Given prices quoted in $ I assume this is for the US market. However there was an item on the R4 Today program this morning about a similar device ... set perimiter zone and get sent text messages if subject leaves zone ... only difference was that in the UK its aimed at tracking pet dogs! Discuss ....

Of course, if the tracking site is hacked it will be great for thieves to know you aren't at home.

...then tell them that they have a tracking device in their rucksack. I will trust them with this knowledge (if they don't want to be tracked, they can turn it off, and I'll show them how) - but if some toerag kidnaps them, they have a better chance of being able to communicate their whereabouts to allow rescue without the kidnapper knowing, or being prepared for a squad of police cars and/or militant neighbours.

I'd do the same with my fiancée, quite frankly - she can keep one in her handbag, usually switched off. If she runs into trouble, she can turn it on...

Not everyone who would buy one of these devices is usually suspicious of their partner/family. I'd like to think of it as an insurance policy - Madeleine McCann comes to mind... From a family safety point of view, I think it is a brilliant little gizmo. I think I'd like a longer battery life, though - and maybe a feature which turns it on automatically (and silently) if a "dead man's switch" hasn't been touched in the last day.

Oliver.

GPS devices need to be able to receive the radio signals from the satellite... if this device is inside a handbag under the seat of a car, will it work? Inside a steel-reinforced building?

The tracking might be a bit...spotty...

What a great idea - the perfect birthday gift for stalkers and bunny boilers everywhere.