Camping with a Cell Phone - Really?
So one of the hard things to do these days is to "escape" from technology. When we do things like go exploring we have our phone GPS and there are very few places you can truly escape to a dead zone anymore. The thing is, you still can make a choice whether to utilize the technology you have or not. I decided to test this by going tent camping for Memorial Day weekend while avoiding being "connected" but still utilizing technology.For this adventure, I had to make a 5 hour drive to my camp site all the way across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. For this adventure, I had downloaded podcasts, set up playlists for music, and was ready to head out. I had my dogs in the backseat and a car full of camping gear. I was going to challenge myself to stay disconnect (for the most part) and see how I would react for this 3 day weekend. If anyone knows me, I have a device for everything. I am connected 24/7 and the digital king. So how was I going to deal with this? Was I going to "survive"?Most people ask why I would even try this. Honestly, I was starting to feel device burnout. Being in front of a computer all day at work and having all hobbies that include spending some time in front of the computer, I really needed this experience.So when I got to the campsite, I had full LTE bars and could basically do anything digital I wanted. However, I turned my phone on airplane mode and decided to stick true to my plan. Since I had already downloaded music I was good to go. I like to always have music and it made the trip nice and relaxing. No staring at screens. Just jamming to music. I did take my Apple Watch to track my steps when hiking and keep track of things like my heart rate and directions, but I didn't feel "connected." It was the right amount of electronics to heighten my experience, not hinder it. I even forgot my phone in my car during a hike at a waterfall and didn't miss it.Could this be a new side to the tech/gadget guy? What will Jeremiah do next? Will he give up his iPad? Find out next week, same tech time, same tech channel.
Product Review: The Iota Tracker
Update: This email came out on February 23, 2018 from Iota.Dear Loyal iota tracker customer,With heavy hearts we have to inform you that iotera, a team of just 7 extremely hard working employees at its peak, has ceased operations and unfortunately iotera, inc can no longer operate a tracking service.Our team members have always dreamt of building better trackers and appreciate all of your support over the years. We have also been optimistic about the improvements in existing tracker products on the market. One in particular that we believe is the best option today is the Whistle GPS tracker. Whistle offers GPS tracking and activity monitoring just like the iota tracker. In addition to the iota tracker’s features, the Whistle GPS tracker runs on AT&T’s cellular network, providing nationwide coverage that we always aimed to achieve. We have been able to partner with Whistle to secure a one time 50% off discount for our loyal customers. If you are interested in this great product, please reply to this email and I will send you your unique code. I am very confident that you will be happy with this tracker.I hope that we will be able to revive the service at some point in the future, but I unfortunately don’t know when that will happen. The service will be shut down on Sunday at 9pm, I am really sorry for not providing more advanced notice. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.Thank you again for being a part of this journey.Ben WildFounder, iota tracker I'm the kind of person who absolutely loves the concept of Kickstarter campaigns. To see creative people and entrepreneurs get a chance to bring their vision to real life is an amazing thing that makes our world great. The Iota Tracker is one of the first campaigns I ever invested in which opened my eyes to this practice (and ultimately has me quite hooked).The Iota Tracker is the perfect tool if you have always wanted a GPS device that doesn't come with monthly fees or requires those around you to boost the network (think Tile). Iota allows you to set up a base station at your house and then gives you a multi-mile radius in which its devices will ping. What does this mean? If you don't live in a highly populated city (as I sadly don't at the moment), you can still enjoy the concept of user-generated GPS tracking, without the need of many other users.For me, the need came from my intelligent Lab and Husky being able to utilize the ridiculous amount of snow we get in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan to create bridges to jump my 6' tall fence. I had to constantly worry if my metal roof was going to unload and create a new bridge for them to adventure out. After having my lab and my Husky both take off on separate occasions, I knew I had to do something about it. That is where the Iota came into play.You begin by setting up the base station as high as you can in your house. This connects to your Wifi connection and begins the process of covering your area. Now obviously depending on what is around you, the construction of your house and construction of buildings around you, the distance your Iota will cover varies. If you are in a city or have other Iota users around you, that space can easily be expanded. See all Iota base stations work together to create a large network mesh. So the more people you get to buy into the Iota system around you, the better your coverage becomes.
Now that the system is up in place, you install the App on your device. Get your account registered and then register your Iota tags. I have one for each of my dogs. The devices only need to be charged about once a week, which is a quick and painless process. They attach to the dog's collar, are lightweight, and have no problem holding on for the ride. They have been an amazing system that allows me to trust my dogs playing outside in the winter.
I love not having to pay a monthly fee for something that I hope I don't have to use. Other GPS companies charge you just like insurance companies, you're paying for a "just-in-case" scenario. With Iota, I don't have to. And they are extremely affordable. A two device tracking starter kit is just $199. For $200, I don't have to worry about my dogs taking off on me while I'm at work, well worth it. They keep adding more functionality as well. Activity tracking, so I can see just how lazy my husky is being today, is just one of the newest features Iota continues to roll out. If you've been looking to find an affordable GPS tracking system, this is the one to get!