GPS gizmo tracks your car, kids, sanity
Ever returned to the spot where you think you parked, only to find your car missing and file a police report before discovering you actually left your wheels just a block to the south? (I'm not speaking from experience, of course. I have only heard of such tales.)
(Credit:
Zoombak)
Anyway, Zoombak's Universal GPS Locator could be a welcome savior to those forced to endlessly troll confusing urban streets in search of parking.
Zoombak's gadget is just the latest gizmo of its kind that lets you geolocate your dog, your car, your kids, or your kids in your car. The company is debuting the $199 device this week at RetailVision 2008, an event for consumer retailers in Orlando, Fla.
Zoombak is pitching the GPS gadget as a universal locator because of its versatility: you can install it in a vehicle permanently or tote it around (it's 2.5 ounces and can easily fit into a backpack, briefcase, or bag). Once it's activated, you keep up with your car, boat, motorcycle, or other object of concern by requesting a tracking text alert on your mobile phone or an e-mail on your computer. You can also follow your vehicle in real time on Zoombak.com or call a 24-7 toll-free phone number for live customer care.
Those who live in neighborhoods prone to car theft or have kids prone to reckless driving and curfew breaking can also create customized safety zones. Prompt alerts let you know as soon as the car has ventured out of the designated area and gone where it's not supposed to go.
Leslie Katz, senior editor of CNET's Crave, covers gadgets, games, and most other digital distractions. As a co-host of the CNET News Daily Podcast, she sometimes tries to channel Terry Gross. E-mail Leslie. 
Zoombak the people whose motto is protect what matters to you most! Care for those you love! Promote themselves as a family oriented company, caring, offers peace of mind to parents, allows children security, protection from all that?s nasty in the world, well let workers for justice inform you good public exactly what these people at Zoombak are! Workers For Justice has learnt that the nice caring people at Zoombak do not exactly live up to their motto! WFJ have just learnt that Zoombak are currently being sued in High Court (UK) by a former high ranking employee for totally destroying his life! Zoombak are being sued for Personal Injury, Unfair Employment Practices, and malicious damages, this former employee suffered a crippling stroke whilst placed under undue stress at this company, bullied by the CEO of the company and left alone to work crippling 18 hour days with no support from the mothership! he was off work for just 2 weeks when the caring guys at Zoombak opened up talks with his devastated wife about redundancy and loss of position, This guy was still in the stroke unit being spoon fed!
Zoombak bullied the former employees wife by holding this guys disability insurance to ransom as blackmail until the family accepted a pitiful (by anyone?s standards not just high ranking execs) redundancy payment, they also waived his medical insurance over his head also, this is shameful! this guy was too ill to make a proper long term decision (partly because he couldn?t talk!) so his familt said NO also these Zoombak guys owed this guy 10 times the redundancy in just holiday and bonus payments for a brand well built so of course anyone would say NO.
Once the former employees family said no, the nice people at Zoombak carried out their threats and cancelled everything, didn?t pay him a penny and when contacted by representatives of the sick man their attitude was "SUE US" but then they can because Zoombak are owned by Liberty Media ? a muliti billion dollar corporation! now let me inform all you moral, kind, decent people who have families of your own, this guy who had the stroke has lost his house, lost his health, lost his dignity, lost his pride, will never work again, cannot pay his bills, cannot afford to live and due to the pressure of the last 12 months and the injustice he has faced he suffered yet another debilitating stroke a month ago, his kids have seen their father hospitalized, in pain and reduced to nothing! Zoombak do not care about people, they do not care about families, they cannot, Zoombak have destroyed what mattered most to this guy!
To all skeptics, this mail is genuine, look out for the press releases from the courts in Feb. Join Workers For Justice in showing your disgust at a company who destroys lives, destroys families!
Zoombak - Beware! Workers for justice will make you do the right thing!
Matt Smith - Workers For Justice.