Skip to main content

This tracker could save the lives of lost hikers, missing children

Rather than relying on a smartphone linked over Bluetooth or a community of people utilizing the same tracking device, the Remora tracker is a standalone tracking device that uses cellular data to track your position in real-time on Google Maps. In addition, users can track the speed that a tracker is moving in addition to elevation changes over time using GPS data.

While tracking elevation is ideal for anyone that hikes mountainous areas of the wilderness, the Remora tracker also includes an impact sensor. If a hiker takes a significant fall or a cyclist were to get hit by a car, the impact sensor would trigger a location notification that’s sent to your emergency contacts. Assuming your emergency contact also has access to the real-time tracking data, they would be able to see if you are moving at all on the map.

Recommended Videos

Another feature of the Remora tracker is the ability to setup geo-fencing areas that will trigger alerts if a virtual fence is broken. This would be particularly ideal for children that take a specific route to school, either walking with friends or riding on a bus. If a child was kidnapped, the tracker would trigger an alert as well as provide the speed and direction at which the kidnapper’s car was traveling.

Remora_Kid
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Geo-fencing is also ideal for pets. While microchips do a good job of keeping track of a pet’s owner, microchip tech is completely reliant on the pet getting scanned by a veterinarian or a shelter. A pet owner is dependent on others to find the animal. Alternatively, a pet owner with with Remora tracker would be able to go directly to their pet’s location using the real-time tracking data.

Other potential groups that would be ideal for the Remora tracker would be anyone that has difficulty communicating such as elderly folks suffering from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease as well as children that suffer from Autism. It could also be useful for specific objects, like using it as a well-hidden, lo-jack system for your car or tracking lost luggage that your airline seems to be moving all around the country.

Interestingly, the company developing the Remora tracker is including an athlete mode that updates your friends and family with progress when competing. For instance, you could send out a link when you start running a marathon and your friends would be able to track your real-time position in the race as well as receive a notification when you finish the entire route.

Remora_Pet
Image used with permission by copyright holder

While there are a number of backing levels on the device’s Kickstarter page, the eventual retail price for the tracker will be $79. Different from other trackers on the market, there will be a $10 monthly subscription fee to pay for the cellular data connection. The tracker is waterproof, ideal for triathlon swimmers, and can provide temperature alerts. Battery life is currently undetermined at this time with a potential range of three to ten days. The company is working to push past the ten day mark prior to shipping the device.

As with all Kickstarter or Indiegogo projects, be aware that manufacturing delays often push delivery of the final product to weeks or even months beyond the original projected shipping window. The current timeline projection of the Remora tracker is to move into beta testing during December 2016 and ship the final product during early 2017, assuming the project is fully backed.

Mike Flacy
By day, I'm the content and social media manager for High-Def Digest, Steve's Digicams and The CheckOut on Ben's Bargains…
Sebastian Stan lays out Bucky’s future after Thunderbolts
Sebastian Stan in Thunderbolts.

There are some spoilers ahead for the ending of Marvel's Thunderbolts. Stop reading now if you don't want to be spoiled.

Earlier this year, Captain America: Brave New World briefly introduced a new direction for James "Bucky" Barnes, a character Sebastian Stan has been playing since 2011 in Captain America: The First Avenger. In Brave New World, the former Winter Soldier apparently retired from being a reformed hero and went into politics by running for Congress. Thunderbolts reveals that Bucky won his election to the House of Representatives. But his stay in Congress was short.

Read more
Jeep Compass EV breaks cover—but will it come to the U.S.?
jeep compass ev us newjeepcompassfirsteditionhawaii  4

Jeep just pulled the wraps off the all-new Compass EV, and while it’s an exciting leap into the electric future, there's a catch—it might not make it to the U.S. anytime soon.
This is a brand new electric version of the Jeep Compass, and being built on Stellantis' STLA platform—the same architecture underpinning models like the Peugeot E-3008 and E-5008—it looks much slicker and packs a lot more inside than previous versions of the Compass.
Let’s start with what’s cool: the new Compass EV is packing up to 404 miles of range on a single charge, a 74 kWh battery, and fast-charging that gets you from 20% to 80% in about 30 minutes. Not bad for a compact SUV with Jeep's badge on the nose.
There are two versions: a front-wheel-drive model with 213 horsepower and a beefier all-wheel-drive version with 375 horsepower. That AWD setup isn’t just for looks—it can handle 20% inclines even without front traction, and comes with extra ground clearance and better off-road angles. In short, it’s still a Jeep.
The design's been refreshed too, and inside you’ll find the kind of tech and comfort you’d expect in a modern EV—sleek, smart, and ready for both city streets and dirt trails.
But here’s the thing: even though production starts soon in Italy, Jeep hasn’t said whether the Compass EV is coming to America. And the signs aren’t promising.
Plans to build it in Canada were recently put on hold, with production now delayed until at least early 2026. Some of that might have to do with possible U.S. tariffs on Canadian and Mexican vehicles—adding a layer of uncertainty to the whole rollout.
According to Kelley Blue Book, a Stellantis spokesperson confirmed that the company has “temporarily paused work on the next-generation Jeep Compass, including activities at” the Canadian plant that was originally meant to build the model. They added that Stellantis is “reassessing its product strategy in North America” to better match customer needs and demand for different powertrain options.
So while Europe and other markets are gearing up to get the Compass EV soon, American drivers might be left waiting—or miss out entirely.
That’s a shame, because on paper, this electric Jeep hits a lot of sweet spots. Let’s just hope it finds a way over here.

Read more
Charlie Cox singles out his least favorite Daredevil: Born Again episode
Charlie Cox in Daredevil: Born Again.

Daredevil: Born Again season 1 was largely reconceived after the 2023 actor and writer strikes. Dario Scardapane -- a veteran of The Punisher series on Netflix -- was brought in to be the new showrunner and he made a lot of changes to the series that were well-received. However, there's one episode that Scardapane didn't really change at all, and it happens to be the least favorite episode of Daredevil: Born Again's leading man, Charlie Cox.

During an appearance on The Playlist, Cox noted that he wasn't very fond of the season's fifth episode, "With Interest," which was a largely standalone episode that featured his character, Matt Murdock, in a bank during a hostage crisis.

Read more