How small do you think GPS tracking devices will get in the next few years? Ra­k­on, a 39-y­e­ar-o­ld N­e­w Ze­alan­d-base­d c­o­mpan­y­, h­as de­ve­lo­pe­d t­h­e­ wo­rld’s smalle­st­ GPS re­c­e­ive­r. C­laime­d t­o­ be­ as t­in­y­ as t­h­e­ s­ize o­f­ a­ ba­by­’s­ f­in­ger­n­a­il­,

T­his tiny GPS r­ecei­v­er­ chi­p i­s sm­all eno­ugh t­o­ b­e f­i­t­t­ed i­nt­o­ dev­i­ces such as wat­ches, cellpho­nes and other devices as small as a jump drive. As GPS b­eco­m­es co­m­m­o­nplace i­n o­ur­ ev­er­yday gadget­s, we can b­e sur­e t­hat­ t­hi­ngs wi­ll get­ a li­t­t­le m­o­r­e i­nt­er­est­i­ng.  Here’s a few uses of this miniature GPS chip that comes to mind, ever loose yur best pen?  Fire up your favorite online tracking program and find it on your co-workers desk.  How about the remote for your TV?  With this GPS chip installed you could tell exactly what couch cushion it was hiding under.

B­r­ent­ R­o­b­i­nso­n, R­ako­n’s M­anagi­ng Di­r­ect­o­r­, also­ m­ent­i­o­ned t­hat­ t­heir new GPS r­ecei­v­er­ chip wi­ll hav­e sensi­t­i­v­i­t­y go­o­d eno­ugh t­o­ pi­ck up weak si­gnals, per­f­ect­ f­o­r­ ur­b­an env­i­r­o­nm­ent­s wi­t­h hi­gh i­nt­er­f­er­ence. Let­’s see ho­w lo­ng b­ef­o­r­e t­hi­s tiny GPS chip get­s plugged i­nt­o­ ev­er­y o­f­ o­ur­ f­av­o­r­i­t­e po­r­t­ab­le gadget­s.

A few limitations of this GPS chip are that it still needs a power source and a GPS antenna.  I’m curious to know how long it will take Garmin, TomTom and other GPS manufacturers to pick up on this and start development of a whole new world of GPS devices.

Pay less at the pump this holiday season with the TomTom Fuel Price Service

Gearing up for holiday travel? Looking for the perfect stocking stuffer? TomTom, the world’s leading navigation solutions provider,  announced that the TomTom Fuel Price Service is now available for consumers to purchase at retail. With the TomTom Fuel Price Service, TomTom customers* can load and access one year of daily fuel price updates to their devices.

TomTom Fuel Price Service, enables TomTom customers to find – and navigate to – gas stations with the lowest fuel prices. Upon activation, users will be notified of the most up-to-date fuel information each time they log into TomTom HOME.

“TomTom is the first portable GPS company to sell this type of service at retail,” said Tom Murray, vice president of Market Development for TomTom. “TomTom’s Fuel Price Service allows our customers to access the lowest gas prices directly on their device wherever they go – a crucial feature in the midst of today’s economy. The Fuel Price Service makes a helpful and practical holiday gift for any TomTom owner.”

With this service, users can select from their device whether to list gas stations by location or price, and can request the lowest gas prices on their route, nearby or within a user-selected mile radius. Travelers can also choose which type of gas they would like tracked: regular, mid-grade, premium or diesel.

The TomTom Fuel Price Service is on shelves now at major retailers in the U.S. for a one-time fee of $19.95 for a one year subscription. The service can also be purchased online at www.tomtom.com.

Surprise your favorite TomTom owner this holiday season with the perfect accessory for his or her device.

* Service available for GO 720 and GO 920, ONE v2, ONE v3, ONE XL, Rider I, Rider II, ONE 130, ONE 130S, XL 330, XL 330S, GO 730 and GO 930 devices. A free software update is necessary to support fuel on some of these models.

Key Features Of TomTom Fuel Price Service:
• Get updates from more than 80,000 service stations across the United States
• Pricing data for most grades of gasoline: regular, mid-grade, premium, and diesel
• Unlimited updates via TomTom HOME (or over-the-air*)
• One time fee for 12 months of service

I think this is a great way of saving money and I’m sure that other GPS manufacturers will be coming online soon with this new way of finding cheap gas with their GPS.  If you think about it, your GPS can pay for itself with the money you save on gasoline.