Oh my, the folks at Lightning GPS are a little on the devious side. The company, known for producing GPS trackers like the Spark Nano, has taken tracking to the dark side with the NavGenius, the first in-vehicle GPS navigation device to incorporate a covert GPS tracker.
By connecting to the internet, the NavGenius allows itself to be manipulated and tracked behind the scenes. From any computer, a parent or employer, can see in real-time where the driver is and reports of unsafe driving behavior. Geofences can be set up so that an employer can be sent an email or SMS messages alerting him to an employee driving outside of a pre-defined area, and one of the coolest, yet most devious features, is push directions.
Yep, the NavGenius online interface actually allows the real ‘driver’ to map routes and send them to the PND, enabling parents or employers to re-route their unknowing prey to where they’re supposed to be.
Lightning GPS has also opened the NavGenius platform so companies can add their own applications. The company says its own “app store” is in the works, but in the meantime most Windows Mobile applications can be installed without modification.
Shipping in mid-April, the NavGenius costs $599.95 for the hardware, $69.95 for the activation fee, and $39.95 per month for 10 second updates. I’m guessing that the hardware price could be cheaper per unit if the NavGenius is ordered in volume.
