Now That is What We Call FedEx Tracking - with GPS Using EVDO

As many EVDO and wireless aficionados know, this week the Las Vegas Convention Center hosts CTIA, the compendium of all things wireless. 3Gstore.com representatives will be attending the convention, and will be flying from Chicago to Las Vegas. We also have equipment that needs to travel from place to place as well, mainly the technology that we use every day such as routers, EVDO modems, and the battery packs that power them. Rather than have the hassle of going through airport security with a bigger electromagnetic reading than the airplane, we will be shipping the gear overnight.

Rather than just pack up the equipment in its respective boxes, we thought we would make the journey interesting. Using the GPS signal from the EVDO modem that we're shipping along with Google Earth software, we can track the exact location of the package during its flight!

Track this package with us!! Follow the instructions below to learn how:

1. Download Google Earth via this link: http://earth.google.com

2. Follow the program's instructions to install Google Earth onto your computer.

3. In the Google Earth menu, click Add -> Network Link.

4. Paste this link into the Link Field: http://evdomike.dyndns.org:8889/track.kml

5. On the "Refresh" tab in the "Add Network Link" window, select "Fly to view on Refresh", and set "Time-based refresh" to 1minute, Periodically at 60 second intervals.

6. Your window should now look like this one:

Click "OK" and you're all set! Now we can see exactly where our package is - no need to wait for FedEx to update their tracking information online. You will get live tracking, here is what it will look like:

3Gstore.com is working on a new tracking service that actually tracks your "trips" and shows you were you have been and it looks like this (available May 2009). After our FedEx box was picked up, it traveled 14.9 miles before going to the FedEx depot, which is 3 buildings away from the 3Gstore.com warehouse.

Here's what is in the Fedex Box: 

1. Sprint Sierra Wireless 598U Modem

2. Cradlepoint CTR-500 Cellular Travel Router

3. Tekkeon myPower 3450i

4. And the Extended Battery Pack for the Tekkeon myPower 3450i

All of the products have black electrical tape so that if Fedex X-Rays the package and sees blinking lights, they don't think that it's a bomb. That would put quite the damper on our little experiment...