If your car’s stolen and you want a chance of recovering it, check out Rankin Research Corp.’s Boomerang. Made in Montreal, Canada’s hot-wheels capital, this cellular vehicle-tracking gizmo is wired right into your car, making it possible to find the vehicle anywhere in North America. Here’s how it works: you emerge from a restaurant with a full stomach and an empty parking spot. You call the company and give your client ID number. Using cellular networks, the company locates the car and notifies local police. So far, 98% of all vehicles reported have been recovered.
Unlike GPS, which is rendered useless if your car is hidden underground or in a metal shipping container, the Boomerang works anywhere a cell phone does. The only problem is, you have to report your car stolen. So if the theft occurs while you’re away on holiday, the car might have been shipped or chopped into high-priced parts before you even realize it’s gone. Cost: $210 to $400, plus $9 to $10 a month for monitoring. Available in BC, Ontario and Quebec.
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