So far so good…. Haven’t yet got to the tracking bit (I need to go somewhere to be tracked!), but it is working and I have activated the device. Hanging out of the window of my flat, I sent my first message to the satellite and “beep beep” received a text message telling me where I am (clearly very useful). It doesn’t actually tell me that I am hanging out of the window of my flat but it does give a link to Google Maps which then shows me on a picture where I am. Here is the full text of the email that I recieved;

Andrew’s SPOT
Latitude:51.45622
Longitude:-0.95935
GPS location Date/Time:07/06/2010 18:04:00 BST

 Click the link below to see where I am located.
 http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=51.45622,-0.95935&ll=51.45622,-0.95935&ie=UTF8&z=12&om=1
Message:I’m OK and having a fun cycle across Europe!

Now clearly the usefullness of sending your own location to yourself is fairly limited and does require access to a computer so I suppose it might only come into its own if you get off your face to the extent that you lose consciousness and have no idea where you are when you wake up as long as you have the Internet within stretching distance. It’s more to act as reassurance to loved ones that you are still alive and kicking. The message is pre-set; mine is obviously lined up for trans-continenal cycling.