A Utah company, S5 Wireless [link corrected per comment - the AP had it wrong, which is of course not an excuse...] is introducing a chip that might power what David Carter, S5's chief executive, calls "a poor man's LoJack or OnStar." The inexpensive chip, along with a base station can track a dog or backpack that carries the perhaps $3-$4 chip which includes a battery that may last up to two years.

The base stations? The company plans to start building its network next year in major cities and have 35 cities within three years. The base stations in some cases will piggyback on cell towers. The chips are active, sending out signals to the stations and uses TDOA (if I understand the article) to determine position.

The biz plan?

To gain a foothold, S5 will give away the designs for its chips, letting anyone make their own or incorporate the functions into existing chips, like those in cell phones. It plans to make money by charging for the location service, though at low rates, around $1 a month.

- AP