LOVERS are keeping tabs on their partners with a simple phone call, parents are keeping track of their kids, and bosses are checking on errant employees who may not be where they are supposed to be, thanks to the latest, cutting edge technology now available on Phuket.

The tiny GPS Personal Tracker, which is about half the size of a small computer mouse, can also be used to eavesdrop on private conversations, locate lost pets, or disable a stolen car or motorbike.

?This is the absolute latest thing in spyware, it?s the sort of thing you would see in a James Bond movie,? said Anton Baker, managing director of the New Global Wholesale Company, which has the Phuket retail rights to the range of GPS Trackers.

?If someone has one of these trackers in their pocket, you can find out exactly where they are simply by sending an SMS message to the tracker. The tracker will immediately reply, giving its exact location.

?And if you think something might be not quite kosher, you can also call the tracker and listen in on whatever is being said within a five metre radius.?

Mr Baker said a number of his clients had bought the trackers to check up on their girlfriends.

?If they slip one into their girl?s handbag, they can keep track of where she goes, and even eavesdrop on her conversations,? he said.

The devices come in a variety of colours and styles, including one with a bright penguin motif, specifically designed to fit on a child?s schoolbag or backpack.

?It?s a great way of knowing where your kids are, and if they wag school, or, heaven forbid, they ever go missing, finding them will be a breeze,? said Mr Baker.

In fact the trackers are handy for finding all manner of things, including lost pets. You can even use a version of the tracker to fit to your car or motorbike so that if ever stolen, you can find it instantly.

?The car version also has extra features whereby you can disable the engine, again with a simple phone call. And if you lend your car to, say your teenage son, you can check on how fast he is traveling. If you think he is going too fast, you can call him and tell him to slow down, and if he doesn?t, you can disable the engine, forcing him to pull over to the side of the road.?

The car tracker can also be programmed to send you a message if the car goes outside a pre-determined area, which makes it ideal for car rental firms who rent out their cars and motorbikes on the proviso they are not taken off Phuket.

?If they set the go-zone to cover only the island, an alert will be sent to the owner as soon as the car crosses the Sarasin Bridge.?

Mr Baker said a number of business owners were using the trackers to check that employees were where they said they were.

?If the boss suspect a salesman who says he is going to a meeting in Surin is telling lies, he can quite easily check up on where he goes,? he said.

?If it turns out the salesman is in Bangla, and not Surin, he?s in trouble and will be asked to ?please explain?.?

Mr Baker said another version of the tracker was being trialed on Australian beaches in a bid to cut the number of drownings there.

?Swimmers are being issued with the devices which they clip onto their swimming costume, and if they go outside a pre-determined ?safe? area?, an alert, complete with their exact position, will be sent to the lifeguards on duty.

?The devices also have an emergency alert, which means if the swimmer gets into trouble, he can simply press a button and the lifeguards will know he is in trouble, and exactly where to find him.

?If the Australian trials are successful, these trackers might well be the answer Phuket is looking for to slash the growing number of drownings on our beaches.?

Mr Baker said another model in the tracker range was designed to make sure security guards were safe, did their job properly, and didn?t lie down on the job when they thought nobody was looking.

?If a guard is knocked over, or lies down to take a nap, it will activate a mercury switch and the tracker will send an immediate alert to as many as three pre-programmed phone numbers.

?And because it is also sensitive to movement and body heat, the guard can?t simply take it off and prop it up between a couple of books.

?If he does that, or if he is knocked unconscious, the tracker will immediately send out an instant alert.?

The trackers are relatively inexpensive. ?The personal trackers cost less than 6000 baht, but the car trackers, which have the extra features and have to be professionally fitted, are about 7000 baht,? said Mr Baker.

For further information, call Ms Nuch Dick on 0805 232 867, or visit www.newglobalwholesale.com