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Apple Computer cofounder Stephen Wozniak has developed a new technology--WozNet--that promises an end to lost pets and children, and a dramatic reduction in car and property crime.

The New York Times calls WozNet: "Wireless location-monitoring technology," and says the devices will help people track their animals, children, or property.

GPS-Based Service

The technology is being developed by Wozniak's secretive Wheels of Zeus company, which has struck production deals with two manufacturers of consumer electronics devices to produce commercial systems based on the technology. The first products should ship next year, according to The New York Times.

The service consists of a radio signal and a GPS-based wireless network capable of tracking locator tags within a two-mile radius. At the center of the network is a home-base station that can track hundreds of tags. The network can also be set up to notify owners when certain events happen, such as a child arriving at school, or a car leaving its parking space.

WozNet integrates security and privacy measures, and the network works in such a way that each hub can use neighboring hubs to maintain communications with dedicated locator tags over a longer distance. The power of WozNet is likely to grow as it becomes commercially successful.

Woz's Plans

"My vision in starting this company was to create technologies that would be helpful to people's everyday lives," Wozniak, Zeus chief executive officer, says in a statement.

"We're developing a breakthrough network technology that fills a substantial gap in the wireless market. We now have a team of savvy and experienced business leaders in place to bring our technology to market," Wozniak says. His new company's name, Wheels of Zeus, is a play on his nickname (WOZ), as is the name of the new service.