Is the current emergency system too slow?
You probably don’t want to be reading this if you are on a sinking ship or lost in the woods but current emergency beacons can take up to an hour before search and rescue is alerted to your crisis and provided with your location details.
Hopefully your situation is not so life threatening that you can’t comfortably wait an hour before being rescued. However, there are times where minutes can mean the difference between life and death. Here are a few scenarios* where you want to be rescued in a hurry:
Photo credit: ESA/Science Photo Library
There are fears that a danger from outer space may disrupt one of the world’s biggest televised events, the 2010 soccer World Cup.
The United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA) is concerned at the growing accumulation of space junk orbiting around the earth and its effect on our ‘lifestyle’. The UNOOSA, located in Vienna, was set up by the UN to promote international cooperation for the peaceful use of outer space. We are not making this up – they really do exist!
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With a lot of different options, different makes and models, it can be confusing for the average GPS shopper. How do I know what’s right for me? How can I make sure I don’t pay too much or get a GPS system that is difficult to use or doesn’t do what I need it to do?
When faced with the job of purchasing a GPS system, most people would turn to Google. But what starts as a simple Google search to find the right GPS system can quickly become a nightmarish exercise in wading through pages of detail, reviews, product specifications and technical jargon.
How can you simplify the process of finding the right GPS system?
Here are 5 simple steps to finding the right device.
From June 1, 2012, any fleet that fails a DOT audit will be required to install an EOBR (Electronic On Board Recorder).
The FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) announced the new ruling on April 5, 2010 and the change will impact over 5,500 trucking companies around the U.S.
The rule states that fleets breach HOS (Hours of Service) rules 10% of the time or more, based on a single DOT audit, must use an EOBR to monitor driver hours.
Carriers that refuse to install an EOBR will not be allowed to work interstate and may even have their operating authority revoked.
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How secure is your online software?
With the popularity of online software growing there is a concern that it is not as secure or reliable as desktop-based applications. GPS fleet tracking software is generally run online so it’s of particular interest to fleet managers to know that the infrastructure used by providers is both robust and secure.
But before you make the switch to online software, it’s important to check a few things about the provider to make sure they are taking the best care of your data and you can enjoy a reliable software service, something that is vitally important when you’re looking at running mission-critical applications.
Here are five things you should check with your online software provider before you buy.
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Map layers - Bringing maps into the 21st century
For people who think a GPS device is really just an on-screen map, then they may not know about map layers, the secret to making GPS systems highly functional and useful to a huge range of industries and professions.
When you think of a paper map, you imagine a two-dimensional map that offers basic road or topographic information. A paper map is static, never changing and can quickly become outdated, not to mention difficult to fold.
In contrast, a GPS device uses electronic maps as the basis for its location services. Electronic maps are regularly updated and delivered to a user via a website (e.g. Google Maps) or a mobile device (e.g. TomTom, Garmin etc.). Electronic maps are flexible, allowing users to zoom in or out to automatically change the scale and detail of the map. Because they are delivered electronically, they are portable, convenient and can be used in a huge variety of different ways – both for work and play.
5 ways to beat GPS jammers
May
In our last post we looked at four ways that GPS jammers attempt to tamper with a GPS unit to prevent it from working correctly, and transmitting accurate data back to the user. If you are worried about your GPS hardware being tampered with, here are 5 ways you can counter these attempts to disrupt GPS tracking.
It is also worth mentioning that it is only a small number who will attempt to tamper with a GPS device. Not only it is becoming increasingly difficult and illegal, most recognize the legitimate use of GPS tracking. For example, fleet managers may use GPS fleet tracking to measure overall fleet and driver performance to make a fleet more profitable (and thus improve job security) and ensure all drivers are fairly following company policy.
4 popular methods of GPS jammers
Apr
As reliance on GPS systems continues to grow, some users worry about the potential for tampering that can undermine the system’s accuracy. And it seem the more critical the information being gathered, the greater the concern that a GPS unit could be interfered with by GPS jammers, preventing it from working correctly.
Times when it’s important for GPS devices to work properly…
Instantly knowing which vehicle is closest can save lives
The many uses of GPS technology continues to grow as great minds apply the technology in different ways. Using GPS systems to locate the nearest point of interest is growing in popularity not just from consumers seeking business but businesses broadcasting to consumers who happen to be in the vicinity.
For example, Foursquare has become very popular as a way for businesses to offer discounts to shoppers who visit their store, or ‘check-in’, using the GPS feature on their phone.
Other social media tools, including Google Buzz, Gowalla, Loopt and Twitter, are adding features related to pinpointing a user’s location (geotagging) for people who want to let their friends know where they are. But there’s more to the ‘near me’ technology that just finding your nearest coffee shop or getting reviews on a restaurant you’re standing outside of; it can actually be used to save lives.
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It’s hard to criticize environmental causes. When you do you’re automatically labeled as anti-earth, greedy, selfish or all three. Green movements have quickly become the white knight of society, perceived to be undoing the ills of a world stuck on consumerism and driven by short-term profits.
So what’s wrong with going green?
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