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About Bus 52
Bus 52 is a year-long journey across the United States that will see five young people travel to all 48 continental states in a converted school bus. This team will be setting out on this vast journey to look for people all over the U.S. who are approaching community challenges in new and innovative ways and will be sharing their stories through video interviews, articles and photo albums.
When asked what compelled this team of young people to embark on this unique journey, here’s what they had to say:
Recently, two fans of Natural Light sent their favorite beer into space. Drinkers Danny B and Rich T approached the company who makes Natural Light and pitched their idea to send one of their beer cans into space. Apparently, the idea was enthusiastically received, calling the product, “The first beer in space” and pledged to support the project on the Natural Light Facebook Page.
After careful consideration and rigorous planning the makeshift device – named Aluminum Fullcan – embarked on its maiden voyage on November 18. The spacecraft – made from a styrofoam cooler carrying a full can of beer, a GPS tracking device, some hand warmers to keep the device from freezing in space, and a video camera pointing at an empty can on the outside of the craft (since a full can of beer would have exploded in space) – was launched using a weather balloon at 11:11am.
When some people look at an electronic device, their scope of possible applications goes no farther than the user manual that came in the box. This is definitely not the case for Alan Parekh, owner of the electronic gadget website Hacked Gadgets. Hacked Gadgets acts as a forum for end users of a vast multitude of electronic devices to showcase how they’ve applied their reverse engineering and design skills to bring new and innovative uses to current and even outdated technologies. Recent posts include using an IR light and camcorder to make a cheap night vision hunting solution and controlling an RC car using Microsoft’s Kinect motion sensing technology. In addition to showcasing these device “hacks”, the site also posts reviews of newly released electronic devices across the market spectrum. Known for his high level of scrutiny when reviewing a new product, Parekh recently spent some time with LandAirSea’s SilverCloudreal-time GPS tracker and had nothing short of a flawless experience with the tracking device’s accuracy and array of user-friendly features.
Now in its fifth season, USA Network’s hit television action/drama series “Burn Notice” has solidified its position as one of the network’s flagship programs. The show follows the trials and tribulations of agent Michael Westen, a former covert operations specialist who has been “burned” by his intelligence agency. Left abandoned and without access to his former contacts and assets after a blown operation in Nigeria, agent Westen is left “on ice” in Miami, Florida. If he leaves Miami, he will be hunted and taken into custody; if he stays, he will remain relatively independent. In order to fund his ongoing investigation into who put out the burn notice on him and why, agent Westen takes up freelance assignments as a private investigator, helping Miami locals while continuing to investigate the mysteries behind his personal situation. In one of the show’s recent episodes, Westen utilizes the aid of a LandAirSea Systems Tracking Key in order to track a suspect. Check out the scene below:
How many times have you been on the phone with the customer support center of your cable provider, electrician, landscaper, etc., just wanting to find out where the closest representative is and how long it will take for them to get where you need them to be? When hunger strikes and you’re in the mood for some local grub from a roaming food truck, how can you find out where to head? The ubiquity of GPS tracking technology in today’s day and age has allowed for fleet management divisions in a variety of service sectors to not only accurately manage the whereabouts of their service vehicles, but also share that information with the general public with the help of easily-embedded shared tracking applications such as ShareSpot.
A century ago, when someone wanted to learn how to fix a piece of machinery, knit a sweater, or perform any kind of trade or skilled craft, their best bet was to consult a local expert for advice and training. In today’s information and technology-driven society, online social media and networking sites provide a forum where anyone can post a question and have people from all over the world contribute their relevant input and advice; it is this kind of distant yet personal communication that has given rise to social networking trendsetters such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, and now Google is hoping to bring the same interconnectedness to the search engine domain. (more…)
So much can be said about a person when they tell you their all-time favorite movie. Comedies, dramas, science fiction, and other popular cinematic genres all incite different emotions and levels of personal involvement in a story, and all have the potential to spark our imaginations in ways we never thought possible. In today’s electronic information age, movie fans are able to gain behind the scenes information on casts, crews, and production developments of future film projects, as well as read into the history of their favorite films. Currently, film buffs can utilize a combination of internet connectivity and GPS trackingsystems to locate nearby movie theaters, purchase tickets, and even share their current location and thoughts on their viewing experience instantaneously. While a GPS tracker has the potential to share information between similar media consumers, what would the movie-going experience be like if GPS tracking technology was able to also bridge the gap between media consumers and producers?
Our technology-dense society has seen virtually every gadget able to be equipped with a GPS tracker, including cell phones, laptop computers, and even digital photo cameras. For example, when a tourist takes a photograph with a camera equipped with a GPS tracker, they can instantly obtain the GPS tracking coordinate data and other detailed location information depending on the type of graphical interface they are using. Social media sites, travel agencies, and even just friends and family can then all share in the traveler’s experience. This same concept can be applied to the filmmaking industry as well; imagine if you could tune into your GPS tracker and link to the transmission of a professional filmmaking camera in order to find out where a film currently in production is filming at that exact moment, and even obtain a virtual birds-eye view of what the production scene looks like. In addition, any members of the cast and crew that carry a portable GPS tracker can let fans know their favorite spots to grab lunch while shooting, and what they like to do with their limited free time in between filming. Although the paparazzi blitz would likely keep Hollywood’s most famous stars from sending constant GPS tracking information, occasional updates could serve as a great form of publicity in the months leading up to a film’s release.
Cities across the nation love to hear that a major motion picture company is planning to film their next big project in their area; filming brings an economic boom with regards to local businesses, tourism, and taxation for a city and instills a sense of pride in the region’s residents. By involving viewers around the country by providing relevant GPS tracking data on their favorite feature films, a GPS tracker has the potential to bring your favorite cinematic fantasies one step closer to reality.
Ares 1-X, NASA’s first rocket in its “new frontier” Constellation space exploration program, rose from its launch pad and pierced the sky Oct. 28 at Kennedy Space Center, FL – buoying hopes that the door had been flung open to a great future in deep space exploration.
The United States had a tall order for the 1.8 million pound, 327-foot-tall spacecraft, and it delivered. The test rocket represents a future space transportation system that will carry astronauts and possibly tourists on journeys to the International Space Station, to the moon, Mars and beyond.
The Ares 1-X is also the model for a vehicle that will literally launch the next generation of GPS radio navigation satellites into orbit and help repair and modify the 24 satellites already existing in the U.S. Department of Defense system.
The super spacecraft is new and experimental in many ways. Among its features, it runs on oxygen and liquid methane fuel instead of traditional fuels, called hypergolic propellants. The oxygen-methane combo is readily available, costs less, weighs less and is less toxic on the environment. This creates hope that the new-age spacecraft will be capable of going further into orbit and greatly multiply the length of time it can house and sustain human life.
On her six-minute flight, Ares 1-X recorded a library of data that, once analyzed, will be used to improve the design and safety of future spacecraft. The soundness of the structure and hardware were tested. The software recorded motor burn time, ignition, speed, thrust, pressure, payload limits, even the drag and the pull of the main parachute.
The second happy ending to the Ares 1-X story is the difference it will make in the 20-year-old U.S. Department of Defense GPS radio navigation system. The GPS network has been maintained by the Air Force since the 1990s. The constellation of 24 satellites, while still entirely functional and serviceable, occasionally need assistance, repair and modification and one by one will eventually be taken out of service and replaced with more technologically advanced models.
This is due to an ever-increasing demand – from the military as well as civilian worlds – for GPS tracking and navigation services and advances in GPS tracking technology. Improved signal transmission and location readings are certainly on the horizon.
Ares or her offspring will likely be the delivery vehicles for this new technology.
“NASA’s Ares1-X launch vehicle is a significant development for GPS integrators and users,” said Steven Moehling, Vice President of Sales for LandAirSeaSystems, a leading provider of GPS vehicle tracking software, systems and accessories. “This demonstrates NASA’s commitment to the space program as well as the proposed GPS modernization program.”
The government is concerned about our GPS satellites becoming outdated. To keep the system running smoothly, Congress authorized a planned modernization. The 2000 action and resulting project were dubbed GPS III.
The project involves new equipment (satellites and ground stations) and better service (accuracy and accessibility of signals).
The U.S. GPS tracking system is, and has been, the dominant player in satellite navigation, so it is necessary to stay on the cutting edge of the technology. Historically, all countries have been dependent on the U.S. Department of Defense satellite system.
Yet, other countries are working on their own, alternative national satellite tracking and navigation systems. Would-be challengers:
Russia, in cooperation with India, has been working since the 1980s on its own satellite navigation system called the Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS.)
The European Union and European Space Agency (ESA) have their own system called Galileo, with China and numerous other countries as partners.
Neither are yet operational.
Satellite navigation is crucial for any application where location information is needed. It is precise and reliable. In today’s military operations, much of warfare planning, training and strategy are done on a network level. Even on the civilian side, GPS tracking and navigation has become a staple of everyday life.
A next wave of satellites is due eventually, to eliminate blackouts and failures of service. The NASA Ares 1-X flight might be the hope and assurance America needs, that the GPS system will not fall into disrepair.
A northwest Ohio woman returned to a grave site one too many times, to pilfer mementos. A vehicle tracking device tucked neatly inside a toy car and placed near a tombstone led police to her stash of stolen goods.
Sandra Lilly discovered that items she placed on the grave of her 18-year-old son in Williamstown Cemetery had been taken, so she called police. Police took the report, commenting that the same crime had apparently occurred to other grieving families.
In this case, the GPS tracking unit worked on a mini version of a car. The mother hid it inside the box of a toy muscle car Camaro, then placed it on her son Josh’s grave. The thief took the bait, not knowing that there was a vehicle tracking device attached. The police chief got the report and found out where the stolen toy car was, following it on a map from his laptop.
The GPS tracking device was found inside a minivan owned by 48-year-old Kimberly Goodrich. The vehicle was full of other items that appeared to be stolen from the cemetery. Goodrich was on probation from a theft in Boone County, Ohio.
As GPS tracking hardware is becoming smaller, lighter and less costly, consumers are thinking of new ways to use them besides vehicle tracking. Protecting assets other than cars and trucks from theft, is a quickly growing application. Vehicle tracking products have been placed on cargo shipments, furniture, artwork and all sorts of recreational vehicles.
GPS trackingsystems are really becoming quite common, said Sheriff Dills. He said that if a thief takes something that doesn’t belong to him, there’s a good chance someone will be sitting at a desk on their computer, or a Web-enabled cellphone, trying to find it with GPS tracking.
A British Public Service Announcement is an Internet sensation, causing shock waves across the globe because of the graphic way it treats the issue of teen driving and texting.
Millions of people all over are twittering, texting and engaging in simple “Have you seen…” conversation about the four-minute teen driving video posted on YouTube
In it, three young women are in a car. When the teen driving types a message in her cellphone about a friend’s new crush, she drifts into the opposing lane and initiates a chain reaction of horrific accidents. The multi-camera shoot, of professional quality, looks shockingly authentic, from the moment of bloody impact, to a young victim’s head going through a car window, to the ensuing rescue using the Jaws of Life. The viewer witnesses, with uncomfortable detail, the foolish habit of gossiping with a gadget, the devastating effects it has on three carloads of passengers, and the guilt felt by the teen driving the killer car.
The event is a dramatization, but even so, the “Scared Straight” video is probably doing exactly as its makers intended: It is hugely successful at shocking people and getting them to talk about the issue of distracted teen driving. Social and mental health professionals often say that the first step to solving a problem is admitting there is one.
According to comments posted on social networking sites, the public is doing more than that.
Some people are expressing outrage over teen driving and texting: “Teen driving and texting don’t mix. Those that do it should have their fingers cut off.”
Some people are finding it hard to find civil terms to describe this sort of teen driving: “Sad thing is idiots do this every day because they think it will never happen to them.”
And many teen driving novices are pledging never to text and drive at the same time again: “For those of you who say it is not effective, this ad has showed me not to text. I have some friends who told me they stopped texting while driving because of this.”
Robert Sinclair of the Automobile Club of New York admitted the video was very hard-hitting, but said that he believed it should be shown in the United States. Car crashes are the number one cause of death of people from birth to 44 years, he said. In many accidents, there’s usually a teen driving. Most of those deaths are entirely preventable.
Some states have already passed laws against using cell phones while driving. The laws are not just directed at teen driving. It will be just a matter of time before there is a ban on a national level.
Studies have shown that texting and teen driving can be more dangerous than driving under the influence of alcohol. When you’re driving drunk, sight, mobility, speech and reaction time are impaired. When there’s a teen driving and texting, the driver spends whole chunks of time with his eyes entirely off the road. It’s like driving blind.
Peter Watkins-Hughes, the writer and director of the video, is not apologetic for this piece of work on teen driving.
“Yes it is violent,” he said. “But the reality of a fatal road accident is much more violent. My position is if you’re old enough to drive, you’re old enough to be aware of the real and serious risks of teen driving.”
Amy Ingram, who played a passenger in the video, said she was grateful to be part of the teen driving video – and it wasn’t just for the acting experience: “Nothing is ever too graphic when it comes to saving people’s lives,” she said.
About Bus 52
To Boldly Go Where No Beer has Gone Before
A Forum for Innovation
Tracking the Adventures of Agent Westen
