GPS Tracking

Privacy Debate Goes On and On

Protect Yourself, but Use to Your Advantage

Any time someone brings up the issue of privacy and security one of two reactions is almost always observed:  anger or apathy.  This polarizing topic has many up in arms these days because there are more ways to breach your privacy than at any other time in history.

GPS Tracking systems are also in the mix of these debates.  In fact, talking about the vulnerabilities of using GPS Tracking is a good thing.  You need to know that you are vulnerable and at what point you are being put at risk so that you can take measures to protect yourself.  Here’s what you should know about GPS’s dark side:

Here’s What You Should Know

GPS Enabled Cell Phones Make You Vulnerable.  When you turn on the GPS feature on your smartphone, you can be tracked.  This means that you need to be aware of the times when you need it and when you don’t and then turn it off.  Or, just face the prospect that someone could hack into your phone and monitor your location in real time.  Turn the feature off, and be sure to password protect your phone’s functions.

GPS Tracking of Your Vehicle Makes You Vulnerable.  Movies used to be the only place that we saw devices that were used to track a car’s movements.  That is no longer the case.  Devices can be attached to your car without your knowledge (it only requires two wires).  If you are in a legal dispute with someone, in a divorce for example, it would not be unheard of to have your car tracked by a spouse or ex-spouse for the purpose of collecting information that could be used against you.  Be extra aware if you are in these situations. (more…)

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Business Uses of Devices Show the Way

No Longer a Nice-to-Have Technology – Now Mandatory

Technology is being deployed into more places in our society than ever dreamed possible.  In fact, if it were not for some of the uses and implementations, it is not a stretch to say that businesses in our economy would be in worse shape and many more would have closed their doors by now.

Proof is in the Numbers

Farfetched reasoning?  Not if you consider the following ways that GPS Tracking is impacting businesses.

Fleet Operations Management.  Is there a better tool for monitoring and managing fleet operations?  Name one system that has had the kind of impact on this type of business.  Maybe the cell phone, but even at that, it does not provide location information.  Being able to turn your operations on a dime during business hours to better serve your customers is made possible by the use of GPS Tracking systems.

Greater Control over Assets.  It used to be that once your vehicles left the business site, you were in the dark about how they were being used and where they were going.  The effect on control alone has been a great advantage for businesses who are trying to squeeze every possible penny of profit from their business that they can.  Not to mention the ability to be able to recover from theft in a matter of hours rather than days, weeks, months or maybe never.  Insurance companies, too, are throwing their weight behind these tracking devices to by offering reductions in insurance premiums. (more…)

The Choice Can Have Far-Reaching Results

Look for Devices That Offer Protection and Recovery

Most of us don’t pay attention to protecting our vehicles from theft.  We just hope that with standard manufacturers’ theft deterrent systems all will be ok and that nothing will happen to us.

That is faulty for several reasons.  First, by burying your head in the sand with this attitude, you become less informed and possibly an easier target.  This is especially true if you live in major cities and towns.  There are roving bands of thieves that do nothing but target vehicles that are easy to steal, strip down and sell for parts on the black market.  And, they are not necessarily looking for expensive or exotic cars and trucks.  They want every day, common vehicles because they are easy to strip and sell quickly. (more…)

Product Has Not Been Released, but Looks Promising

New Innovations Help the Disabled

As we plumb the depths of how GPS Tracking devices can provide assistant to various entities around the world, there are some proposed devices than will also help those with disabilities to better cope with the world.

One such device that has been shown as a possible help to the visually impaired is called the na:vi.  It is a GPS navigation system for those with challenged vision.

Multiple Technologies Come Together

The idea behind the system is that from the availability of GPS signals a person with limited or no vision can use a device that is attached to their forearm to get direction from internal gyroscopes, an integrated laser range finder, and a 3D user interface.  The interworking of these features will help provide accurate directions in a safe manner for the user.

Future Advances for the Disabled

Still under early development is GPS Tracking for power chairs and mobility scooters.  This is right around the corner, however.  You will see systems that have built-in functionality and those that use outside technology (like smartphones) that will provide the brains for such systems.  The benefits will be to be able to monitor movement and keep in closer contact with those who use these systems. (more…)

One of the Best Features of GPS Tracking

Systems are Customer Service Focused

This is a fit made in heaven, it would seem: the marriage of GPS Tracking with Public Transportation systems in the form of Buses.  While other systems try to use GPS Tracking to help make a better customer service experience, bus systems trump them all.  Here are the reasons why:

Are You Late or is The Bus Late?

The Need is Real.  Trying to catch buses on schedule can be a nightmare.  Just ask college students who do not have a vehicle or cannot drive theirs on campus for classes.  Mix in their penchant for being late and you will soon see the need for a system that allows instant interactivity with buses and their schedules.  Now, translate that to the many bus systems that operate in large cities around the world.  The need for better service has been the cry on the lips of riders everywhere.  So, there is no doubt that this was a real need and that it would be well accepted. (more…)

This article is not about the actual loss of ice in Greenland or the causation thereof, but rather, the tracking system used to measure and report on the event.

GPS Tracking growth has been likened to throwing a rock into a pond.  The rings of influence and growth are undeniable.  Buoyed by the stories of how these devices have help save lives and find victims, the positive vibe is amazing to watch.

Now, GPS Tracking has helped fulfill another role:  gathering data for those interested in climate change and global weather events.

One of the most remarkable of applications is in the tracking of Greenland’s ice loss due to warming that surrounds these massive glaciers.

There is plenty of lively debate surrounding the reasons for the melting of the ice, but it cannot be denied that it is occurring.  GPS Tracking has allowed measurements to occur from three different locations on the bedrock right next to these massive ice sheets.  Crustal uplift is being observed as the ice sheets lose weight and slowly melt away.

Using GPS Tracking in this way allows observers the chance to gather data on a continuous basis to form their opinions about what is causing the ice melt, and more importantly, how it might impact the environment either negatively or positively.

In response, more of these GPS Tracking devices have been added which now form the GNET (Greenland GPS Network).  Over 50 of these devices will begin to add to the data that is already being collected.

Adding to the fascination with this is the eruption of the volcano in Iceland, which is nearby.  Will this affect the ice melting that is currently occurring?  These and other questions will be explored in full very soon.

With the recent earthquakes around the world, the moving of the tectonic plates in the earth decreases the tracking accuracy for those who use GPS satellites and tracking devices.  But in the case of the moving of ice sheets in Greenland, the movement that is observed is a providing valuable data.

The point here is that GPS Tracking has carved out an important place in helping to monitor our world to enable betterment for all mankind.  This is just another example of the occurrence and the positive impact being felt around the world.  In coming months, more data will come to light that will help us make wise opinions and choices about how we live and engage our environment.

When vehicle tracking devices are mentioned, most people immediately think of GPS tracking (Global Positioning System). Though it only has been in public use for the last decade or so, GPS tracking technology has made big changes in the way commercial businesses are run.

The reason GPS tracking is so popular is because it is powerful, accurate and reliable. It finds the exact location of a person, vehicle or any object on Earth based on the readings from satellite signals. Originally, the technology was developed for U.S. military defense training and maneuvers, but today it has far-reaching benefits in the everyday world. GPS tracking has an equal impact in the consumer market and in a commercial setting for fleet management.

Commercial Use of GPS Vehicle Tracking Devices

Most business owners would find it difficult to live without GPS tracking. It is no longer a luxury, but a necessity when the goal is to cut operating costs and to dispatch goods and services more quickly to customers. The “cherry on the cake” with a GPS tracking system, is it is an efficient system if a vehicle or valuable piece of equipment is lost or stolen.

For the sake of this analysis, consider a real-time GPS tracking solution such as the Victoria GPS Tracking System offered by LandAirSea Systems. The Victoria gives GPS tracking position updates every 10 seconds. It is a 100 percent Web-based tracking system with no annual service agreement.

When fleet cars, vans and related equipment are considered important assets of an organization, vehicle tracking devices will increase business profits and help monitor employee performance.

Theft recovery: If your vehicle is stolen or somebody is using it without authorization, GPS tracking could have the vehicle quickly and easily traced. The precise location, time, speed and direction are reported “live” through frequent GPS tracking position updates. Most vehicle tracking systems also have built-in geo-fencing abilities. A virtual “fence” is programmed around certain areas on a map. If a GPS tracking vehicle travels beyond that perimeter, an alert is sent to a manager in a central dispatch area. This might prevent a theft in progress.

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Technology today is constantly improving and it has changed the lives of everyday people in quite dramatic ways.

This is especially true in the area of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. GPS is a system of satellites orbiting in space. GPS tracking systems use satellite signals to find out the precise location of the receiver, at any point in time. With vehicle tracking technology, people can monitor a vehicle’s position as it drives along a road.

GPS Tracking and the Web Connection

When a vehicle tracking system marks vehicle location at regular increments, then stores it into memory for later download and viewing, the system is called a passive GPS tracking system, or a data logger.

LandAirSea’s Tracking Key Pro® is an example of dependable, cost-effective passive GPS tracking technology.

If the vehicle tracking system notes location every few seconds or minutes, then transmits that data, using a modem for Internet connectivity, it is a real-time GPS tracking system. In this case, the GPS tracking system user can find out “live,” exactly where the tracked object is, and where it is moving. When someone wants information about their vehicle’s whereabouts, they can accomplish that goal by connecting to the Web on a computer, or by using a Web-enabled smartphone.

LandAirSea’s Victoria GPS Tracking System is a prime example of efficient, immediate real-time GPS tracking. It gives position updates every 10 seconds.

GPS Tracking by Law Enforcement

Vehicle tracking devices are very useful to police departments because they gives them the opportunity to easily trace any suspect vehicle. GPS tracking is a labor- and time-saving technology that often eliminates tedious hours in stakeouts and dangerous maneuvers in police chases. In a matter of seconds, an investigating officer can place this gadget on the vehicle of a suspected criminal. When the suspect drives away, police can watch where the car is going on a computer monitor in their cars, or from a base station at a remote location.

Armed with a knowledge of the criminal’s past, and a live view of where he or she is going, police might be able to anticipate a crime, and swiftly react to stop it before it takes place. This is how the classic “sting” is accomplished successfully.
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