Archive for November, 2009

GPS System Tracking – Applications of GPS Tracking System

The General Positioning System (GPS) tracking system is the latest breakthrough of the technology aiming at improving people’s lives. The GPS tracking system is reported to be used as a travel guide and as a tracking device of vehicles. No matter its application, GPS devices are good travelling companions.

The actual process of GPS tracking system is straightforward. In short, there are exactly 27 satellites rolling around the center of the Earth. Out of them, 24 are used by the GPS technology and the remaining ones are used for storage purposes. A GPS receiver installed in your car emits a signal to these satellites. Four available satellites will be used to find out your exact position. The mathematical tenet involves in this computing process is called trilateration. It can be achieved in either two dimensions or three dimensions.

Adverse weather conditions can affect the accuracy of the position. This issue is still to be addressed by GPS vendors as they are struggling to tweak their devices as a way around this problem.

Applications of GPS devices are twofold: the first one being as travelling guide as you can set your destination and the receiver will work out your location. It will also tell the best trajectory to reach your destination. It should be noted that some devices are able to talk as well. The GPS technology is also reported to be used in the military industry as it was first created for such purposes.

Another application of GPS devices is for tracking purposes. For instance a car company may decide to install GPS device in their cars in order to record their position all over the time. This can help them improving their delivery times and also increase their efficiency. An employer also can make use of this device to make sure that his employees are not abusing company car privileges.

Private investigators also make use of GPS tracking devices in order to keep track of cheating wives. Law enforcement also makes use of GPS devices to locate people who steal cars. Recent GPS devices are also able to report a driver’s habits therefore deciding if the driver is responsible enough to carry on.

The GPS tracking system is also a perfect way around home construction site thefts. Indeed, recent news from the Tennessee reveals that GPS tracking devices have helped identify a rash of construction site thefts where many thieves were used to nicking home appliances. A Tennessee police spokesman later on claims that these hard to break burglaries could be tracked down in less than 24 hours with suitable GPS tracking devices.

Still in the US, it is well known that some school buses are equipped with GPS tracking devices for emergency response purposes. Indeed, school buses equipped with the GPS tracking devices can be used to shuttle emergency responders such as fire fighters, and evacuate those in need, including nursing home residents.

In summary, GPS device applications are growing more and more over the time. There are mainly used for military and civilian purposes as we described in previous sections. It is nowadays commonplace to see GPS devices almost everywhere as we saw in the previous sections.

Learn insider secrets to cellular phone gps software and find out how to locate my cell with gps service when you visit http://www. gpsportabletracking. com

Magellan RoadMate 1220 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator

User Reviews Send this to a friend
Magellan RoadMate 1220 3.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator
 
Magellan RoadMate 1220 3.5 Inch Portable GPS Navigator
Manufacturer: Magellan
Customer Rating:
 
List Price: $159.99
Sale Price: $97.94
Availibility: Usually ships in 24 hours
Magellan RoadMate 1220 3.5 Inch Portable GPS NavigatorFree Shipping Available
Buy Now
 
  • Personalize OneTouch search icons with your favorite places
  • Announces street names and directions at each turn Text To Speech
  • Features a portable 3.5-Inch color touch screen
  • QuickSpell with Smart City search narrows your address and city entries
  • Permits multi-destination routing
Magellan RoadMate 1220 3.5 Inch Portable GPS Navigator Perfect for the techno-challenged!
 
Review Date: June 25, 2009
Reviewer: Jody, Northwest Ohio
I HATE my husband's GPS (different brand). It's complicated; the last couple of times I've invited Suzy (that's her name) along for the ride, she was still insisting I make a U-turn as I was pulling into my destination--and she still thinks we live on the opposite side of the street. To be honest, Suzy is rather high maintenance and not very smart but my husband is inexplicably infatuated. So enamored is he in fact that I caved in to pressure and grudgingly agreed that yeah, I probably needed a GPS of my own, though my private resolution was to never turn it on.

Then Lola came into my life and I'm thrilled to bits with her! It took her a few minutes to figure out where she was, but after that she was good to go. The packaging says to allow four minutes, but it was more like eight or nine. Since I have no intention of permanently attaching her to my car, the size is just perfect for purse popping. I was afraid the screen would be too small but it's perfect. The colors and definition are vivid enough to be seen even in sunlight.

THE BEST PARTS: Lola not only knows exactly where I live, she knows everything about the miniscule community in which I live and everything about everywhere else I go that's not so miniscule. In a nanosecond, she recommends restaurants, movies and live entertainment. The really cool thing was when I'd steeled myself to the tedious task of programming in addresses of places I go (and usually get lost enroute) and discovered they were already there. Lola warns of turns with the most melodious chimes and there are some great options on the menu--like fastest or shortest route, most or least freeway and detours. There's also the option of getting directions in the form of a list of the turns required, which is great for those of us who get dizzy looking at the maps. And Lola has never, ever urged a U-turn, which is usually illegal in my state.

The touchscreen navigation is awesome. No kidding. You have to tell Suzy exactly where you're going, but with one touch, Lola KNOWS! Maybe I'm easily impressed, but I think that's pure genius.

For techno-idiots like me, who still can't operate a digital camera, this little Magellan is perfect. I have no idea what the specs are and pray I'll never need tech support because I don't speak tech. All I care about is that Lola will keep me from getting lost and that she does, in spades. User friendly, compact and brainy, Lola is the most pleasant surprise I've had lately, and I think it's the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Magellan RoadMate 1220 3.5 Inch Portable GPS Navigator Great Little GPS Unit for Travel
 
Review Date: September 14, 2009
Reviewer: PD, Southwest
Summary first: For such a low price, this is a great deal on a GPS unit. Has many features of the bigger units, and best of all, it has subscription-free Traffic Link live traffic updates.

The Details: I'm writing this review as a techno-geek who just never happened to get a GPS unit. So while I'm new to a dedicated GPS, I'm pretty familiar with the user interfaces of today's gadgetry. If you're new to GPS units and are searching out choices, this review should provide the point of view that a techno-geek would expect out of one of these. I do have GPS on my iPhone (although it doesn't do turn-by-turn), so we'll see how the touchscreen and the UI compare.

The Roadmate 1220 feels well-built. The touchscreen is nicely responsive and the icons are big enough to not miss your "target" (I have pretty big hands). For a smaller 3.5" unit, the screen is laid out well, and it's bright enough (that's a big one for me).

The unit takes about 5 minutes to initially aquire a signal, which is stated in the manual. This may be normal for GPS devices so I won't deduct points there. Once it's connected it springs to life tracking you. You can look at it 2D (bird's eye view) or 3D (slightly angled out to see upcoming roads, as in the product picture).

Feature-wise, I was VERY impressed. I used to think, "why do people use these things in the town they live, don't they know where they're going?". I got my answer once I turned it on. The live traffic updates are worth the price alone (I live near a major city). But I also didn't realize that these units show you other things nearby such as ATMs, gas stations, coffee shops and a variety of other places. I found things in my hometown I didn't know existed! This Roadmate also provides MPH, altitude above sea level, time, etc. Not necessary but interesting.

Interface-wise, this unit is quite easy to use. I was wondering how the navigation would be on such a complex unit with no buttons, just all touchscreen. But like the iPhone, the "where do I go next" was very apparent. There were only a couple of times where at first I wasn't sure where to tap, but my first guess of hitting Menu got me back to where I needed to be on the screen. I like this unit more than I expected.

As far as turn-by-turn functionality, it works very well. I took back roads to try and trick it, but the Roadmate picked right up and recalculated my route. That impressed me big time. Setup is easy too... once you enter your home address and any other you want to store, you're only a couple of screen taps away from starting your trip. You can have it start at your current location WHEREVER you're sitting/driving and tell it to get you home, and it does. There's a soft chime and a woman's voice telling you when the next turn is approaching. Doesn't get much easier than that!

There are many GPS units out there, but I'll be surprised if there many that have this much to offer for this low of a price.
Magellan RoadMate 1220 3.5 Inch Portable GPS Navigator Great Value GPS
 
Review Date: July 14, 2009
Reviewer: E. Byers, The Midwest
This GPS is a great value/budget GPS. It is nearly the same as the Garmin 350 I purchased a few years ago.

-- Size/Mounting.
It's actually thinner/smaller than most of the GPS units out there. The downside is that you only get a relatively small screen, but for the majority of people out there, it's going to be good enough. It mounts on the windshield or on an adhesive pad you can apply to the dash. They work really well, although it would be nice if Magellan would have an option for a bean bag dash mount or something similiar.

-- Functionality
As far as mapping, routing, etc it works pretty well. A few times it would decide to send us in the wrong direction at the start of the route, after pushing past the initial wrong directions, it corrected itself. This may be a symptom of poor GPS signal and not waiting enough to let it acquire. If you completely don't know where you're going, this could be an issue for you.
The one annoying thing I found is the map on the screen is delayed slightly, like the GPS can't keep up. The notifications (sound/voice) are correct, so not sure what's going on.

-- Software
Magellan has some slick software. When you start putting in a town/city/etc, it will automatically remove the letters that aren't available, and will try to guess it for you, makes entering much easier. The one downside of this unit, is I couldn't easily find a way to see all the restaurants in the area, and filter. For instance I wanted to find an A&W, however i would just have to wait till it came into closeness, instead of being able to filter it and see the nearest one. There may be an obscure way to do this, I just haven't found it yet. Text to Speech, which is normally found only in higher end models, is on this one, and it's great.

-- Upgrades
I only have mac's, and Magellan doesn't support them as of yet. Either way it doesn't appear as there are any updates available for this device currently, so it's not a big deal. You can access the POI's you add, and a few other things, as the GPS mounts when you add it.

Overall for the price this works very well, it essentially gives you the functionality for about half the price it would have cost you two years ago, in a tidier package, worth it.

Types of GPS (Global Positioning System) Radio Signals and types of GPS Receivers

GPS satellites transmit two types of radio signals which are C/A-code and P-code. Coarse Acquisition (C/A code) is the type of signal which is used in consumer units and is known as SPS (Standard Positioning Service). C/A-code is not as accurate as P-code (which is mentioned later on) and is easier for U.S. military forces to jam and spoof, i.e. broadcast false signals to trick the receiver into thinking it is somewhere else when it really is not. The advantage of C/A-code however is that it acquires the satellite signal faster and hence obtaining an initial fix on your position takes less time. Due to this, there is an option for receivers which use P-code to track onto the C/A-code signal first then switch over to the P-code.


P-code on the other hand provides highly precise location information and it is difficult to jam or spoof. The U.S. military is the primary user of P-code transmissions and uses an encrypted form of the data so that only special receivers can access the signal. P-code broadcasts are known as the Precise Positioning System (PPS).


Now let us switch focus to that of GPS receivers. Some of this information can become pretty technical but hopefully both the novice and more advanced readers can learn and sift through the information to help them.


GPS units receive two different types of data which are Almanac and Ephemeris. Almanac data contains the approximate positions of the satellites; the data are continuously being transmitted and are stored in the memory of the GPS receiver. Ephemeris data broadcasts the precise positions of the satellites. To obtain an accurate location fix, the receiver has to know how far away a satellite is. Hence, the GPS receiver calculates the distance to the satellite by of course using signals from the orbiting satellite.


A GPS receiver needs data from multiple satellites to obtain or triangulate a position as to where the user of the GPS is located. First there is the issue of location which requires a minimum of three satellite signals. Second is that of position, which needs four satellite signals to determine your position in three dimensions: latitude, longitude and elevation. GPS receivers can generally be separated into five categories which are consumer models, U.S. military/government models, mapping/resource models, survey models and commercial transportation models. With respect to the consumer and commercial transportation models, the site SecureWithGPS provides GPS devices more catered to the consumer and commercial markets. If you think that such devices might suit your needs for fleet management of your vehicles, keeping track of the security of your car when it might be parked or even looking out for your teenage drivers, please visit the site for useful and related information.


Finally, we will take a quick look at the accuracy of GPS receivers. One can typically expect a GPS receiver to be accurate within 49 feet or 15 meters. Accuracy depends on receiver location, obstructions that block satellite signals and information received from ground-based beacons to name a few. So rest assured that after spending money to start using this widely used technology the data obtained from the GPS receivers will definitely be accurate enough to provide the user with reliable information.

For a reliable GPS (Global Positioning System) for personal or business use, please check out http://www. securewithgps. com . At http://www. securewithgps. com they provide the latest in GPS tracking, fleet management and near real time location updates.

How GPS Works – Applications of GPS Tracker Auto Satellite Images

Technology is always evolving and drastically changing people’s lives. As a proof, let us consider the release of the General Positioning System (GPS) tracker auto satellite images. This tracking equipment provides real-time graphics of an object in order to find out its exact position and at any time. Using this technology, you can easily spy a car as it is moving.

With the GPS tracker auto satellite images, any users can know his exact position in real-time at any moment! GPS tracker auto satellite images empower you with the outstanding opportunity to access your car information and receive notifications automatically. In case, you need to get the specific information about your car or perform an action, you can go online or make use of a touch-tone phone. Despite these amazing features, you should be aware of its benefits and drawbacks.

At first, unhappy people about this feature are thugs. Indeed if every car is equipped with this tool, it can be annoying trying to steal as you will be watched live by the nearest police station. Therefore, you will be arrested quickly and you will not be able to prove you are not guilty. Another category of these people involves cheating women who were accustomed to using their husbands’ cars to go to a meeting with their lovers. Now, it is possible with this device to track your wife’s position at all time and even watch her kissing someone else.

Hitting the GPS tracker auto satellite images in your car is a matter of few minutes. Usually stolen cars equipped with this device are quickly found. The GPS tracker auto satellite images consist of two parts: a tiny device and a computer. With a notebook it becomes even easier to track your vehicle everywhere.

Briefly speaking, the GPS tracker auto satellite images act as a police film. The first part involves is conducted by the private inspector who head to a vehicle and install the device and makes his way to his car. As soon as the suspect runs away with the vehicle, the inspector just looks at his monitor to spy the car. The second part of the movie involves the actual crime. The inspector still looks at his monitor and watches how the burglar is operating. The final part involves the actual arrest of the burglar and that is the end of the film!

Some GPS tracker auto satellite images provide even more appealing features. For example, in order to increase your security and safety, some GPS devices will allow you to track and protect your cars, an early theft warning alert, chill-out while driving and to monitor safe driving habits of your teenage drivers. And in order to empower your convenience, some GPS devices will offer you the unique opportunity to access in real time, street-level positions of various cars, automatic notifications, 24/7 anywhere and anytime access, online interface and touch tone phone access. With all these features, it is perfectly acceptable to claim that the GPS tracker auto satellite image is an innovative and powerful GPS vehicle tracking device that can be easily accessed via the Internet or a touch-tone phone, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Discover how to get downloadable gps maps of ireland and get insiders review on furuno gps marine when you visit http://www. gpsportabletracking. com

 Page 4 of 15  « First  ... « 2  3  4  5  6 » ...  Last »