Belfast and Beyond

Archive for the ‘GPS’ Category

You can get the benefits of car GPS system specially if you are frequently driving as a part of your profession or if you get lost repeatedly. GPS means Global Positioning System which involves orbiting computers and satellites functioning together to find directions. It is a navigation device to find people and objects. Several individuals buy GPS systems and install them in their cars to obtain peace of mind that their cars can be tracked when stolen and to know that they can never be lost again even on unfamiliar road. Any person can handle car GPS navigators with utmost no difficulty because they do not oblige special knowledge to control. They work with no disturbance to the driver particularly the units having voice output feature.

What makes car GPS navigator extraordinary is that you are not the one navigating but the computer software does it for you while you travel to your destination. No matter whether you admit it or not, the device actually navigates much better than you ever could. The GPS systems were originally used by The Department of Defense in military methods and are currently used by non-military customers in all walks of life. GPS for cars come in portable and dash-mountable types. Both the dash-mountable and portable car GPS navigators provide functions and capabilities which are similarly helpful. The only difference between them is the portability feature.

The dash-mountable GPS navigator is actually attached to the dash of the vehicle. Even if it has limited use than the portable unit, it is not likely to be misplaced, stolen or easily damaged and you can opt to buy the unit in a much bigger size. The drawback for this dash-mountable unit is that you can’t use it in some other cars or on foot. It simply means that when you have several vehicles and you actually want to use a unit which is attached on a dash, you’ll need to get other units for your other cars.  Read more...

In 2011 the Iditarod ended with a new winner, a new record set and a new component. For those unfamiliar with the Iditarod, visualize a person on a sled pulled by a team of dogs over some of the most extreme and gorgeous wilderness terrain known to man. For around 1,150 miles the dog sled team crosses frozen rivers, jagged mountain ranges, desolate tundra and dense forests. As if that weren’t enough, factor in subzero temperatures, winds that generate zero visibility and long hours of darkness and you have a race called the Iditarod that Alaska claims as its own.

If you’re wondering what does this have to do with GPS devices, well for the first time in Iditarod history, the mushers were permitted to use personal navigational devices (PND) – GPS units. Race participants who are in favor of making the use of personal GPS devices an option, are quick to point out the significance of maintaining a steady pace. They explain that if the speed is inconsistent or too fast, the rate of injury to the dogs is increased substantially. Additionally, it is easy to misjudge your sled speed without the benefit of a GPS. Proponents for the use of GPS tracking devices, such as Garmin, like to call attention to John Baker’s experience. In 2010, Baker was considered a contender for the title. Regrettably, thinking himself to be lost, he miscalculated his position and lost hours trying to get back on the trail. Those lost hours ended up costing Baker a chance at the title. If he had been able to use a GPS device, he would have quickly discovered that he was in fact on the correct path and not at all lost.  Read more...

Over the past ten years, adventure seekers have been involved in a high tech game of hide ‘n seek through the use of their GPS devices. The game is called Geocaching and, at last count, it has over 1 million players in over 100 countries around the world. Sounds like an excellent way to increase your level of enjoyment as you hike and explore the wilderness with family and friends, or even go it alone.

Notwithstanding the efficiency of smartphones, this game is definitely enhanced by the use of a dedicated GPS personal navigation device (PND). Makers such as Garmin, TomTom and Magellan all offer quality GPS systems which truly enhance the geocacher’s experience. The name of the game is derived from the token treasures and log book which are typically placed in an airtight, waterproof container and hidden somewhere. Though the treasure may not typically have significant monetary value, it does have some personal value for the one who finds it. The whole assembly is referred to as a geocache or just simply a cache. The geographical GPS coordinates for the location of the caches are posted online. Once you find the geocache, just log your discovery into the logbook tucked in with the treasure(s). You can then choose to either add to the treasure, leave it as you found it, or take something away. If you do decide to remove part of the treasure, fellow players recommend leaving something of value in place of the item removed, enhancing the find for the next player.

There are times when a treasure of noteworthy value is placed in the cache, however, these caches are usually hidden in GPS locations that are difficult and challenging to reach. Having the coordinates for the cache is only half the battle. Once you arrive, you must figure out exactly where the treasure has been hidden, buried, hung, placed, etc. Be warned, as fellow geocachers can be extremely creative.  Read more...

We all thoroughly enjoy using our various GPS devices to the extent that they have become indispensible in our daily lives. We depend on them to keep us from getting lost, to keep track of our children and pets, to find specific types of business – restaurants, stores, gas stations, etc. Our GPS devices and Smartphone apps help us to maximize the enjoyment of our vacations even protect us from harm by letting the proper authorities know our whereabouts if/when we find ourselves in perilous situations.

Sad to say that our honeymoon with our GPS is being threatened by unscrupulous, terroristic tactics carried out by uncaring and selfish individuals. The tool being used to create such dangerous and potentially life threatening circumstances is the GPS jammer. Regardless of the fact that these devices are illegal in the United States and most of Europe, the gps jammers can be bought online directly from factories in China for $30 to $50 USD. Since the websites advertise the jammers as privacy protectors and tracking blockers, the average consumer is unaware of the jammers’ capabilities to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting public. Consider this incident reported in a recent article published in The Economist; “in late 2009 engineers noticed that satellite-positioning receivers for a new navigation aid at Newark airport in New Jersey were suffering brief daily breaks in reception. Something was interfering with the signals from orbiting global positioning system (GPS) satellites. It took two months for investigators from the Federal Aviation Authority to track down the problem: a driver who passed by on the nearby New Jersey Turnpike each day had a cheap GPS jammer in his truck.”  Read more...

Everyone has read about the crime prevention aspects of GPS tracking devices and how police have been able to locate and apprehend stolen cars, bikes, appliances etc. The creative use of GPS tracking devices continues to amaze as it expands and protects its users. Recently we heard about a bank robber who was caught because a quick thinking teller placed a GPS device in the bag along with the money. Apparently the robber was only looking for signs of a dye pack and not a tracking device. Another robbery attempt foiled by a GPS device.

Another story reported is a state-of-the-art GPS device which makes it possible for authorities to fully control a bus by remote means. The idea is tied in with the Department of Homeland Security, and is being used to thwart attempts by terrorists to hijack buses and potentially turn a passenger loaded vehicle into a weapon capable of massive devastation. In the face of a terrorist threat, all a driver need do is to hit a panic button, which is discreetly hidden somewhere around the steering wheel. The distress signal which is generated activates a GPS device connected to the bus’ onboard computer, and lets the dispatcher identify the vehicle, its location, speed and direction of travel. At this point, the dispatcher can remotely override the bus systems and slowly bring the bus to a safe and complete stop, preventing it from restarting. Currently the Gray Line double-decker tourist buses and Coach USA are using this technology to improve the safety of their passengers. The New Jersey Transit is presently in the process of equipping its fleet of approximately 3,000 busses with this system, and other municipalities are planning to follow do the same.  Read more...