The Cold War & GPS
The year was 1957, and the free world was in a panic. The Soviet Space Program successfully sent Sputnik into orbit and the end of civilization, as we knew it was at hand. How could the dirty Reds have invaded space with such relative ease? In less than a year, President Eisenhower, working in tandem with Congress, quickly established NASA and DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) to formulate a response to the looming threat.
Under the cautious direction of Wernher von Braun, NASA immediately began to explore the possibility of sending human beings into space. Within the first year of their inception, NASA had launched the Explorer 1 satellite into space. Dubbed Project Mercury, this program involved seven original astronauts, of whom, Alan Shepard became the first American into space, while John Glenn would become the first American to orbit the earth.
Revolutionary GPS tracking devices were used to track their location, altitude, and rates of speed. So coveted was this GPS technology that it remained classified until 1983, when a Soviet interceptor aircraft shot down a civilian Korean Air airliner, killing everyone on board. The plane had strayed into Soviet airspace and although the Soviets had probable cause, had the airliner had accurate navigational systems, the tragedy could have been avoided. President Ronald Reagan subsequently declassified GPS tracking systems for civilian use.
Initially developed by the Navy, the first successful GPS tracking system was dubbed Transit, and used five satellites to triangulate positions around the globe. With the Space Race underway, NASA began implementing a new tracking system, called the Global Positioning System (GPS). The system involved the use of satellites to track the position and location of both spacecraft and intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Not only have GPS systems become the preeminent navigational systems for cars, but the scientific community has also used them to track wild and domestic animals and migration patterns. Law enforcement uses GPS tracking to find stolen cars and keep tabs on criminals on bail or probation. Now, not only can someone find where they are on a city grid, but also he or she can find nearby businesses and restaurants.
Your prized is closer at hand than you thought. In fact, it's ringing now.
GPS Vehicle Tracking Reduces Company Vehicle Costs
If you have company vehicles on the road - cars, trucks, tractor trailers - and you do not have GPS vehicle tracking in them, you are probably spending money on wasted time, wasted fuel, and unnecessary vehicle maintenance and repairs. If you want to reduce these costs and improve your bottom line, GPS vehicle tracking is what you need.
You probably remember that UPS made news a few years ago by having their drivers make right turns only. This grew out of analysis of how the drivers were using time and fuel. Most left turns require a wait. Waiting costs money. This is typical of the kind of data and decision-making that can derive from GPS vehicle tracking. It is also typical of the ways companies of all sizes use GPS vehicle tracking data to make decisions that immediately impact the bottom line by reducing operating cost.
GPS vehicle tracking allowed the company to monitor where the trucks were at any given time. They were able to extract reports showing the average wait time to make right turns and to make left turns. They were also able to analyze the amount of extra fuel required to make left turns (due to waiting for traffic to clear or for lights to change). They were also able to convert their findings to dollars lost. They determined that making left turns was simply too expensive.
In September of 2009, the mayor of Dyersburg, Tennessee reported on initial findings about city employee productivity and responsiveness to resident requests for services. Using new GPS vehicle tracking the city discovered several ways to improve productivity, reduce operating costs, eliminate waste, and improve customer satisfaction.
GPS vehicle tracking provides a wealth of information to management, including:
- speeding
- bad driving habits that could harm the car or others
- identification of more efficient routes
- excessive idle time.
- capability for identifying the closest vehicle to an emergency need
- excessive time spent at a location
The information gathered by a GPS vehicle tracking system provides vital decision-making data for managers and company executives. The data can help managers correct bad driving habits, improve efficiencies, identify potential problems and protect their investments. It can become a primary tool in improving customer satisfaction. A good GPS vehicle tracking system can even help you create warning systems for drivers, notify drivers safely of traffic problems and offer alternative routes to save time.
GPS vehicle tracking systems enable you to even extend the life of your vehicles. It can help you identify and correct driving habits that are harmful to engines. It can also help you identify problem employees, identify several kinds of waste, prove unauthorized use of vehicles and find ways to make your drivers and your vehicles more efficient. With GPS vehicle tracking, you can help your employees become more reliable and consistent. You can cut costs while improving productivity; and this will result in increased profit.
Your drivers can find the best driving routes, reduce waiting time, improve fuel economy and contribute to a better bottom line. GPS devices are very affordable and very easy to install and monitor. Many insurance companies even offer rate reductions for vehicles equipped with GPS vehicle tracking. Perhaps best of all, the ROI of this investment will be many times greater than the cost and you can demonstrate improvement almost instantly.
To learn more about , get the free report "7 Ways Your Company Can Save Thousands of Dollars With GPS Fleet Tracking." A number of companies have increased their revenue and lowered their costs by installing a GPS tracking system for their fleet. To calculate the ROI for your company in under 30 seconds, see the ROI calculator.
The Air That I Breathe and an iPhone
The iPhone has come a long way in a very short amount of time. It has graduated from phone to smart-phone to phantom limb. Short of slicing and dicing, the iPhone is an unparalleled GPS tracking device, media player, and Internet platform. It has become synonymous with cutting-edge, beautifully designed engineering.
It's a cultural phenomenon. It is a navigator, game platform, television, music player, and even an instrument. Once it was nothing ore than a trinket for the idle rich. Now, it is a vital component for millions worldwide. It gives credence to the old adage: wants become needs as income increases. To be sure, few cellphones can compare to its sleek, seamless design.
Users can connect to the Internet in milliseconds. This allows people to use the Internet and other features up to twice as fast as the old models. The cost for third generation models is very agreeable. Also, it appears as if the third generation phones have smoothed out the edges that plagued the second-generation phones, namely a Cut & Paste function. This has opened the door for many more people being able to afford this smart-phone.
The hallmark of the iPhone is the touch screen. You don't use a stylus or another device to navigate which makes it quicker to get to where you want. There isn't even a keyboard on the phone, but instead you get a virtual keyboard on the screen. You can email, send pictures, or browse the web extremely fast regardless of where you are. The phone even operates as a video player. You can store all your songs and videos on the phone and watch them or listen to them at will. With all of these cool features, the best new feature is the GPS capability on the iPhone 3G.
The phone triangulates your position and gives you the ability to find where you're at and find directions. The phone integrates with Google Maps and can find your location within a matter of seconds. A map is brought up and your location is represented by a blue dot on the screen. It integrates with several iPhone features to give you a completely unique experience with your phone.
Turn your iPhone (or any phone) into a veritable . How can you know where you're headed if you don't know where you are?
GPS: For the Benefit of All
The Soviets had threatened to dominate space well before the Eagle had landed. When the Soviet Space Program successfully sent Sputnik into orbit in'57, the so-called free world was in a panic. Congress reacted with swiftness reserved for a national crisis. Indeed, for many Americans, the perceived superiority of the Soviet program was tantamount to a crisis. President Eisenhower moved quickly to establish both NASA and DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) in'58.
Led by the former head of the German rocket program, Wernher von Braun, NASA immediately began to explore the possibility of sending human beings into space. The motto declared "For the Benefit of All," but NASA moved quickly for the American public when it launched the Explorer 1 satellite on January 31,'58. Dubbed Project Mercury, this program involved seven original astronauts, of whom, Alan Shepard became the first American into space, while John Glenn would become the first American to orbit the earth.
For decades the GPS system was classified and reserved only for military and governmental use. Then, in'83, a Soviet interceptor aircraft shot down the civilian Korean Air airliner KAL 007, killing all 269 people on board. The plane had strayed into Soviet airspace and although the Soviet had probable cause to destroy the perceived threat, it was determined had the airliner had accurate navigational systems, the tragedy could have been avoided. President Ronald Reagan subsequently announced that civilians and civilian agencies should have access to the GPS tracking systems.
The system involved the use of satellites to track the position and location of both spacecraft and intercontinental ballistic missiles. Initially developed by the Navy, the first successful GPS tracking system was dubbed Transit, and used five satellites to triangulate positions around the globe. It was soon capable of tracking intercontinental ballistic missles moving at incredibly high rates of speed.
Law enforcement uses GPS tracking to find stolen cars and keep tabs on criminals on bail or probation. Now, not only can someone find where they are on a city grid, but also he or she can find nearby businesses and restaurants. Now, most people consider GPS devices to be ubiquitous. It has become an integral part of modern 21st Century culture. Not only has it become the preeminent navigational system for cars, but the scientific community has used it to track wild and domestic animals and migration patterns.
Finding a this day in age is as easy as looking at your cell phone one.
Location, Location, Location
There are few things as difficult and soul-crushing as having to find a new place to live, especially in Los Angeles. My wife and I finally found a house that met all our needs. It's a cozy enough place for the two of us, our dog -- and my mother-in-law. I know what you're thinking. But, we had no choice. You see, she pays most of the rent.
She pays most of the rent, but it was our responsibility to find the house. We thought we would be taking advantage of the real estate bust out here in California, but the bust has had little impact on rent prices. This is where her mother comes into the picture. Anyway, we started our search by driving around the neighborhoods we fancied most -- not including Holmby Hills, Santa Monica, or Bel Air.
Our strategy worked for about an hour -- until the harsh reality of Southern Californian real estate prices hit us dead on. One of the first things you learn when moving to a big city is compromise. So, instead of the middle tier neighborhoods, we headed for the cheaper fare of the Valley and Santa Clarita.
Dividing the call-back list in half, we blitzed through the numbers. One by one, each house was either too small (two bedrooms) or too expensive ($1600 and up). We had exhausted ourselves and the drive-by method. Our next alternative was to enroll with an online house finder service -- for a nominal fee, of course.
We had exhausted our gas, ourselves, and the batteries in our GPS tracking system. What good is it to know how to get somewhere only to be told you can't afford to live there. Eventually we found a place -- a house -- that was big enough for all of to have the space we need. Do I like knowing my mother-in-law pays two-thirds of our rent? Let's just say it's hard on the ego.
If you're looking for somewhere to live in Los Angeles -- or anywhere -- you might want to invest in a . Don't get lost and don't let your mother-in-law pay for your rent.