February 8, 2012
GPS Helps Make Snow Manageable in Midwestern County
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Modern technology has no cure for bad weather. However, GPS technology is helping the county’s salt trucks get Winnebago County’s citizens to work in a more efficient manner. Winnebago has installed GPS tracking devices on all of its salt trucks. The new tools promise to help Wisconsin get back on its feet as the weather takes hold.
The GPS trackers do more than just keep tabs on the salt trucks. The county’s highway leaders can also track how much salt is applied to the streets and what kind of salt is used. Winnebago County can then crunch those numbers to map out the most efficient method possible of getting all of its nearly two thousand miles of road cleared.
Managing winter weather is absolutely crucial to the economic function of any region—especially the American Midwest. While winter is simply a part of the culture there, and the people of Winnebago have created a culture of integrating the weather into their life pattern, it is impossible to predict function. Weather ebbs and flows; there are still winter storms so horrid that even the experts in Winnebago, Wisconsin may be nonplussed. A county that cannot move food trucks, sell gas, teach its children, and maintain law enforcement due to weather is always at a greater risk. The faster Winnebago gets back on the road, the better.
GPS technology promises to make Winnebago’s winter months more manageable, thanks to the improved function of its salt distribution trucks. The method for getting the roads clean hasn’t changed; but the method will become more efficient thanks to what modern GPS technology has brought to the county of Winnebago, Wisconsin.
Facebook and GPS Tracking Together?
A new company called Highlight has released an iPhone app by the same name. It links Facebook to the iPhone’s GPS tracker, enabling seamless flow from the social network to Highlight’s location tracking functionality.
What is the goal? Socially, the implications are quite fascinating. Have you ever logged on to Facebook to discover that one of your old college friends is visiting your hometown? With Highlight, users potentially have the ability to do that. The app has the potential to allow users to keep track of a global network of friends and their location through GPS tracking abilities.
What about the creepiness factor? The potential of modern day social networking combined with GPS tracking definitely implies that Big Brother may be closer than we think–or already upon us. Are there advantages to publicly displaying your exact physical location to your Facebook friends?
Safety concerns may be an asset. If a Facebook user goes into a dangerous situation, and desires to keep a select group of friends on alert, then that option is there. If a natural disaster occurs and a Highlight user wants to display his or her location for rescue, then the Highlight app may be a life-saving asset.
The most fascinating aspect of modern social networking is that the vast majority of “out there” private information has been volunteered by users. No government organization has sanctioned making private information public, which was powerfully illustrated by the recent Supreme Court ruling requiring a warrant for GPS tracking. Most of the negative effects that have occurred as a result of social networking users revealing private information came about because the user voluntarily displayed that information on the Internet.
Highlight gives iPhone users the option to give GPS pinpoint location to friends and family over Facebook. This fascinating–though perfectly logical–application of GPS tracker technology is a profound illustration of how the giant leap forward in modern computing, spearheaded by tablet and smart phone advancement, is changing our social lives. Will the Internet become our global neighborhood? The answer to this question may come sooner than we think.
Serial Rapist Verdict Will Probably Stand in Wake of Supreme Court GPS Ruling
One such case involves a serial rapist that attacked women in Tennessee from 1994 to 2008. Robert Jason Burdick was finally tried, convicted and jailed after police carefully built a case against the criminal. Days before his arrest, police secretly installed a GPS tracker on the man’s vehicle.
Throughout the trial, Burdick’s lawyer argued that the accused man’s Constitutional rights were violated by the installation of the GPS. Carrie Gasaway, the attorney that defended Burdick, claimed that evidence obtained by the device was not valid. Her case never made it to the Supreme Court. Burdick remains in jail today.
So, does the recent United States Supreme Court ruling invalidate Burdick’s conviction? Should Burdick be released from jail? Analysts say that Burdick’s release will likely not happen anytime soon.
The evidence used to convict Burdick wasn’t obtained with the GPS tracker. Indeed, law enforcement use of GPS was not common in Tennessee during that time, and police were far from dependent on it in building their case against Burdick. What got Burdick convicted was DNA. The serial rapist’s DNA was taken from crime scenes and matched to DNA taken from silverware the man used at a restaurant. The GPS tracker came into the case late in the game. In fact, the GPS only functioned as apart of an already comprehensive twenty-four hour surveillance process used by police.
The case of the “Wooded Rapist” will likely not be overturned due to the United States Supreme Court ruling regarding GPS tracking warrants. Evidence obtained through GPS tracking was marginal–Burdick would have been proven guilty without it. Because of this, a solid conviction stands, and Burdick remains guilty under the law and incarcerated in the state of Tennessee. Burdick was arrested and convicted thanks to solid, careful, methodical police work. There is no replacement for such fine police work–and Tennessee remains a safer place to live because of that.
Despite Initial Transformer Prime Woes, Sales Remain High
Tablets are hot right now in the technology world, and none as hot as the Asus Transformer Prime. With its dual-core processor and tablet-to-netbook transformation capabilities, it is selling out left and right.
This is surprising as its initial release was ridden with problems. Users quickly reported the device’s built-in GPS feature was working improperly or in some cases, not working at all. The company at first responded the metal case was to blame, and then removed any mention of the device having GPS capabilities at all from the company’s website and device descriptions in its sales material. Asus has released an update in an attempt to correct these GPS device issues, which is scheduled to roll out in phases. The first phase involves updating the GPS driver via software update 6.9.13, which is downloaded directly from the Asus website. From user reports thus far, the update has helped some while a few are still struggling with the GPS and its accuracy despite downloading the update.
Asus plans to release the next model, the Transformer Prime TF700T, at some point later this year. It will not be made of metal, and Asus feels this adjustment will make all the difference in the accuracy of the GPS device. Users are hoping so, but feel that Asus released this Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich tablet too soon, and should have known about these issues through testing prior to releasing it to the masses. Many people found that they had to update their device immediately after purchasing them.
Also affected by the metal case: the Wi-Fi signal. Users are complaining of connectivity issues which are leading to super slow internet speeds. At no point has Asus said, “Yes, the metal case is most definitely to blame for these GPS and Wi-Fi issues,” but the fact they are already redesigning the newly released device is leading to speculation
The Asus Transformer Prime received the CES Innovation award, and was named the coolest tablet of 2011 by Wireless and Mobile News.
LightSquared vs. Agriculture
After results were released by the Department of Commerce committee put in place by the FCC to decide the fate of LightSquared’s 4G LTE network, the company has fought back and is blaming the process, stating it was flawed. As we reported here at RMT last week, the committee concluded there was no need for additional testing which was conducted to determine whether or not the network interferes with the operation of countless GPS devices used all over the world.
Millions count on a GPS device of some form each day, whether it is a navigation device in a car or a tracking device relied upon to keep rescue workers safe. The committee concluded that the interference was so bad, “no additional testing is warranted at this time” regardless of fixes mentioned by LightSquared. It was even mentioned in a letter from the co-chairs of the committee, deputy secretaries of the Departments of Defense and Transportation, that the FAA themselves determined it would interfere with their flight safety systems which rely on GPS tracking technology.
One industry making its opinion heard on the issue is the agricultural industry. If LightSquared is approved to expand access to broadband, roughly 500,000 precision GPS receivers will be negatively effected. More and more farmers rely on these receivers to guide their tractors through the fields, saving them billions in the long run. Imagine the catastrophes that could occur if the tractor tilling the fields veers off course due to interference with the device receiving the GPS coordinates.
LightSquared is quick to defend themselves, up in arms over the decision made by the DOC committee. They feel the review was “fraught with inappropriate involvement of the GPS manufacturers, lax controls, obvious bias, lack of transparency, and unexplained delays.” They go on to state that their own tests prove their solution for the interference problem, an add-on filter for the GPS device itself, “works flawlessly.” The National Association of Wheat Growers points out in numerous letters written to the FCC an agreement must be reached which deals with the interference problem, filter or no filter. If a filter is required, they feel farmers shouldn’t have to worry about shelling out their own money, but rather LightSquared should foot the bill.
The Coalition to Save Our GPS weighs in: “LightSquared has been afforded every possible opportunity to make its technical case and has failed to demonstrate that it can avoid interference to many critical GPS-based activities…At this point, there is no evidence that any further modifications to its proposal would yield a different conclusion.” One thing is quite certain as the war wages on: if LightSquared is granted the ability to take over that band of the spectrum and devices all over the world that rely on accurate GPS location begin malfunctioning, it could prove catastrophic. Agriculture is such a small piece of the larger picture that makes up the GPS device-driven world we live in today, as so many people in so many different industries rely on the technology on a daily basis. Will this decision affect you in your daily life? Share with us how this decision could affect your life by commenting below. Keep checking in here at RMT for more on this battle for broadband.
Consumer Reports Weighs in on GPS Apps
Smartphones are everywhere in today’s society. More and more people are realizing the power of this little marvel of technology, learning that they can replace numerous devices with this one remarkable phone. In today’s age of “there’s an app for that,” sales of physical GPS devices have fallen as more people decide to rely on their phones to get them where they need to go. Consumer Reports tested some GPS navigational apps recently, and said that the apps have come along way from where they started, some offering fancy features like reality view and add-ons allowing you to use celebrity voices to guide you along your way, adding a little fun to your journey.
Android phones come with Google’s free navigation app right out of the box, and features the turn-by-turn directions GPS device users have become accustomed to. If you happen to have an iPhone, you’ll have to search for your own navigational app. One slight problem: there are so many to choose from, which should you trust?
Consumer Reports reminds everyone that “you get what you pay for.” Despite the slew of free GPS apps, they recommend going with the trusted names of the GPS world: Garmin, Navigon, TomTom, and Magellan. It was also discovered that the companies that made top-performing physical GPS devices also made the best iPhone GPS apps.
According to Consumer Reports, if you want a great GPS app for your iPhone, prepare to spend about $60, and remember to stick to the big names in the GPS world. They warn users the app will take up a big portion of memory on your iPhone, so take this into consideration when you’re deciding whether or not to leave the physical GPS device behind. The more maps you need to download, the more memory the app will take up.
Whatever app you choose, keep in mind the size of the screen on your phone. Some users will be turned off by the teeny maps and go back to the larger screened GPS device. If you decide the app is all you need, you can cut costs a bit by limiting your map download to a specific region, and watch for sales.
Whether you choose to use an app or a GPS navigation device, handheld or built in to your vehicle, always remember to park your car when using the device. Your safety, and that of others on the road, is at stake.
GPS Technology: 40 Years of Innovation
There is no doubting the impact GPS technology has had on our modern society. To many citizens, GPS may seem relatively new, showing up in high-tech vehicles a few years ago. However, the technology has been making huge waves in the scientific and military industries for years. The technology was originally developed by the U.S. military services and Defense Mapping Agency for the purposes of creating a space-based navigational system with unmatched accuracy. The program was called a Global Positioning System (GPS), and in 1973, when it first began, there was no way to foresee all the various uses available today.
Years before most lay people even heard of GPS technology, it received significant attention from the scientific community. In 1998, GPS was one of two technologies inducted into the Space Technology Hall of Fame, as displayed on the Space Foundation’s website: spacetechhalloffame.org. Although the technology is used worldwide, the entire 24-satellite constellation is managed by the NAVSTAR GPS Joint Program Office at the Space and Missile Systems Center near Los Angeles.
One of the aspects of GPS technology that makes it so unique, is the incredibly diverse functions. The program was originally designed for military use, but as it developed over almost 40 years, many new possibilities were discovered. Now, the Global Positioning System is considered a dual use technology for military and civil consumption. While the U.S. Air Force Space Command, the Department of Defense and the Department of Transportation ultimately control and maintain the satellite system, more and more commercial uses for the technology are being developed for everyday use.
GPS technology was first introduced to the public on a massive scale with navigational systems, attached to or built-in to their vehicles. Now, just about any smartphone comes equipped with GPS, which caused a boom of mobile applications designed with the GPS capabilities in mind. WIth such versatile technology, there is no end in sight for new innovations.
Idaho Copper Thief Nabbed Thanks to GPS
In today’s age of economic woes, copper theft is on the rise. The high price of copper coupled with desperation on the part of thieves has led to problems all over the country related to its theft: tornado warning sirens failing to sound due to thieves stealing the copper wiring which power them, power outages due to stripped transformers which also rely on copper wiring, and inoperable wells and pumps on desert farms who rely on these wires to bring much needed water to their crops. Contractors all over the country are experiencing thefts from their incomplete homes, an easy target for thieves as there is no one home to stop them, doors or windows often left unlocked.
Officers in Burley, Idaho decided to do something about it and began embedding GPS tracking devices right into the wiring which led to a recent arrest in Cassia County. Sheriff Randy Kidd reports Jorge Ernest Castillo, 38 of Burley, along with a 15-year-old accomplice were arrested for alleged grand theft thanks to the GPS locating device and “good old law enforcement.” The copper he stole was worth an estimated $1,200.
Kidd, in a press release, calls out would-be thieves and tells them to beware: “Let this be a warning to potential copper thieves, the next roll of wire that you take may be the one that has our tracker embedded in it and you will be next.”
Officers planted a spool of copper wire complete with GPS device in a rural area in Cassia County as bait to attract a thief. After a period of time, officers were alerted that the spool was on the move, around 5:24pm. They followed the signal given out by the embedded device and were led directly to the suspect’s car. The arrest of Castillo and his accomplice is the second arrest attributed to the location device in the last two years.
Kidd stated he planned to use these devices as much as his budget would afford, as the department must not only pay for the $800 device itself, but for the activation of the tracking system as well. Kidd feels these tracking devices are the most effective tool they could possibly rely on to capture copper thieves.
Castillo is being held at the Mini-Cassia Criminal Justice Center and faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted. The minor was released to his parents.
Breadcrumb GPS Tracking Designed for Alzheimer’s Patients and Caretakers
GPS tracking technology has revolutionized several industries by allowing users to remotely track the location of valuable property. Missing smartphones and vehicles can be tracked from anywhere with internet access. Remote species of birds and solitary wildlife can be studied from a safe, unimposing distance. One of the more recent uses for GPS tracking has been developed for the wandering elderly population suffering from degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Dementia. The technology has already been used to track autistic children, who are also at high risk of wandering off and getting lost.
There are few things more stressful for caregivers, family and friends, than when a loved one goes missing. Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease often cause the sufferer to be confused and wonder off, sometimes searching for a childhood home. It is scary enough getting lost as an independent, capable adult, but when it happens to young children, the elderly or disabled people, it can be life threatening. The earlier the person is located, the better his or her chances of returning home safely. There is no way to guarantee that your loved one won’t wander off, but with GPS tracking, he or she can be found quickly and easily.
The Alzheimer’s Foundation of America (AFA) and Breadcrumb L.L.C. announced earlier this month, that they have developed a GPS device and monitoring system for elderly patients and their caregivers. The GPS tracking device is called the BC300, and though it is not the first tracking devices designed for Alzheimer’s patients, it is the first to be offered through QVC, a leading multimedia retailer. The device comes with a charging station, adapter, rechargeable batteries, USB cable, attachment bands and instructional DVD. In addition to QVC’s online store, the tracking system will also be available at alzfdn.org (AFA’s online store) and breadcrumbgps.com (Breadcrumb’s store).
Wisconsin Enlists GPS Tracking in the Fight Against Winter Road Conditions
Wisconsin has recently announced a plan to keep their roads clear during harsh winter conditions. Snow-covered, icy roads are very dangerous, and citizens rely on snow plows to clear the roads in order to get where they need to be. Unfortunately, when a big storm hits, it can be difficult to organize the snow plows efficiently and get the roads back to safe driving condition. Wisconsin has recently taken the lead in enlisting GPS tracking technology to combat winter road conditions.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT) is moving forward on plans to install Automatic Vehicle Locators (AVL) in two-thirds of their county department’s snowplows. “County highway departments and snowplow operators throughout Wisconsin do an outstanding job keeping our roads safe and open for business throughout the winter season,” explained WisDOT’s Bureau of Highway Maintenance Director, David Vieth. “Wisconsin now has AVL technology in more snowplows than any other state, providing us a valuable new tool in dealing with winter weather.”
The Automatic Vehicle Locators use GPS tracking technology, which provides the department with a much easier and efficient way to distribute their snowplows. WisDOT is no stranger to technology. The department already utilizes a network of around 60 weather information stations, tracking temperatures, wind speed and other vital data pertaining to road conditions. The introduction of GPS tracking technology allows WisDOT to gather real information about where their snowplows are located, what routes have already been cleared and how much de-icing material is needed.
“This technology holds the potential to reduce both labor and material costs by helping determine the type and amount of de-icing materials to apply on roads, and when such treatments should start and stop,” said Vieth. Early tests of WisDOT’s AVL system for their snowplows shows that the technology could mean thousands of dollars in savings on salt.
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