Rocky Mountain Tracking

By Harriette Halepis

Nearly every hand-held device now comes equipped with some type of GPS tracking device. While these applications are certainly helpful, they might not be the answer to your tracking needs. According to a recent poll conducted by PollDaddy, wireless device users that also have GPS tracking systems are not ready to give up those individual trackers for a sole hand-held device.

What can a GPS tracker do that a wireless device cannot? Essentially, the two types of technology aim to accomplish the same goals. The difference is that a GPS tracker has been manufactured with the sole intention of tracking a vehicle, person, or other object. On the other hand, a wireless device aims to complete many different tasks, which may take away from its tracking capabilities. While this might not seem like a huge different, it does, in fact, have a drastic impact on the way that a person or item is tracked.

Recently, GPS tracking sales have been down due to the assumption that hand-held devices are adequate replacements for these systems. However, those that use separate GPS tracking systems do not believe that wireless devices are, in fact, reasonable replacements. While a wireless device that encompasses a number of different applications and tasks is certainly convenient, it (seemingly) doesn’t live up to GPS tracking technology.

Additionally, most cell phone carriers will not allow access to GPS data, which can become a problem. Also, in order for emergency crews to locate lost individuals using a GPS equipped cell phone, the cell phone must be connected to the wireless network. A final drawback includes the concern that local authorities and 911 personnel cannot be contacted from a cell phone unless they are initially contacted by a user. Thus, cell phone users that are injured cannot be traced.

In the end, the GPS tracker that you might take with you on a run or a hike is not the same as a cell phone (or other wireless device) that has been equipped with GPS capabilities. Even though cell phone companies are striving to make this technology more comparable to tracking devices, this has not happened quite yet. For the time being, the best way to ensure that you will always be within tracking distance, it’s best to rely upon an individual GPS tracking device.

By Greg Bartlett

Today, it seem like everyone has a cell phone, and some people have difficulty tearing themselves away from their cell phones. Cell phones have become a part of our lives, whether for the convenience of talking to your friends, the security of having a phone with you, the assistance phones provide for your business ventures, or however you use your phone, it’s hard to imagine life without one.

So what happens if your phone is stolen? Besides the problems of someone using up your minutes and making numerous or expensive calls, the hassle of dealing with the phone company to get everything straightened out, and the expense of buying a new phone, there are other details which may not be evident at first but are equally disrupting. You may end up losing your entire list of contacts, some of which you only had stored in your phone. You will probably lose the pictures you took on that last date, the text messages from all your friends, and the record of any calls you’ve made or received recently. Whether you use your phone for personal or business purposes – or both – losing your cell phone can be disastrous.

GPS software will allow you to find out where your phone is at all times. This can be useful if you’ve lent your phone to someone, if you’re tracking someone on the same phone plan, or if your phone is lost or stolen. Maybe you’re the type of person who just tends to mislay things. Or perhaps your phone has been stolen, and you don’t want to have to pay to replace it and to deal with reentering your contacts and losing all the information on the phone. No matter what your reason for wanting your phone back, GPS devices can do the job for you.

NavIQ Mobile is one of the cell phone tracking programs designed primarily to track family members, also allows users to locate lost or stolen cell phones. Maybe your teenager wanted a very expensive phone, but has mislaid it. No need for you or your teenager to worry about the cost of replacing the phone – the GPS device in the phone can find it for you. And if your phone is stolen, it can be tracked down and recovered so that you don’t lose your information or investment.

A cell phone may be a small piece of equipment, but it can make a big difference in your life. Use a GPS tracker to keep track of your phone so that your contacts, messages, and pictures are safe.

By Greg Bartlett

Verizon, Sprint, and now AT&T are giving their customers options for tracking their family members. The charges differ by company, some charging per monitored person and others giving a flat rate for a certain number of phones. AT&T’s new program, called Family Map, costs $9.99 a month to track two phones or $14.99 to track up to five phones.

AT&T’s FamilyMap program is a GPS tracking device that uses satellite images as well as street maps to give families a clear view of where their children are. This program also enables customers to receive email or text notifications at specific times which report on their child’s whereabouts. They could use this GPS tracking device to notify them every afternoon when their child should be home from school. This would reassure working parents that their children are at the house and not getting into trouble. Parents could also check and see the location of their teen on a Friday night. Were they really spending the night at a friend’s house or were they going to a party?

A GPS tracking device, such as AT&T’s FamilyMap program, allows parents to know that their children are safe. This is, after all, the main reason that many teens get a cell phone in the first place. Parents want to be able to reach their children at any time, and it is comforting to know that they will always have a phone with which to call for help if needed.

The additional monthly cost may seem like an unlikely fit for your already tight budget, but the safety of one’s children surely must be one of the most important things. Room can be made in the budget for such a priority. Just cut one night of going out to eat for the month, or rent a movie instead of taking the family to the theaters. Either of these would easily save you the small amount necessary to ensure your children’s safety and put a little extra into your pockets.

As phone companies start offering services using a GPS tracking device, parents can be encouraged that this technology will enable them to quickly locate their children and ensure their safety. So if you’re looking for a more accurate way to keep your children safe, look into the GPS tracking that your cell phone provider offers or simply track your existing phone with NavIQ Mobile

Now that the term “GPS” is a part of our everyday vocabulary, some of you may not think twice about what it really means. Perhaps for you the term “GPS” is the same as saying navigation. That is okay because if that’s how this particular technology shows up in your life, then you may not need a precise definition. But just in case you want a little bit of background about how it is that you can use a GPS tracker to keep up with vehicles, parcels, and the people using these things, here are some basics:

The letters “GPS” stand for Global Positioning System. The U.S. Department of Defense owns the system and makes it available for people anywhere in the world to use if they want. It has been fully operational since 1995.

The system consists of satellites that are in orbit more than ten thousand miles about the Earth and each one has a computer atomic clock and a radio. These satellites are spaced out so that no matter where you are on the planet, four of them will be stationed above the horizon.

The GPS receivers we use (such as tracking devices, cell phones, etc.) also have computers. The computers in our receivers triangulate to give data on their position after getting bearings from the GPS satellites about the Earth. Receivers can also give you information on speed and direction. This is why some GPS navigation tools are able to reconfigure directions, even when you get off course.

At first this system was used by scientists for research purposes, but now it is available to consumers for everyday use. Rocky Mountain Tracking has a great selection of GPS navigation and tracking tools to choose from. Now that you understand a little about how it all works, you’ll really appreciate the convenience of the Global Positioning System.