Rocky Mountain Tracking

Daily GPS News

Planning the Ultimate Outdoor Adventure?

October 19th, 2012

Not ten years ago, the essential computing device in the average American home was an Internet-enabled personal computer. Most of the time, it sat on a desk in the den. Other times, laptops added a level of convenience and portability that users enjoyed. Neato gadgets like the Palm III handheld computer were fun and kind of functional–at the time, they were even seen as game changers–but were still quirky devices, often relegated to executives, gadget freaks, and yuppies who just needed one more device to play Tetris on.

Then the iPhone ushered in the smart phone era. The first truly functional, extremely fun, consumer friendly handheld computer, it raised the bar (to say the least) on handheld computing.

Now smart phones are expected to go everywhere and do everything. Apps utilize GPS tracking for insane tasks, from telling your Facebook friends you’re at a restaurant to hailing a taxicab. Bringing that iPhone or Android on those extreme outdoor adventures, though, has never been this real thanks to a new app called ViewRanger.

Meet ViewRanger

ViewRanger is designed to transform your smart phone into your technological companion for those extreme outdoor adventures, whether it’s a ski trip in Colorado or climbing K-2. It’s a hyper-accurate, in some cases crowd-sourced GPS map of remote adventure locations. Users can connect their phone’s GPS–which often still works, thanks to its satellite connection, when a cellular connection does not–to ViewRanger and enjoy route mapping, GPS location of their friends, etc. Social media features allow you to post your location on Mt. Everest for your Facebook friends. The app promises to add a level of safety to your adventure that a printed map would not.

Can a Smart Phone Really Do It All?

Does the ViewRanger app replace the power and accuracy of a good handheld outdoor GPS? Yes and no. While it’s accurate, the user is limited by their phone. GPS trackers in cell phones are often far less powerful than handheld GPS devices. Phones are designed to make phone calls at the end of the day; often the body design of the phone obscures the GPS signal. In addition, the battery on the smart phone is limiting: There are no smart phone charges on Mount St. Helen’s. however, ViewRanger is a great app for short term hikes and/or outdoor adventures.

Leftover GPS-related Case Almost Slips through the Cracks

October 17th, 2012

Earlier this year, the United States’ legislative branch really made law enforcement angry. The Supreme Court made a decision involving gathering of evidence via GPS: A warrant was required, the high court said, in order to clandestinely install a GPS tracking device on the vehicle of a criminal suspect. To say the least, this threw the law enforcement community for a loop, as longstanding policies, from the FBI down to small rural police stations, had to be revisited and modified. In some cases, existing cases had to be handled in an entirely different manner. Now, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has helped to clean up the aftermath of some cases that were in limbo thanks to the Supreme Court ruling. Naturally, the ACLU is furious.

The Story

Juan Pineda-Moreno was the subject of an investigation by the DEA. It was suspected that he was manufacturing marijuana. Drug Enforcement Agency agents placed a GPS tracking device on Pineda-Moreno’s car and used it to track the suspect, to build a case, and then to finally make the arrest. Under normal circumstances, even though all the evidence obtained by the GPS was while the suspect was driving through public areas, the tracking data would be thrown out. But the Supreme Court ruling requiring a warrant for GPS tracking occurred during the court case itself. The result was an appeal… and limbo.

What the Supreme Court Said

The specifics of the US Supreme Court decision went somewhere along these lines: Law enforcement agencies can’t secretly place a GPS tracker on your vehicle if you’re suspected of a crime—not without a warrant, that is. If they do, all evidence obtained via that GPS is inadmissible. It’s a hassle to many law enforcement agencies, but it is very much the new reality.

What the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Said

The case of Pineda-Moreno vs. United States went to the Ninth Circuit of Appeals Court. The question was this: Evidence was obtained during the investigation using a GPS tracker. No warrant was obtained for GPS tracking, and it wasn’t a problem before, as the Supreme Court hadn’t made their decision yet. Should Juan Pineda-Moreno’s case be thrown out based on a Supreme Court decision that occurred during the case itself? The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said no, following a Constitutional trend forbidding ex post facto enforcement of laws.

Can’t Find a Cab?

October 13th, 2012

There’s no way you can overstate New York City. Whether it’s Frank Sinatra spreading the news or Jay-Z rapping in an Empire State of Mind, NYC exceeds every superlative available for description. It’s truly the most diverse, most vibrant, the most unbelievably alive city in the world.

Getting around in New York is not as fun as the city itself. Every visitor to the city remembers his or her first experience with New York traffic–the heinous traffic jams, the terrifying feeling you get when you realize everyone jams their accelerator at once when a red light turns green. The adventurous visitor skips traffic and buys a ticket on the subway. You can get around all right, if you’re willing to endure the brutal scheduling. For many, though, a trip to New York City just wouldn’t be complete without a ride in a taxicab. Even the taxi system in New York, as famous as it is, can be problematic. It’s not uncommon to troll around Times Square and find dozens upon dozens of cabs… all occupied with passengers. In frustration, often accompanied with an NYC-signature stream of profanity, the NYC tourist exclaims, “How on earth do you get a taxi in this town?”

The answer, of course, lies in your smart phone–and its GPS tracker.

The Convenience of ZabKab

ZabKab is a new app from a company called Flatiron Apps. Available on both iOS and Android, its purpose is simple: It finds you an empty cab in New York City. It even hails that taxi for you. No more standing by the road feeling like an idiot. No more waiting around in one of the most fast-paced patches of earth on the planet.

Launched with a PR campaign that allegedly made front page news in some city publications, ZabKab aims to be a game changer in New York life, an absolute essential.

The End of New York Traffic?

So might ZabKab signal a potential end to the horrid frustrations of New York traffic? Probably not. Does it mean you’ll never have to wait for a cab again? As long as your Android or iPhone is charged up, then probably. ZabKab does represent a practical application of GPS technology, making life faster and more convenient. Will it change the world? Nah. But it symbolizes how GPS tracking has changed the world already.

GPS Monitoring To Keep Tabs on Food Trucks

September 8th, 2012

Chicago is changing the rules when it comes to food trucks. It seems that the new mayor, Rahm Emanuel, likes to get his lunch fresh from a mobile source, or at least believes that his fellow citizens should be able to do so. The Windy City has long had a ban on cooking food in trucks, but is now prepared to approve a change in that policy. Mobile food vendors will soon be allowed to cook food inside their vehicles, tempting passersby with the smell of Chicago-style hot dogs and onions on the grill.

There will, of course, be the inevitable restrictions on exactly how, when, and where these vendors can operate, and one of the most controversial of those restrictions concerns GPS monitoring. According to the current version of the new policy, food trucks are going to be required to keep their distance from restaurants—a distance of 200 feet, to be exact. The way the city plans to enforce that restriction is by having each truck install a GPS tracker that will report its location and verify that it’s not within smelling distance of a competing dining establishment.

There are other stipulations as well; city officials might institute certain hours during which trucks can’t cook food, and there is some question whether they will be allowed to park on vacant lots to do business. But the “restraining order”-type distance restriction, enforced with GPS monitoring, is the one getting the most scrutiny. Some folks are concerned that the 20-foot margin of error that the planned units have will get some vendors in trouble even though they are actually parked far enough away from the nearest restaurant.

The restrictions attached to the policy change are fairly strict, and the mandatory use of GPS trackers strongly suggests that law enforcement plans to be serious about making sure food trucks don’t stray into off-limits areas. But if that is the case, shouldn’t the GPS units used be more reliable? After all, we now have the ability to pinpoint a tracker within three feet, recently reduced from ten. Of course, those more accurate trackers cost quite a bit more—a serious consideration for a mobile food vendor that has just won the right to cook on board his truck.

GPS Could Have Made “Fast and Furious” a Success

August 7th, 2012

Plenty of opinions about the failed “Fast and Furious” sting operation are flying in all directions, and there are countless questions that people would like to hear answers to about just how agents conducted the operation. An investigating committee has now made one of those questions official: “Why weren’t GPS trackers used?”

The goal of “Fast and Furious” was to sell guns to suspected arms smuggler, then arrest the smugglers as they tried to cross the border into Mexico with the guns illegally. Unfortunately, in too many instances agents lost track of the guns, and they actually made it across the borders, into the hands of the drug cartels that the operation was designed to catch. Attorney General Eric Holder has faced some tough questions from Congress: Why did the operation use real, functional guns without making sure they couldn’t be lost? Why was the operation’s failure covered up until the guns turned up at crime scenes in both the U.S. and Mexico?

In a recently issued report, the Congressional committee that investigated the scandal criticizes officials for failing to use GPS trackers to keep a closer eye on the weapons after they left the hands of agents. Today’s trackers are so small and light that they could easily be concealed on a gun without tipping off the recipient. After passing on the guns, agents could have simply watched the GPS signals move on a computer screen and swooped in to make an arrest once they indicated illegal activity, like crossing the border.

The general answer to the question “Why not?” seems to be, “It didn’t seem that important.” People involved in the operation say that GPS trackers were discussed, and some officials strongly encouraged that the technology be added to the operation. These efforts did not succeed, however; the agents in charge seem to have brushed them off. Only two individual trackers made it onto guns used in the operation, one of which actually led to a successful raid and recovery of 41 firearms just before they made it into Mexico on a truck. With more raids like that, “Fast and Furious” might have been a success instead of a scandal.

Smart Phones, GPS, and the Road

August 2nd, 2012

The state of Idaho has recently passed a texting while driving law. Under the law, drivers may be fined for texting on cellular phones while driving. Okay, instantly, that generates a big question: What does that have to do with GPS tracking? As it stands, how this issue is resolved may come to redefine the GPS tracking industry, at least at the consumer level.

The Smart Phone Revolution

If it wasn’t for Steve Jobs, things probably would have been just fine. In the early oughts, GPS tracking devices were the big thing in automobiles. The handy devices attached to the dashboard of your car, downloaded proprietary software, connected with GPS tracking satellites in the sky, and provided clear and correct directions that anyone could understand. The devices would even speak to you, telling you where to turn and when.

Then the iPhone came along. It was more than just a phone, more than just a gadget: It was a true handheld computer with functionality never before dreamed of at the consumer level. They even included built in GPS functionality.

The iPhone signaled the smart phone revolution. Android and Windows-based smart phones soon followed, all with included GPS tracking. Soon, nobody needed a GPS in their car. Their cell phones did the navigation for them.

The Down Side

But with great power came great irresponsibility. With the smart phone revolution, the volume of text messages sent from cell phones worldwide exploded. Suddenly, everyone was texting. Everyone was texting while driving. Everyone was texting while driving, and it caused accidents, deaths that never should have occurred. Where the single biggest road killer used to be drunk driving, texting while driving suddenly became a deadly epidemic.

Laws were enacted at the state level banning “distracted driving,” the banner under which texting while driving, talking on the phone while driving, etc. come under. In some states, texting while driving became a felony equal to drunk driving.

Smart Phones, GPS, and the Law

But then came a paradox: smart phones can be used as GPS navigation devices, just as those now largely obsolete GPS trackers used to. They have legitimate functionality for drivers on the road. And thus the key question in the consumer GPS navigation industry was revealed: Can smart phones be used as GPS tracking devices on the road, or should they be banned?

In Idaho and beyond, this is the legal question that might change who makes GPS tracking devices in the future: cell phone manufacturers or proprietary navigator manufacturers.

GPS Tracker Helps Find iThief

August 2nd, 2012

Having your belongings stolen is one of life’s major inconveniences. It’s not so much losing your money and stuff as much as it is taking time to replace all of it, canceling your credit cards, and obtaining new ID cards. Nobody wants to spend the countless hours trying to make sure their identity has not been stolen as well as their wallet. One nice feature modern technology is cell phones with GPS trackers in them, like Apple’s iPhone, which recently thwarted a theft in Texas.

The details of the theft involved a man taking his groceries inside his house while the would-be thief helped himself to a few things from the car, and also took the man’s $1,200 mountain bike as a getaway vehicle. During the getaway, the thief fell off the bike and continued away on foot. Local law enforcement used the iPhone that belonged to the victim’s wife to track the whereabouts of the victim’s phone. With the help of a physical description to the police, the GPS tracking feature of the iPhone led the police to the thief’s location, which ended up being under a bush.

Features like this that use GPS tracking technology can offer peace of mind to people when they have a purse stolen or lost. This can help people find not just a phone, but also everything that is with the phone. That means no new IDs and no canceled credit cards. The man in the above situation got his possessions back and the thief was arrested. In this situation, it was well worth the cost of the phone. It was the best possible outcome for what could happen to anyone.

Besides this kind of assistance, GPS tracking on things like an iPhone can help people have peace of mind when their wife goes out for a jog, or when their kids are driving home from college. Irrational fears about big brother aside, wouldn’t it be nice to know for a change that your kids are actually going to the place they say they are going? Wouldn’t you find it easier to rest at night knowing your son stopped at a hotel for the night instead of driving non-stop all the way to Florida? I think the obvious answer is yes!

FBI Cuts Down on GPS Tracker Use For Now

May 7th, 2012

In a highly watched decision, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that secretly placing a GPS tracker on a suspect’s vehicle constitutes a search and is subject to fourth amendment rules. Mr. Jones, the defendant in the case, probably felt a sense of closure and relief, but the decision has marked the beginning of a tumultuous policy reworking in the field of law enforcement. Police and national agencies are scrambling to figure out how they can comply with the court’s direction and still continue using the investigative power of GPS. Most troublesome are the trackers that are currently out in the field, collecting information on suspects, but may not hold up under legal scrutiny.

FBI field offices across the nation quickly acted to consider each GPS tracker in use. If one was not under the authority of a warrant and might not meet the criteria for a “reasonable” search, the Bureau had to stop communicating with it. This ending of communication is irreversible, so the investigations in question lost valuable leads by abandoning the trackers. Unfortunately, agents didn’t have a choice, since any prosecution supported by these trackers’ data would be quickly thrown out by a judge.

It is unclear exactly how many GPS trackers the FBI disabled. The reported number varies widely from 250 to 3,000, depending on who is speaking. The Bureau is understandably wary of making information about ongoing investigations public, and its field offices are still in the process of reporting final numbers. We can only imagine how many other devices were disabled by state and local police across the nation, discarding valuable evidence that was central to investigations of many kinds.

It is interesting to consider how many individuals might have been under watch by law enforcement without their knowledge. Now, they may never know that anyone was watching them—that is, until they discover disabled GPS trackers concealed in their vehicles. Of course, this is not to say that all GPS tracking projects are illegal. Many agents and officers, anticipating the Supreme Court’s ruling, long ago began obtaining warrants to support their use of GPS devices. These investigations will continue and will likely display the huge advantage that global positioning gives law enforcement when it is used carefully.

Top Uses for GPS Tracking Devices

August 6th, 2011

These days we hear a lot about GPS tracking. It’s in the news, online, and on everyone’s minds. However, the practical applications of GPS technology are more far-reaching than most people realize. These are just a few of the possibilities when it comes to the uses for this incredible modern gadget.

Emergency Tracking – We all wonder about worst-case scenarios. The what ifs of life keep us up at night pondering what we would do in an emergency. GPS technology gives everyday Americans the ability to rest easy, knowing that in an emergency situation they could be found using the coordinates provided by their GPS.

Fleet Tracking – Whether you operate a delivery service or own a convoy of ships, fleet tracking can save your business both time and money. By keeping track of each vehicle your organization will have the ability to keep a tighter schedule and prevent problems before they start.

Athletics Tracking – For runners and cyclists, sports are frequently a solitary event. Alone on a mountain path or a lonely road, athletes are provided with a measure of security when they carry a GPS tracker. In the event that he does not come home at the designated time, the athlete’s family can locate his whereabouts and assist him as needed.

Teen Tracking – Looking after America’s teens is becoming an increasingly difficult task. For diligent parents teen tracking often seems like a practical solution. By keeping track of your teenager’s whereabouts you can more easily protect her from negative influences.

Spouse Tracking – Tracking your spouse may seem like an extreme measure; however, for a concerned wife, wondering about her husband’s whereabouts can lead to emotional trauma and long-term hurt. Spouse tracking is one of the easiest ways to prove infidelity or simply to set your mind at ease concerning a faithful husband.

Military Tracking – The mass populous is most likely unaware of the true value of GPS to the military. One thing is for certain, however: the ability to track troops, weapons, and supplies could mean the difference between life and death for members of the armed forces.

Employee Tracking – There are many occasions when workers are sent to remote locations for field work. Whether pursuing humanitarian aid or simply on a business trip employees working in the bush can utilize GPS tracking as a preventative measure.

Article Written by Janice Grover

American’s Most Walkable Cities

July 23rd, 2011

Numerous studies have shown that walking is good for you. Some studies even suggest that people who live in walkable towns weigh less. Recently, Walk Score (a company that ranks cities according to walkability) published a list of the top walkable cities in the U.S. If you live in one of these cities, put your car keys down and start walking!

New York City
San Francisco
Boston
Chicago
Philadelphia
Seattle
Washington, D.C.
Miami
Minneapolis
Oakland

Walk Score also published a list of the “least walkable” cities in the U.S. To view that list click here.

Article Written by Harriette Halepis