April 2011

37 posts
Vehicle Tracking System LoJack Used to Track Children and Elderly

Anyone who has seen an elderly loved one deteriorate from Alzheimer’s, or seen a child suffer from Autism, can tell you just how devastating and heartbreaking both of these situations can be. Wandering seems to be a frequent occurrence for many Alzheimer’s or Autism patients. Many expert estimates have reported that if not found within 24-48 hours, many elderly patients end up dying or severely hurt. It’s really important to know this if you live somewhere with extremely hot or cold temperatures outside because people are at more risk when they wander off.

The companies that brought you vehicle tracking devices for stolen cars have designed a system made for tracking people. Widely known for its vehicle tracking system, LoJack is now trying to educate people about how its technology can be used to track the elderly and autistic children. The GPS tracking system is called SafetyNet. There’s no question that the SafetyNet tracking devices can save lives and give caretakers peace of mind.

A GPS tracking device can help caretakers to monitor vulnerable family member whereabouts without invading their privacy or taking away their independence. A GPS tracking system can help family members keep tabs on an individual from hundreds or thousands of miles away.

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Gas Prices Currently Up 33% From 2010 Prices

he national average price for a gallon of regular gasoline is $3.79, up about 33% from $2.86 last year, according to the EIA. Don’t expect any relief soon, as more price increases are on the horizon as we head into the peak summer driving season. The EIA has predicted gas prices will continue increasing throughout the year and will top $5 a gallon in a few US states such as California.

Yesterday average gas prices across the US ranged from:

* Boston $3.490
* Chicago $3.756
* Cleveland $ 3.552
* Denver $ 3.393
* Houston $ 3.467
* Los Angeles $ 4.060
* Miami $ 3.701
* NYC $ 3.605
* San Francisco $ 4.044
* Seattle $ 3.775

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Weichman Becomes 32nd NAFA President at 2011 Fleet Management Expo

Douglas Weichman has officially taken over as the 32nd President of the National Association of Fleet Management (NAFA). Former NAFA President Christopher D. Amos handed over the reins this weekend at NAFA’s 2011 Institute & Expo in North Carolina. Congratulations Mr. Weichman.

Douglas Weichman, the 2009 Public Sector Fleet Manager of the Year, has been the director of the Fleet Management Division for Palm Beach County since 1990. Prior to his position with Palm Beach, he was the fleet manager for Miami-Dade County for nine years. Additionally Weichman has many years of experience working in private sector fleet management.

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Gas Prices Expected to Top $5 a Gallon This Summer

Gas prices are incredibly high right now and there is no relief in sight. Gas prices are expected to rise 40% for the peak summer driving season compared with 2010, according to an estimate released yesterday from the US Energy Information Administration (EIA). Most experts agree with the federal prediction, and are saying that consumers and businesses should prepare as gas prices are expected to continue increasing over the next several months.

These predictions are saying that the average price for gas in the US will top $4 per gallon. According to the EIA, the current average price in the US for a gallon of unleaded regular gas is $3.79. One year ago, gas prices were at $2.86, an increase of 93 cents. In California, Hawaii and Alaska, gas prices are expected to reach over $5 per gallon. The average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gas in California is currently $4.02.

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Pandora Music App Under Fed’l Investigation for Leaking User Info

All people who are using the Pandora music app on their iPhone or Android smartphones should be aware. The Pandora app is revealing your personal information to third party advertisers without your knowledge or consent, according to the application security company Veracode. The information can be used to determine your gender, birth date, zip code, and your location using GPS system coordinates.

Pandora recently announced the company has been served a subpoena as part of a federal grand-jury investigation regarding this matter. Pandora must now produce documents about its data collection practices. Although results from the Federal investigation results of the investigation aren’t in yet, Internet security firm Veracode decided to conduct its own research.

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Ryder Expands Green Fleet of Natural Gas Hybrid Trucks

Ryder is working hard to expand its Green Fleet. The company recently announced it has ordered over 200 trucks powered by compressed natural gas. Ryder’s all-new fleet of hybrid trucks will help the company and its customers to maximize fuel efficiency while minimizing costs, and reduce vehicle emissions – a win-win for the environment and the bottom line.

When traveling at low speeds, the hybrid electric motor supplies power to the truck, resulting in reduced fuel consumption and emissions. According to Ryder, natural gas is a domestic resource and it is 25 percent cleaner than the cleanest diesel. When your company commits to going Green, you demonstrate corporate and environmental responsibility and business savvy.

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Gas Prices Up 12 Cents in One Week, Diesel Up 6 Cents

The average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gas in the US on April 8, 2011 is $3.73, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report. Gas prices have risen 12 cents in the past week. One week ago the average gas price was $3.61. Gas prices have risen 21 cents in the past month. One month ago gas prices were at $3.52.

Typically Hawaii and Alaska have the highest gas prices in the US, but today California gas prices are higher than in Alaska. In California, the average price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas is $4.12, the highest price in the continental US. Only Hawaii has higher prices at $4.38 a gallon. In Alaska, gas is averaging $4.11.

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Microsoft and Toyota Team Up for Cloud Based Vehicle Telematics System

The world’s largest automaker, Toyota (TM), and the world’s largest software company, Microsoft (MSFT), recently announced they are teaming up to bring a cloud computing telematics system to vehicles in the US. The goal of the new partnership is to complete a global cloud platform by 2015, combining groundbreaking technology with an affordable telematics system for Toyota drivers.

The new system isn’t an entertainment package, but rather a means of sending content and information to and from vehicles, computers and mobile devices. The new telematics-based system will give vehicles access to streaming music, telecommunications information, GPS navigation and energy management. The idea is to connect vehicles to servers around the world, eliminating the need for a lot of hardware and software in the vehicle.

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Rapist Caught Red-Handed with GPS Tracking Device

Back in 2008, FairFax County Police were investigating a slew of sexual assaults, when David L. Foltz Jr., a registered sex offender, became a person of interest in the case. Detectives then covertly placed a GPS tracking system on a vehicle that Foltz was driving for work, without first obtaining a warrant.

After placing the GPS tracking device on the suspect’s vehicle, the data revealed that the suspect was in fact near the scene of another sexual assault. With this knowledge, officers began trailing Foltz.

While he was being followed by police, Foltz attempted to sexually assault a woman. The trailing officers intervened and stopped the act. They caught Foltz forcefully trying to unbutton the victim’s pants.

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GPS Tracking Helps Dementia and Alzheimer’s Patients

Anyone who has seen a friend or family member struggle with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease can tell you that seeing someone you know and love mentally deteriorate is heartbreaking. But what can be of an even greater concern is their tendency to wander off and get lost. There have been many studies reporting that over 60-70% of all patients with these diseases will become lost at least once. Even more shocking is that nearly 50% of them can die if they aren’t found within 24 hours.

Families of dementia patients are turning to GPS tracking technology to monitor loved ones. Many families have reported that using a GPS tracking device gives them peace of mind because they know their loved ones are safe and sound. GPS tracking devices can help to keep those suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s safe 24 hours a day, without being too invasive or making the patient feel inadequate.

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AAA Says Driving Costs Up Due to Gas, Tire Prices

The cost of owning and operating a vehicle in the US is increasing, according to a AAA Driving Costs Report released this week. Anyone who has filled up their gas tank recently will not find the data in this report a big surprise. The Driving Costs Report said the cost to own and operate a sedan in the U.S. has risen 3.4 percent the past 12 months to 58.6 cents a mile for a small sedan, 73.9 cents a mile for a medium sedan and 96.4 cents a mile for a large sedan, assuming 10,000 miles driven per year.

It is important to note that gas prices were much lower at the time this report was being put together. Today the costs to own and operate a vehicle are actually much higher than the AAA Report indicates.

The AAA Driving Costs Report also says drivers are paying 1.9 percent more than last year to keep their cars on the road. The average yearly price tag is now up to $8,776, which works out to 58.5 cents per mile based on a 15,000 miles per year average. AAA calculates the cost of a year of ownership at 58.5 cents per mile for 15,000 miles. Owning a small car costs an estimated $6,758, while owning a large sedan costs $10,982. A mid-size sport utility vehicle costs an estimated $11,239.

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FieldLogix Launches the “Lite” Entry-Level GPS Tracking Solution

FieldLogix today announced the launch of a new version of its GPS fleet management system called FieldLogix Lite, an entry-level, real-time GPS vehicle tracking system. You can track one vehicle or manage your entire fleet with FieldLogix Lite at a lower monthly cost than the standard plan.

FieldLogix Lite is an entry-level GPS fleet tracking system that offers a perfect set of features for those who just want basic GPS tracking information at a lower cost. FieldLogix Lite has a basic set of GPS fleet tracking features for companies that want to experience FieldLogix, but are not ready to commit to the full-featured offering. Best of all, FieldLogix Lite users can upgrade the more advanced versions of FieldLogix without having to replace the GPS vehicle tracking devices.

The Lite plan includes:
– Google maps with real-time traffic and satellite views
– A closest vehicle to address search tool for improved dispatching
– Breadcrumb history report
– Stop details report
– Start-end report
– Mileage report
– Idling report
– Restricted zone (geo-fence) alerts
– Device tampering alerts

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Major Fleets Join Obama’s Clean Fleet Partnership

AT&T (NYSE: T), FedEx (NYSE: FDX), PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP), UPS (NYSE: UPS) and Verizon (NYSE: VZ) are the charter members of the US National Clean Fleet Partnership, announces last week by Obama. The US National Clean Fleet Partnership (CFP) is a public-private partnership between the US Government and several of the nation’s largest fleets.

The primary goal of the Clean Fleet Partnership is to assist large companies in reducing their diesel and gasoline use by utilizing electric vehicles, alternative fuels, and fuel-saving measures into their daily operations. President Obama said the Clean Fleet Partnership includes a number of measures to help the US shift to a clean energy economy, reducing our dependence on oil, protecting our planet, and spurring economic growth through cleaner and more efficient, cars, and trucks.

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AT&T Green Fleet Saves Over 1,000,000 Gallons of Fuel in 2010

Telecommunications giant AT&T (T) helps approximately 300 million people around the globe stay connected 24/7, every single day of the year. In order to service such a vast amount of customers worldwide, AT & T utilizes extensive telecommunications networks and a large corporate fleet.

AT&T’s fleet is huge. The company operates approximately 78,000 fleets vehicles in total and is one of the largest private fleets in the US, according to Fleet Owner Magazine. There is a growing trend in the industry to operate an eco-friendly, green fleet and AT&T is leading the way.

AT&T’s corporate fleet is made up of vehicles that use compressed natural gas (CNG) instead of traditional petroleum or gas. On Friday April 1, 2011, AT&T announced that its use of compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles in its corporate vehicle fleet helped the company avoid the purchase of more than one million gallons of fuel in 2010.

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Gas Prices Rise For 8th Consecutive Week

Gas prices have increased 6 cents in the last 7 days. This is the 8th consecutive week of gas price increases. The average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gas in the US is $3.66, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report and Oil Price Information Service, in cooperation with Wright Express on April 4, 2011. One week ago, the national average was $3. 58. One year ago the average price for a gallon of unleaded regular gas in the US was $2.82, which is 84 cents less than today’s price.

The US average for a gallon of diesel gas is currently at $3.98, a 2.5 cent increase from one week ago.

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Oil and Gas Prices – How High Will They Go?

Gas prices skyrocketed during the entire month of March 2011. The current average for a gallon of unleaded regular gas is $3.61. One month ago, gas prices were at $3.38. Gas prices have risen 23 cents in the last month, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report, the Oil Price Information Service and Wright Express as of April 1, 2011.

This week the website for the AAA Fuel Gauge Report added the highest ever recorded gas prices in the US to their daily gas price updates. The highest ever recorded average price for a gallon of gas in the US is $4.11. For diesel, the record is $4.84. Both records were set on July 17, 2008.

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DHL Launches Eco-Friendly Vehicles in New York

DHL, a global leader in logistics, is launching a green fleet of commercial delivery vehicles in Manhattan this year to help reduce its impact on the city’s environment. DHL’s all-new green fleet of commercial vehicles will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 50 percent each year in comparison to conventional vehicles, according to DHL’s website.

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GPS Fleet Management Expert Appointed to CA Emergency Medical Services

GPS fleet tracking and fleet management solutions expert Aaron Hamilton was recently appointed by California Governor Jerry Brown to the California Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA). Mr. Hamilton was chosen by the Governor to enhance EMSA’s ability to utilize emerging communications and GPS tracking technology to respond to serious emergencies and potential terrorist threats, according to a press release.

This is a very important appointment by the Governor, as it recognizes Aaron as a leader in GPS fleet tracking. According to the Governor’s office, ” Aaron very may well be the foremost expert in GPS-based fleet deployment and management technologies.”

Hamilton is CEO of GPS Logic, a California-based GPS software technology company. In this role, Mr. Hamilton is the lead technology engineer responsible for all GPS fleet management and mobile data communications architecture and software. Through GPS Logic, Hamilton’s software systems have been recognized by nationally known leaders from government and business for their cutting edge innovations and advancements in GPS tracking, web and mobile gateway technologies.

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