FBI Denies Any Wrongdoing in Warrantless GPS Tracking Lawsuit

A 20-year-old college student is suing Attorney General Eric Holder and FBI Director Robert Mueller, after the FBI secretly placed a GPS tracking device under his car without a warrant. The student, Yasir Afifi of San Jose, says the FBI had no reason to consider him a suspect for any type of illegal behavior.

The lawsuit says this was a violation of his civil rights. Afifi, an Egyptian-American, filed the lawsuit in March. He says he’s never done anything to attract law enforcement attention.

The GPS tracking device was found by a mechanic during a routine oil change. Not knowing exactly what the black box was or who had put it there, a friend of Afifi’s posted images of the GPS tracking device on the internet. Two days later, 6 FBI agents showed up at Afifi’s house, demanding their property back. The FBI insisted he immediately return the GPS tracking device.

FedEx Joins GPS System Coalition, LightSquared Inks Deal With NetTalk

LightSquared announced yesterday they have signed a deal with NetTalk.com. Under the agreement, NetTalk.com would use LightSquared’s proposed, multi-billion dollar 4G LTE network, which still needs to pass one final layer of approval by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

NetTalk, which sells an inexpensive alternative to landline phone service using VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol), will resell access to LightSquared’s LTE (Long-Term Evolution) mobile network under its own branded service.

Meanwhile, several more critics of the LightSquared network continued to line up, including FedEx (NYSE: FDX) and the NYC Fire Department. Virtually every industry or company that uses the global positioning system (GPS system) has lobbied against the Lightsquared network because the network currently interferes with GPS system signals.

FieldLogix Launches Innovative Fleet GPS Financing Program

FieldLogix is proud to offer the shortest term and lowest cost financing program on the market today.

Maximize ROI and Cashflow

If you only save one gallon of fuel a day, your system can pay for itself in less than 6 months.

Financing your fleet GPS system is a great way to maximize your return on investment.

Financing your fleet management system gives you flexibility to conserve capital and keep cash flowing.

The best purchase program in the industry

Lowest Cost:

The FieldLogix purchase program is 40%-50% lower in total costs than most 36 month programs.

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The FieldLogix purchase program is short-term, only for 12 months, so you are not locked in to a long term commitment.

Police Find Stolen Truck With GPS Tracking System

Corpus Christi police used a GPS tracking system to locate a man who had stolen a truck loaded up with building supplies.

Police say employees at the construction business arrived at work and realized a chain link fence behind the business had been run over and a truck that was loaded with shingles was missing.

Police officers were able to find the stolen vehicle using the GPS tracking system installed inside the truck. Police said they found the truck parked on a local street. Someone had painted over the construction business logo to disguise the stolen truck.

Apparently, the thieves did not realize the vehicle was equipped with a GPS tracking device.

Supreme Court to Decide on Warrantless GPS Tracking

A GPS tracking system could be under the bumper of you car right now monitoring your every move. Because in most cities it is legal for police to place a GPS tracking system on a vehicle without a warrant or the vehicle owner’s knowledge. Kinda creepy, huh?

The Supreme Court announced yesterday it would decide whether police need a warrant to use a global positioning system (GPS) device to track a suspect’s movements. The case will mark the first time the Supreme Court has considered how the constitutional ban on unreasonable searches applies to global positioning systems, better known as GPS devices. A ruling, which is expected by next year, will establish limits regarding 4th Amendment privacy rights and GPS tracking technology.

“The Court’s decision in Jones could have a significant impact on everyone’s privacy because most of us are carrying a tracking device everyday: our cell phone,” said the ACLU, which has filed briefs in the case.

Gas Prices Expected to Drop up to 50 Cents a Gallon

Gas prices are expected to drop at least 10 – 15 cents in the upcoming weeks, and may drop by 40 – 50 cents a gallon after Labor Day.

Oil prices tanked last week because the US and 27 other members of the International Energy Administration (IEA) agreed to release 60 million barrels of oil reserves into the global market over the next 30 days. Many Americans are hoping that a reduction in gas prices will boost the economy.

The recent increases in gas prices are a big contributor to Americans’ lack of confidence in the U.S. economy. In a recent Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, 45% of those surveyed said the recent increase in gas prices has affected them “a great deal,” outranking concerns over food prices, the drop in home prices or even the unemployment rate.

FCC Blocked From Spending Money on LightSquared’s GPS Testing

Lawmakers in a US House of Representatives committee passed a bill last week that would block the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from spending any money granting LightSquared permission to move forward with its proposed network.

Lawmakers were referring to the fact that the FCC had waived certain rules affecting LightSquared’s network plans earlier this year, allowing the company to build a hybrid satellite and LTE (Long-Term Evolution) network – as long as it tested for and solved interference with GPS system signals. Since then, members of the GPS industry and some lawmakers have attacked the plan and the consider the FCC’s waiver hazardous to the GPS system.

During the meeting before Congress, representatives of federal agencies and industry groups testified that LightSquared’s current network plan would hobble GPS receivers used for aviation, navigation, agriculture, defense and many other purposes. The U.S. Coast Guard and departments of Defense and Transportation reported that tests showed LightSquared’s current approach caused unacceptable interference with GPS, endangering a system vital to national defense and commerce.

US Taps Domestic Oil Reserves, Gas Prices Expected to Drop

Oil prices sharply declined to their lowest level in four months after the United States and 27 allies announced that they are planning to release 60 million barrels of crude oil from reserves. Increasing the nation’s oil supply could lower gas prices as much as 50 cents a gallon, but relief at the pump is still several weeks away.

The purpose of tapping the oil reserves is to boost the global economy. The US is hoping to avoid another recession, as recent sky-high oil and gas prices have been contributing to the slow economy.

Gas prices have skyrocketed in recent months, surpassing the $4-a-gallon mark in May. Though gas prices have decreased since their recent peak, today’s national average price for regular unleaded is still over $3.61 a gallon, which is more than 87 cents above gas prices one year ago, according to the AAA Fuel gauge Report.

High Gas Prices Cause IRS to Increase Mileage Deduction Rates

Gas prices have caused the IRS to make an unusual mid-year hike to the standard mileage rate used to deduct the cost of business-related driving. The mileage hike, linked to rising fuel prices, will begin July 1 and increases to 55.5 cents a mile. The current reimbursement rate is 51 cents a mile.

“This year’s increased gas prices are having a major impact on individual Americans. The IRS is adjusting the standard mileage rates to better reflect the recent increase in gas prices,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman in a press release. “We are taking this step so the reimbursement rate will be fair to taxpayers.”

The standard mileage deduction is limited to companies using four or fewer vehicles. For larger companies ineligible to take the deduction, the IRS standard mileage figure is widely used as a benchmark in setting reimbursement rates for employees’ driving expenses.

GPS System Interference Threatens 3 Million U.S. Jobs

GPS System Interference Caused By LightSquared’s Network Threatens 3.3 Million U.S. Jobs and $96 Billion in Annual Direct Economic Benefits Are at Risk

According to an economic study released this week, over 3.3 million American jobs depend heavily on Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. The economic study by Dr. Nam D. Pham of the Washington, D.C.-based NDP Consulting Group warns of “serious economic repercussions for the U.S. economy” if the GPS system is disrupted by interference, referring to a new network being built by Lightsquared.

LightSquared’s plans, according to the report, could cause serious economic consequences. “The commercial stakes are high. The downstream industries that rely on professional and high precision GPS technology for their own business operations would face serious disruption to their operations should interference occur, and U.S. leadership and innovation would suffer.”

The report, which traces the development of GPS from its U.S. military origins to today’s widespread commercial and consumer use of GPS, states that “the economic benefits of GPS to the U.S. economy are substantial. GPS manufacturers create employment, provide earnings, add value, and generate tax revenues for governments. Importantly, GPS technology improves productivity and produces cost-savings for end-users.”

The disruption of interference with GPS posed by LightSquared’s planned deployment of 40,000 ground stations threatens direct economic costs of up to $96 billion to U.S. commercial GPS users and manufacturers, according to an economic study released today. The study says that the $96 billion economic figure represents the equivalent of 0.7 percent of the U.S. economy.

How to Stop GPS Location Data in Photos From Revealing Where You Are

GPS system data can be recorded when someone takes a picture of you, and you might not even be aware of it. Location information (GPS system coordinates) stored inside photos can reveal your home address, work address, and places you or your children frequent. Geotags can make it very easy for people to determine exactly where you are and when.

The good news is that there are easy ways to protect your privacy and prevent GPS location data from being revealed in your photos. Yes, there are several ways to do this. Here are a handful of easy ways that aren’t too complicated and don’t take require you to have expensive software.

Future of LightSquared Network Remains Uncertain

LightSquared has been under major scrutiny after FCC tests concluded that the company’s high-speed broadband wireless LTE network was interfering with the global positioning system (GPS). LightSquared has now agreed to change their original plans and will use a different block of spectrum to avoid interfering with GPS system signals in space and on the ground.

The company told reporters that their new plan is expected to reduce the risk of interference to 99.5 percent of GPS devices.

However, some members of the GPS industry are still concerned that the LightSquared interference issues will continue. They believe that testing should continue to ensure public safety, as the GPS system affects thousands of applications that people depend on everyday.

New Law Protects Privacy Rights – Ends Warrantless GPS Tracking

In today’s world, technological innovations are created at a light speed pace, which – generally speaking – is a good thing. But Smartphone technology and other mobile devices are developed  so quickly and intelligently that lawmakers have struggled to keep up with the implications of modern technology. This has become a big problem for society. […]

Sprint Signs Deal With Lightsquared, Despite Failing GPS Tests

Sprint and LightSquared have agreed to jointly develop and operate LightSquared’s 4G LTE network. The deal is expected to give Sprint an edge in competing with AT&T and Verizon.

LightSquared executives are scrambling to find a solution for its network, after its spectrum has been shown to interfere with the global positioning system (GPS). The company asked the FCC for an extension on the mandatory GPS system tests. Members of the GPS Coalition called Save Our GPS were outraged the the FCC gave Lightsquared an extension after initially failing the GPS system interference tests.

Sprint’s deal with Lightsquared is an indication that nothing bad is in the near future for LightSquared’s plans to develop their network. Many people are speculating that Sprint has agreed to absorb some of the costs to build out the LightSquared network and as a result it will get privileged rates to become the network’s largest LTE wholesale customer.

Navy Accidentally Jammed GPS System in San Diego

GPS system signals are everywhere and the technology is used for literally thousands of applications, not just navigating drivers on the road. GPS technology is used to land airplanes, control financial services such as ATMs and stock trading, navigate ships and cargo, synchronize data on wireless networks, manage loads on power grids, etc.

Jamming the GPS system can wreak havoc on society in literally thousands of ways. Ways many people are not even aware of.

According to an article recently printed in the New Scientist, a British magazine, a global positioning system outage happened because the Navy accidentally jammed GPS signals in downtown San Diego in 2007.

New Scientist magazine wrote in its March 2011 edition: “It was just after midday in San Diego, California, when the disruption started. In the tower at the airport, air-traffic controllers peered at their monitors only to find that their system for tracking incoming planes was malfunctioning. At the Naval Medical Center, emergency pagers used for summoning doctors stopped working. Chaos threatened in the busy harbour, too, after the traffic-management system used for guiding boats failed. On the streets, people reaching for their cellphones found they had no signal and bank customers trying to withdraw cash from local ATMs were refused.”

The problem with the article in New Scientist is that most of what it reported wasn’t true. Although the Navy did admit to accidentally jamming GPS signals in San Diego in 2007, the outcome wasn’t anywhere nearly as catastrophic as the magazine made it out to be.

Garmin, GPS Coalition Outraged the Feds Give Lightsquared an Extension

Representatives of a wide variety of industries and companies, including Garmin (NASDAQ: GRMN) and TomTom, have joined a Coalition called “Save Our GPS” to resolve a serious threat to the reliability and viability of the Global Positioning System (GPS) – a national utility upon which millions of Americans rely every day. The GPS coalition is […]

Garmin Acquires Navigon, A Leader in European In-Vehicle GPS Systems

Garmin Ltd (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in GPS navigation devices, announced they have purchased one of their biggest competitors in Europe – Navigon AG. Garmin’s interest in Navigon seems to be mainly for its smartphone apps and in-vehicle GPS systems, particularly in the European market where Navigon has invested heavily and built relationships with a number of vehicle manufacturers.

Navigon is well known in the iOS community for its very popular MobileNavigator series of turn-by-turn GPS apps. Navigon also manufactures a number of portable navigation devices as well as developing software for PNDs and other smartphone platforms.

Acquiring a company that is popular for navigation apps is definitely a smart move f0r Garmin. Although one of the largest GPS navigation product manufacturers, Garmin was relatively late in releasing its own turn-by-turn GPS app for the iOS platform, debuting its StreetPilot application for iOS only six months ago after an earlier announcement in November that it was abandoning its own Nuvifone GPS smartphone product.

Easy Ways Drivers Can Save Money on Gas

Even though gas prices have been coming down over the past few weeks, gas prices are still very high when compared to the the past few years. In many states, gas prices are still averaging over $4 per gallon. According to a recent article from Popular Mechanics, there are several things drivers can do to save money on fuel. Here are some driving tips from the Yahoo Autos article combined with a few tips from FieldLogix.

Driving Tip No. 1: Invest in a More Fuel Efficient Vehicle

Next time you go shopping for a new (or used) car, consider fuel economy when making your purchase decision. One great car for fuel efficiency is the Ford (NYSE:F)Focus SFE. It gets 28 mpg in the city and a whopping 40 mpg on the highway. With its sculpted flanks and radical windshield slope, the Focus looks like a 21st-century small car. The SFE model is tricked out for fuel economy. The 2.0-liter engine features direct fuel injection—good for a 10 percent efficiency gain, Ford says—and is coupled to an automated twin-clutch six-speed gearbox that drives low-rolling-resistance tires. Ford also includes stuff like Sync, LED interior lighting, Millennium Falcon instrumentation and with a $20,780 as-tested price, the Focus becomes impossible to ignore.

Driving Tip No. 2: Coast to a Stop

We all know brakes are necessary, but they’re incredibly wasteful. Accelerating until the last moment then braking hard to stop is less efficient than slowly coasting to a red light. Whenever possible, anticipate that a light will turn red and ease off the gas. Generally, the less you have to brake, the better your fuel economy.

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