Jackson Parker

625 posts
Bus-Sized Satellite Falling To Earth Faster Than Expected

s of Friday Sept. 16, 2011, NASA’s Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, or UARS, is expected to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere September 23, plus or minus a day. The re-entry of UARS is coming a day earlier than previously predicted because of a sharp increase in solar activity this week. Solar effects from the sun can create an extra drag on satellites in space because they can heat the Earth’s atmosphere, causing it to expand, agency officials have said.

The exact date and geographic location of re-entry is hard to predict because it depends on solar activity and the satellite’s orientation as its orbit decays. As re-entry draws closer, predictions on the date will become more reliable. NASA is keeping a close watch on the falling satellite, but will only be able to pinpoint its actual crash zone to within about 6,000 miles (10,000 km) about two hours before re-entry.

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Government Debates Future of GPS System and IIF Satellites

The US economy has been struggling since 2007. Many are hoping that the country does not enter a double-dip recession this year. Budget cuts are a harsh reality for cities and states across the US. Budget cuts affect us all, and now they are affecting the US global positioning system aka GPS.

The U.S. Air Force has done an incredible job with the GPS system. But budget issues are forcing the US federal government to carefully scrutinize its plans for space. One issue that may end up on the table is whether to proceed with plans to develop a new generation of “GPS III” satellites, or try to save money by sticking with the existing GPS IIF design.

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Teacher Sues Computer Tracker For Sharing Nude Photos

A federal judge has decided to allow a lawsuit to proceed between a couple and a laptop tracking system called LoJack for Laptops for intercepting and sharing a couple’s private, sexually explicit communications with police, according to Wired Magazine.

Unbeknownst to Mrs. Clements-Jeffrey and her boyfriend, the laptop had a computer tracking system installed on it. The laptop tracking system was called “LoJack for Laptops” and was provided by Absolute Software.

Absolute captured screenshots of the couple while exchanging naked photos and other sexually explicit behavior. The tracking system company, Absolute Software, then sent all of the data to local police including the teacher’s sexually explicit images and location data.

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LightSquared’s Network May Be Detrimental To Hurricane Tracking System

Last week LightSquared received another blow in its efforts to get permission from the FCC to build out its wireless network. LightSquared’s network needs further testing because of its potential effects on a satellite system that increases the accuracy of hurricane tracking, said U.S. government agencies to Congress, according to Bloomberg News. A statement for […]

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US Gas Prices Up 3 Cents in One Week

The retail price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas in the US is currently averaging $3.65 per gallon, up 3 cents in the last week, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report. One month ago gas prices were the exact same price.

Recent refinery issues, global economic concerns and hurricane threats on the Gulf and East Coasts have kept upward pressure on gasoline prices, even as relatively lower crude prices have exerted downward pressure on prices. From July 31-August 22 the national average price declined for 21 of 23 days from $3.71 per gallon to $3.57. From August 23- September 6 gas prices increased for 14 consecutive days from $3.57 to $3.66.

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Major Improvements in Smartphone GPS Signals Coming Soon

GLONASS is a network of 22 satellites orbiting the earth that are owned and controlled by the Russian government. Starting next year smartphones based on Qualcomm chipsets are going to get a huge improvement in their GPS reception because they will be able to utilize Russia’s GLONASS signals in addition to the Global Positioning System (GPS). According to Qualcomm and an article in PC Mag, adding GLONASS improves GPS accuracy in “deep urban environments” by 50 percent.

New smartphones will actually be able to leverage both satellite networks to get a much stronger, more reliable GPS signal, even in urban like New York City and in the mountainous terrain like in Colorado. Between GPS and GLONASS, Qualcomm smartphones will have 55 satellites to choose from, which makes it much easier for a smartphone or GPS receiver to get a GPS signal.

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Only 55% of US Smartphone Owners Have Used Their Phone’s GPS System

This week Pew Research released its Internet and American Life Project. Based on their research, virtually all smartphones now include a built-in GPS receiver to enable location tracking, but only 55% of U.S. smartphone owners have used their phone’s GPS system to help get local directions or recommendations.

Pew did not speculate about that other 45%, but I found this to be a very interesting statistic. One of the problems with a smartphone GPS system is that it can be unreliable when you are unable to get a cell phone signal, so those who can afford a smartphone may also be willing and able to spend the cash on a better and more reliable GPS navigation system. Perhaps, the remaining 45% of people who can afford a smartphone either have a handheld GPS device, such as a Garmin Nuvi, or their vehicle has a factory-installed GPS navigation system.

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GPS Tracking System Catches Kayak Thief

On numerous occasions this summer, kayaks were being stolen from a local kayak rental company in Massachusetts. Despite getting creative and trying different ways to lock the kayaks up securely, they just kept disappearing.

After dozens of kayaks had been stolen, the owner became very frustrated. He decided to take control of the situation and purchased two inconspicuous GPS tracking systems. According to the Metro West Daily News, owner Michael Aghajanian said, “We tried locking things up tighter and what not but the person got into everything. I felt defeated. I’m pretty persistent so I brainstormed. I didn’t care if we lost more boats. My goal was to catch him.”

Aghajanian installed a GPS tracking system on two brand new kayaks and left them out as bait for the thief. After the GPS tracking systems were installed, the kayak thief struck again. Only this time, he ended up getting caught.

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Cyclist Uses Garmin GPS Tracking Data to Settle Car Accident Dispute

The driver told the police she didn’t think she had hit Sabga. Though her car had a telltale dent, the officer said that without proof of where the cyclist had entered the intersection, he would not be able to write a citation against the driver. That meant Mr. Sabga, who was relatively unscathed, would not be able to get her insurance company to cover the damage to his bike, which was now in pieces.

Later that day it dawned on Mr. Sabga that he might have the proof he needed in the data stored in the Garmin (NASDAQ: GRMN) GPS tracking device he used for training.

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Garmin, Navigon Bring GPS Navigation To Windows Phones

Need driving directions but don’t have an internet connection? No problem. According to recent press releases from Garmin (NASDAQ: GRMN) Navigon, Navigon has just launched a new GPS navigation system for mobile phones operating Windows software.

The new GPS will system can provide an excellent navigation experience, with offline mapping support. According to ZDNet, “There are times when you need to use GPS navigation without a connection and Navigon will be launching their latest software on Windows Phone soon.”

New map management and update capabilities will enable users to pre-load only portion of the maps they’ll actually use, freeing-up the space for other things. In addition, NAVIGON FreshMaps offers quarterly map updates.

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FieldLogix Fleet Tracking System Helps To Recover Stolen Truck

When Interwest Construction Inc. realized one of their trucks had been stolen, they immediately activated the FieldLogix tracking system, which was installed inside the vehicle. Next thing you know, the chase was on

FieldLogix, an industry-leading eco-friendly fleet tracking system, was successfully utilized to recover the missing truck in just a few hours.

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FieldLogix Saves Albertina Kerr 1,000 Gallons of Fuel in 2 Weeks

At first Keil Southworth of Albertina Kerr Centers was unsure whether the FieldLogix GPS fleet tracking system would really help him to cut costs.  So he decided to start with a few trial units to evaluate the product. He quickly realized how valuable and useful the system would be for his fleet.  Once the trial […]

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900 Million GPS Devices Will Be Shipped Globally Over Next Two Years

GPS devices are an invaluable tool that modern society is completely dependent upon. The GPS market has drastically grown worldwide on account of increased use of the technology in areas of fleet management, aerospace applications/avionics, transport navigational systems, public safety, and others. GPS technology has proven its worth as huge benefits are being drawn from this technology to obtain precise position, velocity, and timing information of various devices.

According to an RNCOS research report released yesterday, “World GPS Market Forecast to 2013”, the contribution of the Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to the world economy has shown a steady growth in the last decade. The global shipment of GPS devices is anticipated to reach around 900 Million Units by 2013, growing at a CAGR of more than 20% during 2011-2013, acknowledged RNCOS in its latest research report.

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Should GPS Tracking Without a Warrant By Law Enforcement Be Legal?

GPS Tracking Without a Warrant – Should It Be Legal?

How would you feel if the police put a GPS tracking device on your vehicle without having a warrant? Without your knowledge, they would be able to track your movements quite well. If the police did this to you in order to gather evidence used to accuse you of a crime, you might rightly feel that your constitutional rights have been violated.

After all, the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution protects people facing criminal charges in California and across the United States from unreasonable searches and seizures. Logically, you could assume that placing a GPS tracking device on a person’s car without a warrant would be precisely that type of unreasonable search. However, law enforcement authorities would like to be able to do just that. The U.S. Supreme Court recently agreed to take on a case that will address this precise issue.

In 2005, Antoine Jones drove around with a GPS tracking device inconspicuously attached to his Jeep. He had no idea the GPS device was attached to his vehicle. The device recorded the vehicle’s every movement, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, for about 4 weeks total. Law enforcement agents placed the tracking device on his vehicle without first obtaining a court ordered warrant.

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Apps That Can Locate a Lost iPhone or Android Using GPS

Did you know that if you lose your iPhone, you can easily track down its location using an app and the phone’s GPS system? There are several apps available that can help. These apps use your phone’s GPS to pinpoint its location, in some cases to within a few meters. Some of them let you remotely erase the data on a missing phone and even take a photo of a person using the phone, if it has a front-facing camera.

Find My iPhone is a free app that can locate a missing iPhone. It can be used by anyone with an iPhone 4, iPad, or 4th generation iPod touch (iOS 4.2 or later required).

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Pick-Ups & Escalades Are The Most Stolen Vehicles in the US

The Highway Loss Data Institute (HLDI) conducted a study recently to determine which vehicles were most often stolen in the US. The study results show the Cadillac Escalade is the most popular choice for car thieves

The study, based on insurance claims made for model year 2008 through 2010 vehicles, showed that the Escalade is six times more likely to be hit by thieves than the average vehicle, and its overall theft losses are more than 10 times as large. Matt Moore, a vice president at the institute, says the Escalade gets hit more often because “It’s so wildly popular as far as pop culture goes. Watching the TV you see professional athletes coming in and out of them and other celebrities too. It’s a status symbol.”

HLDI, which is part of the Arlington, Va.-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, calculated the rankings based on the number of thefts per insured vehicle on the road. The rankings are based on vehicles that were stolen, had parts such as stereo systems taken or had other property inside the car snatched. The data doesn’t include uninsured vehicles or those covered by the 20 percent of insurance companies that don’t report their numbers to the institute.

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Garmin Launches Nuvi Personal Navigation Device

Garmin Nuvi GPS 2012Yesterday Garmin revealed its 2012 line of Nuvi personal navigation devices (PNDs). Garmin is simplifying its entire product lineup down to three tiers, plus the company is upgrading its navigation and traffic engines.

Choosing the best nuvi for any given lifestyle has never been easier as the 2012 models are categorized as Essential, Advanced and Prestige. New to the 2012 line are the advanced Guidance 2.0 and 3.0 navigation engines for a faster, more intuitive user interface and enhanced features that result in Garmin’s most capable navigators yet.

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Lost Woman and Children Rescued With GPS Tracking System

Yesterday firefighters found a woman and her three young children who became lost while hiking Meriden Mountain at Camp Sloper in Southington, Connecticut. The mother of three ultimately helped rescue herself and her family using the GPS tracking system on her cell phone. Good thing there’s a cell phone signal up there!

The woman and her three children, aged 6 to 9, began their hike around 6:30 p.m on Monday evening. They hiked up the mountain and became lost after stepping off the trail, according to Fire Lt. John Folcik. The woman called 911 around 8 p.m. and remained on the phone while Southington and Meriden firefighters searched for the stranded family.

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