Jackson Parker

625 posts
Can Under-The-Skin GPS Tracking Devices Protect You If Kidnapped?

In Mexico many families are constantly living under the threat of being kidnapped. It is a scary but true reality. Kidnappings are up 317 percent in the past five years, according to a recent Mexican congressional report.

Wealthy and upper class Mexicans living in fear of being kidnapped are turning to GPS tracking devices as a precautionary measure. People are spending thousands of dollars to have GPS tracking-enabled RFID chips implanted under their skin and the skin of family members.

However, scientists are claiming the tracking devices don’t work, according to The Washington Post.

The chip, implanted in the tissue between the shoulder and elbow, sends a signal to a GPS tracking device that the wearer carries. The chip relays a signal to an external Global Positioning System unit the size of a cellphone, but if the owner is stripped of the GPS device in the event of an abduction, Xega can still track down its clients by sending radio signals to the implant. The company says it has helped rescue 178 clients in the past decade

According to the Post, this claim seems very unlikely to be true.

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Stolen Cash With a Hidden GPS Tracking System Leads FBI to Bank Robber

The FBI says a robbery suspect managed to get away with cash from a suburban Chicago bank, but he also got something he hadn’t bargained for — a GPS tracking system. The robbery suspect was arrested after police monitored his movements through a GPS tracking system hidden with cash he stole from a bank, according to officials.

After a man walked into a local Chicago Bank of America branch, he spoke with a bank teller and then handed the bank employee a note that said he wanted her to hand over a bag of cash. Not wanting to escalate the situation, the bank teller placed a bunch of cash into a bag and handed the money to the bank robber. However, the quick-thinking bank teller also placed a GPS tracking system in the bag, allowing police to follow the cash in real-time.

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GPS Device Makers Fight Back Against LightSquared

The fight between LightSquared and the GPS industry is heating up again. LightSquared is accusing the GPS industry of failing to follow US Department of Defense (DoD) GPS filtering standards, and the GPS industry saying in return that LightSquared clearly doesn’t understand the technology it is trying to sell.

LightSquared is proposing to create a nationwide satellite-based voice and Internet data service. It received conditional approval to do so from the FCC in January as long as the company could show that its operations wouldn’t interfere with existing GPS systems, a fear expressed by GPS device manufacturers and users alike. Tests completed this spring demonstrated that GPS systems would indeed be interfered with by LightSquared proposed operations. LightSquared said in June not to worry, though, since it had developed a technical solution to the interference problem.

LightSquared asked the FCC why it needs to change its operations when the GPS interference problem clearly resides with an irresponsible GPS industry that is only interested in “squatting for free on someone else’s licensed spectrum.”

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Track Bus, Train and Ship Locations with new GPS System

Ever been stuck waiting for a bus, train or ferry and wondered, “Where the heck is my ride? Well, thanks to modern GPS technology, this issue may become a thing of the past. New GPS tracking systems are being installed across the country so people can monitor the whereabouts of their public transportation in real-time.

This type of tracking system is especially helpful to people when the weather conditions are severe. No one likes standing in the rain, snow or extreme heat waiting for a ride. Now when a bus or train is late, you can take shelter from the heat or cold because you will know exactly when your ride will be arriving.

In Michigan, people on-the-go who use a smart phone or another hand-held device that can access the Internet will be able to track the location of their city bus fleet in real-time using GPS tracking technology. Passengers will be able to tell when the bus will get to their stop.

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US Gas Prices Drop Below $4 a Gallon in 49 States

Gas prices fell last week as consumer confidence reached a 30-year low, pushing oil prices down. On Monday, at the end of trading on the NYMEX, crude oil settled at $87.88 per barrel, up $2.50.

While crude oil prices have exhibited dramatic shifts in momentum in recent trading, gasoline prices have continued to steadily decline. The current national retail average price for a gallon of self-serve regular gasoline is $3.59. Today’s average price is seven cents cheaper than one week ago and eight cents cheaper than one month ago, but remains 83 cents higher than one year ago according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report.

After rising for 25 of 31 days in July, the national average price at the pump has fallen for 14 of 15 days to begin August. As of today, Hawaii ($4.11) is the only state that remains above the $4 per gallon threshold.

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How To Stop GPS Data in Photos From Revealing Where You Live

Did you know that a lot of smart phones encode the location of where pictures are taken? Anyone who has a copy can access this information. If you or someone yu know snaps a photo of you and then uploads it to the internet on social media sites such as Facebook or Twitter, it is very easy to figure out exactly where the picture was taken.

Browser plug-ins and certain software programs can reveal the geotag location information of your photos and movies to anyone who wants to see it. Location information (GPS coordinates) stored inside photos can reveal your home address, work address, places you visit often, etc. Geotags can make it very easy for people – friends, family, bosses, spouses, parents – to know exactly where you are.

While this may be disconcerting (especially for parents of teenagers!) the good news is disabling geo-tagging on your phone is easy.

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Garmin Launches New Turn-By-Turn GPS Navigation App for iPhone

Garmin just released a new GPS navigation App for the iPhone called Garmin StreetPilot. Garmin StreetPilot App gives iPhone users an intuitive Garmin interface for everyday navigation– without tapping into your dataplan. The Garmin StreetPilot App offers mapping, free real time speed camera alerts, traffic avoidance options and a host of other options for efficient routing, simple effortless planning and stress-free travel whether driving or on foot.

The Garmin Street Pilot App has advanced navigation features such as Garmin’s exclusive PhotoReal junction view , lane guidance, 3D buildings, trip planner, trip computer, Garmin’s “Where Am I?” safety feature and free real-time speed camera information including the location of temporary mobile cameras, based on real-time feedback from the ‘Speedwatch’ community.

With ultra-fast map drawing, panning and zooming, the preloaded maps and Points of Interest offer coverage even when there is little or no mobile signal available. So just as with a Garmin Nüvi, the maps and directions are always there when you need them most – especially when you can’t get cell or Wi-Fi signals or your dataplan is running low.

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FieldLogix Helps Dunphy’s ExtermaPest Cut Fuel Bill by $700/Mo

Dunphy’s ExtermaPest Cuts Gas Costs by $700 a Month For a 10 Vehicle Fleet With FieldLogix Fleet Tracking System

With today’s high fuel costs and a sluggish economy, companies are seeking ways to reduce their operating costs. One way to reduce costs dramatically is through the use of a GPS fleet tracking system.

Ron Dunphy, president of Dunphy’s Extermapest in Palm Springs, California has seen a significant reduction in fuel costs since implementing FieldLogix.

Dunphy said, “Before implementing FieldLogix last year, when gas prices were much lower, I was spending $3,400 a month on fuel for my 10 vehicles. After installing FieldLogix on my vehicles, I now spend $2,700 per month on fuel, even with higher gas prices!”

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Solar Storms May Disrupt GPS System Signals This Week

Over the weekend there were three large magnetic explosions from the sun, prompting U.S. government scientists to caution users of satellite, telecommunications and electric equipment to prepare for possible disruptions over the next few days. As you read this, we are at the peak of the 11-year solar cycle. So drivers should double-check their GPS system, and watch where they’re going.

Solar storms this week could affect communications and global positioning system (GPS system) satellites and might even produce an aurora visible as far south as Minnesota and Wisconsin. Usually the aurora borealis, called the northern lights, are limited to northern latitudes, but the energy of this storm’s colliding energized particles may broaden the display.

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Sunshine Landscape Gets an ROI in 18 Days with FieldLogix

Sunshine Landscape Sees Positive Return on Investment in 18 Days with FieldLogix GPS Fleet Tracking System

Carlos Contreras, at Sunshine Landscape in Palm Desert, CA, manages 15 employees who had been using paper timesheets for years. Carlos always suspected that the timesheets weren’t completely accurate.

Carlos then decided that GPS fleet tracking would help him address these concerns and give him more control over his mobile employees. Carlos selected FieldLogix due to its user-friendly interface, affordable hardware, and extensive e-mail alert features.

Upon installing FieldLogix fleet tracking system, Carlos’ suspicions were immediately confirmed. By using the system’s activity reports, he found that his “honor system” was being abused by his employees. By having an accurate way to measure daily work hours, his overtime costs dropped immediately.

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Gas Prices Expected to Drop up to 35 Cents As Oil Hits Six-Month Low

Oil prices dropped to a six-month low Thursday as investors and energy traders grew more concerned that the U.S. economy will enter another recession and that Europe’s debt problems are not closed to being solved.

As oil prices were dropping, the stock market plummeted. Major stock indexes fell more than 4 percent. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost over 500 points. It was the worst day for the Dow since October 22, 2008.

The decline in oil should bring some needed relief to drivers. U.S. gas prices currently remain near three-year highs at a national average of $3.703 per gallon. But gas prcies are expected to drop in the near future.

According to Fred Rozell, retail pricing director at Oil Price Information Service, the recent slide in oil could push gasoline 20 to 35 cents per gallon lower over the next month. “This market is moving up and down, but you could see some sizable declines at the pump if this holds,” Rozell said.

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Gas Prices Remain Steady as Oil Prices Drop Below $93

Gas Prices Remain Steady as Oil Prices Drop Below $93 Due to Concerns About the Economy

After news was released of an eleventh hour agreement in Washington to raise the debt ceiling, the markets reacted positively in very early Monday morning trading – for a very brief period. The positivity was fleeting. By late Monday morning, the ending of the debt debacle had no more positive impact on the markets. The stock market reversed and has been declining for the last several days.

The way the markets have traded since the announcement of the debt deal suggest strongly to me that the majority of the selling last week was more to do with the faltering global economy rather than uncertainty over the US politicians doing a deal. There is speculation that the US may still lost its AAA credit rating, and that Europe may be on the brink of a financial meltdown.

Besides the debt problems both here and in Europe, there is also evidence that the US economy is not rebounding as many hoped it would be. Investors are also concerned that consumer spending is down and there is weak demand for oil and gas.

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Fleet Tracking System Features to Consider, Part One

Fleet Tracking System Features – Part One

If your business requires vehicles and mobile employees, and you are interested in finding ways to increase your company’s productivity and profitability, then you should consider investing in a GPS Fleet Tracking System.

A Fleet Tracking System can provide your company with numerous benefits at an affordable price. A fleet tracking system can help the average fleet reduce fuel costs by up to 20%. Most customers typically see a positive ROI in less than 6 months.

There are several factors to consider when researching and selecting the right Fleet Tracking System. Here are some of the fleet tracking features you should be considering in your purchase decision.

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GPS-Equipped Toucans Help Scientists Monitor Seed Dispersal

GPS Tracking Devices Attached to Toucans Help Scientists Gather Data on Seed Dispersal

There were two main things scientists had to do to set up the experiment, which took place in Panama. First, the scientists had to figure out how long and how many seeds the Toucans would eat in a day. So the scientists gathered fresh seeds from a nutmeg tree and fed them to captive toucans at the Rotterdam Zoo.

Toucans love nutmeg seeds. When Toucans eat, they gulp the nutmeg seeds whole. The outer pulp is processed in the bird’s crop, and the hard inner seed is then regurgitated.

During the GPS tracking experiment, five zoo toucans fed 100 nutmeg seeds took an average of 25.5 minutes to process and regurgitate the seeds.

Next the scientists captured six wild toucans that were feeding from a large nutmeg tree in the rainforest. The scientists attached lightweight backpacks containing GPS tracking devices to the wild birds.The GPS tracking devices recorded the birds’ exact location every 15 minutes and used accelerometers to measure the Toucans’ daily activity level.

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New Satellite Technology Allows Planes To Fly Over Polar Regions

A new satellite communication for oceanic flights has been approved by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Now airlines can use the satellite communication to fly through the Polar Regions instead of around them, while still maintaining communication with air traffic control.

Until now, airlines had no way of communicating in the Polar Region besides using a High Frequency (HF) radio, which is so unreliable that airlines decided not to use it because it was too dangerous. Now, being able to fly over the poles, airlines can save time and money. Plus they will produce less pollution.

According to Damien McCormack, director of Aircraft Solutions at SITA, flying over the poles can save approximately 30 minutes to an hour in flight time, depending on the size of the aircraft, flight route and exactly what points over the Poles the plane is flying.

McCormack also said that by saving one hour on an airbus 330, which can accommodate up to 335 passengers, it can account to a savings of 5.5 tons of fuel, which equates to 17 tons of C02 emissions. With a Boeing 747, which can accommodate between 416-524 passengers, saving one hour of flying time would account to saving 10 tons of fuel, which equates to 35 tons of C02 emissions.

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GPS Tracking System Busts County Employees at Golf Course

Earlier this year in Muskegon Cunty, Michigan, rumors were spreading that city employees were not working when and where they said they were. A county judge, John Ruck, became suspect after hearing rumors that a handful of city employees were misusing city vehicles and decided to take action.

He rallied enough support and money from the county and the state to purchase several vehicle tracking systems. Ruck then ordered someone to install the tracking systems inconspicuously in the trunk of several county owned fleet vehicles. The GPS tracking systems started gathering information in June.

Court administrators reviewed the vehicle tracking system data for several weeks looking for discrepancies. According to Ruck the process was simple – look at the employee’s time card and where the car they checked out was located.

Then lo and behold, the GPS tracking system data revealed that three county workers were not working while on the clock. One spent several hours at a golf course, another at the gym. Both resigned when confronted about the abuse. A third employee, whose error was not as egregious, is going to be disciplined.

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US Debt Concerns Puts Pressure on Oil and Gas Prices

US debt concerns are fueling rising gas prices. Now speculation that fuel prices could go much higher if the government cannot come to an agreement about raising the debt ceiling.

Currently gas prices are averaging $3.70 a gallon in the US. Oil prices fell below $97 per barrel as US leaders failed to agree to lift the government debt limit just hours from a deadline, leaving investors to consider worst case scenarios if a default occurs. By the early afternoon on Friday, crude oil rose 4 cents and closed at $97.44 on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

According to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report: Default or a downgrade of the U.S. credit rating would have far-reaching consequences for the U.S. economy. These consequences would likely affect crude oil prices with pressure in two opposing directions. A weakening U.S. economy likely means a weaker U.S. dollar. As discussed, when the dollar weakens, crude oil prices are expected to see upward pressure as the product becomes relatively cheaper.

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Leaked FAA Report Says LightSquared Network Will Kill 794 People

A report about the effects of LightSquared’s proposed network was supposedly leaked from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) this week, according to a report from PC Mag. The effects of LightSquared deployment would be far-reaching and potentially devastating to aviation.

The “estimated loss of life from 2014 to 2023 as a result of LightSquared impacts to GPS during a period when the nation’s aircraft were retrofitted to accommodate the LightSquared signals would include 794 deaths, with a value of life totaling $4.9 billion,” the report states.

The FAA’s Navigation Services division also said there will be over $72 billion in additional costs to U.S. taxpayers if the LightSquared LTE system is implemented. The FAA report called that estimates conservative, and it did not include injuries or property loss.

The FAA’s report, dated Jul 12, said the LightSquared network would interfere with the GPS systems that US aviation depends on everyday. The Federal Aviation Administration says even a revised proposal from LightSquared to launch a national wireless broadband network will interfere with global positioning systems critical to aviation.

“Proposed LightSquared operations would severely impact the efficiency and modernization of the safest, most efficient aerospace system in the world. After the LightSquared network is deployed, GPS systems are expected to be unavailable for planned aviation use over the whole of the continental U.S. based upon FAA analysis and tests, ” the report concludes.

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