Posts By: JC Strodula

Driver Caught On Laptop & Drinking Coffee While Driving

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In a recent police crackdown in England, named Operation Tramline, a man was caught using a laptop and drinking a hot cup of coffee while driving. Another man was seen eating a pear with a knife while driving while a third motorist was seen writing down the answers to a quiz on the radio.

Distracted driving has become a real problem. Not only is it illegal, but it is dangerous. “I hear, almost daily, accounts of people who are injured while texting,” said Dr. Angela Gardner, president of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Gardner said “It has stopped being an oddity when we hear that someone was texting and has a wreck. Now it’s more of a fairly common occurrence…While sending out a status update during a leisurely drive may seem innocuous, it only takes a moment for distracted drivers to become vulnerable.”

According to Sgt. Paul Diamond, 84 vehicles in Operation Tramline were stopped due to offenses being witnessed, and of these 55% were commercial vehicles, according to BBC News.

Real-Time Tracking System For Meth Launched

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Pharmacies and supermarkets across the US are being equipped with a real-time tracking system that registers sales of products with pseudoephedrine, a key ingredient for making illegal meth commonly found in cold and allergy medications.

Next time you or a loved one catches a cold, chances are you will head to the local drug store and purchase an over-the-counter (OTC) medication to relieve the symptoms. If your local market has the real-time meth tracking system installed, the tracking system will scan a picture of your I.D. and record the amount of drugs bought. It also can show the cashier if you have exceeded the amount you are legally allowed to buy. The cashier can then refuse to sell to a customer that has exceeded his or her limit.

GPS Tracking Systems Installed on Commercial Boats to Reduce Poaching

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Illegal poaching of fish and other sea life, known as maritime poaching, happens everyday all over the world. This winter, Maryland Natural Resources Police discovered more than 13 tons of poached striped bass, also called rockfish, in illegally anchored nets in the Chesapeake Bay.

The poaching finds led fisheries agencies to close rock fish season early. Natural Resources Police served search warrants related to the poaching but have not yet made any arrests.

The Maryland Dept. of Natural Resources is hoping to reduce the illegal fishing by launching a pilot program that would use GPS tracking systems to monitor the movements of commercial fishing boats.

GPS tracking systems discourage illegal fishing by allowing agencies to track commercial fishing boats that go into closed areas or operate during restricted times. They are being used increasingly across the United States and Canada but would be new to Maryland, according to Tom O’Connell, director of DNR’s fisheries service

GM’s OnStar No Longer Selling Ex-Customer Data To 3rd Parties

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After being torn apart by the media, customers, lawmakers, and being described by a Senator as “one of the most brazen invasions of privacy in recent memory” OnStar has decided to reverse its new customer tracking policy. The new policy, announced last week to customer via email, gave OnStar permission to continue to gather speed, location and related customer data from all users – even ones that had cancelled services – and then sell the information to third parties.

The OnStar system embeds a mobile phone and GPS in customer’s cars and relays a constant stream of data back to the company recording basic speed and location, whether the driver is wearing a seat belt, and tire pressure, as well as reporting accidents. This latter function is the system’s principal selling point, and numerous lives have been saved by the car alerting emergency services that a crash has occurred.

Even if an OnStar user cancelled services, the secondary connection would remain active and the company could continue to gather and sell the user’s tracking data – unless the customer specifically contacted OnStar for an opt-out request.

Democratic senator, Chris Coons of Delaware, said, “As location-based mobile technology becomes a larger part of consumers’ lives, it’s important that we’re vigilant about balancing convenience with privacy.”

OnStar’s 6 million current subscribers should be aware – it still maintains the right to track active customers.

Injured Man Found in Wilderness with GPS Tracking

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Last week an experienced prospector ventured out into a remote part of Western Australia’s Pilbara region. Several hours into the journey, the man was severely injured. After a bad fall, the 53-year old man realized he had broken his leg. He could not walk and was unable to put any weight on his leg.

Without cellphone service and very little to eat or drink, the man began crawling back to his car across the rocky terrain. Desperate to get out of the life-threatening situation, the man crawled back to his car and alerted the authorities with his cell phone, which now had a signal. He then used the GPS tracking system in his car to notify and direct rescuers to his location.

Microsoft Finds GPS Tracking Tech Can Reduce Traffic Jams

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New research from Microsoft Research Asia (MRA) shows the cause of traffic jams. “Congested road segments are only the appearance—they’re not the problem,” says Yu Zheng in a report from MIT, who led the research. “We try to identify the true source of the problem in our work.”

Microsoft (MSFT) scientists used GPS tracking data from thousands of taxi cabs in beijing to determine where, when and why areas of the city became congested. MRA has shown that tracking the location of taxicabs could be a better way to identify the underlying problems with a city’s transportation network, helping officials determine how to best ease congestion.

The researchers used GPS data from more than 33,000 Beijing taxicabs. That data was collected in 2009 and 2010. The researchers were not just looking for bottlenecks—trouble spots that regular commuters may know only too well.

FieldLogix Expands Fleet Tracking Services To Canada

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FieldLogix, the leader in GPS fleet tracking, is pleased to announce expansion of its services to Canada. Now fleets in can Canada can experience a reduction in costs, increased workforce productivity, customer service improvements, plus put an end to wasteful driving habits and reduce carbon dioxide emissions with the FieldLogix real-time fleet tracking system.

FieldLogix’s expanded service and the company’s ongoing success is based upon continually meeting the needs of its clients. Because a fleet management system can provide an ROI in less than six months and immediately reduce fuel consumption, plus produce ecological benefits, companies both large and small utilize FieldLogix to create profitable, sustainable fleets.

US Gas Prices Drop 9 Cents In One Week – More Declines Expected

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Gas prices have been declining over the last month as the peak summer driving season comes to an end. More declines are expected.

The average retail price for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline in the US is $3.49, 11 cents less than 30 days ago, according to the AAA Fuel Gauge Report. After increasing for 14 consecutive days from August 23-September 5 — amid refinery issues, hurricane concerns, and constrained supply due to the changeover from summer- to winter-blend gasoline — the price of gas has been on the decline.

The decreased fuel prices anticipated this week are a result of lagging fuel demand and no immediate plan to stimulate U.S. and European economies.

Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.com says the decline in crude oil and gasoline futures is resulting in the drop at the pump. As economic concerns and talk of a double dip recession persist, oil prices have been decreasing. The fear is that if the economy slips, so will the demand for fuel.

UPS Cuts Fuel Costs By Millions With Fleet Management Technology

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Fleet Management Technology Helps UPS Cut Fuel Costs 3.3% a Year

UPS recently released the latest edition of its annual Sustainability Report, which said the company had reduced the amount of fuel consumed per package in the United States by 3.3% in 2010. Meanwhile the company’s U.S. package volume rose 1.8% in 2010 compared to 2009.

UPS managed to deliver more packages for less money, and attributed the savings to routing technology, telematics, and loading optimization.

UPS has more than 100,000 vehicles on the road worldwide, with drivers logging about two billion miles per year. Fleet management technology enabled the company to avoid driving more than 63.5 million miles in 2010 with an associated emissions avoidance of 68,000 metric tonnes.