LBS on Gartner’s ‘Top 10 Consumer Apps to Watch in 2012’

Gartner (NYSE: IT) analysts identified the top 10 cutting-edge technologies and trends for 2012, focusing on high-end devices with an average selling price of more than $300 dollars. Location-based services was listed first on the company’s top-10 list.

GPS service comes pre-installed in essentially any smartphone on the market these days, so location-based services and apps are becoming increasingly popular. LBSs can locate specific addresses with street-corner accuracy, and help friends and family find each other. Plus you can set up virtual fences around key locations, such as malls, parks, beaches, movie theaters, sports facilities, work locations … and be notified when children or employees enter or leave these important places.

iTunes Phenomenon: ‘I Just Made Love’ App…GPS Tags Where and When

Thousands of people use apps such as Foursquare that allows users to share where they eat, drink and shop. Now the ‘I Just Made Love’ lets you log and GPS-tag your private life in just the same way – and, bizarrely, some people seem to want to.

Employee Busted on Job Interview, Going To Mexico While On The Clock

GPS Tracking System Busts Employee Driving to Mexico in Work Truck and Going On Job Interview With Major HVAC Competitor While Still On The Clock.

GPS System Upgrade Coming Soon – More Reliable and Accurate Than Ever

Block III GPS satellites have a more powerful signal and will be able to determine position to within three feet, compared to 10 feet with current technology, the AP reported. Users are expected to see major improvements in navigation and driving directions.

GPS systems don’t currently work well indoors, so the improvements will be a major breakthrough. The Block III GPS system is expected to be more reliable in areas where the current technology is shaky, such as under heavy tree canopies or on city streets surrounded by skyscrapers, or even indoors.

Leaked Government Tests: LightSquared Interferes With GPS Devices

Leaked government test results show that “LightSquared signals caused harmful interference to majority of GPS receivers tested” according to the Bloomberg news service. The report concludes that “millions of GPS units are not compatible” with LightSquared’s network.

“No additional testing is required to confirm harmful interference exists… The wireless service caused interference to 75 percent of the global-positioning system (GPS) receivers examined in a U.S. government test,” says the draft.

Sierra Solutions Ends Driver Speeding with FieldLogix

Sierra Solutions saved thousands in its first year of using FieldLogix by being able to prove misuse of vehicles, verify overtime hours and reduce fuel consumption by over 20%.

CT Government Fleet Will Vote on GPS Fleet Tracking Devices

A government fleet in Connecticut, the Department of Children and Families (DCF), is considering adding GPS tracking devices to its entire 800 vehicle fleet. DCF Commissioner Joette Katz estimated the GPS fleet tracking devices will save the state nearly $250,000 in the first year by being able to prove misuse of vehicles, verify overtime hours and save 20 percent on fuel consumption, the CT Mirror reported.

“Anytime you add additional oversight you reap some benefits and efficiencies,” said Cindy Butterfield, budget chief of the $872 million agency. The agency proposes cutting overtime by 10 percent for a savings of $1.7 million next year, and Butterfield said GPS fleet tracking devices will help DCF do that.

Fleet Tracking Technology Is Saving US Businesses Millions

Even with the recovering economy, unpredictable fuel prices and increasing insurance costs for vehicles continue to be a challenge for thousands of U.S. businesses. Many companies have discovered that investing in the right technology can be a wise investment at this crucial time.

Whether you manage a fleet of 5 vans or hundreds of fleet vehicles, GPS fleet tracking solutions can improve your bottom line. Wireless fleet tracking systems can put a spotlight on a driver’s habits that consume excessive fuel and emit unnecessary pollution. The most frequent of these activities include excessive speeding, idling and sudden acceleration and stops. Tracking these types of activities is essential to achieving a fuel-efficient fleet.

Pet Owners Flock To GPS Tracking Systems

The increasing use of GPS tracking technology is offering pet owners a new solution for locating roaming cats, missing dogs and other runaway pets. More and more pet owners are using GPS-based tracking systems to locate their missing pets, and with much success.

Experts estimate that roughly half of the pets that enter animal shelters each year are strays or lost animals. If you’ve ever experienced losing your cat or dog, or any type of pet, you know the agony involved in not being able to find a beloved member of your family. Now there’s help – GPS-Based Pet Tracking Systems.

IRS Sect 179 Allows Helps Write-off GPS Tracking System Purchase

Now may be the perfect time to invest in a GPS tracking system since the federal government will essentially pay for a large portion of it. Thanks to the extension and increased deductions with IRS Piggy-BankSection 179, businesses can write off up to $500,000 for equipment purchased during 2011.

Fleet Tracking System Features Designed to Instantly Reduce Fuel Costs

Utilizing a GPS fleet tracking system can be one of the most cost effective means to manage and reduce fuel consumption. Companies surviving the Great Recession are realizing they can no longer ignore the built in inefficiencies within their operations. A GPS fleet tracking system can help the average fleet reduce fuel costs by up to 20%.

In today’s tough economic climate, profit margins are slim and companies must implement as many cost-saving initiatives as possible. In order to stay competitive, companies have to look very closely at every penny spent.

A fleet tracking system can provide an ROI in less than six months and immediately reduce fuel consumption, plus produce ecological benefits. Companies both large and small are utilizing them to create profitable, sustainable fleets.

Fuel Efficient Driver Training by FieldLogix Fleet Tracking System

FieldLogix, an industry leading fleet tracking system, launched an online Fuel Efficiency Driver Training Program this year. The program helps drivers recognize and change habits that waste fuel.

Even drivers with years behind the wheel can improve their skills and driving performance with a fuel efficient driver training program.

A few simple changes in driving techniques can produce sizable fuel savings of 5 percent or more, according to the EPA. Fleets that improve fuel economy by at least 5 percent through driver training and monitoring programs can save more than $1,200 per truck each year in fuel costs and eliminate 8 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions per truck each year.

Man Finds GPS Tracking System Installed By Jealous Wife

After a businessman found a flashing device under the hood of his car, (which turned out to be a secret GPS tracking system installed by the man’s jealous wife) he immediately drove to the police station. Police decided to call in the bomb squad

Stolen Construction Truck Recovered with GPS Tracking System

When Interwest Construction Inc. realized one of their trucks had been stolen, they immediately activated the company’s in-vehicle fleet GPS tracking system. Next thing you know, the chase was on.

According to Fleet Manager Kristal Wagner, “We had a truck stolen on Monday during the night. Tuesday morning, when the foreman was panicking & calling the sheriff, I used the the real-time GPS tracking device to pull up the vehicle’s exact location and gave the Sheriff the information. We recovered the truck within a couple of hours. Some small items that weren’t valuable were stolen from the truck, but the vehicle was not harmed at all!”

A car is stolen every 26 seconds in America, according to The National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB). Nearly half of these stolen vehicles are never recovered, and are commonly scrapped for parts or smuggled to another country.

Stop Cell Phone Photos From Revealing Where You Live

Geotagging is when a device such as an iPhone, Android smartphone or digital camera stores your location or geographical information, such as your GPS coordinates, within a photo or movie file (such as .jpg or .mov files).

Nearly all smartphone cameras geotag the photos they take. So it is important that you check the settings on all of your cameras, cel phones and other image-recording devices, because you could be disclosing details of your life and you might not even be aware of it.

How to Protect Your Privacy and Disable Geotagging

There are several ways, and some of them are better than others.

Central Jersey Equipment Takes Control with FieldLogix

When Jake Ackerman purchased Central Jersey Equipment, a John Deere dealership, the company had been in business for over 30 years and included several seasoned employees that were “too set in their ways.” At the time, Mr. Ackerman said managing his mobile employees and equipment was a daunting task and he “needed more control” so he decided to purchase FieldLogix’s GPS fleet tracking system.

Mr. Ackerman said, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure. FieldLogix’s tracking system has helped me to see which employees are the most effective and which ones are not. Now payroll is based on hours spent working, not just hours clocked in, so there’s real accountability. Not only are we saving money, but we can reward the drivers who are delivering the best results.”

GPS Fleet Tracking System – Positive ROI in 18 Days – FieldLogix

Upon installing the FieldLogix fleet tracking system, Carlos’ suspicions were immediately confirmed. By using the tracking 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.
In fact, his overtime costs dropped by more than 2 hours per man per day with no change in the workload. Based on Carlos’ calculations, he paid for the entire first year of the system within the first 18 days.

American Busted Giving Military Info and GPS Systems to Al-Qaida

Yesterday trial started for an American-Muslim man being accused of trying to sneak out of the US with restricted military documents, money and GPS systems in order to join al-Qaida.

Barry Walter Bujol Jr. was arrested in May 2010 after using fake identification to sneak into a Houston port and board a ship bound for the Middle East.

Bujol, who lives in Hempstead, about 50 miles northwest of Houston, was set to plead guilty in the case in October 2010, but he changed his mind and decided to go to trial. If convicted of the charges, attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and aggravated identity theft, he could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison.

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