Read from our blogs
Fleet management systems have been around a while and have become so complex that it has evolved into Field Resource Management. This article explores 5 reasons why all fleets need at least a basic Field Resource Management system.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
