Criminals turn to GPS jammers to avoid tracking
This is bad. The Register reports that car thieves in the UK are now using illegally imported GPS jammers to avoid the GPS tracking systems now found in many autos. Consider the implications — bank robbers and sex offenders with jammers, bleed over from the signals affecting emergency services, etc. Not good.
New SPOT Satellite Messenger announced
A new edition of the SPOT Satellite Messenger has been announced today, updating the successful first-generation device with many new features. The SPOT, an emergency communications device, has been credited with over 250 rescues to date.
This new version seems to have tackled nearly every weakness of the original. Key improvements are:
An improved chipset and antenna [...]
Garmin Astro review
UPDATE: Garmin has announced an improved collar/transmitter, due for release in the third quarter of 2008.
The Garmin Astro GPS dog tracking system was designed with hunters in mind. Imagine a GPS unit that shows your dog’s location (actually up to ten dogs) as far as five miles away!
GPS tracking collars for your dog
We’re not just talking about the forthcoming Garmin Astro 220 here. Over at GPS Tracking Systems, I’ve posted a review of GPS tracking dog collars, looking at what’s in the market place now, and things to watch out for. The article discusses the two main types of devices — those that send signals via cell [...]
U.S. Court of Appeals okays surreptitious GPS tracking by police
The 7th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals has said that it’s okay for the police to plant a GPS device without a warrant. I decided this was a little more appropriate to post over at GPS Tracking Systems, a side project I started last year. You can get all the details there.
Garmin Astro 220 GPS Dog Tracking System
UPDATE: Read our Garmin Astro dog tracking system review.
In perhaps the most surprising announcement from Garmin today, they unveiled their new Astro 220 GPS Dog Tracking System, and I just couldn’t resist leading with a picture of George and Astro from the Jetsons. I’ve placed an image of the actual Garmin Astro 220 below, after [...]
Hello 911? I’m lost…
In a new twist on GPS cell phone navigation, two Wisconsin hunters relied on an assist from a 911 operator to find their way out of the woods at night. Here’s the story from WBAY in Green Bay:
Global positioning technology told the 911 center where the gentlemen were calling from. They would have them hang [...]
GPS myths
GPSReview.net lists 10 myths about GPS. I’ve covered a number of these in detail in the following posts:
Can my GPS be used to track me?
GPS for your car: Factory-installed or aftermarket?
SiRFstar III – Why it’s a big deal
Does heavy cloud cover affect GPS reception?
Flying with GPS on commercial airliners
Only 1/3 of 911 call centers can receive GPS coordinate info
Buried in an article today on emergency services was this shocker…
"Verizon said about one-third of 911 call centers have upgraded their systems and can receive the location information from callers using mobile phones, PDAs, smartphones and other wireless devices."
The article is from an Australian website, but the figures appear to be for the U.S. This [...]
Live GPS tracking of Primal Quest adventure race
The Primal Quest adventure race, which starts June 25, will have live, web-based, GPS tracking of participants. But the course location is secret, so their FAQ says…
"When will the Leaderboard, Interactive Map, GPS Tracking, Race Analysis, and the Video Gallery be available?
In the interest of maintaining course confidentiality, those features will not be displayed [...]
