Archives for March 2015

On Thursday, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) published a document outlining current and completed research projects conducted for the U.S. military. Inside the document, which you can download by clicking here, was information on what could be the successor to GPS in the coming years.

If you read this blog at all, then you’re likely aware of how incredibly pervasive and useful GPS has become as well as the potential downfalls of GPS. All it takes is one GPS jammer, which can be purchased online, or the correct conditions to make the signals unusable so it’s no surprise that the government has been working on alternative technologies.  read more

German cycling accessory company Lezyne has made its first forays into the world of GPS this year with the announcement of a series of new GPS cycling computers, one of which is said to be the world’s smallest cycling computer. All three models in Lezyne’s GPS line are expected to be available in the United States  in May, although the smaller versions may be here as soon as next month. read more

Just in case you didn’t already have enough reasons to purchase one of Globalstar’s SPOT Satellite GPS devices for your outdoor personal safety, the company recently announced that it has celebrated its 1,000th initiated rescue in Canada this year. Launched in 2007, this company specalizes in helping outdoor enthusiasts stay safe while they do what they do, providing S.O.S. notifications and life-saving technology to everyone.

According to the press release, the company has initiated more than 3,500 rescues around the globe since its launch. Most of the Canadian rescues have been in the British Colombia area, with around 376 reported for that region. Other regions include Alberta with 115, Nunavut at 111 and Ontario and Quebec falling at just below 100 each. Most of the rescues were related to hiking/mountain sports, boating/water sports or motor vehicle incidents. read more

These WWII Loran receivers might soon be getting an upgrade for use as a GPS backup

I came across a very official-sounding notice yesterday that the United States government is looking for public comment about the possible revamping and reuse of the WWII Loran system as a backup for GPS and I wanted to share it with you. You might recall that last year the UK began this process as a failsafe should the worst occur to the satellite navigation technology everything seems to rely upon.

Of course, before you get your hopes up, this doesn’t mean that the government has quite given up on the idea of simply dismantling the Loran system, but rather that it has occurred to someone that only having one navigational aid is probably not the best idea. The eLoran (enhanced Long Range Navigation) system will be used as a complimentary and backup PNT system. read more