As most of you probably know from reading Rich’s goodbye and Matt’s greeting article, GPS Tracklog is under new management. My name is Liz, and I am the new writer for the blog, so I just thought I’d take second and introduce myself. read more
Touratech Announces Anti-theft Mount for Zumo 590LM
July 16, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Touratech has announced the release of their latest anti-theft device, designed exclusively for Garmin’s new Zumo 590LM GPS. This locking mount gives riders the confidence to momentarily leave their bikes unattended and provides a tenacious grip on the unit, absorbing damaging vibrations. read more
New GPS Sport Watch with Connected Devices Announced
July 16, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Suunto has announced a whole family of connected devices to help athletes and outdoors enthusiasts get the most out of their sports adventures. Suunto’s first Bluetooth Smart compatible product family consists of a new Suunto Movescount App, Suunto Ambit3 Peak GPS Watch and Suunto Ambit3 Sport GPS watch, and the Suunto Smart Sensor for heart rate monitoring. The device family can either be used together or separately, and will be available for purchase in the beginning of September, 2014. Details on price have not yet been released. read more
Op-ED: GPS Tracking… How Far is Too Far?
July 15, 2014 By 3 Comments
GPS tracking devices, such as the KizON recently released in Korea, are becoming more and more common.
Since it was first available to use for free by the general public, GPS technology has expanded in wonderful ways beyond the obvious mapping uses. With GPS technology, you can play games integrated with real locations, discover new places of interest, map out routes for hikes and cycling, keep track of items you always lose (like your car keys), navigate through the air or water more accurately and even track pets and people.
But with this technology comes a lot of gray areas. We have the ability to track people through their cell phones and other devices, but is it acceptable to do so? How about placing tracking devices on pets or children? What about employers tracking the movements of their employees or their company vehicles? Is it ok for the police to track suspects using GPS?
There are a lot of things in the GPS tracking world to debate, so I thought I’d take a moment and talk about what is and isn’t allowed and maybe ask some questions that ought to be considered. read more
Civilian Anti-Jamming GPS Technology Coming Soon
July 15, 2014 By Leave a Comment
As GPS becomes more and more a part of everyday life, the worry of GPS jamming disrupting the system grows greater. Military research has resulted in several high-tech solutions to the problem: but what about the civilian market? Chemring Technology Solutions has announced the development of the world’s first miniaturized GPS anti-jamming chip, called GINCAN. The device is based on military solutions to the problem, but is small enough to be used in a range of devices from cell phones and handheld devices to in-vehicle GPS systems. It will be compatible with both GPS and Galileo systems. read more
Amazon Seeking Permission to Test Drones Outdoors
July 14, 2014 By Leave a Comment
We talked about this a few months ago, but in case you forgot, Amazon has been working on the idea of using drones to deliver packages weighing less than 5 lbs. to consumers. These PrimeAir drones, they claim, will be ready to launch in 2015 and will be able to deliver packages to consumers in 30 minutes–as opposed to waiting several days for the old-fashioned truck and delivery man to arrive.
Last week, Amazon announced they are now ready to conduct tests out of a lab setting and have applied with the Federal Aviation Administration for permission to test drones outdoors in their facility near Seattle. The U.S. has regulations about where drones may be tested as well as a complicated string of paperwork proving airworthiness and certifications to operate the drones, so no word yet whether or not it will be approved. read more
LG Launches Wearable Tracking Device for Kids
July 14, 2014 By Leave a Comment
LG is launching into the wearable technology market with no apologies and no reservations. The newest wearable GPS tracking device, KizON, was released in Korea on Thursday and is aimed at preschool and primary age kids. With GPS tracking capabilities and a simple button press to call a pre-selected number (or answer a call) the device is being marketed as a precautionary safety measure for small children and comes in three bright colors: pink, blue and green. Utilizing GPS and Wi-Fi, KizON can relay real-time location information to parents or caregivers and can be tracked on a phone or tablet. read more
Report Shows Wireless 911 Calls Lack Accurate GPS
July 13, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Cell phones, like this iPhone 4s, don’t always provide accurate GPS info inside—or out.
We have written about how dedicated GPS units are more reliable than A-GPS from your phone in debates about navigation, geocaching and other topics. But when it comes to security and emergency response, it turns out cell phones fall short yet again.
A report from the Washington Post shows that 9 out of 10 cell phone calls in to 911 responders in D.C. didn’t report accurate location to emergency teams. The A-GPS found in most cell phones requires both a satellite lock and a cell phone signal, and it generally doesn’t work indoors. The result is a coarse location based on the nearest cell phone tower. Generally, this type of information is only accurate within several hundred meters of the actual location, which leaves emergency responders searching an area about the size of three or four city blocks to find someone. read more
MapQuest to Receive Upgrade with TomTom Maps
July 13, 2014 By Leave a Comment
According to a press release, the GPS company TomTom has entered a multi-year partnership with AOL Inc. to power its core mapping services for AOL’s MapQuest, Inc. MapQuest users will now have access to TomTom’s extensive digital map database, across all digital platforms including MapQuest.com and its smartphone and tablet iOS and Android apps. read more
This week in GPS — July 11th, 2014
July 11, 2014 By Leave a Comment
This week in GPS is a weekly link roundup of (mostly) GPS related odds and ends, from GPS Tracklog and other places around the Web. I have included some articles from last week, as I didn’t get a chance to do a recap. This week’s picture is for an upcoming article explaining a new partnership and how it may change things. read more
