Holiday season officially starts tomorrow (Thursday 11/24) with Thanksgiving.
TTW family sends you blessings for a joyful holiday with family and friends.
God Bless you and your families through out this holiday season.
Thank you for everything we could not have done it without you!
Happy Thanksgiving!
DoD Certifies GPS OCX Program to Congress
The Air Force next generation operational control system, known as OCX, recently breach the limit for cost over-run. Thanks to early engagement with Raytheon (OCX contractor) to resolve the program issues, the program recently received certification to continue its activities. The program capability supports military forces, civil, commercial and scientific uses. However, the future of OCX program still depends on Ratheon’s ability to deliver needed capabilities to Air Force at acceptable cost and within acceptable time.
Source: http://gpsworld.com/dod-certifies-gps-ocx-program-to-congress/
Additional info on OCX: http://www.raytheon.com/capabilities/products/gps_ocx/
Memphis Police Using GPS Tracking to Fight Domestic Violence
Memphis is in investing $900-thousand dollars in the fight against domestic violence. The funds will be used to purchase around 800 tracking devices to help the police track offenders and protect would-be or former victims. With around 18-percent of the city’s murders attributed to domestic violence, the hope is that the use of GPS tracking devices will reduce the overall number of homicides in the city.
Source: http://www.localmemphis.com/news/local-news/mpd-using-gps-tracking-for-domestic-violence-offenders
GPS Tracking Reveals Seagull Habits
We’re always looking for unusual and creative use of GPS tracking devices, and happened across this. A British study utilized GPS trackers and GPS tracking software to monitor the movement of seagulls in St. Ives resort. What’s interesting is that the results showed that all 4 seagulls tracked had very different habits– with some flying out to sea, and others foraging for food on nearby farmland. The tracking devices tracked the seagulls for a combined total of more than 20,000 miles.
Air Force Fixes Control System for GPS III
Next year, and the launch of the first of more than 30 GPS III satellites marks the beginning of GPS III. The new satellites boast increased security and better tracking. Perhaps one of the most impressive features is “spot beaming”, a way of creating a localized area of increased power for military use.
The HVAC industry has been growing by leaps and bounds, but not without its challenges. Running an HVAC company requires dedication and commitment, along with training and expertise. The owners of such companies much wear many hats and perform many tasks, from keeping track of the trucks on the road to fielding calls from happy (and unhappy) customers.
That is why so many HVAC company owners have been installing GPS tracking systems and seeing the benefits firsthand.
One of the biggest benefits of GPS tracking software for the HVAC industry is the ability to manage an entire fleet and an entire workforce from afar -without having to go out on jobs or become a micromanager. The ability to manage a workforce and vehicle fleet remotely frees the owners and managers up for more important tasks and allows them to serve the customer better.
In fact, GPS tracking software can actually improve customer service, so it may be able to help with disgruntled customers. If a truck is late getting to a job, the owner can tell exactly where it is and reassure the customer that help is on the way.
In addition to all these benefits, GPS tracking software can help in another important way. Theft is always a problem for owners of HVAC equipment – all that expensive equipment and valuable materials are tempting targets for thieves, especially when the trucks are parked and unattended.
Installing GPS tracking technology in each truck makes it easier for the police to track a stolen vehicle and recover the expensive tools and materials. This benefit alone could more than pay for the cost of installing the tracking technology and software.
With so many benefits, it is easy to see why so many HVAC company owners are upgrading their fleets with GPS tracking technology and software. From improved security and better time management to superior customer service and reporting capabilities, GPS software provides a number of valuable benefits to the HVAC industry.
As parts of the western USA, particularly California, are reaching historic drought conditions, GPS tracking devices typically used to provide earthquake prediction data are providing some important measurements of the earth’s crust. As drought conditions worsen, the earth’s crust rises because of the lack of water in the soil which would normally weigh it down. By tracking the rises in the earth’s crust, scientists are able to measure and track the drought’s severity. In the west, the average rise of the earth’s crust over the last year is 4cm. However, the mountainous regions of California have seen rises as high as 15 cm this year.
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According to a 2014 study released by the Yale Law Journal, using GPS tracking for covert tracking operations for law enforcement departments is incredibly less expensive than utilizing officers for covert tracking operations. In fact, the study estimated the cost of GPS tracking to be 1000 times more affordable than tracking vehicles the old fashioned way, with officers trailing behind their target in unmarked vehicles.
In the study, the cost comparisons are dramatic– covert tracking using the standard 5 car surveillance box strategy is estimated to cost $275 dollars per hour, yet the cost of GPS tracking for law enforcement covert tracking can range from just 36-cents to around $5 per hour.
GPS tracking for law enforcement has been described as a “game changer” in the law enforcement community for both its cost effectiveness and the number of vehicles that can be tracked simultaneously.
The study included both cell phone GPS tracking units, and GPS tracking systems mounted to target vehicles.
Source:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/andygreenberg/2014/01/09/cell-phones-let-cops-track-people-for-a-thousandth-of-the-price-study-finds/
Visit www.trackingtheworld.com for more information on professional grade GPS tracking systems.
It’s hard to believe that the history of man wanting to know his location on this planet dates back as far as the 1st Century and a stone with magnetic properties known as lodestone, but it does. For more than two thousand years, humans have searched for and developed tools to help them navigate land and sea. Beginning with Chinese lodestone ladles, the monumental efforts of mapping our seas, and the development of the compass, GPS tracking history is rich with landmark developments that have led us to where we are today. Here’s a great article on the history of GPS tracking:
http://www.motherjones.com/mixed-media/2014/04/you-are-here-book-hiawatha-bray-gps-navigation
According to the LA Times, a California appellate court ruled on Thursday that holding a cell phone while driving for the purpose of viewing GPS tracking applications is legal. The appeals case is the result of a Fresno man contesting a ticket he received for using the GPS tracking software application on his cell phone (in hand) to figure out how to avert being caught in a traffic jam. After receiving the ticket, the man argued that the 2006 law banned only talking on cell phones while driving–unless a hands-free device is used. After losing in lower courts, the appellate court reversed the earlier decisions, citing that the 2006 law came into effect during a time when cell phones were largely used for talking only–not the myriad of available cell phone apps, including GPS tracking apps, used today. In addition, the appellate opinion stated that banning handling of a cell phone to use a GPS tracking app while driving could also lead to “ridiculous” outcomes, including making it illegal to check a phone for the current time, or simply moving the phone around in the car, for example, from a dashboard to a seat while driving.
Source: http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-cellphone-court-20140228,0,3881509.story#axzz2uejZggdq
In the aftermath of the tragic deaths of 19 Arizona firefighters, the Florida Forest Service is outfitting its firefighters on the frontlines with GPS tracking systems. Using GPS tracking software, supervisors will know the location of each firefighter at any time, and be able to reach them more quickly in the event of an emergency.
The new GPS tracking program is being implemented in hopes of increasing the safety of those closest to potentially deadly blazes, including those using bulldozers to push back fire lines. According to the forest service, the program is possibly the first of its kind for firefighters. The GPS tracking program does not require cell phone or Internet service, but rather relies on “packets” of electronic information sent to supervisors’ laptops provided they are within a two mile range of the GPS tracking device.
Here are the latest bits of GPS tracking news we’ve found around the Web this week.
A vehicle linked to country music star, Wynonna Judd, was discovered to have been outfitted with a GPS tracking device. The device was discovered by a muffler shop and removed by police. Here’s the original story: http://tasteofcountry.com/gps-tracking-device-wynonna-judd/.
Robertson County, TN school may soon be getting GPS tracking software for school buses to monitor bus location and driving behavior of bus drivers. After approved by the school board, the he project is now under consideration by county officials. Source: http://www.tennessean.com/viewart/20131113/ROBERTSON01/311130067/Buses-may-get-GPS-tracking
Wildlife biologists in Montana have successfully used GPS tracking devices (collars) to track the location of elk in the off season and were surprised to find that the three cow elk tracked moved more than 60 air miles from where they’re usually seen during the hunting season. Source: http://www.dailyinterlake.com/news/local_montana/article_e58bb456-4cd9-11e3-a2a7-001a4bcf887a.html
Our latest release, the World Tracker OBD GPS device for vehicle tracking is designed to plug in to the OBD diagnostic port of any vehicle, offering a quick and reliable option in GPS tracking systems.Easily installed in minutes, the tracking device requires a data SIM card for operation, and is equipped with a motion detection sensor to conserve power when the vehicle is not moving.
The GPS tracking device features G-force monitoring for harsh driving detection, real time GPS tracking, GPRS communication modes by UDP or TCP, longitude and latitude location, GSM mobile control, and compatibility with any GSM carrier. The device offers a hot start time of less than one second.
The WT-OBD is compatible with any GPS tracking software, including TrackingTheWorld software which allows users to monitor the tracker’s location, set virtual boundaries known as geo-fences, and create customized reports. TrackingTheWorld GPS tracking software also supports JPG and shapefiles.
Read more about the WorldTracker OBD.
To order, call 650-692-8100 or email sales@trackingtheworld.com.
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