India just launched one of seven satellites as part of its IRNSS positioning system which is due to be completed in 2016. While U.S. initiated GPS tracking satellites cover India, the new system will provide more options to those within 1,500 miles of the mainland of India. The system is designed to be accurate within 20 meters or less.
Photo: Engadget
This is a quick update to our previous post detailing the New York court decision to allow limited, but warrantless GPS tracking of government employees. In a dissenting opinion, the controversial decision has been called a “dangerous precedent”. The decision was made as a result of Cunningham vs. the New York Department of Labor, where a government employee was tracked on his off time for the purpose of investigation whether or not he was honestly reporting his time spent on the job. Government actions (employee GPS tracking) in this case were deemed unreasonable by the court.
Yesterday, the New York Daily News reported that New York’s top court has decided in favor of limited GPS tracking government employees. But the decision to allow some use of tracking devices, related to a 2008 misconduct case against a Labor Department official, didn’t come without clarification of what the court considers to be overstepping employee privacy. Drawing a fine line between acceptable and excessive, the court ruled that while the government can utilize vehicle tracking during hours they claim to be working, after hours and vacation time are off limits. With the court citing that employees have a “reasonable expectation” of privacy, and that government employers should exhaust other options before resorting to GPS tracking, the decision is considered significant in it’s challenge to the government’s previous stance that around-the-clock GPS tracking was acceptable. Tell us what you think about this decision!
Visit TrackingTheWorld.Com for tracking devices and GPS tracking software.
Debate Continues on GPS Tracking for Dementia Patients
We have blogged on multiple occasions about the increasing use of GPS tracking for dementia patients, and it looks like this is a conversation that will continue for some time. According to Medical News Today, a recent report in the British Medical Journal has generated attention on the degree of usefulness for GPS tracking devices and protecting the safety of dementia patients. While some experts recognize that, due to GPS trackers, authorities are able to much more quickly locate a wandering individual, which greatly reduces the risk of harm or death, others are concerned that tracking devices for dementia are merely a “quick fix” for stressed caregivers. Send us your thoughts.
GPS Stolen for Serious Pizza Craving
When you want pizza, well, you really want pizza. According to My Suburban Life, such was the case for a Carol Stream, Illinois man who allegedly stole a GPS tracking device in order to find the nearest pizza restaurant. Now the man is charged with three counts of trespassing and one count of possession of stolen property. We can understand the craving for a delicious pie, but surely there was a better way to go about this one. And, we can’t help but wonder, did he get his pizza?
Here are our favorite GPS tracking news stories for Friday, June 7, 2013:
GPS Inventor Says Self-Driving Cars to Come
Brad Parkinson, former United States Air Force colonel credited with the invention of GPS, says that the future of GPS tracking technology is self-driving cars. Due to the advancement of GPS tracking technology, Parkinson said self driving cars could be just a few years away–especially since companies like Google are already testing them. Parkinson is now a professor at Stanford.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/07/tech/self-driving-cars-inventor-gps/
GPS Technology for Tsunami Warning Systems
The BBC recently reported that GPS tracking technology may soon be used to increase early warning time in the event of tsunamis caused by earthquakes. According to the report, GPS will be used to measure even the slightest changes in the geography of the coastlines in countries most likely to be affected by tsunamis to provide faster warnings than current tsunami warning systems which use seismic activity data.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22572096
NASA Working On GPS for Navigating Space
Popular Science reports that NASA is developing an “intergalactic” GPS system aimed at facilitating space travel anywhere in the universe. Navigation for space travel currently relies on radio signals sent from Earth, but those signals weaken with distance. The GPS project is designed to rely on light beams produced by neutron stars known as pulsars which spin rapidly and emit steady beams of light.
Source: http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-06/nasa-working-intergalactic-gps
Austin, Texas police were recently able to recover thousands of dollars in stolen electronics and other items thanks to GPS trackingsoftware installed on an iPad which was also stolen. After activating and using the GPS tracking software on the iPad to find its exact location, police conducted a surveillance operation on the home. The home’s occupant was later stopped and arrested. Upon entering the home,authorities discovered a cache of electronics and musical instruments related to other alleged crimes.
Source:http://www.kxan.com/dpp/news/local/austin/gps-tracking-software-leads-police-to-stolen-loot
Click to read more about TrackingTheWorld GPS tracking software.
We’ve recently launched new user interfaces for our GPS tracking software. They’re designed to allow those who license and sell our software to create a customized look for their customers. In addition to 3 new skins, users can now add company logos, taglines, and color schemes with basic HTML programming.
TrackingTheWorld GPS tracking software is available for license by those interested in launching their own GPS tracking software business. As a licensee, you’ll receive your own private label server website where your customers can log in to view the location of their GPS trackers. As an authorized software provider you have the option to set your own business name, set your own rates—all with unlimited earning potential through monthly recurring revenue.
Want more information on how you can easily launch a GPS tracking business? Visit our website, email sales@trackinghteworld.com or call 650-692-8100.
A recent report by the Arizona Daily Star indicates that caregivers are increasingly using technology such as GPS tracking software in caring for elderly loved ones, especially Alzheimer’s patients.
With GPS tracking software and a tracking device, caregivers can receive scheduled location updates at specific intervals for the person he or she is caring for. In addition to the convenience of receiving regular location information, the GPS tracking software provides an added safety measure for emergencies, allowing caregivers to quickly and easily pinpoint the location of their loved one if they are lost.
The article mentions other forms of technology useful for caregivers, including medication reminder cell phone apps, and caregiver tips via text message.
The New Jersey Herald reports that Sussex County authorities are testing the use of GPS tracking ankle bracelets on screened non-violent offenders in an early release program as an effort to reduce costs such as housing and medical care for inmates. According to the article, a second inmate is soon to be released on the program. Using GPS tracking software authorities can monitor participants who are confined to their homes and immediate areas. Authorities are testing the GPS tracking program in hopes that it will reduce the cost of housing inmates and providing medical care.
Source: http://www.njherald.com/story/22020533/inmates-sent-home-in-test-of-ankle-gps
A Kentucky van owner was recently able to direct authorities to the exact location of his stolen van and the ultimate recovery of thousands of dollars in stolen goods. On Tuesday, April 2 Carrol County, Kentucky authorities were alerted that the van was missing. With a GPS tracking device installed on the vehicle, the owner was able to utilize GPS tracking software to point authorities to its exact location–a nearby gas station.
The van was found to contain approximately $35,000 in stolen property, mostly items from a medical transportation company. In addition to recovering the van and the stolen goods, two suspects were arrested. Through the use of GPS tracking, not only did the owner recover his vehicle intact, the stolen goods will likely be returned to their owner. Source: http://www.fox19.com/story/21872629/police-owner-uses-gps-tracking-to-find-stolen-van
GPS trackers and GPS tracking software offer business owners and individuals an affordable option for tracking the exact location of their assets, including fleet vehicles, personal vehicles, retail shipments and more. For more information on GPS tracking software, including starting your own GPS tracking software business with unlimited earning potential, visit www.trackingtheworld.com or call 650-692-8100.
