Posts tagged Gps at Switched

Posts with tag gps

GPS Could Save Airlines Billions in Fuel and Reduce Flight Times

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Oct 10th 2008 at 5:05PM

A new GPS system being planned by the FAA, called NextGen, could potentially save airlines 3.3 billion gallons of fuel per year (about $10 billion at todays prices)

The GPS system would replace the currently aging system of aerial highways that use use radar and radio beacons to guide planes. The use of GPS would allow planes to fly the shortest route between two points, shaving time off of flights and saving fuel.

Unfortunately, NextGen isn't expected to be ready until at least 2020, but the airlines are expected to provide $15 billion of the estimated $35 billion the project will cost. The airlines will also have to retrofit their planes with a new $200,000 GPS system. Considering their current struggles to stay profitable, carriers are understandably reluctant to layout such a large amount of cash to start equipping aircraft with a system that is still 10+ years from being functional.

If the system ever actually gets off the ground, it could keep many carriers from slipping into the red, but as with any massive government-funded program it's unlikely it'll be completed on time or on budget. Expect to see the first NextGen equipped planes to be rolled out around 2130 at a price of $3 bazillion per plane. [From: USA Today]

GPS Sends Another Driver Onto Train Tracks of Doom

by Donald Melanson, posted Sep 30th 2008 at 1:43PM

We've seen some pretty extreme cases of excessive faith in GPS, but this may well be the first instance of the ill-advised practice nearly exactly repeating itself. As you may recall, earlier this year a Bedford Hills, New York man trusted his GPS so much that he apparently thought it was perfectly reasonable to follow the directions directly onto a set of train tracks. That didn't exactly work out so well, for his car or the oncoming train.

Now, as The Journal News reports, another man followed his GPS onto the very same set of tracks last night and, while he did get out in time to make a surely embarrasing 911 call, that apparently wasn't enough to prevent a commuter train from slamming into the car a few minutes later, causing an hour and a half delay but, thankfully, no injuries. Maybe it's time for some signs?

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'Knight Rider' GPS Now Shipping

by Darren Murph, posted Sep 29th 2008 at 9:05AM

Anybody can say they're going to shell out for a 'Knight Rider' GPS pre-order, but when the house party dies down and everyone peaces out, who actually keeps that order alive? For you, dedicated K.I.T.T. fan, your moment in the sun has arrived, as Mio's legendary Knight Rider GPS is finally shipping within one to two business days. William Daniels is calling -- are you tuned in?

[Via CNET]

Bentley and Stockinger Design a Safe for the Super-Rich

by Engadget Staff, posted Sep 22nd 2008 at 4:41PM

You're a wealthy industrialist and you've spent more money on jewelry than most Americans will see in their entire lives. You deserve a safe that is attractive enough to be a display piece itself, but is secure enough to repel the most seasoned cat burgler. To this end, Stockinger -- the first name in luxury safes -- has teamed up with Bentley Motors Ltd. to produce two limited edition lockboxes, each the definition of style, security and extravagant waste. The Continental is designed for jewelry, while the Arnage features pockets and watchwinders for all your antique and valuable timepieces.

Both models are designed to be impenetrable, and feature built-in alarms and a GPS unit. These safes are available in all standard Bentley exterior colors, and you can choose from one of ten interior leather hides and three wood veneer panels. They are available in a limited edition of 200 each and can be ordered exclusively through Stockinger. So what are you waiting for?

[Thanks, JW]

Google Maps for Mobile Gets Street View and Walking Directions

by Sean Cooper, posted Sep 19th 2008 at 8:52AM

Google Maps for mobile just stepped up in the feature department with Google's inclusion of Street View in its newest version. In case you've been hiding under a rock -- or live in almost any other country aside from the US -- Street View offers up a storefront take on your world rather than the traditional top down look you see with common maps. The new version also includes walking directions which will ignore pesky one-way streets and the like. While the list of supported handsets is missing, we do see BlackBerry listed and Java-enabled phones, too, so do us a kindness, grab it and let us know if it works on yours.

GPS Is the Latest Tool for Prosecutors

by Tim Stevens, posted Aug 29th 2008 at 9:14AM

Everyone knows that GPS is really handy for getting you to your Aunt Edna's house way up in the hills, where the roads look alike and the street signs have all been stolen or shot up by the locals. We've also seen how some convicted offenders have been given GPS-equipped tracking devices to monitor their whereabouts. Now, though, GPS devices are starting to be used more and more frequently to convict those offenders, becoming another vital piece of evidence in court.

Prosecutors are issuing subpoenas for defendant's GPS-enabled devices, whether they be in-car nav systems or cell phones. This information is being used in court to show the defendant's whereabouts during the crime. In one case, a man was shown to have been parked near his house when it burned to the ground, which didn't do much for his insurance claim. In another case, a man changed his plea to guilty in a rape case as soon as information from his nav system was entered into evidence.

As of now, the use of GPS information in court is somewhat intermittent. However, with more and more people unwittingly tracking their own locations with their cell phones (or navigation devices) at every moment every day, GPS will only become an even greater tool for prosecutors. That's a trend privacy advocates are sure to love. [From: PhysOrg.com]

GPS-Equipped Turtle Stumbles on Marijuana Farm

by Darren Murph, posted Aug 25th 2008 at 4:03PM

Though not quite as bad as toting the GPS module around with you, one particular marijuana farmer had to be mighty embarrassed / wondering what he ever did to deserve such bad luck when a GPS-equipped turtle meandered into his crop. As the story goes, a close friend of the police -- a box turtle with no fear of Big Brother -- just happened upon a pot stash on US park property. Clearly, Mr. Isiah Johnson (the culprit) was heavily stoned when choosing US land to farm his ganja, and now he's in custody until he's "extradited back DC to face drug charges." And you thought all you had to do was dodge those CCTV cameras... [From: WUSA9 via TechDigest]

5 Questions To Ask Before You Buy GPS

by Tom Samiljan, posted Aug 2nd 2008 at 12:01AM

GPS (Global Positioning System) navigation devices -- those talking screens with maps that give you real-time directions to wherever you're going (as you're going there) -- used to be the province of the well-to-do with high-end cars. But nowadays, real-time navigation technology is available for all budgets in all sorts of shapes, sizes and feature packages. So which type of GPS is for you? Should you spend a mere $2.99 to get directions on your cell phone or splurge up to $500 for a high-end portable? Are factory-installed navigation systems you get with a new car better than a standalone portable? Do you really need an MP3 player with your traffic directions? For answers to these questions and more, check out the five things to consider before you buy a GPS, which we've organized by the most commonly asked questions on the following pages (click below to get to tip number 1).

Next >>

GPS Used to Combat Domestic Violence, Stalking

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jul 31st 2008 at 3:01PM

GPS isn't just for helping the terminally lost any more. Now, law enforcement officials are using the technology to track suspects of domestic violence and stalking. Michigan is the latest state to get on board -- it's even added an automated system that alerts the victims of the crime if the perp is nearby.

The biggest advantage of the new Michigan GPS system (the result of a grisly murder by a stalker ex-husband) over traditional protective orders is its ability to move the protective zone more freely. Traditionally, a suspect would be prevented from going within a certain distance of the victim's home or work, but now, if the victim also wears a GPS, he or she will be protected since the protective zone follows them everywhere.

As we've discussed before, GPS is becoming increasingly useful to law enforcement, and we're sure to see more of these innovative applications of the technology as it becomes more affordable and more powerful. [Source: CNN Via Wired]

Your Gadgets Are Tracking You....

by Ben Chertoff, posted Jul 30th 2008 at 5:01PM

Used to be, homing devices were the domain of James Bond and similar ilk. No more: In fact, chances are, you're carrying a GPS-enabled tracking device in your pocket. For at least two years, cell phones have been the largest application of GPS chips, and now, finally, we can use them to do our own sleuthing -- even if it's to find the nearest watering hole.

Five Things to Consider Before Buying a GPS System

by Tom Samiljan, posted Jul 30th 2008 at 1:01PM

Next >>

Keruve GPS Locator To Keep Watch on Alzheimer's Patients

by Donald Melanson, posted Jul 19th 2008 at 3:12PM

There's plenty of people-tracking GPS devices out there to choose from, but if you're in need of something a bit more specialized, you may want to consider this latest device from Keruve, which is apparently intended specifically for Alzheimer's patients. To that end, the system employs a GPS tracker bracelet that's water-proof and can only be removed with a special tool -- it can also apparently fall back on cell tower triangulation (otherwise known as A-GPS) provide a location when regular GPS is unavailable.

As you can see above, that gets paired with a handheld unit that pinpoints the patient's location on a map, but the entire kit doesn't exactly come cheap, with it setting you back €850 (or about $1,340). [Via NaviGadget]

Apple Confirms Turn-By-Turn GPS Coming to iPhone

by Nilay Patel, posted Jul 15th 2008 at 9:33AM

There's been a lot of random misinformation about the iPhone 3G floating around out there, like David Pogue's baffling comment that the device's GPS antenna is "too small" to support turn-by-turn directions, and Apple's iPod and iPhone marketing head Greg Joswiak recently sat down with AppScout to clear up some of the confusion.

Greg says that Apple has an internal priority list of features for the iPhone, and that the company went as far down the list with the 3G as it could -- and that copy / paste support simply didn't make the cut. Similarly, there are no technical issues preventing turn-by-turn directions, just other "complicated issues" (read: legal agreements) that need to be sorted out, and Josiwak expects developers to "amaze us." as things "evolve." Hopefully that means that nav app TomTom's got in the labs will evolve its way into the wild sometime soon.

Finally, Joswiak said that he's not aware of any technical reasons an office suite isn't already in the App Store, but that the lack of a cross-application file structure could impede development. Yeah, and maybe the lack of copy / paste, you think? [Source: AppScout]

Stereo Company Installs GPS, Causes $13K in Damage

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jul 1st 2008 at 4:01PM

The Car Stereo Company Causes $12,398.54 in Damages Installing GPS

Yet another GPS install horror story. This one comes out of of Los Altos, California, where the Car Stereo Company caused over $12,000 in damages to the 1996 BMW M3 of Consumerist reader Brandon.

After Brandon had taken his admittedly aging luxury sedan in for the install, he noticed that hot air was leaking in through his dashboard vents, even when the air conditioner was on. Several attempts were made by the shop to repair the problem, but no progress was made. In fact, it seemed that with every subsequent visit, Brandon found more and more wrong with the car. Brandon requested a refund, but upon noticing language that would relieve the Car Stereo Company of liability if the check were endorsed (sneaky bastards), decided not to cash the check just yet.

After consulting two different repair shops, a BMW specialist and a German car specialist, Brandon had an estimated $12,400 worth of repairs to be done.

Unfortunately, it appears as if there will be no happy ending to Brandon's troubles. First, Brandon tried to go through the shop's insurance company, to no avail. Then Brandon took them to small claims court, only to have the judge find in favor of the Car Stereo Company. Things don't look good, but we're still holding out hope that Brandon will find a favorable resolution to his problem. [Source: The Consumerist]

Broken Gadgets: What to Fix and What to Toss...

Citysense Uses GPS to Show Live Crowd Movement

by Will Safer, posted Jul 1st 2008 at 1:25PM

Do you believe in the wisdom of crowds? Then maybe you need a little CitySense.

This activity aggregator from a Columbia University professor tracks users by the GPS capability of their mobile phones (in this case BlackBerrys, but an application for the iPhone is coming soon) and maps out where everyone is in a city.

The initial use, for business and marketing, is obvious. See where the people go and put your business there. The next use is the clever one, though. Let people see where the hot activity is, match it with their own patterns of movement and travel around the metropolis, and make suggestions of where they might want to go next -- all based on complex algorithms that compile data constantly being uploaded to the CitySense system.

The creator, Tony Jebara, an Associate Professor in Computer Science at Columbia, says CitySense can be used tailored to your own activity. Coming soon is the ability for the system to analyze where you've specifically been and then show you where like-minded people also are likely to tread.

All this movement and information is processed by the Sense Networks Macrosense platform. Jebara says that the information gathered is anonymous and you can delete your history at any time.

One other clever feature: If the CitySense system determines that there are more people than usual up and about in the morning, it can actually adjust its alarm clock to wake you a few minutes early, giving you additional time to navigate traffic or an overwhelmed mass transit system. (Just don't hit that snooze button.) [Source: Citysense via Textually.org.]

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