An Overview Of Some Of The Latest GPS Tracking-Enabled Cell Phones

The attack on the Twin Towers in New York brought attention to more than just the spread of terrorism around the globe; it also showed how vulnerable our communications systems are, especially in regards to cell phones. The FCC has ordered app cellular phone companies to institute technology allowing for cell phones to be traced within 100 meters. The cellular companies for the most part have integrated the GPS technology into the actual phone itself instead of taking on the momentous task of changing and modifying their networks of towers.

Now before you get all excited about the fact that your phone may have GPS technology let me set you straight. This is not the kind that you have in your car or use on your boat when you go fishing offshore. This is exclusively for tracking where you are when you are making a call. If you are a good guy this can be great news, if you get lost or in trouble and dial 911 they can locate you. If you are a bad guy, or a terrorist, this isn't great news for you because they can now trace your calls and find out exactly where you are to take you down.

Now, on to a brighter outlook, the cell carriers are working to enable customer accessible GPS service. Some of these are available now and able to be utilized through third party providers.

Motorola is the maker for cellular phone GPS tracking units for Nextel using the Motorola i205, i305, i530, i710, i730, i733, i736 and i830 iDEN?. As on of the leaders in bringing this technology to the market, Motorola sources say that the phones are programmable which allows for software developers to design the applications that will allow the user of the phone access to the GPS data in addition to the providers of the service.

As of now, the Nextel Corporation offers a wide variety of cell phone GPS tracking solutions made for use with the above mentioned Motorola cell phones. The Mobile Locator One is of the well-known cell phone GPS tracking solutions developed by Nextel. In addition there are other solutions are provided by the affiliates of Nextel itself, as well as by third parties like Trimble and Mapquest.

Nokia recently announced that they were offering their Xpress-On GPS available as optional hardware to the owners of the Nokia 5140 model cell phones in North America. This would allow for the phones to be used over the GSM networks through location service applications.

Hopefully with the advances we are seeing it won't be long before the GPS technology is widely available. It is already available in smart phones like the Treo as an upgrade with additional software.

Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about this and RC Planes and Helicopters at http://www.scientificgiftsplus.com

GPS Tracking for Man's Best Friend

To say that our pets are our best friends is an understatement. There are many people in this world who see their pets as life long companions, and even an integral of their family. How would you feel if your pet has run away, or perhaps has gotten lost somewhere outdoors? It would make your heart beat fast, palms sweaty and extremely anxious wouldn't it? After all there is not another pooch or kitty that can ever replace the special personality that your pet has.

GPS or global positioning systems can help give you peace of mind in knowing when your pet has crossed outside the safety zone of the backyard, or somewhere in your neighborhood. Other scenarios aside from domestic issues are the kinds where you take your pets on vacation with you, or go hunting with. Why take chances and lose sight of one of the most valuable members of your family?

GPS tracking devices will not substitute common sense and vigilance in watching over your pets, but rather help complement and reduce the chances of your pet running off by accident. These small moments can add up to lots of time, emotional investment, and spiritual drain after a while.

Consider several types of GPS tracking devices, from those that allow you to program safety zones which alert you when your pet goes out of bounds so to speak, waterproof and weatherproof models if you live in temperate zones, and advanced features such as heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature to see if your pet is truly 100 percent safe from the inside out.

It is up to you as the owner and caretaker of your pet to decide what features are necessary and which are not. You will find that GPS tracking devices whether for people, pets, or objects, are relatively easy to setup and are getting simpler everyday. What are you waiting for? Your pet deserves the best!

Run to our site for GPS tracking services for people, pets, and objects. Also discover a range of car tracking device products to give you additional peace of mind.#

How Vehicle Tracking Technology Has Changed

Fleet tracking technology has been around for decades, but only recently has it become practical and affordable for even the smallest fleet operators. From the earliest systems of two-way radios to sophisticated GPS and computer tracking of today, vehicle tracking technology has evolved and improved tremendously.

Early systems
The earliest vehicle tracking systems started with the advent of two way radios. With a radio in each vehicle and a base station, fleet operators could talk to their drivers and map their progress through each day?s route. Changes and emergent calls could be sent out to the field more easily, making operations more efficient.

The downside, of course, is that radio communications had limitations in distance, accuracy, and the ability to connect with drivers going in and out of their vehicle. The information received at the base station was only as good as what the drivers provided, and for fleets of any significant size, tracking and mapping progress manually was a challenge.

The dawn of GPS
When GPS tracking became widely available, it transformed the vehicle tracking landscape. Fleet operators could now locate each vehicle electronically and track it via computer, making it easier to keep track of large numbers of vehicles and verify the information provided by drivers. Of course the early systems were tremendously expensive, making them far out of reach economically for all but the largest fleets.

As GPS units became smaller and cheaper, and computer tracking capabilities became more advanced and less expensive, the modern fleet tracking systems took shape. Each vehicle carried a tracking unit that was monitored and information communicated back to the central base station, while the base station expanded in size and complexity to handle the large amounts of information coming in.

Companies that use this type of fleet tracking have to invest significant amounts of capital in the vehicle units as well as the infrastructure for a central base station to monitor and dispatch the fleet. There are expensive monthly subscription fees as well.

A new innovation
A recent innovation in the vehicle tracking industry is transforming the efficiency and affordability of fleet tracking systems. This new system uses a small tracking unit in the vehicle and a web-based interface that is accessed via a regular mobile telephone. There is no investment required in expensive central infrastructure and fleet managers can monitor the system from anywhere for no monthly subscription fee. This allows supervisors and managers to spend more time in the field and less time in the office.

The affordability of this new technology makes it practical for even the smallest fleets. This in turn brings the benefits of vehicle tracking ? less driver downtime, more efficient routing, etc. ? to operators of all sizes and compositions.

The future of vehicle tracking
Of course nobody can predict the future with 100% accuracy, but most industry experts agree that the new wave of technology is leading vehicle tracking into a new era of convenience and affordability. For the first time ever, small and medium fleets can afford to adopt vehicle tracking and enjoy the many benefits that come along with greater efficiency.

Richard Harris is a vehicle telecommunications expert who has developed an innovative vehicle tracking system. He advises on vehicle tracking, and a range of information can be found at http://www.autoalert.me.uk/news_toc.jsp

The Clever Compact Low Emission Vehicle for Urban Transport, Vehicle is Here

Well there is a new prototype car with three wheels, which is poised to take the European market by storm. And it is very clever indeed. In fact so is its name The CLEVER, which stands for; Compact Low Emission Vehicle for Urban Transport. This vehicle is only 3 feet wide and it is a cross between a motorcycle and a car with two wheels in the back and one in the front.

The clever car can run and 60 mph and with its reduced width it is much easier to find parking spot say it’s designers. On the Clever Car website it shows that this car is a collaboration between many partners and those partners include: “the Technische Universitaet Berlin in Berlin, the Institut Francais Du Petrole in Vernaison near Lyon, and the Institut Fuer Verkehrswesen – Universitaet Fuer Bodenkultur, in Vienna.”

The vehicles body is made out of aluminum frame and plastic body and the rider’s carriage tilts when you turn a corner. The sensors in the car tell the vehicle how lifted tilts based on the speed and the sharpness of the turn. Everyone assured the score will be a hit in England and in all of Europe and it runs on compressed natural gas and puts out a third of the amount of pollution and the most efficient family type cars in Europe. And best of all it gets over 108 mpg. Hello you say? Yes and the big question is when can we get them here in the United States? Consider this in 2006

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington