GPS: Making Your Life Easier

A GPS, acronym for Global Positioning System, is a space-age navigational system that uses the position of satellites in determining any locations here on earth. The GPS systems are not only for the NASA; it is available to anyone, anywhere and any time at an affordable cost.

GPS Navigation Systems work by using a 24-satellite constellation in orbits above the earth to transmit data through high-frequency radio waves back to the earth. GPS is available 24 hours a day worldwide, in all kinds of weather condition whether in land, water or air.

Today, GPS systems are available to operate in various applications such as search and rescue, horseback trips, camping, hiking, hunting, fishing, boating, aviation, skiing, hot air ballooning, tracking for emergency vehicles, highway driving and many other activities where precise positioning is needed.

GPS can be used anywhere from saving lives to having fun. Here are a few examples of how GPS can be used.

1) Vehicle Insurance Premiums – In 1998, this GPS program called “AutoGraph” was launched to track the number of hours a customer drives the vehicle, including when it is driven and where it is driven. Today, AutoGraph GPS systems are offered as insurance programs.

2) Business – GPS systems are also used by various companies that dispatch deliveries. They use GPS to track their trucks, monitor the whereabouts of their goods and determine if the goods have landed the destination.

3) Lost pets – Today, a few companies sell implants for pets, making it easy to track animal’s whereabouts while monitoring its temperature and heart rate.

4) 911 Assistance and personal emergencies – Most telecommunication companies, especially those offering mobile phones, PDAs, or other communicated-based electronics, have integrated GPS to pinpoint the callers’ location. In 2002, the Federal Communication Commission even required all mobile phone systems to be GPS capable for tracking all 911 assistance.

If personal emergencies are required, a GPS device worn on your body or watch can monitor vital signs. If you cannot ask for medical help using your mobile phones, assistance can still be reached through wireless technology.

5) Roadside assistance – GPS can also be used to locate whereabouts of vehicles, provide direction assistance or seek emergency help. Most automobile companies offer GPS systems as add-ons for their vehicles.

Simply put, a GPS system tells where exactly you are on Earth. Whether you wish to locate your kids at 1a.m. or you simply want it installed in your car for possible emergency assistance, a GPS system can simply make your lives easier.