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GPS is very common place today, yet many of us don’t even understand how it works. In fact, a lot of people don’t even know what GPS stands for, all they know is how to use it. The term GPS refers to a technology that is also known as Global Positioning System. GPS has become more and more refined over the years, providing consumers with the ability to get from point A to point B much more easily than they had in the past. In fact, paper maps are quickly becoming obsolete.

The Way GPS Works

All GPS units work using the same technology. GPS units get all of their data from orbiting satellites and information about time and position is transmitted from these satellites to the GPS unit. These satellites can communicate with units on the land, in the air, and on the sea. These units are able to calculate where they are located at any one time based on the information that they receive from the satellites. Theoretically, GPS systems can work all around the world.

Of course, for the GPS unit to work as accurately as possible the unit must be able to have a direct line of sight to at least three satellites in the sky. Many people have found that if they are camping, hiking, or driving in an area where they are in deep canyons or surrounded by rock that it becomes very difficult to get a signal, and so the GPS unit may not work at all or it may not work as well as one would think. On the flip side, if you are in the line of sight of more than three satellites the GPS unit will be very accurate, often able to place you within 15 to 20 feet of your actual location!

Many people believe that to make the most of the GPS technology they have to buy the most expensive unit on the market, but this is not necessarily true. All of the units use the same technology, the more expensive units usually just have more bells and whistles such as more user friendly interfaces and touch screen displays. You can buy a very basic GPS unit that will get you around town and on your short trips without a hitch, but if you need a GPS unit that will help you with complicated routes you may want to go with something more costly.

Heather suggests getting a versatile waterproof GPS. You can even get some great waterproof marine GPS systems.

If you’ve been comparing car GPS units, you may have already noticed just how complicated it can be to find one that’s right for you, no matter how tech-savvy you might be. Hopefully, after reading this article, you’ll be a bit more well informed about what you need to know to find the perfect unit for you and your budget.

If you haven’t already been shopping around, you may not know that all car GPS units essentially do the same thing: they show you where you are and tell you how to get to where you’re going. They also all come with a variety of pre-programmed destinations, called POIs (or, Points of Interest) to make getting where you need to be even easier. All you need is a finger, because all car GPS units utilize touch screen technology.

What makes finding the perfect one for you so complicated is all the extra features manufacturers are including in their products to meet market competition. Before you get too overwhelmed, let’s talk about these manufacturers and compare the products they’re making.

Although several companies produce car GPS units, I’d suggest sticking with the top three: Magellan, Garmin, and Tom Tom. Sure, there are other companies, like Lowrance, Mio, and Pharos. But all these other companies are competing for only 10% of the U.S. market. It may be a personal thing, but I’ve always liked to go with industry winners. Certainly other companies are making quality products, but I like to know that my purchase will be supported year to year.

Magellan was one of the original companies to start manufacturing GPS devices. With a great company name and a wide selection of products, Magellan is a good choice. I really like their Maestro series, which ranges in price from $150 to $350. You can get a Maestro 3100 for less than $150. That’s not their best buy, though. If you just want an entry level GPS, then Garmin’s nuvi 200 is probably a better bet. Magellan’s best buy is their Maestro 4250, which can do everything Garmin’s competing product can, but for $50 less.

Magellan also has a great deal for AAA members that makes the AAA Tour Book available right inside the device. Of course, you must be a member, but if you’re a frequent traveler, it’s an excellent deal.

With almost 50% of the total market, Garmin is the industry leader. A basic Garmin, the nuvi 200, costs only $150. However, if you’re looking to spend a lot more, you can purchase the 880 model, which includes a lot of extra features, for around $1,000. There are no real competitors at the high end of the market place, that is for automotive GPS systems.

Catching up to Garmin is Tom Tom, a company that offers a great selection of products at very competitive prices. For example, what you’d pay for Garmin’s basic nuvi 200 could also get you Tom Tom’s One 3rd Edition, which has a lot of extra cool features. Tom Tom’s GO series has more features and is a direct competitor with Garmin. Tom Tom is currently taking market share from Garmin by offering more features at a smaller price. Tom Tom is no slouch as a company, either. They totally dominate the European market!

Whether you want to spend a lot or a little, comparing car GPS units can be tricky. Continue checking out informative websites so you can find the system that’s right for you and won’t break your budget.

To read more great GPS Reviews, check out my website.

Rick Cole is a true GPS enthusiast! Take a look at his website to find out more information!

GPS tracking system is a high-end gadget of the modern era, intended to determine the position of a vehicle, person or an asset to which the device is connected. So far it is the most convenient device to get information about a remote asset in regular intervals.

After its introduction in 1978, when it was in its experimental stage, it has become an essential and practical technology to meet high expectations of people in the direction of monitoring remote assets. As the name Global Positioning System suggests the device can be used anywhere on the earth. The technology behind the function of GPS is related to global positioning of the satellites moving round the earth.

However, your GPS tracking system will work only if you have access to Global Positioning System and a GPS receiver. The GPS satellites transmit the information to the receivers and it becomes easy to calculate the location, speed and direction of the asset connected to it. For an effective calculation of position, it is essential for the GPS receiver to receive transmission from three or more satellites.

The information that is stored in the receiver unit is transmitted to a database that can be accessed through the internet or mobile phone. Usually, the GPS tracking system give real time information with a map on their background to display the exact location of the tracked object. However, the downside of the device is that it can hardly trace an object placed inside a building.

Now, it is clear that the GPS receiver is able to receive the information only and store it in a database. Hence, you must need another device or technology to access the information from the database for independent positioning and timing info. A cellular phone modem is the a technology for the purpose; thereby causing it an essential part of a GPS tracking system. There are different possibilities through which it is convenient to obtain the position information.

1 - The modem can be programmed with your mobile number and a timer is set to get information on that particular intervals of time. Adjusting the time interval is just a matter of calling the modem and changing some settings.

2 - Program your cell phone modem as a mobile phone with its own number that allows sending small text messages. Whenever you want any information about the position of your asset, just call the modem`s phone number and you will get an SMS message coordinating with the position.

3 - If you have installed suitable software and map on your mobile phone, the message locating the position on a map can be translated to the mobile phone screen.

All the above three technologies have got same kind of advantages. You can use them without a service contract and without paying for monthly fee. This even will nott allow anyone to know about you using these technologies. As per the disadvantage, in the first two cases you have to translate the SMS text to a position on the map. However, for the third option, you need to purchase the software and the maps.

It is also possible to view the information through Internet or a mobile phone with Internet facility. This possibility allows you check the real-time as well as past information.

The ultimate way is to use a mobile phone with GPS tracking system.

You may be wondering how the system can work in an area where there is no coverage of cell phone. The only solution is to replace the cell phone modem with a satellite modem.

GPS is a free service and is provided for the benefits of public. It has come up as a useful technology in every sector where monitoring remote asset is essential. Thanks to this new age technology, it has reduced the burden of insecurity to a large extent and enhanced performance when used for professional purpose.

Roberto Sedycias works as IT consultant for www.polomercantil.com.br

Having a refurbished GPS at this moment will help you save gas when driving. If you don’t have one, buying a refurbished device can save you money on your purchase. Prices for these types of devices are now well under $200 for the best name brands in the industry.

How will simply owning a GPS help you save gas? Here are the ways:

1. Make sure your preferences are set to find the quickest route.

Many people think that having their GPS set to shortest route will help them save the most on gas. This is not necessarily the case. Often times the shortest route is one that travels through many side streets that include stop signs or long traffic lights (because they intersect with a busy thoroughfare). This means that you lose fuel efficiency speeding up and slowing down for the stops and burn fuel waiting for you light to turn green.

The quickest routes generally have the highest speeds and are generally driver friendly since they are the main arteries for traffic. You make less stops and travel at higher speeds, both of which can improve your miles per gallon.

You might want to test out both solutions for frequently traveled routes in case traffic congestion during rush hour really lends itself better to the shorter route.

2. Use your GPS features, especially way points.

Way points can be called different things on different refurbished GPS models. Sometimes they are called favorites and at other times they are called locations, but no matter what they are called you should use them and here is why: it will open up new, fuel-efficient routes to you.

Imagine being at your favorite shop running errands and you have most of the places that you run errands to in your GPS as way points. You are at the cleaners now, but need to get across town to the dentist. You will have a route that you normally go to get there, but with your device set to quickest route you may find that the route you normally took was terribly inefficient.

Your GPS will have saved you gas on this discovery.

3. Try out new routes.

Commuters who use highways should definitely think about this tip.

This is because most people experience some bottlenecking on the freeway. This is caused for many different reasons - too many people getting on the freeway at once, a merging of two highways, or a particularly accident prone section of highway. The reason is not really relevant, but this is: these bottlenecks cost you money (in the form of gas).

You can prevent this by using way points (I hope you are getting the idea to use way points!). Simply set a way point for the entrance ramp after things tend to clear up and then when you exit the freeway because you see traffic ahead you make a new destination be the on-ramp to the free way after the bottleneck clears.

It may not save you gas every time, but it could be better than sitting in traffic all afternoon.

Joe writes about how to buy a refurbished GPS and ways for fleets to save with GPS tracking.

A GPS fleet tracking company, Homeland Integrated Security Systems, Inc. has made known that it has found a buyer for its product. The deal is expected to land the company a sum of money in excess of 200 thousand dollars. The deal is said to have been made with a large national security company for a certain number of Homeland Integrated Security Systems’ CT-410 model security and data tracker.

The security company, said to have a large customer base in the US, Puerto Rico and the Bahamas is planning on using these devices to help manage its service fleet which is responsible for doing much of the companies installation work. The GPS fleet tracking system will be used to manage the service fleet by improving dispatching, employee work habits, and to reduce fuel consumption.

The benefits of GPS fleet tracking are becoming increasingly well known across the country and more and more high profile companies are taking on the this technological aid to streamline production and improve their bottom line.

The top brass of the security company is obviously willing to invest a very large sum of money on this new technology because they believe that it will make and immediate and long lasting impact on the performance of their business.

Studies show that fleets that employ some form of GPS technology see work orders filled increase by 25% in the two years after GPS implementation. That means that by giving GPS to your fleet’s vehicles you can effectively increase your workforce without having to pay anyone more money. In fact, you probably get more bang for you buck from the pay roll you are already spending.

The fact that this is such a big deal also goes to show you that GPs technology is hear to stay. If the company involved in the purchase thought that the technology was a fad then they would never have bought it.

Another thing that this shows is that there are some serious issues with worker productivity in America. Workers tend to be overly lazy and don’t give their best efforts to their employers. As a result employers are forced to monitor worker activity and to create incentives and punishments for good and bad behavior respectively. If workers worked hard all the time there would be no need for most employers to implement a GPS solution.

The decentralized nature of these types of businesses requires that there be a very efficient and knowledgeable central headquarters, and GPS technology makes that happen for small and large vehicle fleets.

This deal also shows that fuel prices are becoming an increasing problem for businesses large and small all across the nation. Without any relief at the pump in sight companies are being forced to turn to other solutions, including GPS technology. It is great that they are doing so since it provides so many other important benefits to the companies.

Is GPS fleet tracking right for your company and your small fleet? Only you will be able to tell that for sure. Check out what is out there and see if it is in your budget. You might be surprised what you find.

Joe teaches people about GPS fleet tracking management and about how to get kids wearing a GPS tracking watch.

Refurbished GPS units save you money. Period. You like saving money or else you wouldn’t be here reading about how they save you money. You are probably feeling the pinch at the pump, grocery store, and on your mortgage but you still want to be able to buy an frivolous gadget. So you have turned your gaze to the end all and be all of cheap yet reliable products - the refurbished market.

Refurbished items are those that have picked up a defect some place along the production line. It could be that a part of the LCD display was scratched by a machine or a careless employee. An internal component could have been faulty from the get go and produced an error in the devices functionality. Whatever the reason, the device is now up to production standards, usually will come with a warranty, and is offered at a significant discount from the ‘new’ item.

The significant discount is what you are all about. But how significant can these discounts be? A quick perusal of some of the current prices on both a ‘new’ and refurbished GPS show that the discount for one particular model is 23.45%. This will be our baseline in determining how much purchasing refurbished can save you over the long term.

We will also assume that you are GPS crazy and like to buy a new model every three years (this is probably not true, but this is just a thought experiment).

After 1 year you buy your GPS you save $45.96. You then take this money and you put it in an interest bearing account. After three years you have a balance of $51.05 after your interest acrues and taxes are taken out of it. This means that your savings have now grown by $5.09 in this first buying phase.

That is a nice savings, but it gets even better once the savings from the second year are added to it.

Now a third GPS is purchased with inflation adjusted prices and you find that you saved $50.22 on your purchase. Add that to the ammount that you already saved and earned in interest and you will have $101.27. This will then grow to $112.48 by the end of the next three years.

As you can see the savings are beginning to add up.

If you conitnue this pattern for the next 30 years (so 10 buying cycles total) you will see amazing results and watch your savings on your refurbished GPS rise all the way to the sum of $1221.81. That is a heafty sum.

But what if you could increase your rate of return by investing the savings into stocks or buy using it to start your own business?

With just a 9% return you could see that money become $2931.51 and if you continue to grow that money at the same rate you could have enough money to buy yourself a GPS every three years for as long as you are likely to live.

All that stems from the choice to save money with a refurbished GPS and to be wise about how you would invest it. It is a no brainer.

Joe teaches people refurbished GPS tips and about saving money with GPS fleet tracking.

Two Scandinavian companies are unveiling a new series of GPS fleet tracking services at the Lastbil International trade show for the transportation and road haulage sector. This new line of is also utilizes GPRS technology to transmit the GPS data back to the central processing station.

These new products will be web based (this is the growing trend in GPS fleet tracking solutions) and will allow companies to determine vehicle location from any personal computer that has access to the Internet. The new line will also feature improved customer service, cost controls, protect employees, and that meet the tight laws of the European Union.

The line offers products that range from the entry-level (and therefore the low cost) to a complete telematics system - including such perks as in-cabin communication between driver and headquarters, navigation screen, advanced trip scheduling, and signature capturing for customers. You can even integrate these with third-party applications such as inventory and bar code software.

These features are all made available by a small GPS device that is place inside the truck. It receives data from the Global Positioning System (GPS) every 20 seconds which it logs in its internal memory. Then through GPRS technology this information is transferred back to the companies central processing servers.

Once there the server side computers log the information into a database which can then be accessed via the Internet for the subscriber to access at any point that they wish to. All that they need is a username and password to be able to view your real time tracking information as well as a nice amount of history on each vehicle in your fleet.

The accuracy of these devices is very good, but is dependent upon a few different factors. These variables can include the number of satellites in range of the receiver as well as conditions in the atmosphere such as cloud cover, precipitation, and overall humidity. All these factors can in some way hinder the devices ability to get a strong or direct signal from the twenty-four GPS satellites in orbit around the earth. But have no fear, even under these extreme conditions GPS fleet tracking is still relatively accurate.

Normally, GPS is precise to within 5 meters - and is even more precise as the number of satellites in range increase. This is because it has much more data to work with in its calculations and can provide more robust data to the user. The accuracy can be further improved by using some type of mapping software that will match the GPS derived location with one that makes sense given the road structure in the area.

With this accuracy will come the ability to track and report such things as vehicle location, total mileage driven, current speed, historical speed, and host of other metrics. GPS fleet tracking is definitely a solution that any fleet seeking to maximize efficiency should use. It will help you improve your business and get the work out of your workers that your company deserves. It can also improve your overall efficiency and the on-timeness of your workforce - a big plus for any sized business.

Joe teaches people about web-based GPS fleet tracking and about kid tracking with GPS.

Everyone is feeling the squeeze brought on by increased fuel prices. The from private citizens to public corporations, we are all impacted by rising energy costs and we are all looking for ways to make our driving more efficient. You see, efficiency means savings.

One way that business can save money is to implement a GPS fleet tracking solution.

The reason for this is that there are generally five things that come up over and over again in discussion of efficient driving practices. Probably the first that gets mentioned is to reduce speed. Studies have repeatedly shown that fuel economy suffers significantly (17.1 percent) as speeds increase from 50 miles per hour to 70 miles per hour. The application of this is obvious - have drivers operate their vehicles at slow speeds.

According to Senator John Warner of Virginia, every 5 miles per hour that a vehicle travels over 60 miles per hour will cost the driver or company $0.30 per gallon in fuel costs. At $4.00 a gallon that $0.30 represents 7.5% of the total cost. Traveling at 70 miles per hour will see you wasting 15% of yur budget on fuel.

Another technique is to idle less. According to reports a vehicle that idles for 15 minutes uses half a gallon of gasoline. Vehicles that are making deliveries or that are making frequent stops at highly trafficed intersections have a high likelihood to be idling for that long or more during any given day.

It is also show that even an idle time of as short as 30 seconds can benefit from having the vehicles engine turned off. That means that is far more fuel efficient to turn off and an turn back on the vehicle at very short stops or long traffic lights.

GPS fleet tracking is the technology that will help you as a manager know the information that you need to know to make these fuel saving tips a reality for you fleet. Often drivers are over concerned with getting done with their deliveries early so that they can get home early that they will push the speed limit. This may be good for them, but it is categorically bad for the business as it burns fuel for no real reason.

With the knowledge that GPS gives you can find out which drivers suffer from this problem and suggest to them these fuel saving techniques. You will also be empowering them to find other more efficient means of cutting down their work time by forcing them to optimize their routes and find new and inventive ways to meet customers needs in a timely fashion that doesn’t hurt the company.

This is another fuel saving tip - trip optimization. Making unnecessary turns is sure to cost your fleet fuel. By having an in-dash GPS system you will empower your drivers to know exactly where they are, where the client is, and the most efficient way to get there.

The savings begin to add up dramatically when you consider all these techniques together. Drivers that obey the speed limit, reduce idling, and optimize their routes will work better and reduce costs in our fuel based society.

Joe teaches people about GPS fleet tracking and about how to save money with GPS fleet tracking.

You have probably heard that the air pollution problem is getting worse in the world. Trees are being cut and the addition of cars and large factories the air is becoming very polluted. However, did you know that the air inside your home is up to 10 times more polluted than the air outside. The reason for this is that the air inside your house has no way to get circulated around and therefore the air get clogged up with all sorts of chemicals and dust. Since most people spend up to 90% of their time indoors this can be a serious problem.

The air inside your house get full of dust and dust mites, also there are many chemicals that lurk around in the air. Most of these chemicals are from household cleaning items but some can be from they type of flooring you have or even from leaky gas stoves or fireplaces. Other air pollutants can included mold, pet dander or your on skin cells that float through the air. With all of these ingredients mixing together it can be a very uncomfortable situation in your home.

People with asthma, and other breathing troubles can be very affected by these combinations of pollutants. They can cause sudden attacks or make it difficult to breathe altogether. If the chemicals are concentrated enough it can even cause normal people to have breathing problems and can reduce your brain’s functionality, making it harder to think or concentrate. This is a serious situation and usually only happens after a very extended amount of exposure to high concentrations of pollutants.

If you notice that when you are at home you have difficulty breathing or have other troubles like coughing or runny noses, but when you are away from your house these symptoms go away, You probably have poor air quality in your home. There is a way to combat these dirty air situations. Over the past 5 years there have been great advances in Air Purifier Technology, and these cutting edge products can dramastically reduce the contaminants in your home. They can destroy mold, reduce dust and dander floating in the air and nullify the harmful effects of household chemicals, dramatically improving the air quailty in your home.

Another way that you can help with the poor air quality in your home is by getting a humidifier to control the humidity. A humidifier can help cure the problem, whether you want to get a small one just to keep one room correct or install a large ventilation humidifier to keep the entire home at the right humidity. How does it work you might ask. There is a small container of liquid or water that is inside the humidifier that is filled up periodically and projects the liquid into the air in one of several ways to keep the right moisture in the air.

The main way the humidifier gets the liquid into the air is by evaporation. There is a wick inside the reservoir that fills up with water and a fan constantly blows on the wick causing the water to evaporate into the air, this is the most common of the humidifiers. The other fairly common one is the vaporizer humidifier, it boils the water that is inside the reservoir and releases the steam into the room air. This is like holding your head over a boiling pot water when you have a congested head cold.

My name is Nick and have recently started submitting articles to some directories. I live in North Carolina and find this online very interesting

Humidifiers and Purifiers

Getting the big picture of where your fleet is important for any business, but particularly for small businesses. One very interesting place to go to see this analogy at work is the war rooms of classic World War 2 movies.

These had the fun oversized maps with blond German girls pushing models of panzers around a map of France, Russia, or the Ardennes. While they might not have looked exactly like this (what in Hollywood looks like real life?) they do represent something that really did happen in real life. It makes sense why armies had these types of things - because it helped the leaders get a big picture of what was going on in the field to make command decisions.

Your small business can benefit from this type of information. By knowing exactly where your serviceman, package, or driver is at any given moment you will be able to get them exactly where they need to be at exactly the right time. You will be empowered to provide exemplary service to your customers that will help you generate return customers and word of mouth marketing, both of which are crucial to sustain your small business.

GPS fleet tracking will help you do this.

There a few different models for GPS fleet tracking that will empower you to do this. The primary one is through a web-based interface that allows you to interact with the raw GPS data transmitted by units in each of your vehicles. The can be regular GPS navigation units (like a Garmin or TomTom) if the manufacturer also supports GPS fleet tracking or it could be a GPS device made for GPS fleet tracking.

Either way, not only will you get information at your headquarters - but your drivers will have access to real time driving instructions that can be changed during travel to respond to new needs. This is critical for transmitting job orders to vehicles already out on call.

There is a report by the Aberdeen group that came out in March of 2008 that shows that small businesses see dramatic improvement in the number of work orders filled by implementing GPS technology in their fleets. If your fleet is between 1 and 10 vehicles the benefit is significantly more pronounced. You will see also see an increase of on time deliveries as well.

When you consider that as the boss you are able to see exactly where your fleet you can easily see why this is so. Your employees will know that you can monitor their progress at any moment and that they will be held accountable in everything. You will also will be able to apply your years of experience in advising your drivers how to best manage their routes or who to send to which jobs. The power will be in your hands with GPS fleet tracking to make the most of your small business and take it to the next level.

There is little reason not to invest in GPS fleet technology because the benefits are so pronounced that it would be silly not to invest in it if your company can afford it.

Joe teaches people about GPS fleet tracking and GPS tracking watches for kids.