Friday, April 18, 2008

Mega Disasters: How GPS Tracking Will Save Lives

Disasters are happening all the time from man made to nature driven cataclysmic events. Centuries ago the planet had primitive life forms and did not understand what was happening to their world. But today we live in a advanced technological society where it not likely our entire race will become extinct like in the dinosaur period. Man will survive, but how many of us will live? The question remains unanswered.

If you've ever watched the history channel they have a program called MEGA Disasters. It's presents many different shows on events that will lead to massive loss of life from natural or man made disasters. One or more of these MEGA disasters is going to occur sooner than later.

Here is a brief description on what the show is about.

Massive natural disasters have shaped the planet on which we live for millions of years, and the only thing we know for sure is that the future holds more. Earthquakes have triggered massive tsunamis and released methane gas that killed most of the life in the ocean. Asteroids have laid waste to nearly all the life on earth. Volcanoes have blocked the sun's rays for months.

As the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami have dramatically demonstrated, we are all vulnerable to unexpected disasters, both natural and man-made. Combining science and history, MEGA DISASTERS visits the sites of previous disasters, then recreates them in modern times and locations, using state-of-the-art computer animation.

Whether it's the city of Memphis crashing into the Mississippi River during an earthquake or a mile-wide asteroid destroying Los Angeles, each week is a hair-raising look at just how vulnerable our complex society really is to the power of Mother Nature.

What we need to do to save lives now and in the future?

Ordia Solutions is the pioneer and leading provider of mobile command & control systems for public safety agencies. They have devised the Mobile Tactical Collaboration System (MTCS) is a next-generation web-based wireless-enabled software application that allows public safety officers to communicate and collaborate visually in real-time using tactical graphics, digital maps, and shared workspaces to enable highly effective command & control without ever having to setup a physical command post. This system is the only one of it's kind in the world and is in many government trials from SWAT teams to FBI, and is being rolled out into many search and rescue operation command centers.

They recently expanded the product portfolio to include an integrated GPS tracking solution, which provides real-time situational unit locations for operational commanders and their tactical operators in the field.

This GPS Tracking Device was researched for use in the Mobile Tactical Collaboration System (MTCS) by GLC Enterprises, Inc. and is also known as the WorldTracker GPRS. It is an advanced mini tracking devices that allows rescue person to be viewed in near real time allowing officials to effectively coordinate rescue missions when MEGA Disasters stick which will happen for sure.

Local, state, and federal law enforcement officers, as well as other first responders, are able to share data, maps, and images with each other in real time, allowing tactical decisions to be made and implemented quickly and effectively.

The software is in place in the command center, in vehicle-mounted laptops, and in ultra mobile handheld computers.

Because a picture is worth a thousand words, this technology innovation will be as revolutionary for public safety communication as the introduction of the television set was for mass media communication.

How many of use are saved will depend on highly coordinated search and rescue mission which will rely on the Mobile Tactical Collaboration System (MTCS) with integrated GPS Tracking.


Source: http://www.therealarticles.com/Article/Mega-Disasters--How-GPS-Tracking-Will-Save-Lives/94853

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

One Very Important Tool: GPS Tracking Software

The one that makes GPS tracking devices work is what we call GPS Tracking software. This kind of software makes tracking devices to transmit a signal which will be received by satellites set up in space. In return, the space satellites narrow down the devices geographic location. The location information returned is basically in latitude and longitude, which is then transformed by a decoder into a recognizable address.

GPS tracking software was first put in use by the American Department of Defense, formerly utilizing 21 satellites and 3 replacement satellites. The software was essentially designed for aviation, nautical navigation and land navigation. The GPS tracking software is a very intelligent designed system. The GPS satellites set up in orbit, delivers signals that track the right location of a GPS receiver, be it a vehicle, mobile phone, or other form of transportation or tracking equipment.

Today, the satellites have increased to 30 resulting to a wider range of GPS locations. But a GPS tracking software may also locate vehicles or individuals that are not in possession of a GPS receiver. To quickly get a location, it will just need an unobstructed view of the satellites.

GPS was formerly named NAVSTAR or what we used to call Navigation System for Timing and Ranging, now we have known it as GPS or Global Positioning system. The GPS tracking software has been so helpful in terms of navigation-related works, as traveling in unchartered territories have not been simple since especially during bad weathers. So that, the GPS tracking software was designed basically for traveling in unknown routes, indicating the right location of a moving vehicle in order to compute what routes should be taken to give assistance in reaching its prospective destinations.

The tracking software is also what enables big and bulky delivery trucks in the U.S. to know their locations and inform their base headquarters of where they are. The tracking software can do this because the user can have an interaction with the tracking unit in various methods. By using the GPS tracking software, a two-way communication between the truck driver and base headquarters can be made possible, in order to check on the status of the delivery truck on its way to its target route or destination.

Technology has once again proven that there are more inventions to be designed in order to make our travels safer and exact. With the vast sea and land with which seafarers and land farers must travel, the GPS tracking software is indeed the exact tool to help them assess their destination, whether they are traveling in sky or water, or land.

The best thing which anyone can say about having the GPS software is that for as long as there is no obstruction of the satellite signals, you can be certain on where you are and where you should be heading. But, should you be in the middle of a jungle, then it will cause a bit of a problem for tracking your location with a Global Positioning System.


Source: http://www.therealarticles.com/Article/One-Very-Important-Tool--GPS-Tracking-Software/156770

Friday, April 11, 2008

Choose The Best GPS With GPS Reviews

Bank holidays, Easter, and Christmas always involve lots of driving. I don't know why we put ourselves through it? You spend hours in the car, stuck in traffic, turning to the map to avoid the traffic and then getting into an argument with your partner over reading the map when you've taken a wrong turn.

But if you are planning on spending this much time in your automobile then there are a number of gadgets that can not only help you while away the time as you work your way through another traffic jam, but also get you from a to b. Here are some of our favourites.

Power Extras USB Car Charger And Adapter

With more gadgets in the car, powering them is starting to become an issue. The Power Extras USB Car Charger And Adapter is exactly what it sounds like it is. A dongle that plugs into your cigarette lighter splitting your lighter into two sockets so you can power a mobile phone and your satnav device, for example. However rather than be happy with just that, the unit also squeezes two USB sockets on the side so you can charge anything that can be charged via USB, like your phone, a digital camera or anything else. If you find yourself constantly looking to swap out your satnav charger the moment it has got enough juice to run of its own accord, this is the gadget to save you the bother.

Navman S90

The Navman S90 takes on TomTom and Garmin in the high-end satnav market and is the flagship of the S-series from the company. The unique selling point of the S90i is that is comes with a camera allowing to you snap the places you want to navigate back to later. It's clear that this is Navman making sure they stay with the lead pack rather than steaming out in front, but the unit is simple to read, crisp, and has a clear interface.

Garmin nuvi 710

Garmin's latest satnav range offers a bigger screen, more functionality and a host of new features. The nuvi 710 is the bottom of the four new 700 series models and therefore doesn't come with the same functionality as the other models in the range, however studying the spec sheet there isn't much missing. The Garmin nuvi 710 is a good satnav solution that offers plenty to its users. The move to a more converging device will appeal to a lot of drivers and the inclusion of Bluetooth and an FM transmitter will mean two less gadgets cluttering up your dashboard. Overall this is a good unit with clear mapping and a user interface, however for the price you will be able to get all the above cheaper from other makers.

TomTom 520

TomTom has updated its range to follow in the thin widescreen footsteps of the TomTom One and the TomTom 520 features a 4.3-inch screen. For the extra 100 pounds on top of the TomTom One you get a stack of useful features that you are likely to use on a daily basis. The larger screen, the FM transmitter, the speech recognition address input and the more. It might be pushing up the price of satnavs again and compared to the entry-level stuff available a bigger jump. But if you are looking for a unit that does more than just give you the A to B, then this is worth a closer look.


Source: http://www.therealarticles.com/Article/Choose-The-Best-GPS-With-GPS-Reviews/154360