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Featured gps pda ArticleDoes GPS Vehicle Tracking Equate to Big Brother?
By Ken Sink
The first words out of the mouth of an employee is: 'Sounds like Big Brother to me.' Oh no, not Big Brother! Visions of mind-controlled drones working like slaves come to mind and they quickly walk away.
Big Brother? What is wrong with a business monitoring their vehicles? Or making sure their employees are doing what theyre being paid to do? Who owns these vehicles, anyway? Does the owner have a right to know how theyre being used?
Now, dont get me wrong. I believe employees should be trusted and treated as adults. But, if youve ever driven a rental vehicle differently than the car you own, then you understand how an employee may mistreat a company vehicle.
Take the speeding employee, for example. Employees who drive too fast waste your gasoline, wear out your vehicle prematurely and sooner or later, drive up your insurance rates.
A GPS vehicle tracking system can alert you when someone exceeds your pre-set speed limit. Its your vehicle, your fuel and your insurance premium; a tracking system helps you regain control of them.
Who uses your vehicles after hours and on weekends? Is an employee using your vehicle to moonlight? Is he using your gas to move his brother-in-law into a new apartment? Youll know if you install a GPS vehicle tracking device in your vehicles.
How do you verify overtime claims? Maybe you can verify the work was done, but when? With a GPS tracking system, you can cross-check a vehicles location with the time of day it was there.
Have you ever been tempted to take an extended lunch hour? Think your employees might be tempted, especially if theyre out of the bosss sight? A GPS tracking system records how long each vehicle remains at one location; use it to keep them honest.
Another benefit of GPS vehicle tracking systems: youll never make another phone call to find out where your employees are--you can just look on the map displayed on your computer screen. Also, your GPS tracking system will remind you when its time to rotate tires, change oil or perform other scheduled maintenance. And, many insurance companies offer discounts of up to 30% for vehicles protected with GPS tracking systems.
The employee also benefits when their company vehicle is equipped with a GPS vehicle tracking system.
1. Hand-written driver logs are replaced with data from the tracking system. 2. Using info from the gps tracking system, each employees productivity can be quantified and compared; an employees performance can be more objectively measured. 3. Your dispatcher can look on a computer screen and locate all your vehicles immediately.
Customers also benefit from GPS vehicle tracking systems. Businesses can provide precise arrival or delivery estimates, because the estimate is based upon the actual location of the tracking device-equipped vehicle at the moment they call. If a customer questions when your employee arrived or left --prove it to them using data from your tracking system.
Still think GPS tracking systems are tools of Big Brother? I guess it depends upon your point of view.
The concept of Big Brother never comes up with business owners. The business owner will say: 'How will tracking my vehicles help my business make more money?' They want to know what GPS vehicle tracking can do for them.
Are GPS vehicle tracking systems Big Brother?--You tell me.
About The Author
When people ask about my business, I tell them, 'My company offers GPS vehicle tracking systems.' Their response lets me know whether they are an employee or a business owner.
Ken Sink, owner of My Vehicle WatchDog, is a veteran with 20+ years of transportation experience, including fleet management of over 800 vehicles. Visit http://www.MyVehicleWatchDog.Info for more information about GPS vehicle tracking systems from Fleet Management Solutions, Networkfleet and Sprint/Nextel. Submit your info for a quick, no-obligation system quote. Quantity discounts for volume purchases.
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gps pda News From Around The World
Lots of interesting articles from today's PC World. First up, Microsoft Takes on MapQuest: "MSN launches MapPoint online mapping service, offering maps, directions, and more."
Apparently this is going to be yet another component of MS' push for .Net services with hooks into other MSN services. MapPoint is XML-based, which makes it interesting in other ways, and there it launches with a phone-based direction service. The articles notes that this is another step towards location-based services. "For example, you might someday be able to click on a Windows Messenger buddy's name and retrieve a map showing the location of his or her home."
Good or bad? You make the call. I like parts of this, but I'm incredibly wary of .Net.
Global Positioning Systems offer everything from hole overviews to Internet access "Shortgrass Technologies' Internet-based sports information system and financial ticker enables golfers to check college football scores on a Saturday afternoon or the price of stocks any weekday. Global positioning systems can track golf cars no matter where they are on the course, thus discovering bottlenecks and slower play. Golfers can order beverages and food en route to the turn, so golf clubs can offer more than a quick hot dog - a higher priced chicken sandwich, for instance...."
I always thought that GPS would go mainstream in automobiles first, and in a way I suppose it has, but maybe golfers will lead the real charge. I could have used a portable, library-centered GPS system myself to navigate the Chicago Public Library's Harold Washington Library when I was there last fall!
Lots of interesting articles from today's PC World. First up, Microsoft Takes on MapQuest: "MSN launches MapPoint online mapping service, offering maps, directions, and more."
Apparently this is going to be yet another component of MS' push for .Net services with hooks into other MSN services. MapPoint is XML-based, which makes it interesting in other ways, and there it launches with a phone-based direction service. The articles notes that this is another step towards location-based services. "For example, you might someday be able to click on a Windows Messenger buddy's name and retrieve a map showing the location of his or her home."
Good or bad? You make the call. I like parts of this, but I'm incredibly wary of .Net.
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Advanced GPS Features Buyers Guide
By Joe Keller
There are literally thousands of different GPS units available on the market today. Each GPS manufacturer has their own special features and advanced capabilities that they claim to put their unit above their competitor's. When shopping for a GPS unit, wading through all the different features and finding the ones that are right for you can become overwhelming. This article will highlight some of the more popular features and what they really mean to you.
Waypoints
Most outdoor and vehicle GPS units will have a built-in database of waypoints. Waypoints are the GPS eastern and northern coordinates for a given point on a map. Most databases will include waypoints for popular restaurants, gas stations, service garages, tourist locations, hotels, and hot spots. While you will find specific way-points pre-programmed into your GPS unit when you purchase it, some GPS units will allow you to program your own waypoints, or download up-dated and interest specific waypoint databases.
Route Mapping
Route mapping allows you to create a pre-defined set of Waypoints for an area you plan to visit. Once the waypoints are programmed into the GPS unit, the unit will guide you in the best way possible from one waypoint to another. This can be especially useful for long trips that have predefined stopping locations, allowing you to plan your trip before leaving, without ever needing to re-program your GPS along the way. Some GPS units will automatically create waypoints for you as you travel, useful if you get side-tracked and need to find your way back.
Altimeters
Some outdoor handheld units will have altimeters that will indicate the altitude or feet above sea-level. This feature is especially useful for hikers and campers that are in mountainous terrain, and may need to refer to topographical area maps.
Antennae configuration
Some GPS units have external
GPS antennas that can be adjusted to get better reception. Other GPS units will have optional plug-in antennas that are useful when mounting the GPS in a hard-to-reach location, such as inside a car or tucked away in a boat, allowing you to route the antenna to a more open area. Another antenna option is a built-in antenna, which will protect the antenna from being broken or damaged. This option is often seen in hand-held and fitness style GPS units.
Connectivity
With cables and software carried by most GPS vendors, you can connect most GPS units to computers or other GPS units to download databases, backup of waypoints and information, sharing of data from one GPS to another, and much more.
Size
GPS units come in all different shapes and sizes. Be sure to choose a size unit that is specific to your needs. If you plan on hiking or any type of outdoor activity, you may want to consider a smaller, lighter, portable unit. However, size and weight may not be a consideration if you are planning on mounting your unit to the inside of your vehicle. Battery life is often relational to the weight of the GPS units. Heavier batteries will have a longer batter life than lighter models. Make sure to be certain of your specific requirement, you may decide to carry a slightly heavier GPS unit in a backpack, if you plan on going on a long hike deep into the wilderness, while, you may require a light fitness style GPS unit that you can mount on your wrist for a short jog around town.
Weatherproofing
You will find that there is a GPS unit specifically designed for your requirements. A heavier duty, more rugged GPS will stand up to the weather elements better than some of the lighter less protected units will. If you plan on using your GPS in a boating situation, you will find many marine style GPS units that will specifically be waterproofed. A carrying case is sometimes a valid compromise, allowing you to carry a lighter, less expensive unit, while at the same time, maintaining complete weatherproofing.
Screen size
The display screen should be big enough to fit your individual requirement. You will want to make sure if you have a vehicle mounted GPS unit that you will be able to read the GPS display from a reasonable distance, so you will not have to be distracted and take your eyes off the road. However, if the GPS is going to be used in a hiking situation, you may be able to deal with a smaller screen display, in order to get a lighter, more compact unit. Some GPS units will come with illuminated screens which will be especially useful at night-time and low-light situations.
Memory
GPS units will come with a pre-determined memory limitation, which will usually translate to the number of way-points and route information it can hold. Some units will accept additional memory card add-ons for increasing the units memory space at a later time. Other units will allow you to connect to a computer to save programmed information, to be retrieved at a later time, thereby allowing you to maintain plenty of memory space on your GPS unit.
Hopefully this guide will help you better understand the many different options that are available when you are shopping for your GPS unit. There are many different options to consider, so make sure to ask plenty of questions and spend your time enjoying the GPS buying experience.
About The Author
Joe operates www.gpsgearonline.com and is an avid GPS enthusiast.
Mapping Capabilities of the GPS Unit, If you plan to use your GPS receiver primarily in your vehicle, then built-in road maps are a prerequisite. As a bonus, most units allow you to download additional GPS maps. However, GPS units vary widely in the degree of detail provided in their on-screen maps. If you would like to view the surrounding terrain of a particular landmark area, then a GPS receiver with advanced mapping capabilities is better than the standard base model.
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Write Here, Write Now: And you thought you were overloaded with information now, just wait. Hewlett Packard is working on a technology to let folks print messages in mid-air based on their location incorporating GPS technology. I find this stuff fascinating, even if no one seems to have thought of a good use for it yet. The first sentence of the article is right, though: "The kids are going to love this." in New Scientist via RCPL's Liblog]
When the ALA summer conference was in San Francisco in 1997, the SF Museum of Modern Art had a fascinating exhibit called Icons: Magnets of Meaning. I spent hours browsing through it, but one of the pieces that has always stuck in my mind was called @: Marking the Electrosphere . It talked about the meaning of that one little symbol. How it can define, place, and root you in the world, but at the same time let you be found anywhere. Integrated, widespread use of GPS is going to take this to a whole new level.
Lots of interesting articles from today's PC World. First up, Microsoft Takes on MapQuest: "MSN launches MapPoint online mapping service, offering maps, directions, and more."
Apparently this is going to be yet another component of MS' push for .Net services with hooks into other MSN services. MapPoint is XML-based, which makes it interesting in other ways, and there it launches with a phone-based direction service. The articles notes that this is another step towards location-based services. "For example, you might someday be able to click on a Windows Messenger buddy's name and retrieve a map showing the location of his or her home."
Good or bad? You make the call. I like parts of this, but I'm incredibly wary of .Net.
Write Here, Write Now: And you thought you were overloaded with information now, just wait. Hewlett Packard is working on a technology to let folks print messages in mid-air based on their location incorporating GPS technology. I find this stuff fascinating, even if no one seems to have thought of a good use for it yet. The first sentence of the article is right, though: "The kids are going to love this." in New Scientist via RCPL's Liblog]
When the ALA summer conference was in San Francisco in 1997, the SF Museum of Modern Art had a fascinating exhibit called Icons: Magnets of Meaning. I spent hours browsing through it, but one of the pieces that has always stuck in my mind was called @: Marking the Electrosphere . It talked about the meaning of that one little symbol. How it can define, place, and root you in the world, but at the same time let you be found anywhere. Integrated, widespread use of GPS is going to take this to a whole new level.
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Labels: magellan car gps navigation
