PRACTICAL
GPS USES
GPS or Global Positioning Systems is a term that most
commonly conjures up images of vehicle navigation systems, space-age
satellite technology, and interactive maps for outdoors-types and
sportsmen. But the reality is that there are far more applications of
Global Positioning Systems beyond GPS
vehicle tracking or map navigation that everyday people like us can
benefit from. All it takes is a bit of creativity, and some
trial and error. Here are a few of the many possibilities that can benefit
you right now in your busy and hectic life.
Know where your children are using services from companies like Child
Locate
Keep track of elderly members of your family, so that they don't wander
off alone.
Plan a road trip around interesting points of interests, landmarks,
campsites, diners, etc, and hear fewer "Are we there yets?"- and
of course get the most out of that expensive gas.
Get emergency road side assistance at a touch of a button from your
vehicle, so you can get help exactly where and when you need it.
Keep a visual journal and bookmark collection of your favorite hot spots,
sceneries, and points of interests, that may not be listed in any travel
guide (You can create your own mini travel guides and memories).
Find lost pets easily using collars with built-in GPS, better than running
around in your pyjamas hollering like a
maniac.
Feel safer with cellular phone 911 calls, so emergency
personnel can pinpoint your location once you make an emergency call.
Please double check
your carrier service to see that it has GPS
features and get a primer on how it works if possible.
Get to your interview, or any important time sensitive destination or
engagement, faster by finding shortcuts and correct directions.
Find a good Italian restaurant near your movie theatre on the fly.
Track your luggage, laptops, and anything of importance while travelling.
Track and find family, friends in a crowded concert, graduation, or any
social gathering.
When going on a vacation, feel free to separate from group for a while to
venture on your own based on your own interests and find them later on
with your GPS enabled
device- even in an unfamiliar place.
Our ability to use GPS so far is limited by the relatively poor connection
to the satellite feeds when we are indoors in buildings, homes, or behind
anything that could obstruct the GPS connection. However with the
investment and development in a new satellite network called Galileo
which should be completed in
the near future, these problems should be eliminated drastically. Despite
these problems, GPS still offers a world of benefits as mentioned earlier,
and with any technology, it will only get better.
In addition to more practical usage applications, GPS will make a great
educational and fun gift for your loved one's and friends as well.
Consider just two of the many creative and educational uses of GPS:
Stay physically active and fit by playing RayGun! A locational based cell
phone game based on GPS technology.
Become more cultured, make global friends, and learn about the world
playing GeoCache, a global GPS based treasure hunt.
With many affordable feature-rich models to satisfy anyone's preferences
and budgets, now is as good a time as any to learn
more about GPS technologies, which are surely to become more
assimilated into the mainstream within the decade. One day we will take
these things for granted just like we do now for the internet and cell
phones. The key is to dive in, without paralysing yourself with the
overwhelming array of choices in the GPS market, and enjoying some truly
amazing technology.
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