You probably learned about latitude and longitude in a geography class at some point, but in case you can’t recall what these two terms mean, here’s a refresher:

Latitude and longitude are directional terms that, when combined pinpoint an exact location on the planet.

• Latitude refers to the measurement of north-south placement and is defined with respect to the equatorial plane.
• Longitude refers to east-west placement and is defined with respect to meridians, or the half-circles that run from the North Pole to the South Pole.

A Global Address

Latitude and longitude are used to map a specific global address. Every single location on earth has a specific global address, and latitude and longitude are used to pinpoint the exact location of a global address. For example, the global address of Paris, using latitude and longitude, is 48.8567° North and 2.3508° East. The first number in this global address refers to the latitudinal location, while the second number refers to the longitudinal location of the city.

The two numbers that are given in any global address are known as coordinates. They are a universal language. In other words, the location of a specific global address can be communicated in all languages. Read the rest of this entry »

The largest coal mining company in the world, Coal India Limited, has recently been having a difficult time meeting their production goals. The reason the company thinks that production demands have not been met? – Coal pilferage. In order to correct this problem, the company has announced that they will be outfitting all of their trucks with GPS tracking devices.

The goal of utilizing these GPS tracking devices is to keep tabs on all of the trucks that are used to transport coal, thereby eliminating any theft that may be occurring.

According to a Coal Ministry official, Coal India Limited has been granted a loan that will allow the company to afford the cost that is associated with installing GPS tracking devices on their fleet.

In addition to deterring theft, it is believed that the GPS tracking devices will improve the company’s productivity. Read the rest of this entry »

As the parent of a teen driver, your child’s safety is your primary concern. Knowing the statistics that are associated with teen drivers can be an effective teaching tool for you and your child.

The following information is quite enlightening and can help you and your teen make appropriate precautions to ensure your child’s safety, as well as the safety of his passengers and all other drivers on the road.

Teen Driving Statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention

The following statistics regarding teen drivers have been recorded by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention:

• The leading cause of death among U.S. teens are motor vehicle crashes.
• In 2013, 2,163 U.S. teens between the ages of 16 and 19 were killed in motor vehicle crashes and 243,243 received treatment in emergency departments as a result of injuries that were sustained in motor vehicle crashes.
• Though people between the ages of 15 and 24 make up only 14 percent of the population of the U.S., this age group accounts for 30 percent, or $19 billion in total costs that are associated with injuries sustained by motor vehicle crashes among males and 28 percent, or $7 billion in total costs that are associated with injuries sustained by motor vehicle crashes among females.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Approximately 60 percent of people who are on the autism spectrum or who have been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease are estimated to wander off, making for a very frightening situation for loved ones. Those who wander off are at risk of serious injury or worse, but it looks like Floridians who are have family members who are living with autism or Alzheimer’s could be getting help in the near future.A bill was recently passed by the Senate that will provide those who wander off with GPS tracking devices.

According to Senator Charlie Dean (R-Inverness), this bill is the starting point for a program that intends to assist in locating and saving those who have special needs and wander off.

The program, which is already underway in Tallahassee, Florida’s capital city, has proven to be effective.

According to Debbie Moroney, who runs the Alzheimer’s Project, a non-profit organization in Tallahassee, 85 bracelets are already being used and there is a waiting list for more. The Alzheimer’s Project works in conjunction with the Sheriff’s Office, who monitors the GPS bracelets when they are alerted that someone has gone missing. Read the rest of this entry »

Vending machine businesses come in many shapes and sizes. From large scale organizations that vend DVD movie rentals to smaller mom and pop companies that supply local businesses with snack machines and more, vending machines present business opportunities for the enterprising among us. Larger vending machine operators, in particular, can benefit greatly from GPS fleet tracking technology. These are just a few prime examples.

Improve Vehicle Maintenance

Believe it or not, getting proper routine maintenance can extend the life of your service vehicles greatly. Your trucks spend a great deal of time on the road each day. From servicing machines and installing new ones, to filling the machines on various routes, your drivers are logging a lot of miles on any given day. These miles equate to wear and tear on the trucks.

Routine maintenance helps to keep everything operating smoothly and helps service providers get a first glimpse at potential problems that need to be addressed. Taking care of these problems before they become big problems can prevent accidents and breakdowns. More importantly, it can keep your trucks fully operational for extra years – saving your vending machine business a great deal of money. Just one extra year per vehicle represents phenomenal savings. Read the rest of this entry »