Mid way through 2015, Uber, the mobile ride sharing company, began to track its China drivers through the use of GPS tracking. During this time, the GPS tracking devices were used to track if the drivers were attending protests in the Eastern China city of Hangzhou. Even though the protests were thought to be an isolated occurrence, Uber started up a new pilot program to monitor some of its drivers quietly.

Uber has said that if any of their drivers disobeyed their commands, they would cancel their contracts, according to The Wall Street Journal. The GPS coordinates would help the company find out if indeed any drivers were being part of the protests. The program was put in place to maintain social order, the company stated.

The program is also going to help the company out with customer complaints about its drivers braking too hard or speeding. Small movements can be measured through phone gyrometers while accelerometers and GPS tracking can indicate the overall speed of its vehicles as well as how often they start and stop, says Uber’s chief security officer, Joe Sullivan. If a complaint comes in that a driver braked too hard or was speeding, the company can use data to review that particular trip. Read the rest of this entry »

Through the unseasonably frigid temperatures of Florida and gusty winds, the ULA Atlas V carried a GPS tracking device IIF-12 navigation satellite into space. This completed the sequence of next generation GPS IIF satellites, which are vital on a 24/7 basis to both civilian and military users.

A number of improvements were incorporated into these GPS IIF satellites over the first GPS satellite series, including their ability to offer increased signals, greater accuracy, and enhanced performance for users.

GPS tracking and navigation technology is still thought to be the ‘Gold Standard’, which offers precise navigation, timing, tracking, and positioning services worldwide to users, according to director of the GPS Directorate of Space and Missile Systems Center, Col. Steve Whitney.

Commander of the Joint Functional Component Command for Space and 14th Air Force commander, Lt. Gen. David J. Buck said the launch of the last Block IIF GPS satellites marked a huge milestone for the program and this program continues with unheard-of support from the general public and our military forces. Read the rest of this entry »

With the recent passing of Valentine’s Day, many couples celebrated their love all over the world. However, they might have been up to something a little more malevolent this past holiday. MS News Now out of Mississippi is bringing the story of…how some buy flowers while others buy GPS tracking devices on Valentine’s Day.

Many people were anxious to find out if their other half was being faithful. This past Valentine’s Day, some found out! In order to seize the chance to catch their loved one in the act, some chose to purchase teddy bears for their other half on Valentine’s Day, only they were equipped with hidden security cameras.

You would wonder who would even try to be unfaithful on a romantic day like this.

Each Valentine’s Day, the sale of candy, flowers, and jewelry rise, but the sales of tracking devices also rise, according to insiders in the industry.

In fact, the owner of one particular online spy shop claims his sales increase up to 40 percent before every Valentine’s Day as suspicion rises between spouses. The owner who operates his business reveals that it’s not his job to actually catch the suspected cheaters, but rather only to provide and sell the gadgets. Read the rest of this entry »

GPS tracking technology has a lot to offer many different types of business. Refrigerator repair companies, in particular, stand to benefit from GPS tracking in a wide variety of ways. These are a few of the highlights you may want to consider while exploring the potential benefits GPS tracking has to offer your refrigerator repair business.

Improves Response Times

When someone’s fridge is on the fritz, the last thing they want is a long wait while wondering if they’re going to lose all the food the refrigerator is holding. Those can be long and agonizing hours – especially for people who really don’t have the money it would take to refill their fridge or even part of it. Getting there fast allows you to save the day and become their biggest hero for a day. GPS fleet tracking quickly identifies the nearest truck, pinpoints the fastest route to get there, and then directs the drivers around potential traffic snarls along the way to avoid unnecessary delays.

Simplifies the Dispatch Process

Dispatchers are amazing people who sometimes accomplish the impossible. GPS fleet tracking helps take some of the burden off the men and women who provide dispatch services by doing the heavy lifting of identifying the right driver and fastest route in a matter of seconds. This helps dispatchers move on from one crisis to the next much faster and still provides accurate directions for drivers to follow. Read the rest of this entry »

Less than 100 years ago, there was no such thing as GPS tracking on snow plows and it could be days before the snow plows made it to your streets. These days, this is no longer the case. Now, it only takes a few clicks of your mouse to see if the state roads have been plowed yet. And more and more municipalities and counties are employing GPS tracking for their snow plowing and the benefits it provides.

For instance, earlier this winter, weather forecasters anticipated that around 16 inches of snow was going to fall on Madison County. The predictions of when the snow storm would begin and what the accumulation would be varied, however, prior to the storm, the three local governments of the county spent a full day preparing for it. Snow plows were lined up in their garage filled with fuel and salt ready to tackle the roads. Next to the garage off Madison Ave was a shed filled with loads of salt for refilling the trucks.

Residents were finally able to track their county roads and see when they were going to be plowed or if they have already been thanks to an Internet connection and GPS tracking. Read the rest of this entry »