Technology takes GPS tracking one step further by tracking shopper’s habits through their shopping carts.

Everywhere you look, research teams are being compiled to utilize modern technology, including global positioning systems (GPS), for gathering important data. The latest use for this GPS tracking technology is in shopping carts. Not just one supermarket is using this technology, but in several locations in the world, and for different reasons.

The first is being used in New Zealand, with a device called the PathFinder. A supermarket in Auckland is using the GPS tracking device in shopping carts and hand-held baskets to track the shopper’s habits. It looks at data such as what departments the customer shops in, how they select groceries, and how much they spend. Most GPS tracking studies and projects inform the person they are being tracked, but not in this case. Read the rest of this entry »

Businesses today are finding that there are many unexpected benefits for using GPS tracking technology in vehicles and even on equipment. The construction industry is no different. In addition to the primary benefit of routing and traffic concerns, GPS tracking can help construction companies in quite a few additional ways, including those mentioned below.

Reduces Fuel Costs

Every penny counts in construction businesses. While fuel may not be the biggest expense your business faces, chances are good that it’s big enough that substantial savings would not go unnoticed. Think of all the fuel your construction businesses uses traveling from one jobsite to another or utilizing the heavy equipment needed for the job. GPS routing can help you find the shortest, most fuel efficient routes, all the while helping you avoid congested traffic situations that waste fuel. Read the rest of this entry »

Researchers have successfully tracked the movements of wild parrots in New Zealand using GPS telemetry, according to an article The Auk, published by the American Ornithologists’ Union.

The Purpose of the Study

The goal was to understand now the Kea, officially known as Nestor notabilis, behave, what migratory routes they use and when they interact with humans. Researchers were able to tell what they ate and when, and how they spent their time.

Prior to the use of GPS tracking technology, scientists found it very difficult to track parrots because they are naturally curious and refuse to follow completely standard routes. Read the rest of this entry »

The hard work of managing a successful plumbing business is about to get much easier. If you’ve been sitting on the fence about getting GPS for your plumbing fleet, now is the time to move on over to the greener side. The benefits of GPS fleet tracking for your business are simply too good to pass up, beginning with these.

Happier Customers

No one has to tell you how impatient plumbing customers can be. Whether it’s frozen pipes, toilet cracks, or leaks spread throughout the house when plumbing emergencies occur, homeowners want relief right away.

The ability to provide spot-on estimates when it comes to arrival times provides instant peace of mind to customers and the ability to track the driver’s location as he approaches the home saves your dispatchers the chore of answering endless calls asking “Is he coming sometime this century?”

GPS fleet tracking allows you to provide accurate timetables while also providing you with the ability to let customers track your trucks as they are on the way. It’s a great way to make them happy and keep them satisfied with your service. Read the rest of this entry »

Homeland Security wants to find out where immigrants go after crossing the Mexico-United States border, and will do so by tracking them with GPS tracking devices.

The Homeland Security Department in the United States decided to choose people who were caught attempting to cross the border from Mexico into the U.S. after being released from their custody. They informed them that they would not force them back into Mexico, but in exchange for their release, would need to wear GPS tracking ankle bracelets and report back to them regularly.

The border being tracked is between Mexico and the Rio Grande Valley in Texas. It began in September when there was a meeting between a group of immigrant advocates and the Homeland Security Department. The advocates informed the government agency that approximately 70 percent of immigrants who travel as families failed to report to immigration after they were released at the border. Read the rest of this entry »