Footballs being used in Australian football may soon be tracked with GPS, adding to the amount of technology now being utilized in sports around the world.

GPS tracking being used in sports is not new; the players of various sports, including football, rugby, basketball, and soccer, have been used all over the world. However, using them in the actual balls is something else entirely different.

A company in Australia is looking to utilize GPS trackers in footballs in early 2015. The company wants to use the GPS tracking devices in both the Australian Football League (AFL) and at the National Rugby League (NRL).

The tracking devices they are proposing to use in Australia will be about the size of a dime, and will be battery operated. These tracking devices will use GPS technology, which allows the team coaches to monitor the ball’s speed and how long each player has hold of the ball. Read the rest of this entry »

The US Air Force and Boeing have joined forces to build a new GPS satellite in orbit.

The eight global positioning system (GPS) IIF satellite has finally joined the other 30 satellites that currently make up a GPS constellation in orbit. The GPS satellite device was built by Boeing and is owned and monitored by the US Air Force (USAF).

The satellite, called the GPS IIF-8 satellite, is now finally active. In October, it was launched on the United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas 5 rocket, coming from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

This marks the fourth GPS-IIF satellite to become active and be put into service by Boeing and the USAF just in 2014 alone. They continue to improve the modern technology of the constellation, being used by people all over the world for GPS tracking and GPS navigation. This is a great achievement, according to Dan Hart, who is the vice president of the Boeing Network and Space Systems. He told reporters:

“We made great progress this year in the quest to modernise GPS services. With two-thirds of the 12 Boeing GPS IIFs now on orbit, the constellation is setting new records for accuracy and the Boeing GPS IIF’s are consistently among the best performing.” Read the rest of this entry »

Michigan drivers can now log into their computers to see when snow has been cleared from their regular road routes. For Michigan residents, the immense amounts of snow have been their point of pride. There is always a good snow story to be told in this area from a complete whiteout to not being able to find their car after a blizzard.

In the winter of 1978 – 1979, Michigan saw a record snowfall total of 355.90 inches. During the winter of 1930 – 1931, it experienced their least amount of snowfall which was 81.30 inches. And last year, they experienced over 181.50 inches.

The Michigan Tech Keweenaw Research Center measures the snow near the Houghton County Memorial Airport. In Keweenaw Peninsula at the northmost portion, the snow is measured near Delaware by the Keweenaw County Road Commission, where the snowfall usually is greater than the Houghton County recordings. Read the rest of this entry »

According to the recently released National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) 2013 Annual Holiday Vehicle Theft Report crime doesn’t take a break for the holidays. In fact, New Year’s Day represented the highest number of vehicle thefts for a holiday in 2013 with 2,184 thefts.

The thieves, it seems, weren’t scared straight for Halloween either. It was the second busiest day for thieves with a total of 1,998 thefts. Days at the beach apparently presented ample opportunities too since Memorial Day and Labor Day were also big holidays for car thefts in 2013, making them third and fourth, at 1,972 and 1,915, respectively, for total number of car thefts.

Independence Day, though, came in eighth among holidays however, with 1,750 thefts – just below Christmas Eve, which only had 1,774. Surprisingly enough, New Year’s Eve, Thanksgiving, and Christmas day rounded out the bottom of the list at ninth, tenth, and eleventh.

The one day of 2013 that had the highest overall thefts, was August 12 which experienced 2,316 thefts in one day. Christmas Day had the least. Read the rest of this entry »

As a fleet manager, you’re in charge of important business functions like managing your fleets, ensuring all daily office operations are running smoothly, and keeping your customers satisfied. Many fleet business owners swear by the use of GPS fleet tracking to improve business operations.

Below are 5 ways this type of tracking can help your business.

1. Reduce Fleet Maintenance Expenses

Being able to set up reminders for vehicle maintenance is one of the most powerful features of GPS tracking. Having the ability to keep up on vehicle maintenance is a great way to keep your drivers on the road and making your company money. Vehicle maintenance can often be put in the back of your mind with all the hustle of your other busy tasks and responsibilities. With GPS fleet tracking, you can actually set reminders for things like oil changes, tire rotations, brake pads, wiper blades and more so your company vehicles stay in good condition.

2. Eliminate Employee Moonlighting or Vehicle Misuse

Employee moonlighting is a real problem and the National Labor Bureau even says that almost six percent of workers are also engaged in other side jobs on company time. Your business can lose money because of this. With extra fuel costs and vehicle maintenance you are actually paying out money to have your workers work for someone else. GPS tracking can help to prevent income theft like this. You can set up geofence alerts that will tell you the precise location of your fleet vehicles at any time of day or night. Read the rest of this entry »