Science has discovered a new way to learn about wetlands. University of Missouri researchers recently fitted 20 mallard ducks with GPS trackers in order to closely track their migrations patterns as they make their journey from Canada into the U.S. Midwest and then back again.

The GPS tracking technology was able to follow their movements closely and to determine that the ducks rely heavily on public and private wetlands during their yearly migrations.

The GPS tracking devices attached to the ducks operated are solar powered and transmit the ducks’ locations every four hours so that researchers were able to monitor the ducks in real time.

Dylan Kesler, assistant professor of fisheries and wildlife for the College of Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources at MU, stresses that this is a signal of just how important these wetland areas are and the need for substantial efforts to maintain and protect these wetlands. Read the rest of this entry »

Solar flares may soon be predicted with the invention of an advanced computer simulation program.

For many years, scientists have been looking for a way to predict solar flares. Solar flares, which are a flash of bright light occurring over the Sun, can have a great impact even here on Earth. They affect different layers of the solar atmosphere, including the chromospheres, corona and photosphere. The radiation produced from solar flares can also disrupt satellite communications, which can have a direct impact on GPS navigation and GPS tracking.

By looking for ways to predict solar flares before they occur, scientists believe the impact will be lessened, particularly with these essential communications on Earth. Now, scientists from ETH Zurich believe they have the solution.

They have invented a computer simulation that may soon lead to the potential of predicting these solar storms before they occur, in order to better prepare for them.

Solar storms and solar flares can release more energy than is produced in a volcanic eruption, which is up to a million times as much energy. When the energy reaches Earth, it affects satellites, electrical plants, and radio traffic with all the excess energy coming from the sun’s surface. In 2003, there was a major solar flare that caused major power failure and communication failure in Sweden. In 2012, there was yet another large solar flare. Read the rest of this entry »

It seems that bears in Yosemite are going after more than picnic baskets these days, leaving wildlife management personnel looking for a new tool to help the more than four million park visitors from bear activity throughout the year. This tool is a GPS tracking device.

How big is Yosemite’s bear problem?

As recently as 20 years ago, it was not at all uncommon for bears to damage cars in search of food. As many as 600 cars per year became targets of bears in search of grub.

The new solution they’ve found?

Thanks to advances in GPS tracking technology over the past several years, the park is going to outfit 20 of its bears with shiny new collars complete with GPS trackers to help rangers keep up with what’s going on with bear population.

Specifically, rangers are looking for information concerning where bears are, how often they wander into campground areas, and which bears are the primary offenders. Read the rest of this entry »

HVAC companies are constantly on the move. Fleet vehicles must continuously make service calls, perform installations, and even perform routine maintenance on HVAC systems throughout the cities where you conduct your business. This takes a toll on trucks and drivers — not to mention a huge chunk of change out of the profit category each year.

But, did you know something as simple as a GPS HVAC tracking system can actually save your business money each year? That’s only the tip of the iceberg though. These types of benefits are perfect reasons for HVAC companies to consider GPS fleet tracking services.

More Accurate ETA Reporting

People are either boiling in their homes or turning into ice cubes when their air conditioning units or heaters are out of commission. They only thing they want more than the problem solved is an accurate estimation for when the HVAC technician is going to arrive.

With GPS HVAC fleet tracking, you can accurately estimate the amount of time it will take service personnel to arrive based on their current location and current traffic situations. This makes you a real hero in the eyes of your customers. Read the rest of this entry »

The Third Circuit Court of Appeals recently rendered a somewhat shocking, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), verdict. It was an eight to five decision in the case U.S. v. Katzin.

The surprising decision is that evidence derived from the warrantless use of GPS tracking is, in fact admissible in court, in some situations. The ruling relies on a massively expanded interpretation of the good faith exception to the exclusionary rule spelled out in the Fourth Amendment.

The majority opinion held that officers acted in good faith based on years of precedence when using tracking technology for beepers in previous cases without a warrant.

In building the case against Katzin, police, who suspected Katzin of a string of Rite-Aid pharmacy robberies, attached a GPS tracker to Katzin’s car and used information discovered as a result of the GPS tracking device to arrest Harry Katzin. They did this in absence of probable cause or a warrant.

The evidence was initially excluded by a federal judge in Pennsylvania as a result of its lack of a warrant. It was then appealed to a three-judge panel who were divided on the issue. The matter then went before the full court who reached an eight to five decision holding that because they were acting in good faith at the time, the search was admissible. Read the rest of this entry »