With GPS tracking technology, sharks in Western Australia are able to send tweets out about their location and movements.

Modern tracking technology with global positioning software (GPS) and social media have combined in a study being conducted by government researchers in Western Australia. A total of 338 sharks have been tagged with these GPS trackers in order to monitor their location.

The GPS trackers are programmed so that when a shark is a half mile from the beach, an alert tweet is sent out to let others know about its proximity to the shore. The tweet feed is located under Surf Life Saving Western Australia’s twitter feed, which includes the location and shark breed, as well as the time detected.

The reasoning behind this tracking project is that there have been more fatal attacks in Australia than other countries by sharks since 2011, with six fatal attacks in just two years. Read the rest of this entry »

The Department of Transportation considers requiring a speed limiter to be installed on all trucks over 26,000 pounds in an effort to reduce vehicle crashes.

This new rule is being suggested by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to improve highway safety for truck drivers and others on the road.

The organizations want to institute a rule that requires all trucks over a certain weight to have speed limiters that prevent them from going over a certain speed. As of now, that weight is likely going to be 26,000 pounds or more on roads which have posted limits equal to or greater than 55 m.p.h.

Truck driver safety and road safety are becoming a hot topic lately, with several new rules and mandates being proposed. The FMCSA has already required an e-log and recorder mandate, driver coercion rule, drug and alcohol clearinghouse, and a Safety Fitness Determination rule. In addition to electronic logs proposed to improve safety and efficiency on trucks and buses, the Department of Transportation is proposing a speed limiter rule. Read the rest of this entry »

Baby manatees in Florida get tracked with GPS to learn more about them and hopefully save them from extinction.

In Miami, Florida, manatees are considered an endangered animal, and are at risk of someday becoming extinct. Researchers at the Seaquarium in Miami are hoping that with the help of GPS tracking technology, they can learn more about their regular behavior, daily habits, and what dangers them the most, in order to protect them.

The research started two years ago when biologists found an injured baby manatee in a Key Largo canal, struggling and needing rehabilitation. They helped the manatee at the Seaquarium — naming him Pilgrim. The manatee is now at its adult size at 620 pounds and 7.5 feet long. After being rescued from a deep water canal, it is now outfitted with a GPS tracker and sent back into the ocean. Read the rest of this entry »

Like drivers of landscaping companies, pest control company drivers spend a lot of time on the road every day. And like many industries that do business today, this is one that benefits greatly from GPS tracking. In fact, GPS pest control tracking reduces expenses, increases productivity, and provides a greatly improved profit margin for large and small pest control businesses alike. These are a few of the reasons why.

Verify Termite Treatments and Other Service Calls

It’s important to know where your drivers are at all times. When it comes to termite treatments and other service calls, you want to be able to verify the amount of time spent on any given property in case a customer decides to dispute a charge. GPS tracking records where the truck is at all times during the day. It’s a simple matter to verify the location for your customer’s knowledge as well as provide evidence to support your charges if the case goes to court. Read the rest of this entry »

A company in South Africa puts a stop to gravestone robberies with GPS tracking.

Of all the things GPS tracking is being used for, stolen gravestones may be the most surprising. But in South Africa, where gravestone robberies are becoming a problem, it is now a necessity.

In Johannesburg, there are 36 cemeteries and approximately 20 marble and granite tombstones are stolen from these cemeteries every month. The gravestone material is sold on the black market, typically to dishonest stonemasons.

The GPS transmitting system is called Memorial Alert, and includes a transmitter that is placed inside the headstone. It can detect anyone tampering with the gravestone, setting off the internal sensor. Not only is the owner of the memorial and local authorities alerted through text message by this sensor, but an alarm sounds to deter the attempted thief. Read the rest of this entry »