Smartphone thefts are becoming so pervasive throughout the United States that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has recently embarked on a quest to combat the crime, including working with wireless companies on the growing problem.

In major cities, like DC and New York, approximately 40 percent of all thefts now involve cell phones, according to the FCC. In D.C. for example, the percentage of cell phone robberies is up over 50 percent.  These robberies not only endanger the physical safety of their victim, but the safety of the confidential and personal information left behind on the stolen devices.

Based upon the mobile revolution and the safety and security of the people and devices that are part of the digital era, the FCC and other law enforcement officials are urging people to take steps to secure their device, and help law enforcement catch the suspects who steal these mobile devices. Read the rest of this entry »

In January 2012, the Supreme Court ruled in a landmark United States v. Jones case that attaching a GPS tracking device to a vehicle without a search warrant was considered an unlawful search and seizure.

However, last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled differently in the United States v. Pineda-Moreno case relating to warrantless GPS tracking of a vehicle. In the case, a three-judge panel upheld the criminal conviction in a case involving a suspected marijuana grower, who had his vehicle tracked by a GPS tracking device without first being issued a search warrant. Specifically, information gathered by law enforcement agents using a GPS tracking device prior to the Supreme Court’s January 2012 ruling necessitating the use of a warrant was deemed legal as evidence in the Pineda-Moreno case. Read the rest of this entry »

A 76 year old Illinois woman, had the scare of her life when she fell through an open manhole behind a store in Palantine, Illinois.   The woman apparently was disoriented and did not know where she was.  Luckily, quick thinking dispatchers used the cellphone’s GPS to pinpoint her location.  She was rescued a short time later!  Thank goodness for technology.

NBC-2.com WBBH News for Fort Myers, Cape Coral

Much to the chagrin of children enjoying the last bit of their summer vacation, any day now school will begin in the tens of thousands of schools around the country. And along with school being back in session, comes the parade of yellow-school buses hauling some of our nation’s very precious cargo.

But this year, many more parents, along with school district administrators, will have extra assurance that their children will get to and from school safely — thanks to GPS trackers.

From Jefferson County Public Schools in Kentucky to a Pueblo Colorado school district to Chicago Public Schools, an increasing number of school districts are implementing the tracking of their fleet of school buses via GPS tracking technology. Read the rest of this entry »

Customarily, you want your GPS navigation system to provide you with the quickest way to get to your destination. But with gasoline prices hovering just below the $4 a gallon mark — and in some cities above $4 — you might be more interested in knowing the route that uses the least amount of gasoline.

That’s where eco-routing GPS tracking comes in. Also referred to as “green routing”, eco-routing is taking into account real-time traffic information, road grade, road type, passenger weight, and cargo weight.

In addition to providing you with the route that attempts to minimize your distance travelled, newer-generation GPS systems that have this eco-routing technology can factor in emissions and energy consumption. Read the rest of this entry »