Gps

[Chuck]

Global Positioning Satellite.

I got one of these things the other day to find out what direction I am going. The only thing I learned it I am here, or there depending on where I am standing.

GPS in it primitive stat only tells you where you are at. If you already know this then GPS will do you no good.

Another thing GPS is good for is to tell others where you are at. This is how On Star works. On Star is a paid service that monitors you by a GPS unit. It uses cellular towers or Cell Phone Technology to communicate with you.

The GPS I have is borrowed from a friend just so i can play with it. What I have learned is that when I am standing it will tell me exactly where I am at. That is all that Latitude and Longitude stuff that really doesn't help me find out how to get there.

You see my first impression was you get a GPS. Then turn it on. A really cool map pops up and shows me where I am at. Then I can type in where I want to go and it will give me the directions to "There".

Nope, not in it raw state. Now not to totally confuse you, you can purchase a Laptop PC and some software allow with a DATA connection cable. This will allow you to have the total mapping solution.

I don't have the extended software package so I can only except what the advertiser Tell me about it. Since I have no intention of spending an extra $2000 bux only to find out where I am standing. That is if the software don't work.

A basic GPS does do alittle more which I find scary. It tells me how high I am from sea level. If I am flying it will tell me how high I am flying from sea level and also how far it is to get back to the ground. It will also tell me how fast I am falling to the ground. :eek:

Which brings me to speed. It will tell me how fast I am traveling. It does this with a VERY high degree of accuracy. How Accurate you ask? If I walk 3 MPH it will detect it and track my exact position while doing it. It could follow my movement as slow as 0.5 MPH.

It can tell me what HWY I am on. If I pull off the rode and drive, say like a road or a road side ditch not programed into the GPS is will tell me how far away from the road I am.

Really the thing gives me more information than I want while not delivering the information I expected. I guess I need to spend more money to get it to do what I like it to do.

So here are my options. Spend between $300 to $3000 bux on GPS and Software that will inevitably become out dated 2 weeks after I purchase it.

Or,,, Spend $10 bux on a map that was out dated a year ago. Then ask for directions to roads that are not on the map.

While GPS is cool to play with it is scary that my location can be track by each step I take in any direction.

Maps are a pain to fold but not so scary and not to mention cheaper. I believe I will stay with the paper map and give my wallet the afternoon off.

Now for the FAR SIDE!!!
Picture this and REMEMBER we currently have the technology to do this right now. On Star uses it in some degree.

GPS in all cars. All cars have RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) transmitters. All people in the car have RFID Transmitters inserted in their bodies.

A car or someone behind you trips the RFID in the car to read your GPS information. Then he reads all the RFID Transmitters in all the people in the car. This person now knows:
1. Who You Are.
2. What you are driving.
3. Where you are going.
4. Who is going with you.
5. How many Teeth your dentist pulled last week. (Patriot Act in play)

Now same scenario only a man with a computer in a government office 1000 miles away from you. Doing the same thing only using you cell phone to transmit the data.

Makes you thankful for poor cellular service,,, ya think.

[kcredden]

I'm not suprised on the mapping software. I've tried several brands, and basically out here in the boonies, it's a bad joke. I put in for example the address of our Real-estate office in vanceburg. It put us almost 50 MILES from where it was accually.

And when it came to use it for our appraisal business, half-the-time there wasn't anything where it's suppose to be. Of course, every version comes out with even more roads...yeah right.

I just get the paper maps off the internet from various sources and print/copy them. GPS would be nice, once they get some of the bugs worked out, but it'd have to be cheap for this tightwad :)

[ynotamerican]

All very Orwellian don't ya think?

[Chuck]

Orwellian is the effect I was shooting for while pointing out we are on a track of inevitability to use this technology for this purpose.

Some day this fact will happen. It will be for the children and to help catch criminals and terrorist,,, so we will be told.

What makes it scary is the technology to do this is here. It just needs to be perfected and adapted. The laws to incorporate this technology are already in place.

Next step is to scaring people into the need to have and use it.

Falls under the rule if there where not any viruses would we need virus scanners.

[mark]

........I have a problem with this service. Yes, it is good when one needs to be found or emergencies.

However, it also invades privacy. What about those of us that has employment away from the office??

Salesmen, truckers, UPS drivers, meter readers, etc. can now be tracked as to their movements & that allows employers to get info to fire employees if they aren't working fast enough...............or...................if they are driving too fast etc. in the employers' eyes...............or a number of other issues.

That's NOT good....................see ya Mark

[Daphne]

A well known Trucking Company has been able to track their drivers to some degree for many years now. When my father drove a truck I remember him telling me that their speed was watched and they made sure that the driver didn't drive anymore than 8 to 10 hours a day or they would shut down his rig. Technology has come a long way since then.

[tkcomer]

It seems to me while down at Eastgate I saw a cell phone outfit advertising keeping track of your employees. Know where they are and that sort of thing. It’s been a couple of months and I don’t remember the ad exactly, but I didn’t like it. But look on the bright side. If all legal citizens got RFIDs, a company could not hire a person that didn’t speak a lick of english and say, “I didn’t know they were an illegal immigrant.” We could keep track of sex offenders. And naturally you wouldn’t refuse to have one put in would you? Wouldn’t want to be unpatriotic. Only the unsavory would refuse. The government doesn’t care about “you”. It’s those “others” they’re after. Ain’t technology great.

[Chuck]

I'll take the RFID, GPS tacking life style. Yes I will. Right after the pry the gun from my cold dead hand.

Remember the when the Patriot Act passed. They said it was for Homeland Security and to help find terrorist.

The 1st use of the Patriot act was to raid a suspected Brothel. Second time it was used was for a suspected drug smuggler.

Neither place or persons where charged or convicted of any crime. All main Suspects where held for 30 days at an undisclosed location.

Now I am for them using these laws as a tool but not as a 1st resort without any hard evidence.

The US Constitution is looking like an old piece of paper with faded ink.