China starts work on Hainan launch center highlighting satellite, space exploration ambitions

China broke ground Monday on its fourth space center, highlighting the country's continuing ambitions for satellite launches and space exploration six years after sending its first man into orbit.
Read full story from The Morning Call

Never forget where you were with the JOBO photoGPS

What's worse than having to watch Aunt May's and Uncle Stan's ridiculously long digital 'slide show' of their recent European vacation? Listening to them argue over where each photo was taken, and what it is.
Read full story from Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine

Proceeds of crime fund new Abbotsford police bait car device

Abbotsford South MLA John van Dongen presented the Abbotsford Police with $8,000 in funding from the provincial government's civil forfeiture program on Friday.
Read full story from Abbotsford News

War of technologies in California speeding case

A California speeding ticket case to be decided in coming weeks puts a new twist on the age-old cops versus drivers battle, pitting police radar against personal GPS tracking devices.
Read full story from Christian Science Monitor

Greenland's melt mystery hard to crack

Suddenly and without warning, the gigantic river of ice sped up, causing it to spit icebergs ever faster into the ocean off southeastern Greenland.
Read full story from MSNBC

PerkinElmer receives contract valued at $15 million-plus for work on GPS satellite program

Industrial sciences company PerkinElmer Inc. said Thursday it received a contract valued at more than $15 million from ITT Corp.'s space systems division to support a next-generation satellite program.
Read full story from Hampton Roads Daily Press

This and That - Gadgets make the world go 'round

I've always been a gadget person. I owned one of the first portable radios. It was a big, tube-driven Motorola with a rotating black handle that doubled as an antenna.
Read full story from Tampa Bay Newspapers

NavSync Introduces GPS Synchronized Time Reference With...

NavSync offers a new solution for mobile providers with the CW47, a GPS timing reference that enables synchronization for externally available T1 and E1.
Read full story from Wireless Design Online

New iPods expected from Apple's conference

September is the time of year when Apple refreshes its iPod line, so it's fairly safe to assume the press conference Apple is holding Wednesday, starting at 10 am Pacific time, will include news on the company's media players.
Read full story from Consumer Reports

5" Portable Touch Screen GPS Navigator - Bluetooth

I like to shop around for new gadgets that other people have yet gotten a hold of.
Read full story from Associated Content

Somalia: How Diaspora Funds Somali Pirates

Somali pirates may be receiving support from foreign sources, including their kin in the diaspora, some of whom provide critical intelligence and other information on shipping expeditions along the Red Sea leading to an increase in the number of attacks on ships off the Somali coast.
Read full story from AllAfrica.com

Barnidge: Dugard case pinpoints need for better communication among law enforcement agencies

THE SORDID TALE of Jaycee Dugard's kidnapping, rape and imprisonment for 18 years is the story that launched a thousand newscasts.
Read full story from Ledger Dispatch

Apple thefts continue, but don't work so well for the crooks

In this case, 2 dumb criminals. This latest foiled crime involved the theft of 4 iPhones from the Apple Palisades store in West Nyack, New York.
Read full story from The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)

Connor-Winfield Announces Compact, Integrated GPS Timing...

Connor-Winfield's TiMax Wi125 is a small OEM surface mount GPS module specifically designed for use in synchronization and timing in WiMax applications.
Read full story from RF Globalnet

Lawyers for defendant in shooting of girl, 5, to call GPS maker

Attorneys for the teenager accused of shooting a 5-year-old girl in Southwest Baltimore plan to call the vendor for the state juvenile services' GPS ankle-monitoring system as a defense witness to show that the device provides an alibi.
Read full story from The Baltimore Sun

Every Baltimore patrol officer to get a BlackBerry

The Baltimore Police Department plans to equip more than 2,000 officers with sophisticated smart phones allowing them to check warrants, retrieve driver's license photos and conduct background checks on hand-held devices, an initiative designed to get police out of patrol cars and walking the beat.
Read full story from Police Marksman

Trimble Introduces New FmX Functionality for Agriculture Guidance Applications

Trimble introduced today extended precision agriculture capabilities with the release of the Trimble Ag GPS FmX integrated display version 2.0. Version 2.0 offers affordable and innovative options for broader applications, allowing a wider range of farmers to be more efficient and productive.
Read full story from GISCafe

Trimble Expands the Reach of its VRS Now Service to Include the Czech ...

Trimble announced today the launch of Trimble VRS Now service in the Czech Republic as well as in the state of Mississippi.
Read full story from The South Mississippi Sun Herald

GPS device maps show their age

The GPS chip in this phone transmits speed and location data to researchers at the University of California at Berkeley who are using algorithms that will provide the driver with up-to-the-minute traffic information.
Read full story from CNET News.com I Tech Blog

Trimble Introduces Ag3000 Modem to Access VRS Networks for High Accuracy Farming Applications

Trimble introduced today the Ag3000 modem. When installed as part of a Trimble AgGPS Autopilot system, the quad-band GSM/GPRS modem allows farmers to improve machine guidance accuracy by accessing network correction signals that use Trimble VRS technology via a cellular connection.
Read full story from Customer Interaction Solutions

Allegheny County mulls using GPS to track sex offenders

Bobby Kerlik can be reached via e-mail or at 412-391-0927. Allegheny County officials said Monday they are considering a technology-savvy way to restrict sex offenders from schools and parks by tracking them through GPS.
Read full story from PittsburghLIVE.com

Can GPS Prevent Child Abductions?

The recent recovery of Jaycee Lee Dugard , who was located 18 years after being abducted by a stranger, once again has parents thinking about how to protect their own kids.
Read full story from CBS News

Monitor in Mill Ave. rape case didn't give suspect's location

The monitoring device that Akram Abdul-Hameed was wearing on Mill Avenue the night he was accused of raping a woman on Mill Avenue could not track his whereabouts other than letting authorities know whether he was in his home, a Maricopa County Adult Probation Department official confirmed.

Read full story from Arizona Republic

Trimble Launches Webinar Series for GPS and GIS Professionals

Trimble announced today the launch of a new Webinar series for the Global Positioning System and Geographic Information System professional.
Read full story from GISUser.com

PCTEL Delivers Precision Aviation GPS Antennas For Deployment in India

PCTEL, Inc. , a leader in propagation and wireless network optimization solutions, announced today that a major U.S. defense contractor will deploy PCTEL's high precision Wide Area Augmentation System ground station GPS antennas for the Indian Space Research Organization and Airports Authority of India.
Read full story from Freshnews

PCTEL Delivers Precision Aviation GPS Antennas For Deployment in India

PCTEL, Inc. , a leader in propagation and wireless network optimization solutions, announced today that a major U.S. defense contractor will deploy PCTEL's high precision Wide Area Augmentation System ground station GPS antennas for the Indian Space Research Organization and Airports Authority of India.
Read full story from Freshnews

Mugging Victim Tracks Assailants Via IPhone's GPS

A man mugged on a street in Shadyside helped Pittsburgh police catch the assailants using his iPhone.
Read full story from ThePittsburghChannel

GPS technology allows more house arrests

Jackie Flear, jailed for thousands of dollars in unpaid traffic tickets, would have spent another month in Northampton County Prison if not for a new ankle bracelet.
Read full story from The Morning Call

GPS device helps police make arrest in sex case

Your car's probably equipped with GPS technology and possibly your cell phone too.
Read full story from WTOP

New York City to track its building inspectors with GPS

The new scrutiny comes after an inspector was charged last year with faking a report that he had inspected a crane days before it collapsed and killed seven people.
Read full story from KLEW-TV Lewiston

LoJack for Your Child

If you're a parent, you know that you can't be with your children 24/7. So how do you safe guard them against the ever looming threat of stranger danger? Thanks to the geniuses over at Amber Alert GPS, parental units everywhere can breath a little easier with the release of the Amber Alert GPS 2G.
Read full story from Popgadget

I feel a change comin' on ... turn left.

Bob Dylan ... the answer, my friend, is now blowing out of a SatNav. August 26, 2009 - 2:19PM Bob Dylan is considering lending his voice to a SatNav system, raising the prospect of having the music legend growlingly tell you: "You have reached your destination," spiritually or otherwise.
Read full story from The Sydney Morning Herald

Ways with GPS

ALTHOUGH originally developed by the US military , GPS is now used all over the world by professionals, civilians and hobbyists alike as tools for map-making, land surveying, commerce, scientific uses, tracking and surveillance, and so on.
Read full story from The Star Online

Families of dementia patients given new peace-of-mind by GPS devices which track their every move

Dementia sufferers are being electronically tagged and tracked by satellite by a council.
Read full story from Daily Mail

Dylan In Talks To Voice GPS System

Dylan In Talks To Voice GPS System
Bob Dylan is set to lend his unmistakeable voice to a satellite navigation system.
Read full story from KHYT-FM Tucson

Rapist charged with sex assault, thanks to GPS

Rapist charged with sex assault, thanks to GPS
A GPS tracking device has linked a convicted sex offender to a sexual assault last month in the town of Culpeper, authorities say.
Read full story from CulpeperNews.com, Culpeper, VA

Where in the world is Science East?

During our recent family vacation, my son and I introduced his uncle to the game of geocaching.
Read full story from The Victoria Star

Vincotech rolls automotive GPS receiver module

Telematics devices manufacturer Vincotech GmbH has introduced its A1088-A GPS receiver module for automotive environments.
Read full story from EETimes.eu

Advocates Say Kids at Risk After Sex Offender Ruling

Convicted sex offender Ralph Goodwin will not wear a GPS tracking device after a court ruled sex offenders convicted before 2006 cannot automatically be forced to wear them.
Read full story from FOX News

The Big Draw of a GPS Run

THREE years after moving to Brooklyn from Poland, Tomasz Berezinski awoke after a night of inebriety with a headache and decided his life must change.
Read full story from New York Times

Review: MotionX GPS for iPhone

Around two months ago, I decided it was high time I bought a bicycle. I talked to a few friends, headed out to a local dealer, and picked up a pretty sweet ride.
Read full story from Macworld

Another GPS heads into orbit; caps 20 years of launches

" The 48th successful and final Air Force Delta II Global Positioning System satellite launch occurred today, ending one of the most successful space launch programs in American history.
Read full story from The Write Stuff

GPS Insight Releases CDMA-Enabled GPSI-4000 Tracking Device

GPS Insight, a leading supplier of GPS tracking hardware and software solutions for commercial and municipal fleets, today announced the release of its GPSI-4000V tracking device.
Read full story from TMCnet

NASA launches new GPS to be used for Air Force

The two-ton satellite lifted off aboard a Delta 2 rocket on Monday around 6:30 a.m. An hour after launch, it moved into a highly elliptical orbit to replace a decade-old GPS 2R-21 spacecraft that will be used as a backup for the new satellite.
Read full story from North Port Sun

Thefts from cars up in Montgomery Co. garages

Drivers beware: some parking garages in the area have become hot spots for crime.
Read full story from WTOP-FM Washington

Sex offender wants GPS removed for medical treatment

A convicted sex offender ordered to wear a GPS tracking system asked to remove the system while he underwent medical procedures.
Read full story from Murfreesboro Post

Attackers marked 10 spots on GPS

Ten spots from south Mumbai were marked on one of the five Global Positioning Systems recovered from slain 26/11 attackers, revealed a forensic expert from the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States of America who deposed before the special court on Wednesday.
Read full story from Hindustan Times

26/11 Terrorists Came from Karachi: FBI

In a crucial testimony, the FBI today told a special court trying the Mumbai terror attack case that Global Positioning System devices used by terrorists had indicated that they had come from Karachi.
Read full story from Outlook

FBI man testifies in Mumbai trial

An FBI officer has appeared before a court in the Indian city of Mumbai to testify on last November's attacks which killed more than 170 people.
Read full story from BBC

CoPilot Live v8 GPS Navigation for Smartphones is La...

ALK Technologies Inc, a global leader in mobile navigation software, today launched CoPilot LiveTM v8 GPS navigation for smartphones.
Read full story from Layover

FBI expert testifies at Mumbai terror attack tr ...

The gunmen who laid siege to the Indian city of Mumbai carried GPS devices and a satellite phone that shows they traveled from Pakistan to India, an FBI expert testified Wednesday at the trial of the lone surviving suspect.
Read full story from Hays Daily News

Man accused of robbing Chesterfield bank, then picking up daughter from daycare

Investigators said the first bank robbery in Chesterfield's history has proven to be an unusual one, as more details emerged Tuesday about the crime.
Read full story from WBTW

Video Released Of Shooting That Injured 5-Year-Old

New pictures have surfaced of the July shooting in southwest Baltimore that left a 5-year-old girl critically wounded.
Read full story from WBALTV.com

Louisiana: Speed Camera Company Runs Litter Camera Program

Speed camera maker sets up program allowing Baton Rouge, Louisiana to issue $167 automated litter tickets.
Read full story from Free Republic

PD: Man sexually assaults girls on day of prison release

A convicted sex offender is accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting girls in south Phoenix just hours after he was released from prison, according to Sgt.
Read full story from KNXV

Sochi to introduce GPS transport monitoring satellite system elaborated by 'Locator' Armenian company

System transmitters will be installed in 'ambulance cars'. 'It is planned to install transmitters in 36 cars in the near future.
Read full story from PanArmenian Network

Texas sex offender moves to Lehigh, allegedly cuts off tracking device

A registered sex offender from Texas apparently tried to break free from his past by moving to Florida and cutting off the GPS tracking device he was ordered to wear.
Read full story from News Press

Boy dies after getting stranded in Death Valley

Alicia Sanchez, 28, was found severely dehydrated and remained hospitalized in Las Vegas a day after being found with her dog, her dead son and a Jeep Cherokee buried up to its axles in sand.
Read full story from Mountain Ear

2-month-old court ruling sinks New Windsor drug case

A two-month-old ruling by New York's highest court sent ripples into a local courtroom Wednesday, as a judge dismissed charges from a big New Windsor cocaine bust earlier this year.
Read full story from RecordOnline.com

Two men charged in Aurora car burglary

Johnny R. Taylor, 49, and James T. Taylor, 44, both of Broadview, were charged with burglary to a motor vehicle at about 4 p.m. Monday, Aurora police said.
Read full story from Beacon News

Five of the best GPS trackers

You can keep tabs on anything with a wireless tracker - cars, people and even dogs Best for: adaptability SNOOPER MY-TRACK SPT200 - 150 Location information: By text message, online map.
Read full story from Tech and Web from Times Online

Crime down, but cops say it could be lower

According to statistics released Wednesday by Aurora police, crime is down through the first six months of 2009.
Read full story from 301 Moved Permanently

Two held on rape charges

Clinton police are investigating an aggravated rape and kidnapping that resulted in the arrest of a Clinton man and a Fitchburg woman Monday.
Read full story from The Item Extra

Garmin G500 Receives FAA Certification for Nearly 600 Different Aircraft Makes and Models

Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. , the global leader in satellite navigation, announced today that it has received FAA Approved Model List Supplemental Type Certification for the G500, a new avionics suite announced earlier this week at EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wis.
Read full story from Business Wire

Integral Systems, Inc. Submits Proposal for Next Generation Global Positioning System

Integral Systems, Inc. , announced today that it has submitted a proposal to deliver an integrated, advanced command and control solution for the Global Positioning System Next Generation Advanced Control Segment program.
Read full story from Wireless Developer Network

Lightning inside hurricane could predict intensity

They're deceptively simple-looking detectors: one an antenna with built-in GPS, the other electronic sensors inside a large, upside-down metal salad bowl.
Read full story from Myrtle Beach Online

More Variety in GPS Voices?

Do you have a GPS in your car? Perhaps you've taken a special interest in the voice of your GPS.
Read full story from Voices

ISRO, Scanpoint Geomatics develop image processing software

The Indian Space Research Organisation has developed an integrated geographic information system and image processing software , in partnership with Ahmedabad-based Scanpoint Geomatics Ltd, to analyse satellite pictures and data.
Read full story from Domain-B

Misled by GPS, Careless Drivers Reveal Dangers of Over-Reliance...

A spate of traffic reports, derailed trains and befuddled vacationers warns that however authoritative the automated voice of a car's GPS device may sound, it is no replacement for the voice of human reason.
Full Story: findingDulcinea

Mobile Phone Tracking - Trace Someone Online Using A Cell Phone Now

Tracking a persons mobile cell phone these days is possible through a special mobile trace site online Using ground breaking technology it is able to locate and track someone on map to pin-point accuracy. via American Chronicle
Read full story from American Chronicle

LANL researchers hope to improve hurricane prediction

They're deceptively simple looking detectors: one an antenna with built-in GPS; the other electronic sensors inside what looks like - and in fact, is - a large, upside-down metal salad bowl.
Full Story: KOB.com Eyewitness News 4 - New Mexico

More states approving GPS in domestic abuse cases

Six months before she was killed, Evairene Flores wrote her entire family in case she died: "Many will miss me, many will cry, but it was because of Matthew that I had to die." Married for 20 years to an abusive husband, Flores divorced Matthew O'Connor and turned to the San Antonio courts for a protective order to keep him away.
Full Story: Chicago Tribune

Fulcrum Announces GPS-Based Antenna Alignment Solution

- Fulcrum Technologies, Inc. today announced the launch of their GPS-based antenna alignment solution for wireless telecommunications carriers. The Fulcrum Alignment Solution (FAS) merges Fulcrum's CATSTM web-based data management software with the GPS/inclinometer-based technology of the AntennAlign Tool (AAT) from Sunsight Instruments. Fully integrated, CATS' back office data management and reporting capabilities are the perfect complement to the unprecedented accuracy and data capture functionality of the ruggedized AAT. Industry standard compass-based antenna alignment methodology yields inconsistent, inaccurate results. Industry studies and audits show that nearly 50% of the cellular sites in the US have at least one sector with an azimuth variance of more than 10 degrees. Fulcrum developed FAS to provide a cost-effective alternative for achieving unprecedented antenna alignment accuracy. The patented differential GPS and inclinometer-based technology of the AAT achieves azimuth tolerances to +/- 2 degrees and mechanical tilt and roll tolerance to +/- 0.25 degrees.FAS replaces existing manual data entry methodology with real-time automated data capture. In addition to capturing actual alignment values, the AAT guides the tower technician to the appropriate orientation with digital gauges and a 'bull's-eye' indicator. (The AAT is mounted directly on the antenna during alignment).The AAT records antenna alignment values the moment an adjustment is made. Along with critical antenna alignment data points, the AAT delivers time/date and username stamps. All AAT-captured data is uploaded to Fulcrum's CATS web-based software, where an 'Alignment Certification Report' is automatically generated for every cell site. The benefits of the solution include reducing or eliminating costly site returns for installation, modification, and optimization readjustments; improved capital efficiency; greater E911 performance regulation compliance; maximizing the potential of ACP tools; and improved location-based services performance.For additional information about the FAS, contact Phil Oxley or visit http://www.fulcrum.net.About Fulcrum Technologies:Fulcrum is a Washington-based company that provides Infrastructure Lifecycle Management solutions to the communications industry internationally. Founded in 1998, the company provides the software, mobile computing hardware, labels and services necessary to help communications providers manage information about their network sites and infrastructure. Fulcrum has installed its software solution at over forty-five (45) wireless and landline companies throughout the world. About Sunsight Instruments:Sunsight Instruments is a Florida-based development and manufacturing company that produces alignment tools and monitoring systems to support a variety of industries. The company is made up of Systems, Software, and RF Engineers from the telecommunications sector, combined with veteran NASA Mechanical and Electrical Engineers experienced in satellite sensor technologies.Contact:Phil OxleyDirector, Site Information SolutionsFulcrum Technologies712 Aurora Avenue NorthSeattle, WA Contact:Fulcrum TechnologiesPhil Oxley206-954-7445Trackback URL: http://prweb.com/pingpr.php/U3VtbS1FbXB0LVNpbmctU3VtbS1Db3VwLUNvdXAtWmVybw==
Full Story: PRWeb

Questions and answers help spread knowledge - Hawaii News

A reader, Cynthia, e-mailed me this question: "Today my husband was cleaning the bottom of our boat, docked in front of our townhouse in Kuapa Isle, Hawaii Kai.
Full Story: Honolulu Star-Bulletin

GPS monitoring ordered for gymnastics coach in sex case

Michael Cardamone, the Aurora gymnastics coach facing retrial on charges he sexually abused seven young gymnasts, will be required to notify a court official of his whereabouts and wear a GPS tracking device, a judge ruled Friday.
Full Story: Chicago Tribune

Relying only on a GPS can make sailing risky - Hawaii News

Last week Richard Brill in his science column explained the world's modern navigation technique, GPS, Global Positioning System.
Full Story: Honolulu Star-Bulletin

Satellite technology gaining fans

Ancient farmers looked to the stars for guidance on planting and harvesting. Modern farmers look to the sky, too, but for another source of guidance: satellites.

Full Story: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/business/stories/2009/06/29/farm_space.ART_ART_06-29-09_A6_4KE9HBN.html

Sun has fewest sunspots since 1913, better GPS
The sun has been unusually quiet lately, with fewer sunspots and weaker magnetic fields than in nearly a century.

GPS Architecture

The GPS system is divided into three segments:
The Space Segment
GPS uses twenty-one operational satellites, with an additional three satellites in orbit as redundant backup.
GPS uses NAVSTAR satellites manufactured by Rockwell International. Each NAVSTAR satellite is approximately 5 meters wide (with solar panels extended) and weighs approximately 900Kg.
GPS satellites orbit the earth at an altitude of approximately 20,200Km.
Each GPS satellite has an orbital period of 11 hours and 58 minutes. This means that each GPS satellite orbits the Earth twice each day.
These twenty-four satellites orbit in six orbital planes, or paths. This means that four GPS satellites operate in each orbital plane.
Each of these six orbital planes is spaced sixty degrees apart. All of these orbital planes are inclined fifty-five degrees from the Equator.
The Control Segment
The Master Control Station (MCS) of the GPS system is operated at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The United States Air Force maintains redundant Master Control Stations in Rockville, Maryland and Sunnyvale, California.
The Air Force also maintains monitoring stations in Colorado Springs, Hawaii, The Ascension Islands, Diego Garcia, and Kwajalein.
Communications with the space segment are conducted through ground antennas in the Ascension Islands, Diego Garcia, and Kwajalein.
The User Segment
The GPS user segment is any person with a GPS receiver.

GPS History

GPS was originally developed for the U.S. military, but is now provided as a public service for people all over the world by the U.S. government.
Deployment of the GPS system began on 22 February 1978 with the launch of the first Block I Navstar GPS satellite. Initial Operating Capability was declared in December of 1993 with 24 operational GPS satellites in orbit. Full Operational Capability was declared in June of 1995.
GPS was developed by the U.S. military to help soldiers locate their positions. Civilian access to the GPS system was guaranteed by President Reagan as a response to the communist Chinese shooting down of Korean Airline Flight KAL-007. President Reagan hoped that GPS technology would help to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.

What is GPS ?

GPS is the Global Positioning System. GPS uses satellite technology to enable a terrestrial terminal to determine its position on the Earth in latitude and longitude.

GPS receivers do this by measuring the signals from three or more satellites simultaneously and determining their position using the timing of these signals.
GPS operates using trilateration. Trilateration is the process of determining the position of an unknown point by measuring the lengths of the sides of an imaginary triangle between the unknown point and two or more known points.
In the GPS system, the two known points are provided by two GPS satellites. These satellites constantly transmit an identifying signal.
The GPS receiver measures the distance to each GPS satellite by measuring the time each signal took to travel between the GPS satellite and the GPS receiver.
The formula for this is:Distance = Velocity * Time
Velocity of the GPS signal is the speed of light, approximately 300,000 Km/s.
GPS transmissions occur on a frequency of 1575.42 and 1227.60 Mhz. Both of these frequencies are within the L Band.