GPS or Global Positioning Systems is a term that most commonlyconjures up images of vehicle navigation systems, space-agesatellite technology, and interactive maps for outdoors-typesand sportsmen. But the reality is that there are far moreapplications of Global Positioning Systems beyond GPS vehicletracking or map navigation that everyday people like us canbenefit from. All it takes is a bit of creativity, and sometrial and error. Here are a few of the many possibilities thatcan benefit you right now in your busy and hectic life.
1. Know where your children are using services fromcompanies like uLocate Communications.
2. Keep track of elderly members of your family, so thatthey don't wander off alone.
3. Plan a road trip around interesting points ofinterests, landmarks, campsites, diners, etc, and hear fewer"Are we there yets?"- and of course get the most out of thatexpensive gas.
4. Get emergency road side assistance at a touch of abutton from your vehicle, so you can get help exactly where andwhen you need it.
5. Keep a visual journal and bookmark collection of yourfavorite hot spots, sceneries, and points of interests, that maynot be listed in any travel guide (You can create your own minitravel guides and memories).
6. Find lost pets easily using collars with built-in GPS,better than running around in your pajamas hollering like amaniac.
7. Feel safer with cellular phone 911 calls, so emergencypersonnel can pinpoint your location once you make an emergencycall. Please double check your carrier service to see that ithas GPS features and get a primer on how it works if possible.
8. Get to your interview, or any important time sensitivedestination or engagement, faster by finding shortcuts andcorrect directions.
9. Find a good Italian restaurant near your movie theatreon the fly.
10. Track your luggage, laptops, and anything ofimportance while traveling.
11. Track and find family, friends in a crowded concert,graduation, or any social gathering.
12. When going on a vacation, feel free to separate fromgroup for a while to venture on your own based on your owninterests and find them later on with your GPS enabled device-even in an unfamiliar place.
Our ability to use GPS so far is limited by the relatively poorconnection to the satellite feeds when we are indoors inbuildings, homes, or behind anything that could obstruct the GPSconnection. However with the investment and development in a newsatellite network called Galileo which should be completed inthe near future, these problems should be eliminateddrastically. Despite these problems, GPS still offers a world ofbenefits as mentioned earlier, and with any technology, it willonly get better.
In addition to more practical usage applications, GPS will makea great educational and fun gift for your loved one's andfriends as well. Consider just two of the many creative andeducational uses of GPS:
1. Stay physically active and fit by playing RayGun! Alocational based cell phone game based on GPS technology.
2. Become more cultured, make global friends, and learnabout the world playing GeoCache, a global GPS based treasurehunt.
With many affordable feature-rich models to satisfy anyone'spreferences and budgets, now is as good a time as any to learnmore about GPS technologies, which are surely to become moreassimilated into the mainstream within the decade. One day wewill take these things for granted just like we do now for theinternet and cell phones. The key is to dive in, withoutparalyzing yourself with the overwhelming array of choices inthe GPS market, and enjoying some truly amazing technology.
Visit GPSZoom.com for a dizzying array of ways in which GPS canimprove your lifestyle including with GPS trackingservices for people and vehicles, and for those adventurersat heart- technology to help you conquer the outdoors, one trailat a time
