Posts Tagged: ‘GPS’

Today’s uproar is not occurring in a concerted cry of outrage like it normally does, but instead it is occurring in the volume of material being published on so many different fronts. Two weeks ago we covered the fact that smartphones track our locations: Today’s uproar – Apple’s iPhone and 3G iPad track your location [...]

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The internet is alight with the news:Apple’s iPhone and 3G iPad track your location and store the data in a hidden file. Wired had one of the first reports: iPhone Tracks Your Every Move, and There’s a Map for That Your iPhone or 3G-equipped iPad has been secretly recording your location for the past 10 [...]

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In the Brain household, for reasons that are not necessarily the best thought out in retrospect, the key rack hangs on the wall and the dog’s food and water bowls are on the floor underneath it. So one day, about 2 weeks ago, I was grabbing Leigh’s keys for her. I had a bunch of [...]

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I ran into a post by Jennifer Van Grove at Mashable the other day that piqued my interest. Van Grove wrote about an application by Spotlight Mobile called Meridian. It gives iPhone users a way to get their bearings, like many other navigational apps. But it doesn’t just tell you how to get to the store or attraction, it shows you where you’re going inside the building.

Obviously, this isn’t nearly as necessary when you’re going to the convenience store (now why did they have to move the pretzels? How will I ever find them?), but for larger buildings, I think it could be very useful. According to Spotlight’s Web site, the company is working to partner with organizations that want to help customers and patrons navigate large areas. The app just launched and has only one location to choose from. As it happens, it’s my favorite bookstore on the planet, Powell’s City of Books in Portland, Ore.

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I’ve seen a few articles online that suggest the X-class solar flare event could spell doom — or at least gloom — to those of us on Earth. In some (but not all) cases, it’s due to a sensational headline. Once you get beyond the headline you realize that the writer has taken a few poetic liberties with the story, making it more dramatic. I figured I could do the same. But the short answer is that you probably won’t even notice the fallout from the solar flare.

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A couple of years ago, I received an aftermarket in-car navigation system as a gift. It’s a portable device — one that I can easily move from vehicle to vehicle, keep hidden away when it’s not in use or even take it along with me when I fly someplace new and need to rent a car. I’ve used it on local road trips, long cross-country road trips and everything in between. I think it proved itself most-valuable, however, when I…

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Something new to worry about – the FBI is putting GPS tracking devices on the cars of innocent Americans: Caught Spying on Student, FBI Demands GPS Tracker Back The good news, as seen in the photo, is that such a device should not be very hard to find. The battery pack is huge. The bad [...]

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Yesterday, Facebook unveiled a new feature called Places. It’s another online check-in service that lets you post your location to your Facebook status. If that sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’ve heard of — or even use — one of a dozen other check-in services on the Internet. Perhaps you’ve earned badges in Foursquare, rely on Google Latitude or you get your virtual passport stamped on Gowalla. Many of these services use Facebook’s API to allow you to post your location to Facebook. But now Facebook is cutting out the middle man.

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You Asked:

How are GPS navigation maps made, and how do they stay up to date? — Jerry, Mission Viejo, Calif.

Marshall Brain Answers…

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An EPIRB, or Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon, helps rescuers find people — mostly boaters — in emergency situations. Tune in to find out how EPIRB radios work in this podcast from HowStuffWorks.com.

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