Gps Reviews

When a technology becomes the “IT” product of the holiday season, there’s bound to be some misinformation out there. This year’s hot product is the consumer GPS – and it can truly do some amazing things, including: provide directions with real-time turn-by-turn navigation, help you avoid traffic and even make hands-free cell phone calls with Bluetooth. But there are also some things about GPS that just aren’t true. Here’s a look at some of the biggest myths about GPS technology.

5 Most Common Misconceptions about GPS

Myth #1: The weather can affect your GPS

Fact: Cloudy or rainy conditions have nothing to do with the performance of your GPS device. Think about it like this: airplanes using GPS devices to navigate through cloudy conditions thousands of times a day. Last time we checked, the commercial aviation system was running without too many GPS-related problems. Well, the same technology they use is found in your car’s GPS devices. The only thing that can truly keep your GPS device from operating at peak performance are tall buildings, mountains and other large structures that may block it’s signal.

Myth #2: The government can track you because of your GPS device

Fact: It is true that some commercial grade GPS devices send out a signal about your whereabouts, the consumer GPS devices sold by Garmin, Magellan and other companies only receive information from satellite systems. While this news will be no doubt disconcerting to conspiracy theorists, the rest of us can breathe a little easier knowing that our whereabouts are private.

Myth #3: GPS devices mean you don’t have to watch the road

Fact: Just because you have a helpful GPS device in your car doesn’t mean you should be any less vigilant as a driver. It is important to watch the road and always pay attention to where you are in journey. In fact, some directions provided by your GPS device may take you through areas in which you don’t want to travel. It is always important to use these directions in conjunction with what you can see with your own eyes, and of course, common sense.

Myth #4: GPS devices don’t work outside of a local area

Fact: The beauty of GPS devices for your car is that they work almost anywhere. That means you can take your family for a cross-country drive and the GPS will provide with information every step of your journey. In fact, many GPS devices can help you find local points-of-interest along the way including parks, museums, restaurants and more.

Myth #5: GPS devices are too expensive

Fact: Of all the falsehoods out there about GPS devices, this one might be the most out of touch. Currently, there are more inexpensive GPS devices out there that at any time in the technology’s history. Even the high end models from Tom Tom, Garmin and others are reasonably priced, and the “basic” units (which are still packed with features) are affordable enough for almost any budget.

It’s every parent’s nightmare: your child is not answering their cell phone and they have not returned home as scheduled. You call their friends but they don’t where they are either. Frantically, you call the police in an effort to track them down, when all of a sudden your call waiting kicks in. It is your child, who decided to go the movies without telling you first. They are safe and sound, but your heart won’t stop beating fast.
This situation could have been easily averted if the parent had been able to track their child’s whereabouts using GPS technology.

There are two primary ways to track where your child is using GPS: in their car or on their cell phone.

· GPS in the car. Many new cars now come standard with GPS devices, but if you want to add a GPS to an existing car, the cost is lower than it has ever been. Garmin, Tom Tom and other consumer GPS companies now offer basic products that only cost between $200 - $300 and fit seamlessly into any automobile.

· GPS in the cell phone. One of the most effective ways to track the whereabouts of your child using GPS is through a cell phone. The latest smart phones from Palm and Blackberry are now coming equipped with the technology and can be purchased for a couple of hundreds of dollars (or may even be free with an upgrade or extension of your cell phone calling plan).

Both these methods are extremely affordable, given the peace-of-mind that they provide the parents of kids who are driving age or older.

How it Works

Once the GPS device is activated, it can be tracked on any PC with an Internet connection. It is important to tell your child to keep the device in the on position at all times (especially on a cell phone) so that you can determine their location if need be.

Don’t be secretive

If your child discovers that you tried to sneak a GPS device into their car without their knowledge, it can create trust issues that may be difficult to repair. A better idea is to tell them upfront about your intentions and the reasons why you are doing it.

It is important to tell the child that you are not using a GPS device because you don’t trust them, but rather because you are concerned about their safety. Emphasize that will only check the GPS in the case of an emergency or if you are unable to reach them by cell phone.

If handled correctly, this will make the teenager feel loved rather than mistrusted.

More Tips

· Cell phone GPS functionality tends to drain the phone’s battery. Be sure your teenager’s phone is always properly charged when the leave the house.

· Don’t panic. If you can’t find a signal from your child’s GPS device, it may that they are driving through a “dead spot” where service is not available.

You don’t have to be a fan of the X-Files to believe that the government is listening to us and watching our every move. Discoveries about the level of wire-tapping in the United States in recent years have reached a high enough frequency to where every American has to stop and wonder about the nature of their privacy.

Now, many people have begun to focus their privacy concerns towards the growing consumer GPS industry. With GPS devices for your car and cell phones, the ability for satellites to locate your whereabouts has grown exponentially. In fact, it is this capability that makes the GPS such a useful device in the first place.

GPS devices transmit a signal out to the satellites that make up the global position system. While it is highly unlike that you will be tracked without your knowledge, it could happen, provided the tracker was equipped with some very high level technology.

But face it, GPS devices are great, and many people would never give their’s up - having grown accustomed to the convenience of never getting lost, always knowing the best routes to take and having a friendly voice in the car with them at all times.

In the midst of this double-edge sword are two sides of the privacy debate. On the one hand, you have those individuals who have no problem sacrificing a portion of their privacy in the name of convenience, while on the other hand you have those who are genuinely concerned about the state of their privacy.

Consider the following laws and rulings:

· A recent ruling in New York City made it OK for police to plant a GPS device in the car of a suspect to help making trailing them easier. While most people will say that you haven’t done anything wrong, you don’t have anything to worry about, it still creates a slippery slope.

· Some states now allow law enforcement and other government officials to activate the GPS devices inside cars or cell phones with a warrant.

Both of these cases have been challenged, but are expected to be upheld by the Supreme Court.

Taking concerns about their privacy to the next level, some people have even gone so far as to purchase “GPS Jammers” for their systems. These devices plug into the side of the GPS device and block communications between the satellites and your car. The result? You won’t be able to use your GPS while the jammer is in place, but there will be no way to monitor your signal either.

As the “War against Terrorism” rages on, and the popularity of GPS devices continues to grow, expect the privacy debate to drag on as well. In the meantime, it is safe to say that the individual, law-abiding user of consumer GPS technology has little if anything to worry about in term of government satellites or stealth helicopters tracking their every move. Simply enjoy the flawless directions to the restaurant and everything will work out fine.