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GPS: Applications And Uses

By Gabriel Adams

What are the uses for GPS? There are many, both for individuals, corporations, and the government.

Military The military uses GPS technology to guide missiles, track and control forces and facilities, and more. GPS has allowed command and control of forces to greatly advance their effectiveness. Using GPS, units can report their exact location to command central, and easily find directions to other locations.

Automotive Many newer vehicle models come with a GPS feature, which can be used to get customized maps and directions from your current location, to a specified location. This feature can be very effective, but some users warn that you should remember that it is just a machine and often makes mistakes. For example, it may take you by the shortest route, but it may take you longer to get there due to low speed limits.

Marine Just like automobiles, many boats and ships use GPS for navigation. GPS may be especially helpful during darkness, fog, or other low visibility conditions.

Emergency Location Many cell phone have GPS capabilities in them, so that emergency personnel can use GPS locating technology to locate a person vie their cell phone. The Navy & Coast Guard also use GPS technology for location lost persons.

Outdoor sports Hunters, wilderness explorers, and other outdoor sportsmen may use GPS for navigation purposes, and / or to help find their way when lost.

Surveying Many surveyors use GPS units to survey and establish boundaries and other locations or markers.

GeoCaching Geocaching is a game or sport invented in 2000, which uses GPS to locate and find caches, or small treasures. One person hides the cache, the posts the details, with co-ordinates, on a geocaching website. Geochachers then attempt to locate the cache. Once one locates the cache, he or she may sign the log, and / or trade a belonging for some of th treasure in the cache. This ensures that their is always treasure in the cache.

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As with all consumer electronics, a GPS should have an intuitive interface and a straightforward menu system. Frequently used functions such as finding nearby gas, food, and lodging should be only a screen tap or two away from the main screen, or better still, the device should have a selection of dedicated buttons. It should be just as easy to revert back to the map view from other screens. Just about all GPS devices have 2D map views for both north up and track up. Most also have a 3D view that gives you a bird's-eye perspective.
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Create waypoints of major peaks and other significant features, to help you identify them when checking out those awesome views.
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To get a lock on 3 satellites as fast as possible (3 are required to calculate your position), point the receiver of the GPS unit north, pointing up towards the sky at a 45 degree angle. If you are in a forest or heavily timbered area, try to find a clearing if you are unable to lock into any GPS satellites. ALWAYS remember to carry fresh alkaline batteries for your GPS unit - you'll never know when you need to replace them!
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Write Here, Write Now: And you thought you were overloaded with information now, just wait. Hewlett Packard is working on a technology to let folks print messages in mid-air based on their location incorporating GPS technology. I find this stuff fascinating, even if no one seems to have thought of a good use for it yet. The first sentence of the article is right, though: "The kids are going to love this." in New Scientist via RCPL's Liblog]

When the ALA summer conference was in San Francisco in 1997, the SF Museum of Modern Art had a fascinating exhibit called Icons: Magnets of Meaning. I spent hours browsing through it, but one of the pieces that has always stuck in my mind was called @: Marking the Electrosphere . It talked about the meaning of that one little symbol. How it can define, place, and root you in the world, but at the same time let you be found anywhere. Integrated, widespread use of GPS is going to take this to a whole new level.