According to a press release from NAVTEQ, their Study Shows Traffic-Enabled Navigation Can Save Drivers 4 Days per Year

http://news.prnewswire.com/DisplayReleaseContent.aspx?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-27-2009/0005083870&EDATE=

Results Build Upon Fuel and Carbon Emission Savings Previously Reported

CHICAGO, Aug. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- NAVTEQ, the leading global provider of digital map, traffic and location data for in-vehicle, portable, wireless and enterprise solutions, has revealed further insights from a proprietary research study designed to assess the consumer impact of everyday use of navigation devices. These findings focus specifically on the impact that the addition of real-time traffic has on the driver experience, and point to the use of traffic information as a primary influencer in time savings for the average driver.

The study revealed that the drivers using traffic enabled navigation devices experienced dramatic time savings, spending 18% less time driving on an average trip versus drivers without navigation. If applied over the course of a year, a driver who does not currently use a navigation device would save themselves 4 days of driving each year if they had a traffic-enabled navigation system. Additionally, the findings show that drivers with real-time traffic experience reductions in distance traveled as well as increase fuel efficiency which would lead to a decrease in CO2 emissions per driver of .79 metric tons, or 21% less than a driver without a navigation system.

The Navteq study, which took place in Germany and has been extrapolated to include U.S. drivers, shows some not-so-surprising results. When drivers have access to real-time traffic data, it leads to less time in the car. US drivers with traffic enabled navigation would save 4 days per year and lower their CO2 emissions by 21%. That's 96 hours, or nearly 2.5 weeks, of work time.

"This study continues to support the positive role that navigation plays in improving the consumer driving experience," says John MacLeod, executive vice president, NAVTEQ Connected Services. "In addition, the study supports the tangible benefits of navigation on fuel savings and environmental impact." Sphere: Related Content

GPS helps state police to catch truck theft suspect

Read the story at; http://ping.fm/nGa3o

A trucking company's GPS system helped State Police in Oregon to find and arrest a Nevada truck driver, who is accused of taking the rig from the Portland area and would not return it.

The trucking company, Knight Refrigeration, called the police and reported that the driver, William Edward Craig, 51, of Zephyr Cove, Nev., allegedly took the truck from the Portland area and refused to return it after they had contacted him and asked him to do so.

The company was using its GPS system to track the stolen truck's movements and about a half-hour later, the rig was stopped and Craig was arrested without incident. Craig was charged with unauthorized use of a vehicle and two counts of possession of a stolen vehicle. Craig was taken to the Jefferson County Jail, where he remained Tuesday on $15,000 bail, pending a court appearance. Sphere: Related Content

GPS Tracking at the speed of live! (http://ping.fm/RxgAd) Sphere: Related Content

Indiana lawmakers study GPS person tracking for dementia

INDIANAPOLIS – A committee of Legislators will examine whether GPS tracking systems – similar to those used to monitor criminals on home detention or free moving confinement – should be used for adults with dementia or other conditions that make them prone to wandering. Click the above link for the full story;

The question grew out of legislation passed this year that created a Silver Alert system involving the public in finding missing, endangered adults or the elderly with diminished mental capacity.
“There was a lot of concern by state police and broadcasters about how often there would be a Silver Alert,” said Michael Sullivan, director of public policy and advocacy for the Alzheimer's Association Greater Indiana chapter.

That's why lawmakers added language to the bill calling for the study of whether to require electronic monitoring of some adults, he said.

If you don’t know or have not heard of the Silver Alert System here is a brief of what it is about;
To help protect an increasing number of citizens with cognitive impairments who are lost, several states have initiated “Silver Alert” programs. Silver Alert programs are modeled after the Amber Alert programs now present in all 50 states. The Amber Alert programs can quickly distribute information about missing persons to law enforcement, radio, and television stations. It is designed to alert the public and law enforcement agencies so that citizens can be on the look out for missing adults. While the Amber Alert programs are targeted at getting information quickly disseminated about children, Silver Alert programs are targeted for adults with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.

Join in on the discussion of this topic. Will the addition of using GPS monitoring of the elderly be of benefit to the Silver Alert System? I for one think it’s a no brainer, to have technology assist in these types of cases should help bring them home safely by using an electronic fence to be notified when a person wanders out of a specified area, so the search can began knowing their last known location. Sphere: Related Content

GPS is being used for things like Location-Based Advertising.

This is the Focus of MetaPlaces09
How to Monetize Location Data & Services
22 – 23 September 2009
Crowne Plaza Hotel San Jose, CA

Profit strategies for context and locations enhanced services

Across 2 days of conference, networking and exhibition, MetaPlaces09 will discuss:
• LOCK IN LONG TERM LOCATION WINS: Evaluate now which business models will give you the best long term value. Advertising, profiling, business intelligence trending and the critical relationships between content and application providers
• ECOSYSTEM EVOLUTION IN 2010: Get an exclusive and unique look at what the biggest global players and most exciting new start-ups have planned for 2010
• SOCIAL. LOCAL. MOBILE: Discover the key drivers and latest emerging trends across all location platforms and how you can leverage your service or technology to capitalize on them
• WHAT OPEN TECHNOLOGY AND DATA CAN OFFER YOU: Location API, context platform, privacy management, indoor location… gain an in depth insight into the latest developments and how they will add value to location enabled offerings

Want to find out what is in store for your 3G phone or can your business use this advertizing medium? MetaPlaces09 focuses on the future wave of innovation and revenue-generation for mobile and web-based location-based services (LBS). The event brings together majors names (Yahoo!, Google, Nokia, Publicis), players (W3C, Mobile Marketing Association, IETF, CDT), and innovators ( Open Street Map, Senses Networks, Loopt or Boost Mobile.) Location-based advertising builds on the capabilities of LBS and allows application developers, publishers, and OEMs to capitalize on location-relevant revenue opportunities for your business.

Thomas Hallauer of TheWhereBusiness and organizer of the show is quietly optimistic. "Despite a very long false start, location-based and location-enhanced services are quickly becoming a solid market. MetaPlaces09 will be a great monitor of the new business models out there as well as a great place to thrash out solutions to the remaining growth barriers." He talks about the positive use of location-aware browsers, GPS and WiFi quick penetration on the phone, geo-tagging becoming ubiquitous, user interest and understanding taking hold, and key industry names involved and pushing innovation. These trends prompted Nitesh Patel, senior analyst with Global Wireless Practice from Strategy Analytics to forecast a strong market outlook for location-based services, with total global revenue generated from location-enabled products increasing from $650 million in 2008 to $7.8 billion in 2013.

MetaPlaces09 will put its attendees in a unique position to identify the models to make advertising, search, and targeting work as it brings together each stakeholder involved in implementing location-enhanced advertising, including key association like the MMA, major advertising players such as Google mobile LBA, leading device manufacturers like Nokia and Palm, and global advertising agencies like Publicis. Sphere: Related Content

GPS in your shoe?

Yes GTX Corp. has a GPS shoe that can be worn while a family member is walking or jogging that reports your location to other family members.

The full video story can be accessed on their company web site http://ping.fm/dGk9K (GPS Shoe Hotfoots Your Location)

The tracking of a family member with dementia may be better served by a device that they can not remove so easily. A person with diminished mental capacity choose a different pair of shoes or choose not to wear shoes at all.

Is this a solution for you? Post a note to join in on this discussion. If you write to us we may be able to find a better solution for you at Contemporary Monitoring. www.contemporarymonitoring.com Sphere: Related Content

Town vehicles equipped with gps devices

Mayor can monitor employees work efficiency

Updated: Wednesday, 12 Aug 2009, 9:26 PM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 12 Aug 2009, 9:26 PM EDT

http://ping.fm/gKNBd

NORTH PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Tracking town employees.

North Providence Mayor, Charles Lombardi, has installed G.P.S. devices in all public works vehicles which means, they're now under constant surveillance.

The Mayor can monitor his workers every move to increase efficiency and cut costs no gold bricking allowed.

And, he says the technology is working, by motivating crews to avoid sitting in traffic or taking longer routes that kill time.

The G.P.S. units cost 25 dollars a month per vehicle and fleet tracking provides other benefits that are not so measurable like adding to public safety by being able to have a historical play back of where the vehicle has been, or being able to monitor a vehicle turn for turn in near real time .
The workers union says it came to a verbal agreement with the Mayor after he had the devices installed.

At this point , Mayor Lombardi says he has no plans to install the technology at other town departments.

I for one, as a member of the intelligent thinker’s movement say hooray to a story like this one! Sphere: Related Content

Technophobic loved one’s can benefit from using a GPS Tracking device.

Sometimes a person might think, grandparents or elderly family members are to old benefit from using GPS tracking devices but that may not be the case. The fact is with your assistance on a web-enabled computer they can still get valuable location information they need.

If for instance if a loved one is in another state traveling the scenic wonders, that are in the United States and are having care trouble. How satisfying would it be for you to be able to find for them, the nearest reputable auto service center to have the car serviced? You can do the research for services for them by pulling up their location on the mapping system and researching the information and use Google 411 to call ahead and give the service center a heads up to get the process started to have them continuing on with their travel as soon as possible.

How helpful and satisfying it would be to provide them with the new destination for the help they need? Now, that is the solution to this type of problem and you did not even have to be there. Using the GPS system and Google 411 help is within reach!

Find out more about this solution from Contemporary Monitoring; www.contemporarymonitoring.com or call them at (405) 882-8594 and start GPS tracking today.

http://ping.fm/LkUq0 Sphere: Related Content

Technophobic loved one’s can benefit from using a GPS Tracking device.

Technophobic loved one’s can benefit from using a GPS Tracking device.

Sometimes a person might think, grandparents or elderly family members are to old benefit from using GPS tracking devices but that may not be the case. The fact is with your assistance on a web-enabled computer they can still get valuable location information they need.

If for instance if a loved one is in another state traveling the scenic wonders, that are in the United States and are having care trouble. How satisfying would it be for you to be able to find for them, the nearest reputable auto service center to have the car serviced? You can do the research for services for them by pulling up their location on the mapping system and researching the information and use Google 411 to call ahead and give the service center a heads up to get the process started to have them continuing on with their travel as soon as possible.

How helpful and satisfying it would be to provide them with the new destination for the help they need? Now, that is the solution to this type of problem and you did not even have to be there. Using the GPS system and Google 411 help is within reach!

Find out more about this solution from Contemporary Monitoring; www.contemporarymonitoring.com or call them at (405) 882-8594 and start GPS tracking today. Sphere: Related Content

Should you use GPS Tracking to;

Help your teen stay safe
Lindsay Lyon U.S. News & World Report
July 22, 2009
http://ping.fm/oEav4

Reading up on health and safety topics could be the last thing on your teen's to-do list. That's why informed, proactive parenting can make such a difference, especially in high-risk areas like driving, relationships, and mental health.

While your adolescent may not intend to occasionally jeopardize their well-being, it's not something you want left to chance.

Road Safety
Car accidents are the chief cause of death and disability among teenagers, with teens being killed at four times the rate of adults. The contributing factors are legion: inexperience behind the wheel, tendencies to eschew seat belts and to speed, distractibility (as attention flits, perhaps, between road, radio, telephone, and text message), overconfidence in their skills, and underdeveloped judgment and impulse control.

A growing number of solutions--from sophisticated GPS tracking devices to bumper stickers bearing toll-free numbers that forward called-in complaints straight to Mom--empower parents to take an active role in steering their kids away from accidents. The gadget DriveCam provides parents with an in-car camera device. It senses and records the sights and sounds of any abrupt, potentially risky maneuvers made by your licensed teenagers and alerts you immediately by E-mail.

Your other options include GPS tracking tools designed to alert you electronically if your novice drivers blow through preset speed limits, ignore driving curfews, or cruise beyond certain boundaries. One is offered through Safeco Insurance's Teensurance program, a service that became available to customers and noncustomers alike last May.

A lower-budget approach: bumper stickers bearing slogans like "Call My Mom" and a toll-free number for reporting erratic driving. Each sticker contains a unique code number, allowing anonymous tips to be quickly forwarded to the appropriate parents.

Also try GPS tracking solutions from Contemporary Monitoring. More information may be what a parent needs to keep their teen driver safe.. Sphere: Related Content

Tragedy Offers Opportunity for use of GPS devices.

Tragedy Offers Opportunity Here is another snippet of a story written by Steven E. Wedel 11.28.2005

http://www.okc.biz/article/11-28-2005/Tragedy_Offers_Opportunity.aspx

It speaks to the use of GPS devices, when there are no street signs after a storm (disaster), so that the repair crew knows where they need to go. How important would it be to your deliveries, scheduled work crews, or inspection teams to know where they are and where they need to be to get the job done? Read on or follow the link above to review the full story. As always post a comment, or ask a question. I may have some more food for thought just for you.

Barry; Contemporary Monitoring


Oklahoma City-based Zenex International Inc.'s flagship business, Aduddell Roofing and Sheet Metal, has a long history of success. But, after the devastation left in the wake of hurricanes this fall, the company scored its biggest contract to date, posting record earnings growth.

Aduddell specializes in re-roofing large commercial buildings, including many major hotels. It made the news in 2003 when its work proved pivotal in General Motors keeping its plant in Oklahoma City open after a tornado ripped through the factory.

Initially, crews faced problems in hurricane-ravaged areas related to the lack of street signs and the inability to communicate in the field. But recently the company resorted to state-of-the-art technology to solve the problems and keep pace with demand.

“We bought 500 Nextel satellite phones with GPS tracking devices because there are no cell phone towers left after the storm and most of the street signs are gone, too,” Carte said. “The GPS technology helps the workers make sure they're getting to the right locations.” Sphere: Related Content

Supplement the Silver Alert Protocol is using GPS Tracking.

The Silver Alert Protocol creates a voluntary process for coordinating efforts between law enforcement agencies, media outlets and other entities when a person 65 years of age or older, or a person suffering from dementia, is reported missing by caregivers or family members.

Although there is little data to document how many seniors go missing each year, it does happen—sometimes with tragic results. It is a particular concern for seniors with cognitive impairment.

Knowing the last known location of a loved one will assist law enforcement in ensuring their return to the controlling authority. A GPS tracking device is the tool to apply to assist you with these types of problematic occurrences. Public safety is a major concern. When individuals with diminished mental capacity are out of place their safe return in paramount in everyone’s mind. A
GPS tracking device can be a solution to bring you piece of mind in knowing where your loved ones have been or are at present.

The Kansas Silver Alert was passed by the Kansas Legislature in 2009. Following its passage, the Attorney General created the Silver Alert Committee made up of law enforcement, media and other community partners to develop the protocol for issuing an alert and the model policies for law enforcement and the media to follow. Sphere: Related Content