The GPS (Global Positioning System) or NAVSTAR-GPS is a global navigation satellite system (GNSS) that determines the entire world the position of an object, a person, vehicle or ship, with an accuracy up to centimeters (when using differential GPS); usually a few meters of accuracy. GPS tracking systems was developed, installed and currently operated by the Department of Defense United States.

GPS works through a network of 24 satellites orbiting the globe at 20,200 km, with synchronized paths to cover the entire surface of the Earth. When you want to determine the position, the receiver is used to automatically locate it at least three satellites in the network, which receives a signal indicating identification and clock hours each. Based on these signals, the device synchronizes the GPS clock and calculates the time it takes to get the signals to the computer, and thereby measure the distance to the satellite using triangulation (trilateration method versa), which is based to determine the distance of each satellite relative to the point of measurement. Knowing the distance is easily determined one’s position relative to the three satellites. Knowing well the coordinates or position of each of the signal they emit, we obtain the absolute position or actual coordinates of the measurement. Also extreme accuracy is achieved in the GPS clock, similar to that of atomic clocks carried on board each satellite. It is also available when it comes to GPS vehicle tracking.

The Soviet Union built a similar system called GLONASS, now managed by the Russian Federation. Currently the EU is developing its own satellite positioning system called Galileo. More about GPS tracking device

Today, technology has taken society to another plateau; people can be tracked wherever they go from their cell phone, fleet tracking or car while ten years ago the world was adjusting to the fact that people could access information in the privacy of their own home from the World Wide Web. These devices work in real time and can provide an interested party with a wealth of information about the private daily activities of every person. Just as the introduction of the Internet to the workplace created new legal and policy issues, GPS tracking in the workplace implicates a new set of privacy concerns. We need discussion which takes the reader through the current technology and law on this issue. It will first offer background information on how GPS tracking device technology works and what legislation has arisen in response to that technology. It will then evaluate the different ways GPS is being used by addressing recent media stories involving employers monitoring the physical location of their employees. Idea  assesses ways for employees to protect their privacy is needed, namely examining how GPS trackers can be turned off. The latter half of this report gives an overview on the current case law on this issue and identifies the balancing test that the courts have used to measure whether an employer has invaded an employee’s privacy. Finally, law review articles and journals on this issue are summarized to give the reader a different perspective and an idea on the general consensus of the legal community. While the introduction of GPS tracking devices technology into the workplace has yet to be addressed by the courts, there are guidelines to assessing the policy and legal implications of this type of technology

Choosing between Hosted PBX technology and deploying a PBX at the customer location often comes down to a “religious” decision between deploying technology in-house with all the control and security that it implies versus letting your provider host services in their network, while you get to focus on your core business competencies. Let’s face it, not everyone has the staff or technical expertise to manage their technology needs — these types of small businesses are the perfect candidates for hosted PBX services. These solutions allow the SMB to do what they do best, while the service provider handles their communications needs. At the end of the day, the goal of a Hosted PBX solution is to simplify communications for the SMB while providing some of the must-have features of the online world (e-mail integration, Web-based management). For that reason, among others, SMB owners are increasingly looking to hosted PBX services to fulfill their communications needs.

Among further cost considerations, deploying a Hosted PBX solution means there is no significant up-front commitment to installation and maintenance, nor is there the commitment to what can be a steep learning curve regarding how to deploy and use the system. That translates to lower capital outlays on staffing and support infrastructure. Good service providers will provide 24/7 customer service and will often proactively manage the solution, so that if a problem occurs, they can begin addressing the issue long before the customer even realizes there’s a problem.

Another benefit of the Hosted PBX has to do with disaster recovery. Nowadays, in a post-9/11, post-hurricane Katrina world, the need to prepare a business’ communications systems for unexpected disasters has become table stakes. However in a traditional, premise equipment-based scenario, the costs of disaster preparedness are high, when one factors in the necessary levels of redundancy, failover, multiple site networking, etc. A network-based hosted PBX solution affords a much less expensive alternative. If a major disaster were to hit, you could simply have all your calls redirected to a temporary telephone number (such as a cell phone), send your employees home or relocate your equipment to another IP-enabled facility. Since all the call processing and features are tied to servers that sit in the network, all the features are tied to the “cloud” ensuring availability in the event of a disaster.

Without a clean interactive “tool” for control of global temperatures, we are relying upon the unstable nature of our environment to continue to mend itself, regardless of our abusive actions. In addition to our own actions, history has shown that nature often has global extinction events. There are many natural generators of greenhouse gases.

If the methane permafrost melts, billions of people may die from reduced global agricultural harv Continue reading »

With all of the technology that is being continuously introduced and used, it would only seem logical in our quest for a green world to apply some of the renewable energy efforts to this spectrum. That is exactly what some scientists are looking into with their research on how nanotechnology can be used with lithium batteries.

According to Science News, a report that will be published in International Journal of Nanomanufacturin Continue reading »