Global+Positioning+System

=**What is GPS?**=

Global Positioning System is a satellite based navigation system providing accuracy usable for side scan sonar surveys on a worldwide basis. GPS has become a universal, reliable positioning system. Inherent errors in GPS (implemented by the Department of Defense) create inaccuracies of more than 100 meters. Differential base stations can reduce these errors to less than two meters but are time consuming to survey-in and have limited range.

Here is a brief video explaining what GPS is: media type="youtube" key="OVDLt74Kx_4" width="425" height="350"

**Civilians**
Use of GPS is particularly common for those getting around a place, e.g. cities, countries. The GPS device which is installed in cars and other forms of transportation such as planes, help guide the driver or pilot to their desired destiantion therefore helping that person get from A to B. Another example of public use of GPS is hiking. It allows hikers to find their position in relation to landmarks, as well as benefit them in the sense that it allows them to view their surrounding environment: terrain, steepness of slopes, weather, etc.

**Government**
The use of GPS in terms of the Government is very common in simple everday devices, specifically mobile phones. This allows them to track a person because the phone acts as a type of radar AKA "Celldar". This is usually because it is a means of protecting and surveying national security from people such as terrorist groups and so on. However some may argue that this is in fact an invasion of privacy

GPS: Invasion of Privacy or Convinience
GPS receivers are used eveywhere and installed in most new technology. Most cars since 1990 have GPS receivers installed to give drivers directions while their on the road.

If we take pets for example, dogs usually, will run away or get lost. Often will buy GPS collars for them or have a GPS receiver injected into them. Imagine this in the future with humans. Some websites on the social and ethical issues of GPS: //[|Keeping Cons Out of Jail]// [|Tracking Your Children With GPS: Do You Have The Right?] [|Companies Increasingly use GPS-Enabled Cell Phones to Track Employees] [|This Car Can Talk. What It Says May Cause Concern] [|Privacy Concerns and the Future of GPS]


 * Consider this:** What is the future of GPS and where do we draw the line. Would you want to be tracked without knowledge by a government agency, debt collector, a friend, a loved one, a stalker even....hmmmm would you like thatsss? I don't think so, but then where would we be if we didn't think hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm? Would you like to be on Big Brother without knowings? hmm? Your wife or husband seeing you on TV with another womans or mans in bedsss??? hmmm not very nice is it? Consider this again.

[|ddd]

=Remember....wherever you are...WE ARE WATCHING YOUSSSSSSS=

RESOURCES [|UK Rail chiefs eye sat-navigation] [|Tracking the future of Driving] [|Ethical Issues arising from the Real Time Tracking and Monitoring of People Using GPS-based Location Services] [|Emerging Technologies, Emerging Privacy Issues] - page 8-9 is on GPS

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