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The Israel Air Force used a new bunker-buster missile that it received recently from the United States in strikes against Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip on Saturday. The GPS-guided GBU-39 is said to be one of the most accurate bombs in the world.

A Russian Proton-M rocket was launched into space Thursday with three new satellites for Moscow's GLONASS navigation system, aimed at competing with US and European systems, a report said.

In Egypt, the GPS utility on the iPhone has been banned from the general public and is restricted to military use. The restrictions stem from fears Cairo has that terrorists can utilize the mapping tool to coordinate attacks, and Apple, which developed the popular gadget, has acquiesced and removed GPS devices from iPhones sold in Egypt. Their fears are not unfounded. Last month terrorists attacking Mumbai used Google Earth to plan the blitz, according to findings from India's security services.

First, they hand us our Obama-approved tire gauges. Next, they police our odometers. Fresh from North Carolina, here’s the latest Nanny State proposal: Monitoring our odometers and taxing us accordingly. With gas-tax revenues plummeting, the state of North Carolina is looking seriously at taxing motorists for how far they drive. If the “road-use tax” is implemented, it would at first be simple – with the state checking your odometer annually and taxing you based on how many miles you have driven. But transportation experts say new GPS technology could allow the state to

Idea for road-use tax is expected to hinge on odometer readings, then GPS tracking, to replace revenue lost to fuel efficiency. With gas-tax revenues plummeting, the state of North Carolina is looking seriously at taxing motorists for how far they drive. If the “road-use tax” is implemented, it would at first be simple – with the state checking your odometer annually and taxing you based on how many miles you have driven. But transportation experts say new GPS technology could allow the state to charge people different rates based on when and where they drive, in an attempt to manage...

When the attackers arrived on the shores of Mumbai last month, they had studied satellite images of the city, were carrying handheld GPS sets and were communicating with their handlers via the Internet and satellite phone. Many of the Indian police they encountered did not even have walkie-talkies. The Mumbai gunmen not only overwhelmed security forces with their weaponry and willingness to die, but also with their sophisticated use of technology, security experts said. "These (terrorists) are well aware of the technology available and also know that the police are several steps behind. And a lot of this technology is...

OnStar, the unit behind General Motors' GPS-based in-vehicle security system, offers Stolen Vehicle Slowdown technology: An OnStar operator can send a signal to a vehicle, restricting its fuel and slowing it to 3-5 mph. The technology is available on about 1 million 2009 GM vehicles, OnStar spokesman Jim Kobus says. Another company, Virginia Beach-based StarChase, is field-testing its Pursuit Management System. It's a launcher on the front of a police car that fires projectiles that stick on a fleeing vehicle targeted by laser, enabling police to track it by GPS. The system, which has been tested by police in Columbus,...

Baby Jesus disappeared last year from a Nativity scene on the lawn of the Wellington, Fla., community center, village officials didn’t follow a star to locate him. A GPS device mounted inside the life-size figurine led sheriff’s deputies to a nearby apartment, where it was found face down on the carpet. An 18-year-old woman was arrested in the theft. Giving up on old-fashioned padlocks and trust, some churches, synagogues, governments and ordinary citizens are turning to technology to protect holiday displays from pranks or prejudice. About 70 churches and synagogues eager to avoid the December police blotter jumped at a...

Garmin's Moral GPS system offers targeted solutions to moral dilemmas. The nation's leaders and technological specialists have found a new way to chart the country's moral path into 21st century. Garmin's new PC-101 Moral Global Positioning System (GPS) will replace the moral compass that was used to direct people through wars, economic upheavals, and the demise of the televised variety shows. Garmin's Moral GPS Product Manager Leonardo Sheba said the new technology can pinpoint filmy moral positions and display them in a simple good-bad interface. "Americans need more simplistic approaches to the way they make moral decisions," said Sheba. "Using...

GPS And Taxes: An Intrusive Combination The Washington Dispatch ^ | July 18, 2003 | Cathryn Crawford Posted on Friday, July 18, 2003 7:07:28 AM by Cathryn Crawford GPS And Taxes: An Intrusive Combination by Cathryn Crawford Jul 18, 2003 Some things just aren’t that shocking anymore. Oregon, the state known for its law that fines you for speaking out against a public worker or a state official, has a new socialistic program in mind. It’s a dream come true for the government, both state and federal, in that it not only promotes the idea of Big Brother, but it...

A federal court case in Pittsburgh could reach the U.S. Supreme Court for a "groundbreaking" decision about whether police officers need probable cause and search warrants to use GPS technology when tracking suspects, a local expert in constitutional law said. Across the country, detectives are using the sometimes-controversial technology to investigate cases. But Pennsylvania law doesn't clearly dictate rules, said University of Pittsburgh School of Law professor John Burkoff, author of the "Search Warrant Law Deskbook." "The law isn't entirely clear," Burkoff said. "There are many areas open to challenge, and to be safe, the best bet would be for...

A World War II-era air traffic network that often forces planes to take longer, zigzagging routes is costing U.S. airlines billions of dollars in wasted fuel while an upgrade to a satellite-based system has languished in the planning stages for more than a decade. The $35 billion plan would replace the current radar system with the kind of GPS technology that has become commonplace in cars and cell phones. Supporters say it would triple air traffic capacity, reduce delays by at least half, improve safety and curb greenhouse gas emissions. An AP analysis of federal and industry data found that...

Here's a story to send a shiver down the spine of anyone who relies on their GPS sat nav or mobile. Scientists at Cornell University have managed to trick a GPS receiver into accepting signals from rogue transmitters instead of the genuine orbiting satellites. It took a year of electronic tinkering, but boffins today demonstrated how a phony receiver could be placed near a navigation device, where it would track, modify, and retransmit the signals from the GPS satellite constellation. Gradually, the victim navigation device would accept the counterfeit navigation signals. Burn your sat nav immediately"GPS is woven into...

EU parliament approves military use of Galileo In a majority decision on Thursday, the European parliament adopted a resolution on the importance of space for European security. The draft of the resolution submitted by Karl von Wogau, a member of the German CDU party and chairman of the European Parliament's subcommittee on security and defence, stipulated that Europe's future satellite navigation system, Galileo, should also be available for operations related to European security and defense policy (ESDP). 502 MEPs voted for the resolution, 83 against. The European Green Party proposed amendments so that Galileo could only be used for civilian...

Kids With History of Skipping School To Wear Ankle Bracelets Equipped With Satellite Technology (AP) Court authorities here will be able to track students with a history of skipping school under a new program requiring them to wear ankle bracelets using satellite technology. But at least one group is worried the ankle bracelets, with Global Positioning System monitoring, will infringe on students' privacy. Linda Penn, a Bexar County justice of the peace, said she anticipates that about 50 students from four San Antonio-area school districts - likely to be mostly high schoolers - will wear the anklets during the six-month...

Someone was attacking women in Fairfax County and Alexandria, grabbing them from behind and sometimes punching and molesting them before running away. After logging 11 cases in six months, police finally identified a suspect. David Lee Foltz Jr., who had served 17 years in prison for rape, lived near the crime scenes. To figure out if Foltz was the assailant, police pulled out their secret weapon: They put a Global Positioning System device on Foltz's van, which allowed them to track his movements. Police said they soon caught Foltz dragging a woman into a wooded area in Falls Church. After...

Someone was attacking women in Fairfax County and Alexandria, grabbing them from behind and sometimes punching and molesting them before running away. After logging 11 cases in six months, police finally identified a suspect. David Lee Foltz Jr., who had served 17 years in prison for rape, lived near the crime scenes. To figure out if Foltz was the assailant, police pulled out their secret weapon: They put a Global Positioning System device on Foltz's van, which allowed them to track his movements. Police said they soon caught Foltz dragging a woman into a wooded area in Falls Church. After...

Question for those who know. I drive around for work a good amount and am tired of using Mapquest and Google for directions. Especially since half the time they are not the best way to get somewhere, or even correct in how to get there. So I want an entry level GPS. Being that the "evil Bush" has destroyed the economy and I am only a pay check away from being homeless according to the libs, I don't want to spend a lot. So $150 to $200 is my range. Not a tremendous amount. But then I don't a fancy...

Garmin International today plans to launch a series of more-rugged Nuvi portables that combine street navigation with outdoor recreation capabilities. The Nuvi 500 series was designed to be taken from car to trail to bike to boat, said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “This product allows us to combine features from several of our most popular automotive and outdoor navigators into one compact unit,” Bartel said. “From weekend trips to the lake, to a hike around the trail, Nuvi 500 is ideal for people seeking automotive and recreational navigation in one dynamic device.” The 500-series Nuvis feature...

While an 11-year old, Louisville, Kentucky boy is using a toy radar gun to get drivers to slow down through his neighborhood, the police are finding that real radar guns might not be a match for GPS--at least not when contested in court. According to a press release issued by Rocky Mountain Tracking, an 18-year old man, Shaun Malone, was able to successfully contest a speeding ticket in court using the data from a GPS device installed in his car. This wasn't just any old make-a-left-turn-100-feet-ahead-onto-Maple-Street GPS; this was a vehicle tracking GPS device--the kind used by trucking fleets--or in...

I plan to buy my wife a GPS in the $400 to $500 range. Any suggestions?

The warrantless use of a global positioning device on a vehicle by police does not violate a driver's right to privacy under either the U.S. Constitution or the New York state Constitution, an upstate appeals panel decided last week. In becoming what it said was the first state appeals court in New York to address the issue, the Appellate Division, 3rd Department, panel determined that the privacy expectations of individuals under both the federal and state constitutions are lower when they are in their automobiles than when they are in their homes. "Because we recognize the diminished expectation of privacy...

June 3, 2008: South Korean intelligence is trying to get their hands on North Korea's new GPS jammer. These items are used to spoil the aim of GPS guided bombs and missiles. The U.S., NATO, Israel and several Middle Eastern nations (friendly to the U.S.) are big users of such guided weapons. The North Korean device is being offered to Middle Eastern Nations (as in Syria, Iran and Hizbollah), and is touted as superior to the Russian model (which Iraq had, and used, without much success, in 2003). The Russians have since improved their technology, but the U.S. believes it's...

Satellite-based navigation has become a ubiquitous tool for business, military and personal use. The downside is that any disruption in the Global Positioning System could wreak havoc down on Earth. This year, the Department of Homeland Security decided that a 30-year-old navigation system used by mariners will be upgraded to back up GPS. The decision preserves the Long-Range Aids to Navigation (LORAN) network, which has been teetering on the verge of forced retirement since the 1980s, according to the Coast Guard’s Navigation Center. The backbone of LORAN is a network of transmission stations, many located in remote regions, staffed with...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Lockheed Martin Corp. beat out Boeing Co. to win an Air Force contract worth up to $3.57 billion to build as many as 12 next-generation global positioning satellites, the Pentagon said Thursday. The deal is the first of three awards to supply a total of 32 satellites for the Pentagon's new GPS III system. As the manufacturer of the first block of satellites, Lockheed will be in a strong position to win the two follow-on contracts. Col. Dave Madden, commander of the Air Force's Global Positioning Systems Wing, said the Air Force hopes to work with the...

In another blow to Boeing Co.'s battered defense business, the U.S. Air Force on Thursday tapped rival Lockheed Martin Corp. for a contract potentially worth more than $3.5 billion to build a new generation of global positioning satellites. Chicago-based Boeing, which has a huge workforce in Southern California, would have made the satellites in El Segundo. The loss of the contract, known as Global Positioning System IIIA, was Boeing's third high-profile defeat in as many months. The company lost a $35-billion contest to build aerial refueling tankers for the Air Force in February and a $3.74-billion award to build unmanned...

If your GPS device told you to drive off a cliff would you do it? Norman Sussman nearly did. Mr. Sussman recently queried his GPS for an alternate route home after hitting traffic outside Santa Fe, N.M. Following the machine's directions, he veered up a winding mountain road, expecting to rejoin the interstate. After a half-hour of hairpin turns, Mr. Sussman stepped on the brakes: The road ended at a guardrail and a 200-foot cliff. "It looked like a small version of the Grand Canyon," he says. As GPS devices spread, drivers are finding that satellite navigation may replace paper...

BOYNTON BEACH, Fla. -- Investigators said a Manalapan teenager was caught causing $24,800 worth of damage to a soccer field after the On-Star system in his car tipped off police that he was the culprit. Authorities said the 17-year-old spun a 2007 GMC Denali to make "donuts" all over the soccer field at Saint Joseph's School located at 3300 S. Seacrest Blvd. in Boynton Beach on Nov.21, according to a police report. Police used On-Star GPS records to link the teen to the scene at the time of the vandalism, according to the report. A police subpoenae of OnStar documents...

Date/Launch Time/Site: March 15, with a launch window of 2:09-2:23 a.m. EDT from Space Launch Complex-17A, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. If the launch slips, the next launch attempt is set for March 16, 2:05 – 2:19 a.m. EDT. View the Launch: The launch broadcast will begin approximately 20 minutes before launch. 100k, 300k

U.S. surgeon to use GPS in surgeries www.chinaview.cn 2008-03-10 05:25:48 Print LOS ANGELES, March 9 (Xinhua) -- A Los Angeles surgeon will show 30 visiting orthopedic surgeons from China how he uses Global Positioning Satellite (GPS) technology to guide him as he replaces knees, hips or leg bones in patients, a spokeswoman said on Sunday. ; "The doctor (Lawrence Menendez) uses the satellites to precisely measure legs and make sure they are even," said spokeswoman Sandra Levy at the Medical Center of the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Dr. Menendez delivered a speech on the new technique last...

MIAMI — Florida's much-maligned child-welfare workers will soon begin carrying hand-held devices, like the ones delivery companies use to track packages, that show whether they really are checking in on the children under their supervision. The touch-screen units, about the size of a book and featuring Global Positioning System technology, will record the amount of time caseworkers spend with each family, take photos of children in state care and allow the workers to update case information on the spot, Gov. Charlie Crist and Children & Families Secretary Bob Butterworth said Thursday at a news conference in front of a UPS...

The tattoo display: "Waterproof and powered by pizza." Jim Mielke's wireless blood-fueled display is a true merging of technology and body art. At the recent Greener Gadgets Design Competition, the engineer demonstrated a subcutaneously implanted touch-screen that operates as a cell phone display, with the potential for 3G video calls that are visible just underneath the skin. The basis of the 2x4-inch "Digital Tattoo Interface" is a Bluetooth device made of thin, flexible silicon and silicone. It´s inserted through a small incision as a tightly rolled tube, and then it unfurls beneath the skin to align between skin and...

Technology already exists that could lead to the tracking of purchases and people. Critics fear a loss of privacy. Here's a vision of the not-so-distant future: • Microchips with antennas will be embedded in virtually everything you buy, wear, drive and read, allowing retailers and law enforcement to track consumer items — and, by extension, consumers — wherever they go, from a distance. • A seamless, global network of electronic "sniffers" will scan radio tags in myriad public settings, identifying people and their tastes instantly so that customized ads, "live spam," may be beamed at them. • In "Smart Homes,"...

GPs urge millions hit by bug to stay at home By Rebecca Smith, Medical Editor and Aislinn Simpson Last Updated: 2:14am GMT 03/01/2008 Doctors' leaders warned people struck down by a violent stomach bug sweeping the country not to return to work as GPs reported that they were being inundated by sufferers. More than 100,000 people a week are catching norovirus, which causes sudden vomiting and diarrhoea, and the numbers contracting the disease will peak this month. The NHS advises patients affected to stay at home for 48 hours after they last suffered the symptoms Thousands of workers and children...

WELLINGTON — In this village, Jesus has returned with the help of modern-day technology.Last year, the baby Jesus figure disappeared twice from the Nativity scene in front of the Wellington Community Center, never to be seen again. This year, the new blond, blue-eyed statue was outfitted with a GPS tracking device that monitored its every movement.The evening after Jesus' birth, the baby moved.At 6:45 a.m. Thursday, a village employee noticed that the statue was missing. Building maintenance supervisor Gus Arnold logged on to the monitoring system and saw that it was taken from the manger at 10 p.m. Wednesday.Arnold homed...

A Minnesota man has made it his mission to get a specially programmed GPS unit for troops in Iraq. Ed Meyer told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS that if a soldier were to go to Iraq right now and use a GPS device, all it would show is the country’s border. But Meyer has discovered a new global positioning system that would be able to show someone the whole country, pinpoint cities, and even find which road a soldier was traveling on. The difference between the two systems is a tiny chip that not many soldiers have access to. "At night they're...

Can Russian GPS system track my dog? Putin asks Mon Dec 24, 9:18 AM ET President Vladimir Putin said on Monday he was keen to use Russia's planned global positioning system GLONASS to look after his black Labrador Koni. "When can I buy hardware to equip my dog with so that she won't run away too far?" Putin was quoted as asking First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov during a briefing on progress towards developing a competitor to the U.S. GPS system. Russia is working to expand GLONASS, a system which locates objects on the ground using orbital satellites, and...

The Christianity 2.0 movement continues in South Florida, where the town of Bal Harbour received a GPS-equipped Baby Jesus statue to replace a previously stolen Baby Jesus staute. A Cincinnati lawyer donated the statue after hearing about the theft in early December. In addition, Mary and Joseph were equipped with GPS and the entire family was encased in plexiglass to avoid future theft by godless heathens. Now Ricky Bobby can rest easy knowing that little baby Jesus is safe in his manger watchin' the Baby Einstein videos, learnin' 'bout shapes and colors. [AP via Chicago Tribune]

I'm seeking to tap into the vein of Freeper wisdom about portable car GPS systems. Yes, this IS a Christmas gift, though one outside of my price range...I'm checking for a friend who is looking at them as a last-minute gift idea. What we are looking for is a unit ideally priced at no more than $400, and that gives you the road titles and not just the step-by-step directions "go 1.5 miles and turn 'right' on the highlighted road." Rather, we'd like "turn right on Browning street" etc. As I understand it, there's also an option to pipe the...

Navigation gadgets are now so widely available no one needs to worry about getting lost anymore - except when they're trying to choose the right device. All global positioning system devices for cars give turn-by-turn voice directions, estimate travel times and list points of interest such as gas stations, banks, hotels and restaurants. GPS models geared for outdoor pursuits emphasize other features. For all models, the prices rise with the number of bells and whistles. Once you balance price against the features you want, the biggest differences you'll see will be in how the devices present maps, how their navigation...

November 23, 2007: China has developed what appear to be powerful GPS jamming systems, that are carried around in trucks. Apparently the "GPS jamming vans" are meant to created a protective "bubble" over an area the van is in the middle of. For over a decade, the U.S. Air Force has been developing anti-GPS jamming technology. For years, military aircraft have been equipped with complex, and expensive (over $30,000 each) GPS receivers that will work even if they are being jammed). There are several ways you can defeat attempts to jam GPS signals. Some of the methods are well known,...

China’s anti-satellite and space warfare program includes plans to destroy or incapacitate 'every enemy space vehicle' that passes over China. The annual report of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, released last week, listed among Beijing's goals that of ensuring that Chinese space weapons are “conducted covertly so China can maintain a positive international image.” China has called for a ban on space weapons at the United Nations. The report said that China also is developing civilian technology that can be applied to military space programs and is acquiring the “ability to destroy or temporarily incapacitate every enemy space...

Internet search leader Google Inc. is testing technology that will find the location of people using its mobile mapping service, even if the phone making the connection isn't equipped with a GPS receiver. The new tracking feature introduced Wednesday is being touted as an added convenience because it will enable people on the go to skip the task of typing a starting address on a mobile handset's small keys when they turn to Google's maps for guidance. Using the technology, dubbed "My Location," simply requires pressing zero on a mobile handset equipped with the new software. The sender's location shows...

China has deployed special vans equipped with sophisticated electronics designed to jam U.S. GPS (global positioning satellite) satellite navigation signals. The fear inside the Pentagon is that China will deploy large numbers of these vans to jam GPS signals over large sections of its territory. Intelligence officials are watching the vans carefully to assess their capabilities and to see whether China moves to export the technology to other nations like Iran. The U.S. intelligence agencies have photos of the vans, taken from space and on the ground, but are not sure how capable they are in jamming GPS-guided weapons in...

GPS tracking devices installed on government-issue vehicles are helping communities around the country reduce waste and abuse, in part by catching employees shopping, working out at the gym or otherwise loafing while on the clock. The use of GPS has led to firings, stoking complaints from employees and unions that the devices are intrusive, Big Brother technology. But city officials say that monitoring employees' movements has deterred abuses, saving the taxpayers money in gasoline and lost productivity. "We can't have public resources being used on private activities. That's Management 101," Phil Nolan, supervisor of the Long Island town of Islip....

Mexican trucks crossing into the U.S. as part of a controversial pilot project will monitored by GPS satellite technology beginning this month. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) announced the plan to track the trucks as they pick up and deliver their loads. The decision to require the installation of satellite tracking -- to be provided by Qualcomm -- was made after members of Congress expressed a desire to know whether Mexican participants in the demonstration program are complying with U.S. federal safety and trade laws. FMCSA says it will initially spend approximately $367,000 to outfit all trucks from...

Two new questions arise, courtesy of the latest advancement in cellphone technology: Do you want your friends, family, or colleagues to know where you are at any given time? And do you want to know where they are? Obvious benefits come to mind. Parents can take advantage of the Global Positioning System chips embedded in many cellphones to track the whereabouts of their phone-toting children. And for teenagers and 20-somethings, who are fond of sharing their comings and goings on the Internet, youth-oriented services like Loopt and Buddy Beacon are a natural next step. Sam Altman, the 22-year-old co-founder of...

Big Brother may be about to get just a bit bigger. General Motors just announced a new and improved version of its OnStar telematics system that could be used to shut your car's engine off (or at least, cut back the power) remotely. ~~~snip~~~ Come 2009, it will be technically feasible to make speeding impossible. A modern car is controlled by computers; the computers are now tied into GPS systems such as OnStar -- which have the ability to send and receive electronic transmissions, including instructions that tell the computer how to run the car. "Smart" speed limit signs can...

Parents of Windsor High student first in county to use tracking device data to fight son's speeding ticket By DEREK J. MOORE THE PRESS DEMOCRAT Shaun Malone was livid when his parents installed a global positioning device in his sports car to monitor his whereabouts and how fast he drives. But now the Windsor High School junior hopes to beat a potentially expensive speeding ticket using data from the device. The case represents the first time anyone has contested a speeding ticket in Sonoma County courts using a global positioning system, which pinpoints speed and location using lightning-fast calculations and...

NEW YORK - A federal judge refused Friday to block a new city rule that requires taxi drivers to install global positioning systems and credit card machines in their cabs by Monday. The drivers argue that the city overstepped its authority and acted unconstitutionally when it mandated the units. Their lawsuit also claims GPS will give away trade secrets by disclosing the cabbies' driving patterns, which they say give them a competitive edge. U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman refused to block the rule from taking effect, saying the use of the technology to improve taxi service appeared to outweigh...